sign in sign up
<<
Home , Anatoly Tarasov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Antti Raanta, Barry Long (ice hockey), Dave Strader, Edmonton Ice

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 04/07/18 1107897 Ducks leapfrog Kings with win over Stars 1107932 The Morning After: The Avalanche’s regular- finale 1107898 Ducks jump back into 3rd place in Pacific with victory over will have a Game 7 feel Stars 1107933 St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche: What you need to 1107899 Ducks’ Ryan Kesler still nowhere near 100 percent, but know ready for the ‘real season’ 1107934 After escaping the pit of misery, Colorado Avalanche’s 1107900 Ducks Gameday: Journeyman goalie Mike McKenna gets playoff hunt rejuvenates weary hockey town rare start for Dallas 1107935 A Game 7 before the playoffs? Everything on the line for the Avalanche, Blues on Saturday 1107901 Arizona Coyotes keep No. 1 goalie Antti Raanta with 3-year contract extension 1107936 Blue Jackets notebook | Sergei Bobrovsky liked effort vs. 1107902 Raanta convinced the Coyotes he could be a No. 1 goalie Penguins 1107903 Sedin twins combine for OT winner in farewell, Coyotes 1107937 Finale at Nashville has plenty of importance fall to Canucks 1107938 What are the chances? A look at the Blue Jackets' five 1107904 Arizona Coyotes agree to 3-year extension with Antti possible first-round opponents Raanta 1107939 Game preview: Stars hoping to get nice memory for goalie 1107906 The Bruins’ first-round opponent? It’s complicated Mike McKenna Friday against Ducks 1107907 Bruins know they can’t keep playing like they did in a loss 1107940 The good, the bad and the ugly from the Dallas Stars' to the Panthers 2017-18 season 1107908 Bruins must sharpen their game this weekend for the 1107941 The top 3 Stars most likely to depart from this season's playoffs team 1107909 Rask 'terrific' in what might have been last start of regular 1107942 Quackers! Turnovers and poor killing doom Stars season in Anaheim 1107910 Morning skate: Brad Marchand falling out of Hart Trophy 1107943 Stars 20/20: Stars have a 6.6 percent chance of landing race top-three pick Red Wings 1107911 The Wraparound: Lightning 7, Sabres 5 1107944 The is born: How iconic Red Wings changed 1107912 Sabres Notebook: Bolts coach sees better times ahead in hockey forever Buffalo 1107945 Red Wings playing for ‘pride in winged wheel’ in finale 1107913 Sabres at Lightning: Five Things to Know 1107946 Red Wings’ Frk learning need to shore up defensively 1107914 Inside the Sabres: Saying goodbye to underachievers 1107947 lifts Wings’ hopes with dawning stardom won't be easy 1107948 After heartbreaker, Quinn Hughes is big question for Michigan hockey Flames 1107949 Red Wings' season finale has draft lottery implications 1107915 Consistency key as Flames centre Jankowski reflects on 1107950 bullish on Tyler Bertuzzi's future first season in 'everyday league' 1107916 Anatomy of a season: Flames highlights and lowlights Oilers 1107917 Golden Knights at Flames: Five things to know before the 1107951 Ryan Smyth greatly appreciated Sedins on his NHL puck drops farewell 1107918 Vegas coach Gallant is Jack Adams frontrunner 1107952 notes: Keegan Lowe had butterflies in 1107919 An eight-point plan to make the most of the Calgary first game Flames 2018 offseason 1107953 Edmonton Oilers beat the odds three times against Vegas 1107957 The Golden Knights' marvelous debut season offers useful lessons for the Oilers 1107920 Raleigh's Calvin Stone an emergency phone call away from NHL 1107958 A playoff game to reach the playoffs? The Panthers could be involved in NHL history 1107921 For , Blackhawks home finale an occasion 1107959 The Panthers’ playoff picture is becoming clearer. This is worth savoring what needs to happen Saturday 1107922 Michal Kempny wasn't a blockbuster get for the Capitals, 1107960 Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson fined $2,000 for but he could help like one second diving infraction 1107923 Blackhawks honor Stan Mikita through grandsons in 'One 1107961 Panthers, Flyers could play tiebreaking game on Tuesday More Shift' night for playoff spot 1107924 Whether or not Blackhawks are right to keep status quo, 1107962 The Next Day Look: Florida Panthers 3, Boston Bruins 2 reasons for decision are sound 1107963 Preview: Sabres at Panthers, 7 p.m., Saturday 1107925 Antti Raanta signs 3-year, $12.75 million extension with Coyotes 1107926 Blackhawks fall in Patrick Sharp's last game at the 1107927 Blackhawks honor Hall of Famer Stan Mikita with 'One More Shift' 1107928 Scouting report: Chicago Blackhawks at 1107929 One More Shift for Stan Mikita: Family, players honors 'team-first attitude' 1107930 Emotional Sharp announces retirement after Blackhawks loss 1107931 We'll miss Connor McDavid, the Blackhawks, in the crease this postseason 1107964 What we learned from the Kings' 5-4 victory over the Wild 1107998 Senators Thomas Chabot to play for Canada 1107965 Ducks leapfrog Kings with win over Stars in world championship 1107966 Family ecstatic, touched as Kings rookie Daniel Brickley 1107999 The Ottawa Senators will miss their friend Jonathan Pitre makes his debut 1108000 Game Day: Ottawa Senators at the 1107967 Kings take offense to those who thought quest for more 1108001 Senators hit rock bottom in loss to Penguins goals this season would deter defense 1108002 Senators and Penguins honour the memory of Jonathan 1107968 Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown fuel Kings’ return to playoffs Pitre with career seasons 1108003 Game Day: Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins 1107969 BRODZINSKI, JAD, STRAND TO ; BRICKLEY PICS AND VIDEO; REMPAL HONORED Flyers 1107970 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: APRIL 6 1108004 After scoring change, Flyers' Giroux a point away from 100 1108005 Flyers want to win their way into playoffs by 1107971 Wild reassigns Carson Soucy to Iowa, setting up Louie beating Rangers Belpedio NHL debut 1108006 Flyers-Rangers preview: For Philly, a playoff spot is there 1107972 Wild-San Jose gameday preview for the taking 1107973 Wild defensemen still scoring in Ryan Suter's absence 1108007 ‘Excited’ Flyers hope to leave no doubt against Rangers 1107974 Starting next week, Wild have a new biggest rival: the with playoffs on the line Winnipeg Jets 1108008 Here's how we could get a Flyers-Panthers play-in game 1107975 Wild's challenges vs. Jets: Stop potent attack, don't fall 1108009 Flyers need one more Hart-worthy performance from into another 0-2 hole 1107976 Supported at every turn by his father Heinz, has achieved many of his hockey dreams Pittsburgh Penguins 1108010 Penguins turn to Casey DeSmith in for Canadiens regular-season finale 1107977 Canadiens' has grown into role as 1108011 'It's pretty special:' Penguins in awe of Phil Kessel's centreman winner 1107978 Canadiens prospect Jake Evans leads Notre Dame to 1108012 Kevin Gorman's Take 5: Five thoughts on Penguins' another dramatic win season finale 1107979 What the Puck: Canadiens' future rides on 1108013 Penguins clinch home ice for 1st round, Casey DeSmith rebound posts 1st NHL shutout 1107980 Habs Prospects Notebook: Several prospects enjoying 1108014 Penguins notebook: Sidney Crosby, 3 others log 82-game postseason success seasons 1108015 Paul Zeise: To win another Stanley Cup, Penguins offense must carry defense 1107981 Delivered: NHL receives the special package from 'Catfish' 1108016 Analysis: Impressions from Penguins’ win against Briley Columbus 1107982 The Predators, the Presidents' Trophy and NHL playoff 1108017 Ron Cook: Highlight of the Penguins' season-finale victory success: A primer ... Jake Guentzel scoring a goal 1107983 Predators prepared to recreate buzz of last season's 1108018 Postgame impressions: A special honor for Sidney Crosby Stanley Cup playoff run 1108019 Penguins lock up home ice in first round with win over 1107984 Predators will play Avalanche or Blues in first round of Ottawa Stanley Cup playoffs 1108020 Penguins playing meaningful games until the final day 1107985 Nashville Mayor David Briley reimburses Predators fan who shipped catfish to NHL 1107986 Predators TV ratings soar after years of being rock bottom 1108021 How Sharks’ defenseman won his job back on eve of Stanley Cup playoffs 1108022 Takeaways: Statement game from Pavelski, and 1107987 Devils' Taylor Hall: 'We made our own way' to playoff shutdown defense pair shows playoff form berth 1108023 Win gives Ducks a shot to overtake Sharks for 2nd place 1107988 Behind Keith Kinkaid's 'surreal' path to becoming in Pacific late-season hero for Devils 1108024 Surprising Sharks trio continues productive season in win 1107989 Who will Devils face in NHL playoffs? Breaking down vs Avalanche potential 1st-round opponents 1107990 8 observations from Devils' playoff-clinching win over St Louis Blues Leafs 1108025 Blues update: Hutton to start in goal vs. Blackhawks; Allen 1107991 Devils playoff berth even sweeter for Andy Greene and starts Saturday Travis Zajac 1108026 In Jake we trust for Blues against Avalanche 1108027 Preview: Blues at Avalanche 1108028 Blues win, improve playoff chances going into final game 1107992 Islanders’ Doug Weight: ‘I’ve got to do more’ 1108029 Berglund has a hat trick as Blues beat Blackhawks 4-1 | Morning Skate 1107993 Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers relishing the chance to spoil Flyers’ playoff hopes 1107994 All that’s left for the Rangers in their final game 1107995 calls up two for finale 1107996 Rangers will take good look at youngsters and Filip Chytil NHL 1107997 hockey team bus involved in fatal crash Websites 1108030 NHL says Flyers, Panthers could play tiebreaker game 1108079 The Athletic / Duhatschek Notebook: What went wrong in 1108031 Lightning controls its own destiny for home ice in Calgary and Dallas, the Sedins' toughness, Calder quest conference playoffs 1108080 The Athletic / So long, Sharpy: Patrick Sharp calls it quits 1108032 Lightning journal: Yanni Gourde sets two rookie records after United Center sendoff 1108033 Roger Mooney’s Lightning-Sabres takeaways | tbo.com 1108081 The Athletic / The Blues' Line: St. Louis' ability to stop 1108034 Lightning tops Sabres, can clinch division title Saturday MacKinnon, Avs in Game 82 will determine playoff fa 1108035 Record-setting night for Lightning’s Gourde 1108082 The Athletic / What are the chances? A look at the Blue 1108036 Roger Mooney’s takeaways from Friday’s Jackets' five possible first-round opponents Lightning-Sabres game 1108083 The Athletic / Red Wings prospect report: Michael 1108037 Lightning rallies for crucial 7-5 win over Sabres Rasmussen 1108084 The Athletic / Henrik and Daniel Sedin orchestrate Maple Leafs storybook send-off in finale 1108038 Five takes: The Leafs didn’t match New Jersey’s effort 1108085 The Athletic / Pierre-Luc Dubois holds his own against until late Sidney Crosby to help Blue Jackets earn point, playoff 1108039 NHL TV voices talk dirty goals 1108086 The Athletic / Blue Jackets clinch playoff spot, but OT loss 1108040 Daniel Sedin overtime hero in final game in Vancouver to Penguins sullies mood 1108041 Leafs were playoff-bound from the day the season started 1108087 The Athletic / Forget rebuilding, Minnesota Duluth is back 1108042 Saturday game preview: at Toronto in the national championship game Maple Leafs 1108088 .ca / Quick Shifts: Can the Maple Leafs survive 1108043 Maple Leafs driven by the power of three playoff nastiness? 1108044 Etobicoke’s Evans Irish cream rising to the top 1108089 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs Prospect Report: Which 1108045 Maple Leafs' defencemen supported by Andersen Marlies can make the NHL jump? 1108046 Maple Leafs' Andersen 'feelin' good' as playoffs near 1108090 Sportsnet.ca / NHL Power Rankings: What Do We Do 1108047 Sawchuk on the silver screen Now? Edition 1108048 Jake Gardiner's career year is a blessing and a curse for 1108091 Sportsnet.ca / Why Rikard Grönborg could be NHL's first the Leafs European head coach since 2001 1108092 Sportsnet.ca / How the Panthers and Flyers could force a playoff tiebreak game 1108073 Bulls & Bears: Sedins gave all they had for this city, and 1108093 Sportsnet.ca / Sedin twins give Canucks fans yet another then some magical memory 1108074 Daniel and Henrik Sedin’s 10 best linemates 1108094 Sportsnet.ca / Brad Fay: My 10 most memorable Canucks 1108075 Canucks’ Adam Gaudette wins Hobey Baker as best games in Vancouver NCAA men’s player 1108095 Sportsnet.ca / 6 things we learned: Taylor Hall's playoff 1108076 Jason Botchford: Running on fumes, Sedins prep for last drought is over call in Edmonton 1108096 TSN.CA / Snapshot: Predators finish on top 1108077 Systems Analyst: The Sedins Sedined some real Sedinery 1108097 TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Sedins with a superb in their final game in Vancouver send-off 1108078 Henrik and Daniel Sedin orchestrate storybook send-off in 1108098 TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Honka still trying to crack Vancouver finale the lineup 1108099 TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Power play helps Hall's Vegas Golden Knights case for Hart 1108049 Golden Knights go from 200-1 to 6-1 to win Stanley Cup 1108050 Golden Knights hint to Logic-al event for playoff opener Winnipeg Jets 1108051 Stanley Cup visits Las Vegas before NHL playoffs 1108061 A chance to leave the past behind 1108052 Jonathan Marchessault, Luca Sbisa rejoin Golden Knights 1108062 Jets preparing for Wild playoff test 1108053 Golden Knights end regular season with one goal — stay 1108063 Jets fans need to temper playoff expectations healthy 1108064 Winnipeg Jets playoff party will close off Donald Street during home games 1108065 Key players rested ahead of playoffs 1108054 2018 NHL Stanley Cup playoff odds: Predators, Golden 1108066 Bring on the post-season, already... Morrissey dodges a Knights and Bruins the early favorites bullet... Give the Rocket Richard to Ovie... Jets pros 1108055 Alex Ovechkin needs a hat trick in season finale to reach 1108067 The Jets’ forgotten man | Winnipeg Sun 50 goals. He’s done it before. 1108068 JETS VS. HAWKS GAMEDAY: One last game before the 1108056 Michal Kempny wasn’t a blockbuster get for the Capitals, real fun begins but he could help like one 1108069 Mason says Hellebuyck making it look easy 1108057 Brian MacLellan would be just fine with a first round 1108070 Jets not concerned about Wild’s significant edge in playoff matchup against the Penguins experience 1108058 Stanley Cup Playoffs 2018: NHL Playoff Bracket 1108071 Wild's challenges vs. Jets: Stop potent attack, don't fall Projection into another 0-2 hole 1108059 Caps avoid first round matchup with Pittsburgh as 1108072 Supported at every turn by his father Heinz, Nikolaj Ehlers Penguins win season finale has achieved many of his hockey dreams 1108060 Brian MacLellan makes the case for Ovechkin to win the Hart Trophy SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1107897 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks leapfrog Kings with win over Stars

By Mike Coppinger Apr 06, 2018 | 11:05 PM

At times, the Ducks looked imposing, a smooth-passing, grinding, cerebral team that should be a handful for any club they face in the playoffs. On other occasions Friday they looked lethargic, with sloppy turnovers and skating miscues that were precursors to opposing goals. If anything, the Ducks' final home game of the regular season was a microcosm of their entire campaign, a Jekyll and Hyde squad that's difficult to truly evaluate. The rout appeared to be on after the Ducks jumped out to a three-goal lead in the second period, but they instead settled for a 5-3 victory where they sputtered for shifts at a time, their playoff hopes realized one game before. Still, the Ducks had plenty to play for in the regular season's penultimate game as they continue to jockey for postseason positioning, with home ice a possibility for the quarterfinals. "When you see our hockey club clogging up the neutral ice," coach Randy Carlyle said, "when you see our hockey club grinding teams down and having extended offensive-zone time, being a physical hockey club, a hard team to play against, we're being effective. "When we turn the puck over and we play loose and we don't get inside on people, then we're not very good." The Ducks leapfrogged the Kings into third place in the Pacific Division. A win in Saturday's finale against the Coyotes coupled with a San Jose loss would pole-vault the Ducks into the division's second seed along with a home game to kick-start the postseason. A Kings victory paired with a Ducks loss would send Anaheim to Vegas in the first round. As it stands now, the Ducks would travel to San Jose for Game 1 of the quarterfinals. The way the Ducks have played at Honda Center, grabbing home advantage would be a boon to their fortunes. They've lost just once in regulation on home ice in the past 16 games, and they're riding a four-game winning streak overall. Jakob Silfverberg pushed the Ducks to a fast start with a deflection goal 2:28 into the contest. About four minutes later, Rickard Rakell registered a power-play goal to match his goal total from last season with 33 (a team high). After Josh Manson netted a power-goal marker 4:36 into the second period, the Ducks seemed to be in second gear, their legs churning against a team that was eliminated from playoff contention four days ago. Slowly but surely, the lead evaporated as the Ducks allowed Stars skaters to freely drive to the net. And suddenly, the Stars cut the deficit to one with more than 17 minutes left in the game. Andrew Cogliano's breakaway goal with almost five minutes remaining ensured the Ducks would notch another victory, even if it was another uneven performance from a playoff-bound squad with precious little time to find a consistent, complete 60-minute effort that encompasses all the best qualities Carlyle outlined. "The whole team is building that confidence," said Silfverberg, who produced a three-point night. "We're playing the right way That's the biggest key. We're not cheating. We're ready [for the playoffs]. We just need to make sure we have a strong finish tomorrow and see who we get. Prepare from there."

LA Times: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107898 Anaheim Ducks Ryan Miller wasn’t at his sharpest but made 23 saves and got plenty of support in getting his 369th career win, tying him with for second on the all-time wins list among American-born . Ducks jump back into 3rd place in Pacific with victory over Stars Dallas got scores from Marc Methot, Radek Faksa and Jamie Benn. The win was sweet for Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who played in his final regular-season home game with several family By Eric Stephens | [email protected] | Orange County Register members, including his father, in town. Earlier this week, Beauchemin reiterated that he will retire after the season and the team recognized his PUBLISHED: April 6, 2018 at 9:40 pm | UPDATED: April 6, 2018 at contributions over three different stints with a video tribute. 11:54 PM A lengthy standing ovation left the respected 14-year veteran trying hard to keep his composure. Beauchemin is one of three players remaining from the Ducks’ 2007 Stanley Cup team and reached the 900-game mark ANAHEIM — True to their word, the Ducks sought to move upward with in his career on Sunday. regard to their playoff positioning even after they’d secured a spot and put it under lock and key. “That was tough to watch,” Beauchemin said. “Obviously they’re all great memories. It’s been a long career and I’ve had most of my success here. Icing their regular lineup that clinched a berth in the postseason two And obviously winning a Stanley Cup and all the memories that we had, I nights ago, the Ducks rode their regulars to keep alive the possibility of got to see back. I got pretty emotional about it for sure.” gaining home-ice advantage in the first round by getting a 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night at Honda Center. On the team’s fan appreciation night, Carlyle was happy to see them show theirs for a player he’s long trusted on his blue line. With an overflow crowd of 17,355 on hand for the home finale, the Ducks (43-25-13) jumped back over the idle Kings into third place in the Pacific “It’s deserved,” Carlyle said. “Here’s a guy who toiled five-plus years in Division as the Southern California rivals have kept winning to seize that the trying to make it to the NHL and then got spot and push the other into a wild-card position. an opportunity with our hockey club in ’05-06, became one of the mainstays and then earned a 900-game career out of it. You have to Both have one game left, with the Ducks playing at Arizona on Saturday credit the guy. and the Kings hosting Dallas. The Ducks, who got goals from five players, still have a look at securing second place if they beat the “There’s no gray areas with Frankie Beauchemin. Beauch is a head’s-up Coyotes and San Jose loses in regulation to visiting Minnesota. guy. Straightforward. Very determined. A true pro. He’s learned how to make the adjustments that it takes to last in the game for a of Jakob Silfverberg scored a goal and assisted on two others. His years because, believe me, the game’s changed dramatically from when linemate, Andrew Cogliano, had an insurance score in a multi-point night. he first came in.” Rickard Rakell, Derek Grant and Josh Manson also delivered goals as the Ducks finished their home schedule with a 26-10-5 record. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 games at Honda Center. Orange County Register: LOADED: 04.07.2018 While their first-round opponent is still to be decided, the Ducks do have the comfort of not having to deal with playoff nemesis Nashville right away as either St. Louis or Colorado has that chore. Playing Game 1 at home – or a decisive Game 7 – matters a lot if it’s out there for them to take. “It’s always nice to have home ice,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “But I don’t think it’s paramount in any series. If we’re going to play the deciding game, we want to play in our building before we play in anybody else’s building. Simple as that.” Stars coach Ken Hitchcock rewarded journeyman goalie Mike McKenna a rare NHL start after he relieved Kari Lehtonen in San Jose on Tuesday and stopped all 17 shots he saw in the Stars’ 4-2 victory for his first win since 2003. At 35, McKenna has made only 20 starts in 24 NHL games with five organizations since coming up in 2008 with Tampa Bay. His last came on Feb. 16, 2015 for Arizona at Colorado. Most of his time has been spent in the American Hockey League, where he has appeared in 459 games. If there were butterflies within him, the good-natured McKenna was letting on. “Not any more than a normal game,” McKenna said. “Pride is a pretty powerful thing and I think you feel that no matter what level you’re playing. No matter the stage you’re on, you’re always trying to do your best. That’s my approach to it. “It’s a little different but trying to keep it as normal as I can.” The Ducks sought to ruin his feel-good story early. Silfverberg scored on him just 2:28 into the first period as he made a nice redirection of Manson’s pass to finish off a rush up ice. Rakell then equaled last season’s career high of 33 goals with a second-chance tally on the power play at the 6:33 mark. “It’s been a little bit of an up and down for me personally,” said Silfverberg, who got his 17th goal. “Not just me but our line has been struggling to find the back of the net consistently. We’ve been doing a good job of playing solid defense. There’s no better time of the year to get a couple to get the confidence going. “It’s not just me. It’s our whole line that’s been playing with a little bit more confidence.” Grant got his off a double deflection as Silfverberg initially tipped Hampus Lindholm’s point shot. Manson gave the Ducks a 4-1 lead when he followed up on some work by Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf that created a juicy rebound for him to put away early in the second. 1107899 Anaheim Ducks “It was a collective decision to basically come back when I did,” he said. “There wasn’t much more I could do rather than time. And I was getting sick of waiting. I needed to get in some games before playoffs.” Ducks’ Ryan Kesler still nowhere near 100 percent, but ready for the ‘real Doug Shearer is retiring after 34 years as an equipment manager in the season’ NHL, including the last 11 spent with the Ducks. Affectionately nicknamed “Sluggo” by those who’ve known him, Shearer was surprised by the team Tuesday and was left wiping away tears. By Eric Stephens | [email protected] | Orange County Register The Ducks pulled a new fishing boat onto center ice at Honda Center and PUBLISHED: April 6, 2018 at 8:19 pm | UPDATED: April 6, 2018 at presented it to him before their practice. Shearer, who joined the team in 11:18 PM 2007 after a 24-year run with Washington, was initially stunned after Francois Beauchemin distracted him by asking for a repair to his visor.

ANAHEIM — This year was never going to be a normal one for Ryan Kesler. Major hip surgery last June made that certain. Orange County Register: LOADED: 04.07.2018 But the plan for Kesler and those who work with him on a daily basis was to make a return at midseason and use the second half to build his body up to the point where he could handle the rigors of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Just how effective he will be remains to be seen but Kesler is all too happy to find that out. As they insisted all season, the Ducks will be in the playoffs and the center is already preparing for the large role he’s long had as a defensive irritant against the opposition’s best. “It’s been a process,” Kesler said. “Now the real season starts. Now is when the fun starts.” The road to fun for Kesler has been a long one. Six months of rehabilitation got him to the point where he made his season debut Dec. 27 against Vegas. But the process of getting him to the point where he is a physical force on both sides of the puck continues. There is no fooling the eye test. Kesler isn’t operating at 100 percent. He’s nowhere near that, a fact he and the Ducks have never tried to deny. It is one reason why he has one eye on this summer, when he can truly devote himself to a full training regimen. To get to where he is at now physically, Kesler works daily with Newport Beach-based physical therapist David Bradley when he isn’t getting treatment from the Ducks training staff or spending time with strength and conditioning coach Mark Fitzgerald. In a February interview with NHL.com, Kesler indicated how he undergoes dry needling, a form of acupuncture that helps release muscles. It has allowed him to gain better range of movement. And there was the surgery itself to remove many fragments. There are also therapists he sees whenever he is in Vancouver. There is a plan in place to get back there for more offseason work, but Kesler said a visit with Damien Moroney while the Ducks went there on a trip has done wonders. “He’s a smart guy and he understands it,” Kesler said. “I didn’t feel that good in Vancouver. But afterwards, the last three games, I’m starting to feel like I can move out there again, which is a good sign. Maybe I’ve got to move him down here.” Kesler called it a collective decision in terms of how they would manage his second half and is grateful that the Ducks allowed him to sit out practice on many days after games and do his rehab. “The team’s been unreal,” he said. “I have a good team,” Kesler said. “I have a real good team. If I didn’t have the team I had around me in the summer, I’d probably say I don’t know. I have a lot of smart people around me, helping me through this. “It’s been a journey and I think hockey’s finally starting to be fun again. I’m starting to have fun with it. It’s still work off the ice that no one sees. I’m starting to feel like my old self again.” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said he has seen a difference in Kesler of late. And if that is the case, that difference has come right in time. “Hopefully the last two weeks has given him more of an opportunity to feel closer to himself,” Carlyle said. “We believe that that’s happened. And we still see some areas that we notice that’s not the Kes that we’ve become accustomed to. “This is the plan that was put in the place. We think that the player and us have been on the same page. We think there have been some question marks on why we did this, why we did that? Why is it working this way? Why isn’t it better? All of those things. “Those are the things you go through on a day-to-day basis.” As difficult as his rehab has been, Kesler was not going to shut himself down at any point. 1107900 Anaheim Ducks enough to back up. The opposing coach did offer recognition for McKenna’s persistence.

“He’s been around the league a while and now is finally earning an Ducks Gameday: Journeyman goalie Mike McKenna gets rare start for opportunity,” Carlyle said. “And that’s good to see. That’s a good luck Dallas story for a guy that’s been hard at it and working to get to the NHL. And now he’s here. Good for him.” By Eric Stephens | [email protected] | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: April 6, 2018 at 5:09 pm | UPDATED: April 6, 2018 at 5:29 Orange County Register: LOADED: 04.07.2018 PM

ANAHEIM – Third place in the Pacific Division continues to be up for grabs and the Ducks will have another crack at regaining that spot when they take on the Dallas Stars at Honda Center in the regular season home finale Friday night. The Ducks (42-25-13) clinched a playoff spot Wednesday night with their 3-1 win over Minnesota but they’ve been jockeying with the Kings for that position. The Kings took it back Thursday night with a 5-4 overtime win over the Wild, with Dustin Brown scoring his fourth goal of the night for the winner. Sticking to his philosophy that he first indicated Thursday, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said he is intent on putting a regular lineup on the ice against the Stars instead of taking the opportunity to sit out an everyday regular for some added rest – particularly one that logs big minutes. Other than the injured Cam Fowler (shoulder) and John Gibson (upper body), all available Ducks were on the ice for their morning skate. Carlyle has cited the chance to improve their playoff positioning as a reason to go with his recent lineup. The chance for home ice advantage in the first round still exists. “I think that you always go into the game with your best foot forward when you need to points to qualify,” Carlyle said. “So I don’t think that applies in this situation. Obviously we’d like to win this hockey game and solidify our position higher in the standings. And that’s the bottom line. “We’re here to play the right way and to continue to get points that are available to us. That’s the simple motto that I go. You coach the game to win. You play the game to win.” Coming off his 26-save effort Wednesday, Ryan Miller (10-6-6, 2.43 GAA, .927 SV%) gets his second straight start with Reto Berra backing him up. Ondrej Kase joined Rickard Rakell as 20-goal scorers among the Ducks this season while Adam Henrique’s next goal will give him that many since joining Anaheim. Josh Manson will finish as the plus-minus leader among the Ducks with a plus-30 rating while contributing career highs with six goals and 28 assists from the blue line. Hampus Lindholm needs one point to join Manson, Fowler and Brandon Montour as defensemen with 30 points this season. Mike McKenna will make his first NHL start in three years as the Stars (41-31-8) try to close out their season on a high note after the disappointment of failing to reach the playoffs. A career minor leaguer with 459 American Hockey League games under his belt, the 35-year-old McKenna will be appearing in his 24th NHL game. He got his first win in 2013 with Columbus on Tuesdday, making 17 saves in relief of an injured Kari Lehtonen as Dallas won, 4-2, over San Jose. The Stars are his fifth organization. Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said McKenna deserved the chance for a start after playing well while coming in cold. “We don’t know how it’s going to turn out,” Hitchcock said. “We’re real hopeful for a guy that’s put in all the work. He’s looked sharp. He looked sharp yesterday (in practice). He looked really sharp today. “What the heck? Sometimes there’s just an opportunity where people have earned the right to start a hockey game.” Not surprisingly, McKenna has had friends and family members reaching out to offer their congratulations over the past 48 hours. “It’s not overwhelming,” he said. “It’s kind of been funny to me because it’s not the first time I’ve done this,” he said. “When it’s been a while, people are paying attention. It’s been really gratifying. It’s been cool to have some people come out of the woodwork. “But we’re not done here. There’s still a lot left to do.” Carlyle said the Ducks don’t plan to do anything differently with McKenna in net as opposed to the more established Lehtonen, who is healthy 1107901 Arizona Coyotes But since Feb. 8, it's been a different story. Entering play Friday, only four teams in the NHL have more points than the Coyotes (37) over that span.. Arizona Coyotes keep No. 1 goalie Antti Raanta with 3-year contract “The big thing is our young guys have improved so much this year,” extension Raanta said. “When you look back from September when we started and (head coach Rick Tocchet) started to bring in his system. … Sometimes you need to fight for it and grow with the process. Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 9:37 a.m. MT April 6, 2018 | Updated 4:08 p.m. MT April 6, 2018 “Figuring out what it takes to win this league and what it takes to play under pressure was huge for our young group. … You could see that with system and when everyone was dialed in we are a tough team to beat.” Antti Raanta is excited about the Coyotes' direction – so much, in fact, Raanta has enjoyed the ride this season, even if it's been a roller coaster that he would have signed an eight-year contract extension with the team at times. Now, he's looking forward to the future. if he could. "I think the mindset also changed from the first half to the second half," But three years will do for now. Raanta said. "I think we went into games and wanted to win and knew we could win games. … It’s a great thing for the future that these guys are The Coyotes announced on Friday that team had signed its starting one year older and they have 82 more games in their pocket. to a contract extension that runs through the 2020-21 season. The deal is reported to be worth an annual average value of $4.25 "It’s going to be a great future for us," Raanta said. "I want to be a part of million, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. that." For Raanta, signing the deal is a storybook ending in a year that has been rife with obstacles. After dealing with early-season injuries, being forced to move due to a scorpion infestation, and being involved with a Arizona Republic LOADED: 04.07.2018 rear-end collision on Loop 101, the backstop says he still accomplished his goal for this year. “I came here and got the chance to get lots of starts, and I wanted to show everybody that I could do that,” Raanta said in a conference call Friday. “The first half of the season there was a lot of injuries and setbacks, but after that I got myself going and the team started playing better and better every night. My biggest goal was to give the team a chance to win every night.” In 46 games this season, the 28-year-old Raanta has a .930 save percentage and a 2.24 goals against average with the Coyotes. Those numbers rank best among NHL goalies with a minimum of 46 games played. On two separate occasions this season, Raanta was named as one of the NHL's of the week. Now, after a torrid finish by the team to end the regular season, the contract is the latest evidence from the Coyotes that their rebuilding process is inching closer and closer to a finish. The team filled some of its most gaping holes last offseason by acquiring Raanta and from the New York Rangers, as well as bringing in seasoned defensemen Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jason Demers. The Coyotes feel Raanta, combined with a young nucleus, will be key in helping the team contend in the near future. “We came in expecting (Antti) to be a number one goalie and I think his body of work proves that he has those capabilities,” Coyotes President and Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka said in a conference call Friday. “We always let him know that our plan was to get a deal with him and get him in Arizona long-term." Chayka believes the deal will allow the Coyotes to retain an elite goaltender while still giving the team flexibility to retain its young core of players, many of whom are nearing the end of their respective entry-level contracts. “For us, it’s a good opportunity to grow with the group that we have here,” Chayka said. “At the same time, we’ve got a lot of projections going into the future with a lot of our young players and we have to maintain flexibility here to allow us to evaluate things down the road.” Raanta said he and his agent had been exploring options for a deal, but their ultimate goal was to keep the Finnish netminder in the Valley. “We wanted to stay here and everybody in this organization sees that we are (undergoing) this process and we are going the right way right now,” Raanta said. "Of course, you want to make an eight-year deal straight away but it’s not always that easy. “I wanted to be part of that (process), and I see a bright future for us." The goaltender highlighted the team’s growth from the beginning of the season to the finish. The start was bad. The Coyotes failed to pick up a regulation win until Nov. 16, a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in their 21st game of the season. 1107902 Arizona Coyotes win games. He kind of earned their trust and respect from the coaching staff to the players. That means something for sure.”

Epp said the three-year deal could work out well for Raanta. Raanta convinced the Coyotes he could be a No. 1 goalie “We could have went longer but if we went longer we might have given away some upside if he continues to play the way he has this year,” Epp BY CRAIG MORGAN said. “In the future, he might have felt that he had taken less than what he could earn in the future.” APRIL 6, 2018 AT 3:28 PM Raanta said it was a relief to get the deal completed before the season ended. Kevin Epp has a vested interest in pumping his clients’ tires. Even so, the “Going back home, you don’t need to think about that any more. You can agent for Antti Raanta couldn’t help but marvel at the Coyotes start looking forward and you can plan what you want to do in the goaltender’s performance over the second half of this season. summer,” he said. “I felt that three years was a good number. Obviously, you would want to make eight-year deals straight away but it’s not always “It has been remarkable, and even more so since we started talking that easy. I’m going to be 32 when this deal is done so I feel there might contract after the trade deadline,” Epp said Friday after Raanta and the one more big deal for me and that’s the plan to move forward.” Coyotes agreed to a three-year extension with an average annual value of $4.25 million that could keep him in Arizona through the 2020-21 Raanta said he sees a bright future for the Coyotes. season. “The big thing is our young guys have improved so much this year,” he “It’s hard for any player to block that out but then to not only play well, but said. “There are always some growing pains in the process. We lost lots almost elevate your game as the contract talks started, that’s where I of games early in the season and lots of those losses came in the last 10 think I have been most impressed with Antti’s mental toughness and his minutes in the third period. Figuring out what it takes to win in this league desire and will to be the best.” and what it takes to play under pressure, getting the right plays in the right time was huge for our young group. The Coyotes acquired Raanta and center Derek Stepan from the New York Rangers on June 23 for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and the “I think the mindset in our team changed also from the first to the second No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. All season, Raanta stated a half. We didn’t any more go into the games when we were hoping to get single ambition of proving he could consistently play like an elite, No.1 something. I think we went into the games and we knew that we could goalie, but lower-body injuries, a concussion, a scorpion infestation in his win the games and that’s what we have been doing the second half.” home, and a car accident derailed his focus and limited him to 47 games (46 starts) including the season finale on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks. Arizona Sports LOADED: 04.07.2018 “It was a frustrating, crazy first year in Arizona,” Raanta said. “Hopefully we can find a great pest control for years to come and don’t need to battle against the scorpions any more.” Raanta admitted there were and are things he needs to do to take better care of his body. “It was a growing process for me, playing lots, being the No. 1 guy,” he said. “It’s a big mental adjustment from being a backup to start playing more. I kind of found a good balance between when I was playing and when I had time to practice. I felt like I was doing lots of right things in the game but I think the biggest thing was doing the right things in practice when you have the practice time.” Once he settled into that groove after the new year, the Coyotes posted a 20-13-7 record. Since Jan. 1, Raanta is first in the league in save percentage (.942) and goals against average (1.83) among goalies who have played at least 15 games. He is tied for second with three . “I came here and I got the chance to get lots of starts and I wanted to show everybody that I can do that,” he said. “It was a tough first half of the season for sure with all the minor injuries and setbacks. After that, when I got myself going, the team started to play better and better every night. “My biggest goal was to give us a chance to win every night. There were a few games where I felt that I couldn’t make that one extra save and steal the game, but of course, the second half of the season has gone really well and I feel like I have made the difference in the games and been able to make that one extra save to get us the wins. That’s a great feeling to have when you’re a goalie.” Both Raanta and general manager John Chayka noted that there were several contract options on the table, but the three-year term ended up working best for both sides. “A lot of these goalies that have had good numbers in a smaller body of work as a starter, they don’t typically hit the big deal, the home run,” Chayka said. “They have these types of almost bridge-type contracts. If Antti is able to sustain this for another couple of years, we’re probably right back at the table and the number is significantly higher.” Chayka said that Raanta’s injury issues this season and his elite play when he was in net were two of the multiple factors that weighed into the deal. “It all goes into it,” he said. “What we looked at is a body of work whenever he’s been in the net. Whether it’s as a backup, he’s been successful at stopping pucks at the NHL level and that’s been every year. He’s been a good goalie in the NHL. “For us, there was some buy-in from the sense of players believe in him and play well in front of him and we were able to close out games and 1107903 Arizona Coyotes A tribute mural wall was installed outside the arena for fans to write messages. The lights outside Rogers Arena and in many city buildings glowed Swedish blue and yellow in tribute. Sedin twins combine for OT winner in farewell, Coyotes fall to Canucks NOTES: Attending the game were the Sedins’ parents and two brothers. . The Canucks gave out their team awards with rookie Brock Boeser the most outstanding player, Alex Edler the top defenseman and Derek Staff Report Dorsett the unsung hero. UPDATED: APRIL 5, 2018 AT 10:32 PM Arizona Sports LOADED: 04.07.2018 VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It was the perfect way to say goodbye. Daniel Sedin scored on a power play 2:33 into overtime with his brother Henrik Sedin earning an assist as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 Thursday night. It was the final game at home for the Sedins, who were mobbed by their teammates after the goal. Fans were on their feet the minute the Sedins went over the boards after Arizona’s Richard Panik was called for hooking. The goal came when Henrik passed back to Daniel, who blasted a shot from the blue line. After the game the two brothers slowly skated around the ice at Rogers Arena, waving at the fans. The brothers had combined for a goal earlier in the game, with Daniel scoring and Henrik assisting again. That play began with Henrik making a move along the boards, then dishing the puck to defenseman Alex Edler, who was streaking toward the goal. He passed to Daniel, who shot into an open net to tie the game 1-1. The Canucks winning the game was just the icing on the cake. Watching the Sedins produce their magic one last time at home was what the fans really wanted to see. The 37-year-old twins from Ornskoldsvik, , announced Monday they are retiring after playing 17 seasons with the Canucks. Drafted second and third overall in 1997, their final game will be Saturday in Edmonton against the Oilers. There were loud cheers each time the Sedins stepped on the ice, anticipation whenever they touched the puck. The fans almost got their wish 18 seconds into the game when Henrik hit the post. Christian Fischer, Derek Stepan and Dylan Strome scored for Arizona. Jake Virtanen and Brendan Leipsic got the other goals for the Canucks. Both teams will miss the playoffs. With Vancouver struggling in the standings Rogers Arena has often been a quiet building with plenty of empty seats this season. The energy and enthusiasm returned Thursday as a large, noisy crowd jammed into the building to watch the Sedins one last time. The first standing ovation came when the Sedins stepped on the ice prior to the national anthems. Henrik reminded the minor hockey player joining them to remove her helmet before the anthems. She hugged each brother after. The fans were on their feet again with 11:50 gone in the first period. Daniel gave a wave. The third period began with a thunderous roar as the twins stepped on the ice for the opening faceoff. Daniel’s shot on net got the fans up again, prompting chants of “go Sedins go” and “hall of fame.” The standing ovations continued after most whistles. Daniel and Henrik acknowledged with waves. There even was a Viking clap. The brothers were the first players on the ice during the pregame warmups. Fans lined the boards waving signs and snapping pictures on cell phones. Some bright yellow Swedish national team sweaters stood out among the seas of blue Canuck jerseys. There were Viking helmets and caps. One woman held up a sign which lit up with the words “congrats Henrik and Daniel.” Prior to the game there was a video tribute. Past Canuck players and coaches talked about the Sedins’ history, their contributions on the ice and their work in the community. 1107904 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes agree to 3-year extension with Antti Raanta

Staff Report UPDATED: APRIL 6, 2018 AT 1:06 PM

The Arizona Coyotes have agreed to a three-year extension with starting goaltender Antti Raanta, the team announced Friday. TSN’s Bob McKenzie, reported the contract is worth $4.25 million. That report was confirmed by 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Craig Morgan. Raanta was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He has a salary of $1 million this season. “I’m thrilled to sign a new contract with the Coyotes,” Raanta said via a team press release. “The Coyotes believed in me and gave me an opportunity to prove that I could be a starting goaltender in the NHL. I’m very grateful for this and can’t wait for next season. We have a great young team here and I’m very excited about our future in Arizona.” Despite minor injuries at the beginning of the season and a setback due to a car accident, the 28-year-old has appeared in a career-high 46 games this season. Raanta’s 2.24 goals against average is the third-best mark in the NHL and his .930 save percentage is tied for the second best. Since Jan. 1, Raanta is first in the league in save percentage (.942) and goals against average (1.83) among goalies who have played at least 15 games. He is tied for second with three shutouts. Arizona acquired Raanta and center Derek Stepan in a draft-day trade that shipped defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft to the New York Rangers. General manager John Chayka said recently that Raanta’s recent body of work was large enough to prove he could be a No. 1 goalie. Once the Feb. 26 trade deadline passed, talks heated up. “When we acquired Antti last summer, we believed that he had the talent and desire to become an elite starting goaltender and he certainly proved that this season,” Chayka said in Friday’s release. “You can’t be successful in this League without an outstanding No. 1 goaltender and now we have that with Antti.” Raanta’s agent, Kevin Epp, told Arizona Sports last month there was interest on both sides to get a deal done rather than test the market. “When they traded for him it was to be the No. 1 and then obviously the injury and the setback was difficult for everyone,” Epp said. “It’s easy for teams and organizations to sour on a guy because they are not getting the results but it’s not really based on merit. Getting injured, I don’t think anybody planned that. It’s great that they stuck with him and it’s even better that he’s come back strong and healthy and almost started like it was a new season.” Epp said Chayka just wanted to be sure Raanta wanted to stay in Arizona before pursuing a deal. “He wanted to make sure that Antti wanted to stay a part of the Coyotes and do what they’re doing and build with them,” Epp said. “I said ‘yeah, nothing has changed from our end.’ He wanted to make sure we were on the same page. He didn’t want to try and keep a guy and then he signs somewhere else.” Epp acknowledged how few opportunities there are for goalies to become starters. “Especially on a young team where you feel like it’s your team,” Epp said. “For him, ‘they got me to be the guy and I’m going to grow with this team.'”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107905 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes agree to 3-year extension with Antti Raanta

Staff Report UPDATED: APRIL 6, 2018 AT 1:06 PM

The Arizona Coyotes have agreed to a three-year extension with starting goaltender Antti Raanta, the team announced Friday. TSN’s Bob McKenzie, reported the contract is worth $4.25 million. That report was confirmed by 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Craig Morgan. Raanta was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He has a salary of $1 million this season. “I’m thrilled to sign a new contract with the Coyotes,” Raanta said via a team press release. “The Coyotes believed in me and gave me an opportunity to prove that I could be a starting goaltender in the NHL. I’m very grateful for this and can’t wait for next season. We have a great young team here and I’m very excited about our future in Arizona.” Despite minor injuries at the beginning of the season and a setback due to a car accident, the 28-year-old has appeared in a career-high 46 games this season. Raanta’s 2.24 goals against average is the third-best mark in the NHL and his .930 save percentage is tied for the second best. Since Jan. 1, Raanta is first in the league in save percentage (.942) and goals against average (1.83) among goalies who have played at least 15 games. He is tied for second with three shutouts. Arizona acquired Raanta and center Derek Stepan in a draft-day trade that shipped defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft to the New York Rangers. General manager John Chayka said recently that Raanta’s recent body of work was large enough to prove he could be a No. 1 goalie. Once the Feb. 26 trade deadline passed, talks heated up. “When we acquired Antti last summer, we believed that he had the talent and desire to become an elite starting goaltender and he certainly proved that this season,” Chayka said in Friday’s release. “You can’t be successful in this League without an outstanding No. 1 goaltender and now we have that with Antti.” Raanta’s agent, Kevin Epp, told Arizona Sports last month there was interest on both sides to get a deal done rather than test the market. “When they traded for him it was to be the No. 1 and then obviously the injury and the setback was difficult for everyone,” Epp said. “It’s easy for teams and organizations to sour on a guy because they are not getting the results but it’s not really based on merit. Getting injured, I don’t think anybody planned that. It’s great that they stuck with him and it’s even better that he’s come back strong and healthy and almost started like it was a new season.” Epp said Chayka just wanted to be sure Raanta wanted to stay in Arizona before pursuing a deal. “He wanted to make sure that Antti wanted to stay a part of the Coyotes and do what they’re doing and build with them,” Epp said. “I said ‘yeah, nothing has changed from our end.’ He wanted to make sure we were on the same page. He didn’t want to try and keep a guy and then he signs somewhere else.” Epp acknowledged how few opportunities there are for goalies to become starters. “Especially on a young team where you feel like it’s your team,” Epp said. “For him, ‘they got me to be the guy and I’m going to grow with this team.'”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107906 Boston Bruins B’s to advance, which already has the haters running for the talk radio phone lines.

Rask went 0-2-0 in Florida this week, his first back-to-back regulation The Bruins’ first-round opponent? It’s complicated losses since November. He was on a 10-0-1 run before his loss to the Bolts on Tuesday and rallied with a strong effort (32 stops) against the Panthers. Kevin Paul Dupont - Reporter Every team’s postseason success rests in the hands of its No. 1 tender. Globe Staff But they all need help. The Bruins have surrendered the first two goals in five of their last 13 games. That’s not helping.

“A tough start again,” Rask said after the loss here. “[The Panthers] came SUNRISE, Fla. — A few thoughts and shots high off the glass following to play, and that’s probably not a surprise to anybody. They’re fighting for the Bruins’ 3-2 loss to the Panthers here Thursday night at the BB&T their lives. Need every single point they can get.” Center, where the Black and Gold failed to leap into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference. ■ The Bruins right now look tired, be it physically or mentally. If not that, then maybe it’s a pre-playoff funk, given that they essentially were ■ The playoff picture as of Friday morn? Grab yourself a coffee and the assured a berth by the start of March. latest edition of NHL Quantum Cup Physics Made Easy. “Outwilled at the puck,” said Cassidy, summing up the team’s three All we knew as sunrise came over Sunrise is that the Bruins will play straight losses. “Two goals cost us [vs. the Panthers] . . . just in front of someone at the Garden Thursday night (time of puck drop TBA), and that the net, they had more will on it, banged it home. I think it usually comes they’ll do the same on Saturday (perhaps a matinee, but be sure to check down to that. We haven’t generated as many chances.” frequently at bostonglobe.com for shift-by-shift updates). Telling stat in Game No. 80: The Panthers took 69 shot attempts, while The Bruins and Lightning each have 110 points and two games the Bruins generated 49. That’s not a sole reflection of will, but it does remaining in the regular season. The Bruins play host to Ottawa reflect who had the puck more and wanted to get something done with it. Saturday night, then wrap things up Sunday night at the Garden against the Panthers, who kept themselves in a footrace for the final wild-card If it’s fatigue, Cassidy believes it’s mental. spot in the East with their late third-period goal by Jared McCann. “Mental, I think, to be honest with you,” he said. “Knowing that this team If the Bruins finish first overall and the Panthers clip the last wild card, has played well, put ourselves in a good position. Other teams are more then the Panthers could just stick around the Hub of the Hockey Universe amped up when the puck drops. I don’t have to walk through every to prep for Games 1 and 2 on Causeway Street. reason. You know Philly and Florida are trying to get in and Tampa had something to prove. That’s kind of where it’s gone the last three games Be the first to know the latest sports news as it happens. — desperate teams. Is that right or wrong? Of course we want to match it, but I’m just telling you why other teams have got the jump on us.” But Florida is just one of five clubs the Bruins could face in Round 1. Noting that he “trusts this group,” Cassidy added, “It is frustrating A quick look at a complicated picture: sometimes to see us bounce back, have the will to get back into games, ■ If the Bruins finish second in the Atlantic and therefore second overall but not start on time.” in the East: ■ As the night played out, Cassidy flipped Ryan Donato and Danton The simplest scenario of them all, they would draw the Leafs. The sons Heinen (the only scorers here), bumping Donato to fourth-line left wing of Borje Salming could be the most dangerous matchup of the bunch. and Heinen to first-line right wing. The Leafs are fast, young, and brimming with a half-century-plus of “With Ryan, we’re asking a lot of a first-year player to go now and play disappointment and expectations. They’re led by Mitch Marner, Auston right wing after being a center and left wing his whole career,’” said Matthews, and William Nylander, all young enough to be playing in the Cassidy. “We wanted to keep him with maybe more of a skilled situation Frozen Four championship Saturday in St. Paul. (on a line with Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci). . . . I think it got Danton ■ If the Bruins snag the No. 1 spot in the East: going a little bit and Ryan was fine. He is probably going to play left wing for us anyway, Ryan, at the end of the day. So let’s get him comfortable Headed into weekend play, their possible opponents are: Columbus, there.” New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Florida. ■ Perhaps the final two games on home ice will get the Black and Gold Blue Jackets — Like the Flyers, they have only one regulation loss in going. First the Senators (their season over), then the Panthers (who their last 10 games. But they’re more potent that the Broad Streeters and could show up with their playoff chances DOA). light years better in net with Sergei Bobrovsky. Columbus is led by slick winger Artemi Panarin, gifted to them by the Blackhawks in a swap “That will help,” said Cassidy, looking forward to the comfort of around last year’s draft. Causeway. “I’m not saying Ottawa won’t come out and play hard, but it’s the first opponent we have seen in a long time that is not playing for Devils — They ain’t the Trappist Wonks anymore. General manager Ray playoff position. Maybe we can dictate the pace of play from the start of Shero engineered a quick turnaround, the key to which was swiping MVP the game. But we’ll see on Saturday.” candidate Taylor Hall away from Peter Chiarelli’s Oilers. That said, the key to their securing a playoff spot (clinched in a win Thursday over the “We have to have better starts,” added Patrice Bergeron. “We are Leafs) has been the work in net by Keith Kinkaid. showing good things to get back in games, but you put yourself in a hole every time and that can’t happen, especially down the stretch.” Flyers — No telling who their goalie will be at this point. Where are you, Bernie Parent? Down and out for a substantial part of the early going, “Thats the type of hockey we are going to see down the stretch…If they rallied impressively with an offense pegged on Claude Giroux and were going to play till June, thats how its going to be. Jakub Voracek. Philly also has one of the game’s most dynamic blue liners in ex-Union star Shayne Gostisbehere, of the Pembroke Pines, Fla., Gostisbeheres. Boston Globe LOADED: 04.07.2018 Panthers — They have to win both of their final two games to have a chance to nose out the Flyers for the No. 8 spot. Not easy, particularly if they will be without top gunner Aleksander Barkov, who exited in the third period Thursday after a heavy hit along the boards by Colby Cave (who was assigned to AHL Providence Friday). But as the Bruins learned in back-to-back losses here the last three weeks, they might have the pluck to pull it off. ■ One bright spot for the Bruins Thursday night was Tuukka Rask in net. “I thought he was terrific — by far our best player,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. If the forwards can’t find their scoring shoes, then we can label the postseason “Tuukka Time” right now. He’ll have to be at his best for the 1107907 Boston Bruins “It’s a great accomplishment, that’s what I told him,” said Rask. “Third goalie in history to do it, so that’s pretty good.”

The Panthers looked like they might run away with it with their two early Bruins know they can’t keep playing like they did in a loss to the Panthers goals, first by leading scorer Aleksander Barkov, and then by ex-Bruin Frank Vatrano. By Kevin Paul Dupont Vatrano’s goal, less than two minutes after Barkov’s, came after he plucked the puck away from Charlie McAvoy in front of Rask and then Globe Staff popped in a top-of-the-crease backhander inside the right post. “Just worry about the next one now,” said Brad Marchand, who assisted on Donato’s goal, breaking a three-game scoreless streak. “When a SUNRISE, Fla. — The playoffs now less a week from starting, the Bruins, team’s clawing like that, they are going to come out hard — they did. But one of the NHL’s big dogs for most of the 2017-18 season, suddenly find we got back in it, like we’ve done all year . . . it’s another game, we’ll themselves often doing the dogpaddle just to get through 60 minutes. move forward.” Once again delivering a lethargic, tepid, not-ready-for-prime-time start, the Black and Gold fell behind by a pair of goals in the first period Thursday night, rallied to tie, but ultimately suffered a 3-2 loss to Florida Boston Globe LOADED: 04.07.2018 that enabled the scrappy Panthers to keep their playoff hopes afloat. Only minutes after the loss, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was focused on next Thursday, what will be Boston’s playoff opener at the Garden. Will he have the confident, talented team that played at a torrid pace for four solid months? Or will it be the shaky club that just put a black bowtie on a three-game road trip (Flyers, Lightning, Panthers) with an 0-2-1 record and but a single point added to their standing in the Eastern Conference? “Unacceptable, we know that . . . just a bad formula to play from behind,” said Cassidy, whose club remained knotted with Tampa Bay at the top of the East, each with 110 points. “It’s Game 80, guys have to be ready to go when the puck drops — that is something we have to look to correct. Be the first to know the latest sports news as it happens. “Is it the situation we are in, or has it crept into our game? And we won’t know that till next Thursday, to be honest with you. Because we are going to go through the same thing again Saturday and Sunday [the final two regular-season games] if our level of urgency isn’t there.” The loss, their second straight in regulation, prevented the Bruins from taking sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division and atop the Eastern Conference. The No. 1 seed will draw the weakest (by record) of the two wild-card teams. The No. 2 seed will open the playoffs at home vs. Toronto. “You don’t get to pick your dance partner,” reminded veteran forward David Backes. “At the same time, whoever you are dancing with is going to be a formidable opponent. We’ll have home-ice advantage. Outside of that, both teams start at 0-0 and you have to be hungry for each game.” Which is not what the Bruins have been of late. They have now fallen behind, 2-0, in five of their last 12 games, a striking contrast to earlier in the season when they consistently opened ahead and built on leads. “It is a good lesson,” said Backes, focusing on the fact that every playoff opponent, regardless of seeding, will be tough. “If we’ve learned from it then it’s not in vain and it’s not a total waste of time. But at the same time if we go out and try to play that same game on Saturday, then the same game on Sunday, then Game 1 of the playoffs . . . no matter who we play against it might be a rude awakening. We can’t afford to have that.” Jared McCann knocked home his ninth goal of the season with 5:37 remaining in regulation for the winner, tipping home a long-range shot by former Boston College standout Mike Matheson. After falling in the early 2-0 deficit, the Bruins rallied to tie, 2-2, on the strikes by Ryan Donato (PPG) and Danton Heinen. Donato potted his fifth career goal in 10 NHL games only 14 seconds after the Bruins went on the night’s first man-advantage. Parked near the left post, the ex-Harvard standout knocked home a doorstep forehander after Torey Krug sailed in a wrist short from the top of the right circle. It gave Krug his 44th assist this season, establishing a career high, as he increased his career-high point total to 58. Heinen, struggling to put up points of late (a modest 2-3—5 in his previous 20 games) knotted it with a quick wrister from the left with 2:11 gone in the second. David Krejci, after giving up the puck high in the offensive zone, fought to get it back and eventually provided the cross- slot feed that set up Heinen for his clear shot, beating Roberto Luongo to the short side. Luongo, in the Vancouver net when the Bruins faced the Canucks in the 2011 Cup Final, played in his 1,000th career game, a plateau previously reached only by Hall of Famers Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy. After the game, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (32 saves) made his way across the ice and gave Luongo a tap on the pads for congratulations. 1107908 Boston Bruins “We need to have a good weekend. We’ve done it all year, shake things off, and gotten better and shown character. It’s no different this time.”

Bruins must sharpen their game this weekend for the playoffs Boston Herald LOADED: 04.07.2018

Steve Conroy Saturday, April 07, 2018

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — When the Bruins left home last Saturday night, they did not look like a team in need of a wake-up call. They just beat Tampa Bay at the Garden to gain the top spot in the East and then crushed the Florida Panthers that afternoon.

But on their trip south, the Bruins slept right through their wake-up calls for three consecutive games, falling behind the Flyers, Lightning and Panthers by two goals and were 3.8 seconds away in Philly from having nothing to show for the trip.

SCRATCHED OUT: Tuukka Rask and defenseman Torey Krug are helpless to stop the Panthers’ Jared McCann from tipping home the deciding goal last night, handing the Bruins a 3-2 defeat in Sunrise, Fla.

What the players got was an education — in the case of the veterans, a re-education — on what it’s like to play a team that has everything to lose. The Bruins better learn quickly because, starting next Thursday, they will be in that same boat when the playoffs begin.

The Bruins have got two games left, both at home this weekend, against Ottawa and Florida.

They’ve got some cleaning up to do.

“We’ve got 120 minutes of hockey to find our playoff intensity, to just roll our game on a team for 60 minutes and see what their response is,” said forward David Backes. “Seeing how well and hard we’ve played for the majority of the year, we were a notch above other teams most nights. We need to get back to that, go into the playoffs with the right mentality so that we can play well and reach our next goal.”

After 41⁄2 months of excellence and resilience, the B’s may have seemed infallible to some. A dip in their play might have been expected. Not only were the Bruins not as vulnerable as their opponents — in playoff position for Philly and Florida, in psyche for Tampa Bay — but they were re-incorporating two major pieces to the lineup.

Zdeno Chara returned in Philly after missing nine games with an upper body injury, then Charlie McAvoy was re-inserted in Tampa after missing a month with a knee injury. Facing two very good top lines in Tampa and Florida, the top defensive pairing was minus-2 each night. The pairing can and, one presumes, will be much better.

Even the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak has only been intermittently good the last couple of weeks.

And the playoff-like feel to the games on this trip, especially in Tampa, was an eye-opener for some of the young players.

“Every game matters at this point and a lot of the young guys, I know I didn’t experience any high intensity games like that, especially playoff- like games like that,” said winger Ryan Donato after the loss to the Lightning. “It’s not as easy as the regular season and every little play, every little breakout, every touch of the puck, every shift matters and it adds up. And it can make a difference in a game. It’s something I’ve known, but haven’t really experienced. That game against Tampa is something I’ll learn from and the younger guys will as well.”

Donato bounced back with a power-play goal against Florida and fellow rookie Danton Heinen got the equalizer before the B’s fell in the third.

Overall, the Bruins need to be sharper at both ends of the ice, and in the middle of it. Opponents entered the offensive zone with speed way too often on the road trip. The B’s were outworked at times in front of their own net. And when they had prime scoring chances, they simply missed the net an unusually high number of times.

This is an important weekend for the Bruins, and it has nothing to do with playoff position. It has everything to do with getting their game playoff- ready. In the last three games, it was far from it.

“We have to. That’s the bottom line,” said Bergeron, who has been a minus-2 in four of the seven games since returning from a broken foot. 1107909 Boston Bruins

Rask 'terrific' in what might have been last start of regular season

By Joe Haggerty April 06, 2018 10:41 PM

If Thursday night’s loss to the Florida Panthers was indeed Tuukka Rask’s last appearance in the regular season, it was a positive one for the Bruins goaltender even in defeat. Rask stopped 32-of-35 shots he faced in the 3-2 loss to the Panthers at the BB&T Center, and really wasn’t at fault for any of the goals allowed after a subpar performance in the shutout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning a couple of days prior.

“At this point everybody is fatigued on some level because it’s the end of the year, but you just go out there, have a game plan, execute it and try to play winning hockey,” said Rask. “Every year you say that if you clinch the playoffs, then you don’t want to go into the playoffs limping and trying to find your game. You want to go in with your game in full stride.

“That’s something we have to fix in the final two games, just playing hard hockey and our style of hockey. We’ve been saying all year we have to play our style of hockey no matter who we play, and we’ll live with the consequences. If we play like we did [against Florida] then we can’t expect any results, I guess.”

Instead it was defensive breakdowns by his top pair D-men that led to each of Florida’s first two goals, and then it was a bouncing tipped puck by Jared McCann that eluded Rask for the game-winning goal in the third period. More importantly, Rask stopped all 14 shots he faced in the second period with most of them coming after Danton Heinen had tied up the game for the Black and Gold.

On a night when the B’s once again didn’t play their best hockey against a hungry Florida club still scrapping for the playoffs, Rask was the shining star for the Bruins in a stark reversal of fortune from his previous game. He turned away Nick Bjugstad twice on breakaway chances, and had a number of high quality saves behind a Bruins defense that made a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes.

“I thought he was terrific…by far our best player,” said Bruce Cassidy. “Some more breakdowns like against Philly where they got behind us, and now we have to correct it. Sometimes in the second periods it can happen, but [against Florida] it happened way too many times, and that’s not winning hockey. Not winning puck battles in front of your net; not winning hockey. Managing the puck as forwards between the blue lines; not winning hockey.

“Some of those things have crept in. With two more games that are similar to what we’ve seen where guys are in and out of the lineup, we won’t know until Thursday [when the playoffs start]. I trust this group, but it’s frustrating sometimes to see us have the will to bounce back and get into games…but not be able to start on time.”

With first place in the Atlantic Division still open for competition and the Bruins looking to gather a little confidence in these final two games, it’s not out of the question that Rask may find his way in for more regular season action against either Ottawa or Florida. And if not, then Rask was 9-2-1 in his last 12 games leading into the postseason with a .912 save percentage, and showed that he was able to shake off a fairly poor big game effort in the loss to Tampa earlier this week.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.07.2018

1107910 Boston Bruins

Morning skate: Brad Marchand falling out of Hart Trophy race

By Joe Haggerty April 06, 2018 12:15 PM

Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading while back to the 32 degree weather in Boston. *The Boston Bruins are looking to hire a new person with “mascot experience” to fill the big skates of Blades the Bear. It won’t be easy as you have to be able to dance while still maintaining the rugged Blades persona, which sounds like a tremendous challenge. If there is one thing I've always thought about Blades as he/she was gallivanting around the Garden, it's "Damn, that is one rugged bear." *Eric Francis rips into the as it looks like another head coach might be in the crosshairs for a talented, young team that can’t quite get it together. *Big props to Brad Marchand, who wished the Sedin Twins well in retirement after tormenting them seven years ago in the Stanley Cup Final. Congrats on a great career to the Sedins. Two of the best play makers to ever play the game! All the best in retirement. *The Hart Trophy race is awfully muddled as there are a dozen arguably legit candidates, and probably five or six that could have a real claim on the award without a real clear-cut favorite. Marchand is mentioned in the mix, but I don’t see him being somebody with a real shot despite the big numbers and clutch moments. *Snoop Dog clearly feels like he’s got a connection with Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin after calling him his “nephew” recently. *Cool story with journeyman goalie Mike McKenna making it to the NHL and getting a little playing time with the Dallas Stars. He’s somebody that absolutely paid his dues in the minors, and deserves the experience he’s getting now. *For something completely different: A Korean pro basketball league is implementing a height restriction, which seems amazing to me.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107911 Buffalo Sabres Up next: The Sabres headed to Sunrise after the game and will close their season against the Florida Panthers in the BB&T Center Saturday night at 7. The Panthers could be eliminated from the wild-card chase The Wraparound: Lightning 7, Sabres 5 before the opening faceoff if Philadelphia gets a point earlier in the day against the New York Rangers.

By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Apr 6, 2018 | Updated Fri, Apr 6, 2018 Buffalo News LOADED: 04.07.2018

TAMPA, Fla. -- On a night of firsts, the Buffalo Sabres battled hard to derail the Tampa Bay Lightning's run to first place in the Atlantic Division. In the end, all the work was not enough. In a game that saw Buffalo's Casey Mittelstadt and Alexander Nylander both score their first NHL goals in the first seven minutes of play, the Lightning rallied with two quick goals in the third period and pulled out a 7-5 win over the Sabres in Amalie Arena. Anthony Cirelli's second goal of the game, a deflection at 6:15 of the third period, got the Bolts even at 5-5. Tampa Bay took the lead 47 seconds later on Brayden Point's 32nd goal of the season, a one-timed knuckleball that floated over the shoulder of Buffalo goalie Chad Johnson. Victor Hedman scored into the empty net with 1:26 left on a 195-footer that went the length of the ice and banked in off the post. It came a few seconds after Evan Rodrigues hit the post with a virtually empty net. The Sabres went into the third period with a 5-4 lead after scoring the final three goals of the second and outshooting the Lightning, 16-5. But it wasn't enough to prevent Buffalo from dropping its third straight game. Tampa Bay improved to 112 points, two points ahead of Boston. The Lightning finish their season Saturday in Carolina while the Bruins have two games left at home, Saturday against Ottawa and Sunday against Florida. Rugged start: Johnson looked shaky in giving up three first-period goals. Cirelli opened the scoring for the Lightning after just 30 seconds, taking a Yanni Gourde pass after a bad turnover in the corner from Sam Reinhart. First of the career I: Mittelstadt got Buffalo even at 2:57 with a wrist shot from the left circle on a power play. First of the career II: Nylander got the Sabres even at 2-2 with a deflection of a Brendan Guhle shot at 6:32. Spirit of 99: In between the rookies' goals, Tampa Bay star scored an unassisted goal at 4:35. It was his 39th goal and 99th point of the season. Kucherov got to 100 with an assist on Dan Girardi's goal at 1:04 of the second period that put the Lightning up, 4-2. First of the career III: Guhle, who is still looking for his first career goal, had two assists for his first multi-point game. Super second: The Sabres collected 12 of the final 13 shots on goal and scoring the final three goals of the middle period to erase the two-goal deficit. Getting closer: Jason Pominville got his 15th of the season at 8:59 of the second, with a screened shot from the point to get Buffalo within 4-3. Getting even: Jordan Nolan's fourth of the season, a wraparound from behind the net, got Buffalo even at 4-4 with 4:02 left in the second. Okposo magic: Just like last Saturday's 7-4 win in Nashville, Kyle Okposo scored on a snapshot while on a power-play to break a 4-4 tie. This one came with 1:15 left in the second period and allowed the Sabres to head to the intermission with a 5-4 lead. On a run: Ryan O'Reilly's assist on Okposo's goal extended his point streak to a season-high five games (three goals, four assists). Scandy Man Can: 's assist on the Mittelstadt goal was his 17th of the season, topping his previous career high set in 2015-16 with Minnesota. Scandella is now one point shy of tying his career high of 23. No Stamkos: Tampa Bay played its second straight game without second-leading scorer , who will also stay out of the lineup Saturday in Carolina with a lower-body injury. Coach Jon Cooper said the goal is to have Stamkos (27-59-86) back on the ice for practice prior to Game One of the playoffs next week. Sabres scratches: Benoit Pouliot, Kevin Porter, Josh Gorges and Matt Tennyson were all on hand but were healthy scratches. Linus Ullmark returned for the morning skate after 10 days off due to a concussion. 1107912 Buffalo Sabres Olofsson had a team-high 27 goals and 16 assists in 50 games this year while playing on the club that also featured presumptive No. 1 draft pick Rasmus Dahlin as well as former Sabres defensemen Mike Weber and Sabres Notebook: Bolts coach sees better times ahead in Buffalo Adam Pardy. Olofsson and Rasmus Asplund are playing for Sweden this weekend against Slovakia in Euro Hockey Challenge games, a prep for next By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Apr 6, 2018 | Updated Fri, Apr month's World Championships in Denamrk. 6, 2018 Rochester Amerks defenseman Zach Redmond has been named to the 2017-18 AHL Second All-Star Team. Redmond, 29, set career highs with 31 assists and a team-high 46 points, fourth among AHL blueliners. TAMPA, Fla. – Jon Cooper knows first-hand the dilemma of meeting the Buffalo Sabres. In a year where the Blue & Gold have locked up 31st Redmond is also tied for second in goals by a defenseman with 15, three place in the NHL's overall standing, the Sabres have beaten Cooper's shy of the Rochester franchise record. That includes a team-high eight Tampa Bay Lightning twice. power-play goals. The Sabres, in fact, entered Friday's game against the Lightning in Former Sabres forward Phil Varone of Lehigh Valley was named to the Amalie Arena with seven wins over Tampa Bay, Boston and Toronto, the first team. Ex-Buffalo defenseman T.J. Brennan of Lehigh Valley joined three teams atop the Atlantic Division. Redmond on the second team. Cooper said the Sabres had the expected struggles of a new coach (Phil Housley) and new general manager (Jason Botterill), which certainly led to a 6-17-4 start and just 11 wins in their first 46 games (11-26-9). The Buffalo News LOADED: 04.07.2018 Sabres entered Friday's game 14-17-3 in their last 34 games – including 9-4-1 in their last 14 on the road. "They've improved dramatically through the year and that's a good sign for them," Cooper said. "They've got some good players. I had an up- close look at Ryan O'Reilly at the World Championships (for Team Canada) and he's a big-time player. Jack Eichel goes down for how many games? That doesn't help. "A lot of things worked against Buffalo but Phil kept them together. Instead of folding down the stretch, they dug their heels in and played teams tough, including us. As an organization, they've found out a lot about themselves, they've done it the right way and they're set up to do some good things next year." The top Sabre in the second half has been winger Sam Reinhart, who entered Friday's game with 36 points in his last 36 games dating to Jan. 18. Reinhart had 19 goals since scoring in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1 in New York, and entered Friday tied for 13th in the NHL in goals in that span. The Lightning won a Stanley Cup in 2004 and got within two games in 2015. They've had at least 90 points 10 times in their 25 seasons and this is the fifth time they've eclipsed 100 points. Strangely enough, what they don't have much of are division titles. The Bolts have won a division just twice in their history, those coming back-to-back in 2003 and 2004 when they won the Southeast. They have never won the Atlantic Division and are at 14 years and counting to winning any division. They entered Friday night with a franchise-record 110 points, tied with Boston for the top slot in the Atlantic Division The Lightning drubbed Boston here Tuesday night, 4-0, and got a big break with the Bruins' regulation loss Thursday at Florida. Tampa Bay finishes the season Saturday night at Carolina. Boston, meanwhile, hosts Ottawa on Saturday and Florida on Sunday in the makeup of a game snowed out earlier in the season. The Sabres headed to Sunrise immediately after the game and will play the Panthers in their season finale Saturday night at 7 in BB&T Center (MSG, Radio 550). The Panthers are hanging on in the race for the final wild-card berth and could be eliminated if Philadelphia gets a point in its finale earlier in the day against the New York Rangers. But a Flyers loss could open the door for the Panthers if they beat the Sabres and win Sunday's finale at Boston. It also opens the scenario of an unprecedented 83rd game to decide the final berth. If the Flyers lose to the Rangers by two goals and the Panthers win both of their games by shootout, every tiebreaker would be even. In order, those would be points, regulation plus overtime wins, points in the season series (excluding the first home game for the team that has the extra game) and goal differential for the season. In that case, the league announced Friday it will determine home-ice advantage by lottery Sunday night between the Panthers and Flyers and the teams would play the tiebreaker at the chosen site on Tuesday. If that game finishes tied, it will be decided by playoff-style overtime (5-on-5, 20-minute periods) Frolunda of the Swedish League has announced that Sabres draft pick Victor Olofsson is leaving the team after the season to "represent other clubs in other leagues." Olofsson, a 22-year-old right winger, was the Sabres' seventh-round pick in 2014 and the team is interested in signing him to play in Rochester next season. 1107913 Buffalo Sabres breaking the NHL record of 1,268 in a season set in 2005-06 by Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour.

Sabres at Lightning: Five Things to Know Buffalo News LOADED: 04.07.2018

By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Apr 6, 2018

TAMPA, Fla. -- It's Game 81. The Sabres are playing out the string. The Tampa Bay Lightning are not. It's Fan Appreciation Night in Amalie Arena so the atmosphere should be intense, a good test to see how engaged the Sabres remain with the end of their season looming Saturday night at Florida. Here are Five Things to Know about the Sabres and Bolts: 1. It's a huge game for the Lightning The scenario is simple: Two games left. Tampa Bay 110 points, Boston 110 points. Top team claims the Atlantic Division title and a first-round matchup with the lowest wild-card (either New Jersey, Philadelphia, Columbus or Florida). Second-place finisher has a much more difficult first-rounder against Toronto. The Lightning drubbed Boston here Tuesday night, 4-0, and got a big break with the Bruins' regulation loss Thursday at Florida so they will now try to take advantage. Tampa Bay finishes the season Saturday night at Carolina. Boston, meanwhile, hosts Ottawa on Saturday and Florida on Sunday in the makeup of a game snowed out earlier in the season. It's the only game on the schedule Sunday and could decide the fate of multiple teams for the playoffs (the Panthers host the Sabres on Saturday). "We're just coaching these games to win them," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said today. "It's an 82-game schedule, we've played 80 of them, there's two games left and we're in a position to be able to win the division. It's something we set out to do and Buffalo is in our way of doing that." Tampa will keep second-leading scorer Steven Stamkos out of the lineup tonight and Saturday with a lower-body injury. Cooper said the goal is to have Stamkos (27-59-86) back on the ice for practice prior to Game One of the playoffs next week. 2. The Sabres are on a streak against the Bolts Buffalo has won two straight against Tampa Bay, a 5-3 win Feb. 13 in KeyBank Center and a 2-1 overtime win here Feb. 28 on a Jason Pominville goal. The Sabres have not won three in a row against Tampa since taking four straight from Oct. 24, 2009 to March 27, 2010. This current two-game winning streak broke away from what was by far Buffalo's worst stretch in the all-time series -- a 1-11-1 struggle against Tampa that stretched from Dec. 4, 2014 to this season's first meeting, a 2-0 loss in Buffalo on Nov. 28, 2017. "We've come out and really attacked the game and played well defensively," coach Phil Housley said today. "We know this is a terrific rush team that can score goals. Their back end can get involved so we have to stay on top of people because if we don't manage that area, they attack. They're very good in the offensive zone in their cycle game but overall we've done a good job defensively." 3. In the nets It will be Chad Johnson (10-15-3, 3.40/.895) for the Sabres against Tampa Bay starter Andrei Vasilevskiy (43-17-3, 2.58/.921). Linus Ullmark is on the trip and took the morning skate today. Housley said the Sabres will see how he reacts after the workout to determine if he sees any action Saturday night. 4. The Sabres' lineup Benoit Pouliot, Kevin Porter and Josh Gorges will be scratches for the Sabres tonight. Buffalo tinkered with the defense pairs during the morning skate, putting Brendan Guhle with Rasmus Ristolainen and Casey Nelson with Marco Scandella. There were some changes on the forward lines as well, with Scott Wilson moving to play with Jack Eichel. 5. By the numbers The Lightning are 28-10-3 at home but just 3-4 in their last seven games here. Tampa Bay has 138 goals at home (3.45 per game) and is one shy of its franchise record set three years ago. … Sabres winger Sam Reinhart has 36 points in his last 36 games (17-19). Reinhart has 41 points since Jan. 1 and is tied for 13th in the NHL in scoring in the new year. … With two games left, Ryan O’Reilly is 30 faceoff wins shy of 1107914 Buffalo Sabres FORWARDS Under contract (15): Jack Eichel, $10 million through 2025-26; Ryan O'Reilly, $7.5 million through 2022-23; Kyle Okposo, $6 million through Inside the Sabres: Saying goodbye to underachievers won't be easy 2022-23; Jason Pominville, $5.6 million through 2018-19; Matt Moulson, $5 million through 2018-19; Zemgus Girgensons, $1.6 million through 2018-19; Johan Larsson, $1.475 million through 2018-19; Casey By John Vogl | Published Fri, Apr 6, 2018 | Updated Fri, Apr 6, Mittelstadt; $925,000 through 2019-20; Evan Rodrigues, $650,000 2018 through 2018-19; Alex Nylander, $894,166 through 2020-21; Cliff Pu, $759,166 through 2020-21; Kevin Porter, $650,000 through 2018-19; Kyle Criscuolo, $650,000 through 2018-19; Eric Cornel, $695,000 through 2018-19; Vaclav Karabacek, $685,000 through 2018-19. The season is about to mercifully end for the Buffalo Sabres, who need to overhaul the roster to ensure another miserable year doesn't follow. Restricted free agents (9): Sam Reinhart, Nick Baptiste, Justin Bailey, Some goodbyes will be tougher than others. Scott Wilson, C.J. Smith, Hudson Fasching, Sean Malone, Danny O'Regan, Seth Griffith. Not because it's painful to let go. Rather, how do you say goodbye to guys who don't leave? Unrestricted free agents (3): Benoit Pouliot, Jordan Nolan, Jacob Josefson. The Sabres' roster simply can't remain the same, but six of their NHL defensemen have term left on their contracts. The Sabres have large There are dilemmas with the restricted free agents and guys under dollar amounts attached to their forwards. contract. What teams would trade for the players? What would it cost to make For the RFAs, Buffalo needs to determine whether Reinhart warrants a teams take them? General Manager Jason Botterill has a tough summer long- or short-term deal. Bailey, Baptiste and Fasching will all require of sales ahead if he wants to move players under contract. The good waivers to be sent to Rochester next season. Does Buffalo see them news is there are usually teams who think they can fix guys. cementing NHL spots, or should it trade them to teams that see potential? Here's a look at the contract situation for each position heading into the 2018-19 season. The Sabres obviously have a lot of money tied up with forwards, notably O'Reilly, Okposo, Pominville and Moulson. GOALTENDER They can buy out Moulson in June, but the cap hit and actual money Under contract (2): Linus Ullmark, signed for $750,000 through 2018-19; would be similar if they just send him to the minors again. He would Jonas Johansson, signed for $759,167 through 2019-20. count $3.975 million against the cap while buried in the minors, with an Restricted free agents (2): Robin Lehner, Jason Kasdorf. actual salary of $3 million. With a buyout, he would get $2.33 million in salary (including a $1 million signing bonus) and count $3.66 million Unrestricted free agents (2): Chad Johnson, Adam Wilcox. against the cap next season and $666,667 in 2019-20. He'd be off the books for 2019-20 if they send him to the minors. Ullmark is set to enter next season as the Sabres' No. 1 goalie. Johansson can continue to learn in Rochester or Cincinnati. Inside the Sabres: Moulson, Leino duke it out for title of worst contract The question, of course, is what to do with Lehner. He will be due a On July 1, Okposo's deal transitions from a no-move clause to a modified qualifying offer of $4 million, the same salary he made this season. If no-trade. He submits a list of 15 teams to which he will not accept a Buffalo doesn't extend a qualifying offer, the 26-year-old becomes an trade, according to CapFriendly.com. Okposo turns 30 this month and unrestricted free agent. has five seasons left on his contract. In the grand scheme, it would be hard to give up Lehner for nothing after O'Reilly hasn't been the leader Murray envisioned when the former GM trading a first-round draft pick for the netminder in 2015. Botterill, though, immediately signed the center to the richest deal in franchise history is in position to wash his hands of that deal. He can say, "This was Tim (since eclipsed by Eichel). Ignoring the contract, O'Reilly would ideally Murray's move, and it's best to cut our losses and walk away." Botterill slide in as the third-line center behind Eichel and Mittelstadt, provided the wouldn't be at fault. latter grows into his potential. The Sabres could attempt to trade Lehner or negotiate a multiyear deal There's more wiggle room for change at forward than defense, but it still for less than $4 million. No matter what, Lehner will be an offseason focal won't be easy. Including RFAs, 11 regulars remain under contract. point. That's too many for a roster that simply doesn't work. Inside the Sabres: Reviewing drive, passion of video coach Mat Myers

DEFENSE Buffalo News LOADED: 04.07.2018 Under contract (11): Rasmus Ristolainen, $5.4 million per year through 2021-22; Zach Bogosian, $5.14 million through 2019-20; Marco Scandella, $4 million through 2019-20; Nathan Beaulieu, $2.4 million through 2018-19; Jake McCabe, $1.6 million through 2018-19; Brendan Guhle, $697,500 through 2019-20; Matt Tennyson, $650,000 through 2018-19; Taylor Fedun, $650,000 through 2018-19; Will Borgen, $864,166 through 2020-21; Devante Stephens, $743,333 through 2019- 20; Brycen Martin, $685,000 through 2018-19. Restricted free agents (1): Victor Antipin. Unrestricted free agents (4): Casey Nelson, Josh Gorges, Justin Falk, Zach Redmond. The Sabres thought they upgraded their defense last summer. They didn't do a good enough job. With so many NHL players still under contract for next season, they'll have to find takers for guys who are overpaid, underachieving or injury-prone. Ristolainen is not a No. 1 defenseman or leader. Bogosian has played in 58.2 percent of the games since being acquired in 2015, including just 18 of 82 this season. Beaulieu has failed to live up to expectations. That's already half of the projected top six. Signing the blossoming Nelson before he hits the market would seem to be a priority. No one would fault Antipin for returning to after a painful first year in North America. Inside the Sabres: It comes down to a matter of respect 1107915 Calgary Flames “I think with the things he’s done this year and how he’s progressed, it’s put him on the right path. He needs to have a huge summer. I don’t want him to stall at this point. I want him to keep going. That’s the key to his Consistency key as Flames centre Jankowski reflects on first season in success and our success.” 'everyday league' Way back in the fall, before so much seemed to go sideways for the Flames, one of the question marks around the Saddledome was whether Jankowski had the chops to be a full-timer. Wes Gilbertson He’s shown he does. April 6, 2018 4:49 PM MDT The next challenge is to show it more and more often.

After all, it’s an everyday league. Among the many things that Calgary Flames rookie Mark Jankowski learned in his first season in The Show is a catch-phrase. Jankowski had heard that. His coach uses it often. Now, he’s experienced it. The 23-year-old centre has clearly been listening. “I think getting that first year under my belt helps me a lot,” Jankowski said. “One of my goals going into this year was to make the team and to “It’s an everyday league,” Jankowski reminded. be an impact player. There’s obviously room for growth. Everyone wants to get better. You never want to be complacent.” One of the positive developments during a frustrating campaign in Flames Country, Jankowski is now an everyday NHLer. The season didn’t start out that way, but he was summoned Oct. 23 after Calgary Sun: LOADED: 04.07.2018 a scorching start in the minors and has certainly seen the last of Stockton, Calif., home to the American Hockey League’s Heat. Heading into Saturday’s finale against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights (8 p.m., Sportsnet West, Sportsnet 960 The Fan), Jankowski has logged 71 outings this winter at the highest level, totalling 13 goals, eight helpers and sitting twice as a healthy scratch. The Flames’ third-line centre is currently sweating through a nine-game point drought, but he deserved an assist when he sprung Michael Frolik for a breakaway in the early stages of Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Jets in Winnipeg. Frolik couldn’t beat with a glove-side shot. “He just has to learn to be consistent at this level,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan of Jankowski, teeing up an oh-so-familiar message. “He can certainly play at this level. He has all the attributes. He has everything to play at this level — he has the hockey IQ, he has enough speed, he has size. But he needs to know it’s an everyday league. That’s what he’s going to take out of this season, and that’s what he needs to take. “When you look at it, he probably had the year you’d expect from a guy that you brought in 10 games in. He had a great start. He dipped a little bit, like any young guy would. And now, to me, towards the end, he’s starting to come again. “It’s hard to be good every night. But when we sit back and we can clear our heads a little bit from the season, he’s got 13 goals. That’s a good platform to build from. When the consistency comes, he can certainly build on that.” Calgary Flames coach Glen Gulutzan, back, watches as the Flames face the Colorado Avalanche during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, in Denver. Consistency tops the wish-list for most young’ns in the NHL, and for a lot of the older guys too. Remember, it was several seasons before Flames centre Mikael Backlund — now 29, considered a core piece and locked up to a six-year contract extension — found that groove. There have been times the Flames implored Jankowski to be more assertive, to make better use of his size and his reach. There were times the 6-foot-4, 202-lb. pivot received an earful for being a bit too cute with the puck on his stick. There were times that the only message from his bosses was, ‘More of that, please.’ “First of all, he should be happy with (his season),” said Flames assistant general manager Craig Conroy, who accumulated 1,009 games of know- how as an NHL centre and was relatively new to the front-office ranks when Calgary’s contingent made Jankowski their first-round draft choice in 2012, stressing right away this was a long-term project. “Now, we need him to keep taking more steps. We need him to push Backlund. We need him to push (Sean) Monahan. That’s what makes teams really good is when those guys are pushing, when they’re not just happy with, ‘Hey, great, I’m the third- or fourth-line guy.’ They have to want to be the first- or second-line guy. You always want them trying to get to that next level. 1107916 Calgary Flames Nov. 25 — Recalled one day earlier from AHL Stockton, new backup plan David Rittich helps the Flames to a 3-2 victory in Colorado in his first career start at hockey’s highest level. Anatomy of a season: Flames highlights and lowlights Nov. 30 — With a 3-0 blanking of the Arizona Coyotes, the Flames wrap November with an 8-4-1 record. With 17 points in the standings, it would be their most productive month of the season. Wes Gilbertson Dec. 2 — The final score doesn’t look so bad, but the Flames dig a five- April 6, 2018 5:04 PM MDT goal deficit in what winds up as a 7-5 loss to the arch-rival Oilers at the Saddledome. Gulutzan’s post-game comments are revealing. “What we really have to evaluate with our group is what emotional level are we at when we play big games?” says the Flames bench boss. “What concerns The high, lows and whoas: A look back at the 2017-18 campaign for the me with this group on the mental side of the game is that fight, flight or Calgary Flames … freeze mentality. We seem to freeze a bit until something good happens, Oct. 4 (Morning edition) — “I’m glad I’m here.” Just hours before puck- and then we can start to move.” drop on opening night, the Flames add a whole lot of star-power to their Dec. 6 — Again … already? During a 2-1 shootout loss to the Toronto roster with the signing of long-haired legend Jaromir Jagr. The 45-year- Maple Leafs in the Centre of the Hockey Universe, Tkachuk tries to old right-winger, second on the NHL’s all-time scoring list, inks a one- sneakily spear Matt Martin from the bench. The next day, the Flames year deal worth US$1-million before bonuses. sophomore sparkplug is dinged with another one-game suspension. Oct. 4 (Evening edition) — Connor McDavid 3, Flames 0. With a both “He’s a young guy that is going to learn, but we don’t like the act,” says fan-bases buzzing about the revival of the , the Flames Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “The guy involved, we love and open their campaign with a 3-0 shutout loss to the Oilers in Edmonton. we support him 1,000 percent. But you can’t have those things. You just McDavid, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, is the difference-maker with a can’t have that stuff.” natural hat-trick. Andrew Shaw and Mike Smith collide behind the net. Oct. 7 — The home-opener at the Saddledome turns into TJ Brodie Dec. 22 — The Flames admit to being out-worked in a 3-2 home loss to Appreciation Night, with the smooth-skating defenceman scoring twice the Montreal Canadiens, their final outing before the holiday break. As and adding a pair of helpers to lead the locals to their first win of 2017-18 Santa packs up his sleigh, they sit one point out of the playoff picture in — a 6-3 doubling of the Winnipeg Jets. Brodie shines brightest, but left- the NHL’s Western Conference. wing whiz Johnny Gaudreau also racks up four points. Dec. 23 — One of Calgary’s prized prospects, Kelowna Rockets forward Oct. 9 — Thanks to a brick-wall performance by off-season trade Dillon Dube, is selected to captain Team Canada at the world juniors in acquisition Mike Smith and a locker-room appearance by Jobu, the Buffalo. Meanwhile, Flames first-rounder Juuso Valimaki wears the ‘C’ for cigarette-smoking lucky-charm from Major League, the Flames finally and fellow defenceman Adam Fox dons an ‘A’ for Team USA. snap their historic losing skid at Honda Center in Anaheim. Smith pitches a 43-save shutout in a 2-0 squeaker against the Ducks as the crew from Jan. 5 — After back-to-back victories, Gulutzan gives his troops an earful Calgary ends a string of 29 straight setbacks in what is supposed to be during a sloppy practice at the Saddledome, punctuating his profanity- The Happiest Place on Earth. “I wanted to help this team get over that filled outburst by heaving his stick into the stands. A sampling? “We’re so hump,” Smith says afterward. (bleeping) good? You check the (bleeping) standings?” Gulutzan screams. “I’ve seen one good game from some of you (bleeping) veteran Oct. 14 — Calgary’s captain, Mark Giordano, hits a milestone marker in a guys. Let’s (bleeping) practise. Let’s go!” 5-2 victory over the Canucks in Vancouver, becoming only the fourth blue-liner to score 100 times on behalf of the Flames franchise. He joins Travis Hamonic feels the pain in Carolina. Al MacInnis, Gary Suter and Paul Reinhart on that exclusive list. Jan. 14 — With a 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes in Carolina, the Flames Oct. 23 — After a solid showing in training camp and then a stellar start hit their CBA-mandated bye on a seven-game winning streak, not an for the AHL’s Stockton Heat, centre Mark Jankowski is recalled from the ideal stopping point for a mid-season vacation. The top line of Gaudreau, farm club. No return ticket is necessary. With Jankowski’s arrival, Sam Monahan and Micheal Ferland combines for 10 goals and 32 points Bennett is shifted to the wing. during the surge. “These guys always had it in them,” Gulutzan says, praising his entire lineup after that seventh straight reason to smile. “I Mike Smith stones Pittsburgh Penguins Jake Guentzel. always thought they could get on a little run here.” Nov. 2 — Smith saves the Flames’ bacon on several occasions early in Jan. 20-25 — Between their bye and the all-star break, the Flames settle the season. On this night, he stops 43 pucks to lead the home-side to a for a loser point in four consecutive close-calls — two overtime defeats 2-1 overtime triumph against some dude named Crosby and the two-time and two shootout setbacks. What’s especially frustrating is they owned defending Stanley Cup champions from Pittsburgh. “That was one of the an early lead in each of those losses. “One point isn’t satisfying enough best goalie performances I’ve seen in a long time,” raves Flames head for us right now,” Tkachuk bristles after the third of four straight coach Glen Gulutzan. “There is a sense of assurance that you’ve got a bummers. guy in there who’s battling every night. He’s one of the league’s best goalies, and that’s a big thing.” Jan. 27-28 — Gaudreau and Smith represent the Pacific Division at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game in Tampa. The 24-year-old Gaudreau skates in Nov. 9 — Jankowski buries his first big-league goal in the early stages of the mid-season showcase for the fourth straight winter, while the 35- a 6-3 rout of the Detroit Red Wings. Later, Jagr finishes off a sweet feed year-old Smith becomes just the third Flames goalie to earn an invite to from Gaudreau for his 766th career counter. That would turn out to be the annual festivities. Jagr’s only tally in Flames silks and likely the last of his incredible career. Jan. 29 — It’s goodbye to one of the all-time greats as Jagr clears Fight night at … waivers and returns home to skate for HC Kladno in the Czech Republic. Nov. 15 — The Flames are thumped in their rematch with the Red On the injured list since the calendar flipped to the New Year, No. 68 Wings, embarrassed by an 8-2 score-line at Little Caesars Arena. After a finishes with just one goal and seven points in 22 appearances for the third-period skirmish, Detroit’s Luke Witkowski is being escorted toward Flames. “Although I am very disappointed that things did not turn out as the tunnel when Flames sparkplug Matthew Tkachuk delivers a light we had hoped due to a number of circumstances, I am deeply grateful to whack to the back of his leg, prompting the tough guy to return to the ice. the Flames, the fans and the city of Calgary for having welcomed me so “He was looking for an excuse to come back,” Tkachuk says. “Just get generously,” Jagr says in a press release. out of here. Like, what are you doing? It’s just stupid.” Witkowski is Jan. 30 — The Flames are less than two minutes away from closing out slapped with an automatic 10-game suspension, while Tkachuk receives a statement win over the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights a one-game ban for his role in the melee. at the Saddledome. Instead, an uncharacteristic turnover by Michael Nov. 18 — Sharpshooting centre notches his first career Frolik turns into the tying tally and the Golden Knights score three times hat-trick, potting three power-play goals in a span of 8:49 as the Flames in a span of 53 seconds to completely flip the script. “It’s about as tough scratch out a 5-4 overtime triumph against the in the a loss as we’ve had this year,” groans Giordano after the 4-2 gut-punch, City of Brotherly Love. which ends the Flames’ 11-game point spree. Nov. 20 — Gaudreau keys the Flames to a 4-1 win over the Capitals in Feb. 3-8 — Monahan snipes the game-winning goal in three straight Washington, extending his goal-scoring spree to six consecutive games decisions, although he falls short of matching the league record with a and hitting double digits in his career-best point streak. run of four in a row. Mike Smith, down for the count. Feb. 11 — The Flames rally for a 3-2 come-from-behind victory against the New York Islanders in Brooklyn, but it’s not all good news. Smith goes butterfly to face a shot with just 1.1 seconds left on the clock but doesn’t bounce back up after the buzzer sounds. There is initially optimism, but the all-star goalie misses four weeks with a groin injury and his squad struggles to a 5-6-2 record during his absence. Feb. 16 — Shutdown centre Mikael Backlund puts his signature on a six- year contract extension worth US$5.35-million per winter. “We’ve always said we wanted to stay in Calgary, and I’m just so excited and relieved to have it done,” says Backlund, who would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. Feb. 17 — Flames rearguard Dougie Hamilton is the lone bright spot in a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers, becoming only the third defenceman to register a hat-trick in Calgary’s colours. Dana Murzyn and MacInnis are the others. Feb. 25 — It’s an off-night but as the local hockey heroes check the standings before hitting the hay, they find themselves in the final wildcard spot. It’s the last time they’re perched inside the elite eight in the Western Conference. Feb. 26 — The Flames add a couple of depth forwards prior to the NHL’s annual trade deadline, claiming right-winger Chris Stewart on waivers from the Minnesota Wild and welcoming centre Nick Shore in a minor swap with the Ottawa Senators. Feb. 27-March 2 — The Flames lose three straight in regulation for first time all season. March 11 — With the Flames fighting to stay relevant in the playoff race, Smith returns to the home crease for a matinee against the Isles. It’s an entirely different kind of painful — he allows three goals on the first seven shots fired his direction en route to a 5-2 defeat. To make matters worse, the Flames lose another key piece as Tkachuk suffers a suspected concussion when he tumbles into the boards. We learn later that Monahan is also trying to tough it out through two significant injuries. Mike Smith is the star again on March 13. March 13 — Smith is superb and Jobu makes a second appearance as the Flames end a seven-game skid in the Battle of Alberta rivalry with a 1-0 shutout against the Oilers. March 16 — In a crucial division contest, the Flames surrender four goals to San Jose Sharks deadline-day acquisition Evander Kane. Ouch! It’s the first of seven straight losses as Gaudreau, Giordano & Co. plummet out of the playoff picture. As the odds continue to stack against them, Monahan vows: “We’re not a group of guys here that are going to give up.” March 21 — Fourth-line centre and veteran voice-of-reason Matt Stajan joins the NHL’s silver-stick club, reaching the 1,000-game plateau. Flames are eliminated by the Kings. March 26 — With their third goose-egg in a five-game stretch, the latest a 3-0 blanking from the Los Angeles Kings, the Flames are mathematically eliminated. “It’s kind of like when your dad says, ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed,’ ” Smith says. “It’s a feeling of disappointment, like you’re letting the city of Calgary down, you’re letting the organization down.” April 7 — Losers of nine of the past 10, the Flames will host the Pacific Division pennant-winning Golden Knights in their finale. The Saddledome-dwellers enter Saturday’s action with a 36-35-10 record, sitting 20th in the NHL’s overall standings.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107917 Calgary Flames

Golden Knights at Flames: Five things to know before the puck drops

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia 5-6 minutes

THE BIG MATCHUP Flames LW Johnny Gaudreau vs. Golden Knights D Deryk Engelland It’s the regular season finale for both clubs, but a very different ending for these former teammates. Scoring machine Johnny Gaudreau has been silent for the last five games as his team limps to the finish line. Veteran defender Deryk Engelland is ready for a playoff push with the surprise expansion club. And, to think, these two players were key cogs for the Flames in the post-season, just three years ago. FIVE STORYLINES 1. END IT ALREADY It’s been a two-week funeral procession for the Calgary Flames, as they enter what is sure to be a busy off-season filled with change. At 36-35- 10, the last few games have seen solid efforts but nothing to show for it. Following Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, they had Friday off. They’ll have Sunday off and report for their final exit meetings on Monday. 2. POWERPLAY SNUFFED Read no further if you are looking for good news about the Flames’ powerplay. They haven’t scored a man advantage goal in 13 games and have gone one-for-50 in the last 18 games. Operating at a lowly 15.9% efficiency which was 29th heading into Friday’s action, they’ll surely finish the season with one of the worst powerplays in the NHL. And here’s your other gentle reminder that they’ve lost nine of their last 10 games and have only scored 12 goals — period — during that span. 3. REMEMBER WHEN… The ‘F’ word was being tossed around when the Flames last saw the Golden Knights, back on March 18 at T-Mobile Arena. ‘Fragile’ was being tossed around in a 4-0 shutout during which William Karlsson had a natural hat-trick as the Flames surrendered two goals in a 53-second span in the second period. Not only that, they lost TJ Brodie when tough- as-nails winger Ryan Reaves clobbered the Flames defender behind the team’s net. “I mean, that’s kind of what you saw,” admitted Flames defenceman Michael Stone at the time. “A bad bounce, we try to get two back from just one and then end up down by four. That’s kind of how things are going.” 4. GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Clinching the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights are 51-23-7 and heading into their first post-season as an NHL club. This is not new territory for many of their players, including James Neal, who has 80 games of post-season experience under his belt including last year’s Stanley Cup final with the Nashville Predators. Head coach Gerard Gallant has only been to the post-season once in his coaching career — with the 2015-16 edition of the Florida Panthers which were ousted in the first round. Following Saturday’s game against Calgary, they’ll return home to host Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 5. GALLANT FOR JACK ADAMS? You can pencil Gerard Gallant in for the Jack Adams Trophy as the top NHL coach of the year. After guiding his team to a Pacific Division title, collecting over 100 points and taking to them to the promised land, the 54-year-old from Summerside, P.E.I., is basically a shoe-in for a trip on the stage at Vegas in June … The Knights are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, an ‘OK’ game by Gallant’s standards. “The games before that, the game in Vancouver and San Jose and St. Louis, those were great hockey games and playoff-like atmospheres,” he said on Friday. “Important games and you have to keep the guys mentally sharp. (Saturday) we have to play the right way and get ready for next Wednesday.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107918 Calgary Flames

Vegas coach Gallant is Jack Adams frontrunner

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 5:03 PM MDT

Dressed in a black winter coat, braced for the ridiculous windchill and winter-like temperatures in Alberta, Gerard Gallant could have been mistaken for a member of corporate Calgary trying to duck out of the office for the weekend. He isn’t, of course — his office is wherever the Vegas Golden Knights are, and on Friday it was at the Scotiabank Saddledome. But, depending on what happens in the next few weeks and months, there is a good chance that the 54-year-old head coach of the top team in the Pacific Division could be the star of a very different scene, in a much more glam setting. After guiding the ’s newest club to 109 points, a 51-23-7 record and a trip to the promised land plus a first-round series starting at T-Mobile Arena, there’s no doubt Gallant is the frontrunner for the Jack Adams Trophy for the top bench boss in the 31-team loop. A trip across the stage at their home rink during the 2018 NHL awards. Recognition for his hard work during the 2017-18 campaign. Redemption for what many have seen as an unfair dismissal from the Florida Panthers early last season. “Seriously, I don’t even think of it,” Gallant said, deflecting the praise following Friday’s optional practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “Obviously we have had an outstanding season and a lot of it goes back to the Expansion Draft. I mean, the players we got here, it’s not a regular . We made good rules for the Expansion Draft and I think we did an outstanding job. “We’ve had a great year — we’ll see what happens. But I really don’t think about that. I’m so excited to make the playoffs and that’s all you worry about as a coach.” Gallant was reminded of the irony of it all. Prior to being hired to steer the ship in Sin City, the native of Summerside, P.E.I., had last been in Vegas for the 2016 NHL Awards where he was a finalist for the Jack Adams back then. The Panthers had finished with a club-record 47 wins and 103 points, winning the first division title in franchise history. After three seasons coaching with the Columbus Blue Jackets and two with the Panthers, it was his only appearance in the post-season. Five months later, Gallant was out of a job. “That’s our life,” he said, shrugging. “That’s the way things work. Sometimes it goes real well for you and it’s going real good. Other times, you get fired and you lose your job and you’re pretty upset. You move on from that and hope something else happens. Shortly after that, I got some phone calls.” On Saturday, the Golden Knights wrap up their inaugural 2017-18 campaign against the Calgary Flames who have lost nine of their last 10 games. The Knights, meanwhile, are 6-2-2 in the last 10 following Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and their coach — Jack Adams Trophy or not, playoffs or not — doesn’t plan on changing a thing. “It’s been fun,” Gallant said. “I’ve done this since Junior A and (the message doesn’t) change. We’re going to come out and get prepared to play, and there’s no sense of changing things now. I’m not smart enough to change (the message).”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107919 Calgary Flames That left Ferland to fill in on the top line, which he did relatively well up until stepping into an elevator shaft (with the rest of the Flames' offence) in the final 30 games or so. The failures of Versteeg and Jagr to stay An eight-point plan to make the most of the Calgary Flames 2018 healthy lead to Garnet Hathaway being recalled and sticking around for offseason the full season. On top of all that, younger gambles like Curtis Lazar and Spencer Foo couldn't make a mark at the NHL level.

With practically every bet Treliving made to buttress the right side failing By Kent Wilson Apr 6, 2018 15 recently, there's no escaping the need to find and acquire a quality, top- six right winger this summer. Versteeg and Jagr will likely retire. Brouwer will either be bought out or continue to play as an overpaid fourth liner. Foo, Hathaway, and Lazar are fourth liners at best on a contending team. This was supposed to be the year the Calgary Flames began to advance their way up the Western Conference standings. With a young, maturing If Ferland had not done a great impression of a 30-goal scorer for half of core, a cadre of effective veterans, and freshly acquired players like the year, the right side would have been truly grim. As it is, the motley Travis Hamonic and Mike Smith to fill critical holes, Calgary was poised collection of Ferland, Frolik, Versteeg, Jagr, Lazar, Foo, Hathaway, and to become a contender heading into 2017-18. Chris Stewart scored 47 goals for the Flames this year, combined. Thirty- one of those 47 goals came from Ferland and Frolik. Instead, the club crashed and burned spectacularly down the stretch. The goaltending faltered, the power play fell apart, and the offence died On top of production concerns, only one of Calgary's regular skaters on off completely. The team's failure is so utter that it seems to demand the right side was actually right-handed this season — Brouwer. The extreme corrective measures in the offseason. handedness imbalance can cause problems in certain offensive situations (like passing and receiving pucks off the rush) and is especially In the face of such stark disappointment, the immediate reaction is to problematic on the power play when almost every forward on the ice is enact sweeping change and punitive correction. But, in many ways, this left-handed. This is likely part of the reason Brouwer continued to get is the same team that made the playoffs in 2016-17 and convinced both some PP time this year, despite only managing six goals and 20-points. pundits and Flames executives that they would take a step forward this year. As it stands, the Flames have two quality, top-six centers, two of the best left wingers in the game, an enviable top defence pairing, and a right The key to the Flames offseason, then, will be to balance criticism and wing that could be challenged by some AHL squads. A major addition to the will to change with sober, dispassionate analysis. The temptation will that segment of the roster this summer is a must. be to “do something,” but it's entirely possible for a cathartic, knee-jerk response to do more damage than good. 3.) Figure out what happened to the second pairing As such, here's an eight-point plan for how the Flames can approach this When the Flames added Travis Hamonic, they were considered to have offseason. one of the best defensive corps on paper. A top-four including Hamilton, Giordano, TJ Brodie, and Hamonic seemed to suggest the Flames could 1.) Don't Panic match-up with any blueline the league. Despite their results, the Flames weren't universally “bad” this season. Instead of elevating the Flames backend, the Brodie and Hamonic They were a top-10 team by a lot of the measures that typically predict combination seemed to drag the team down. For at least three quarters winning — shot differential, scoring chances, high danger shot attempts, of the year, the second pairing featured some of the worst relative etc. possession and expected goals ratios on the Flames' blueline. In fact, In addition, Calgary was solidly ensconced in a playoff spot for most of Brodie likely had his worst NHL season by many measures, culminating the season. Prior to their CBA-mandated seven-day break in January, in the club giving up more shots and chances than average when the two the team won seven in a row and was challenging for the Pacific Division were on the ice: lead. Red = more shots than average relative to the rest of the NHL. The bottom dropped out for Calgary in the fourth quarter of the year. As you can see, a lot of the shots seem to be coming from the left side of Mike Smith got injured and the goaltending was never the same. The the ice — Brodie's side — on both rink views. In addition, if we look at Flames shooters stopped finding the back of the net. The power play, Hamonic's WOWY (with or without you) results this season, Brodie looks relatively mediocre for the season up until that point, became completely like the problem child in the pairing. hopeless. With Brodie, Hamonic's Corsi-for ratio (CF%) was 51.3 percent this year. The percentages bottomed out for the team. Since the end of February, Away from him, it goes up to 52.4 percent. Brodie, on the other hand, they have scored on less than five percent of their shots. Their sees his rate fall down to 49.4 percent away from Hamonic. opponents, in contrast, have scored on over 12 percent of theirs. It's like a team made up entirely of defensive defencemen constantly playing on We can also look at Corsica Hockey's teammate relative CF% metric (a the penalty kill every night. For half the season, Smith provided above kind of aggregated WOWY measure). Brodie came in at -3.97 percent average goaltending. Over the last four years, the Flames were an this year, better than only Stone and Matt Bartkowski. Hamonic managed average to above average shooting team, in terms of shooting to be more than two points better (-1.87%), despite spending most of his percentage and expected goals. And it all went completely south for a time with Brodie this year. small portion of this year for whatever reason. The results are so localized to a certain period and so extreme that they scream “statistical There are a lot of challenges for Calgary when it comes to this situation. outlier.” Brodie's unexpected decline, the pairing's apparent lack of defensive chemistry, the fact that both players are signed for many years to come, On top of that, the top of the club's roster boasted some high-level results etc. If the decision makers cannot figure out what went wrong from a this season: from Johnny Gaudreau flirting with the league lead in tactical or player performance perspective, they may be better served to scoring to Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland posting career-best goal liquidate at least one of these guys (likely Brodie) in order to recoup picks rates. Mikael Backlund's “3M” line continued to be one of the best or snag a right-winger. defensive trios in the league, while the Mark Giordano-Dougie Hamilton pairing put up some of the best shot, chance, and scoring rates you'll find Which brings us to the next point… in the NHL. 4.) Make room for kids on the back-end In short: this team is not a “blow it up/burn it down” candidate. The pieces are there and for much of this season (and the last), they performed The organization also has a lot of young defenders knocking on the door, relatively well together. including Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington, Juuso Valimaki, and Adam Fox. None are necessarily ready to jump into a top-four role quite 2.) Find right wing depth yet, but the quality of the team's depth on the back-end suggests they will have to make room sooner rather than later. Of course, the Flames are far from a perfect team. The biggest roster gap currently is the starboard flank up front. The problem right now is the obvious logjam at the NHL level. Every veteran not named Brett Kulak has a contract that extends at least for Last summer, GM Brad Treliving opted to concentrate on goaltending another two seasons. and defensive depth in terms of acquisition priorities, unfortunately to the detriment of the club's forward roster. Stopgaps like Jaromir Jagr and Besides the possibility of moving one of Brodie or Hamonic in a trade, the Kris Versteeg didn't work out, while Troy Brouwer continued to be mostly most obvious choice is Stone. The former Coyote was the Troy Brouwer a fourth line option. of Calgary's blueline — a player who probably signed for too much for too long given his results and role. Stone was relegated to the third pairing this year where he mostly got beat up in terms of shots, chances, and Obviously, the bottom of the rotation isn't going to be the most dangerous goals. In fact, outside of Bartkowski, Stone had the worst collection of part of the roster, but the Flames suffered huge swaths of the season results amongst regular Flames defenders. where they got absolutely nothing from their depth forwards. That is especially problematic for Calgary, given Backlund's line is charged with Stone has some useful qualities: a big shot from the point and capable of shutting down the other team's best players. It meant, on many nights, pinning bigger opponents down low, he is also one of the slowest players that the club's only real threat to score was the Monahan line. on the team and doesn't quite have the puck skills or hockey IQ to compensate. Chances are his footspeed will slow as he ages as well. The good news is, Jankowski showed signs of being able to put the puck in the net at the NHL level and the club has maturing options like As such, the player's results are largely replaceable, either via free Mangiapane and Dube who might be able to add some spark to the third agency is needed, or, likely, internally with an option like Andersson who or fourth unit moving forward. has looked NHL ready for a full season now. Then there was, of course, the ghastly Flames power play that hung out One way or the other, the Flames should be dealing at least one of their in the bottom-third of the league for a majority of the season (it is vets this off-season. Not only do they need picks and forward depth, they currently third last, at just over 15 percent). Calgary's man advantage did also need to give the kids a chance. generate shots this year, but it was nevertheless very static and stagnant 5.) Make a decision on Sam Bennett by the eye test. The team's basic concept was to feed pucks to the point and funnel them back at the net, looking for tips and rebounds. One of the reasons Treliving felt comfortable concentrating on defence Unfortunately, the Flames frequently failed to hit the net, or track down and goaltending last summer was likely Sam Bennett. The team those tips and rebounds, stifling the effectiveness of the scheme all assumed that if the player could take a step forward and be a driver of season. offence on the third line, then they were safe to move forward with stopgap options for the season. The lack of diversity in their attack tactics meant the club has been stuck in the same rut all year. Although they switched up the personnel from He didn't. Bennett started the year as a centre and went pointless in the time-to-time, the same gameplan of perimeter passing and shots from first 15-games. He was eventually shifted to left wing with the promotion the point dominated the proceedings. With no one-timer options, and of Mark Jankowski to third line centre, but even then Bennett could only limited attempts at cross-seam and cross-ice passing between forwards, put up noteworthy performances in fits and starts. Calgary's PP was frequently too slow to execute and too predictable. With just a couple of games left in the season, Bennett has managed just Of course, layered on top of all that was the baffling lack of execution. 11 goals and 26 points, his second straight sub-30 point season. While Calgary was a league leader at missing the net this season. According to offensive production isn't everything for a forward, the problem with NHL.com, they have hit 61 posts and crossbars this year. When I looked Bennett is that he doesn't positively affect the game in any other way at the individual player's shooting percentages and such, I discovered currently. that a vast majority of the roster underperformed their career norm scoring rates. As mentioned in the same article, the club was expected to His possession and chance rates are mediocre. He is prone to taking bad score more than 40 more goals than they managed this year, according penalties at inopportune times and doesn't tend to draw a lot of penalties to the volume and quality of shots they generated. himself. He's below average at producing points on the power play so far in his career. Even in the absence of Gaudreau, Ferland, and Monahan, This strange malady didn't just infect the bottom-six. Even Gaudreau, Bennett hasn't been able to grab the reins and prove he is a top-six despite his career-best point total, missed numerous break-aways over caliber player down the stretch. His last point came on March 9 against the course of the season. The 3M line, excellent at shutting down the bad the Ottawa Senators — a span of 12 games and he has all of three guys and controlling play, nevertheless scored on just 5.7 percent of their points in his last 18 games. shots at even strength — almost three points lower than their average last year (8.1 percent). Huge, extended point droughts have been a characteristic of Bennett's game for three seasons now. When he's on and effective, Bennett is a However you look at the Flame's season, they should have scored more useful chaos agent in the offensive zone, driving pucks to the net, goals but simply…didn't. There's some evidence that their shooting forechecking aggressively, and spinning off checks near the boards to percentage will correct itself as a matter of course, but it will be up to the find room in the middle of the ice. There are flashes of skill and game- decision makers to investigate this matter in depth to determine if there breaking ability, but they are too far and few between. were systemic or tactical issues suppressing offence on a macro scale. It might be that package of skills and his pedigree as a fourth overall draft 7.) Find redundancy in net pick that convinces the Flames to hang on and hope Bennett eventually improves. That said, there's less and less chance that the player is Smith's season didn't end well, but for 40 or 5o games this year he gave anything more than he has shown with each passing day. The farther he the Flames some of the best goaltending they've seen in years. drifts from his draft year and the promise of an impact NHLer, the less Unfortunately, Smith will turn 37 next year, and a team with aspirations of the Flames will be able to get for him in a trade. climbing back up the Western Conference ladder shouldn't pin their hopes on a single, aging netminder. In addition, Calgary is perhaps deeper at left wing than anywhere else on the team with Gaudreau and Tkachuk firming up the top six and The internal plan, it seems, was to get Smith for two years as a bridge prospects Andrew Mangiapane, Morgan Klimchuk, and Dillon Dube on until one of the kids took the reigns. And while David Rittich was good for the way. a brief spell (until he wasn't, like the rest of the team), the real hope was that Jon Gillies would turn into the heir apparent. He hasn't. Bennett has one more year left on a cheap, bridge deal. He hasn't been able to take a meaningful step forward since his rookie campaign, and Unless the big, 24-year old takes a giant step forward next year, the club the club is in desperate need of both picks and depth on the right side. will need an insurance policy to back up Smith. My preference would be This summer might be the right time to dangle Bennett on the trade to hunt down another potential starter, like Philip Grubauer in market as a result. Washington, but that may be easier said than done. 6.) Figure out where the offence went Whatever happens, Treliving needs to find someone who can capably split time with Smith in 2018-19, in case the incumbent gets injured or The power outage might be the primary reason the current coaching staff falters before father time. gets served their walking papers this offseason. No team underperformed their shot, chances, and expected goals totals like 8.) Eliminate the fragility Calgary this year. For the final six or seven weeks of the season, the The other tragic failing that may doom this coaching staff was Calgary's team would pile on shot totals every game, only to see chance after penchant for buckling under pressure. If you surveyed the NHL this year, chance go wide, hit posts, or get snagged by the opposing goalie. you'd be hard-pressed to find another club with as many strange, The Flames lackluster scoring this year is actually a multi-faceted issue, humiliating, and almost inexplainable collapses as the Flames had in meaning there probably isn't one simple, easy fix. 2017-18. The first, most obvious problem is scoring depth beyond the top two The most memorable was perhaps the loss to the Vegas Golden Knights lines. Calgary's bottom-six was especially punchless this year, with only in the waning minutes of a game the Flames were winning (and had three players managing 20 or more points — Bennett, Jankowski, and dominated for most of the evening). An errant Frolik pass and a Brouwer, with Bennett and Brouwer given more than a few turns in the shellshocked club buckling in front their goalie the very next shift top-six and on the power play. Three regular skaters appeared in 50+ delivered the victory for the Knights and seemed to be the fulcrum games in Hathaway, Lazar, and Stajan, and none of them managed to around which Calgary's season bent. score more than four goals. At some point in the year, the tendency to give up multiple goals in clusters became a habit, a nervous, anxious allergy to leads and push back. This neurosis was most often displayed on home ice, where the team fell below .500 for the just the fourth time in franchise history. Nervous legs, bad reads, weird bounces, poor goaltending, ineffectual special teams, it all came together in spurts at the most inopportune times. In fact, Calgary became perhaps the most “anti-clutch” club in the league this year, just a couple of seasons removed from being crowned the “find a way Flames” during their Cinderella run under Bob Hartley. Aside from the poor execution on offence, it is probably this terrible trend that most Flames fans (and, I'm sure, Flames executives) would like excised from the team's game next year. Sitting through gut-punch loss after gut-punch loss on home ice becomes an unpleasant masochistic exercise. The fix for the Flames fragility is less clear. Perhaps the players naturally work themselves out of it over time. Or maybe the (next) coaching staff has to take a more active role in assessing and managing the issue moving forward. Whatever the cause, a team can't become a contender if it constantly buckles under pressure.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018

1107920 Carolina Hurricanes seconds left in regulation, making him a goalie of record in the NHL at age 37 — for Alves, a dream come true.

That could happen to Stone. All it takes is an emergency phone call. Raleigh's Calvin Stone an emergency phone call away from NHL

News Observer LOADED: 04.07.2018 BY CHIP ALEXANDER [email protected] April 06, 2018 02:44 PM

RALEIGH Calvin Stone will be sitting in Section 115, Row XX, at PNC Arena on Saturday, watching the Carolina Hurricanes game, cell phone in hand. If “Shane Willis” or “Emile Hartman” shows up on his phone, he will quickly leave his seat, bolt down a nearby stairwell, rip off his clothes and start strapping on pads. Just like that, there will be another goalie available — for either the Canes or the Tampa Bay Lighting, Carolina’s opponent Saturday. For Stone, his last chance of the season. “And I think my heart rate would double,” Stone said Friday. Stone, 24, and Spencer Williams have alternated games this season at PNC Arena, serving as the emergency goaltender. The NHL has enforced a new rule on emergency goalies this season, not allowing team personnel to be used as last-second replacements -- the Canes' Jorge Alves comes to mind -- and mandating that all NHL teams have an emergency goalie on hand, available to either team, for every game. Stone, who played club hockey at UNC Wilmington and then N.C. State, and Williams have spent the season in Section 115. They get an extra ticket to the game and have a good view of the action. “But you never know,” Stone said. Scott Foster was the Chicago Blackhawks’ emergency goalie at the March 29 game against Winnipeg Jets, an amiable 36-year-old accountant and beer league player. In a flash, his anonymity ended as Foster not only was needed but had to enter the game with 14 minutes left in the third period. Blackhawks goalie Anton Forsberg had been injured just before the game. Collin Delia, making his NHL debut, then had severe cramping in the third period and forced from the game. In came Foster, a former Western Michigan goalie who stopped all seven shots he faced and had fans at the United Center chanting his name as the Hawks won 6-2. “When I first heard about it, it was like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t even imagine,’” Stone said. “Just incredible. I know I’ve going to get my skates sharpened for Saturday.” Willis and Hartman, youth and amateur hockey coordinators for the Hurricanes, were responsible for lining up the emergency goalies for the team. Hartman contacted Stone, who plays in an adult league at the Garner Ice House. Williams, 28, is a computer engineer who competes in a couple of adult leagues. “I jumped at the opportunity,” Stone said. “I always wanted to play in the NHL and this seemed like the closest thing to it.” A native of Milton, Ont., Stone grew up playing hockey in Toronto and continued to play after his family moved to Raleigh in 2000. He was in the Junior Hurricanes and Eagles programs, training hard in the summers, working on his technique. Stone said his hockey dreams ended when he went to college. He earned a biological engineering degree from N.C. State and works as a manufacturing associate for Biogen, a Triangle pharmaceutical company that develops therapies for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. That’s his day job. On Saturday night, he’ll again be bringing his equipment bag to PNC Arena. He knows there’s a jersey available that could quickly be his, if need be. Just pop down the stairs, sign a one-day contract and lace up the skates. Last season, Alves, one of the Canes’ equipment managers, made history when the former minor-league goalie was needed as a last- moment backup for the Canes' New Year’s Eve road game against Tampa Bay. Canes coach Bill Peters sent Alves into the game with 7.6 1107921 Chicago Blackhawks

For Patrick Sharp, Blackhawks home finale an occasion worth savoring

Rich Campbell Chicago Tribune

When Patrick Sharp scored during two-on-one drills at Friday’s morning skate, he coasted into the corner on one leg with both arms raised. Not quite a game-caliber celebration but close enough. So what if it was only practice? So what if only a few dozen spectators dotted the United Center seats? Those were just details ahead of what could be Sharp’s last home game in a Blackhawks sweater. Sharp has been through this before but not with this heightened level of awareness. Yes, the three-time Stanley Cup champion departed the organization in July 2015, but that was via trade to the Stars. Back then, there was no true farewell moment. Friday’s home finale against the Blues, though, has all the makings. Back this season on a modest one-year contract, the 36-year-old has had his ice time reduced as part of the Hawks’ concerted effort to rebuild on the fly. No wonder he savored little moments Friday like driving to the United Center, chatting with teammates and, yes, scoring during a light workout. “It’s been like that for the last couple of weeks,” Sharp said. “I’m out there on the ice with the guys having fun, joking around like I always have. It brings back good feelings. Whatever happens tonight, happens. I’m just looking to enjoy the moment.” Sharp has been clear he plans to play next season, but he has not expanded on that. Whether he fits into the Hawks’ plan is in doubt, given that he has averaged 12 minutes, 45 seconds of ice time this season, the lowest since his second NHL season. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Sharp said. “But I’ve been through a lot of big moments in my career, whether it’s starting out those outdoor games or the big playoff games. Sometimes it’s easy to let the mind get ahead of itself and think about what happens if you win this game. I’ve done a good job in my career of just kind of being in the moment and focusing on that.” Meanwhile, those around Sharp continue to appreciate his presence. He has, after all, been with the Hawks since 2005-06 except for his stint in Dallas. He experienced the Hawks’ previous last-place finish and games with empty seats. “Sharpie has had a great run here in Chicago with us, being part of three championships and one of those guys, as a teammate and leader, (who) was a big part of it,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Had a real good influence on a lot of the guys, scored some key goals on some of those runs. His time here has been pretty special.” As the oldest player on the team by 18 months, Sharp has been an example to the younger players, naturally magnetic because of his seven 20-goal seasons with the Hawks. “He kind of comes up to you right away and tries to engage with you and make you feel comfortable,” Nick Schmaltz said. “Jokes around and makes you feel like you’re part of the team right away. He’s always keeping the guys loose. Really good pro. Works hard and always comes to the rink ready.” “The age difference is quite large,” Sharp said. “But hanging around the locker room and off the ice, we’re all the same type of guy and have fun together. They keep me young in some aspects.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107922 Chicago Blackhawks so they can review video of his shifts. Jerabek hasn't played as much as Kempny because he and Djoos have alternated in and out of the lineup, but in the 10 games he has played, Washington is 8-2-0. Michal Kempny wasn't a blockbuster get for the Capitals, but he could "Instead of coming in and having this huge expectation to live up to and help like one they've been this and they've been that and they've played in the league for this long, these are guys we're still helping to develop as players," Reirden said. "Not that we weren't with our other guys, but they're just at Isabelle Khurshudyan a different phase of development. I think they've been really eager." 6-7 minutes Kempny has acquitted himself well enough that MacLellan said re- signing him this summer is a consideration. It seems to have been a good fit for both sides. Michal Kempny arrived in Washington unsure what to do with his "I had a really good feeling about it because I talked with coaches and furniture, or whether he should get an apartment. He had never been GM," Kempny said. "We had a pretty good talk, and I felt pretty good traded, this being just his second season as an NHLer. He acknowledged about it. You know, I made a couple of mistakes and a couple of bad he would need some time to adjust. He wasn't a savior or the missing things in my play, but I was still in the lineup. That's pretty good for me piece for the Capitals, nor was he expected to be. He wasn't a proven because, in Chicago when I make mistakes, I was out of the lineup. Now, commodity, not playing much when the Chicago Blackhawks dealt him. in Washington, I still play. That's the things which help me, and because But he was Washington's No. 1 target. of that, I feel pretty good." A year after the Capitals made a blockbuster move at the trade deadline by acquiring rental defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, the hottest name available, Washington took the opposite approach. The Capitals traded a Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.07.2018 2018 third-round pick to the Blackhawks for Kempny, a 27-year-old with a $900,000 salary cap hit who had been a healthy scratch for half the season on a team well out of the playoff race. But one team's trash can become another team's treasure: Kempny has played in 21 games for Washington, slotting into the top-four defense corps beside John Carlson and skating 16:46 per game. And the Capitals didn't have to part with a first-round pick or a top prospect to get him. Postseason performance will ultimately provide the final grade on the team's additions of Kempny and fellow blue-liner Jakub Jerabek, acquired from Montreal for a 2019 fifth-round pick, but Washington's defense has gone from allowing 32.5 shots per game before their arrival to 30.4 after. The Capitals have traded for a defenseman before the deadline all four years under General Manager Brian MacLellan, and perhaps this is a lesson that sometimes the best moves don't have to be splashy. "The two guys we added here are good fits," MacLellan said. "In theory, you think they're all good fits, but these guys came in and did exactly what we thought they were going to do. I mean, you add a guy like Shattenkirk, and it changes the dynamic at the back end. All of a sudden, Carlson's not on your first power play. It changes the chemistry more so than what we've done this year. We had holes to fill this year, and we filled them with guys that aren't as high-profile but are just steady and provided the things we needed for our team. So it's worked out." As the Capitals played two rookie defensemen, Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey, for most of the season, it became obvious Washington would look to make changes to its blue line before the Feb. 26 trade deadline. Ottawa superstar Erik Karlsson was reportedly available. The New York Rangers were looking to deal proven top-pairing defenseman Ryan McDonagh. But perhaps the outcome of the Shattenkirk deal lingered for MacLellan as he was considering what to do. While Shattenkirk had good production for the Capitals during the regular season with two goals and 12 assists in 19 games, he was playing in a lesser role than Kempny as a third-pairing defenseman, and he struggled in the playoffs with a minus-4 rating and six points in 13 games. MacLellan said he thought about adding a "higher-end" blue-liner, but he focused more on the qualities the team needed. Washington wanted someone to play on the left side of Carlson and, with how the Capitals had often struggled to get the puck out of their end, they desired more mobility on defense, especially after the team lost a speedy skater in Nate Schmidt when he was swiped by Vegas in the expansion draft. "Schmidty might be the best skater in the league, but certainly [Kempny is] up there, and he can really wheel around the ice," Carlson said. "That's just another thing you kind of have to get a feel for - when his tendencies to [join the attack] are. We both want to get up the ice all of the time, but I think now, we don't really have to say much to each other. We can just read off each other based off instincts and just seeing plays develop and knowing, 'Okay, I've done this play 20 times now.' The more you execute those plays, the easier it is to have a read on what each other is doing. I think that's really developed from the beginning when he first got here." MacLellan said the Capitals had Kempny "projected right," so while he exceeded low external expectations, he has been what the team hoped he would be. But what Washington couldn't have known about Kempny until he was in its dressing room has been a pleasant surprise. Associate coach Todd Reirden said he's in "phenomenal shape," and he has seen a willingness to learn, with Kempny constantly lurking around his office 1107923 Chicago Blackhawks “Everybody I see who talks about my grandfather, they say, ‘Oh, I used to watch your grandfather. He was a great man off the ice, great man on the ice,’ ” Billy said. “I’m trying to follow his footsteps in the process.” Blackhawks honor Stan Mikita through grandsons in 'One More Shift' Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.07.2018 Rich Campbell 4-5 minutes

Billy Gneiser never saw his grandfather play hockey. Even his YouTube searches for Stan Mikita don’t turn up enough results to satisfy him. But the 13-year-old still gets the gist. “All I know,” Gneiser said, “is he was pretty good.” Gneiser was at United Center on Friday night to celebrate that fact, as the Blackhawks honored Mikita as part of their “One More Shift” initiative before their 4-1 loss to the Blues in the home finale. Billy took the ice with brothers Charlie and Tommy, all dressed in full Hawks uniforms, including Mikita’s No. 21 sweater. Pictures of Mikita were projected onto the ice while a video montage played, listing his many accomplishments as one of the greatest players ever. As the boys skated past the Hawks bench, bumped gloves with players and took their place on the blue line with the starters, the largest home crowd of the season was as quiet as a group of 22,218 can be. The context was clear, Mikita’s plight now well known. At 77, he suffers from suspected dementia with Lewy bodies, a brain disorder that can strip those with it of memory and cause hallucinations, sleep disorders. It is linked to Parkinson’s disease. Mikita’s daughter, Jane, offered a sad update before the ceremony. “Stan is, from the neck up, completely gone,” she said. “And from the neck down, he is as strong as a horse. He is just kind of plugging along.” Mikita’s caretaker planned to turn on the TV for him at home to watch the ceremony, but Jane doubted he would comprehend it. Regardless, gratitude between the Blackhawks and the Hockey Hall of Famer flowed both ways Friday. “It’s a wonderful tribute,” Jane said. “It’s nice to be remembered.” Mikita played his entire 22-year career with the Blackhawks and is the leading points scorer in team history. For his grandchildren, Friday was an occasion to celebrate the professional accomplishments of a man they know for the everyday touch he once had on their lives. “To my kids, my dad was just Stan,” Jane explained. “That’s what they called him. My oldest had a bit of a speech impediment, so he couldn’t say grandma and grandpa, so he called them Jill and Stan. He took them golfing. He mowed the lawn. He taught them all of that.” Billy noted that Stan does not remember him, and his memories of when his grandfather was coherent are foggy. But certain interactions have stuck with him, especially considering he plays center at the bantam level for the Huskies Hockey Club in Romeoville. Years ago, Stan convinced Billy to switch to center from defenseman when he expressed a desire to score more goals. Go figure. “He taught me almost everything hockey,” Billy said. “Taught me how to win faceoffs. Taught me how to skate. Taught me how to tie my own skates and tape my stick, especially.” Mikita’s grandkids also are becoming aware of his legacy off the ice. How he helped establish the American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association in 1973 and his support for the Special Olympics. Stan’s daughter, Meg, hopes his grandchildren absorb his sense of sportsmanship and team. “I never saw him when he was a fighter,” Meg said. “I know there were things like he would never shake hands at the end of a series, but he would always go to the locker room. I was like: 'Why don’t you shake hands? That looks really not nice.’ But he would go down to the locker room. He goes: 'I want to talk to the guys in person, not just a pat on the back.’ ” Billy understands. He senses the affect Stan had on fans when he sees people wearing the No. 21 sweater, the same one he wore Friday. 1107924 Chicago Blackhawks Francisco Giants under manager Bruce Bochy won their last two World Series — in 2012 and 2014 — in seasons after they missed the playoffs.

Every sport involves a different dynamic, but the Hawks see a common Whether or not Blackhawks are right to keep status quo, reasons for thread in organizations betting on themselves, believing the knowns decision are sound represent less risk than the unknowns. “These guys have had a great track record of success,” McDonough David Haugh said. “In the past, a lot of things went our way. When you win three Stanley Cups, there are things that go your way that almost are 6-8 minutes supernatural. Part of it is talent, but there are breaks too. These guys know what it’s like to win, and I’m confident they’re going to put us on a good path.” Passion compelled typically mild-mannered Blackhawks general To their credit, the Hawks refuse to use the absence of goaltender Corey manager Stan Bowman to proclaim from the podium that getting swept in Crawford since December as the overriding excuse. They know other the 2017 playoffs by the Predators was “unacceptable.” problems contributed, everything from future Hall of Famers Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith experiencing a decline to newly acquired Bowman channeled that frustration by letting his heart overrule his head, players like Brandon Saad and Connor Murphy struggling mightily. The making moves that helped change a 109-point team into one that missed backup goalies were sieves. The special teams stunk. the playoffs. He reacted emotionally by trading core players Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson, knee-jerk deals classified, in retrospect, “This was a frustrating year, unlike any I have ever been a part of before, as change for the sake of change. and I’ve been doing this for 39 years,” McDonough said. One disappointing year later, Hawks President John McDonough just Next year, McDonough sees no reason Crawford cannot return to form. guaranteed nobody will accuse the organization of overreacting this He predicted bounce-back seasons for veterans Toews, Keith and Brent offseason. Seabrook and dismissed the idea of adding another executive to advise Bowman. He lauded the development of future core players Alex McDonough announced Bowman and coach Joel Quenneville will keep DeBrincat, Nick Schmaltz and Vinnie Hinostroza and looked forward to their jobs despite an underachieving team guided by “One Goal’’ missing the NHL draft, when the Hawks have two first-round picks. the postseason for the first time in 10 years. The Hawks haven’t won a playoff game since 2016 or a playoff series since the 2015 Stanley Cup “I believe that Joel and Stan and our organization are going to solve Final, yet the organization’s response will include inaction more than this,’’ McDonough said. words. Any urgency won’t include a vacancy. History earns the Hawks the benefit of the doubt. Some of us interpret the return of Bowman, especially, and Quenneville, to a lesser degree, as the Hawks embracing the status quo and putting loyalty ahead of accountability in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of professional sports. I recommended changing general managers Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.07.2018 if the Hawks missed the playoffs. But, in fairness, McDonough can defend letting the past outweigh the present by pointing to three Stanley Cup titles since 2010. You don’t necessarily have to agree McDonough made the right move to respect his reasons for making it; he maintains more faith than doubt in two men who played major roles in transforming the franchise. Firing somebody would have been the easiest reply. Staying the course can be the hardest way to answer futility. “I understand whenever there is a disappointing season, by and large people want to see change, they want to see people get fired, lose their jobs and they want instant gratification,’’ McDonough told the Tribune. “I understand that. I also have an obligation to do what I believe is in the best short-term and long-term interest of the Blackhawks. I believe in Stan and I believe in Joel. I still believe in our system. I believe in the decision-making process and those who make those decisions.’’ The decision to bring back Bowman and Quenneville hung over McDonough’s head for weeks. No sports executive in any market consumes as much media as McDonough, who values the relationship between perception and reality more than his fellow Chicago sports execs. The rampant speculation led McDonough to arrange a meeting with Bowman last week to address everything and end the suspense. “It was healthy, and I think it was challenging,’’ McDonough said. “I had to have a real good understanding, and that’s where we landed.’’ Bowman then communicated with Quenneville, who eventually received the endorsement from McDonough that removed any uncertainty. If receiving the news relieved Quenneville, the NHL’s second-winningest coach, delivering it allayed McDonough of the anxiety that nagged him. “It was painstaking,’’ McDonough said of the decision-making process. “There is a human element to all this. We have been together for almost a decade. I want good things to happen to these people. I want us to succeed, to win. We have faced adversity together, celebrated together, but ultimately I’m disappointed where we wound up this year. In the coming weeks there is going to be some assessment and questions that haven’t been asked before.’’ Start with this one: Is the championship window still open? Right or wrong, the Hawks view this season as an anomaly. They find encouragement in recent examples in other sports of proven organizations that resisted wholesale changes and stayed the course with established winners. The New York Giants under coach Tom Coughlin missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 and won the Super Bowl in 2011. The St. Louis Cardinals under manager Tony La Russa missed the playoffs in 2010 and won the World Series in 2011. The San 1107925 Chicago Blackhawks

Antti Raanta signs 3-year, $12.75 million extension with Coyotes

Satchel Price

The Coyotes have locked up goaltender Antti Raanta on a three-year contract extension with a $4.25 million annual cap hit, according to TSN. The deal, which solidifies Raanta as the Coyotes’ starting netminder entering next season, was first reported Thursday night by 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. Raanta, a former backup goaltender with the Blackhawks, had been set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He would’ve been popular on the open market after posting a .930 save percentage in 46 appearances with the Coyotes this season. Instead, the 28-year-old will return to Arizona on a deal that clearly pegs him as the starter. It’s a significant raise from $1 million salary he received this season, which was part of a two-year, $2 million contract that the goalie originally signed with the Rangers in 2016. Raanta began his NHL career with the Blackhawks in 2013 and won a Stanley Cup with the team in 2015. He was traded to the Rangers following the championship three years ago and posted two strong seasons as a backup to Henrik Lundqvist. That performance compelled the Coyotes to give up their 2017 first-round pick to acquire Raanta and Derek Stepan last summer in an effort to make improvement this season. It didn’t work at first as Arizona sunk to the bottom of the standings, but the team has quietly put together a 17-8- 3 record since early February. Strong goaltending has been a big part of that. Raanta is the second recent ex-Hawks backup goalie to receive a sizable contract to be another team’s starter. signed a three-year, $12.45 million deal with the Hurricanes last summer. Darling has had a disastrous first year in Carolina by posting a .888 save percentage in 43 appearances.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107926 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks fall in Patrick Sharp's last game at the United Center

Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email 4 minutes

Patrick Sharp was still playing coy about his future Friday morning, shrugging off questions about his potential retirement by simply saying, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” But the signs that this was Sharp’s last game at the United Center were everywhere. His parents flew in for the game. He was on the top line. He started — and was announced last, to a rousing cheer. He wore his old “A” on his jersey, an idea he said was Patrick Kane’s. In the opening minutes, Kane force-fed a pass to him on the rush rather than take the obvious shot himself. For Pat’s sake, the first song played during a stoppage in play was by Pearl Jam, Sharp’s favorite band. Then, it became more obvious. There was a “Thank You, Sharpy” tribute video late in the third period — with Sharp getting a lengthy standing ovation, pounding his chest and waving to the largest crowd of the season, 22,218. Then the Hawks stayed out on the ice after the game, waited for Sharp to shake hands with the departing Blues, and sent him on a solo lap around the ice, one last chance to say goodbye to the city he never wanted to leave. Sharp’s career will end Saturday night in Winnipeg. But this was the emotional one, the last home game. “It was a tough game out there, tough to concentrate with what was going on inside my head,” Sharp said after the 4-1 loss. “But thankful that I was able to do that. . . . The guys staying out on the ice and making me do a lap was something I’ll always remember. It was a special night.” Sharp had been shrugging off the question about his future for months, but admitted Friday night that he always knew somewhere in the back of his mind that this homecoming season would probably be his last. His first Hawks tenure ended with him parading the Stanley Cup around the United Center in 2015, but then he was unceremoniously traded to Dallas in July, the first of the vaunted core to become a cap casualty. Two years in Dallas were fine, but Chicago always was home. “You never want to come to grips with it, to be honest with you,” Sharp said of retirement. “But that’s probably one of the reasons I came back. Chicago’s my home.” Sharp said that Kane had some “touching words” in the dressing room after the game, during which Sharp played 19:03, his most since opening night. Coach Joel Quenne-ville even called a timeout late in the game down three goals just to keep a gassed Sharp on the ice, desperately trying to send him off with a goal. He had a great chance early in the first period that Alex Pietrangelo blocked, and another in the third that Carter Hutton saved. But he’s not going to remember the stats from a meaningless game. He is going to remember the ovation, the stick-taps, the handshakes, the locker-room speech from Kane, that final lap around the rink he called home for 11 seasons. “From 2005 until now, how far we’ve come as an organization and as a team, all the great players I’ve played with — I’m lucky to be part of it, to be honest with you,” he said. “I’m grateful that I got that opportunity to come back and play for the Hawks organization. That was a special feeling for me tonight.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107927 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks honor Hall of Famer Stan Mikita with 'One More Shift'

Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email 4-5 minutes

Billy Gneiser never saw his grandfather play. He is just 13, after all, and Stan Mikita’s career ended 38 years ago. Billy has scoured YouTube but hasn’t been able to find many clips of Mikita’s powerful stride, his famously curved wooden stick, his unparalleled vision and shot. “All I know is he was pretty good,” Billy said. But Mikita’s image is etched all over Billy’s face — the same eyes, the same nose, the same broad smile. His legend has been taught to Billy over the years — when he sees someone in a No. 21 red sweater, when he hears longtime Blackhawks fans talk about his greatness and his kindness, when he stepped onto the ice for the national anthem with two of his brothers, Charlie and Tommy, Friday night, representing Stan for his “One More Shift.” But Mikita’s legacy is more tangible to Billy than a face in the mirror or a kind word from a stranger. Before Lewy body dementia robbed Mikita of his memories and his self, he taught Billy everything he knows about hockey. Stan even told Billy to switch positions to the one that allowed him to post 541 goals and 926 assists in 1,394 NHL games, to become an eight-time All-Star, to become the only player ever to win the Hart (MVP), Art Ross (scoring leader) and Lady Byng (gentlemanly play) trophies in the same season. He accomplished that last feat twice, in 1966-67 and 1967-68. “I was a defenseman at first, and I was like, I want to score more goals,” Billy said. “So my grandpa said ‘Be a centerman, you’ll score more goals like that.’ I’ve been a center since.” That Mikita, the one who lit up scoreboards and lit up fans’ faces for 21 seasons, doesn’t exist anymore. His daughter, Jane, and other family members still visit him in a long-term care home just about every day, but he doesn’t recognize them. Billy said it is hard to remember the grandfather he once knew, because of “the way he is now.” “Stan is from the neck up, completely gone, and from the neck down, he is as strong as a horse,” his daughter, Jane Mikita Gneiser, said. “He is just kind of plugging along.” Mikita’s caretaker was planning to show him Friday’s pregame ceremony, and it is impossible to know if it would register with him that he was being honored, that his grandchildren were skating in his place, in his jersey. But Jane was hopeful, noting that he “kind of perked up” with relatives flying in from out of town for the ceremony. “Every now and then, he’ll have those moments where you go, ‘Oh, man, he gets it, he understands,’ ” Jane said. “But he does not know us for the most part.” Mikita was welcomed back to the Hawks organization in 2008, and left a lasting impression on the core members of the team’s championship era. “The more time you spend in a city like Chicago, you get to know fans who’ll come up to you and tell you stories about the days that he played, and growing up watching him,” Jonathan Toews said. “You also start to hear those stories about who he was away from the rink and realize it’s so much more than that.” Gneiser’s primary concern Friday night was not falling down while skating, an unlikely problem for a member of the Romeoville Huskies, a bantam team. But the meaning of the evening was not lost on him. “Everybody that I see talks about my grandfather,” he said. “They said, ‘Oh, I used to watch your grandfather, he was a great man off the ice, a great man on the ice.’ . . . I’m trying to follow his footsteps, on and off the ice.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107928 Chicago Blackhawks

Scouting report: Chicago Blackhawks at Winnipeg Jets

John Dietz Follow @johndietzdh

Blackhawks at Winnipeg Jets, Bell MTS Place, 6 p.m. Saturday The skinny: Winnipeg is 10-1-0 in its last 11 games, with the lone loss coming to the Hawks on March 29 at the United Center. That's the night that emergency backup goalie Scott Foster was forced into action because of injuries to Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia. Foster made 7 saves in 14:01. ... Winnipeg has little to play for, having wrapped up second place in the Central Division. The Jets will open the Stanley Cup playoffs against Minnesota. ... Before Friday's games, Patrik Laine was second in the league with 44 goals, 3 behind Washington's Alex Ovechkin. Blake Wheeler was second in assists (68) and tied for eighth in points (90).

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107929 Chicago Blackhawks

One More Shift for Stan Mikita: Family, players honors 'team-first attitude'

John Dietz 3-4 minutes

Lewy body dementia has robbed Blackhawks Hall of Famer Stan Mikita of practically all of his memories. His wife, his kids, his grandkids, his hockey career -- it's all gone. But when told that three of his grandsons would be skating onto the United Center ice on Friday for his One More Shift ceremony, Stan definitely "perked up" according to daughter Jane Mikita Gneiser. "His caretaker will put it on. I don't know if he'll realize (it)," said Mikita Gneiser, who earlier told us her dad is "completely gone" from the neck up. Still ... "Today I walked in and my hands were cold," Mikita Gneiser said. "So (when) I placed my hands on his, he goes, 'Oh, (crap)!' "There's something still there. And every now and then he'll have those moments where you'll go, 'Oh, man. He gets it. He understands.' "But he does not know us for the most part." Charlie, Billy and Tommy Gneiser came out to a rousing ovation. They gave high-fives to the players on the bench, then went to the blue line to stand for the national anthem. Just like Stan did before each game, Charlie, 15; Billy, 13; and Tommy, 11, all covered their hearts to pay tribute to their grandfather. Billy, who plays for the Romeoville Huskies in the NIHL, started out as a defenseman, but soon realized he wanted to score. Who better to advise him than the man who is the Blackhawks' all-time leading scorer? "My grandpa said, 'Be a centerman. You'll score more goals like that,'" Billy said. Billy obviously never saw Stan play, and he can't seem to find much old footage on YouTube, either. Still, he realizes the impact his grandfather had on the Blackhawks and the NHL. "Whenever I see somebody wearing a '21' sweater, I'm just like, 'Mom and dad look! They're wearing Stan's sweater!' It means a lot," Billy said. Stan began losing his memories in late 2014 and the family went public with his diagnosis in January 2015. Given Stan's current situation, Billy said it's difficult to remember the good times with his grandfather. "Whenever I have the time I always want to go see him," Billy said. "But we're always busy with hockey and sports. I always try and talk to him. He tries to talk back. "He doesn't remember me. It is very difficult. I just really don't want to see him that way anymore." Stan's strong belief in sportsmanship and a "team-first attitude" is what his four kids -- Jane, Meg, Scott and Chris -- have passed on to all of their kids. Even decades later, Meg can still remember Stan's advice to her when she volunteered to play goalie on her field hockey team because the squad didn't have one. "I got killed," Meg said. "I was really mad. He said, 'Well there's a bunch of people in front of you that should have been doing their job. He's like, 'You need to talk to them and make it work as a team.'" That legacy continued in beautiful fashion at the United Center on Friday. Somewhere, deep down, you hope Stan felt it -- even if for a brief moment.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107930 Chicago Blackhawks Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 Emotional Sharp announces retirement after Blackhawks loss

John Dietz 4 minutes

When Patrick Sharp showed up on the ice wearing an "A" on his jersey, you knew something was up. Then came an emotional, moving video montage during a TV timeout in the third period. Then, after the Hawks dropped their home finale 4-1 to the St. Louis Blues on Friday, Sharp's teammates wouldn't retreat to the locker room until the 35-year-old veteran of 1,080 NHL games did a victory lap in front of an adoring United Center crowd. The roars went on and on as Sharp made his way from section to section, raising his stick and saying numerous "thank yous" along the way. Ten minutes later, surrounded by a throng of media in front of his locker stall, Sharp welled up and barely held it together as he announced he's retiring after Saturday's game in Winnipeg. "It was a tough game out there," Sharp said. "Tough to concentrate with what was going on inside my head. "But thankful that I was able to do that and the Hawks put that video on for me in the third, which was really special. The guys stayed out on the ice and (them) making me do a lap was something I'll always remember." Sharp, who was an alternate captain during Stanley Cup runs in 2010, '13 and '15, received that honor once again thanks to Patrick Kane's urging beforehand. "He had some touching words after the game," Sharp said, his voice quivering, "and it meant a lot." Even though he wouldn't say it publicly until Friday, Sharp has known this moment was coming for some time. After a two-year stint with Dallas, Sharp returned to Chicago on a one-year deal worth $1 million. He came back with dreams of another playoff berth. Another deep run. Heck, even another Stanley Cup. It didn't happen for myriad reasons, but that doesn't mean Sharp regrets his decision. "Chicago's my home and it's my family's home," he said. "We mentioned that when we left the first time. "I'm grateful that I was able to come back and play this year. I know it hasn't been the season that we've all wanted, but it really does mean a lot to me." Sharp, drafted by the Flyers in 2001, first came to Chicago on Dec. 5, 2005 when general manager executed one of the best trades in the history of the franchise. All Sharp did was pump in 249 regular-season goals for the Hawks and another 42 in the playoffs. Only Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Stan Mikita, Kane and Steve Larmer have more in team history. In his prime, Sharp was one of the fastest players in the league and possessed a wicked shot -- one he was never afraid to use. "When I think of Sharpy I think of him over there on that right side one- timing the puck in that area where all of a sudden he scored some big goals," Quenneville said. As for Sharp's favorite memories ... "Obviously winning the Stanley Cup the third time on home ice was cool," he said. "Just generally speaking, from 2005 until now, how far we've come as an organization and as a team. "All the great players I've played with. I'm lucky to be part of it to be honest with you. Blackhawks are a family from the top down. You probably hear that a lot from us, but I truly feel a part of it. "I know my immediate family feels that as well." They all certainly felt it Friday during a night -- and a game -- Patrick Sharp will never forget. 1107931 Chicago Blackhawks That's the frustrating part about this Oilers season. McDavid has done all he possibly could, but the team around him didn't give him a chance -- and, in turn, robbed us of seeing the game's most electrifying talent on We'll miss Connor McDavid, the Blackhawks, Henrik Lundqvist in the the biggest stage. We don't get many opportunities to see McDavid on crease this postseason national TV in the , so hockey fans down here certainly hear a lot about him, they just can't see him.

The young stars of the NHL are the most exciting thing about the league The Pittsburgh Penguins are on a mission to become the first team in 35 and its future. The more times a wider audience gets to see players like years to win three consecutive Stanley Cup championships. The Vegas McDavid on TV, the more people will be exposed to his considerable Golden Knights have captivated the hockey world -- and clinched a talents. Getting center Auston Matthews this playoff berth -- in their first season. The New Jersey Devils snapped a postseason isn't too bad of a consolation prize, as the American-born five-year playoff drought, and Taylor Hall, their Hart Trophy candidate, talent should shine in this showcase. But it's going to feel a little punched a ticket to the postseason for the first time in his eight-year incomplete without No. 97, too. career. Ben Arledge, Insider editor: As someone who grew up in New York, I'll Fans -- especially those in Nashville, Winnipeg and Boston -- have plenty most miss the New York Rangers in the playoffs. With the Masters in full of reasons to be pumped about the Stanley Cup playoffs. But there are swing this weekend, it's perhaps on topic to say watching Henrik are few things we'll miss this postseason. Lundqvist carry the Blueshirts on his back in April and May (and sometimes June) has become a tradition unlike any other. This will mark What will you most miss seeing most this postseason? just the second time since King Henrik has manned the crease in Manhattan that the Rangers miss out on postseason play, and the other Which teams have the best shot at locking up a playoff spot? Who's was after that final-day shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers to just fall earning a better shot at the No. 1 overall pick? Here are the latest short back in 2009-10. projections for both, along with critical matchups to watch today and much more. Lundqvist is just one of a handful of stars who will take their talents to the golf course this season, rather than delighting the NHL playoff audience. In honor of this weekend's Frozen Four, we've dedicated this week's Losing the Rangers goaltender, McDavid, Carey Price, Kane, Erik rankings to alumni of the college ranks -- players like Kyle Turris Karlsson, John Tavares and a cast of other dominant characters hurts (Wisconsin), Charlie McAvoy (Boston University) and Blake Wheeler the overall product a great deal. Without the bigger New York, Chicago, (Minnesota) -- who are now thriving on NHL teams. Montreal and Detroit hockey markets -- and the stars who come with Could Colorado, which is clinging to a wild-card spot, stun the world and them -- there's a missing level of engagement in an otherwise exciting make a Cup run? Our Insiders weigh in on which potential champion two-month period. would be the biggest shock, where Erik Karlsson will land and which The silver lining? Perhaps the world gets to know some of the guys who coaches will be fired when the season ends. haven't necessarily gotten the publicity they deserve for what they're Greg Wyshynski, senior writer: I know I'm alone on this island, because doing on the ice instead -- guys like Hall, Winnipeg Jets scorer Patrik most of the hockey world considers them to be the most overhyped and Laine and Boston Bruins goal scorer David Pastrnak. overexposed team in sports, but I will miss the Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs. ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 04.07.2018 The Western Conference playoffs are just a more interesting place with the Blackhawks in them. Give me those hot takes about Jonathan Toews' leadership vs. statistic achievement. Give me that inevitable Patrick Kane overtime goal. Give me a disgruntled Joel Quenneville putting his lines in a blender because his team lost by a goal in the third period. This is comfort food, and I'm a little bummed it's not on the menu. Again, this might be the writer in me lamenting. The Blackhawks' redemption angle vs. the Nashville Predators, their "gateway to eventual championship" status with a team like the Winnipeg Jets, and even some ginned-up "fake dynasty vs. fake dynasty" battle with the Los Angeles Kings would have been chewy storylines. Alas, I'll have to settle for a few months of "can-the-Blackhawks-get-their-groove-back?" stories instead. Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter: The 2017-18 season felt like the year of unceremonious goodbyes. Jaromir Jagr is out of the league, without as much as a final wave to the home crowd in Calgary. (If you're reading this past 9 p.m. Czech Republic time, rest assured that he's probably doing some solo ice work out at a rink somewhere in Kladno.) The Sedin twins sure did entertain us in their Vancouver Canucks finale - - with Daniel scoring the game-winner, with an assist from Henrik at 2:33 of overtime. Come on. But let's be honest: it was a meaningless game against the Arizona Coyotes. Sure, the teams were jockeying for (bad) standing in order to slightly increase their chances of landing top prospect Rasmus Dahlin in the draft, but that makes the farewell even less fitting. These three players are going to be remembered as legends -- for their unique style, for their personality, for the indelible mark they left on the game. No doubt there's plenty of star power in these playoffs. Part of me, however, is itching for a proper farewell for these generational talents -- and one last chance at heroics. ESPN On Ice Highlighted by conversations with TSN's Jason Brough and "The Keeper of the Cup" Howie Borrow, Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan debate the draft lottery situation as well as barrel down the last days of the playoff race, including injuries of note and more. Listen » Chris Peters, NHL prospects writer: Without a doubt, I'm going to miss Connor McDavid. Few players can match the entertainment value he brings on his own. Coming off of a career year, I can only imagine the impact he would have had in the second postseason of his career. That said, Edmonton has a lot of work to do to get itself back in contention. 1107932 Colorado Avalanche

The Morning After: The Avalanche’s regular-season finale will have a Game 7 feel

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post April 6, 2018 at 6:38 am

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Good effort, tough loss for the Avalanche late Thursday night in San Jose, where the Sharks emerged 4-2 winners at SAP Center. The game story includes the Avs’ playoff fate — which will be determined in their regular-season final Saturday against St. Louis at the Pepsi Center. The Avs will remain in San Jose until Friday morning, choosing to get a full night’s sleep instead of traveling and returning to Denver around 3:30 a.m. They will not practice Friday but have a morning skate Saturday. THREE STARS Martin Jones. Sharks goalie (23 saves) made some game-saving stops. Logan Couture. Had a goal and an assist for San Jose. Joonas Donskoi. Sharks forward made a great play to produce the game- winning goal. WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED The tight game featured just three combined power plays, and each team scored one goal with the man-advantage. NEXT UP St. Louis, Saturday, Pepsi Center 7 p.m. TAKEAWAYS Nine-game drought. Nathan MacKinnon’s Hart Trophy candidacy is slipping like the Avs’ playoff hopes. MacKinnon’s goal-scoring drought grew to nine games Thursday — although the star center had a handful of Grade-A chances and a shot off the crossbar in the third period. Colorado is just 2-5-1 in its last eighth games — a direct result of MacKinnon’s offensive woes. The last game of the regular season will determine the Avs’ playoff fate, and if they defeat St. Louis in regulation on Saturday at the Pepsi Center, they’re in. If the Blues lose in regulation Friday at Chicago, Colorado will make the playoffs with a regulation or overtime win against the Blues. Colorado defenseman Tyson Barrie was minus-3 in a game-high 28:02. It’s high risk, high reward for Barrie, who had a second assist on Mikko Rantanen’s power-play goal. Colorado outhit San Jose 23-18 but the Sharks blocked 28 shots to the Avs’ 18. Both teams had six giveaways.

Denver Post: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107933 Colorado Avalanche

St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche: What you need to know

Mike Chambers 5-6 minutes

ST. LOUIS AT COLORADO, 7 p.m. Saturday, ALT, 950 AM Spotlight on: Mike Yeo. The Blues’ coach has been in this position before. On April 27, 2013, his Minnesota Wild clinched a playoff berth on the last day of the season by defeating the Avalanche 3-1 at the Pepsi Center. The Wild went on to upset Colorado in the first round of the playoffs, winning Game 7 in Denver. Also, Yeo has been excellent in coaching the Blues in back-to- back games. They are 15-3-2 in the second game of the consecutive- night stretch, including a 4-3 win at the Pepsi Center on Oct. 19, a night after defeating Chicago at home. The Blues play their second game against the Avs in Denver in a back-to-back situation to conclude the regular season. NOTEBOOK Blues: Over the past three seasons, goalie Jake Allen has been excellent against the Avalanche in Denver, going 3-0-2 with a 1.56 goals-against average and .947 save percentage. St. Louis’ other goalie, Carter Hutton, has a career record of 2-0 at the Pepsi Center but Allen is expected to get the start. .. St. Louis and Colorado are tied for the first tiebreaker — regulation and overtime wins (ROW). … The Blues have earned points in 10 of their last 11 trips to Denver, including regulation wins in four of the last five. … Before losing their last matchup with the Avalanche, the Blues had earned points in 12 consecutive games against Colorado (9-0- 3). … Defensemen Vince Dunn and Alex Pietrangelo share the team lead with five points each against the Avs this season. Avalanche: The Avs remained in San Jose through Friday morning after losing to the Sharks 4-2 on Thursday night. They did not practice Friday but will have a morning skate Saturday at the Pepsi Center. … Star center Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t scored a goal in nine games, and Colorado is 2-5-1 in its last eight. … Defenseman Mark Barberio played well Thursday after missing 33 games with an upper-body injury. He is expected to remain in the lineup Saturday. “I was just trying to keep my shifts short and keep things as simple as possible,” Barberio said. “First few shifts, the legs were kind of heavy, but as the game went on I felt better and better and was getting into the game. I tried to keep my shifts short throughout the game.” Said coach Jared Bednar: “(Barberio’s) one of those guys that can defend top players. He can move the puck, plays with a little bit of edge and a little bit of poise with the puck too. I thought he was surprisingly good for how long he has been out. He helped us out tonight, for sure.” … Top defenseman Erik Johnson remains out indefinitely and goalie Semyon Varlamov is out for the rest of the regular season, the team said last week.

Denver Post: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107934 Colorado Avalanche

After escaping the pit of misery, Colorado Avalanche’s playoff hunt rejuvenates weary hockey town

By KYLE FREDRICKSON | [email protected] | The Denver Post April 6, 2018 at 6:43 PM

Stephen Nealley missed, maybe, five Colorado Avalanche home games over the last two-plus decades as a season-ticket holder. The 66-year- old Denver resident and his wife, Cindy, are now reminded of hockey’s golden age in Denver. “They’re getting close,” Nealley said. Colorado solidified itself among the sport’s most passionate fan bases with an NHL record for consecutive sellouts (487) between 1995 and 2006 with a pair of Stanley Cups in between. It’s been a steep drop-off since. Last season, home attendance slipped to an average of 14,835, No. 25 out of 30 teams, mirroring a 22-win team that marked a franchise low for points (48). The atmosphere inside the Pepsi Center suffered, because, as Nealley explains, “people just expected them to lose.” But those dreadful days are gone. Just ask Nealley, whose expectations heading into Colorado’s season-deciding game Saturday against St. Louis (43-31-6) for a spot in the playoffs are mountain high. “It will be packed to the roof, if you can even find a ticket,” Nealley said. “I wear hearing aids and I actually turn them off during games. You can feel the building vibrate.” Colorado’s average home attendance increased to an average of 15,524 this season entering the finale. That figure still ranks No. 25 in the league, but the trend line is going up. The team also reports more than 95 percent of season-ticket holders have renewed their seats. Colorado’s television audience on Altitude also rebounded. The network said viewership among all adults grew 22 percent with its primary demographic — adults ages 25-to-54 – receiving a 59 percent boost. The Avs also cited growth in social media engagement among fans on Twitter. The account (@Avalanche) is nearing 451,000 followers for an 18.9-percent uptick from a year ago. “The connection between our players and our fans is growing every day,” said Declan Bolger, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s chief marketing officer. “All the guys are getting nicknames. That’s always a good sign, right? That’s the magic that’s happening here. We’ve always known this is a great hockey and Avalanche town, but you’ve now got a club that people are excited about.” Josh Fugazzotto, 35, has purchased Avalanche season tickets for the last several years and was part of a large fan contingent Thursday night at Blake Street Tavern for Colorado’s official watch party for the San Jose game. Fugazzotto said Avs hockey went from “it can’t get any worse” to “we’re one game away from being in the playoffs. I love it.” He added the fan- culture shift was most evident whenever the Chicago Blackhawks visited the Pepsi Center earlier this season. “You didn’t even hear them, which is pretty amazing when you look around at how many Blackhawks fans you see,” Fugazzotto said. “They would start cheering for the Blackhawks and it would just disappear.” Nealley, who first watched games inside McNichols Arena, knows what it’s like to follow a championship contender. He’s hoping a new generation of Avalanche faithful can learn that themselves soon enough. “I think we’ve seen a steady increase of fans, but they also seem to be more energetic,” Nealley said. “When I’m out and I’m wearing an Avalanche jacket, it’s amazing how many people talk to me about it. It’s always a chance to tell them, ‘You ‘ought to come out to watch them.’ ”

Denver Post: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107935 Colorado Avalanche

A Game 7 before the playoffs? Everything on the line for the Avalanche, Blues on Saturday

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post April 6, 2018 at 5:19 PM

In what will be a Game 7 environment Saturday, the Avalanche intends to emerge from the Pepsi Center with the club’s first postseason appearance in four years, and just fourth in the last 10. Hedging that bet are the St. Louis Blues, who are looking for their seventh straight playoff appearance and eighth in the last 10 years. It’s St. Louis at Colorado in Game 82, the regular-season finale for both teams with the winner advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs to face No. 1 seed Nashville in a best-of-seven series. The loser goes home. Whichever team moves forward, they’ll be doing so without much momentum. The Avs are 2-5-1 in their last eight games and coming off a 0-2-1 roadtrip. As for the Blues, they’re are 0-3-1 in their last four contests heading into Friday’s game at Chicago, including a puzzling 6-0 loss to Arizona and losing to the Blackhawks on Wednesday by allowing the go-ahead goal with 8.5 seconds remaining. “This is Game 7 for us. This is what you play for,” Avs defenseman Mark Barberio said. “These are moments that every player wants to play in. We have a chance to get into the playoffs. We lost (Thursday). We got to forget about it and get ready for the big game Saturday.” The Blues played their 81st game Friday at Chicago. Heading into the game, the Avs’ playoff scenarios were: If St. Louis defeats Chicago, Colorado must beat the Blues in regulation to avoid losing the playoff tiebreaker. If St. Louis loses to Chicago or wins in a shootout, Colorado beating the Blues would send the Avs to the playoffs. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar and team captain Gabe Landeskog each used the word “fun” to describe the finale. Perhaps that’s because the Avs have been exceptional at home, and a win away from tying the 2000- 01 Stanley Cup-winning team with a club-record 28 victories at home. “As tight as it has been in our conference all year, in our division, I’m not surprised that it comes down to (the last game),” Landeskog said. “Pepsi Center will be buzzing and so will we.” Said Bednar: “We’ll have a little conversation about what the game means and how much we’ve put into this season. We’ll lay it all out there in front of our fans for one game, where we’ve been really good.” The Avs are 27-11-2 at home. St. Louis was 19-14-6 on the road entering Friday’s game against the Blackhawks. “We’ve had great starts at home. We’ve fed off the energy of our crowd, especially in the second half of the season,” Barberio said. “We’ve taken advantage of home ice and it’s got to be the same way (Saturday).”

Denver Post: LOADED: 1107936 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets notebook | Sergei Bobrovsky liked effort vs. Penguins

Steve Gorten 3-4 minutes

Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky didn’t want to compare how comfortable he felt against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night with last season’s playoff series against them, but “I felt great.” “I saw the puck well,” Bobrovsky said. “Up front, they’re really good. They’ve got so many options. They play quick. It’s hard to play against them.” Bobrovsky, who was 1-4 with a .882 save percentage and 3.88 goals- against average in last year’s playoffs, allowed five goals on 43 shots Thursday, two of them on power plays. “I thought Bob made some really big saves at key times in the game,” Jackets coach said. “Both goalies made key saves at big times in the game. Both goalies had some struggles at certain times.” Matt Murray saved 26 of the 30 shots he faced. The Penguins rallied from a deficit four times. “I tried to block those things away,” Bobrovsky said of the Penguins’ comebacks. “I don’t really think about how hard they push and what they do, stuff like that. I just do my things, I try to read the game and be ahead of the game.” Said teammate Mark Letestu: “They made some good shots. Would he want a couple back? I’m sure. That’s his competitive nature. Bob probably says he could save them all.” Tortorella no longer regards center Pierre-Luc Dubois as a rookie and “gave him a handful of minutes” against Sidney Crosby on Thursday. Dubois’ 24:45 of ice time was his second-most of the season. “That is a great job by our management team and scouting staff” in drafting Dubois, Tortorella said. “A lot of people second-guessed our group.” Dubois had two assists and was plus-2 against the Penguins. He said of going head-to-head with Crosby, as well as standing up to Patric Hornqvist, “Some guys, they think I’m young, I can get pushed around maybe. But I’ve said it before, I’m not scared of anyone.” Dubois holds the franchise rookie records for goals (20) and points (48), is tied for first in multi-point games (12) and third in assists (28). Saturday, he is set to become the first rookie in Jackets history to play all 82 games. “At one point, I thought I was going to get scratched,” said Dubois, referring to an 11-game streak in October without a point. He turned it around after a talk with Tortorella. The Jackets were 18-0-0 at Nationwide Arena and 30-3-2 overall this season when leading after two periods before Thursday’s 5-4 overtime loss. … Right wing Cam Atkinson extended his point streak to nine games, tying his career high. “That has been our most inconsistent thing this year, is the team’s confidence,” Tortorella said. “He’s brimming. He’s leading the pack as far as that.” … Left wing Artemi Panarin’s 36 points since Feb. 18 are second-most by a player in the NHL, and his 48 points since Jan. 7 are tied for fourth-most.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107937 Columbus Blue Jackets games, and take two years to get back into (the playoffs). You need to keep getting back at it. That’s how players grow.”

Finale at Nashville has plenty of importance Columbus Dispatch LOADED:

By Steve Gorten sgorten Posted Apr 6, 2018 at 8:32 PM Updated Apr 6, 2018 at 9:03 PM

It took an incredible run for the Blue Jackets, 13-1-2 in their past 16 games, to clinch a playoff spot with one game left in the regular season. “We’re just fortunate that we kept on winning when everybody else started winning — because no one loses,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said after Thursday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins, which provided his team the final point it needed. “It’s been crazy. To come into (Thursday’s) game with 96 points, 45 wins, and still hanging on a vine, trying to get in. ... That’s what the league is. They wanted parity. They have parity.” The Eastern Conference standings are proof of that. Entering the Pittsburgh Penguins’ regular-season finale Friday at home against the Ottawa Senators, the Penguins were second in the with 98 points. The Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils have 97 points apiece, and the Philadelphia Flyers have 96 points. Each of those three teams has 39 regulation or overtime wins entering their final game Saturday. So do the Florida Panthers, who with 92 points must win their final two games Saturday and Sunday to have a chance of stealing the second-wild card from the Flyers. All of this gives the Jackets no opportunity to exhale going into Saturday’s game against the NHL’s best team in Nashville. The Predators won the teams’ other matchup this season, 3-1 on Nov. 7 at Nationwide Arena. Though the Predators have secured the President’s Trophy for the best record with 115 points, “There is still a lot at stake” Saturday for the Jackets, veteran forward Mark Letestu said. “We still have a job to do in Nashville.” Noted rookie center Pierre-Luc Dubois, “We’ve got to get the two points.” Two months ago, the Blue Jackets found themselves two rungs below the second wild-card spot after their season-high fifth consecutive loss, four of those in regulation. Since then, they’ve registered an 18-6-3 record, ripping off 39 points in 27 games. Only the Predators have more points (42) in that span. “The whole team kept their concentration, had some fun, kept it light,” Tortorella said. “They didn’t feel the pressure. And they just played games that were very important for a long time, and found ways to win. “I said ... five or six weeks ago, we’re going to find out how these guys handle this situation because we’re in a dogfight. They’ve handled themselves really well. It’s so promising for right now ... but for the future of this team, too, when you’re playing high-stakes games.” Noted Dubois, “Everybody in this (dressing) room, everybody in this organization and all of our fans realize we’re getting better and better, gaining experience, and we can now compete against these (elite) teams and beat them.” If the Blue Jackets beat the Predators, they will finish no worse than third in the Metropolitan Division. They would own the second tiebreaker against the Devils — points in head-to-head games (6-2) — should both teams finish with 99 points and 40 regulation/overtime wins. They also hold the head-to-head points tiebreaker against the Flyers (5- 5) should those teams finish tied in points and regulation/overtime wins. The Devils will travel to play the Capitals for their finale, and the Flyers will host the Rangers. “We’re trying to get two points every time we play,” Jackets defenseman Ian Cole said. “We want to win every game, without a doubt.” Regardless of the position the Jackets settle into, or their first-round matchup, they will be in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the franchise’s 17 seasons. “If you want to continue to build your organization, find your way and be that team that’s going to be there all the time, you have to experience it,” Tortorella said. “You can’t be in (the payoffs) one year, lose (in) five 1107938 Columbus Blue Jackets acknowledged being fatigued, and there is concern that Tampa Bay has overused him this season even though they were never at risk of missing the playoffs. Vasilevskiy has played in 64 games, fifth-most in the NHL. What are the chances? A look at the Blue Jackets' five possible first- Then again, Bobrovsky has played in a career-high 65 games. round opponents Head to head in 2017-18: 0-3 BOSTON BRUINS By Aaron Portzline Apr 6, 2018 12 Percentage chance: 8.1 It happens if … the Bruins finish ahead of Tampa Bay (see above) and The Blue Jackets clinched a playoff berth with the 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets slide to the second wild-card spot. the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, but their first-round opponent is At first glance: Boston has been a behemoth in the second half, catching anything but decided. Tampa Bay atop the East when the Lightning seemed poised to run away Heading into Saturday's regular-season finale in Nashville, the Blue and hide early in the season. The Blue Jackets won the season series, Jackets still could face any one of five teams beginning next week. They but Boston is a heavy, hard team, and the Jackets have never had an could finish as high as second in the Metropolitan Division or as low as answer for feisty Brad Marchand. He has 5-5-10 in six games versus eighth in the conference, the second wild card. Columbus since the start of last season. Can you imagine Rick Nash facing the Blue Jackets in the playoffs? This matchup would bring The Athletic takes a look at those five possible opponents, what would Columbus' Sean Kuraly back to town in a B's sweater, too. have to happen for the two clubs to meet, and what the matchup might hold for the Blue Jackets. Head to head in 2017-18: 2-1-0 The percentage chance figures are provided by sportsclubstats.com. NEW JERSEY DEVILS PITTSBURGH PENGUINS Percentage chance: 3.1 Percentage chance: 42.6 It happens if … the Penguins lose tonight to Ottawa in regulation, then get jumped by both the Blue Jackets (vs. Nashville) and Devils (at It happens if … the Blue Jackets win Saturday in Nashville, but it can Washington) with regulation, overtime or shootout wins on Saturday. If also happen if the Jackets lose in regulation to the Predators AND New the Penguins get so much as a point (overtime or shootout loss) tonight Jersey loses in regulation at Washington AND Philadelphia loses in vs. Ottawa, the Blue Jackets and Devils can't meet in the playoffs. regulation, overtime or a shootout versus the New York Rangers. At first glance: The Devils have been one of the NHL's biggest surprises At first glance: Any first-round opponent will be a hurdle for the Blue this season. Taylor Hall may be the Hart Trophy favorite and he's by far Jackets, as they've never made it out of the conference quarterfinals. But New Jersey's top weapon, but the Devils became one of the quickest, Pittsburgh unnerves the Blue Jackets like no other opponent, from most tenacious teams in the league only one season after having the No. goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky all the way up the ice. The Jackets can still 1 overall pick. After getting humiliated by the Devils on Dec. 5 in earn home-ice advantage with a Penguins loss tonight vs. Ottawa and a Nationwide Arena, the Jackets won the next three meetings by a Columbus win Saturday in Nashville. At 1-5-3 in their last nine games combined 13-5. One big issue with New Jersey: Who's your goalie? Keith versus Pittsburgh — including 0-1-3 this season — the Blue Jackets will Kinkaid has more starts and better numbers than Cory Schneider, but the take any advantage possible against the two-time defending Stanley Cup Devils may need Schneider to get out of the first round. champs. If they can't avoid them entirely, that is.

Head to head in 2017-18: 0-1-3 The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 WASHINGTON CAPITALS Percentage chance: 33.2 It happens if … the Blue Jackets get jumped by either New Jersey or Philadelphia — but not both teams — and settle into the first wild-card spot. The Devils can leapfrog the Blue Jackets if the Jackets lose in regulation and the Devils win or lose in overtime or a shootout, or if the Jackets lose in overtime or a shootout and the Devils win in any manner. As for the Flyers, they would jump Columbus if the Blue Jackets lose in regulation, overtime or a shootout to Nashville and the Flyers win in regulation or overtime against the Rangers. This would give Philadelphia a 40-39 edge in regulation and overtime wins. At first glance: Avoiding the Penguins may be preferable to some, but the Capitals are a lousy consolation prize. Many expected Washington to take a solid stride backward this season, but they won the Metropolitan Division title for a third consecutive season. Yes, the Capitals have Alex Ovechkin, but they carry as much postseason baggage as any team in the NHL. Dating back to 1997-98, the Caps have reached the playoffs 12 times, but they've never made it past the second round, losing six times in the first round. The Blue Jackets routed Washington 5-1 in late February in Nationwide Arena — their most recent meeting — but the season series has been all Caps. Head to head in 2017-18: 1-3-0 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Percentage chance: 12.9 It happens if … the Lightning win their pitched battle with Boston to win the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. The winner gets the No. 1 seed and would play the second wild card, meaning the Blue Jackets would need to be jumped by New Jersey AND Philadelphia to push Columbus into the Atlantic pool for the first two rounds. At first glance: The most feared club in the East for most of the season, the Lightning have cooled slightly, going 5-6-0 since March 10. The club's speed and depth of scoring are truly frightening. The Lightning have five players with more than 60 points, led by MVP-candidate Nikita Kucherov, who is closing in on 100 points. They swept the Jackets by a combined score of 12-4 this season. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has 1107939 Dallas Stars be one of those go-to guys where it looks like every team's got two or three of them on their back end."

-Stars coach Ken Hitchcock on the development of defenseman Julius Game preview: Stars hoping to get nice memory for goalie Mike Honka. McKenna Friday against Ducks "I think the biggest thing for me is the consistency. There's been a lot of younger players that have had an opportunity to play bigger minutes than By Mike Heika , Staff Writer normal just because of the way we were built this year, and you hope that they take that and move forward with it and become consistent Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika players. The NHL is two things: it's a second- and third-effort league and it's a consistent league, and the players that are able to grasp that, pick it up, they survive and the other guys fall by the wayside." Storyline -Stars coach Ken Hitchcock on what he has seen in the development of some of his younger players. The Ducks stormed past the Stars in the standings in March and have clinched a playoff spot in the process. Anaheim has gone 10-4-1 (21 points) since March 1 while Dallas has gone 5-8-3 (13 points), and that is a painful reminder as the season winds down and these two teams meet Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.07.2018 each other. A fun element for Stars fans is that third goalie Mike McKenna will get his first start in three seasons tonight. Key match-up Ondrej Kase vs. Mike McKenna It's a battle of late round draft picks. Kase, 22, was taken in the seventh round by Anaheim in 2015 and is having a breakout season with 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points. He has four points in his past three games. McKenna, 34, was drafted by Nashville in the sixth round in 2002, and has battled for all of his NHL starts. McKenna made 17 saves in relief of Kari Lehtonen in a 4-2 win over San Jose Tuesday. McKenna went four years and 101 days between NHL victories. Key Number 173 That's the number of goals Tyler Seguin has scored since joining the Stars in 2013. That ties Mike Modano for most goals scored by a Stars player in his first five seasons with the team and also ranks second behind Alex Ovechkin (232) for most goals in the NHL over the past five seasons. Seguin has two games to surpass Modano. Notable Dallas beat San Jose, 4-2, Tuesday and is 41-31-8 (90 points), 15-19-5 on the road. Anaheim beat Minnesota, 3-1, Wednesday and is 42-25-13 (97 points), 25-10-5 at home. Mike McKenna is expected to start in goal for Dallas. He is 6-11-2 in his NHL career with five teams and has a 3.35 GAA and .892 save percentage. Ryan Miller is expected to start for the Ducks. He is 10-6-6 with a 2.43 GAA and .927 save percentage. Martin Hanzal has been shut down for the year with a back injury. (knee) and Stephen Johns (concussion) are also not expected to play in the remaining two games. Dallas sent center Jason Dickinson to the AHL Monday and is carrying one extra player in Dillon Heatherington. Jamie Benn has 32 goals and 42 assists for 74 points in 80 games. This is the fifth straight season Benn has at least 20 goals, 40 assists and 60 points. There is only one other player in the NHL who has done that over the past five seasons, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby. Benn leads the Stars in road scoring with 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists) in 40 games. Benn has a seven-game road scoring streak (8 goals, 4 assists). He said it "You know what? There's nerves every game. It's been like that my whole career and I think you're probably missing a heartbeat if you don't have some. But I'm trying to make sure it's not any more than normal. It's another game." -Stars goalie Mike McKenna on earning the start. "He's had good mobility. Mobility's not the issue, it's mobility with the puck that's the issue. Can they (young defenders) process it quick enough to get it moving quick enough? This is a north-south league that you got to advance the puck quick so can you read the pressure, get the puck moving and get it into the forwards' hands as quick as you can, and Honks is getting better at that. But that's still a challenge for him. That's the element of his game that's going to have to increase if he's going to 1107940 Dallas Stars surgery. He plays once in the next 42 games and struggles to regain the form the team was seeking when it acquired him as a veteran shutdown defenseman. The good, the bad and the ugly from the Dallas Stars' 2017-18 season Feb. 26: With teams adding pieces throughout the Western Conference, the Stars decide to stand pat at the NHL trade deadline. That turns out to be the wrong decision, as center Martin Hanzal is shut down quickly By Mike Heika , Staff Writer afterward for season-ending back surgery and the Stars' lack of offensive depth is revealed during an 0-4-2 road trip. From Feb. 26 until they are Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika eliminated April 1, the Stars rank 29th in goal scoring at 2.3 goals per game.

March 5: In what appeared to be a fairly innocent play, defenseman Dan The Good Hamhuis got tangled up with goalie Ben Bishop and fell on Bishop's Oct. 14: Ken Hitchcock passes Al Arbour for third all-time on the NHL knee. The collision twisted the knee, and Bishop was out five games. He coaching wins list at 783. The former hockey equipment salesman who returned for one game and then hurt the knee in his next performance never played pro hockey is a real Cinderella story, and it seemed perfect and was lost for the remainder of the season. With Bishop out of the that he passed this milestone behind the Stars bench, where his NHL lineup, the Stars were 2-8-1 and were eliminated from the playoffs. career started.

Dec. 31: Ben Bishop posts 26 saves in a 6-0 shutout win over the San Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.07.2018 Jose Sharks at home in the traditional New Year's Eve Game, as Dallas climbs into the top five in goals against average. It was an important moment for a team that finished 29th in GAA the year before and 30th in save percentage. Jan. 23: John Klingberg completes a run where he has 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 10 games and takes a nine-point lead in the scoring race among defensemen with 46 points in 48 games. He receives significant Norris Trophy talk at the time, and many equate the Stars' 28- 17-4 record at the time to the work of Klingberg. March 31: Tyler Seguin scores his 40th goal of the season, the first time he has done that in his career, becoming only the third player (Mike Modano and Jamie Benn are the others) in a Dallas Stars uniform to accomplish that feat. Modano is in the building for Fan Appreciation Night, and the evening has a party feel as Dallas finishes the year with a 26-12-3 record on home ice. The Bad Oct. 6: The Stars are playing the perfect "Ken Hitchcock Game" in the season opener as they lead 1-0 after two periods, and it all unraveled in a performance that now looks spooky in its ability to portend the remainder of the season. Ben Bishop got hit in the mask with a puck four minutes into the third period, and Kari Lehtonen came on in relief and allowed two goals. Both were scored by former Stars player James Neal, and the second came with 2:44 remaining. All three of those scenarios -- goaltending injuries, revenge from former players, and late collapses -- would repeat at times during the season. Nov. 16: Dallas takes a 6-1 loss at Tampa Bay to drop to 9-9-1 after a three-game road trip. The defeat was symbolic in a lot of ways, as Ben Bishop was outplayed by Andrei Vasilevskiy in his return to face his old team, the Stars simply could not compete with one of the better teams in the league, and they finished the road trip 0-2-1. The early schedule for the Stars was actually pretty easy and they failed to take advantage of it. That would bite them later in the season. Dec. 27: The Stars returned from Christmas break and took a 4-2 loss at Minnesota in their first game back. Travel was difficult and they had to adjust to a lot of challenges, but this started a trend of poor performances after breaks. Dallas returned from its "bye week" and lost to Colorado 4-1 on Jan. 30 and came back from the All-Star Break and lost 3-0 to Los Angeles Jan. 30. In the end, those three losses cost them. March 23: After returning from a harrowing six-game road trip (0-4-2), the Stars had the opportunity to stop the bleeding. They played a fantastic game against the Boston Bruins and had a 2-0 lead after two periods. However, the team allowed three third-period goals, including the game- winner with 11.1 seconds remaining in regulation. That extended the losing streak and was an emotional gut punch to a team that would eventually complete one of the most historic collapses in recent NHL history. The Ugly Training camp: Martin Hanzal missed most of training camp with an ankle injury. The big center, who signed a three-year free agent contract in the summer that averages $4.75 million, said this is a fluke injury and he expects to be fine once the season starts. He would then be bothered by hip, hand and back problems throughout the year and would eventually have spinal fusion surgery in March. Hanzal finished with 10 points in 38 games and is minus-14 on the season. Nov. 6: Defenseman Marc Methot is bothered by knee pain at the end of a five-game road trip and tries to rest it for a couple of games. The knee doesn't respond and Methot eventually has to have arthroscopic knee 1107941 Dallas Stars

The top 3 Stars most likely to depart from this season's team

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

Mike Heika, Stars beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered questions about the team during a live chat recently. Here are some highlights: Who are your top 3 most likely to depart from this season's team? Heika: I would say Kari Lehtonen, Jason Spezza and Antoine Roussel. I think they need a new back-up goalie, that Spezza just isn't a fit anymore, and that Roussel will probably find a better deal elsewhere. They like Remi Elie, and he can do a lot of the stuff Roussel does at a greatly reduced price. Do you envision any situation where Kari Lehtonen comes back next season? Heika: I don't think so. Kari has been fine, and I think he's a great person, but they need to try something else. Just like having Tony Romo as your No. 1 QB, it seems having Ben Bishhop as you No.1 goalie means you probably need a backup who can take over at any time. Whether that's a young goalie like Landon Bow or a stopgap veteran, it sure seems time to try something different. What do you think Dallas could get out of a Jason Spezza trade? And how much of his salary would they have to retain do you think? Heika: In my opinion, the best option is to eat half his salary for one season and trade him. I think a different coach in a different system could get more out of him, and a potential second line center on a one-year deal at $3.75 million should have value in this league. What's the expectations for next year if you're Tom Gaglardi? What are you telling your organization? Heika: With the contracts they have, they are all in. They want to win the Stanley Cup right now, so they have to reload, fix their problems and get right back at it. It seems strange, but they are not in the position to do anything but right now.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107942 Dallas Stars away from Faksa and sent the puck to Adam Henrique, who passed to Ryan Getzlaf in the left corner.

Getzlaf found Rickard Rakell skating unchecked toward the net. After Quackers! Turnovers and poor penalty killing doom Stars in Anaheim receiving the puck, Rakell deked several times, fired a shot that McKenna blocked, then converted the rebound for his team-leading 33rd goal. By Joseph D'Hippolito That power-play goal was the 14th allowed by the Stars in their past 13 games. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The ghosts of a recent, frustrating past arose Friday Methot narrowed the deficit to 2-1 at 11:13 by converting a rising wrist night to haunt the Stars' attempt to extend their longest winning streak in shot behind the left circle. Until that goal, the 11-year veteran had not two months. scored since March 19, 2016, when he played for the Ottawa Senators. Turnovers, untimely penalties and ineffective penalty killing allowed the But another failure to control the puck enabled Anaheim to rebuild a two- Anaheim Ducks to earn a 5-3 victory in front of a standing-room-only goal lead with 20 seconds left in the first period. crowd of 17,355 at the Honda Center. John Klingberg tried to intercept a pass behind the Stars' net but lost the "We turned the puck over at the top of both zones too many times," Stars' puck under pressure from Cogliano and Derek Grant. Cogliano retrieved coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We made mistakes in what we call critical it and passed to Hampus Lindholm, whose rising shot inside the blue line ice, and they took advantage of it. We had a lot of scoring chances found Grant's stick. ourselves, even ones that didn't hit the net. But we made mistakes in the wrong areas and it came back to hurt us." The Ducks began the second period in the same way as they started the first: turning a turnover into a goal 4:36 into the period. Thus did the Stars (41-32-8) see their two-game winning streak end. Not since Feb. 1-9, when they earned five consecutive victories, did the Stars Perry intercepted Alexander Radulov's pass, skated into the Stars' zone as many in succession. and faked a shot before sending a drop pass to the trailing Getzlaf. McKenna stopped Getzlaf's wrist shot but the puck trickled behind the Thus did the Ducks (43-25-13) move into third place in the Pacific goalie, and with the left side of the net wide open, Manson deposited the Division by one point over the idle Los Angeles Kings -- and move within puck inside the post. one point of the second-place San Jose Sharks. Faksa used his 17th goal to draw the Stars within two goals at 7:49. The "They looked like a team that was getting ready for the playoffs," Czech center deflected Pateryn's shot from the right circle inside the right Hitchcock said. "They had details in their game that we didn't have." post. Now comes tonight's season finale against another playoff-bound team, Benn's wrist shot from the top of the slot settled under the crossbar 2:52 the Kings, at the Staples Center. into the final period and narrowed the deficit to 4-3. Yet one final turnover doomed the Stars. "We know that it's a very similar game" defenseman Marc Methot said. "They're heavy up front. They play a good puck-possession game down Manson intercepted a high-arching clearing pass at center ice, and low and defensively, I think they're pretty strong, too. We have our hands Cogliano finished the play with a backhand through McKenna's legs with full; we know that. If you take a game off, they'll embarrass you. So we'd 5:25 to play. better be ready." "We were behind the eight ball to start," McKenna said, "and we just Methot's defensive partner, Greg Pateryn, agreed by issuing a challenge never dug our way out of it." to his teammates. Briefly: Tyler Seguin will have to wait until next season to register a goal "At the end of the day, we sign a contract to play all 82 games," Pateryn against the Ducks. Anaheim is the only team Seguin has yet to score said. "No matter what's the position, I think everyone's got something to against. play for. That's something each guy's got to find, especially in this last game, whether it's a job or a contract. That goes around the room." -- John Klingberg passed the San Jose Sharks' Brent Burns and moved into second place in scoring among defensemen with 66 points, 58 of Jamie Benn extended his point-scoring streak to four games with his them assists. Klingberg trails the Washington Capitals' John Carlson by 33rd goal. Benn now has 11 goals and 17 points in his past 14 games. one point with one game left for each team. Methot added his first goal in 25 months and Radek Faksa contributed his 17th. But Tyler Seguin's four-game points streak ended. -- Defenseman Dillon Heatherington was the Stars' only healthy scratch. Anaheim's healthy scratches included center Antoine Vermette, Goalie Mike McKenna, who held the Sharks without a goal for 44 defenseman Korbinian Holzer, center Chris Kelly and winger Troy Terry minutes, 6 seconds in relief Tuesday night, earned his first start since Feb. 16, 2015 as a member of the Arizona Coyotes. But McKenna -- Former Stars winger Patrick Eaves will not play again this season. allowed all five goals before finishing with 28 saves. Ducks coach Randy Carlisle made that announcement Thursday. Eaves has not played since Oct. 13 because of Gullain-Barre Syndrome, an "It would have been nice to get the win for him," Pateryn said. "He's been auto-immune disorder that weakens muscle tissue. The winger scored 21 through a lot in his career and he's really stuck with it. You see that in his of his career-high 32 goals last season before the Stars traded him to character every day. You really can't put words on the importance of that. Anaheim on Feb. 24, 2017 for a conditional second-round pick in that Ever since he's been here, there's been a level of professionalism. year's draft. "We left him out to dry a couple of times, there. But I think he played one real good game." Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.07.2018 Ostensibly working in the Stars' favor was the loss of three of the Ducks' key defensive assets. Goalie John Gibson and defenseman Cam Fowler missed their second consecutive games because of upper-body and shoulder injuries, respectively. Defenseman Kevin Bieksa underwent surgery on his left hand March 16. But Anaheim exploited three turnovers to score three goals in the first period, including two in the first seven minutes. Defenseman Josh Manson stole Brett Ritchie's pass at the Ducks' blue line and passed to Andrew Cogliano at the left boards. Cogliano passed back to Manson at the top of the right circle, and Silfverberg redirected Manson's pass behind McKenna with 2:28 into the game. McKenna kept Anaheim from extending its lead 30 seconds later by using his left pad to foil Corey Perry on a breakaway. But that respite lasted only three minutes. The hosts scored their second goal on a power play with 6:33 gone. Brandon Montour, another Ducks defenseman, swipe-checked the puck 1107943 Dallas Stars 10. Kari Lehtonen will be back in goal on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings. It'll be his final game as a Dallas Star with the franchise likely moving on from the long-time goalie this coming off-season. Stars 20/20: Stars have a 6.6 percent chance of landing top-three pick 11. Marc Methot scored his first goal as a Star in the first period on a wrist shot. By Sean Shapiro 1h ago It was Methot's first regular season goal since March 19, 2016. He did score two goals in the playoffs last season when the Ottawa Senators made a run to the Eastern Conference finals. ANAHEIM, CA — The Dallas Stars played their penultimate game of the 2017-18 season and it didn't go well in a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. “It doesn’t mean a whole lot right now but I’ll take it,” Methot said. Radek Faksa, Jamie Benn, and Marc Methot each scored for the Stars 12. Methot has been dealing with a number of injuries and shooting and and Mike McKenna made 28 saves in a rare NHL start. But that was far hard passes have been difficult on the veteran defenseman since he from enough in a lackluster effort against the Ducks. blocked a shot against the Montreal Canadiens earlier this season. 1. The Anaheim Ducks looked like a playoff team. The Dallas Stars I asked how he felt physically when shooting the puck on Friday. looked like a team that will soon be cleaning out their lockers in Frisco. “Hand, elbow you name it I’m dealing with,” Methot said. “But it was just a 2. That led to a pretty somber mood in the locker room after the game. little wrister it wasn’t a hard shot and the closer I am to the net it looks probably harder than it really is.” “They’re in the playoffs and we’re not,” Marc Methot said. “We’re trying to play for pride and I’d like to think that everyone’s putting in everything 13. Jamie Benn scored 33rd goal of the season in the third period. Benn they got here to finish it off at least for the organization for the fans I don’t (33), Tyler Seguin (40), and Alexander Radulov (27) have combined for that maybe we were all in tonight but that’s the nature of the beast at this 100 goals this season. time of year. It’s tough and we have move forward now and worry about 14. John Klingberg assisted on the goal and now has 58 this season. tomorrow.” That ties a Dallas Stars record for most points in a season by a “I mean it’s tough, it’s frustrating at times, but I think at the end of the day defenseman, matching Sergei Zubov. we signed a contract to play all 82 games,” Greg Pateryn said. “And I Craig Hartsburg holds the franchise record when he had 60 assists think no matter the position everything has something to play for and I during the 1981-82 season with the . think that’s something that each guy has to find especially in this last game, we’ve got to go out there and find something to play for. There is a 15. The Stars other goal came when Radek Faksa scored on a deflection job and a contract and it goes right around the room.” after tipping a shot by Pateryn. 3. With the loss the Stars locked up having the 13th-worst record in the 16. Bad penalties continued to haunt the Stars. But that shouldn't NHL this season. The draft lottery will be held on April 28 and the Stars surprise you, it's been a theme all season. have a 6.6 percent chance of winning a top-three pick. That includes a 2.0 percent chance of winning the first pick. 17. Dillon Heatherington was scratched for the 11th straight game on Friday. 4. Mike McKenna's save percentage was .848 on Friday, but he deserved better. The 22-year-old has served as a practice player and extra defenseman since he was recalled on March 14. He's taken warmups during that Throughout the game the Ducks were given free passes to drive the net stretch, but it's now been four weeks since he last played for the Texas and set up in the slot. Anaheim probably would have had more shots Stars against the on March 10. than the 33 they fired, but often times they opted to control the zone and take the extra pass to create a better opportunity. Heatherington has been a victim of the emergency call-up rule. 5. McKenna was more critical of his performance when asked about how Teams are only allowed four non-emergency recalls after the trade well he played. deadline, so if the Stars sent him down they wouldn't have been able to recall a defenseman without an injury. “That’s pretty optimistic,” McKenna said. “I mean I allowed five goals. Disappointed we didn’t win the game more than anything it’s what we’re “You just show up to the rink each morning and hope that jersey is in here for. There’s room for improvement.” your stall,” Heatherington said while watching the first period from the press box. “At first I was up on (emergency recall) so it was kind of day- 6. McKenna's night could be summed up by Andrew Cogliano's goal that to-day, but they kept me around and took me off that so it's been an made it 5-3 in the third period. honor to stick around and get that opportunity to be on the NHL roster.” McKenna made point-blank save on Cogliano with his left pad and the Heatherington said he's used the opportunity to learn from the Stars older Stars almost broke out of the zone. Instead they turned it over and players. Cogliano had a short breakaway where he scored to make it 5-3. “Jamie Benn has been great, he's talked to me about things, on defense 7. Just imagine how far out of hand the game would have been if Dan Hamhuis and Marc Methot have taken time to discuss things with McKenna hadn't stopped Corey Perry on a breakaway in the first period. me,” Heatherington said. “My game is really like Marc's so, it's been good That was the second shot of the game and if Perry scores there to make to talk to him.” it 2-0 the floodgates open wide. While he hasn't play Hitchcock continues to heap praise on the rookie. 8. McKenna probably wanted the fourth goal back. He made the initial save on a shot by Ryan Getzlaf but the rebound bounced away and Josh “Heater is a glue guy, he's total glue,” Hitchcock said. “He's a guy your Manson scored on the power play. players like being around. Players cheer for him. They're bitching to us, 'why isn't he in the lineup?' That's a good sign because they want him on 9. The Stars were disappointed they didn't show up with a better effort for the ice. They feel like he adds a lot to the group here. He's as advertised, their goalie making his first NHL start in three years. but this goes back to junior hockey I talked to his coaches in junior and they said the same thing. So he's got special human qualities you love on “Yeah it would have been nice to get him a better result,” Methot said. “I a team.” think he’s a great guy in the room. He’s a good character guy he’s been around the league and both leagues for a long time and he’s paid his 18. Heatherington is one three players on the NHL roster still eligible to dues it’s great that he has an opportunity here to play a couple of NHL play in the AHL this season. After Saturday's game Heatherington, games. I mean, didn’t get the job done for him but that’s the game.” McKenna, and Remi Elie will re-join the Texas Stars. “I think he’s been a lot through his career and he’s a guy that’s really Texas is currently fourth in the AHL's Pacific Division with four games stuck with it,” Pateryn said. “And you see that in his character every day, remaining, three of which that McKenna, Elie, and Heatherington will be and it’s something that you know you really can’t put words on the available for. The AHL playoffs will start around April 20th and Texas is importance of that. Even since he’s been here it’s been a level of likely going to play the Tucson Roadrunners in the first round. professionalism with him and I think it would have been nice to get the win for him, we left him out to dry there a little bit. But he played one 19. I sat down with Stars general manager Jim Nill for a lengthy interview really good game.” before the game covering a wide range of topics. The story will post on Saturday. 20. Stars coach Ken Hitchcock opened his post-game press conference with a message for the Humboldt Broncos. A bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos, of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, collided with a semi truck on Friday afternoon. There is still information being released, but it's been reported that there were multiple fatalities in the accident. “Our hearts go out to the players and the families of the Humboldt Broncos, I’m not sure where it’s at right now,” Hitchcock said. “But that overrides anything that a hockey game had. So that’s a tough situation for everybody in Saskatchewan and we feel for them. ”

The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107944 Detroit Red Wings As it turned out, those five Russian players would revolutionize the brand of one of the oldest franchises in the NHL. Seemingly overnight, the Red Wings elevated their play to a level rarely witnessed in the league, The Russian Five is born: How iconic Red Wings changed hockey breaking records and raising expectations sky-high. forever To say this new five-man unit dominated that night in Calgary is a colossal understatement. And they did it with typical Soviet-style flair and elegance. On the game’s first goal at 10:06 of the opening period, the Keith Gave, Special to the Detroit Free Press Published 10:46 a.m. ET Russian Five transitioned from defense into offense so quickly that some April 6, 2018 | Updated 12:25 p.m. ET April 6, 2018 Calgary players were still on the attack when the red light was flashing behind their goaltender.

Just seconds before, the Flames were moving the puck forward in the In “The Russian Five: A story of espionage, defection, bribery and neutral zone beyond the center red line when Konstantinov pounced on a courage,” Keith Gave, the spy-turned-Detroit Free Press newsman turnover in the Detroit zone and instinctively flipped a backhand pass to whose clandestine mission to , Finland, put the Red Wings’ Fedorov at center ice. acquisition of the iconic quintet in motion, shares the pulse-pounding and unforgettable tale of how , Slava Fetisov, Vladimir In one fluid motion and without the slightest hesitation, Fedorov dished a Konstantinov, Slava Kozlov and slipped past the Iron no-look backhand pass to Kozlov, who already had done an about-face, Curtain, wound up in crumbling 1990s Detroit, helped build a turning toward the Calgary net at the far blue line. Fedorov’s pass hit championship empire and changed the landscape of American hockey Kozlov in stride, the puck landing on the blade of his stick, and there was forever. This excerpt of the new book, released March 20, is the final nothing but enemy ice for 60 feet between him and helpless Flames installment in a five-part series leading up to the Freep Film Festival, goaltender Trevor Kidd. Kozlov sprinted in unmolested, and when his which opens with the world premiere of the "Russian Five" documentary initial shot rebounded off Kidd’s pads he backhanded the puck into a on April 11 at Fillmore Detroit. yawning net for what stood as the game-winning goal. Detroit Red Wings television broadcaster knew he was With that single play, in a handful of seconds when the Wings looked like witness to history in the National Hockey League on October 27, 1995, at hockey’s version of the Harlem Globetrotters against a team of pylons, Calgary’s Olympic Saddledome, and he had the presence of mind to do the National Hockey League was forever changed. something about it. Led by the Russian Five in their “Soviet Re-Union” that night in Calgary, When the game ended in a lopsided 3-0 Detroit victory, Strader carefully the Wings won, 3-0. Larionov also scored a goal. Fedorov earned his tucked away two copies of the final score sheet when he left the arena, second assist. Bowman’s Russian unit recorded an astounding 15 of intent on preserving a piece of that history. Detroit’s 25 shots on goal, while Calgary spent the night chasing the puck around the ice. Four months earlier, the Wings had advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, only to be humiliated in a four-game sweep by the New Jersey Devils. The Flames managed just eight shots on goal, a record low in the Nevertheless, expectations among fans and the media were sky-high franchise’s history. Then again, it’s impossible to shoot the puck when once again. the other team controlled it all night. That became the hallmark of Detroit Red Wings hockey that opponents have been trying to emulate ever But the new season began with a bit of a hangover. Detroit had won just since. four games, lost three and tied two in its first nine games that fall. Playing win-some-lose-some-tie-some hockey wasn’t quite what fans — or team The day after the Russian Five’s debut, Strader tracked down the five management — had in mind. Change came swiftly and dramatically on and asked them to sign both copies of the game summary. that night in Calgary, when anyone on either bench or among the near This wasn’t a 12-year-old autograph-seeker but a seasoned professional sellout crowd of 19,001 could sense that a seismic shift had taken place who, like most members of the media, wouldn’t dream of asking a player in the NHL. for his signature. It happened in the early minutes of the game, when Detroit coach Scotty What Strader did that day underscored, and helped to preserve, what Bowman sent the first all-Russian five-man unit over the boards. has become a significant moment in hockey history. He gave one of the sheets to Red Wings public relations director Bill Jamieson for the team’s Newly acquired Igor Larionov was at center, flanked by Sergei Fedorov archives. on one wing and Slava Kozlov on the other. On the blue line were two former Soviet national team captains, Slava Fetisov and Vladimir The other? Strader had it more than two decades later when he was Konstantinov. International hockey was crashing the NHL party, and this broadcasting Dallas Stars games. He called it one of his most cherished would prove to be kryptonite against the long-held view — predominantly mementos of a distinguished career that earned him the 2017 Foster throughout Canada — that the more Europeans on a team the less likely Hewitt Memorial Award and a place in the . it would succeed. The Russian game, conceived by and handed down to Wings executive said he heard it in his own dressing room this day, embraced imagination and resourcefulness — ingenuity with the from one of his most reliable veterans, who was blunt in his warning puck that was virtually instinctive. How could five men work together in a about relying too much on imports: “You keep drafting them Europeans, way to advance the puck from one end of the rink to the other through Jimmy, and they’re soft,” the unidentified player said. “We’ll never win a five other men and create a scoring opportunity — without the opposing Stanley Cup here with those guys.” team even touching the puck? Larionov explained. Larionov, one of the more analytical minds the game has seen, “When our line hit the ice, the puck is always on our sticks and everybody understood the significance of the moment in Calgary and what it meant is moving to open areas so you’ve always got like two or three options to for his country and the pride Soviet players and fans had in their game. make a play,” he said. “Why give the puck away? There’s no reason to The “Us vs. Them” rivalry between the and Canada was do that. No reason. Their goalie is just going to stop it behind the net, and celebrated in both nations for its fury, always passionate and often brutal. then you’re going to waste like 30 seconds to chase after it and try to get it back.” So, yes, Larionov acknowledged in a conversation with reporters hours before that game in Calgary, those five Soviet players carried no small Better, as the Russians have said since they invented their own brand of burden into this historic moment. , to try to make a play, which is much simpler when all five guys on the ice are of the same mind. And as each of Detroit’s Russian “It’s a lot of pressure because it’s the first time in NHL history five Five has said repeatedly, it’s almost second nature when they are all Russian guys play on the same unit,” he said. “And, of course, it’s bigger from the same school — the Central Red Army Club of the Soviet Union. pressure because it’s the Detroit Red Wings, one of the best teams in the That program produced some of the best players ever to hold a hockey National Hockey League.” stick, including Larionov and Slava Fetisov Fedorov, who moved from center to right wing when the Russians were “Igor and Slava, they were always intact,” Sergei Fedorov recalled. united, was far less apprehensive. “Remembering those guys, how they played defense and offense. They just communicated so well. Nothing really presented any danger to them. “Why not?” he asked, responding to a question about whether an all- It was amazing chemistry. I’ve said many times, and I’m going to keep Russian unit could be successful in the NHL. “We definitely understand saying it: I was one of the luckiest hockey players ever to be a young guy each other because we went to the same school, Red Army school. We on that (Red Army) team and see what those guys did day in and day know how to play with each other. And it seems to me we know what the out, two hours in practice, sometimes four hours in a row, day in and day coach wants from us. We stick with the team game plan, and hopefully out. That’s probably why I had a chance to become that hockey player I we go from there.” was throughout my career.” Larionov was the last of the five former Soviets to join the Red Wings, With that single, thoughtful gesture, Yzerman once and forever validated and arguably the most important. He was also known as the switch — the presence of Russians in the NHL and extinguished the incessant and the one who really made the Russian Five go. He played the ice surface patently prejudicial whispering campaign that insisted teams led by as though it were a giant chess board and he was always thinking three, Russians could never win the Stanley Cup. No more. four, five moves ahead — like the greatest players always did. “None of us had spoken to Steve about it, and I think he just made the “It’s all about breaking down the pieces, you know creativity and decision on his own,” left wing Brendan Shanahan said, “but it was so improvisation,” he said. “You start five against five, so you have to beat fitting – and just. For me it was like going back to being a 19-year-old kid one guy to make it five against four, you kind of break down any defense again and watching Slava Fetisov come over, looking up to him so much — and it’s fun because everything is clicking. Then you try to make it four and seeing how he was mistreated in so many ways.” against three, three against two – always with the advantage. Fetisov is a man well aware of his place in hockey history, but that “To do that, you have to be constantly moving. That’s how we play. perfect moment nearly overwhelmed him. Sometimes make five, six passes, short passes, give-and-go, to make a big difference. Everything is clicking. We got chemistry going, and for us, “The captain — my captain — he gave it to me,” Fetisov said. “It is not we just enjoy every minute.” describable, this moment. It was very much special.” Inevitably, there is a defensive breakdown. Maybe two. Chaos ensues As Yzerman handed him the trophy, Fetisov knew what he had to do. and the Russians have a serious advantage. That’s when the fun really “I started thinking about Igor,” Fetisov said. “I was thinking maybe we can begins. share this moment together, instead of going around by myself. So I said, “All of a sudden, somebody — and it can be anybody from our line — ‘Igor, let’s go.’ ” maybe has a breakaway,” Larionov said. “How many breakaways did And they did, two fabled Soviet teammates skated around the rink with Konstantinov have? And he was a defenseman, you know? And he had the Stanley Cup, showered by as much love and adoration from Detroit maybe one or two a game. That was unheard of in those years.” hockey fans as Yzerman, Lindsay or Gordie Howe ever got before them. It was also cause for the occasional belly laugh for players on the bench “I’ve been playing professional hockey for 20 years,” Igor Larionov said at – given the right moment, as left wing Brendan Shanahan recalled. the time, “and this is the happiest day in my life.” “Suddenly, inexplicably, it was Konstantinov on a breakaway going Sergei Fedorov will never forget that moment and what it meant to him. forehand-backhand to score,” Shanahan said. “And we’d be thinking, ‘What is he doing up there?’ Or we’d see Konstantinov and Fetisov going “Respect,” he said. “Respect! It was the first Cup for the Red Wings in a in together, and we’d sit there laughing. ‘Yep, there’s our two long time, and it was the first Cup for a bunch of Russian players skating defenseman having a two-on-one break.’ The Russians didn’t always on an NHL team. I’m so glad Stevie did that. I would never have thought score, but they always had the puck.” of that in a million years. And when Slava asked Igor to join him. . . They were friends forever.” Bowman was careful about over-deploying his Russian unit. To do so would risk overexposure, giving opposing coaches more opportunity to The moment was awfully important 4,800 or so miles to the east, around design effective defenses against them. the headquarters of the Central Red Army Club, and to its fans throughout Russia. “When they first started playing together, I said, ‘Wow. Whatever they’re doing, they’re not doing it like we do, you know?’ ” Bowman said. “They “Those years when all five of us played together in Detroit, there was a were like an offensive machine. The way they played, it’s like all great huge wave of interest in the National Hockey League,” Larionov said. offensive players: If the other team can figure it out, there’s a risk they “When we were playing in Russia, we also wore the red uniform. We could capitalize. were the ‘Big Red Machine.’ In Detroit, we play for the Red Wings and when we were playing for the Cup the games were televised back home “So we tried to use them at the right time, when things were not going — at 3 o’clock in the morning, and many people were watching the according to what we wanted. They were game-changers as a unit.” games. The Russians were Detroit’s nuclear option. “It generated huge interest. So the Detroit Red Wings became like, the When finished his long-anticipated victory lap around Joe people’s team back home.” Louis Arena and turned to his teammates, he had no idea that what he At the post-game news conference, Fetisov was beaming when he raised was about to do would have such historic significance and global a plastic cup of champagne and toasted the assembled flock of reporters. implications for the sport of hockey. It just turned out that way. “Cheers, guys,” he said. “I wait 39 years for this moment. For me to find The captain of a the newly crowned NHL champion skating around the the Cup now, almost at the end of the career, was probably a gift from ice with the Stanley Cup over his head — grinning in a way that shows above.” he had sacrificed some teeth at the altar of the game he loves – is one of the most iconic Images in sports. He added that promenading the Stanley Cup around the ice with his Red Army and Red Wings partner, Igor Larionov, “is something I will be Coincidentally, this is a tradition that began in Detroit in 1952. That year, remembering for the rest of the life.” the Red Wings swept Montreal in four games. Until then, the presentation of the trophy to the new champions had been a rather formal event. So will center , who can replay the moment in his Whoever ran the league would present the trophy to the captain of the mind’s eye with perfect clarity. winning team, who would carry it into the locker room for a private celebration — and the hockey season was over. “Stevie skated the Cup over to Slava, and Slava motioned Igor to come. He wanted to do that lap together and, you know, that kind of gives me But Detroit Red Wings captain changed that forever when chills right now just talking about it, the excitement of it,” Draper said. NHL President Clarence Campbell presented the Stanley Cup and “You can only imagine everything that those two guys had been part of Lindsay immediately raised it over his head and waltzed it across the together, playing for the famed Red Army team and going through what Olympia Stadium ice. they did to get over here. Lindsay explained later that he did it so that fans could get a better view “I would have to imagine that in the ’70s and ’80s, you knew these guys of the trophy. He was sharing the moment with the most important people were going to win world championships. You knew they were going to in the building. It’s been that way ever since. But over the past generation win Olympic gold medals. You probably never would have thought they or so, the tradition has taken on a level of intense speculation. It now were going to be Stanley Cup champions one day. But, sure enough, involves a question whose answer can reveal much about a team: Which they did. Here they were, in Detroit, ending a drought and being able to player gets the Stanley Cup when the captain finishes his victory lap? call themselves Stanley Cup champions.” So after Yzerman took his lap and skated briefly over to the bench so Keith Gave spent six years in the United States Army as a Russian owner could lift the trophy over his head to a thunderous roar, linguist during the Cold War, then transitioned into a career as a sports all eyes were on who got the Cup next. writer covering hockey for the Detroit Free Press. His 15 years with the newspaper were the highlight of his 40-year career in the news industry, On June 7, 1997, the Red Wings captain left no doubt about how he and which included stops at The and Dallas Morning News. his teammates felt about one man when he approached Slava Fetisov, Gave resides in Roscommon, where he continues to write. Follow him on the 39-year-old former captain of the Soviet Red Army club, and Twitter @KeithGave. presented him the trophy. What: "The Russian Five: A story of espionage, defection, bribery and courage" Publisher: Gold Star Publishing, Ann Arbor. Release date: March 20. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107945 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings playing for ‘pride in winged wheel’ in finale

Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News Published 3:33 p.m. ET April 6, 2018

Detroit – It has been a tough year, and the Detroit Red Wings have been thinking more about next season than the playoffs for a few weeks. The Red Wings will enter the last game of their season Saturday with 39 losses in regulation. They have not lost that many games in 32 years, since they went 17-57-6 in 1985-86. But still has expectations for the 7 p.m. game against the New York Islanders. What does Blashill want to see from the Wings, in their last game of the inaugural season their new home? “That we stay focused on moving forward as a group and as individuals,” Blashill said, after an optional practice Friday. “I talked in between periods in Columbus about that. We’re trying to win hockey games and have lots of pride for that winged wheel that’s on the crest on our chest,” he said. “But we’re also trying to improve here. “I don’t think that you can improve while taking steps backward.” Dylan Larkin and Martin Frk were two of the players who participated in practice, while others remained off the ice in workouts. Both said they hope to go to the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship in Denmark, May 4-20. Easier said than done, however. Both would be on their country’s teams. But the arrangements are more complex than they may seem. The players must insure themselves, and Larkin said he has begun working on that. And clearing work approvals and making sure he is in place for early team meetings and practices is something Frk says he will address. Detroit News LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107946 Detroit Red Wings Islanders at Red Wings Faceoff: 7 Saturday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit Red Wings’ Frk learning need to shore up defensively TV/radio: FSD/97.1 Outlook: The last game of the season for two teams that will finish about 20 to 25 points out of the playoffs. Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News Published 11:30 p.m. ET April 6, 2018 | Updated 11:36 p.m. ET April 6, 2018 Detroit News LOADED: 04.07.2018

Detroit — At the start of the season, Martin Frk’s status as a regular in the Red Wings’ lineup remained unclear. By the end of the season, it is clear he is regularly on the fourth line. Call it what you may. But it is progress for the forward with the heavy, heavy shot who will never be among the Wings' savvier defensive forwards. Frk is still here. He wants to stay. He realizes some things must improve, and says that Jeff Blashill has made that clear. “I stayed here for the whole year, and I’m really happy for that,” said Frk, who participated in the Red Wings’ optional practice on Friday. It is his first full season in the NHL, after the Wings exposed him to waivers in 2016 and played two games for the Hurricanes, before the Red Wings reclaimed him off waivers and put him back in Grand Rapids “It was a treat for me,” Frk said of his first season in the NHL. “I was real happy I made the team.” Frk has averaged 10:16 of time on ice and played 16:41 against the Canadiens on Dec. 12. He would like more time and the Red Wings would like to give it to him, if only to see more of that booming shot. Frk’s highest shots on goal tally is four, and he has done it only twice this season. He began the season on a line with Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha, which became seldom seen after the opening games of the season. Frk, who turns 25 the first week of next season, started hot. He scored three goals in the first four games of the season, and in three consecutive games, from Nov. 5-9. In 66 games played, one season after the Red Wings lost him to waivers and he played two games for the Hurricanes, Frk has scored 12 goals and assisted on 14 in his limited playing time. But, in that limited time, he has also accumulated a minus-12 rating, fourth worst on the team (Andreas Athanasiou minus-15, Mike Green and Niklas Kronwall minus-14). “I learned a lot over the year, but there’s still a lot more to learn,” Frk said. “I could be better. “This league is really hard to play in. You’ve got to show up and work hard, and I really try to do that. “Blash is very strict, and he wants the players to work on both sides of the ice.” Frk said he hopes to play for the Czech Republic in the World Championship in May, but the team is assembling as soon as next week for a European tour. “I just want to play more hockey,” he said. “Being on the fourth line, I didn’t get much minutes. “I want to go there and play more… against the best.” Children visit team The children of some of the players visited the team Friday, with some of the toddlers making play areas out of dressing stalls. Things were light and playful, until the looming presence of Jared Coreau, the 6-foot-6 goalie, in full equipment, mask on, entered the room and moved toward his stall. Apparently one person’s NHL goalie can be a toddler’s big red giant, and perhaps one not so jolly. Coreau apologized, but he could hardly help it. And a good laugh was had, as little ones scrambled behind daddy’s legs for cover, and to peer back out at the giant. 1107947 Detroit Red Wings “It’s another goal,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to score too many like that where I’m trying to go through everybody and do it on my own.

“You know what? I saw an opening and made a move on the first guy, Dylan Larkin lifts Wings’ hopes with dawning stardom and saw a lane to the net. “The positive I think I can take from that is driving the puck to the net and Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News Published 11:00 p.m. ET April 6, 2018 | using my speed.” Updated 12:37 a.m. ET April 7, 2018 Others are taking lots of positives from Larkin, and his third season. “His goal there,” said. “You don’t see too many players Detroit — The coaches decided to make the last practice of the season do that. optional Friday. “He’s strong on the puck and fast, and it’s a nice move to finish it off, too. Dylan Larkin took the ice, and he and Red Wings practice goalie Josh “I think Dylan has taken a lot of steps this year, and not just offensively, Block were late, and, dripping perspiration, coming back into the room. but defensively, too. Larkin gave him a stick tap on the back of his right leg pad. “So, that’s good for our club.” The developing young player, who is the Red Wings’ scoring leader, got Larkin is not sitting next to Zetterberg, at this juncture, in the dressing his shooting repetitions in for the day. room, as young Zetterberg once sat next to Steve Yzerman. But, he Just as he accelerated his playmaking as his first full NHL season ended might as well be. last year, a performance that peaked at the World Championship where Larkin is already part of the leadership group of the Red Wings, though it he dished the puck decisively throughout the tournament, Larkin is may not yet have been publicly declared. enhancing goal scoring toward the end of this season. This franchise is plainly one troubled about getting ahead of itself. And, if he can get some insurance matters straightened out in time, he Learning how to be a bigger factor on the power play is going to add to hopes to play for Team USA in the annual tournament of the International Larkin’s scoring, Blashill said. Ice Hockey Federation again, May 4-20. “Dylan continues to build his game. Larkin is all in. “Up to 60 in points, you know, ultimately, you’d like to see him continue to As he learns more and more about playing in the NHL in the third season take steps and become a 70-point guy and an 80-point guy. And now, of his three-year contract, it is ever more apparent that his intention is to you’re a star, with the motor that he has. I think it’s a good sign for us.” play as well as he can, for as long as he can, for his hometown team. Detroit News LOADED: 04.07.2018 He plainly desires to be a star. And that is good, because the Red Wings could use three or four of them, presently. Larkin’s determination and toil seem to match his yearning. With six goals in his last nine games, 40 percent of Larkin’s 15 goals have come in an eruption during seven percent of the season. While increasing his team leads in assists (47) and points (62), it is as if he built to a crescendo in finishing a successful 82-game campaign. The self-evaluation of the 21-year-old from Walled Lake? Straight from the how-to book for NHL stars. “Well, it does feel good to score, I guess, here at the end,” he said. “I wish, you know, I would have had a better start. “It would have been a nice cap to a better all-around season. “But, you know what? Just building toward next year, and having the confidence that I know I can score in this league. “When I get hot and I have confidence in myself shooting, it’s having fun and it helps our team.” On Thursday against the Canadiens, Larkin helped, down by a goal, late in the first period. Taking the puck on a pass from Xavier Ouellet just shy of the Montreal blue line, Larkin could look toward the goalie Antti Niemi, and see four Canadiens in front of him. But when defenseman Karl Alzner made a lunging move toward Larkin, perhaps attempting to staunch his speed before the blistering-quick forward got going, the great hope of the Red Wings made his move. He was around Alzner. And then, as if imitating a goal from Pavel Datsyuk’s highlight reel, he skated through the blizzard of three more white jerseys. Suddenly, improbably, he skated alone, against Niemi, who he beat. As they say around hockey, once he pulled a scoring chance out of his hat, like a former magician who played for the Wings, Larkin “made no mistake” while firing it in. It was some goal. “That goal is a good sign for us,” Jeff Blashill said after the game. Asked if it amounted to just another goal or something bigger, Larkin accepted it as another event along the way. 1107948 Detroit Red Wings

After heartbreaker, Quinn Hughes is big question for Michigan hockey

David Goricki, The Detroit News Published 5:19 p.m. ET April 6, 2018

This month marked the 20th year anniversary of Michigan’s last national hockey championship, when the Wolverines defeated Boston College 3-2 in overtime in Boston after coming into the Frozen Four as the underdogs with a large freshmen class. The Wolverines found themselves in a similar position Thursday night, playing Big Ten champion Notre Dame in a national semifinal game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. But the Wolverines had their dream of becoming national champs for the first time since that 1998 season come to a crashing halt when Jake Evans scored with 5.2 seconds left to give Notre Dame a 4-3 victory and a national title date with Minnesota-Duluth Saturday night. It was like a sudden-death OT loss for Michigan, which finishes 22-15-3 and will now look to its future. Michigan, the nation’s third-youngest team in 2017-18, responded well to first-year head coach Mel Pearson. The Wolverines rebounded from an 8-10-2 record in the first half of the season. Michigan was the highest scoring team in the nation since Jan. 1, scoring 83 goals in 24 games for an average of 3.5 goals. Michigan made it back to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2011. “It's good to be back here,” Pearson said after the loss to Notre Dame. “Michigan will be back here again. And my only regret is I don't have more time with the seniors. The seniors have been outstanding for us this year. And I wish I had them back for another few years.” One big question going forward will be if Pearson keep offensive-minded freshman defenseman Quinn Hughes, 18, who is expected to be a top 10 pick in June’s NHL Draft. The Wolverines already will take a big hit by losing the majority, and possibly all, of its No. 1 line with Tony Calderone and Dexter Dancs being lost to graduation, along with the possibility of junior center Cooper Marody leaving early to join the Flyers’ organization. Calderone scored his team-leading 25th goal to give the Wolverines a 1- 0 lead in the opening period against Notre Dame, then Dancs scored 17 seconds into the second to open a 2-0 cushion before the Irish battled back to score three unanswered goals, before Michigan freshman Michael Pastujov scored with 5:22 left in the third to pull even. Michigan is expected to return its line of junior Brendan Warren, freshman Josh Norris and sophomore Jake Slaker, along with the line of Pastujov, his older brother sophomore Nick Pastujov, and freshman Jack Becker. Sophomore goalie Hayden Lavigne earned the No. 1 job in early January and played well during the second half of the season, including a solid but unspectacular job Thursday night. No doubt, the Wolverines could contend for the Big Ten title and earn another long postseason run next season if Pearson can persuade Hughes and Marody to return – and possibly bring in Hughes’ younger brother, Jack, a center for the U.S. National Development program, as well. While Quinn Hughes’ skill level is outstanding, he could use another season in college to develop physically and it’s possible he would enjoy playing with his younger brother. Jack Hughes, who will turn 17 in May and could graduate early with online classes, is not yet committed. He is playing well for the U-18 National Team with 34 goals and 99 points in 52 games. Michigan will lose a pair of defensemen in seniors Cutler Martin and Sam Piazza, but is expected to return sophomores Luke Martin and Griffin Luce, along with junior Joseph Cecconi, who was Hughes’ defense partner during the second half of the season. Detroit News LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107949 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' season finale has draft lottery implications

Updated April 6, 2018 at 3:46 PM; Posted April 6, 2018 at 3:31 PM By Ansar Khan

DETROIT - The final NHL game of the season Saturday at Little Caesars Arena features a pair of teams who will be trying to win but might benefit more from losing. The Detroit Red Wings host the New York Islanders in a clash of clubs eliminated from playoff contention a while ago but whose final position in the overall standings hasn't been determined (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). That's important for their odds in the April 28 draft lottery. The Red Wings (30-39-12, 72 points) are 27th in the league. They can finish as high as 26th or as low as 29th. Here is a look at the bottom six clubs and their lottery odds depending on where they finish: Rank Team Points ROW % No. 1 pick % Top 3 26. Vancouver 72 31 7.5 23.3 27. Detroit 72 25 8.5 26.1 28. Montreal 71 27 9.5 28.8 29. Arizona 70 27 11.5 33.9 30. Ottawa 67 26 13.5 38.8 31. Buffalo 62 24 18.5 49.4 If the Red Wings win and Vancouver loses its season finale Saturday at Edmonton, Detroit will finish 26th. The Red Wings would then have a 7.5 percent chance at winning the lottery and acquiring the first pick, which is certain to be Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, widely considered the best blue line prospect in the draft in decades. Detroit would have a 23.3 percent chance at a top-three pick in a strong draft that includes forward Andrei Svechnikov of Barrie (OHL) and Brady Tkachuk of Boston University. If the Red Wings lose in regulation, Montreal gains at least one point against Toronto and Arizona defeats Anaheim, Detroit will drop to 29th. In that case, the Red Wings would have an 11.5 percent chance at the top pick and a 33.9 percent chance at a top-three selection. The 2017 draft lottery was full of surprises. New Jersey won the lottery despite having only an 8.5 percent chance at the top pick. Philadelphia moved up to second, despite having only a 7.2 percent chance at cracking the top three. Dallas, which had only an 18.3 percent chance at a top-three pick, finished third. It resulted in the Red Wings being bumped from No. 7 to No. 9 in the draft order. None of this matters to Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and players, who are trying to win. Detroit is 3-1-1 in its past five. Blashill said the team's objective in the season finale is "making sure that we stay focused on moving forward as a group and as individuals." "We talked in between periods in Columbus about that (on Tuesday)," Blashill said. "We're trying to win hockey games and have lots of pride for that winged wheel that's on the crest of our chest, but we're also trying to improve. I think that's something that's critical. I don't think you can improve while taking steps backward, so I think making sure each guy comes out and plays the right way, does it the right way, takes steps forwards." The Red Wings, who will miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1979-83, are assured of having their fewest wins and points since 1989-90 (28-38-14, 70 points), the year before they started a celebrated 25-season playoff streak. Michigan Live LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107950 Detroit Red Wings Michigan Live LOADED: 04.07.2018

Detroit Red Wings bullish on Tyler Bertuzzi's future

Updated April 6, 2018 at 6:08 AM; Posted April 6, 2018 at 6:02 AM By Ansar Khan

DETROIT - Tyler Bertuzzi's competitiveness, feistiness, fearlessness and underrated skill-set earned him an opportunity to play on the Detroit Red Wings' top line with Henrik Zetterberg. Bertuzzi considers it a privilege, one he doesn't take for granted. It's an opportunity he is maximizing. Bertuzzi scored a goal and had a few other quality scoring chances Thursday in the Red Wings' 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena. "Bert's game in totality was excellent," coach Jeff Blashill said. "He's a real hockey player. He's a guy I would say is a great complementary guy for a guy like Z that can control the puck and hold onto the puck. He goes to the net, he's great defensively, he plays through bodies. "He's a heck of a hockey player. That's a great, great draft pick by our scouts (58th overall in 2013), and he's going to be a heck of a Red Wing." Bertuzzi has seven goals, five in the past seven games while playing with Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist, a combination Blashill used earlier in the season as well. "You dream to play with a guy like that," Bertuzzi said. "I've been lucky enough to get the opportunity to stick on that line and just be able to play with him and learn a lot. He's obviously helping me produce offensively." Zetterberg said Bertuzzi's grit complements the skill he and Nyquist possess. "He's unafraid. He's goes in on all the battles, wins most of the battles and he goes to the tough areas," Zetterberg said. "But still, he can make plays. It's nice to see that he's getting rewarded with some goals. "He's a Bertuzzi and I like Bertuzzis. I knew kind of quick that he would fit with me and Gus. We kind of need a player that is a little and wins the puck battles for us and he goes to the net, or to an open spot." Bertuzzi learned just before the game that some of his family, including his uncle, Todd, the former Red Wing, would be at the game. Goaltender Jared Coreau, who played extensively with Bertuzzi in Grand Rapids, called him a player that's equally adept on the perimeter or at the net front. "I think you're going to see him a lot more net front," Coreau said. "I think he enjoys going there. I think it's rare you see a guy that likes getting whacked in the hands or getting shot in the stomach, but he gets a rebound, he puts it in the net. He loves to score, and I think he brings a lot of energy with that kind of play." Bertuzzi scored at 2:13 of the second period to put his team ahead 2-1. He went to the net and slammed in a one-timer on a pass from Zetterberg. "I'm playing with confidence," Bertuzzi said. "I think it's easy when you're getting passes from Henrik, the back-door tap in. "You've just got to find an open space and that's what I've been doing, and he's been hitting me." Bertuzzi, 23, has a hockey sense beyond his years. It's one of the reasons he's been a top-notch playoff performer for the Griffins, winning postseason MVP honors during their 2017 championship run. "He's good at reading the plays, and when you get a little chemistry, when you play more with each other, you can read off each other in a better way, too," Zetterberg said. Dylan Larkin, who scored a highlight-reel goal to tie it at 1-1 at 18:50 of the first period - he split a pair of defenders just inside the blue line and deposited a backhand shot past Antti Niemi - said of Bertuzzi: "He brings a grittiness. He's figured out Z and Gus, and those guys do the magic with the puck and you see all the goals right around the net and the little things he does, wins a ton of puck battles for those guys to have the puck a lot." 1107951 Edmonton Oilers “My first game I lined up for a face-off against Henrik and it was one of the coolest things,” he said. “You never think you’ll be in that circle with him. I wasn’t even close to winning that draw.” Ryan Smyth greatly appreciated Sedins on his NHL farewell Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.07.2018

Jim Matheson, Published on: April 6, 2018 | Last Updated: April 6, 2018 6:37 PM MDT

Ryan Smyth spilled so many tears they could have flooded the ice at Rexall Place on his final NHL night four years ago. But the stoic Scandinavian Daniel and Henrik Sedin may keep it together Saturday. “I don’t see them crying like I was,” laughed the former Edmonton Oiler winger who played his 1,270th and last NHL game against the Sedins when the Canucks were here April 12, 2014. The Sedins made sure every Vancouver player shook Smyth’s hand before he took one last sobbing lap around the rink. “They were the ones who headed that up,” said Smyth, who greatly appreciated the gesture. “Behind the mask or behind the equipment they’re still human beings. They’re such a class act. But maybe the Sedins shouldn’t even come to Edmonton after what they did in their last game in Vancouver.” Daniel scored from Henrik at 2:33 of overtime Thursday to give the Canucks a 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Indeed, how do you top that piece of non-fiction? Smyth, who was 38 at the time he retired, had a sense of inevitability when he walked into Rexall for the morning skate and hours before the game that he would never do it again and he figures the Sedin twins may be feeling the same; where did all hockey days go? “I’m sure they’re thinking, ‘I want to perform to the best of my ability and leave it all out there.’” The Oilers tried mightily to get Smyth a goal that night but he couldn’t beat Jacob Markstrom in Edmonton’s 5-2 victory. “I remember looked at Markstrom afterwards and he said, ‘I tried to get you one.’” chuckled Smyth. The telepathic tendency of the Sedins to know what the other was doing or thinking has been well-chronicled, of course. “I think Noodles (former NHL goalie Jamie McLellan) said it best when he said they were attached in the womb and they brought that to the NHL,” said Smyth. Oilers winger Milan Lucic grew up in Vancouver. He has a different appreciation for what they brought to the table than just an opponent, but he broke their hearts when his Boston Bruins beat the Canucks in Game 7 of the 2011 Cup final. “I remember when they got drafted back in 1999, I was this 11-year-old kid,” said Lucic. “And then watching their first (NHL) year when they’d get on the cycle, it was pretty impressive to watch. For somebody who grew up watching the Canucks in Vancouver, it’s pretty cool to play against them in their last NHL game. Big influence on my hockey life. “It was a pleasure to watch them play for seven years before I got to the NHL and even more of a pleasure to get to compete against them in their prime when they might have been the two best players in the game. Two Art Ross trophies and one Hart and it could easily have been two. They were the real deal. That’ll earn their jerseys being retired in Vancouver and possibly we’ll see both in the Hall of Fame.” Oiler winger Zack Kassian played on the same line as the Sedins for a time in Vancouver. “Yeah, I got a couple of back-door tap-ins,” he said. “I just put my stick on the ice and they would find you. And I don’t think they ever got enough credit for the beating they took over the years as D-men played them hard and they’ve been really durable.” Oilers defenceman Adam Larsson grew up in Sweden, totally admiring them. “It almost seems like they’re passing to themselves,” said the hard-nosed Larsson, trying valiantly to break up their cycle. “They’re fun to watch but not so much fun to play against.” Oiler forward Jujhar Khaira, who also grew up the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, was awestruck. 1107952 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers notes: Keegan Lowe had butterflies in first game

Jim Matheson, Published on: April 6, 2018 | Last Updated: April 6, 2018 6:35 PM MDT

Keegan Lowe got burned once in his baptism by fire, playing his first game with the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights, but once he waved away his butterflies he was just fine. The puck squeezed by him in a battle with Alex Tuch, and Brandon Pirri scored on a hard wrister in the second period, but he was hard on the puck carriers all night. “That’s the spot in the game I’m least proud of. We got tangled up and I’ll take the blame for sure,” said Lowe, who knew a lot of eyes were on him, understandably, being Kevin Lowe’s son. “I was pretty nervous … I know some guys say they aren’t but it’s hard not to be. I lived up to it. “I appreciate their faith in me (coaches). That’s what I take pride in, that’s when I feel most comfortable because if you do there’s not a lot of moving parts,” he said. “Then at the end of the game (six-on-four against), I just heard my name and hopped over the boards.” The pace of the NHL game caught Lowe a few times but that’s understandable. “I don’t know if the players in the NHL skate faster but the way they anticipate and execute with the puck, that’s why it’s the best league in the world,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan. “One thing about Keegan … he’s a competitor who leaves out there, every shift. That aggressiveness is part of his makeup. He wasn’t afraid or shy. He wasn’t hesitant.” SEDINS MOST DANGEROUS ON THE CYCLE McLellan hated trying to match wits with Daniel and Henrik Sedin when he was an assistant in Detroit and head man in San Jose and with the Oilers. They were unstoppable for the large part on the cycle. “There is no complete stopping or stalling of it. They’re so good on their back-hands and always have release points. They know when one is in trouble the other one is going somewhere and they release the puck to them and your problems start all over with the other twin,” he said. “They’re not fast but it depends how you define fast. I don’t think they’d win a race against Connor (McDavid) but the way they think, read and react, sometimes slowing the game down makes you fast, too. Finding the right holes and arriving on time.” OILERS NEED MORE COMMITMENT FROM ABERG Winger Pontus Aberg, who was scratched two games last month for missing a practice, was a healthy sitter against Vegas on Thursday, not a good sign for a young player trying to prove he’s an every-day NHLer. While Ty Rattie is making the most of his shot with Connor McDavid, Aberg is treading water with the coaches who definitely want to see more commitment. “I didn’t think that Pontus was playing with a lot of emotion or fire and that’s been the knock on him a little bit (Nashville). We’re trying to get that out of him,” said McLellan. “When you’re in you have to bring it. I thought his two best games were after his mistake on the road and he had something to prove and respond to and he played tremendously but it has to come out every game. He’s got a pretty unique skill-set and he has to show up every night with it.” This ’n that: The Oilers are sending juniors Tyler Benson (Vancouver Giants) and defenceman Dmitri Samorukov (Guelph Storm) to Bakersfield on amateur tryouts with their seasons over. Kailer Yamamoto was injured late in Spokane’s season and played in the playoffs, but he’s not going to the AHL farm team … Noah Gregor, nephew of TSN radio show host Jason Gregor signed a three-year contract with the San Jose Sharks. Noah is still playing for Victoria in the WHL playoffs … Canada’s world championship roster should come together early next week for the tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark. McDavid’s likely going, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said yes, but there is no word on defenceman Darnell Nurse, who is a possibility. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107953 Edmonton Oilers The jury’s out on whether he’s a top-six keeper for next season but he’s done more than Pontus Aberg, the other right-winger, who came to the Oilers in the Mark Letestu trade in late February. Edmonton Oilers beat the odds three times against Vegas “He’s fit in well so far,” McLellan said. “The unfortunate thing is we’re playing at a time where the games aren’t as meaningful for us. His defensive games has gotten better and he obviously has terrific hockey Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal sense and a great release. Published on: April 6, 2018 | Last Updated: April 6, 2018 9:19 AM MDT “Ty’s opening eyes and he’s proving to us and himself he can do it. I know his teammates (McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins) like playing with him.” Anytime you beat a 109-point team, it’s not a fish you throw back. On the bench: Cam Talbot became the first Oilers goalie to record back- to-back seasons of 30-or-more wins, going back to Tommy Salo in 2000- Even if it was only Vegas Semi-Strong Thursday against a Golden 01 and 2001-02 … McDavid’s three assists gave the Oilers captain 29 Knights team missing three of it’s top four forwards. three-point games in his career. So, there will be no ‘Yeah, buts …’ after the Edmonton Oilers beat the Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.07.2018 odds and beat one of the NHL’s top-five teams once again. The fact is, the Oilers beat the Golden Knights – only the best team in the Pacific Division by a country mile – three times in four tries this season … And, yes, you’re entitled to bring up how they lost both times to the worst team in the league, the Buffalo Sabres. That’s the story of the Oilers’ season in one paragraph. They had enough gumption and skill – and not just from Connor McDavid and his 106 points – to win one of two against Tampa and Boston, two teams with 110 points, too. And yet, they were outscored 8-1 in two losses to the Sabres, who have just 62 points. “I’d like to think there’s an underlying competitiveness to this group, which should bode well for this team moving forward,” said Mike Cammalleri, who won seven of his 10 face-offs as the fourth-line centre and buried a power-play pass from McDavid past Malcolm Subban in the third. “That’s the frustration this season with this club that’s capable of more. What you like is with two games left to play, you have habits that you need to be successful and that some of the leaders are doing a good job and keeping everybody on task,” Cammalleri said, after the Oilers ended their five-game losing streak with the win against the Golden Knights, who had won three straight and four of their previous five but didn’t have Jonathan Marchessault, David Perron or Rielly Smith up front. McDavid echoed Cammalleri, wondering why they have so little consistency. “It’s definitely something we have to figure out. We’ve beaten some good teams and lost to some teams that ultimately we shouldn’t have. We’ll take the three wins against Vegas and feel good about that, but other than that, it’s nothing big,” he said. Still, Vegas has a 20-5-5 record against the Pacific this season and the Oilers beat them twice in regulation here (8-2 and 4-3) and once in overtime, 3-2, in Vegas, losing only once. Cammalleri and McDavid’s winger, Ty Rattie, both scored in the third. Cammalleri looks just fine as the fourth-line centre the last week, taking over for Jujhar Khaira, who played left-wing with Leon Draisaitl against Vegas. Whether that’s enough to get another contract offer next season, who knows? But at almost 36, he’s still got game left after 905 games. “Since he’s come back from his (back) injury, he’s been a pretty effective player,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan. “He’s very fit, a very smart player. “He’s had many chances but they haven’t gone in for him this season, but he put himself in a good spot (off McDavid feed).” Cammalleri said he seems more involved as a centre where he played at the University of Michigan than on the wing for most of his NHL career. “It’s his mind and his ability to make tight, crafty passes, the give-and- goes,” McLellan said of the 294-goal-scorer. “And his release is something that’s always been there. When he’s in the middle, he’s getting the puck from both sides and he can shoot it a bit more. He’s creating more for himself and his linemates at centre.” Rattie set up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with a nice saucer pass over Deryk Englelland’s stick in the first period and ripped one past Malcolm Subban off a McDavid pass in the third to give him nine points in 10 games since his second recall from Bakersfield. He’s got five goals but he hadn’t had a point in four straight games before his two-pointer against Vegas. 1107957 Edmonton Oilers The Golden Knights have had the advantage of a more productive third pair, partially because they’ve gone out of their way to shelter it, and partially because Andrej Sekera was a trainwreck upon his return from The Golden Knights' marvelous debut season offers useful lessons for off-season surgery. Versions of Edmonton’s third pair which ran Yohann the Oilers Auvitu or Brandon Davidson in that slot were just fine. The real gap between these two clubs lies not at even-strength, but rather on special teams. By Jonathan Willis Apr 6, 2018 There are a lot of items we could point too on the power play, but a big difference is shooter handedness. Vegas uses a ton of right-shot forwards; Edmonton does not. The totals of the Oilers’ top right-shot It isn’t common for an NHL head coach to be smiling after a loss to a options on the season by TOI/game (Mark Letestu) and total minutes division rival. But then, Edmonton’s 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden (Ryan Strome) would rank fifth among right-shots on the Knights’ roster. Knights was not so much apogee as anticlimax, and Gerard Gallant knew it. Meanwhile, the Oilers have three left-shot guys averaging more than 2:45 per game. The Knights’ most-used lefty, Shea Theodore, averages “Nobody got hurt,” he said after. “We played okay. It was an up and down just 2:31 per game. game; like I said, sort of a meaningless game, but again I thought it was a pretty good hockey game overall. We competed and battled hard.” Thursday’s game wasn’t a great example of the benefits or drawbacks of either approach. The undermanned Knights ran a lefty-heavy power play. It was perhaps less meaningful on the Vegas side than the Edmonton Mike Cammalleri scored for an equally lefty-heavy Oilers man advantage. side. The Knights’ penalty kill has also been far superior to that of the Oilers, The Knights entered the game down Jonathan Marchessault, David but Edmonton seems to have things figured out on that front. The Oilers Perron, Reilly Smith, Nate Schmidt and Cody Eakin to a combination of have allowed just 45.6 shots and 5.5 goals per hour while shorthanded injury and maintenance. They have the playoffs to prepare for and look over the past two months, numbers which place them second and third in toward. the league, respectively, over that span. The coaches may not have managed to get the wound bandaged before the patient bled out, but For the Oilers, this is all there is, and while the team isn’t going anywhere presumably the new template will result in better numbers next season. many of its players are playing for high stakes. Connor McDavid is having an epic campaign, one which could result in individual recognition. And in reality, that’s a reason for optimism. For others, the risk/reward mix is higher still: continued NHL employment, or not. As frustrating and disappointing as Edmonton’s special teams have been this year, they are a correctable problem. It's also not unrealistic to think For the players, these games matter. And for the men in the front office the Oilers could find some talent on the wings in the off-season. Rapid and behind the bench, this is one last chance to measure what they have improvement is plausible, especially if the Oilers make an effort to mirror against a team bound for the postseason. In a season of shattered some of the points that have worked so well for the Golden Knights this expectations for both clubs, it only makes sense that the underachievers year. might look to the overachievers for lessons. Other items After all, most projections had the relative positions of Edmonton and Vegas this season flipped. Very few commentators predicted doom and Connor McDavid. Photo: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports gloom for the McDavid-led Oilers. Even fewer expected an expansion team to win their division. McDavid’s three points push him to 106 on the season and give him an eight-point lead on Nikita Kucherov and Claude Giroux. In 32 games One lens through which to compare the two clubs is the performance of since the start of February, he now has 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 their forward lines and defence pairings. The results may surprise, total points. He probably won’t win the Hart—too many writers will think it though, in that the gap in inputs at 5-on-5 looks pretty minor—it’s only unseemly for a player outside the postseason to get the nod—but it has when we get to goals that we see a chasm emerge: been a stunning performance to watch. The Golden Knights’ top line has been shockingly productive this year, Cammalleri snapped a 32-game goalless drought last week in a game with an on-ice shooting percentage approaching 11 per cent and a .942 against Calgary; now he has two goals in his last three contests, both of save percentage at 5-on-5. They’ve done a lot of things well, but they’ve them coming with him out-of-position at centre. He’ll be 36 in June and also had a healthy dose of good fortune driving their results. another NHL contract is very much not assured, but this demonstration of offence and versatility certainly can’t hurt him. Yet we may note that their shot metrics are still superior to the McDavid- led Oilers’ top line, and even if the goals fall off next season this is still Ty Rattie picked up a goal and an assist, meaning he now has nine likely to be a good unit. That’s perhaps encouraging for Edmonton in that points in 13 games with the Oilers. Is it enough to get the 25-year-old a the Knights’ managed to extract two-thirds of that line out of one team regular NHL gig next season? Maybe. It’s worth keeping in mind, (Florida), with Marchessault exposed and Smith acquired via trade. however, that in the 143 minutes he’s played with McDavid this year the Oilers have been out-shot 94-70. They have 13 goals to the opposition’s Clearly, it’s still possible to find affordable talent on the NHL trade 12, thanks to an absurdly high 18.6 shooting percentage and ridiculously market. The Oilers don’t have the leverage the Knights’ did at the low 0.872 save percentage. expansion draft, but there are always teams out there willing to undervalue talented wingers. In recent years, Edmonton has been one of Keegan Lowe’s first game with Edmonton was a rocky one. After some them; this summer they need to be more like the teams they’ve been difficult moments with the puck in the early going he made significant trading their talented wingers to. mistakes on the Knights’ 1-1 and 2-1 goals. It’s been three years since he last played an NHL game, though, and given his family history it’s not Both teams suffer from mediocre middle-six performances, though at hard to imagine the emotion that would come with stepping on to least the Vegas third line eats some defensive zone starts. Where they Edmonton ice in an Oilers jersey. Edmonton won and he survived his 13 differ is on the fourth unit, and again this is a place where the Oilers can minutes of ice time. improve. The Knights paid for their centre—P-E Bellemare carries a $1.45-million cap hit—but for the most part they’ve gotten by with cheap Matt Benning has quietly been very solid for the Oilers down the stretch. options. The case of Tomas Nosek is illustrative: a fringe NHLer in His goal Thursday means he’s had two goals and 11 points in 27 games Detroit with solid minor-league numbers, he’s delivered splendidly for since February 1. He also leads the blue line with a 51 CF% over that Vegas on a $650,000 salary. span, and Edmonton has a 21-18 edge in goals with him on the ice. The addition of Pontus Aberg at the trade deadline is a good example of The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 this kind of player, too, and suggests the Oilers may need no urging to do the right thing in this area. The defensive picture is interesting, too. Vegas has gotten a lot out of a patchwork blue line, and on balance their top-four has benefited a ton from both good goaltending and the shooting run of the team’s top line. Edmonton’s top-four fares much better on the shot clock, and I wouldn’t bet on the Knights’ defensive group outperforming the Oilers’ next season. 1107958 Florida Panthers

A playoff game to reach the playoffs? The Panthers could be involved in NHL history

BY JORDAN MCPHERSON April 06, 2018 05:06 PM

The Florida Panthers’ requirements to make it to the playoffs after Thursday seemed simple. If they won both of their final games — Saturday at home against Buffalo and Sunday on the road against Boston — and the Philadelphia Flyers to lost in regulation Saturday against the New York Rangers, it should be enough to advance Florida to the playoffs in almost every case. Almost. The NHL announced Friday that there is indeed one scenario that, while improbable, could result in the Flyers and Panthers playing a tiebreaker game — essentially a playoff game to make the playoffs — on Tuesday. Should this happen, it would be the first time in NHL history that a tiebreaker game would determine a team’s Stanley Cup playoff fate. The scenario: ▪ The Flyers lose in regulation Saturday by exactly two goals. ▪ The Panthers win both of their final games by shootout. If this scenario happens exactly like this — and again, it’s improbable — the Panthers and Flyers will be tied in total points (96), wins determined in overtime and regulation (39), head-to-head matchup (1-1 series split, because the NHL does not count the first matchup at a site where teams played twice) and goal differential (+1). So who would move on to the playoffs if this scenario plays out? That will be determined by a one-game, winner-take-all tiebreaker game. The home team would be determined by “an equally weighted draw” after the Panthers’ game Sunday. Playoff rules will also be in effect — meaning sudden-death, five-on-five overtime periods if the game is tied at the end of regulation. So hang on to your seatbelts. The next two days could be a wild ride. Or not. The Flyers play at 3 p.m. Saturday, so the Panthers’ playoff fate could already be sealed before they play that day. Miami Herald LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107959 Florida Panthers ▪ 4: Vengeance for Vatrano? Massachusetts native Frank Vatrano was acquired from the Bruins on Feb. 22 — just before the trade deadline in exchange for a third-round draft pick. The Panthers’ playoff picture is becoming clearer. This is what needs to On Thursday, Vatrano played his 14th game with the Panthers, scoring happen Saturday his fourth goal during that span. That he scored that goal against his hometown Bruins and his former BY WALTER VILLA teammates was fitting for Vatrano, who started on the third line with McCann and Nick Bjugstad. April 06, 2018 12:14 PM It was Bjugstad who combined with Vatrano to strip Zdeno Chara of the puck behind the Boston goal. Vatrano then spun for a wrap-around goal that got by veteran goalie Tuukka Rask. The Florida Panthers, who beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Thursday night at the BB&T Center, are suddenly huge New York Rangers fans. And it was yet another example of how feisty Vatrano is on the ice. Vatrano, 24, beat Chara, a former Norris Trophy winner, and Rask, a The Rangers, who are out of postseason contention, have to beat the former winner, on the same play. host Philadelphia Flyers in regulation Saturday afternoon to give the Florida Panthers any chance at making the playoffs. ▪ 5: Good to be home: The Panthers tied their 1999-2000 team for the most home wins in franchise history. If the Rangers accomplish that feat, the Panthers — who have won three games in a row — would then be in position to make the playoffs by The Panthers (26-11-3 at home) can break the record on Saturday night beating the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night and then traveling if they beat the Sabres, who have the worst record in the NHL. to Boston to defeat the Bruins in Sunday’s rematch. By the way, the Panthers are 3-0 against the Sabres this season, beating However, if the Flyers lose Saturday by exactly two goals and the them 4-1 twice and also 4-2. The Flyers are 2-1 against the Rangers this Panthers win both games via shootout, both teams will play a tiebreaker season, including two in a row since February. game — essentially a playoff to make the playoffs — on Tuesday to determine who gets the Eastern Conference’s final wild card spot. In this While the Panthers were playing Boston on Thursday, Boughner was rare scenario, the Panthers and Flyers will be tied with 96 points and tied getting updates from members of his organization on the teams they in all three of the NHL’s tiebreakers: wins in regulation or overtime (39), were chasing in the standings — the New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue head-to-head (split series 1-1, because the NHL does not count the first Jackets and the Flyers. matchup at a site where teams played twice) and goal differential (+1). The Devils and Jackets clinched playoff berths, leaving only the Flyers to “It would be nice to control our own fate,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner battle Florida’s new favorite team on Saturday, the Rangers. said. “But we don’t have that luxury. Let’s just hope we’re in a situation “I keep talking about taking care of our own business,” Boughner said. Saturday when the puck drops that we’re in position to make the “But at some point, we need a loss [from the Flyers].” playoffs.” Miami Herald LOADED: 04.07.2018 Here are your five takeaways: ▪ 1: The Barky Blues: With 6:51 left in the third period, center Aleksander Barkov — skating along the boards — took a hard check from Boston’s fourth-line center, Colby Cave. It looked like Barkov, who earlier in the night scored his 100th career goal, sustained an upper-body injury, possibly to his rib cage, shoulder or elbow. “I know the doctors are checking him,” Boughner said of Barkov, who scored his 27th goal of the season. “I don’t have any [information] right now, but it didn’t look great when he was coming off the ice. “Talking to the ref, [it looked like Barkov] tried to turn away to shield the puck, and, at the same time, [Cave] was coming in on him. I don’t really want to make a comment on [the hit]. Everybody’s playing hard at this time of year, finishing hits. “Hopefully, [Barkov] is all right.” ▪ 2: McCann’s the man: When Barkov went down, Boughner moved third- line center Jared McCann to the top spot. Boughner wanted defense primarily from McCann, who is not a big goal scorer. But McCann gave him that and more with his ninth goal of the season, which became the game winner with 5:37 left in the third period. “I was excited,” McCann said. “To be put out there in that situation shows the confidence the coach has in me. “I was ready to go. I look for those opportunities every day.” ▪ 3: Who needs rest? Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, who played his 1,000th game just one day after his 39th birthday. But there’s no need for a rocking chair. Luongo won his third game in four days and has allowed just five goals during that span. “It’s special to see ‘Lu’ do what he did on his 1,000th game,” Boughner said of Luongo, who made 26 saves. “I know the organization is planning a great tribute to him at some point. “[Luongo’s performance] meant a lot to the guys. They talked about it in the room. They said let’s win this one for Lu.” Luongo is the third NHL goalie to reach 1,000 games. He joins Hall of Famers Martin Brodeur (1,266) and Patrick Roy (1,029). “He’s been our backbone all season, winning us a lot of games,” McCann said. “We wanted to get this one for him.” 1107960 Florida Panthers

Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson fined $2,000 for second diving infraction

Matthew DeFranks

Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson was fined $2,000 on Friday afternoon by the NHL for a diving/embellishment incident at Ottawa on March 29. It was Matheson’s second citation of the season, resulting in the $2,000 fine. His first was issued a warning at Columbus on Jan. 7. Against the Senators, Matheson carried the puck through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone before being bumped by Ottawa defenseman Cody Ceci and falling down at the faceoff dot. Silent milestone Roberto Luongo’s teammates weren’t exactly sure how to congratulate the Panthers goaltender ahead of his 1,000th NHL game. As Luongo became just the third goaltender in league history to hit the mark, the rest of the dressing room walked on eggshells. “Goaltenders are so superstitious, you don’t know what you can and what you cannot say,” Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck said after Florida’s 3-2 win over Boston on Thursday. “Nobody was really too overly adamant on speaking to him about it. Obviously, everybody knew what was going on. We’d known for quite a while that he was probably going to reach that towards the end of the season.” Luongo stopped 26 of 28 Boston shots on goal to pick up the victory, his third in a row. Over the last three games, Luongo has a .951 save percentage and 1.67 goals-against average. “Anytime something like that, something so special is happening, it’s a lot sweeter to get it with a win,” Trocheck said. “Anytime you lose one of those games, it’s a little bit bittersweet. I know the type of competitor he is. He wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. I’m happy that he was able to tonight.” Clean hit on Barkov? Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov left Thursday’s game after Boston rookie Colby Cave delivered a big hit on him along the boards. Barkov spent a few moments on the bench before retreating to the dressing room and not returning for the final 6:51 of the game. On the play, Barkov skating up the boards before spinning to his left and firing a backhand pass to the center of the ice. Cave hit Barkov as he released the puck, lowering his left shoulder into the 22-year-old forward. Barkov’s right sided crashed into the boards and he left the ice appearing to clutch his right arm. “I haven’t really reviewed it other than on the bench,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “I haven’t had a chance yet. I know talking to the ref that it sounded like he tried to turn away to shield the puck at the same time the guy was coming in at him. I don’t really want to make a comment on that.” Boston sent Cave to AHL affiliate Providence on Friday. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107961 Florida Panthers

Panthers, Flyers could play tiebreaking game on Tuesday night for playoff spot

Matthew DeFranks

The Panthers could play an 83rd game. Should the Panthers and Flyers be tied after all the league’s tiebreakers, the two teams would play a tiebreaking game on Tuesday night to determine which team makes the Stanley Cup playoffs. The site would be determined by an equally weighted draw on Sunday night. Florida (42-30-8) enters Saturday four points behind Philadelphia (41-26- 14) with two games remaining. The Flyers finish their season with a 3 p.m. game Saturday against the Rangers, while the Panthers host Buffalo on Saturday and travel to Boston on Sunday. A single point from the Flyers on Saturday eliminates Florida from postseason contention. A regulation loss opens the door for the Panthers to squeeze into the playoffs — but only with wins in their final two games. Philadelphia is the only team the Panthers can catch in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but the two teams can create a perfect tie with a trio of results over the weekend. Should the Flyers lose by two goals to the Rangers, and the Panthers win both of their games in shootouts, no tiebreaker would apply. The two teams would each have 96 points. The first tiebreaker is regulation and overtime wins. Both teams would have 39 ROWs. The second tiebreaker is head-to-head record. Since Philadelphia and Florida played three times this season, the first game at the site where they played twice is not counted. The teams played twice in Sunrise, so the Panthers’ 3-2 win on Dec. 28 is thrown out. The two teams split the other two games, both in regulation. The Flyers won, 5-1, on Oct. 17 in Philadelphia. The Panthers won, 4-1, on March 4 in Sunrise. The third tiebreaker is goal differential. The Flyers currently are plus-3, but would drop to plus-1 with a two-goal loss on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers currently are minus-1, but would rise to plus-1 with two shootout wins. Should the tiebreaking game remain knotted at the end of regulation, the teams would play overtime under playoff rules: 5-on-5, sudden-death in 20-minute periods until a team scores. In the regular season, teams play 3-on-3 for five minutes before a shootout. “We keep talking about taking care of our own business, but at some point in time, we definitely need a [Flyers] loss,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said after Thursday’s game against Boston. “It’s disappointing, especially how some of those games went. We were checking in between periods and getting calls down to the bench on the earpiece. We knew the whole time what the situation was.” Goaltender Roberto Luongo said: “We can only control our own destiny. We do what we can and hopefully along the way, we get a little help. We can’t worry about that. We got to focus on Saturday now.” Sun Sentinel LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107962 Florida Panthers Pass of the game Evgenii Dadonov’s dime to Aleksander Barkov in the first period was a thing of beauty. He sent a pass from the corner directly through the The Next Day Look: Florida Panthers 3, Boston Bruins 2 crease and onto Barkov’s waiting stick. It helped Barkov snap out of a slump in which he scored just once in 16 games. Matthew DeFranks Shot heat map (via Natural Stat Trick) The Panthers’ heat map probably can’t get much better. They scored two goals directly on the periphery of the crease and had decent shot volume The Florida Panthers beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Thursday night at from the slot area. Plus, they held Boston largely away from the the BB&T Center in Sunrise. Jared McCann deflected home the game- dangerous areas at 5-on-5. winning goal late in the third period as the Panthers staved off elimination from playoff contention. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 04.07.2018 The Panthers are now 42-30-8 with 92 points, on pace for 94 points. They are four points behind Philadelphia with one game in hand for the second wild-card spot. It is the only playoff spot still within reach for Florida. Here’s another look at Thursday night’s game. The story Jared McCann scores late as Panthers beat Bruins, stave off elimination but lose Barkov Telling numbers 4. Number of times, including this season, since the 2004-05 lockout that the Panthers entered the 81st game of the season still in playoff contention. They made the playoffs in 2016 and 2012, but missed in 2009 despite winning their final two games. While the playoff odds remain long, Florida has managed to play meaningful hockey as the calendar flipped to April, something not certain in the franchise’s previous 12 seasons. The Panthers have typically been eliminated ahead of the final two games of the season, buried in the Eastern Conference standings. Florida avoided that fate with Thursday’s win over the Bruins. The team has made the postseason once in the last five seasons and has not won a playoff series since 1996. 1. Number of goalies with more seasons of at least 30 games and a .928 save percentage than Roberto Luongo’s three seasons, including this year. Luongo commemorated his 1,000th NHL game by making 26 saves on 28 shots, holding his overall save percentage this season at .929. That would be Luongo’s best save percentage since 2003-04, during his first stint in Florida when he finished third in Vezina Trophy voting and posted a .931 save percentage. With the Canucks in 2010-11, Luongo had a .928 save percentage. Dominik Hasek had five seasons of at least 30 games and a .928 save percentage. Thursday’s start was Luongo’s third in four nights and came one day after the veteran turned 39 years old. “I was feeling a little bit sluggish today for some reason,” Luongo said. 3. Number of consecutive one-goal victories, one away from tying a season-high for the Panthers. Florida won each of its first three games on the current homestand by one goal, a string of nail-biters that have kept their season alive. In October and November, the Panthers once lost five consecutive one- goal games. Under the radar quotes of the game “Canner [McCann] had a great couple games leading up into this one. Really, at that point in time, you need a centerman. We just wanted to make sure that we had a three, four-minute push to get through. He’s pretty defensively responsible,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “I was ready to go. I look for those opportunities every day. … Unfortunately, things like that happen, but was able to step up,” Panthers forward McCann said. McCann has had an uneven season for the Panthers. He’s game-winning goals in streaks and contributed defensively and on the penalty kill. But other times, he’s failed to add depth to a forward corps needing it and even suffered through a few games as a healthy scratch. On Thursday night, when Aleksander Barkov got hurt in the third period, Boughner entrusted McCann to fill in on the top line between Evgenii Dadoov and Colton Sceviour. He delivered with his ninth goal of the season. 1107963 Florida Panthers

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

Matthew DeFranks

Sabres at Panthers When/where: 7 p.m./BB&T Center, Sunrise. TV: Fox Sports Sun. Radio: 560-AM; 640-AM (Palm Beach) Scouting report: The Panthers play their final home game of the regular season on Saturday and — depending on Saturday afternoon’s Philadelphia-N.Y. Rangers game — it could have massive playoff implications or none at all. Florida enters Saturday four points behind the Flyers for the second wild-card spot with two games remaining. If Philadelphia loses in regulation, the Panthers control their own playoff fate and must win out. If Philadelphia picks up at least a point, Florida’s postseason dreams are dashed. The Flyers-Rangers game starts at 3 p.m. … Florida won the first three games of their last homestand, beating Carolina, Nashville and Boston in one-goal games this week to keep its playoff hopes alive. With a win over the Sabres (locked in as the worst team in the NHL), the Panthers would set a new franchise record for home wins in a season. The Panthers are 3-0-0 against Buffalo this season, winning by a combined score of 12-4. … Panthers top-line center Aleksander Barkov left Florida’s game Thursday against Boston after a hard hit in the third period, and did not play the final 6:51. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107964 Los Angeles Kings

What we learned from the Kings' 5-4 victory over the Wild

By CURTIS ZUPKE APR 06, 2018 | 8:00 AM

Two impressions were clearly made after the Kings pulled out a 5-4 win against the Minnesota Wild: One, Dustin Brown is quite a story. Two, the Kings won't go very far in the postseason with late lapses such as they had Thursday. But all that really matters is two standings points. With 98 points and one game remaining, second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage is still in play for the Kings, but it depends on how they, the Ducks and the San Jose Sharks finish on Saturday. Let's save those complications for later. The Kings are 6-1-2 since March 19 and have points in eight of last nine games. Here's what we learned: It wasn't just Brown's scoring that told the story. His game-winning score to finish his first four-goal game will be part of his personal legacy. A closer look reveals that Brown also drew two penalties, including a hook by Carson Soucy late in the third period. Brown also delivered a huge hit on Tyler Ennis in a second period in which he also scored his second and third goals. It's the complete game the Kings knew Brown would eventually summon after he had his captaincy taken away in the wake of one of the worst seasons of his career. He reached a career-high 61 points. "I felt better even starting back last year," Brown said. "I got an opportunity this year to play big minutes and be a huge part of the team. That's probably the more important thing, is that I was able to help the team make the playoffs. It's [Anze Kopitar], Drew [Doughty], [Jonathan Quick], they are our best players. We're going to win most nights [with them]. It's the secondary guys like me — that next group that [will] push. That's how you have a good team." That third period wasn't Kings hockey. With a playoff berth already clinched, Kings coach John Stevens has placed a priority on getting their game in form. With a letdown final period, his players didn't follow through. They allowed a shorthanded goal that tied the score. "I thought we got a little bit sloppy there," Stevens said. "That was probably my fault a little bit. I was going to call a timeout there and get those guys ready. … I think we lacked a little urgency on that power play and let them back in the game. Special teams are going to be important. Shorthanded goals in the playoffs can kill you." The back end has contributed. The Kings got five assists from defensemen. Doughty reached the 50-point plateau for the first time, and Christian Folin got two assists. The Kings have 187 points from defensemen this season, compared with 155 last season, in perhaps an indicator of the new regime's philosophy to open up the offense. In his debut, Daniel Brickley picked up a secondary assist for his first NHL point. "It's a really good reference point for him to get into a game this time of year," Stevens said. "He's a big kid, but guys are big in this league, and [the Wild have] some big forwards. It's a lot different than college. But he came in and played with confidence. I think the strength of his game is going to be the composure he has when he has the puck, and the rest of the stuff we can teach him." LA Times: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107965 Los Angeles Kings

Ducks leapfrog Kings with win over Stars

By MIKE COPPINGER APR 06, 2018 | 11:05 PM

At times, the Ducks looked imposing, a smooth-passing, grinding, cerebral team that should be a handful for any club they face in the playoffs. On other occasions Friday they looked lethargic, with sloppy turnovers and skating miscues that were precursors to opposing goals. If anything, the Ducks' final home game of the regular season was a microcosm of their entire campaign, a Jekyll and Hyde squad that's difficult to truly evaluate. The rout appeared to be on after the Ducks jumped out to a three-goal lead in the second period, but they instead settled for a 5-3 victory where they sputtered for shifts at a time, their playoff hopes realized one game before. Still, the Ducks had plenty to play for in the regular season's penultimate game as they continue to jockey for postseason positioning, with home ice a possibility for the quarterfinals. "When you see our hockey club clogging up the neutral ice," coach Randy Carlyle said, "when you see our hockey club grinding teams down and having extended offensive-zone time, being a physical hockey club, a hard team to play against, we're being effective. "When we turn the puck over and we play loose and we don't get inside on people, then we're not very good." The Ducks leapfrogged the Kings into third place in the Pacific Division. A win in Saturday's finale against the Coyotes coupled with a San Jose loss would pole-vault the Ducks into the division's second seed along with a home game to kick-start the postseason. A Kings victory paired with a Ducks loss would send Anaheim to Vegas in the first round. As it stands now, the Ducks would travel to San Jose for Game 1 of the quarterfinals. The way the Ducks have played at Honda Center, grabbing home advantage would be a boon to their fortunes. They've lost just once in regulation on home ice in the past 16 games, and they're riding a four-game winning streak overall. Jakob Silfverberg pushed the Ducks to a fast start with a deflection goal 2:28 into the contest. About four minutes later, Rickard Rakell registered a power-play goal to match his goal total from last season with 33 (a team high). After Josh Manson netted a power-goal marker 4:36 into the second period, the Ducks seemed to be in second gear, their legs churning against a team that was eliminated from playoff contention four days ago. Slowly but surely, the lead evaporated as the Ducks allowed Stars skaters to freely drive to the net. And suddenly, the Stars cut the deficit to one with more than 17 minutes left in the game. Andrew Cogliano's breakaway goal with almost five minutes remaining ensured the Ducks would notch another victory, even if it was another uneven performance from a playoff-bound squad with precious little time to find a consistent, complete 60-minute effort that encompasses all the best qualities Carlyle outlined. "The whole team is building that confidence," said Silfverberg, who produced a three-point night. "We're playing the right way That's the biggest key. We're not cheating. We're ready [for the playoffs]. We just need to make sure we have a strong finish tomorrow and see who we get. Prepare from there." LA Times: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107966 Los Angeles Kings took and the sacrifices you had to make, but you know how kids are. They don't always do what Dad says. But Daniel had a good work ethic and he knew what he wanted. He went for it, and here we are." Family ecstatic, touched as Kings rookie Daniel Brickley makes his debut Daniel, though not eligible to play in the playoffs because he signed so late in the season, is on the brink of a fine career. He must learn to close plays harder and more quickly, but the coaching staff will guide him. His By HELENE ELLIOTT offensive skills clearly are strong. APR 06, 2018 | 7:10 PM "I think you saw how fluid of a skater he is. That part of it, they're hard things to teach," general manager Rob Blake said. "The defensive part, we can get that part to grips [if] a player wants to learn and he's willing to put the work in." Matt Brickley watched intently as the Kings took the ice for warmups Thursday night at Staples Center. His son, Daniel, was among them — The puck Daniel passed for his first point was retrieved by Jeff Carter and Matt had known that was possible — though he had been told Daniel and later handed to Robitaille. With the compassion of a son who lost his probably would not play against the Minnesota Wild. mother, Madeleine, to liver cancer in 2013, Robitaille delivered that puck to the right person. Teams often send out more players than the game limit of 18 skaters and two goalies, and coach John Stevens had said Daniel could participate "I gave it to the dad and said, 'Go take a picture with it,' " Robitaille said, for the experience and to allow his parents, Matt and Ally, visiting from striking the perfect note. Daniel will get more assists, but probably none Utah, to take pictures of the rookie defenseman in his No. 78 Kings as memorable as that one. uniform. LA Times: LOADED: 04.07.2018 They were ecstatic to see Daniel, a college standout who signed with the Kings as a free agent last week, but Matt dared to hope for more. He turned to club president Luc Robitaille, who had joined the family in a suite, and asked if Daniel might play. Robitaille said he thought so, because a few other players had the flu. "I said, 'How many guys were dressed in the warmup?' " Robitaille said. Twenty, Matt replied. He counted. Not 21? No, Matt repeated, 20. "I said, 'Then he'd better be playing because I know we're not hiding anyone in the locker room,' " Robitaille said. "The funny thing was, he was still nervous, and when the players stepped on the ice and when he saw 78 step on you should have seen them cheer. It was absolutely fantastic." Daniel Brickley, who stands a strapping 6 feet 3 and has great scoring instincts and hockey vision, acquitted himself well in his NHL debut. He earned his first point by faking a shot and making a cross-ice pass to Christian Folin that led to Tobias Rieder's redirected goal, and he showed poise during a tough game that had playoff-placement implications. His future is bright. Cruelly, his father's future is not. Matt Brickley, a former minor league and college referee and longtime hockey official in Utah, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer late last year. The family, which includes daughter Abbie and son Sam, was told his illness is terminal. The Kings brought the Brickleys to Los Angeles on Thursday with the thought Daniel wouldn't play that night but had a remote chance of cracking the lineup on Saturday. If he sat out both games, at least they'd see his new home. "It was the right thing to do," Robitaille said. The circumstances that put Daniel into the lineup on Thursday, with his parents and siblings there to see him, transformed the game into a gift that was precious beyond words. "We weren't sure that Daniel was going to be able to play this year," Ally Brickley said, holding back tears. "So we're so lucky. It's been a special day." It came at the right time, when the family could enjoy it together. "It was thrilling. A combination of a dream that started when he was 4 years old," Matt said before briefly giving in to emotions. "It's always been his dream and ours. Today, we realized it." Matt, a bear of a man with graying hair and a big smile, felt good Thursday. That isn't always the case. "My treatment's going well. I couldn't ask for anything better, given the condition I was diagnosed with," he said of the disease that was detected during what was expected to be a routine colonoscopy. "I get chemo treatments every other week, but I'm in one of those immunotherapy clinical trials for an experimental drug and I get infusions of that every third week. Compared to a lot of people I see at the hospital I have nothing to complain about." Daniel has often called Matt his role model, but Matt gave his 23-year-old son credit for carving out a successful career despite being ignored in the NHL draft. Daniel had a late growth spurt while at Minnesota State- Mankato and raised his game, drawing interest from perhaps a dozen teams before choosing the Kings. "I like to think that I put him on the right track, but he did all the work to get here," Matt said. "Ever since he was little he loved the game. Right from the get-go. He just set his sights on his goals and I told him what it 1107967 Los Angeles Kings

Kings take offense to those who thought quest for more goals this season would deter defense

By CURTIS ZUPKE APR 06, 2018 | 5:40 PM

Kings general manager Rob Blake remembers well the vibe surrounding the team's new era last year. With their offense stagnated, Blake and first-year coach John Stevens laid out their plan in a fan forum. In short: More goals. More offense. But in the back of Blake's mind, he knew one pillar had to stand. "We talked about only offense, but believe me there was never a sacrifice defensively, and our guys know that and our top players believe in that," Blake said. "I don't think we were ever going to sacrifice anything defensively for those changes. There's a reason why this team is at the forefront of that department every year, and I think a lot has to do with John's structure defensively. That wasn't being sacrificed." The numbers bear that going into the Kings' regular-season finale Saturday, with their playoff opponent still not decided between the Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks. The Kings lead the NHL with 2.44 goals-against per game, which also would give Jonathan Quick his second Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed. Several staples easily explain the stinginess, namely Quick, Norris Trophy (best defenseman) candidate Drew Doughty and Hart Trophy (MVP) candidate Anze Kopitar, who is also in line for the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward. But it's also a continuation of the philosophy that has long been in place. "This is part of our culture," Doughty said. "I think when the young guys see how older guys do their job, they realize they have to do the exact same thing. They can't let it slip. They have to do exactly what myself or Kopi are doing. It's just in the culture now, and obviously John reinforces things, with video or whatnot, but I think it's just imprinted on our minds." It ties into that revamped style of Kings' hockey, specifically an offense that has gone from 2.43 goals a game last season to 2.90 through Friday. "[There was] a lot of talk during the year [of] you want to get better offensively," Stevens said. "Well, you need the puck to do anything offensively." Finale approach With playoff seeding still at stake, Stevens said he won't change his approach. He tweaked the lineup Thursday because of illness to Paul LaDue and Torrey Mitchell but indicated he won't rest anybody. Blake said Alex Iafallo is day-to-day and is hopeful that Jake Muzzin will be available for the start of the postseason, but "we don't know yet for sure." Derek Forbort won't be available when the playoffs begin, Blake said. Stevens isn't paying attention to their potential playoff opponent. "I've learned a long time [ago], you don't wish for anybody," he said. "You just want to get in and you deal with who's in front of you." UP NEXT VS. DALLAS When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. On the air: TV: FSW; Radio: 790 Update: Jonny Brodzinski was assigned to the AHL's Ontario Reign. The Stars' Tyler Seguin is their third 40-goal player since the franchise moved to Dallas. LA Times: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107968 Los Angeles Kings

Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown fuel Kings’ return to playoffs with career seasons

By ROBERT MORALES | April 6, 2018 at 4:55 PM

If Kings fans are looking for two key reasons why the team is back in the postseason after failing to qualify in 2016-17, they need look no further than veteran forwards Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Kopitar was coming off his worst season, with just 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) after having had as many as 81 in 2009-10. He has 35 goals and 57 assists this season for a career-high 92 points and is in the conversation for the Hart Trophy. Kopitar scored four goals in a critical 7-1 victory at Colorado on March 22. Brown had 53, 56, 57 and 54 points in four consecutive seasons beginning in 2008-09. The four seasons before this one his numbers dropped to 27, 27, 28 and 36. Brown has a career-high 61 points (28 goals, 33 assists) this season and scored four goals in the Kings’ 5-4 overtime victory over Minnesota on Thursday night. Kings coach John Stevens was short, but sweet, in his assessment of two of his leaders during a Thursday morning interview, the day after the Kings clinched a playoff spot. “You know, guys like Kopi and Brownie get their games back on track and really do a great job of leading our hockey team this year, so it’s been fun to be a part of,” said Stevens, who is in his first year at the helm. Brown’s fourth goal Thursday came 23 seconds into overtime. Kopitar fed him with a beautiful pass. Afterward, Stevens seemed to applaud them without saying their names. “Obviously, big performance from our leadership group again,” he said. Brown was asked post-game about his scoring production. “You just plug away, really,” he said. “I felt better even starting back last year. I got an opportunity this year to play big minutes and be a huge part of the team and that’s probably the more important thing, that I was able to help the team make the playoffs.” PLAYOFF POSITIONING The Kings play their final regular-season game Saturday when they host Dallas at 7:30 at Staples Center. They will know by the end of the night who their first-round playoff opponent will be for a best-of-7 series that will begin the following week. Right now the Kings are in line to face Pacific Division rival San Jose, but that could change because the Ducks – with two games left, including Friday night against Dallas – still have a chance to knock the Kings out of third place in the division and into the first wild-card spot. That would make expansion success story Vegas the Kings’ opponent in the first round. The Kings (45-28-8, 98 points) were in third place by a point going into Friday’s games. It’s also possible that San Jose could end up as the first wild card. The Ducks started Friday with 97 points and the possibility of finishing at 101. They would surpass San Jose if the Sharks (100) lose their season finale against Minnesota on Saturday. If the Kings beat Dallas, they would finish with 100 points, tying San Jose. But the Kings have the first tiebreaker – wins in regulation and overtime (43-40) – over San Jose. The Kings also hold the tiebreaker over the Ducks should those two finish with the same number of points. Orange County Register: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107969 Los Angeles Kings

BRODZINSKI, JAD, STRAND TO ONTARIO; BRICKLEY PICS AND VIDEO; REMPAL HONORED

JON ROSENAPRIL 6, 2018

Several notes on a Friday recovery day: -Jonny Brodzinski has been returned to Ontario; Oscar Fantenberg remains with the club. Brodzinski and Fantenberg got into warm-ups prior to last night’s game against Minnesota, though neither played. This comes during an important stretch with five AHL games remaining, the first two of which are a home-and-home with that opens tonight at Citizens Business Bank Arena. After that, Ontario travels to Stockton next Wednesday before hosting the Heat on Friday. Their regular season concludes next Saturday in Bakersfield. Points percentage is the determining factor for playoff qualification and seeding in the AHL’s Pacific Division because the California teams play 68 games and the Texas teams play 76, so there’s plenty of jockeying to come over the next nine days. Ontario (.611) trails Tucson (.651) but leads San Diego (.587), Texas (.577), Stockton (.556), Bakersfield (.540), San Antonio (.535) and San Jose (.524). Each division uses a 1-versus-4, 2- versus-3 format, so this weekend’s games (and next week’s games) will have a significant say in both qualifying for the playoffs and having home ice advantage. This isn’t a bad spot to be in for a Reign team that lost its first six games of the season. Meanwhile, Brodzinski has 29 points (12-17=29) in 28 games with Ontario. They could use him for these games. As expected, the Reign will have several younger reinforcements joining the available player pool. A minors note to pass along that Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Austin Strand will join the Ontario Reign tonight, Rob Blake said. A-D was the Kings' second-round pick last year. — Curtis Zupke (@curtiszupke) April 6, 2018 LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107970 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: APRIL 6

JON ROSENAPRIL 6, 2018

GAME STORY So, wait – Kings-Wild games are fun now? In a series previously associated with staid, systematic and tightly structured defensive play, both teams have evolved and are now more equipped to get after it. Minnesota is a strong forechecking team under Bruce Boudreau, and Los Angeles has improved its pace up-ice and offensive output while retaining its firm defensive identity. Neither team consistently played to these strengths on Thursday night – minus L.A.’s second period, this was about as loosey-goosey of an April game between two playoff teams as you could probably find – but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t entertaining! The 5-4 overtime win, which featured a career night to punctuate a career season by 33-year-old Dustin Brown, completed a three-game season sweep in which a total of 23 goals were scored between the two teams. There are reasons for the career seasons forged by both Brown and Anze Kopitar, both of whom have set career-highs in points as tricenarians. First, there’s the reason driven by cursory observations of data and statistics: Kopitar’s time on ice has jumped from 20:46 to 22:05; Brown’s has from 16:00 to 19:49 (!). Kopitar is shooting considerably more and his shooting percentage has more than doubled to 17.9%; Brown has taken his most shots since 2010-11, while his 12.7% shooting percentage ties the second highest rate of his career. Both are excellent checkers and defensive-minded forwards. Brown’s game-winning goal Thursday night came after he thoroughly rubbed Jonas Brodin off the puck – one of the four Kings goals scored in which Brodin, who has moved up a defensive rung with both Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon out, was on the ice for – to finish off the latest of his give-and-gos with Kopitar. He was credited with seven scoring chances, by Jessi’s count, and all of them were high-quality looks. Secondly, the success that Brown and Kopitar have enjoyed this season is coming from their own admittance that they’re, well, enjoying playing hockey. “I think the biggest thing is he’s having fun playing the game, and that can take you a long way when you have a skill set like his,” Brown said of Kopitar on March 13 before acknowledging that the same enjoyment applied to his own game and has raised the aspects of his performance that can’t necessarily be gauged by data. Brown records a hat trick, he catches a hat thrown onto the ice, he puts it on his head as he flies by the bench. He’s having fun, he had the game of his career, and he’s playing his best hockey heading into the playoffs. And now, some cold water. If the Kings are going to do damage in the postseason, their team game has to be better than it was for much of the first and third periods. Jake Muzzin is skating but is barely touching pucks. Alex Iafallo did not skate after the team’s practices for the last two days. Derek Forbort left Monday’s game on crutches and has not been seen on the ice or in team areas visible to the media. A likely first round match-up against Vegas or San Jose awaits. It is certainly possible Los Angeles might not have their full assortment of players at the outset of any run, and if these players do return, they might not be at 100%. Absent of key personnel, there is significantly less wiggle room in the team game, and as much fun as Thursday’s game was for Kings fans, that same type of performance will probably result in a loss one week from now. They’re 15-6-3 in their last 24 and 6-1-2 in their last nine, so by and large, their execution, battle, identity play, resolve, etc., etc., etc. has all been there. This is an accomplished group that plays under a coach who understands this and has done a good job fine tuning the team maintenance as needed this season. “The margin for error during the regular season is small. It’s even smaller in the playoffs,” Stevens said after the game. “If we want to keep playing, we’re going to have to clean some of that stuff up.” LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107971 Minnesota Wild

Wild reassigns Carson Soucy to Iowa, setting up Louie Belpedio NHL debut

By Sarah McLellan APRIL 6, 2018 — 2:46PM

Defenseman Carson Soucy impressed during his abbreviated stint with the Wild after getting ushered to the NHL to make his debut after Ryan Suter suffered a season-ending right ankle fracture. And now another young player will get an opportunity on the Wild's back end, as the Wild reassigned Soucy to the American Hockey League Friday – paving the way for Louie Belpedio to make his NHL debut Saturday in the team's regular-season finale in San Jose against the Sharks. Because the Wild recalled Soucy Sunday from Iowa on an emergency basis on the heels of Suter's injury, an absence that left the team with only five available defenseman, someone had to be sent back to the AHL once Belpedio played. The Wild chose to return Soucy, who played a solid first game Monday against the Oilers and had another strong outing Wednesday against the Ducks. Overall, he skated in three games and averaged 14 minutes, 50 seconds in ice time. Belpedio, who signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Wild Thursday, is poised to become the sixth player to make his NHL debut this season with the Wild. Star Tribune LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107972 Minnesota Wild

Wild-San Jose gameday preview

APRIL 6, 2018 — 10:46PM SARAH MCLELLAN

9:30 p.m. at San Jose • FSN, 100.3-FM One more, then the playoffs Preview: The Wild closes out its regular-season schedule on the road. It’s gone 3-2-1 in its previous six trips to San Jose. The Sharks are sitting second in the Pacific Division with 100 points. They’ve won only once in their past five games, a 4-2 victory over the Avalanche on Thursday. Players to WATCH: Center Logan Couture’s 34 goals are a career high. Defenseman Brent Burns has a team-high 54 assists. Center Joe Pavelski leads the Sharks in points with 65. Numbers: The Wild is 11-6-6 against the Pacific Division. Center Eric Staal is one goal shy of Marian Gaborik’s franchise record for most in a single season (42). The Sharks are 25-12-3 on home ice. Their blue line has tallied 196 points. Injuries: Wild D’s Ryan Suter (right ankle fracture) and Jared Spurgeon (right hamstring tear) and F Luke Kunin (torn ACL) are out. Sharks F’s Eric Fehr (lower body), Joe Thornton (knee) and Barclay Goodrow (broken finger) and D Joakim Ryan (upper body) are out. It’s unclear whether F Evander Kane (undisclosed) will play. Star Tribune LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107973 Minnesota Wild likely to suit up after meeting up with the team in San Jose following a four-game absence because of a concussion.

“We gotta make sure we get more consistent here, especially going into Wild defensemen still scoring in Ryan Suter's absence next week,” Prosser said. “We had a good third [period Thursday], and let’s have a good one in San Jose and go from there. We got the pieces here that we can do some damage.” By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune APRIL 6, 2018 — 10:51PM Star Tribune LOADED: 04.07.2018

SAN JOSE, Calif. – In just seconds, defenseman Nate Prosser went from the trailer on a shorthanded rush to being swarmed by five Kings players as the lone Wild attacker. Rather than retreat, Prosser cut through Los Angeles’ defense before sending the puck by goalie Jonathan Quick’s right side as he slid left — the tying goal that erased a two-goal, third-period deficit for the Wild on Thursday. “Kind of surprised myself a little bit,” Prosser said. “But it was just one of those spots where as a ‘D’ core we want to try to jump in when it’s necessary. We’re down a goal, and I saw an opening and kind of just took it.” Since Ryan Suter was subtracted from the blue line by a season-ending right ankle fracture suffered a week ago, the spotlight has focused on how the Wild’s retooled defense will hold up without him — especially with a first-round playoff series with the offensively potent Jets looming. But Suter didn’t just impact the Wild with his play in his own end. He was also one of the team’s top point producers. And while the unit will have one more run-through Saturday in the Wild’s regular-season finale against the Sharks to solidify the simple style it wants to play defensively after starting 1-1-1, the blue line has already showed signs of picking up the slack offensively in Suter’s absence. “That mentality stays the same with Ryan in the lineup or not,” defenseman Matt Dumba said. “As D-men, we’re trying to build our trust with our forwards that if they kick it up high, we’re going to get our shots through.” Prosser’s goal was the third scored by the back end in the 5-4 overtime loss to the Kings and fourth of eight racked up by Wild defensemen in three games without Suter. Overall, defensemen have accumulated eight points in that span, and at least one has had a hand in all but two goals. “You need that,” captain Mikko Koivu said. “I think today’s game, the defense has to be involved with the offensive play and they gotta be able to help — not just in the ‘O’ zone but breaking out and winning the puck at the right spot and things like that. So we’re going to need that, and they’ve been good so far.” The newly crowned top pairing of Jonas Brodin and Dumba has been particularly involved. Brodin has three helpers in his past four games and is one point shy of 100 for his career. And Dumba is in the midst of a career season, as his 14 goals, 35 assists and 49 points are the most he’s recorded. “Just taking it one game at a time really,” he said. “I haven’t really focused on the points I’ve actually been collecting. It’s kind of nice when you look at it now.” Two of Dumba’s past three goals have come on the power play, an area where he seems primed to help fill Suter’s void because of his ability to man the point and the quickness with which he releases his one-timer — a shot that eluded Quick and Ducks goalie Ryan Miller on this road trip. “Dumba’s always been a big part of the power play,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. Getting contributions from the defense should only help the Wild in its matchup with the Jets, a group that averages more goals per game (3.32) than all but one team in the NHL. What’s more, if the defense is playing offense, that means the Jets’ threat is minimized because they don’t have the puck. Clearly, though, a strong performance in front of goalie Devan Dubnyk is needed. The blue line was airtight in its first test, a 3-0 shutout of the Oilers, competitive in most of Game No. 2 against the Ducks and had mixed results in that extra-time defeat by the Kings. Accentuating the positives from those games Saturday would earn the unit momentum on the brink of the playoffs, especially since its look is changing again. Carson Soucy was returned to the American Hockey League on Friday but is likely to be back for the postseason. Louie Belpedio is slated to make his NHL debut against the Sharks, and Gustav Olofsson seems 1107974 Minnesota Wild “It doesn’t matter what happened during the regular season,” Staal said. “You gotta just focus on Game 1. I’m sure we’ll do a lot of pre-scout and a lot of talk amongst (ourselves) on what we can do to be successful Starting next week, Wild have a new biggest rival: the Winnipeg Jets against them. And then when Game 1 starts, we’ll be ready to go.” LONG TIME, NO SEE > By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: April 6, 2018 at 3:47 pm | The Wild and Jets haven’t played in three months. Here’s how the series UPDATED: April 6, 2018 at 3:48 PM went this season: Oct. 20: Jets 4, Wild 3 With less than 500 miles separating the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Oct. 31: Jets 2, Wild 1 Jets, theirs has been an NHL rivalry of geography. Nov. 27: Jets 7, Wild 2 Thousands of Jets fans magically appear at Xcel Energy Center each Jan. 3: Wild 4, Jets 1 time the teams have squared off in St. Paul over the past decade, and spectators wearing Wild sweaters don’t always get along with those Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.07.2018 wearing Jets sweaters. On the ice, games between the teams are always physical. But aside from pushing and shoving after the occasional chippy foul, players tend to go their separate ways after the game without giving the other team another thought. That will change next week when the Wild and Jets meet in the postseason for the first time. It takes a tough playoff series or three to forge a true rivalry. And that’s what this is about to become. “It’s going to be a great test,” forward Eric Staal said of the Wild’s first- round assignment. “It’s going to be competitive. They are a pretty good rival up there north of the border. It’s something we should all be excited about.” Forgive coach Bruce Boudreau for being cranky as he preps for the Wild’s final regular-season game at San Jose on Saturday night. His mind is elsewhere because he knows opening the playoffs against the Jets is “a monumental task.” That’s high praise for a franchise that has never won a playoff game. Since the franchise relocated from Atlanta in 2011, the Jets made the playoffs just once before this season, and that ended in a four-game series sweep against Anaheim in 2014-15. This year’s Jets might be the start of something new. Winnipeg is 51-20- 10 for 112 points, second in the Western Conference to Nashville’s 115. Even better, the Jets are 9-1-0 in the past 10 games, the hottest team in the NHL. Winnipeg boasts a dynamic front line led by Twin Cities native and former Gopher Blake Wheeler (23 goals, 67 assists), Patrick Laine 44, 25), Mark Scheifele (23, 37) and Nikolaj Ehlers (29, 31). That group has helped make the Jets the NHL’s second-best offensive team, scoring 3.32 goals per game. “You better be able to play good defense against them,” Boudreau said. “You can’t trade chance for chance with them. They are too good for that. We have our work cut out for us.” As solid as the Jets are up front, they are also fifth best team in the league on the back end, allowing 2.65 goals per game with Connor Hellebuyck having a breakout season between the pipes. His numbers are impressive: 43-11-9 record, 2.38 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. That, coupled with the fact that Dustin Byfuglien, another native Minnesotan, is a menace on the blue line, bringing tons of playoff experience to an otherwise youthful bunch, and it’s hard to find a weakness in the lineup. “There’s a lot of little things that we’ve got to make sure we’re doing right,” Wild defenseman Nate Prosser said. “We want to outwork them first and foremost. That’s the biggest thing. If we’re winning our battles in the corners, when we’re winning them in front of the net, that goes a long way, and we’ve got to make sure we’re doing that.” With sixth consecutive Wild playoff berth in the bag, ‘now the fun part starts’ The Wild are 1-3-0 against the Jets this season, but the teams haven’t squared off in more than three months, and the Wild won the most recent meeting, 4-1 on Jan. 3. All three Jets wins came in the first seven weeks of the season. Like the Jets, the Wild are rolling into the playoffs with points in eight of their past 10 games. Not that any of that will matter next week. 1107975 Minnesota Wild If the Wild have any prayer of winning this series, they have to remedy their porous road play.

The Jets have the most home wins in the NHL with 31, although the Wild Wild's challenges vs. Jets: Stop potent attack, don't fall into another 0-2 have the fewest regulation losses at home with six. hole But the Wild are tied for the second-fewest road wins (17) of any of the 16 teams currently in a playoff spot and tied for the most regulation road By Michael Russo Apr 6, 2018 losses (20) of that group. The Wild also have a pattern of digging themselves into big-time series holes. SAN JOSE, Calif. — So, here’s the torturous task ahead of the Wild after they face the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night and attempt to avoid a Since 2013, when the Wild snapped a four-year run of postseason third consecutive loss to end the regular season. omissions, the Wild have fallen into a 2-0 hole in six of their seven series and three in a row. Of those six 0-2 deficits, five started on the road. The Winnipeg Jets, at least before their finale against the Chicago Blackhawks, are tied for second in the West with a franchise-record 51 Digging a hole in the playoffs wins, including 10 wins in their past 11 games. They rank second in the In six of seven series in the Parise-Suter era the Wild have gone down 0- NHL with 3.32 goals per game, fifth in the NHL with 2.65 goals allowed 2, losing five. per game and fifth on a power play that connects 23.3 percent of the time. Only last year's series against the Blues started at home, also yielding an 0-2 deficit. Blake Wheeler, the pride of the Breck School in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and the former Gopher, ranks tied for eighth in the NHL with Year Opp. Round Games 1 and 2 Series result 90 points, is second with 67 assists and second with 39 points on the power play. Patrik Laine — aka Alex Ovechkin, Jr. — ranks second in the 2013 CHI First L 2-1 (OT), L 5-2 CHI won 4-1 NHL with 44 goals, including a league-high 20 on the power play with 2014 COL First L 5-4 (OT), L 4-2 MIN won 4-3 most of them coming from Ovechkin’s favorite neighborhood inside the left faceoff circle. Star centerman Mark Scheifele has averaged a hair 2014 CHI Second L 5-2, L 4-1 CHI won 4-2 above a point per game. Kyle Connor leads all NHL rookies with 30 goals and Nikolaj Ehlers, who often makes the Wild’s life miserable, is one 2015 STL First W 4-2, L 4-1 MIN won 4-2 short of 30. 2015 CHI Second L 4-3, L 4-1 CHI won 4-0 Connor Hellebuyck has won 43 games, tied for the most all-time by a 2016 DAL First L 4-0, L 2-1 DAL won 4-2 U.S.-born goaltender (Tom Barrasso, 1992-93). Oh, and sharp-shooter Dustin Byfuglien loves to torment his home-state team with brute force 2017 STL First L 2-1 (OT), L 2-1 STL won 4-1 and mammoth hits (ask Mikael Granlund’s surgically-repaired wrist from a few years back) every time he goes against them. The Wild did rally to win one of those series (2014 against Colorado) and also won in 2015 against St. Louis, the one time in that stretch they Overcoming the Jets in the first round will be quite the challenge for the managed to split the first two games. Since 2013, the Wild are 5-15 on Wild, and they’ll have to do so without stalwart defenseman Ryan Suter the road in the playoffs. and possibly a rusty, less-than-100-percent Jared Spurgeon if he’s indeed ready to return from a hamstring tear by Game 1. “This (arena) is going to be rocking and that one (in Minnesota) always gets loud,” said Jets center Paul Stastny, who has played the Wild in the “They come at you, nine (forwards) deep,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau playoffs twice with Colorado and twice with St. Louis. “The louder the said. “And their D are up the ice. You better be able to play good defense building, the more fun it is to play. When you go on the road in a hostile against them. Without giving anything away, you can't trade chance for environment, it really brings the guys together. chance with them, they're too good for that. We have our work cut out for us.” “We want to dictate play and throw everything at them instead of sitting back. That’s when we play at our best.” What the Wild have going for them is more of a battle-tested lineup with a core that will be partaking in their sixth consecutive postseason. On the Stastny said the Jets are well aware of Suter’s absence, but “sometimes other hand, the Jets, who relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta for the teams build off of that and play better.” 2011-12 season, have made the playoffs twice in the 18-year history of the franchise and have never even won a playoff game. That’ll need to be the case with Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba manning the top pair and a potential of a Nick Seeler-Spurgeon pair and Gustav Zach Parise and Blake Wheeler Olofsson or more likely Carson Soucy with Nate Prosser. Ryan Murphy will also provide insurance if Spurgeon isn’t ready. They last made the playoffs in 2015 when the Boudreau-coached Anaheim Ducks swept them. In Saturday’s finale, Olofsson will rejoin the Wild after missing the past three games with a concussion. Louie Belpedio is also expected to make What does Boudreau remember about the NHL’s smallest arena, Bell his NHL debut. With the Wild no longer in emergency conditions, Soucy MTS Place, with a capacity of 15,321? had to be reassigned to Iowa. “It was loud until we got the lead,” Boudreau said. “The key is to get the But it’s anticipated that Soucy will be recalled in time to practice with lead and keep them quiet, but it's tough to do because they've got a lot of Minnesota on Monday. After the regular season, the Wild can have three hope this year. They've been at the top of the league the whole year, so players from Iowa at a time until Iowa’s season ends. Belpedio and I'm pretty sure they're gearing themselves up for a long run.” Jordan Greenway don’t count as recalls. The sense is the Wild could open the series in Winnipeg on Wednesday “They present a lot of challenges,” Prosser said of the Jets. “They have a night. With two Canadian teams in the postseason, some feel the league lot of forwards that are skilled guys, shooters, dishers, guys that can will want the Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs playing on alternating nights skate. There’s a lot of challenges there. We’ve got to make sure we’re with the Maple Leafs going Thursday-Saturday this week so they could making the hard, simple plays, not turning pucks over. Pucks out at the be on . blue line, pucks in at the offensive blue line. There’s a lot of little things that we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing right. But this is unconfirmed and highly speculative. The schedule for each series could be released as early as late Saturday night if the “And then we want to outwork them first and foremost. That’s the biggest Philadelphia Flyers get at least one point against the New York Rangers thing. When we’re winning our battles in the corners, when we’re winning or the Florida Panthers lose to the Buffalo Sabres. them in front of the net, that goes a long way and we’ve got to make sure we’re doing that.” That would eliminate the Panthers from postseason contention. But if Sunday’s rescheduled Panthers-Boston Bruins game determines Eric Staal, who is one goal from matching Marian Gaborik’s team record Florida’s fate, the entire NHL and hockey fans everywhere may be in a with 42 goals in a season, is looking forward to the challenge. holding pattern until late Sunday. “I think playoffs, everything is wiped clean,” he said. “It doesn't matter The Wild won four of five meetings against the Jets last season but are what happened during the regular season. You’ve got to just focus on 1-3 this season, including a 7-2 loss at Winnipeg. In the last meeting in Game 1. For us, I'm sure we'll do a lot of pre-scout and a lot of talk January, the Wild won 4-1. They are 5-7-1 all-time in Winnipeg, 7-4-2 at home. amongst (ourselves) on what we can do to be successful against them and then when Game 1 starts, we'll be ready to go.” The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107976 Minnesota Wild (practice) and the other guys would watch him skate. They would say, ‘He’s four years old – how long has he been skating for?’

“It was the third or fourth time on the ice. Unbelievable. I could tell very Supported at every turn by his father Heinz, Nikolaj Ehlers has achieved early that he could skate.” many of his hockey dreams As the four-year-old boy turned into a teenaged phenom, his superlative speed remained one of his most effortless strengths. Learning to accept By Murat Ates Apr 6, 2018 his father’s wisdom took more work. Heinz Ehlers’ high-level knowledge of the game meant constructive criticism even when goals and points were coming easily to Nikolaj. Nikolaj Ehlers, the point-scoring speedster who was born in Aalborg, Denmark and raised in cities throughout Europe before becoming an “I think that too often, when I watch him play, I forget to be a hockey NHL star in Winnipeg, is enjoying perhaps the least celebrated 60 point dad,” Heinz said. “I’m more – I’m looking more at his game with a coach’s season in Jets history. eye. So I’ve been… I would say critical is probably the wrong word, but when I saw him making mistakes I would definitely tell him.” Given the sheer amount of talent at the Jets’ disposal, there are many aesthetic joys to watching Winnipeg play hockey this season. But for “Sometimes it was hard,” Nik said. “Sometimes you didn’t want to listen those who love hockey at high speeds, there is perhaps nothing more to him at all. You thought he was a little too hard on you.” electrifying than watching Ehlers flying through open ice at speeds few in “I would also praise him when he was playing well,” Heinz said. “Don’t the NHL can match. get me wrong. I probably had a little bit too critical or coaching eye on In many other markets, Ehlers would get a lot more press. Not only do him than, just as a dad, being happy with whatever he did. the Jets often fly under the league-wide radar, Winnipeg also boasts “He’s still young. He still makes mistakes. That (happens) when you’re a Patrik Laine’s 44 goals, Blake Wheeler’s league-leading 67 assists, and creative player. You make more mistakes. But to be a great player you Kyle Connor’s 30 goal rookie season. get better at learning when to do it and when not to do it.” According to his father, Heinz Ehlers, the lack of fanfare suits the Jets One thing I’ve noticed in the Jets dressing room this season is the speedster just fine. sincerity and thoughtfulness with which Nik Ehlers approaches the “I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” said the elder Ehlers by telephone. “At the questions he is asked – including those about his mistakes. For example, moment, they have so many players on the team that can score and who after a bad first-period giveaway against the Rangers in February led to have played well. I would say I don’t mind as a parent and I think it may an easy Mats Zuccarello goal, Ehlers took full responsibility for the play. even be the best for Nikolaj – that he’s not the focus. “It was a stupid pass from me trying to make it into the middle there,” he “The other guys have more attention – (Mark) Scheifele, Laine, Wheeler, said at the time. “It got picked off and they score. It's something that I and Kyle Connor. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. You can only just try to gotta take on me, but we let them get back into the game.” perform every night.” These are the types of plays father and son talk about and certainly ones Heinz Ehlers is not your typical hockey parent. In addition to being both Ehlers men would like to see removed from Nik’s game. Still, drafted by the New York Rangers in 1984, he had a long playing career creativity holds value. Skilled players give the puck away more because in the Swedish Elite League, Swiss-A league, and Deutsche Elite League they try to do more with it. before beginning a professional coaching career. Heinz Ehlers said the most important thing to do when mistakes get He is currently the head coach of Switzerland’s SCL Tigers and when he made is to own them. talks, his son listens. “We always taught him to own his mistakes,” Heinz said. “I always said to “I learned a lot from him,” Nik said. “He played in Europe for many years him that one of the best things you can do when you fuck up with a and he was a really good player too so, you know, whenever I wasn’t turnover on the offensive blueline is come on the bench and say, ‘Sorry doing well he’d tell me – even though I felt I was doing well. And when I guys, my mistake.’ Then everyone knows. was doing well, he’d tell me as well.” “You know what? Most of the time, after a game when he feels he’s been At the moment, almost everything is going well for the younger Ehlers, bad, I wake up to a message. I wake up to a message a lot of the times, 22. saying, ‘I was really bad today. I kept making mistakes or turnovers.' He’s critical. Sometimes when things are not going well and he gets a little bit Playing on a line with Paul Stastny and Laine, Ehlers’ 60 points on the too critical and too hard on himself, then I try to push him in the other season are supported by strong underlying numbers. direction.” The trio is enjoying 52.3 per cent of 5-on-5 shot attempts, 51.6 per cent “When I look back now, sometimes you fight with him over something of expected goals, and – buoyed by high shooting and save percentages that happened on the ice and you’re 100 per cent sure you were right… – have outscored its opposition 15-7. And now I’m here so he was probably right,” Nik said. “Because I was changing (to) whatever he said. You know, when he didn’t like seeing With Scheifele, Wheeler, and Connor firmly established as Winnipeg’s something that I did on the ice, even though I thought I was right, I would top line, Ehlers and company have been able to feast on slightly softer still change it.” competition. Despite the occasional costly turnover, there are times when it looks nearly impossible for teams to stop Ehlers flying through the And whatever the level of criticism, whatever the difficulty of neutral zone. conversations throughout the years, Nik knows his father’s words have paid off. Across the NHL, only Connor McDavid attacks opposing bluelines with more frequent success: “It never got to the point where I was sitting by myself and crying or something like that, right? So it was all worth it,” Nik said. You’re looking at how often each player gains the opposing blueline with possession of the puck (and can play with the data yourself, courtesy Heinz wasn’t the only hockey professional who gave Nik advice. Corey Sznajder and CJ Turtoru, here.) Naturally, the list is a who’s who of NHL speedsters. When the 2012-13 NHL season was partially lost to a lockout, star players like Patrick Kane and Tyler Seguin looked for work on teams in It is perhaps not surprising that Ehlers took to skating quite easily as a beautiful cities around the world. That brought them to Biel HC in Biel- child. Bienne, Switzerland. As a boy, a four-year-old Nik would watch his father practice with the Nik Ehlers practiced regularly with Biel HC and even suited up for 11 Berlin Capitals of the DEL – eyes wide, mind sharp, face pressed up games at just 16 years old. His speed and skill caught the eye of the NHL against the glass – with a quiet intensity unmatched by other kids his superstars he played with. age. “It all started when I was playing in Switzerland with Patrick Kane and And when practice was over and Heinz brought him onto the ice, Ehlers (Tyler) Seguin,” Ehlers said. “They kind of gave me a hint and told me to was an instant success on his skates. come over and play junior hockey over here – and it sounded exciting. So I went straight home and I was like, ‘Hey, listen, these guys are “I could see it all, already, after his second time on the ice,” Heinz said. saying this.’ “He was four years old and, I remember, I’d take him out on the ice after “I mean, I was 15 at the point. I was practicing and played the last half of the season in a pro hockey league in Switzerland, which is not bad hockey at all. Having those guys in the league and telling me that I should think about going over and playing… It’s pretty cool to hear.” Like Seguin and Kane, Heinz Ehlers knew his son had a special talent. When the path towards North American hockey and an NHL career began to look like a distinct possibility, he was fully supportive. Heinz saw his son’s skill, his speed, and – most of all – his drive to succeed. “He’s got ambition, I can tell you that,” Heinz said. “He wants to score, he wants to get better because he’s always done it his whole career. He’s ambitious. If you’re 15 years old and you’re playing in the highest league in Switzerland and one of the better leagues in Europe, then you’re going to know in yourself that you’re good. I guess hearing it from those kinds of guys, that motivated him to go to North America. “Of course, it hurts. It was tough, saying goodbye at the airport. But no problem – he should follow his dreams. He had a shot at making the NHL. I knew that was his goal – that was what he really wanted. “Why not just follow your dreams? Things turned out. It’s gone the right way.” Nik Ehlers’ next dream is to win the Stanley Cup. Winnipeg has clinched home-ice advantage to open the NHL playoffs and, thanks to a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, Ehlers knows his first round opponent will be the Minnesota Wild. “No one here is playing for second place,” he said on Thursday. But when the Jets face off against the Wild at Bell MTS Place Heinz Ehlers won’t be there – he will be getting ready for the 2018 World Hockey Championships in Denmark. Heinz Ehlers and I talked about the NHL playoffs, about the world championships, and about the kind of trash-talking text messages the Ehlers family throws around depending on whether Nik’s Chelsea FC, his brother’s Liverpool FC, or Heinz’s Manchester United are at the top of the English Premier League table. After all of that, Heinz still wanted to say this about his son: “The human being Nikolaj… I’m really proud of the way that he is. He’s very generous to the family and his friends and inviting people over all the time. And people really appreciate it. Especially with his talent. He’s making not yet the big money that he’s going to be making next year but he really tries to love the people around him. He’s just, in general, a good boy. The Athletic LOADED: 1107977 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin has grown into role as centreman

Pat Hickey, Published on: April 6, 2018 | Last Updated: April 6, 2018 5:48 PM EDT

TORONTO — There are still nights — one of them was Thursday in Detroit — when Jonathan Drouin loses twice as many faceoffs as he wins. And there are still nights when Drouin’s defensive shortcomings contribute to a plus/minus figure that is among the worst in the NHL. But those nights aren’t as frequent as they were in the first half of the season and the Canadiens will go into training camp next fall with Drouin pencilled in as a centre. Drouin saw some spot duty at centre when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he struggled early in the season. Coach Claude Julien said he’s seen improvement since then and Drouin was asked if he was a better player today. “Definitely, 100 per cent,” Drouin said after the Canadiens practice in preparation for Saturday’s season finale against the Toronto Maple Leafs. “Just playing this position now, it was different at the beginning, but I feel comfortable on faceoffs and playing in the defensive zone. As a centreman, I’ve gotten back to less thinking. The first couple months, you’re just thinking too much. Asking yourself: ‘Am I in the right place? Did I do the right thing? As I got used to it, it became easier.” For most of the season, Drouin’s success rate in the faceoff circle hovered around 40 per cent. There was a stretch last month when he was winning faceoffs at a 60-per-cent clip and his average for the season is close to 43 per cent. “I wish there was some easy answers,” Drouin said when asked about the improvement. “I tweaked a few things. Some nights it goes well and some nights it goes bad, but I’m definitely happy with the way the season ended. Drouin said experience helped. “In the beginning, you’re standing against those guys and you’re not clueless, but you don’t know them,” Drouin said. “After you’ve seen a guy for a few times, you get an idea what he likes to do. You look at video and it’s easier when you saw the guy the week before and that experience is fresh in your mind. “I know I can play this position,” Drouin said. “I can skate with centres in this league. I can move my feet, move the puck. There are some areas that need to get better.” There were questions about his future earlier this year when general manager Marc Bergevin suggested, in an ideal world, Drouin might be better suited to playing on the wing. Julien was asked whether that comment might have led Drouin to kick his game up a notch. “I don’t know but, if it did, that’s great,” Julien said. “But, at the same time when Marc said ‘in an ideal world,’ it doesn’t mean it’s an ideal world. We like the fact he’s had a whole year to play there, where he’s played before in junior hockey, and he’s learned a lot. So we have some great options next year. “If we need him at centre, he’s a centre,” Julien said. “If we have too many centres and we need him on the wing, we know he can play there. We’re not trying to predict. But what’s he’s done is take a lot of pride in his work. He’s progressed a lot throughout the year and we’ve seen him on the penalty kill and important faceoffs where he’s gotten better. At the same time, late in the game he realizes what he has to do first, before scoring into an empty net. He’s shown some maturity in his game.” Given the Canadiens’ recent history, the idea of having too many centres is a stretch, which is why Drouin will be in the middle of things again next season. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107978 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens prospect Jake Evans leads Notre Dame to another dramatic win

Pat Hickey Published on: April 6, 2018 | Last Updated: April 6, 2018 1:11 PM EDT

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin wants to sign Jake Evans, but that move is on hold because Evans has some unfinished business at Notre Dame. Evans scored with 5.2 seconds remaining Thursday night to give the No. 2-ranked Fighting Irish a 4-3 win over No. 10 Michigan in the semifinals of the NCAA hockey championship in St. Paul, Minn. Notre Dame will meet No. 11 Minnesota-Duluth — a 2-1 winner over No. 5 Ohio State — in the Frozen Four final on Saturday (7:30 p.m., TSN2). Bergevin said he hopes to have Evans in uniform for the Laval Rocket’s final two AHL games next weekend. “I offered him a contract last year, but he said he wanted to finish school,” said Bergevin. Evans, who was the Canadiens’ seventh-round draft choice (No. 207 overall) in 2014, wanted to finish his management degree at Notre Dame and return as team captain for another shot at an NCAA title after losing 6-1 to champion Denver in last year’s semifinals. The win Thursday was the latest in a series of heart-stopping wins for Notre Dame. The Irish needed overtime to beat Michigan Tech in the first round and then edged Northeastern with another last-minute goal. “These tight games, obviously we want to keep piling up goals, but this time of year that’s not going to happen,” Evans, who had two goals and an assist, told USCHO.com. “It’s a lot of fun because our team’s got so much confidence. When we’re down one, down two or getting a late goal, we’re a calm team. We’re a unit.” Three of the four Irish goals were scored after Evans won faceoffs. “(Faceoffs were) a point of emphasis all week in practice, believe it or not, because Michigan (dominated faceoffs) when we faced them earlier,” said Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson. “When Jake Evans gets dominated, that’s cause for concern because he’s one of the best (centres) I’ve ever had.” It’s been a big week for Evans. On Wednesday, he was introduced as the winner of the Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107979 Montreal Canadiens be much winning and the fire-Bergevin movement will once again have the wind in its sails.

If I were a betting man, my wager would be that Bergevin won’t deal What the Puck: Canadiens' future rides on Carey Price rebound Price because it’s too great a risk and he can’t face the idea that he will be vilified for trading yet another player who is a fan favourite and an all- star — especially after the blockbuster trade involving a certain Norris Brendan Kelly, Published on: April 6, 2018 | Last Updated: April 6, 2018 Trophy defenceman whose name must not be mentioned. 2:42 PM EDT In other words, the great Montreal Price debate will probably still be raging next fall. Canadiens goalie Carey Price is a man of mystery. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 Let’s face it, none of us knows what’s going on between this guy’s ears. He has always been a man of few words and even fewer visible emotions. He comes out after a dramatic playoff win and he sounds like he’s about to fall asleep. He comes out after a meaningless and he sounds like he’s about to fall asleep. He is calm with gusts up to catatonic when speaking with journalists. So what’s he thinking? We have no idea. This season, he stopped doing the salute to fans with the other players at the end of the game, and that had many fans and some media commentators saying he was showing contempt for the team’s supporters. That was around the same time that one of the hottest topics of conversation in town was whether troubles in Price’s personal life were the reason he was struggling so badly between the pipes. The gossip reached such a crescendo that his wife, Angela, put up a social media post to insist that everything was hunky dory in their marriage. On Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, all seemed well once again between Price and the fans. The crowd gave him a rousing ovation following a video tribute prepared by the Habs to mark the fact that with that game, Price had played the most games as a goalie with the Canadiens, passing Jacques Plante. It was Price’s 557th start for the Habs. The tribute was moving. But this being the 2017-18 Canadiens, they still lost the game to the Winnipeg Jets and Price looked weak on a couple of the goals. There are so many questions still hovering around the future of Price and the Canadiens. His eight-year, US$84-million contract kicks in next season and there is no getting around the reality that since he signed that big-bucks deal, he has been quite simply dreadful in goal. He let in five goals Tuesday and his stats, heading into Saturday’s season finale against the Maple Leafs in Toronto, are terrible: a 16-25-7 record, .901 save percentage and 3.09 goals-against average. It could be a one-season blip, but naysayers are quick to point out he had a lengthy just-as-terrible stint last season. Price is also becoming increasingly injury prone. In short, that contract is one major roll of the dice and I’d say the fan base is evenly split in terms of believing it’s a good or bad deal for the team. Price is playing for a truly awful hockey team this season — one that is deservedly wallowing near the bottom of the NHL standings — but his pathetic blue-line corps doesn’t explain why he is unable to consistently make what should be routine saves. All the gossip might be just that — gossip — but there is something wrong and it doesn’t just seem to be physical. In so many games during the past two seasons, he’s seemed unfocused and that’s the worst thing that could happen to a goalie. If you’re a fan, you hope he bounces back next season. But until he does, there’s no guarantee it’ll happen. Perhaps he’d be happier playing somewhere else, but he signed an eight-year deal to stay here, so there’s certainly evidence to suggest his plan is to finish his career in Montreal. But is he satisfied with the team general manager Marc Bergevin has put in front of him? It’s nearly impossible to imagine the answer to that question is “yes”. If Bergevin were to ask him to waive his no-trade clause to move to Edmonton, would he give the team the green light? Just imagine the Oilers with Connor McDavid up front and Price in nets. On the other side of the ledger, should Habs management be at least mulling over the notion of trying to trade Price? They should, at a minimum, spend some time thinking about it. Would you really say “no” on the spot to a swap of Price for, say, Leon Draisaitl and maybe a draft pick or two? This is a high-stakes game for Bergevin. He needs to get the team back on a winning track and if Price doesn’t regain his all-star form, there won’t 1107980 Montreal Canadiens Moose Jaw’s Brayden Burke won the series with 3:40 remaining in Game 7, and now the Warriors face Swift Current, the WHL’s second- winningest team, in Round 2. Habs Prospects Notebook: Several prospects enjoying postseason Cale Fleury – D- Regina Pats success Divisional playoffs can be a beautiful thing. It takes regular season rivals and pits them against each other in the playoffs year after year. The By Mitch Brown Apr 6, 2018 downside is that loaded divisions will see a high-end team bow out in the first round. And that’s exactly what just happened to Fleury’s Regina Pats. It’s playoff time! Well, not for the Canadiens, but for a number of their Regina took the Swift Current Broncos to seven games, and dominated prospects. Game 7, but ultimately fell 3-2. Fleury, from start to finish, was arguably the best blueliner in the series, contributing at both ends of the rink. Through the early stages of the CHL playoffs and in Europe, several Canadiens prospects are having notable performances. But Regina’s season isn’t over. As the hosts, they're guaranteed a berth when the tournament begins on May 18. With a Only three of the Canadiens' CHL and European prospects have been month and a half off, Regina will have a ton of time to prepare. In the eliminated from the postseason, while another six are gearing up for the meantime, Fleury might sign his entry-level deal, but he won’t be able to second round. start his professional career until next season. In the NCAA, Jake Evans is getting ready for the championship game Joni Ikonen – C – KalPa Kuopio after a clutch performance in the national semi-final. KalPa lost in six games and Ikonen had just one point, but he was among Jake Evans – C – University of Notre Dame the best players in the series despite averaging just over 14 minutes per game. He racked up 23 shots in six games, among them at least 10 The Frozen Four began on Thursday, with Evans and Notre Dame scoring chances. He was unable to solve the goaltender on some, topping the University of Michigan. Two defensive miscues were the only missed the net completely on others. While potting a couple of those troubles Evans had, and he took over the second period after Notre chances could’ve changed KalPa’s fate, Ikonen’s performance was a Dame went down 2-0. reminder of his high skill in a season otherwise devoid of it. He played a The comeback began with Evans quickly spinning away from a check in key role as a third line centre, and finally worked his way on to the power his own zone and starting the breakout in his trademark methodical way. play, often seeing first unit powerplay time. Ikonen’s production was poor By the time the rush was finished, Evans had beat four defenders and this season, but down the stretch, he really improved. Look for a potential drawn a penalty. Just seconds into the powerplay, Evans set up Andrew breakout next season. Oglevie to bring Notre Dame to within one. Michael Pezzetta – LW/C – Sarnia Sting A few shifts later, Evans won a faceoff, drifted to the point, and fired off Just as the regular season turned to playoffs, Pezzetta went quiet. The that one-timer he’s worked so hard to perfect. The shot floated into the recently signed prospect has just 11 points his last 24 games, including top corner, tying the game at two. six playoff games. His performance has waned, with his impact generally Notre Dame would add another to grab their first lead of the game, but being minute at best. Because Pezzetta is a complementary piece, Michigan answered during a dominant third period. The game looked Sarnia's offence was able to mask his lack of production down the stretch destined for overtime. in the first round. But a second-round matchup against a well-rounded Kitchener Rangers squad will require a better effort from Pezzetta. But then, with just over 10 seconds remaining, Evans retrieved the puck in his own zone and started the breakout. Hayden Verbeek – C – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds With the clock ticking away, Evans didn't rush. Instead, he found Cam The newest Canadiens prospect opened the playoffs with three points in Morrison on the wing. Morrison returned the feed to Evans, who slid the four games as Sault Ste. Marie swept Saginaw. The Greyhounds are the puck along the ice, through Michigan’s goaltender, and into the back of favourites in the OHL playoffs, and high-powered third line trio of the net with just 5.2 seconds remaining in the third period. Verbeek, Tim Gettinger, and Keeghan Howdeshell is a significant reason why. Verbeek’s speed and tenacity make him one of the most consistent On Saturday, Notre Dame will take on Minnesota Duluth for the national performers in the league, and he has enough skill to make an impact on title. If Notre Dame wins, it will be their first championship in program the scoresheet. Sault Ste. Marie has three legitimate scoring lines, a history. deep blue line, and a goaltender that can steal games. Anything less than an appearance in the finals would be a shock, but a surging Owen Will Bitten – RW – Hamilton Bulldogs Sound Attack team may give them trouble in the second round. The Hamilton Bulldogs and Bitten took down the Ottawa 67s and his The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 brother Sam Bitten to advance to the second round of the OHL playoffs. Bitten got off to a quiet start, but a greasy goal got the ball rolling for him in Game 2. He followed it up a with a stellar four-point performance in Game 3 and a pair of assists in the final two games. The turbocharged Bitten has a game seemingly built for the playoffs, with speed, skill, and physicality. He’s been used as a Swiss Army Knife of sorts, playing both special teams, and filling in across the top three lines. Armed with at least six top-four defencemen and some of the CHL’s best depth, Hamilton is a legitimate contender for the OHL title. But their path won’t be easy. In round two, they will take on a deceptively strong Niagara squad. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they’ll take on either Barrie or Kingston, two of the league’s most explosive offences. Josh Brook – D – Moose Jaw Warriors The took the Moose Jaw Warriors, the WHL’s regular season leader, to Game 7 in the opening round of the WHL playoffs. Part of Moose Jaw’s struggles stemmed from their uncharacteristically weak transition game, and Brook’s up-and-down play was a big reason. There were stretches where Brook relied heavily on dump outs to exit the zone, his breakout passes were weak, and he struggled to defend the blue line. But every now and then, notably Game 3 and Game 7, Brook found seams in the forecheck, and his breakout ability shone. And there was no play more thrilling than his end-to-end rush setting the stage for a Moose Jaw comeback. 1107981 Nashville Predators

Delivered: NHL receives the special package from 'Catfish' Briley

David Ammenheuser, Published 10:11 a.m. CT April 6, 2018 | Updated 12:24 p.m. CT April 6, 2018

Briley Meeks special package to the NHL has been delivered. Briley Meeks, the 25-year-old Predators fan who spent $141.75 to mail a dead catfish to the NHL office in Toronto, told The Tennessean that she knows the package was delivered. As of Friday morning, she has not heard from the NHL. But she knows they received it. "They had to sign for it! Ha!," she texted The Tennessean. She paid for tracking of the shipment. The tracking shows that H CHORZEPA signed for the DHL Express Worldwide package at the league's office on 12:29 p.m. (ET) on Thursday. She forwarded a copy of her tracking receipt to The Tennessean. She sent the package as a protest of the league's ruling that Filip Forsberg's last-second tying goal against Florida on Tuesday night did not count because of teammate Viktor Arvidsson's goaltender interference. The goal prevented the game from going into overtime. And instead of the Predators possibly winning in overtime and capturing the franchise's first Western Conference title, the team lost the game. Predators fan Briley Meeks mails frozen catfish to NHL offices in Toronto after controversial call in Predators - Panthers game. for Tennessean The Predators won the Western Conference title with a win at Washington on Thursday. Meeks' story has gone viral. She plans to be at the Predators' final regular-season home game at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday against Columbus. Tennessean LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107982 Nashville Predators Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) works to clear Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson (9) from in front of goaltender Juuse Saros (74) during the second period of an NHL hockey game The Predators, the Presidents' Trophy and NHL playoff success: A Sunday, April 1, 2018, in Tampa, Fla. Jason Behnken / AP primer UPCOMING PREDATORS GAMES Regular-season finale: Saturday, 7 p.m. vs. Columbus David Ammenheuser and J.J. Hensley, The Tennessean Published 9:11 Playoffs: Begin Wednesday or Thursday, vs. Colorado or St. Louis at a.m. CT April 6, 2018 | Updated 10:28 a.m. CT April 6, 2018 Bridgestone Arena. Tennessean LOADED: 04.07.2018 Three titles down. One elusive one to go. On Thursday, the Predators clinched their first Central Division and Western Conference championships. And they also claimed the Presidents' Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL team with the best regular-season record. But does the Presidents' Trophy make the Predators the favorite to win four straight playoff series and that fourth elusive title — the Stanley Cup? The playoffs begin next week when Nashville will play either St. Louis or Colorado in the first round. Will the playoff ride conclude in March with a parade down Broadway? History hasn't been so favorable. The league's best regular-season team hasn't won the Stanley Cup since Chicago claimed it after the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season. Washington won the last two Presidents' Trophies. The Capitals were then eliminated in the second round both seasons. Pittsburgh, which beat Nashville in the Stanley Cup Final last season, finished second in the Metropolitan Division during the regular-season. Only eight teams that finished the regular season with the best record have gone on to win the Stanley Cup since the NHL began awarding the President's Trophy in 1986. The most recent: Chicago in 2013, Detroit in 2008 and '02, and Colorado in 2001. It's hardly any different in North America's three other major pro leagues, where finishing first just might be the worst. A league-by-league glance: MLB Before the Cubs won it all in 2016, you had to go back to the 1986 New York Mets to find a National League team that won the World Series in the same season it finished with the best record in baseball. The Cubs and the Dodgers going to the World Series in back-to-back seasons with the NL’s best records brought some respectability back to the league: the previous six NL teams to finish with baseball's best record failed to even reach the World Series. The last team to do that was the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals, who went 105-57, but were swept in four games by the Boston Red Sox. On the American League side, of the past eight teams to post baseball's best record, only the 2013 Red Sox, 2009 Yankees and 2007 Red Sox have gone on to win the World Series. NBA The trend has been much better in pro basketball. Four of the past five NBA champions have had the best record: The Warriors did it twice (2017 and 2015), along with the Spurs in 2014 and the Heat in 2013. It would have been a clean sweep, too, had the 73-win Warriors not fallen to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. NFL The best record in football is hardly a sure-shot for a team to win the Super Bowl, though those chances have improved of late. The most glaring example of regular season success and postseason heartbreak comes courtesy of Tom Brady and the 2007 New England Patriots. After becoming the NFL's first team to win all 16 regular-season games, they lost the championship to the NFC's fifth-seeded New York Giants. But the Patriots won it all in 2016 (thanks to a remarkable comeback against the Atlanta Falcons) after securing the league’s best regular- season record. And the Philadelphia Eagles were tied for the best regular-season record in 2017 before winning Super Bowl LII. 1107983 Nashville Predators

Predators prepared to recreate buzz of last season's Stanley Cup playoff run

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 7:25 a.m. CT April 6, 2018 | Updated 11:38 a.m. CT April 6, 2018

The tremendous success of the Predators’ unexpected Stanley Cup Final run last season can be tied to its novelty. Nashville embraced the team like never before. With each passing playoff series, fan support swelled and captured international attention. Watch parties outside Bridgestone Arena, which began as respectable gatherings attended by diehards, ballooned into Broadway-clogging events. "I really think last year was a lightning-in-a-bottle kind of thing," said Scott Barry, better known by his wrestling-inspired "Ultimate Predator" alter ego. "It was the first. There were a lot of firsts happening, and everybody wanted to be a part of the first and wanted to be a part of the excitement." Last year, the Predators unexpected Stanley Cup run saw a lot of fanfare. This year, the team is looking to go even bigger to surpass expectations. That's the challenge that the Predators have long been preparing for. How will they create similar buzz when the playoffs start next week now that an expectation has been set? "There's no doubt matching last year is going to be hard," Predators president and CEO Sean Henry said. "But it's also why we're probably investing two-and-a-half times what we did last year into our game entertainment. ... We're going to be doing some things that I don't think have been done before in our sport." Henry didn't divulge any specifics, but hinted at an impressive pregame presentation that will be capped off each night by the return of star- studded national anthem performances. Carrie Underwood, the first of 11 high-profile country artists to sing last season, promised “great surprises" in an email to The Tennessean earlier this week. "The only way I can think to make it bigger and try to keep that attention span is to make it bigger," Barry said. Most importantly, the Predators are better this season, which should generate more excitement at the outset of the postseason. The Predators were an eighth-seeded underdog last season, starting each of their four series on the road. As they prepare for their regular-season finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, they've already clinched the NHL's best record and home-ice advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs. The Predators will host Game 1 at Bridgestone Arena on either Wednesday or Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche or St. Louis Blues. "We can put on a great show, but the real show happens when the puck drops," Henry said. "This is the most talented team we've ever had. There are two things that are slightly better than last year going for us — the team we have on the ice (and the fact) we've all walked through this experience now." Tennessean LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107984 Nashville Predators

Predators will play Avalanche or Blues in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 7:00 a.m. CT April 6, 2018 | Updated 11:36 a.m. CT April 6, 2018

The result of the Predators’ regular-season finale Saturday will be insignificant. Not to discount what should be an entertaining game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the Predators have nothing at stake. They clinched the Presidents’ Trophy on Thursday by defeating the Washington Capitals to guarantee home-ice advantage throughout the entirety of the Stanley Cup playoffs. “I think it’s definitely something we take a lot of pride in,” Predators captain Roman Josi said of the accomplishment. “We worked hard all year for this. Obviously the big goal remains to win the Stanley Cup, but it’s definitely something we’re proud of.” The outcome that will matter Saturday is of the game in Denver between the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues, which will determine the Predators’ first-round opponent. The Predators will host whomever advances at Bridgestone Arena in Game 1 on either Wednesday or Thursday. Colorado holds the second wild-card spot by one point, though St. Louis has one game in hand that will be played Friday at the Chicago Blackhawks. The Predators swept both season series, winning four games against each team. A series against the Avalanche probably is preferable from a matchup standpoint, seeing as the Predators have defeated them 10 consecutive times dating to April 2016. Colorado also will be without starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov and top defenseman Erik Johnson, both of whom are sidelined with knee injuries. The central challenge of that potential series would be neutralizing Avalanche forward and Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon, whose 95 points this season are fifth-most in the NHL. His line, rounded out by Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen, is among the most high-powered in the league with a goal differential of plus-20 at even strength. There also is the threat of Colin Wilson reprising his well-noted playoff heroics against his former team. If the Predators were to play the Blues, it would be a rematch of a heated second-round series won last season by Nashville in six games. The Blues used a six-game winning streak last month to resurrect their playoff hopes, but had lost four in a row before facing the Blackhawks on Friday. Regardless of whom the Predators draw in the first round, they’ll be considered heavy favorites. "We know that the playoffs will now trump the regular season," Predators general manager David Poile said. "Last year, we didn’t have home-ice advantage for four rounds. Now this year, if we’re fortunate enough to have any success, we have home-ice advantage. Hopefully our efforts through 81 games, 82 games after Saturday night, will be worth that.” Tennessean LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107985 Nashville Predators

Nashville Mayor David Briley reimburses Predators fan who shipped catfish to NHL

Mike Reicher, USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee Published 4:58 p.m. CT April 6, 2018 | Updated 5:53 p.m. CT April 6, 2018

She had to step away from coloring a client's hair Friday afternoon to accept an envelope of cash from the mayor. Briley Meeks said she was shocked to see Nashville Mayor David Briley come to her Madison hair salon, with an entourage of camera crews and security. Briley handed her $141.75, for the cost of buying and shipping two headless catfish to the NHL headquarters in Toronto. "This is insane," said Meeks, looking at the envelope, now stained with hair dye. Meeks is the 25-year-old Predators fan who mailed the fish as a protest of the league's ruling that Filip Forsberg's last-second tying goal against Florida on Tuesday night did not count because of teammate Viktor Arvidsson's goaltender interference. Mayor Briley said he was reimbursing her "for doing the right thing, and letting the NHL know how disappointed we were." "No taxpayer money is at issue here," the mayor added. "It's my own money." Meeks said she received a call from the Predators Friday telling her the NHL received the fish, and that NHL officials found it funny. "I thought they were going to be mad," she said. "I'm glad they got a kick out of it." The goal prevented the game from going into overtime. And instead of the Predators possibly winning in overtime and capturing the franchise's first Western Conference title, the team lost the game. "I saw the rules pretty clearly as giving us a goal," said Briley. After the controversial loss, Predators fans were outraged. How dare the NHL's "situation room" in its Toronto league office disallow a goal which would have been one of the most dramatic and most important goals in the franchise's 20-year history. The goal that wasn't: Forsberg says NHL and officials 'not on the same page' Meeks tracked down the league office's address. She called U.S. Customs to make sure that the fish could travel over the international border. The catfish was only $7.25. She paid $134.50 for overnight shipping so she could track when the fish arrived at the NHL office. The tracking shows that H CHORZEPA signed for the DHL Express Worldwide package at the league's office on 12:29 p.m. (ET) on Thursday. Tennessean LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107986 Nashville Predators In two seasons at Tech, Satterfield posted a record of 6-16. He was fired on Nov. 19 and accepted the position at ETSU on Jan. 11.

Lipscomb's Alexander earns Prosser award Predators TV ratings soar after years of being rock bottom Casey Alexander

Lipscomb basketball coach Casey Alexander was named the 2018 Skip Mike Organ, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee Published 1:00 p.m. Prosser Man of the Year at the CollegeInsider.com banquet at the Final CT April 5, 2018 | Updated 7:14 p.m. CT April 5, 2018 Four in San Antonio, Texas. Alexander, a former Brentwood Academy and Belmont basketball star, Include their latest television ratings among the records the Predators led Lipscomb to a 23-10 record and its first Atlantic Sun tournament have set this season. championship and NCAA tournament berth. For many years, the Predators' local TV ratings were extremely low, Hugs all around for the players in the Lipscomb locker room after they fell usually falling well below even one point. A single point represents to North Carolina 64-66 in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 10,307 Nashville households. Friday March 16, 2018, in Charlotte, NC Larry McCormack / Tennessean.co Since their Stanley Cup run last season and throughout their continued success this season, however, the ratings have soared. The Prosser award, named after the coach who posted a career record of 291-146 at Loyola, Xavier and Wake Forest, was established in 2008, Local ratings through 71 games televised on the year after Prosser died, to honor coaches who achieve success on through April 1 averaged a 2.1, Fox Sports Tennessee senior vice the court and display moral integrity off it. president and general manager Jeff Genthner said. "I didn't know Skip Prosser personally, but I do know he was an That is a whopping 165 percent increase over the same number of accomplished, highly respected and well-liked coach that influenced the games during the 2016-17 season. lives of many," Alexander said. "It's an honor to win an award that bears his name." Two games this season broke the franchise's ratings records dating back more than 10 years. The March 8 game against Anaheim earned a 3.8 David Edgar rating (39,167 households), marking the highest-rated regular-season game since 2006. Nashville SC signed defender David Edgar, 30, who spent a total of 13 years playing in England's Premier League and . The March 1 game against Edmonton was the second-highest with a 3.2 rating. He is a native of Kitchener, Ontario, and has been a mainstay on the Canadian national team since 2011. He made 42 appearances for the Predators games also are streamed on the Fox Sports Go app and are national team and served as captain during the 2015 CONCACAF Gold indicating triple-digit growth, with an average minutes streamed per game Cup. up 600 percent since last season. Unique streamers per game are up 402 percent, and total streams per game are up 230 percent. "David is a very experienced center back, who offers real physical and central experience," Nashville SC coach Gary Smith said. The Predators' TV ratings started higher at the beginning of the current season and went up from there. Report: Liverpool to play Borussia Dortmund in Nashville "The first month (October) of the 2017-18 season produced a 1.6 rating, Speaking of pro soccer, WorldSoccerTalk.com reported Liverpool more than double the best month of the 2016-17 regular season," Football Club will play Borussia Dortmund in a friendly match on July 22 Genthner said. "And the ratings grew each month thereafter ... that's at Nissan Stadium. when we knew that coming off a Stanley Cup appearance, Predators Last summer, Manchester City played Tottenham Hotspur at Nissan Fever was here to stay." Stadium. A soccer attendance record of 56,232 showed up. The ratings are expected to go up even more with the playoffs starting Liverpool is expected to announce its tour dates later this month. soon. John Ed Garrett, retired Metro Schools personnel director, has written a Former Fox 17 sports director and anchor Paul Jones has accepted a new book with Jack Van Hooser. position as a sports anchor/reporter at KXAS-5, the NBC affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth. Van Hooser, 86, who now lives in Nashville, was an outstanding football, basketball and baseball player at Columbia Central High (1948-51). He Jones resigned at Fox 17 on Feb. 28 after 16 years. went on to play quarterback at Tennessee Tech and later held several He turned down a raise and three-year contract at Fox 17 and said at the offices in the state government. time he had no immediate plans. Van Hooser had a difficult childhood, which included being homeless at Rodney Hamilton, who spent the past six years as an assistant at times. The book “Unstable Times-Unlikely Outcomes” is Van Hooser's Tennessee State, is expected to be the new director of basketball first-person account as told to Garrett, who writes under the name Garrett operations on Penny Hardaway’s staff at Memphis, The Commercial Williams. Appeal reported. Despite his upbringing, Van Hooser earned 11 varsity letters, was Hamilton, a Memphis native, was on Dana Ford's and Travis Williams’ elected team captain in each sport he played, was all-state in football and staffs at TSU. student body president. He was offered football scholarships from Vanderbilt, Clemson, Kentucky, Ole Miss, SMU and MTSU along with He began his coaching career at Westside High in Memphis in 2001. Tech. Former Vanderbilt defensive coordinator and Furman head coach Bruce Van Hooser, who was inducted into the Tech Sports Hall of Fame in Fowler is coach of the new football program and athletics director at 1978, still speaks routinely at civic luncheons and other public meetings. Lakeway Christian Academy in Morristown, Tenn. The team will start playing this fall. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores. Fowler was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach on Bobby Garrett, whose son Jim Ed Garrett was an outstanding basketball player Johnson’s staff at Vanderbilt (2002-09). He remained at Vanderbilt in at Madison High (1976-80), has written several books in his retirement. 2010 when Robbie Caldwell took over as interim coach for one season. Vanderbilt's Parkinson accepts Arkansas communications job In 2011, Fowler returned to his alma mater, Furman, as head coach and Kyle Parkinson remained through 2016. Kyle Parkinson, who spent the past eight years in the Vanderbilt sports Former Tennessee Tech football coach Marcus Satterfield, who was fired information department including the past year and a half as assistant at the end of last season and joined the staff at East Tennessee State as athletics director for communications, has been named associate AD for offensive coordinator, has joined the staff at Baylor. communications at Arkansas. Satterfield will serve in a player development position for Baylor coach Parkinson is an Arkansas graduate. Matt Rhule. Satterfield was on Rhule’s staff at Temple (2013-15) as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks and running backs coach. The announcement came from Arkansas Vice Chancellor and AD Hunter Yurachek, who served as Vanderbilt’s assistant AD for marketing (1998- 2000). Parkinson arrived at Vanderbilt as the baseball sports information director in 2010 and remained in that role through 2016. Easter earns TSSAA award for 50 years of service Luke Easter Luke Easter estimates he has officiated at least 1,000 football games in his career. He will be 84 later this month and still calls junior high games from time to time at Montgomery Bell Academy. Easter recently received the TSSAA Award of Merit for 50 years of service. Easter, who coached football, basketball and baseball at Madison and Two Rivers, also has called lots of boys and girls high school basketball games and youth league baseball games in the summers. Belmont's Strong was a candidate at North Alabama Former Vanderbilt player and current Belmont assistant James Strong was a candidate for the North Alabama coaching vacancy, which was filled earlier this week by former Wyoming and Alabama assistant Tony Pujol. Bobby Champagne was fired at North Alabama at the end of this past season. Trevecca's 2018 Hall of Fame class announced Curtis Lewis The 2018 Trevecca Hall of Fame class features five inductees. They are: Chelsea Bailey Bradley (softball, 2006-09), Curtis Lewis (basketball, 2000-04), Rone’ Phelps Russell (softball, 2006-09), Mindy Seigenthaler Norris (golf, 2004-07) and Michael Johnson (public address announcer, softball coach, golf coach). The induction will be on April 25 in the Boone Convocation Center on campus. With these five additions, the Trevecca Athletic Hall of Fame, which started in 1993, will have a total of 74 members. TSU duo team up in National Arena League Mike German Former TSU quarterback Mike German and receiver Devin Wilson signed recently with the Maine Mammoths, who are set to play their inaugural season in the National Arena League. German is TSU's all-time leader in career passing yards (8,664), completions (655) and attempts (1,142). He went through Titans rookie minicamp in 2015 and played last season for Salina Liberty. Wilson, a 2009 graduate of Pope John Paul II, played last season for NAL champion Jacksonville and in 2016 for the Cleveland Gladiators. Former TSU offensive tackle CorneliusLewis is playing for the Massachusetts Pirates. Couey replaces Farrar as coach at Providence Christian Former Oakland High and Belmont basketball and tennis player Michael Couey is the new coach at Providence Christian Academy in Murfreesboro. Couey, 41, previously served as an assistant at Christ Presbyterian Academy and La Vergne and was the head coach at Bartlett (2007-08). He replaced David Farrar, the former MTSU head coach, who retired at Providence. Couey was a three-year starter on Belmont's basketball team and also the Bruins' No. 2 singles and a No. 1 doubles tennis player in 1996. He stopped playing tennis after his freshman season. Tennessean LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107987 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Taylor Hall: 'We made our own way' to playoff berth

Posted April 6, 2018 at 6:45 AM By Chris Ryan

There wasn't much more the Devils could have done to ensure a spot in the playoffs. Thursday's 2-1 clinching win over the Toronto Maple Leafs added the Devils' best 13-game stretch of the season, where they are 10-2-1. With teams nipping at their heels throughout the final weeks of the season, the Devils didn't have many other options outside of winning, and they secured their postseason spot with their own success rather than another team's failures. "The fact that we're in, you know, we didn't limp in," forward Taylor Hall said. "We didn't get help from other teams. We played our way in. That's the coolest thing about this season. We made our own way." Devils clinch first playoff spot since 2012 The Devils will finish with at least 97 points, with the chance to jump up to 99 with a win in their final game of the season on Saturday against the Washington Capitals. Regardless of the final number in the standings, the Devils will be far and above the 70 points that landed them in the basement of the Eastern Conference last season. Many pegged the Devils to finish 2017-18 in a similar spot, and that only fueled their fire. "We wanted to prove people wrong, and as a group, we have a lot of people in here that have had to do that," Hall said. "As a team we've done it, so I'm not sure what our record is here down the stretch, but the fact that we were able to play as well as we have and win games, it's a credit to guys in here for coming up when pressure's on." Devils players and coaches have talked about their own expectations since training camp, and the group believed they had the personnel to at least be a competitive team in March and April. Their play put them in a spot to compete for a playoff spot, and that desire and trust pushed them to the postseason for the first time since 2012. "There's a lot of belief in this room of what we're capable of as a team," forward Travis Zajac said. "I think that can go a long way, more than talent or skill in some areas. We've always been a group that's had a strong work ethic and commitment to playing the right way. To be rewarded for that, coaches, management, everyone, it's a good feeling." Star Ledger LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107988 New Jersey Devils

Behind Keith Kinkaid's 'surreal' path to becoming late-season hero for Devils

Posted April 6, 2018 at 6:15 AM By Chris Ryan

When Keith Kinkaid stepped into a starting goalie role for the Devils in late January, it was unclear how long it would last. With starter Cory Schneider sidelined with a groin injury, it could have been a few games. Maybe a few weeks. Now more than two months later, Kinkaid never gave the job back, even when Schneider returned healthy at the start of March. Kinkaid capped off a remarkable run to get the Devils into the postseason with a 31-save effort in a 2-1 playoff-clinching win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday at in Newark. "It's kind of surreal. I've always dreamed about it, but never really had the opportunity," Kinkaid told NJ Advance Media. "You don't want to see your teammate go down, but it shows the confidence the coaching staff has in me, the guys around me. I just want to do my part. Work hard in practice or get thrown into a game. Winning's fun, so it's surreal." Devils clinch first playoff spot since 2012 Since Schneider's injury on Jan. 23, Kinkaid is 19-6-1, and in his past 19 starts dating back to Feb. 13, Kinkaid is 16-2-1. In starting the past eight games for the Devils, he is 7-0-1. Kinkaid has made it a habit of keeping opponents to two goals or fewer, doing so in 10 of his last 19 starts. Even when he has slipped up and surrendered an early goal in a game, he has found ways to shake it off and give the Devils a chance to win the game. "Maybe the past few years I've had a problem keeping it at bay, if they get one or two early," Kinkaid said. "I'd give up a third one in the third period. But I really worked hard to stay focused and take it one shot at a time and just let our guys do their job to come back. I think that's made our team better, and definitely confidence-wise for me." The Devils have had Schneider as a healthy option since the start of March. Some struggles in his few appearances opened the door for Kinkaid. The Devils kept preparing Schneider to get some more work, but Kinkaid's play forced the hand of coach John Hynes to keep him in the lineup. "Keith really signifies what our team has been about," Hynes said. "We've gone through different situations where guys have had to step up, whether it's because of injuries or competition within our team. To see him play the way he has played and be in this situation, he's worked hard for it. It's nice to see, and hopefully he continues at the same level he's been at now." Countless times over recent weeks, Kinkaid has found himself bailing out the Devils with a difficult save in a big moment, and he did it again on Thursday when he stopped all 23 shots he faced over the final two periods to let the Devils rally and protect their lead. During his current eight-game run, seven results were decided by one goal, where Kinkaid went 6-0-1. "That's playoff hockey right there," Kinkaid said. "All these games leading up to it, the way we had to punch our own ticket, I think that shows and makes us a better team and a closer team." Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook. Star Ledger LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107989 New Jersey Devils the playoffs, the Lightning will go against a team they did not beat in the regular season.

The Devils won all three meetings between the teams, with a 5-4 Who will Devils face in NHL playoffs? Breaking down potential 1st-round shootout win in October in New Jersey, a 4-3 regulation win in February opponents in Tampa and a 2-1 regulation win in March in New Jersey. Even with their 3-0-0 record against the Lightning, the Devils would have Posted April 06, 2018 at 06:00 AM | Updated April 06, 2018 at 06:58 AM their hands full against arguably the most talented and deepest team in the NHL, thanks to a few aggressive trade-deadline deals. The Lightning By Chris Ryan possess plenty of offensive firepower, and the Devils would need to use their speed and skill to keep pace.

Lightning players to watch So who are they going to play in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? • Nikita Kucherov: Kucherov has cooled off a tad over the second half of the season, but he raced out to the NHL scoring lead in the first half and That relies entirely on the outcome of a few final regular-season games ran with it for most of the season. He still ranks second in the NHL with on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Even though the Devils have just one 98 points, trailing only Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. regular-season game left, they can still finish in second or third place in the Metropolitan Division, or as the first or second wild card in the East. • Steven Stamkos: Most teams would consider themselves lucky to have a player as skilled as Kucherov. The Lightning have two. Stamkos has 86 Here are the five possible teams the Devils could play in the first round of points for the Lightning. He has dealt with a couple minor injuries in the the postseason, what it would take for those matchups to happen and a last couple weeks, but he should be a major factor for the team in the look at each of the teams. postseason. Boston Bruins • Victor Hedman: Hedman is a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman, and now that the Lightning have Ryan McDonagh added to the fold, they Scenario where they play: Bruins win Atlantic Division; Devils finish as have a deep and dangerous blue line. second wild card. • Brayden Point: With the depth and firepower the Lightning have on the Bruins' record: 49-19-12 top line, they've got some scary players behind the top three. One of Devils' 2017-18 head-to-head record: 0-2-1 them is Point, who has 31 goals and 34 assists in his second NHL season. Boston Bruins v New Jersey Devils Playoff-bound: Devils clinch 1st postseason spot since 2012 The Devils' record against the Bruins may not look great, but they actually played some of their best hockey in their two regulation losses. Washington Capitals Both of those came in the second legs of back-to-backs, where the Scenario where they play: Devils finish as the first wild card. The Capitals Devils traveled the previous night after a game. They stayed within one already secured first place in the Metropolitan Division and will play the goal late into each game, even though one ended with an empty netter. East's first wild card in the playoffs, since they cannot surpass the Bruins They took a hard 3-2 loss in Boston without Taylor Hall in the lineup due or Lightning for the conference's top seed. to injury. Capitals' record: 48-26-7 Even with those close calls, the Devils would have an uphill battle against the Bruins. Since they last played early in February, they added pieces at Devils' 2017-18 head-to-head record: 1-2-0 (one game to play on the trade deadline, including forward Rick Nash from the Rangers, and Saturday at Washington) they have gone back and forth with the Lightning as the top team in the Eastern Conference, even with some injury trouble. If they win their If nothing changes in the standings, the Devils would have a first-round division and the Devils stay in the second wild card, this is will be the matchup with the division-winning Capitals. first-round matchup. The Devils haven't played their best hockey against the Capitals this Bruins players to watch season, losing a pair of 5-2 games before beating them in overtime in their third meeting. Playoff woes aside, the Capitals still have plenty of • Patrice Bergeron: Bergeron was putting together an MVP-caliber experience on their roster and won't be an easy first-round matchup. season before a broken foot cost him one month of games. But the center returned to the lineup in late March and will be ready for the Capitals players to watch postseason. He has 30 goals and 31 assists in 62 games, and along with his offensive skills, he is one of the best defensive centermen in the NHL. • Alex Ovechkin: Ovechkin leads the NHL in goals with 47 this season, and he has 90 points in 97 career playoff games. He's a threat to score • Brad Marchand: When Marchand is staying out of trouble, he brings anytime the puck finds his stick in the offensive zone, especially on the plenty of skill to the ice. He entered Tuesday tied for the NHL lead in power play. points per game while posting 34 goals and 51 assists in 66 games. • Evgeny Kuznetsov: The Capitals' second leading scorer turned things Boston Bruins v Philadelphia Flyers on in February and March, where he scored 12 goals and accounted for 31 points. He and Nicklas Backstrom give the Capitals a strong one-two • Charlie McAvoy: The Devils have a solid rookie defenseman in Will punch up the middle. Butcher, and the Bruins have their own in McAvoy. McAvoy has 32 points in 61 games during his rookie season, where he also overcame a minor • John Carlson: Carlson turned into a workhorse defenseman for the heart surgery that cost him two weeks. He may be a rookie, but he did Caps this season, averaging nearly 25 minutes per night. He sign and play with Boston in the NHL playoffs last season, where he quarterbacks the team's power play and has 67 points on the season. recorded three assists in six games. • The goalie: The Capitals have gone through a similar goalie situation as • Tuukka Rask: The Bruins goalie is on the verge of completing another the Devils. Braden Holtby was their No. 1 for the majority of the season, dominant regular season. He has 34 wins along with a 2.33 GAA, one of and he has played 53 games to Phillip Grabauer's 33 games. But since the better averages in the league. March 6, Grabauer has played 10 games compared to Holtby's six. Over nine starts in that stretch Grabauer is 7-2-0. The Capitals face an Tampa Bay Lightning interesting goalie decision entering the playoffs. Scenario where they play: Lightning win Atlantic Division; Devils finish as NHL.com second wild card Pittsburgh Penguins Lightning's record: 53-23-4 Scenario where they play: Devils and Penguins finish second and third in Devils' 2017-18 head-to-head record: 3-0-0 the Metropolitan Division, in either order. The Lightning held the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings for Penguins' record: 46-29-6 the vast majority of the season before the Bruins recently leapfrogged them. Now the teams are tied with two games left apiece. If the Lightning Devils' 2017-18 head-to-head record: 3-0-1 do manage to win their division and play the Devils in the first round of While the Devils had a successful regular season run against the Penguins, taking seven of eight possible points, they would still be playing the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. The Penguins currently hold second in the Metropolitan Division, so if the Devils did manage to secure a matchup against them, the Penguins would likely have home ice advantage. The matchup would be difficult, but the Devils showed they have the speed and skill to keep up with the Pens. Travis Zajac and his line mates kept Sidney Crosby in check for the most part during the teams' meetings. The Penguins would still apply plenty of pressure offensively. The Devils would need to get great goaltending while weathering big pushes. Penguins players to watch • Sidney Crosby: He's still one of the best players in the game for a reason, and he's a threat to score or make a play every time he's on the ice. • Evgeni Malkin: As good as Crosby has been this season and throughout his career, Malkin may be the Penguins' MVP this season. He could eclipse 100 points for the first time since 2011-12, and he has been on a goal-scoring tear over the second half, putting him at 42 for the season. • Phil Kessel: Kessel has a career high 90 points with one game still to play in the regular season. The Penguins have plenty of offensive firepower on multiple lines, and the Devils would have to pick their poison with some of their matchups. • Matt Murray: Murray's regular-season numbers haven't mirrored the production he put up in his first two NHL seasons. He has a 2.92 GAA this season after posting a 2.40 GAA last season. But Murray has anchored two Stanley Cup runs and knows how to win in the playoffs. He won't be an easy matchup. Columbus Blue Jackets Scenario where they play: Devils and Blue Jackets finish second and third in the Metropolitan Division, in either order. Blue Jackets' record: 45-29-7 Devils' 2017-18 head-to-head record: 1-3-0 The Devils earned an impressive 4-1 victory over the Blue Jackets in the first meeting of the season in Columbus. After that, the Blue Jackets controlled the final three games against the Devils. Columbus won all three meetings of the season, including the Devils' worst loss of the season, a 6-1 defeat in Columbus on Feb. 10. The Devils did a lose much closer game, 2-1, in Newark on Feb. 20. The Blue Jackets are ninth in the NHL in corsi-for percentage (shot attempts for vs. shot attempts against) at 5-on-5, while the Devils are 21st. The Blue Jackets do struggle on the power play, but the Devils would not have an easy matchup with Columbus. Blue Jackets players to watch • Artemi Panarin: Taylor Hall gets a lot of attention for the point differential he is putting up on his teammates in New Jersey, but Panarin is doing similar things in Columbus. His 82 points are 25 higher than any teammate. Panarin has also been a Devil killer this season, with one goal and seven assists in four games. • Seth Jones: Jones has been one of the NHL's best two-way defensemen this season, and he currently sits second on the Blue Jackets in points with 57. • Zach Werenski: Jones isn't the only strong piece the Blue Jackets have on their blue line. Werenski has 27 goals over the first two years of his NHL career, and he's one of the pieces that make Columbus so dangerous 5-on-5. • Sergei Bobrovsky: Goalies can singlehandedly turn playoff series, and Bobrovsky qualifies as a goalie capable of doing so. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is in the middle of another superb season, posting a 2.42 GAA with one game to play. Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook. Star Ledger LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107990 New Jersey Devils "It could be depth in goal, it could be depth scoring, guys in and out of our lineup," Hynes said. "I think if you look at the number of guys who have contributed to our success this year, it's quite a bit. It's important 8 observations from Devils' playoff-clinching win over Leafs when you continue to move forward that you do have guys contribute. They have to contribute competitively, and they have to be able to contribute on the scoreboard. Tonight was an example of that." Posted April 06, 2018 at 07:00 AM | Updated April 06, 2018 at 10:15 AM Greene, Zajac going back to postseason By Chris Ryan Only two members of the 2017-18 Devils were part of the team's last run to the postseason. Center Travis Zajac and defenseman Andy Greene are the lone holdovers from that team after Adam Henrique was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 30. The Toronto Maple Leafs made the Devils sweat and fight until the final seconds, but New Jersey found a way to secure a trip to the postseason. It's been a long road back for Greene and Zajac, who broke into the organization when the Devils were a perennial playoff team. Now as two The Devils ended a five-season playoff drought when they beat the leaders within the locker room, the two found a way to put their own mark Leafs, 2-1, on Thursday at Prudential Center in Newark. Here's more on a Devils playoff run. from the clinching win, including initial reactions, how the Devils battled their way through in game No. 81 and more. "It’s been a tough couple years, but I think we’ve taken the right steps as an organization where the first thing was getting back to having the right Initial reaction culture and having a group of guys that came to the rink and battled, After fending off one final push by the Leafs with their goalie pulled to played for each other and wanted to get better every day," Zajac said. finish the third period, the Devils were able to start the celebration with "From there, I think we’ve added some skill over the years, some talent. the players pouring onto the ice and toward goalie Keith Kinkaid. Plenty "We have a couple young guys that have some unbelievable skill, and all of on-ice celebrations spilled over into the locker room, where hugs and of a sudden, you have a chance to make the playoffs. It can happen handshakes filled the room. quick. But yeah there’s moments where you wonder and you want to get Along with a collection of players who will appear in the postseason for back there, but like I said, you got to go through some down times to the first time, coach John Hynes will stand behind a playoff bench for the really see what you’re made of. I think we’ve done that and have passed first time in his three-year NHL career. those tests the right way." NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at New Jersey Devils What should Devils expect in playoffs? "Just really excited. A little bit of relief, but then it was general Outside Greene, Zajac, Maroon, defensemen Sami Vatanen and Ben excitement," Hynes said of the moment the final horn sounded. "Because Lovejoy, plus a few others, the playoffs will be an entirely new thing for a you could just feel how bad we wanted it, how close we were to it, and good portion of Devils. really happy that we won our way into the playoffs. That was really The Devils have essentially been playing in playoff-type atmospheres for something that was important to our team. We didn't get it handed to us, the past month, while they tried to stave off elimination. Now they need to we didn't back in. We went out and won the game." carry that mentality into the postseason. Never giving up their spot "It definitely is a different animal for us," Zajac said. "We’ll make sure Clinching Thursday night proved something that's been true of the Devils we’re ready, prepared. We’ve got one game left here to make sure we all season long: they're a playoff team. finish strong. You don’t want to get into bad habits your last game. I think that’s important. But it’s going to be a grind. We’re going to need Since the end of game No. 1 of the season, back on Oct. 7, the Devils everyone throughout the lineup, and we can’t just be satisfied getting in have held a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Not once did the now, cause anything can happen in the playoffs." Devils fall out of a top-eight spot in the standings, even though some rough patches and charging opponents made it close. Hall into playoffs for first time Whatever adversity the season threw at them, the Devils found a way to Of all the Devils set to make their postseason debut, fewer players have come out clean on the other side. had a tougher road than Taylor Hall. After being the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, Hall missed the postseason for the first seven seasons Andrew Mills of his career — six with Edmonton and one with New Jersey. The forward has 93 points this season while powering almost every aspect of "There's ebbs and flows for every season. We handled those well," the Devils' offense. forward Taylor Hall said. "Probably the biggest point of adversity was before we went out west for that road trip. Six games against some really "This is only the first step in the journey,' Hall said. "There’s a lot more to good teams, some teams that play well at home. Once we came out of come, and I’m excited for what we can do. It is a big first step. There’s that doing well, we all took a deep breath and refocused and came back going to be 15 teams that are done playing hockey after Sunday, and home. I think we’ve played better than our record at home all season we’re not one of them, and I think that’s a great thing for our team." long, and it really showed down the stretch here." Andrew Mills Trusting their identity Anything in particular Hall is looking forward to? Maintaining that playoff spot over 81 games took a belief from the Devils' players and coaches that they could succeed if they played the right day "The thing I’m most excited for is the playoff-type atmosphere, whether and followed their systems. After the team finished in last place in the it’s at home or on the road," he said. "Just how fast it’s going to be, how conference last season, the Devils successfully finished a reversal of that every chance is going to be a huge ovation, a huge noise from the crowd. fate. That’s what it’s all about. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced that, since junior hockey, and I can’t wait for that." "Didn’t know it would come down to the final three days of the season for us to make it, but it certainly puts us in position to play playoff-style Devils' Taylor Hall could do something NHL hasn't seen in 10 years games every night," forward Blake Coleman said. "I think that we found a Not done yet way to win a lot lately in pressure games, so I think it’s all good signs going into the postseason." It might not surprise you, but the Devils aren't satisfied with just making the playoffs. Playoff-bound: Devils clinch 1st postseason spot since 2012 | Rapid reaction Now that they're in, they can finally turn their attention to games beyond the regular season. The NHL postseason can be one of the most Depth scorers come through unpredictable across sports, and after the Devils played plenty of strong While the Devils leaned heavily on Hall throughout the season, the MVP hockey against tough competition, they won't back down from that candidate didn't find the scoresheet on Thursday. Instead, it was Miles challenge. Wood, Pavel Zacha and Patrick Maroon who created both goals. “Obviously every night seemed like a must-win and the biggest game of Maroon assisted on both, with Zacha and Wood finding the back of the the year," Coleman said. "We played some really tough competition and net. Depth scoring helped the Devils early in the season, and it was we showed we can show up and beat anyone on any given night. In the again present on Thursday to help the team make its final push. playoffs, you’re going to be playing the best of the best, and you’re going to be playing tight games like we’ve been in. We got a lot of young guys, but these games have given us a playoff-type atmosphere going into our first postseason." Star Ledger LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107991 New Jersey Devils wanted to do the right things. It’s really nice to see high-character guys who care about the front of the jersey.

“Zajac and Greene, they are Devils and they’ve been Devils for a long Devils playoff berth even sweeter for Andy Greene and Travis Zajac time.” Bergen Record LOADED: 04.07.2018 Abbey Mastracco, Published 4:08 p.m. ET April 6, 2018 | Updated 4:47 p.m. ET April 6, 2018

NEWARK – After the final buzzer sounded on Thursday night and a few moments after a sellout Prudential Center crowd began chanting “We want the Cup,” two longtime Devils embraced on the ice. Travis Zajac skated up behind Andy Greene, wrapped his arms around the captain and picked him up. Greene turned around and returned the embrace, hugging his longtime teammate. “It was a little hug, a little smile and we just said, 'It's about time we're back,’” Greene later told reporters in the locker room. “It was a lot of emotions.” The 2-1 win by the Devils over the Toronto Maple Leafs that preceded that center-ice bro hug effectively sealed a playoff spot for New Jersey, their first since 2012. The last time the Devils were in the postseason, they were reached the pinnacle but couldn’t finish the job. The upstart Los Angeles Kings defeated them in five games and went on to beat another area team, the Rangers, two years later to win their second Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, the Devils sunk to an unfamiliar place: Out of the playoffs entirely. A team that was once a perennial contender has fallen on times harder than any other in franchise history. The five-year playoff drought matched the longest in franchise history. But that last drought wasn’t even in the salary cap era. The Devils haven’t had a drought like this one since the team was relocated from Colorado in the early 80s. Greene, the Devils’ longtime captain, and Zajac, an alternate captain, have never played for another organization. Zajac arrived more than a decade ago, in 2006, after a stellar college career at North Dakota. Greene came a year later from the AHL after finishing his career at Miami (Ohio). They were young kids dropped into a situation where they had to compete and contribute right away, because the Devils were contending right away, just as they always had. “When we first came in here, it wasn’t whether we were going to make the playoffs it was whether we were going to have home ice,” Greene said. The two blossomed into core players, playing up to the high expectations set forth each year. But then came the end of an era. The Devils couldn’t hang on to all of the free agents after 2012. Their franchise cornerstones eventually retired. Several others entered and exited and the team was eventually rebuilt along with the front office. Through it all, Zajac and Greene remained committed to the organization. “When you look at the transition, they had a few tough years,” coach John Hynes sasid. “And for those guys to go through different coaches, different general manager – lots of things have changed. But they’ve still remained part of the fabric of what our team is.” They’ve remained integral on the ice and off. Greene, a top-pairing defenseman, became captain before the 2015-16 season. Zajac now plays against the other team’s top line each night. This is what Zajac and Greene not only imagined all of those years ago, but also came to expect. And when everyone else counted them out, it was the two longest-tenured players on the team who knew the Devils would make some noise in April. “We went through a little downtime there but it makes this even sweeter,” Greene said. “We earned this on Day 1 here. Nobody really counted us in until this last couple weeks here and we still weren’t quite sure.” The Devils can now be sure: They’re back in the postseason, thanks in large part to the leadership and the play of Greene and Zajac. “It’s special. I think when you look at Travis and Andy, those guys have been here for a long time and they’ve had a taste of playoff success prior to us getting here,” Hynes said. “They were with us through the tough times. They worked, they were loyal, they bought in. They’ve always 1107992 New York Islanders

Islanders’ Doug Weight: ‘I’ve got to do more’

By Andrew Gross Updated April 6, 2018 2:24 PM

DETROIT — A myriad of questions will confront the Islanders once this season thuds to its conclusion following Saturday night’s game against the Red Wings, the team’s first visit to the new Little Caesars Arena. One of them, presumably, will be the fate of Doug Weight, the former Islanders captain who grew up in the Detroit area and is completing his first full season as an NHL coach. “I’ve got to do more,” Weight said following Thursday night’s 2-1 win over the Rangers in the home finale at Barclays Center. “I feel for the fans and the players in that room. I want to go back to work with my head held high but I’ve got to be better and we’re going to start working on that as soon as Sunday rolls around.” The Islanders (34-37-10), who did not practice on Friday, got off to a promising 16-8-2 start and can finish the season with their first three- game winning streak since Jan. 7-15. Still, they are just 5-12-4 since Feb. 19, will miss the playoffs for the second straight season and finish in one of the bottom two spots in the eight-team Metropolitan Division. Last season, Weight took over for the fired Jack Capuano on Jan. 17, 2017 on an interim basis and the Islanders finished 24-12-4, missing the playoffs by one point. There’s no doubt Weight is still growing into his role behind the bench. “We’ve got to be better,” Weight said. “Since I’ve been doing this, the coach probably gets a little too much credit. But the blame, there’s a million excuses you can have. I don’t believe they should be used. I think it wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t good enough.” The list of offseason issues for the Islanders includes whether captain John Tavares, an impending unrestricted free agent, will re-sign with the franchise that selected him first overall in 2009 and whether general manager Garth Snow, on the job since July 18, 2006, will be allowed yet more time to try and right the Islanders. The Islanders have made the playoffs four times under his leadership and won just one round, in 2016. Both Snow and Weight are scheduled to meet the media, possibly on Monday, after conducting exit meetings with the players. Weight, though, sounded optimistic on Thursday night he will be back with the Islanders. “We worked, as a staff, and I worked hard,” Weight said. “I have to be better. I feel very confident that we will be as a team and I will be. We’re a skilled team and we’re a good team. We should be a playoff team. Failure rips your heart out. I have a lot of passion for the game and I want this organization to do well and I want to help them succeed. “We have to pound it into them and find a way to be more consistent,” Weight added. “We don’t belong where we are right now.” Notes: Defenseman David Quenneville, an Islanders’ seventh-round pick in 2016, agreed to a three-year, entry-level deal after four seasons with Medicine Hat () . . . Defenseman Yannick Rathgeb, an undrafted free agent who has played the last three seasons in the Swiss-A league, agreed to a two-year, two-way deal. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107993 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers relishing the chance to spoil Flyers’ playoff hopes

JUSTIN TASCH Updated: Saturday, April 7, 2018, 2:25 AM

Henrik Lundqvist remembers very well the stinging feeling that enveloped him eight years ago when the Rangers played their season finale in Philadelphia, as they will again Saturday afternoon, losing in a shootout in what was a win-and-in, lose-and-go-home affair for both teams. Up until this year, that was the only time Lundqvist missed the playoffs in his NHL career. The Rangers have long known their fate and were officially eliminated on March 27, but they can hamper the Flyers’ playoff chances Saturday as Philly needs either one point gained or a point dropped by Florida to clinch a postseason berth. That provides some extra juice for Lundqvist, who will start Game 82. “I obviously remember being in that building with a lot on the line a few years ago, and it did not go the way we wanted,” Lundqvist said Friday after the Rangers’ final practice of the season. “For us who were there, I think going into (Saturday), obviously we want to play a really strong game for ourselves, but also that reason. They got a big win at a crucial time that time, and it hurt. We’re gonna play a desperate and really good team (Saturday), so you need everything.” Lundqvist and Marc Staal are the only players from that April 11, 2010 game still on the roster, a sign of how much things have changed for the Rangers as they embark on a new phase of alterations, with questions surrounding Alain Vigneault, the remaining veterans not named Lundqvist and the team’s pending restricted free agents. But the Rangers (34-38-9) have one last game to cap off this trying campaign, a foreign feeling for Lundqvist to know exactly when his season will end. The Rangers have long known their fate and were officially eliminated on March 27, but they can hamper the Flyers’ playoff chances Saturday. “It’s a little weird, I must admit. Sitting here, last game, last practice today. It’s been a season of a lot of ups early on, and then obviously the second half, we’ve talked enough about it, and I think people are tired of hearing us talk about it,” said Lundqvist, who was voted by media as Team MVP this season. “Obviously we came up short and we’re gonna have a lot of time to reflect and analyze this the right way, but let’s focus on (Saturday) and try to have a good game. Then we’ll sit down next week and the weeks after that to really look at things we need to improve.” Brady Skjei, one of the impending restricted free agents, will not participate in this year’s IIHF World Championship after representing Team USA each of the previous two years. Pavel Buchnevich said he’d know by Saturday if he’ll play for Russia. … Jesper Fast was voted by his teammates as the Players’ Player award winner for the third straight season. … The Rangers called up Matt Beleskey and Steven Fogarty from AHL Hartford. New York Daily News LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107994 New York Rangers

All that’s left for the Rangers in their final game

By Brett Cyrgalis April 6, 2018 | 4:05pm | Updated

PHILADELPHIA — It was hard for Henrik Lundqvist not to let out a little wry smile, but he still knew the final game of a very difficult season will be about far more than just a shot at long-forgotten revenge. Yet as Lundqvist leads the Rangers onto the ice at Wells Fargo Center for the regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon, and with the Flyers needing just one point to clinch a playoff spot — only able to miss if the Panthers can also win both of their remaining games in regulation — it’s darn near impossible not to hearken back to a very similar situation in 2010. That would be when the Rangers went down to the same building needing to win their final game of the season to get into the playoffs. Instead, after Lundqvist made 46 saves in regulation, he couldn’t stop Danny Briere and Claude Giroux in the shootout and they lost. It became the only time Lundqvist has missed the playoffs since coming into the league in 2005-06 — that is, before this season. “I obviously remember being in that building with a lot on the line a few years ago and it did not go the way we wanted,” Lundqvist said after the team’s final practice of the season up in Westchester on Friday. “For us who were there, I think going into [Saturday], we want to play a really strong game, for ourselves and also for that reason. That got a big win at a crucial time that time. We’re going to play a desperate and a really good team [Saturday].” Yet that is hardly what it’s all about for these Rangers, who are in the midst of a rebuild that internally is a very strange situation. A lot is in question this summer, from the status of coach Alain Vigneault to the future of the roster, from veterans down to draft picks. Playing spoiler is akin to moral victories, and that’s not exactly something they’re too interested in. thanks for watching! “At the end of the day, we’ve talked about doing our jobs right down to the end, since we’ve been eliminated, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Vigneault said. “We went out [Friday], had a short practice, but execution was good, the intensity was good. We’re going to go to Philly and try to win a game.” Of course, winning another game would once again lessen the Rangers already-slim odds at getting into the draft lottery, and would at the very least set them back in the order. After Thursday night’s 2-1 loss to the Islanders in Brooklyn, they were in 21st place in the league, and the lowest they could fall — as in, the higher they could draft — would be to 23rd place, if both the Blackhawks and Oilers win out. So, it’s almost been bittersweet that the Blueshirts are a surprising 7-8-3 since the Feb. 26 trade deadline passed, which followed a miserable stretch of 5-15-1 defined by the surrounding anxiety of what would eventually be a whirlwind of trades. Yet general manager Jeff Gorton has done what he can to best restock for the future, and that is where the organizational focus is — even if it’s not there in the locker room quite yet. “It’s a little weird, I must admit, to sit here, last game, last practice,” Lundqvist said. “It’s been a season of a lot of ups and downs. The second half here, we’ve talked a lot about it, it’s been a difficult time, no doubt about it. You try to put in all you got down the stretch.” And if that means getting a little bit of redemption from something that happened eight years ago, then that will at least make the immediate entry into the summer a little less sour. “Obviously we came up short here,” Lundqvist said. “We’re going to have a lot of time here to reflect and analyze this the right way. But let’s focus on [Saturday] and try to have a good game. And then we’ll sit down next week and the weeks after that and look at things that we need to improve.” New York Post LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107995 New York Rangers

Alain Vigneault calls up two for finale

By Brett Cyrgalis

PHILADELPHIA — Alain Vigneault said he was going to talk with his assistant coaches during the Rangers’ train ride to Philadelphia on Friday afternoon to contemplate the lineup for the season finale against the Flyers on Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center. It turns out they decided a couple of call-ups were in order. So veteran winger Matt Beleskey was brought up from AHL Hartford and likely will make his Rangers debut, along with 24-year-old Steven Fogarty, the former Notre Dame captain who has yet to play a game in the NHL. Beleskey, 29, came as part of the deal that sent Rick Nash to the Bruins on Feb. 25. He had been toiling in the AHL most of the season after clearing waivers, partially because he is in the third year of a five-year, $19 million deal that carries an annual salary-cap hit of $3.8 million. The veteran of 472 career NHL games went straight to the Wolf Pack, and he had five goals and seven assists during 35 AHL games this season split between Providence and Hartford. The 6-foot, 203-pounder was a fourth-round pick (No. 122 overall) of the Ducks in 2006, and his best statistical season came with Anaheim in 2014-15 when he scored 22 goals and put up 32 points, adding eight goals in 16 playoffs games. Fogarty was the Rangers’ third-round pick (No. 72 overall) in 2011. The 6-foot-3, 209-pounder was in the midst of his second full season with the Wolf Pack, putting up nine goals and 19 points in 60 games. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist was named Team MVP as voted on by the media, with so few other options available. It’s the ninth time in 12 seasons Lundqvist has won the award, his most recent being 2015-16, with seven in a row from 2006-07 through 2012-13. Lundqvist, 36, is set to start on Saturday and takes in a career-worst single-season goals-against average with 2.95. Lundqvist had an up-and- down campaign, but some of those highs also allows him to bring in a .915 save percentage, just below his career average of .919. Winger Jesper Fast won the Players’ Player award for the third straight year. The super-competitive and reliable two-way Swede has been shut down for the season with a groin injury before Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Devils in Newark. Fast, 26, already put up career-best numbers with 13 goals and 33 points in 71 games after missing the first five games of the season following offseason hip surgery. When Vigneault was asked on Friday what he has learned as a coach this season, he chose to sidestep. “Ask me that same question after the game,” he said, “and I’ll have a real good answer.” Cody McLeod did not practice on Friday, confirming his season — and likely his tenure as a Ranger — is done. The pugilistic winger is set to be an unrestricted free agent. ’s “Doc’s Scrapbook” in-game mini-feature during Saturday’s Rangers-Flyers broadcast on NBC will include grainy footage of goaltender Cesare Maniago, who played parts of two seasons, 1965-67, for the Rangers, before playing most of his career for the expansion Minnesota North Stars. New York Post LOADED: 1107996 New York Rangers

Rangers will take good look at youngsters Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil

By Colin Stephenson April 6, 2018 6:32 PM

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The future is almost here for the Rangers. One game remains in this lost season for the Blueshirts, as they close out 2017-18 Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia against the Flyers, who still need one point to secure the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, beating out Florida. The Rangers will have to do their duty to the NHL and to the Panthers and try their best to win against a division opponent who will be coming hard for that point. “This is their whole season,’’ Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Friday of the Flyers. But the Rangers’ primary focus must be on themselves, and their own future. To that end, Vigneault said, he most likely will be tweaking his forward lines, in an effort to get 19-year-old center Lias Andersson some quality ice time with some of the team’s better offensive players. Andersson, who has averaged 11:23 of ice time in his six games, had 9:26 Thursday, playing on the fourth line against the Islanders. At practice Friday he skated between wingers Jimmy Vesey and Mats Zuccarello. The first of two first-round picks for the Rangers in last summer’s draft (No. 7 overall), Andersson made an immediate splash, scoring his first NHL goal in his debut, in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden Mar. 26. In six games overall, he has a goal and an assist and a plus-1 rating. And though he’s been less spectacular than his fellow teenager and fellow 2017 first rounder Filip Chytil (No. 21 overall) Andersson has played well enough to have his coach and teammates excited about what they think he’ll be able to contribute next season. “Who knows what the team’s going to look like, but I think both of the kids, here, they’re looking good,’’ said goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who played hockey in Sweden with Andersson’s father, Niklas, and who will start Saturday against the Flyers. “And they’re at an age where you improve a lot in a year. You soak everything in, you get the feedback and you get stronger and faster, and you’re still learning the game. So you see a lot of upside there. I think they’re ready for next year, but it’s up to them to prove it.’’ Andersson acknowledged he’s far from a finished product. “I feel like I’ve got a couple more steps to take,’’ he said. “I want to be comfortable with the puck, carrying it up ice, be a little bit more fast — faster and stronger. I will work on that over the summer.’’ Lundqvist thinks playing in this handful of games this season will help both Andersson and Chytil (one goal, two assists, minus-2 in 13:07 average ice time over eight games) in their development. “For me, when you start a new season, you need a couple games to get feedback, so you know what you need to work on,’’ Lundqvist said. “If you don’t get those games, you’re kind of wondering, ‘OK, am I fast enough? Am I strong enough?’ When you get games, that’s when you get your feedback. You watch the video, you say, ‘OK, I need to work on this, and this.’ “There’s so many things that, just by playing a few games, helps a lot.’’ Notes & Quotes: Lundqvist was chosen the local media’s MVP and Jesper Fast was named the Player’s Player, as voted by his teammates . . . LW Chris Kreider will play for Team USA in the World Championships May 4-20 in Denmark. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107997 NHL “Tonight, we all must pray for these families.” The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior ‘A’ hockey league under Hockey Canada, which is part of the Canadian Junior Hockey Saskatchewan hockey team bus involved in fatal crash League. It’s open to North American-born players between the age of 16 and 20. By The Canadian Press RCMP said the collision occurred late Friday afternoon on Highway 35, about 30 kilometres north of Tisdale near the junction of Highway 335.

Police say the highway will be blocked for several hours and are urging NIPAWIN, Sask.—RCMP say they are at the scene of a fatal collision drivers to avoid the area. involving a transport truck and a bus carrying a hockey team northeast of Saskatoon. LOADED: 04.07.2018 Details on how many people are dead or injured have not been released. The Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League say the crash involved the team bus of the Humboldt Broncos. Darren Opp, president of the Hawks, said a semi T-boned the players’ bus that was coming to play against their team. “It’s a horrible accident, my God,” he said. “It’s very, very bad.” Opp said the coaching staff and players from the Hawks are waiting to help. “They are sitting in the church just waiting to hear any good news,” he said. “I’ve got 50 phone calls at least saying what do you want? “There’s uncles and moms and dads waiting to hear whether their sons and nephews are OK. “It’s terrible. It’s absolutely terrible.” Pastor Jordan Gadsby at the Apostolic Church in Nipawin said more than a hundred people have gathered at the church — including parents and grandparents of the players who were on the bus. “Lots of them are waiting for information,” he said. “Some of the families have gotten information and have gone to be with their kids. Some of them are waiting to hear if their kids are alive.” Gadsby said they know there are multiple fatalities, but they haven’t heard how many. The chairman of the board for the league was also awaiting more official details. “We’re just waiting to hear,” said Rick Shultz. “We just know there has been an accident. “It’s not very good.” Kevin Henry, a coach who runs a hockey school in Prince Albert, said he knows players on the team. “People are in such shock. All these young men and boys. We send our kids to play hockey. It is sort of every parent’s worst nightmare,” he said. “This is I would think one of the darkest days in the history of Saskatchewan, especially because hockey is so ingrained in how we grow up here.” STARS air ambulance has confirmed that they sent three helicopters to the scene. The Western Hockey League Swift Current Broncos expressed their condolences. “Humboldt Broncos weighing heavy in our hearts and minds tonight,” the team said on Twitter. Four members of the Swift Current Broncos were killed in a bus crash in Saskatchewan in 1986. Former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy, who was one of the players on the bus in 1986, also sent a message of support. “Sending all my thoughts and prayers to those impacted with the @HumboltBroncos bus crash.” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said what he has been told about the collision is difficult to comprehend. “To the City of Humboldt, the entire Broncos organization, and the families impacted by this tragedy, please know you are in Saskatchewan’s hearts,” Moe said in a statement. “From a grieving province, thank you to every one of the first responders and medical professionals for your courageous response under the most difficult circumstances imaginable. 1107998 Ottawa Senators

Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot to play for Canada in world championship

Bruce Garrioch April 6, 2018 5:56 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH — Thomas Chabot is getting ready to take on the world. The Ottawa Senators rookie defencemen declared last month he’d love the opportunity to play for Canada again with his National Hockey League club out of the playoffs and learned Friday morning that would get that opportunity. Team Canada co-general manager Martin Brodeur called Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion to extend an invitation to Chabot to play for Canada in the world championship next month in Denmark, and Chabot quickly accepted. “That’s pretty good news,” Chabot said. “We talked about it a little bit, but I think it’s going to be a good experience overall. It’s going to make the season a little bit longer and I’ll get some great hockey action and play with some great players that we (face) around the league. “I’m pretty happy. It should be a great experience. I was pretty excited.” The 21-year-old last played a huge role for Canada in the 2017 world junior championship, helping that team win a silver medal. “It’s different than the past ones because it was always against guys who were my age or around my age,” Chabot said Friday. “It’s going to be a good experience, it’s going to be different, and it’s going to be really good hockey, but I’m going to go there, try to do my best, gain experience and have fun.” Senators head coach Guy Boucher said it was important for Chabot to have the chance to play a little longer this season and to gain more experience on the world stage. “Every Team Canada experience is a positive one, regardless of whether you win or not,” Boucher said. “It’s an opportunity to represent your country first of all — which I’ve done nine times, and it’s given me so much — and it’s the same for players. “Going to the worlds at a young age, it’s going to be great for his development. I’m really happy he’s going.” “Chabot is the kind of player that represents the new hockey: puck- moving, mobile defencemen, and on the big ice surface, too. He’s perfect for that.” Boucher added. “He has made great progress this year and that will be another good step for him to finish the year with more hockey.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018 1107999 Ottawa Senators “It was a privilege getting to know you Jonathan Pitre, thanks for sharing all of your great qualities with us all,” Karlsson wrote.”You will always be remembered. My thoughts and prayers to Tina and the entire Pitre The Ottawa Senators will miss their friend Jonathan Pitre family.” Smith said Pitre’s approach to life was inspirational. Bruce Garrioch “Every time you’d go see him or he came to the room you’d watch him and you’d hear about what he’s going through and you can’t really grasp April 6, 2018 5:40 PM EDT how he has such a positive outlook on life,” said Smith. “In the years that I’ve known him I’ve never seen him looking down or feeling sorry for himself. PITTSBURGH — The Ottawa Senators will suit up against the Pittsburgh “When we went to visit him in Minnesota, he was just getting ready for Penguins with heavy hearts Friday night. treatment, he was very sick with not a lot of energy and we thought we were there to pick him up and give him motivation and all he had was As the Senators prepared to play their second-last regular season game nice words for us. He was asking guys how their wife or kids were doing. at the PPG Paints Arena, they were saddened to learn of the passing of Jonathan Pitre, a young man who wasn’t only their biggest fan but was a “You forget the kid was 16 and he talks like he’s 30 years old and he was close friend of the organization. wise beyond his years. Whenever we sent to see him or he came around he never made it about himself. He just made it known he was happy to The Senators and the 17-year-old Pitre had formed a special bond. be a part of our organization and he was just happy to be there and it’s “It’s sad news to say the least to wake up to this morning,” Ottawa centre amazing at how inspiring a kid that young can be for so many people.” Zack Smith said following the club’s skate. “I’m sure a lot of people are at a loss for words. It’s a sad day in our organization and the city. He was definitely a shining light in our organization, especially for our team. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018 “I’ve known him for a few years now and he’s always been there throughout the season and depending on how he was doing we were able to see him. It was a pleasure to know him and he’s someone that a lot of people are never going to forget and just how brave a person he was and how courageous he was.” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion, who sat with Pitre in 2014 when he was signed to a contract to be a scout for the day, sent condolences on behalf of the Ottawa organization to his mother, Tina Boileau. “We all got know Jonathan over the last four years,” Dorion said. “Jonathan was someone very special. He was a big Senators’ fan and he loved this hockey team more than anyone else “At the same time, it was great for many of us to spend time with him — whether it was the day that he was a scout and we watched the Nashville game together or when he came and spoke at development camp or even some of us that got to hear him speak at ‘We Day’. “Jonathan was really a special person. He was someone that exudes the words character and determination with what he had to go through on a daily basis just shows us that life and the bigger picture is way more important than anything else. Our condolences to the family. Tina is a great lady and what she had to go through with Jonathan. Jonathan will be in our thoughts and prayers in the next few days.” Pitre touched the lives of so many people involved with the Senators and coach Guy Boucher talked about how special Pitre was. “He was a terrific kid that inspired everybody and I think courage like that lives on and I think we were lucky to be part of his life a little bit,” Boucher said. Last season, when the Senators landed in Minnesota to prepare to face the Wild the next night, they brightened Tina and Jonathan’s day by dropping by his apartment in Minneapolis to spend a few minutes with them. Pitre was thrilled the team visited and the Senators were happy they got the chance to see him. “We were all saddened to see and hear that news when we all found out,” Ottawa defenceman Mark Borowiecki said. “Jonathan, and Tina his mom, when we were in Minnesota that was the first interaction I had with Jonathan and he was an impressive young man. “His disposition and his attitude, given the circumstances, was like nothing I’ve ever seen and his mom as well. Our hearts go out to all of them.” Borowiecki said Pitre fought a brave battle. “Given his situation and what life had handed him and the way that he handled himself was beyond impressive,” Borowiecki said. “It’s one of those things that gives you a bit of perspective on life. “He was up against so much and he always had a smile on his face and he was always positive. That’s something we can all learn from.” Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson, who is at home with his wife Melinda as they grieve the loss of their son on March 19, tweeted out a message about Pitre on Friday morning. 1108000 Ottawa Senators

Game Day: Ottawa Senators at the Pittsburgh Penguins

Bruce Garrioch April 6, 2018 8:00 AM EDT

OTTAWA SENATORS AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS SPECIAL TEAMS OTT: PP 17% (26th); PK 76% (28th) PIT: PP 25.9% (1st); PK 79.8% (18th) THE BIG MATCHUP Cody Ceci vs. Sidney Crosby You have to think with Erik Karlsson away from the team that Ceci is going to get some big minutes against the Penguins. He faces the top players many nights and skated 27 minutes on 31 shifts against the Sabres on Wednesday, which made him the ice-time leader. Shutting down Crosby is a huge task. He is 15-26-41 in 37 career games against the Senators. This will be a tough test. FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME 1. Stay out of the box The Senators have some of the NHL’s worst penalty-killing units and they just can’t afford to dig the hole any deeper against the Penguins. Pittsburgh has too much firepower with the top-ranked power play in the league. 2. Play strong defensively Goaltender Craig Anderson noted after the win in Buffalo that the Senators may have given up a lot of shots (34) but his teammates did a good job keeping the front of the net clear by getting rid of the rebounds. It’s about commitment. 3. Finish strong The Senators are coming off a 4-2 victory over the Sabres but they’ve got two difficult games remaining against the Penguins, still battling for positioning, and the Bruins on Saturday. The Senators can’t afford to let Pittsburgh control the pace. It can’t happen. 4. Secondary scoring The Senators were able to get a goal from Max McCormick in Buffalo, plus a goal and an assist from Alex Burrows, who was plus three against the Sabres. It’s the small things that can make a big difference on the scoreboard. 5. Show some pride The Senators used the word a lot after the Sabres locked up last place with a loss to Ottawa on Wednesday. The Senators have nothing to play for, but that doesn’t mean they should throw in the towel on the final weekend, either.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108001 Ottawa Senators lot on DeSmith, who was making a rare start, and the Penguins looked frustrated because they weren’t able to get ahead in this one.

The Penguins ‘ faithful were livid when Evgeni Malkin was assessed a Senators hit rock bottom in shutout loss to Penguins double-minor for slashing and cross-checking Zack Smith. Though Smith retaliated and even tried to get at Malkin on the Pittsburgh bench after the ugly incident the Senators walked away unscathed. Bruce Garrioch Unfortunately, the Senators didn’t do anything with the four-minute power Published: April 6, 2018 play and they ended the power play by taking a bench minor for too many men on the ice. That’s the 17th bench minor the Senators have Updated: April 6, 2018 10:49 PM EDT been assessed this season and 15 of those were for too many men. “We got our chances but they had theirs and they took advantage of them,” said centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau. “We have one more left and PITTSBURGH — So, this is rock bottom for the Ottawa Senators. we’re going to try to finish on a good note so we’ve got to be ready.” Not where they wanted to be and certainly not where they expected to The Senators were without captain Erik Karlsson for the second straight be. game. He is in Ottawa on personal leave with his wife Melinda after the In a city where they were only one goal away from a trip to the Stanley couple lost their son last month and it sounds doubtful that Karlsson will Cup final last spring, the Senators locked up 30th place in the league suit up in the season finale in Boston Saturday night. with a ugly 4-0 loss to the two-time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Asked if Karlsson would join the team for the game against the Bruins, Penguins Friday night at the PPG Paints Arena. coach Guy Boucher said: “I don’t think so.” The only solace the Senators can take is they now know they’ll have the second-best odds — 13.5% — of winning the NHL’s draft lotteryo on April 28 in Toronto for Swedish superstar blueliner Rasmus Dahlin. The Ottawa Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018 31st-ranked Buffalo Sabres have an 18.5% opportunity. The Senators weren’t able to solve Penguins backup Casey DeSmith. Sidney Crosby, Patric Hornqvist, Jake Guentzel and Phil Kessel were able to beat Craig Anderson, however, who closed out the year with a 23-25-6 record. “We finished the last year on a tough note and we wanted to get a win for ourselves,” said winger Tom Pyatt. “We knew they were going to come out hard. We played pretty well I thought. We got our chances. The ones they got they capitalized on. “Considering where we last year none of us expected that, to finish 30th, and it’s been a long disappointing year. There’s not much to say everybody is pretty disappointed.” To make matters worse, the Senators will finish the season against the Boston Bruins Saturday night without defenceman Ben Harpur after he left the game with a separated right shoulder in the second period. Playing their final regular season game, the Penguins were still trying to lock up home ice in the first round of the playoffs and they needed a victory badly. Coach Guy Boucher was expecting a difficult test and the Senators had their hands full. “We talked it before the game and we just took too many penalties,” said defenceman Cody Ceci. “It’s tough right now with the guys we’re missing. We have one (game) left. It’s back-to-back but we’re going to try to finish this season out the right way.” It was Kessel that gave the Penguins a 3-0 lead at 6:55 of the third to seal the victory for Pittsburgh and Hornqvist scored his 29th at 16:53 to give Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead. Trailing 2-0 after 40 minutes, the Senators had their chances on DeSmith and couldn’t cash in on the 19 shots they fired his way. The Penguins took advantage of what they were able to get and the picture was looking pretty bleak for Ottawa headed to the third. Discipline has been an issue for the Senators all season and you can’t let a power play like the Penguins go to work so many times. It turns out to be costly and it was on both goals. Only one counted as a goal with the man-advantage but essentially both of them were. While the Senators killed off a Pittsburgh power play and Tom Pyatt was stopped by DeSmith on a breakaway, Guentzel made it 2-0 Pittsburgh just as time expired on the man advantage. He banked it in off Anderson from the below the goal-line at 7:31 and that’s the way both goals were scored. Ottawa opened the second trying to kill off a double-minor assessed to Ryan Dzingel for high-sticking Riley Sheahan with 1:23 left in the first and it didn’t take long when Crosby struck with his ninth of the season at 1:25 of the second to open the scoring. That goal also came from below the goal-line, Crosby banked it off Anderson and into the Senators’ net. The Senators played to a scoreless tie with the Penguins despite being outshot 8-6 in the first period. Anderson made his best stop on Crosby in alone early in the game and there wasn’t a whole lot of pressure from there. The Senators didn’t get a 1108002 Ottawa Senators

Senators and Penguins honour the memory of Jonathan Pitre

Bruce Garrioch Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 9:42 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH — The Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins honoured the memory of Jonathan Pitre on Friday night. Senators and Penguins players wore epidermolysis bullosa (EB) stickers on the back of their helmets during their National Hockey League game at PPG Paints Arena. EB is a very painful blistering skin disease that the 17-year-old Pitre bravely battled his entire life. Jonathan passed away on Wednesday night. The stickers included Pitre’s initials and were purple, his favourite colour. The helmet of Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki bears the butterfly- logo tribute to Jonathan Pitre before Friday’s game against the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Friday. Not only did Pitre touch the lives of many Senators players, but he was also close with Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby had followed Pitre’s story and in 2015 had a Penguins team official contact the teen’s mother, Tina Boileau, to get his measurements for a suit made by Crosby’s tailor in Montreal. Crosby paid tribute to Pitre during an interview with TSN after the second period. “He was great kid. He was a great example for a lot of people and he showed a lot of courage, and he certainly tried to help a lot of people. It’s a big loss,” Crosby said. The Senators had discussed the possibility of honouring Pitre after the morning skate in Pittsburgh on Friday and club equipment staffers were able to get the stickers made.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108003 Ottawa Senators

Game Day: Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins

Bruce Garrioch 7-9 minutes Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 10:37 PM EDT

OTTAWA AT BOSTON 7 p.m., Saturday, TD Garden. TV: Sportsnet. Radio: TSN 1200 AM, Unique 94.5 FM. SPECIAL TEAMS OTT: PP 17% (27th); PK 76% (28th) BOS: PP 23.5% (4th); PK 83.3% (4th) THE BIG MATCHUP Thomas Chabot vs. Zdeno Chara: Chabot, the Senators’ rookie defenceman, has had many chances to learn during the second half of the season. He can be buoyed by the role he has played down the stretch and the ice time he has earned. He can keep an eye on what Chara does for the Bruins, the 41-year-old remains one of the best blueliners in the NHL and just signed a one-year contract extension. FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME 1. This is it for the Senators It has been a disastrous season and there isn’t really much they can salvage with a victory here, but the Senators also have nothing to lose by trying to pick up another two points. 2. Show up for Danny Taylor Senators head coach Guy Boucher has decided to give Belleville callup Danny Taylor the start in net. The 31-year-old has played only three NHL games in his career, the last of them for the Calgary Flames on Feb. 18, 2013. 3. Bruins need a win The Bruins trail the Tampa Bay Lightning by two points for top spot in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings, so, if Boston wants to finish first, these are two big points. The Bruins have lost three in a row. 4. Score a goal, Zack Zack Smith hasn’t had a great season for the Senators. Really, though, who has? Smith has only five goals and his production is way down. He has an important summer ahead, so scoring a goal in the last game going into the off-season might help him enjoy it more. 5. Getting it over with This season has been over for the Senators for a long time. It will be a relief for some that the regular-season schedule has come to end.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108004 Philadelphia Flyers There are some similarities between this final game and the one that decided the Flyers’ playoff eligibility in 2010 – the year they went to the . The most obvious is the opponent – the Rangers. After scoring change, Flyers' Giroux a point away from 100 After losing to them the day before, the Flyers needed to win by any means to beat out New York for one of the last two wild-card berths. They did, on Giroux’s shootout goal and a final save by on Ollie Jokinen. “That was a pretty exciting time,’’ said the Flyers captain. Updated: APRIL 6, 2018 — 6:06 PM EDT “It was fun to play those games.’’ by Sam Donnellon, STAFF WRITER @samdonnellon | [email protected] Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.07.2018

Claude Giroux is so hot, he scores points in his sleep these days. Hours after the Flyers defeated Carolina, 4-3, on Thursday, the NHL added assists for Brandon Manning and Giroux on Michael Raffl’s first- period goal, pushing the Flyers captain to within one point of 100 with one game remaining and into sole possession of second place behind Connor McDavid (106) in the NHL scoring race. He also took sole possession of first in assists with 68. “It’s closer to 100, yeah,’’ Giroux said. “But the priority is to win the game [Saturday].’’ The Flyers need at least a point in the final regular-season game Saturday against the Rangers to ensure a playoff berth. They can also back in via a Florida loss to Buffalo on Saturday or against the Bruins on Sunday night. Should the Flyers fail to get a point Saturday and the Panthers win out without the aid of two shootouts, Florida would instead gain the Eastern Conference’s last wild-card spot based on a greater number of victories in regulation and overtime. “We know it won’t be easy,’’ Giroux said. “I think the focus is where it needs to be right now. We have to focus on our play, not on Florida. We’re in control here. We just have to go out there, play the game hard, and have fun.’’ Giroux, whose third-period goal gave the Flyers a 3-2 lead Thursday, needs a point to become the first Flyer to reach 100 points in a season since posted 115 in 1995-96. He would become the sixth player in franchise history to reach the mark, joining Bobby Clarke, Mark Recchi, Bill Barber, Rick MacLeish, and Lindros. Clarke did it three times, Recchi twice. Giroux’s goal Thursday was his 31st, already a career high, and his fifth goal in a nine-game point streak in which he has amassed 16 points overall. The Flyers have won five of those games and gained a point in three others, allowing them to be in position to clinch a playoff berth after missing out last season. It would be further affirmation for a player whose struggles with injuries over previous seasons created wide speculation that he was in decline. An intense offseason of training, improved health, and a switch during preseason from center to left wing changed that. There is simply more jump to his game than in previous seasons. Giroux’s play has often provided a multiplier effect – with his various linemates, yes, but the entire team, too. Said Shayne Gostisbehere, whose two assists Thursday gave him 51 for the season, “It’s fun to watch G play with so much confidence. It leaves an impression on everyone else. You want to play just as good as him.” Referring to Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Jake Voracek, Gostisbehere said: “You look at his linemates: Coots is having a heck of a year, TK’s confidence is up there, too, and Jake is doing Jake stuff. Everyone is feeding off G right now. He’s our leader for a reason.’’ Said coach Dave Hakstol, “When guys battle hard, there’s little plays during a game that lift a bench, whether it’s a great offensive play that changes the game or even something that goes unnoticed. A great backcheck, a shot block, those things have a way of lifting a team. “G, along with everybody else in this room, have had their moments. In terms of building that team mentality and chemistry. We’re going to need everybody to be good [on Saturday]. Everybody’s got to go out and do their job. And somewhere along the way somebody will make a game- changing play.’’ Said Giroux, “The danger is if you take a team like that lightly. I think that’s not going to be the case for us [Saturday]. We’re going to play them hard, we’re going to play our game. The guys know what’s at stake here.’’ Breakaways 1108005 Philadelphia Flyers It’s a nice number, Giroux said, “but the priority is to win the game tomorrow.”

On Friday, an assist was added to Giroux and Brandon Manning for Flyers want to win their way into Stanley Cup playoffs by beating Raffl’s goal in Thursday’s clutch win over the Hurricanes. Rangers Breakaways

In their three games against the Rangers, the Flyers’ power play is 0 for Updated: APRIL 6, 2018 — 2:37 PM EDT 6, while the Blueshirts’ PP is 1 for 4. … Eight years ago, the Flyers beat by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | Lundqvist in a shootout — Giroux had the winner — to clinch a playoff [email protected] berth on the last day of the regular season en route to reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.

Forget all the scenarios. Forget the numerous ways for the Flyers to earn a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.07.2018 The easiest way is for them to take care of business and beat the visiting New York Rangers in Saturday’s matinee. Fact is, they can even lose the game and qualify for the post-season, provided the game goes beyond regulation. The Flyers have one-regular season game left, and their magic number to earn a playoff berth is one point. (If they lose in regulation Saturday, they will get into the playoffs if Florida doesn’t win its last two games.) They seemed ultra-focused at practice Friday in Voorhees, excited about the task at hand. “Obviously you would have liked to have clinched by now, but if we win tomorrow or get a point, we’re in,” defenseman Andrew MacDonald said. “We control everything. Obviously, we have to go out and get the job done. … The boys are looking forward to the opportunity.” “It’s a great feeling and the fact that it comes down to the last game is even better,” winger Michael Raffl said. “It’s a a great feeling (that) we don’t have to hope that anyone else loses or wins, so you control your own destiny and that’s all you can ask for at this point.” The Flyers (41-26-14) are 2-1 against the Rangers this season, having scored a 4-3 win in their latest meeting March 22 at the Wells Fargo Center. New York (34-38-9), whose lineup is stocked with numerous players who played in the AHL this season, has lost eight of its last 10. (Warning: The Islanders had lost 16 of their last 19 before beating the Flyers on Tuesday.) “They’re a highly offensive team and they’re not playing for a whole lot,” defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said of the Rangers. “When you’re playing loose like that, it’s easier to play. Obviously we know what they’re going to bring with their high-end speed and skill. I think if we just match it and play our game, and play passionately, we’ll be fine.” MacDonald said the Rangers “will try to make plays they wouldn’t normally try. They’ll be loose and trying to create things, but we have to focus on our game and how we’re going to play. If we play strong defensively, that should lead to some good chances for us.” Henrik Lundqvist (2.95 goals-against average, .915 save percentage) will start for the Rangers and face Brian Elliott (2.73, .908). The Flyers torched Lundqvist and his young, inexperienced defense in a 7-4 win Feb. 18 in New York. Elliott, the Flyers hope, shook off the rust in his 4-3 win Thursday over Carolina. Elliott, who has recovered from core-muscle surgery, was shaky in his first game since Feb. 10. “You guys step away from what you do for 7 1/2 weeks and try to come back and do it without a hiccup or two (and that’s difficult),” coach Dave Hakstol said. “I thought he did a real good job. … It was good for him to get that game under his belt. I thought he played hard for his teammates and vise-versa, and we got the good result.” Hakstol is expected to play Michael Raffl on the top line again Saturday after he had a goal in Thursday’s critical 4-3 win. (Travis Konecny figures to start the game on Val Filppula’s line.) But if the top line doesn’t produce in Saturday’s first period, look for Konecny to go back to the top unit. In the last two games against the Rangers — the Flyers won both of them — Konecny and linemate Claude Giroux each had a total of five points. Konecny had three goals and two assists, and Giroux had a goal and four assists. MVP candidate Giroux is now first in the NHL in assists (68), second in the points (99), and third in faceoff percentage (58.6). He needs one point to become the first Flyer to reach the century mark since Eric Lindros in 1995-96. 1108006 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers-Rangers preview: For Philly, a playoff spot is there for the taking

Updated: APRIL 6, 2018 — 10:00 PM EDT by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | [email protected]

KEY PLAYERS: For the Flyers, there are many ways for them to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoff. The easiest: Pick up at least a point Saturday against a Rangers team that is out of the playoff picture and in last place in the Metropolitan Division. “It’s a great feeling, and the fact it comes down to the last game is even better,” winger Michael Raffl said. “It’s a great feeling (that) we don’t have to hope that someone else loses or wins, so you control your own destiny, and that’s all you can ask for at this point.” The Rangers have lost eight of their last 10, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy for the Flyers. Remember, they lost Tuesday to an Islanders team that had dropped 16 of its last 19. The Flyers hope Brian Elliott (2.73 goals-against average, .908 save percentage) shook off the rust in Thursday’s 4-3 win over Carolina. He was shaky in his first performance since Feb. 10. “You guys step away from what you do for 7 1/2 weeks and try to come back and do it without a hiccup or two (and it’s difficult),” coach Dave Hakstol said. Elliott will be opposed by Henrik Lundqvist (2.95, .915), who was beaten by the visiting Flyers, 7-4, as they torched the goalie and his inexperienced defense on Feb. 18. The rebuilding Rangers will again play numerous players who have spent a significant amount of time in the AHL this season. Mats Zuccarelllo (53 points), Mika Zibanejad (27 goals, 47 points), and Kevin Hayes (25 goals) lead the Blueshirts. The Flyers are led by MVP candidate Claude Giroux, who entered Friday first in the NHL in assists (68), second in points (99), and third in faceoff percentage (58.6). Jake Voracek (84 points), Sean Couturier (31 goals, 74 points), Shayne Gostisbehere (64 points), Travis Konecny (24 goals), and Wayne Simmonds (24 goals) are among the Flyers’ other weapons. THINGS TO KNOW: Giroux, serenaded with MVP chants after he scored a critical goal Thursday, needs one point to become the first Flyer since Eric Lindros in 1995-96 to reach the century mark….The Flyers are 21- 13-6 at home, and the Rangers are 13-22-5 on the road…..Hakstol is expected to use Raffl on the top line and Konecny on the third line. But if the Flyers get off to a slow start, look for Konecny to go to the top unit with Giroux and Couturier. In the last two games against the Rangers — the Flyers won both — Konecny and Giroux each have a total of five points…..If the Flyers lose by exactly two goals, and the Florida Panthers win their final two games in shootouts, the teams would be tied with 96 points and all of the tie-breakers would be deadlocked. That would cause the teams to have a play-in game Tuesday to determine who gets into the playoffs, the NHL announced. HEAD TO HEAD: The Flyers are 2-1 vs. the Rangers this season. Overall, the Flyers hold a 124-122-37-9 advantage in the all-time series.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108007 Philadelphia Flyers Giroux predicts it’ll be fun times at Wells Fargo Center again, against a Rangers team systematically dismantled by management at the trade deadline. Several veteran stars were shipped out. A few hungry, fast and ‘Excited’ Flyers hope to leave no doubt against Rangers with playoffs on skilled kids have been asked to step up. the line Standing behind them in this game is a slightly older Lundqvist. Maybe Boucher could find his way to a press box seat. Maybe Leighton could fly in ... nah, never mind. By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times But could it be kismet all over again? POSTED: 04/06/18, 8:04 PM EDT | UPDATED: 3 HRS AGO # COMMENTS “The guys know what’s at stake,” Giroux said. “If we play our game and play it hard, we’re going to put ourselves in a good situation here.”

NOTES >> After the Flyers begged, the league overlords look a long and VOORHEES, N.J. >> The blinds were drawn in the windowless Flyers hard at the tape, then finally awarded assists on Michael Raffl’s locker room Friday. The crystal curling stone had been pulled out in previously unassisted goal Thursday night. It was obvious, but hey, this is anticipation of the next day’s hockey match with those mythical Rangers, the NHL. Anyway, with one of the assists, Giroux earned point No. 99 on the Flyers’ fortune-tellers putting their own touches all over it. the season. “It’s close to 100,” he said. “But I think the priority is to win the game tomorrow.” ... The Flyers and Panthers would have a play-in “You can’t take a team like that lightly,” Claude Giroux foretold Friday, game should the Flyers lose in regulation by two goals, and the Panthers “and that’s not going to be the case for us tomorrow. We’re going to play win their final two games, but both by shootout, as per the league them hard, we’re going to play our game.” powers. That would shuffle the tiebreakers to the point that the league honchos just wouldn’t count tiebreakers anymore. So they’ll play. Beam Giroux warned that these weren’t your older brother’s Rangers. They are me up, Gary Bettman. rebuilding with raw talent. But Giroux sees the Flyers playing harder and hungrier, a team with more at stake in fulfilling its mission of clinching a playoff spot. Delaware County Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 Hockey gods willing. “We’re excited about it,” Giroux said. “The Rangers are a good team. The last time they came in here, they played very well. We know it won’t be easy, but if we play our game, we should be good.” After 81 games that produced 96 points, a total that in most other years would put the Flyers squarely in a top-3 spot in the Metropolitan Division, they go into this last game of the season outwardly confident yet eerily aware that they’d better win one more or else. They would wrap up a playoff spot just by securing one more point, but even in the NHL, it’s the 21st Century. Nobody in this league plays for regulation ties any longer. Besides, one more point and all the Flyers could rightly achieve is the Eastern Conference’s second wildcard spot and a first-round playoff date with either Boston or Tampa Bay, two teams they are sure to have much trouble with in a seven-game series. Entering action Friday night, Pittsburgh was uncatchable for the Flyers, but New Jersey and Columbus, having both clinched playoff spots Thursday, were only one point above. So the battle for positions is still in play. The Flyers will hit the road for the postseason no matter what happens Saturday (12:30, NBC). They’ll either be traveling to Boston or Tampa, or perhaps visiting Washington or Pittsburgh. As for the fifth option ... that would be hitting the road for a golf date or visiting their vacation cottages, courtesy of a second straight playoff miss. For that to happen, of course, the Rangers would have to win in regulation and the Florida Panthers would have to win a pair of games, at home against Buffalo Saturday and in Boston Sunday. It could be worse... “You control your own destiny,” Michael Raffl said, “and that’s all you can ask for at this point.” Let the gods rule that the odds are with the Flyers, then. The karma might be, too. The last time they played the Rangers in a last- day game that meant this much was in 2010, when both teams were still fighting for a playoff spot. Giroux scored on a shootout attempt, and broadcaster Brian Boucher was still hanging on as one of four Flyers goalies used that season who spent all year trading off on injuries and mostly bad luck. But all things mystical were with Boucher that day, as he snuffed Olli Jokinen’s final try to beat opposing master goalie Henrik Lundqvist and get the Flyers to the playoffs. From there it would be Boucher, then Michael Leighton, tending goal while the Flyers went on a magical run to the Stanley Cup Finals before reality raised its ugly head in the form of a young group of Chicago studs, a few of whom are still around and (finally) out of the playoff mix in the West. As for still around, that Giroux guy is, too. “I remember there were two games left,” Giroux said. “We had to win one of them against the Rangers. We lost in New York and came here and we were down 2-1, and Matt Carle scored with (about) five minutes left or something like that. That was a pretty exciting time.” 1108008 Philadelphia Flyers

Here's how we could get a Flyers-Panthers play-in game

By Matt Bowker | NBC Sports Philadelphia April 06, 2018 4:55 PM

Oh boy. The NHL announced a new tiebreaker Friday. Should the Flyers and Panthers finish the regular season tied in points, wins, points in their season series and season goal differential, the teams will play one final game to advance to the playoffs: A play-in game for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Of course, the Flyers can avert all this madness and simply get one point vs. the Rangers Saturday, punching their ticket to the postseason. For the Panthers to catch the Flyers, they must win both of their remaining games, while the Flyers must lose to the Rangers in regulation Saturday. The only realistic way the play-in game would happen is if the Flyers and Panthers finish with the same goal differential. With two games left, the Panthers are a minus-1 and the Flyers are plus-3 with one game remaining. So, thanks to the mathematicians at Broad Street Hockey, the Flyers would need to lose by two goals to the Rangers, while the Panthers win their final two games in shootouts. Very unlikely. And should that game happen, there would (thankfully) be no shootout. The teams would play under the playoff overtime format — 5-on-5 periods until one team scores. The location of the game would be determined by an equal draw Sunday night. The Flyers are 2-2 against the Panthers this season, with both losses coming on the road. Still, it's exciting to think about a Game 83, but we all remember the last time the Flyers played the Rangers in the final game with a playoff spot on the line.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108009 Philadelphia Flyers “I think the Hart isn’t quite as (clear cut),” general manager Ron Hextall said after campaigning for Couturier to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward. “There’s a lot of guys that could win Flyers need one more Hart-worthy performance from Claude Giroux it, but in terms of G, should he be in it? Absolutely. Absolutely. He should be in a small group and at that point you’re splitting hairs but he absolutely deserves high consideration. Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 12:45 p.m. ET April 6, 2018 “His pop in his legs is much better than it was last year. When you’re 29- and 30-years-old, and you put up the best numbers of your career that obviously says something about how driven you are in your career.” PHILADELPHIA — Sitting on the Flyers’ bench, Michael Raffl noticed what his linemate did not. He got his attention by bumping him with his knee. Courier-Post LOADED: 04.07.2018 Look up, dude. There on the scoreboard was a live shot of Claude Giroux, sitting next to Raffl as he took a swig from a water bottle fresh off his 31st goal of the season. As public-address announcer had just told the purported crowd of 20,001, it is a new career high. Fans gave a standing ovation, some of them chanting, “M-V-P!” “I’ll be honest, I didn’t hear them,” Giroux said. “I didn’t hear them, but it’s great.” The Flyers’ captain also assisted on Raffl’s goal earlier in the game, although it took the NHL an extra day to credit him as such. He had two points in the Flyers’ 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday that was sorely needed yet still not enough to clinch a playoff spot. For that they will need to beat the New York Rangers Saturday, or at least get past regulation. And if the rest of the season has been any indication, they’ll need Giroux to help. The delayed assist gives him 99 points on the season and an excellent shot to become the sixth Flyer in franchise history to have a 100-point season. Giroux has either scored or assisted on 41 percent of the Flyers’ 244 goals this season, was second in the league in scoring after Thursday’s action and has emerged as a candidate for the Hart Trophy, given to the league’s most valuable player. Before Thursday night’s game, he was a runaway winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy, given to the Flyers’ MVP. “He’s that good that he can make a difference,” said Sean Couturier, who has enjoyed a 74-point season thanks in part to playing with Giroux. “As a line we try to cycle down low, create some space for him and give him the puck and let him do what he does best.” “He’s been playing well all season long. He’s very patient with the puck these days and I think that’s what’s the biggest difference,” Jake Voracek added. “He doesn’t force any plays and he’s always waiting for the best option and usually making the best play. It’s really important and he makes the players around him better, which is important for us. It’s a great year for him and I’m very happy for him.” Because the Florida Panthers also won Thursday night, the Flyers didn’t clinch a playoff spot just yet. The best the Panthers can do is tie the Flyers in points, but there’s still a chance they beat them in a tiebreaker, so the Flyers need to get a point against the Rangers Saturday to punch a ticket to the playoffs on their own volition. Giroux has 42 career points in 48 games against the Rangers and one more would make personal history and could help the Flyers back into the playoffs. Last season he was a shadow of himself after surgery to his hip and abdomen in May of 2016. His skating was noticeably off and he didn’t start to look like himself until the last month and a half of the season. It marked the third straight year of a statistical decline for Giroux, who was able to put in a full summer’s work to rehabilitate. He’s proven a lot of people wrong. “Especially after last year when you guys (in the media) said I wouldn’t get 60 points this year,” Giroux quipped the other day. “I think that was huge motivation for me. It’s been a lot of fun this year.” The stats this season tell all kinds of positive things about Giroux, his affect on his team and his teammates. What they don’t say is that moving to left wing, the literal position on the ice that he’s created most of his offense this season, has played a big role in his resurgence. He still takes a ton of faceoffs, more than Couturier, but then goes to the wing where he can basically cut his vision in half. He has the boards over his left shoulder, so he doesn’t have to worry as much about defenders coming at him from both sides. Add in the value that Giroux has added in helping Couturier have a career year and Travis Konecny, who has played right wing the most with that duo, improve from his rookie season and Giroux is every bit of a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate. 1108010 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins turn to Casey DeSmith in goal for regular-season finale

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Friday, April 6, 2018, 6:00 p.m. Updated 58 minutes ago

The Penguins have turned to goalie Casey DeSmith in a high-pressure spot, giving him the start in Friday night's regular-season finale against the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins need to gain at least one point in the standings to clinch second place in the Metropolitan Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They could lose in regulation and still claim second place, but that would require help from Columbus, New Jersey and Philadelphia on Saturday. “We believe in him,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We know he's a good goalie. We know he can help us win. He's had some real good starts for us. I think the circumstances, being a back-to-back game and the fact that Matt (Murray) has had eight starts in a row, it's the right decision and I believe Casey's a guy who can help us win.” Murray is 4-3-1 with an .898 save percentage during his run of eight consecutive starts. He started both ends of a back-to-back twice this season, losing the back end both times. DeSmith hasn't started since he made 27 saves in a 5-3 win over Montreal on March 21. He's 5-4-1 with a .913 save percentage this season.

Tribune Review LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108011 Pittsburgh Penguins

'It's pretty special:' Penguins in awe of Phil Kessel's overtime winner

TIM BENZ | Friday, April 6, 2018, 7:39 a.m. Updated 11 hours ago

When you think "quintessential Phil Kessel" kind of goal, you think about Thursday night's overtime game-winner in Columbus, don't you? Down the wing. With speed. Left leg up. Wrister. Corner. Snipe. Penguins win 5-4. It was Kessel's second of the game. As Jonathan Bombulie explained , "If the Penguins get at least one standings point in their regular-season finale Friday night at home against Ottawa, they'll finish second in the division and open the playoffs at home." Here is some reaction to the Kessel game-winner: Mike Sullivan: "There aren't too many guys that are going to score that goal. The puck comes off his stick differently. It just does. He has such a deceptive release. He's accurate. The velocity. It's as hard of a wrist shot as I have ever seen." Conor Sheary: "He had a helluva night. I'd love to have a shot like that." Matt Murray: "It's pretty special. (Kessel's wrist shot) speaks for itself." Kessel himself: "Geno tipped it, I think, to me. I just went down the ice and shot it glove side." Yeah, Phil. "Just." You can hear what Sullivan, Kessel, Sheary and Sidney Crosby said after the game here . What really made the moment wonderful was the disgusted, vintage "Tortsy" reaction from John Tortorella. Schadenfreude, thy name is "Torts."

Tribune Review LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108012 Pittsburgh Penguins scored the tying goal Thursday night in Columbus — emulating a Crosby trademark by banking shots off the goalie.

5. For the record: Crosby's power-play goal, coupled with a pair at Kevin Gorman's Take 5: Five thoughts on Penguins' season finale Columbus, helped the Penguins establish a single-season club record for highest power-play success rate at 26.2 (68 goals on 260 chances). Kevin Gorman Patric Hornqvist led the Penguins with 15 power-play goals (and seven assists), followed by Malkin (14-24), Phil Kessel (12-30), Crosby (9-29), Updated 3 hours ago Jake Guentzel (7-5) and Kris Letang (4-16). They're keeping good company as the club record (26.0 percent) was set in 1995-96 by a power play that featured Mario Lemieux (31 goals, 48 1. Risky business: The Penguins needed one point in their season finale assists), Ron Francis (12-42), Jaromir Jagr (20-31), Sergei Zubov (3-29), to clinch second place in the Metropolitan Division and home-ice Tomas Sandstrom (17-13) and Petr Nedved (8-12). Mario scored more advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. power-play goals that season than Crosby scored all of this season. That made Mike Sullivan's decision to start Casey DeSmith in goal So, this isn't necessarily the best Penguins' power play of all-time, against the Ottawa Senators on Friday night at PPG Paints Arena a considering the '95-96 unit had more impressive numbers with 109 goals head-scratcher as the Penguins had to avoid a loss in regulation. on 420 chances. Sullivan cited Matt Murray's eight consecutive starts in net as a motive It was a different era and a different game, but only a fraction of a but also professed faith in DeSmith (5-4-1, 2.63 goals-against average, difference in power-play efficiency. .913 save percentage). But the record belongs to these Penguins. "We believe in him," Sullivan said beforehand. "We know he's a good goalie. We know he can help us win. He's had some real good starts for us. I think the circumstances, being a back-to-back game and the fact that Matt has had eight starts in a row, it's the right decision and I believe Tribune Review LOADED: 04.07.2018 Casey's a guy who can help us win." Maybe so, but I think it was less about DeSmith and more about Sullivan having supreme confidence in his skaters being superior. DeSmith made Sullivan look smart, stopping 35 shots in a 4-0 victory. But with the possibility of a first-round matchup against Washington, the wonder is whether it was a risk worth taking considering the consequences of a loss. 2. Gift from above: The "Shirts Off Our Backs" in the home finale is one of the coolest traditions in sports as the Penguins celebrate Fan Appreciation Night by raffling off 23 game-worn jerseys. On Friday, they one-upped themselves. During the first intermission, a dozen fans won autographed jerseys, wrapped in plastic bags, that were dropped by parachute into the crowd. Cameras captured one woman opening her bag to find a signed Sidney Crosby, much to her delight. The Steelers, Pirates and Pitt athletics should steal these giveaway gimmicks as well as the season-ticket delivery by star players. This is where the Penguins are in a class by themselves in Pittsburgh, even without back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. 3. Malkin Mania: Evgeni Malkin showed some fight against the Capitals and proved to be a provocateur against the Senators. Malkin drew a four-minute penalty at 11 minutes, 43 seconds of the first period — two minutes each for slashing Ottawa's Zack Smith and cross- checking him into the boards as Smith tried to exit the ice. Why Smith didn't get two minutes for his retaliation, chasing Malkin back to the Penguins' bench, was bewildering. But Malkin added some drama to otherwise dull game, and the Senators' Ryan Dzingel drew a costly four-minute high-sticking penalty that bloodied Riley Sheahan's mouth at 18:37. That penalty proved a turning point in the second period. 4. Leg whipped: Senators goalie Craig Anderson's 2017 season ended with a Chris Kunitz goal in double overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final. Crosby and Jake Guentzel gave Anderson incentive to play in the Senators season finale Saturday at Boston, given that he wouldn't want to end the season on the goals they scored off his leg pads in the second period. Crosby continued his string of terrific tallies with his 29th goal, catching a Phil Kessel shot through the crease with his left glove and dropping it to fire a shot off the back of Anderson's legs for a power-play goal and 1-0 lead at 1:25. Guentzel scored his 22nd goal by back-handing a rebound from the boards off Anderson's leg pads to make it 2-0 at 7:31. Trib beat writer Jonathan Bombulie astutely pointed out that the old Sid and the Kids line is now seeing Guentzel and Conor Sheary — who 1108013 Pittsburgh Penguins power play. That beat the mark of 26.0 set by a star-studded 1995-96 team.

“I remember watching that power play,” Crosby said. “They scored a lot, Penguins clinch home ice for 1st round, Casey DeSmith posts 1st NHL and they scored a lot of really nice ones, too.” shutout

Tribune Review LOADED: 04.07.2018 Jonathan Bombulie Updated 4 hours ago

The Penguins had one objective coming into their regular-season finale Friday night. “We just wanted to stay out of the stuff,” winger Jake Guentzel said. “The stuff” is not a term commonly used in hockey. More often, it's used by a golfer trying to avoid the high rough or a water hazard with his tee shot. But it was easy to understand what Guentzel meant. Make good decisions. Get a lead and keep it. Don't get hurt. No funny business. When the dust settled, the Penguins had indeed avoided the stuff. Guentzel and Sidney Crosby banked in shots from below the goal line in the second period, Casey DeSmith recorded his first NHL shutout and the Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators, 4-0, to clinch second place in the Metropolitan Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. “To clinch home ice is awesome,” DeSmith said. “We want to be here as much as we can. Our home record speaks for itself.” At times this season, the Penguins were knee deep in stuff. In mid-December, they were on the fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff picture and their general manager was talking about making roster-shaking trades. After the trade deadline passed, they embarked on an inconsistent run of alternating wins and losses that did little to engender confidence in the team's ability to pull off a three-peat. The last two games, though, showed a glimpse of the type of game the Penguins have proven they're capable of over the past two championship seasons. They refused to lose to Columbus in an important showdown Thursday, and they wouldn't let a Senators team playing out the string get any traction the next night. “We're in a pretty good spot,” Crosby said. “We've had to play meaningful games down the stretch, which I think brings out the best in us. That urgency and desperation is there because of the situation. “We had to fight back in games. We've had different games, different situations, things like that. I think we've done a good job of handling those for the most part. We have to be confident heading into the playoffs and make sure we find another level.” The Penguins now wait to find out their first playoff opponent, which will be the winner of a three-team race for third place in the division. Columbus and New Jersey are tied with 97 points. Philadelphia is one point back. The Blue Jackets hold the advantage in most tie-breaker situations. All three teams finish the season Saturday. Columbus visits Nashville, New Jersey plays at Washington and Philadelphia hosts the Rangers. While those games should provide some drama, Friday night's matchup with Ottawa did not. The Penguins took control with bank-shot goals by Crosby and Guentzel in a six-minute span of the second period. Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist tacked on insurance goals in the third. DeSmith made the goals stand up with an impressive 35-save showing. Coach Mike Sullivan said he turned to his backup in an important spot primarily to give Matt Murray a rest after he made eight straight starts. The Penguins weren't perfect defensively, but any mistake they made was erased by DeSmith. A short-handed breakaway by Tom Pyatt that he turned away in the second period was particularly memorable. “If we can play that kind of D in the playoffs, we'll win a lot of games,” DeSmith said. “Hopefully it carries over.” In addition to earning the shutout, the Penguins also secured a noteworthy team record, finishing with a 26.2 percent success rate on the 1108014 Pittsburgh Penguins Tribune Review LOADED: 04.07.2018 Penguins notebook: Sidney Crosby, 3 others log 82-game seasons

Jonathan Bombulie Updated 4 hours ago

Two of the Penguins players with the lengthiest injury histories were among the four players to appear in all 82 games this season. Sidney Crosby and Olli Maatta joined Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel in the perfect-attendance club when they dressed for the regular-season finale Friday night against the Ottawa Senators. It was the first time Crosby appeared in all 82 games in his 13-year NHL career. He played 81 twice and 80 twice but also missed large stretches of three seasons from 2010-13 because of concussion-related problems. The 82nd game for Crosby was in doubt when he seemed to be favoring his left wrist after taking a two-handed slash from Columbus defenseman David Savard on Thursday night, but he reported no problems after the game. Coach Mike Sullivan reiterated Friday that Crosby was fine. It was the first time Maatta played all 82 games in his five-year career. Over the previous three seasons, he regularly was sidelined with a wide variety of maladies, ranging from shoulder surgery to a cancerous tumor on his thyroid. Kessel, meanwhile, has had perfect attendance for nine of his 12 seasons in the NHL. He has played 692 consecutive games. “It's an indication of the fitness level. These guys really take care of themselves,” Sullivan said. “They pride themselves on making sure they control everything they can to be in the best possible condition to endure the rigors of the schedule. This is a hard league. It can be a grind. These guys are extremely fit. They take care of themselves. That's an indication of it.” An extra day off After living with perhaps the most difficult schedule in the league this season, playing in an NHL-high 19 sets of back-to-back games, the Penguins received a reward right before the start of the playoffs. They were the first team in the league to finish the regular season. Twenty-eight teams will wrap up Saturday. Boston and Florida will play a make-up game Sunday to complete their schedules. “I'm not sure if that's a reward or it isn't,” Sullivan said with a laugh. “We can't control the schedule. All we can do is react to it. That's what we've tried to do.” Sullivan said he'll spend some of his extra day off Saturday keeping track of what Columbus, New Jersey and Philadelphia do. The results of their games will determine who the Penguins face in the first round of the playoffs. “There are a lot of scenarios that are out there,” Sullivan said. “I'm sure everybody will be watching.” Lineup notes The only change the Penguins made to their lineup after a 5-4 overtime win in Columbus on Thursday night was in goal, where Casey DeSmith started instead of Matt Murray. Chad Ruhwedel remained in the lineup on defense, with Matt Hunwick serving as a healthy scratch. Center Derick Brassard missed his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury. On Thursday, Sullivan said he hadn't yet considered whether Brassard would be back in time for the playoff opener. On Friday, he said the 30-year-old center had resumed skating. “That's certainly a big step for him,” Sullivan said. When Brassard returns, it looks like Sullivan will have one last postseason lineup decision to make. He can choose between Josh Jooris and Zach Aston-Reese for the final winger spot on the fourth line. Jooris said he was trying not to treat the final games of the regular season as an audition. “I'm just trying to contribute,” Jooris said. “I'm not looking at the playoff roster. I'm here now. I'm taking it day by day. That'll play out the way it does. Any way I can contribute to this team, I'm going to do it.” 1108015 Pittsburgh Penguins

Paul Zeise: To win another Stanley Cup, Penguins offense must carry defense

PAUL ZEISE Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [email protected] APR 6, 2018 11:40 AM

The Penguins have one game remaining before the playoffs begin, and they don’t exactly have a lot of momentum — they’ve won only three games in regulation in their past 11. Momentum is overrated, and the Penguins are grizzled playoff veterans who have won eight series in a row. They find ways to win the games that matter the most. There’s still some reason to be concerned they might have finally run out of gas and won’t win the Stanley Cup for the third year in a row. They have depth issues, particularly on defense, and are still without their prized trade deadline acquisition, Derick Brassard, who is injured. They also likely will have to win without the benefit of home-ice advantage beyond the first round. That generally isn’t significant for a battle-tested team like the Penguins, but this year it might be. The Penguins are much better at home (29-9-2) than the road (17-20-4). That’s a huge disparity, and given that they might have to play a Game 7 on the road, it could be the difference between another Stanley Cup or falling short. They have won Game 7s and clinched series on the road in recent years, so it doesn’t mean they can’t win away from PPG Paints Arena, but it certainly is a tougher path. Matt Murray makes a save against Matt Calvert in the second period Thursday. All of those are reasons to be concerned, but the most glaring issue the Penguins is with their defense. The Penguins give up way too many odd- man rushes and, by extension, goals to feel good about their ability to win four playoff series in a row against the best teams in the NHL. They turn the puck over in their own zone far too often to be defensively sound, and on top of it all, Matt Murray has been wildly inconsistent this season. The Penguins are 20th in goals against (3.06 per game) — so they’re statistically the worst team in the playoffs at stopping opponents from scoring. They have been successful killing penalties only 79.7 percent of the time, 19th in the NHL. There are two reasons to believe the Penguins have at least one more championship run in them: their mental toughness and their offense. The Penguins just seem to know how to win playoff games, and Mike Sullivan has pushed the right buttons. The Penguins offense has been borderline unstoppable at times. They are fourth in the NHL in goals per game (3.3) and have the best power play in the league (26.4 success rate). They have a lot of star power in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang and Brassard. They also have a number of excellent secondary scorers, so it isn’t just about stopping the stars. Thursday’s game against Columbus was a classic example of what the Penguins have been able to do this season. They gave up four goals on 30 shots, and the Blue Jackets had a number of scoring chances they didn’t convert. The Penguins trailed a lot of the game, but they simply outscored the Blue Jackets and won, 5-4. Playoff games tend to be played more conservatively, and there are fewer power plays and scoring chances, so maybe the Penguins won’t be able to outscore teams. I wouldn’t bet against them, though. An opponent would have to contain Crosby and Malkin four times in seven games. The Penguins have some flaws defensively and a goaltender who has struggled at times this season. Normally, that would make for an early exit. This team is different. The Penguins’ offense and ability to score goals in bunches set them apart. Their ability to score goals is enough to overcome any deficiencies and will make them a tough out in the playoffs no matter the opponent.

Post Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108016 Pittsburgh Penguins Maatta mismanaged the puck on Matt Calvert’s goal, literally bumping into each other.

Sullivan was pleased with the Penguins’ effort, so maybe don’t worry too Analysis: Impressions from Penguins’ win against Columbus much about that stuff. But they’re still examples of stuff the Penguins have talked a lot about getting out of their game. JASON MACKEY • Penguins had an extended offensive-zone shift late in the third period, about 90 seconds. Chad Ruhwedel stepped up for a couple chances. It Pittsburgh Post-Gazette showed his value over Matt Hunwick in the Penguins lineup. [email protected] • Brandon Dubinsky is a fourth-line center for the Blue Jackets. APR 6, 2018 7:59 AM The Penguins’ newest nemesis on this team might be Pierre-Luc Dubois, technically the Blue Jackets’ top-line center who’s an impressive agitator and a solid all-around player. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Phil Kessel, like pretty much every hockey player Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella had some interesting words on in the world would, gave a sly smile at the premise of the question, Dubois postgame. something that has to do with his health. “He’s not afraid of a thing,” Tortorella said. “He’s not afraid of any “It’s that time of year,” Kessel said. “Keep plugging away.” responsibility. He’s not afraid of any person, any stature. The is a great job by our management team and scouting staff, hanging their [guts] out Has he done that or what? there taking him. A lot of people were second-guessing that pick. That kid Kessel scored his 32nd and 33rd goals of the season Thursday in a 5-4 is going to be a very, very good player. He’s just starting.” overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. At • What a huge backcheck by Evgeni Malkin in this one, robbing Calvert of times, he was the best player on the ice. what looked to be a sure goal. The second won was the game-winner, a missile that drew a smile and a • Such a great atmosphere in this building. A lot of times the term head shake from Penguins coach Mike Sullivan postgame — something “playoff-like atmosphere” gets overused. Not on this night. that’s not exactly common. Numerology “The game-winner, there aren’t too many guys who are going to score that goal,” Sullivan said. “The puck comes off his stick differently. It just 10: Goals for Patric Hornqvist in his past 13 games. does. He has such a deceptive release. He’s so accurate. The velocity on it, it’s as hard a wrist shot as I’ve ever seen. When he shoots the puck 7: Consecutive games with points (6-0-1) for the Penguins against the like that, he’s dangerous. I thought Phil was good all night long. I thought Blue Jackets. he had a significant influence on the game.” 4: Wins in four tries for the Penguins against Columbus this season. If you’re worrying about Kessel — whether it’s his skating or ability to handle the puck — don’t. He’s like a home-run hitter in baseball, capable 6: Power-play goals on 12 attempts for the Penguins against the Jackets of changing the game in mere seconds. Sometimes you have to live with in four regular season meetings. the bad stuff. .679: Penguins points percentage in Metropolitan Division games (18-8- • What was notable postgame was Sullivan allowing, for the first time, 2) this season. that Kessel isn’t completely healthy. “He just keeps playing,” Sullivan said of Kessel. “He keeps playing. I’ve Post Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 had a number of discussions with him over the last couple of weeks. He wants to play. He feels strong enough to get in there and help us win. I think it’s a testament to his mental toughness. I think his passion to win, his willingness to endure the bumps and bruises that it takes to be successful in this league. I thought tonight he was real good.” • The power play was good again, scoring a pair of goals. Here’s betting they set the franchise mark for a single season Friday. • Sidney Crosby is fine after taking a David Savard slash behind the net. Didn’t look that while for a while, though. Crosby was in some serious pain on the bench. A penalty kill as he was recovering helped. Not the cleanest of plays, either. Riley Sheahan initially hopped over the boards for the next five-on-five shift before Crosby came out with his regular linemates. “He got me on the hand there,” Crosby said. “I’m good.” • Really, really tough to evaluate the penalty kill after this one. It’s similar to many of that unit’s efforts lately. Columbus pretty much had nothing on the power play where Boone Jenner scored. Then all of a sudden the Penguins lost track of Jenner ... and boom. That sort of stuff has been happening a lot lately. “We give up a breakaway and a goal,” Sullivan said. “The problem is, those two chances are such high-quality that the conversion rates are high. I think our penalty kill has to do a better job at not giving up the high, high quality chance. They’ve done so many things well out there, disrupting the breakouts, doing a really good job on the entries, areal good puck pressure. Then it seems like we break down at an inopportune moment. We end up giving up a high-quality chance. If I recall, I think we only gave up two chances on our penalty kill. Two really good ones, one of them ends up in our net. That’s an area where we have to get better.” • Another area the Penguins can improve is puck management. Cam Atkinson scored at 8:25 of the third period on a play that started with a Kris Letang turnover in the neutral zone. Chad Ruhwedel and Olli 1108017 Pittsburgh Penguins Post Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 Ron Cook: Highlight of the Penguins' season-finale victory ... Jake Guentzel scoring a goal

Apr 7, 2018 5:32 AM Ron Cook

The Genos were in the building Friday night, cheering on their son and his team and loving every second of what was taking place on the PPG Paints Arena ice. That tells me it is playoff time. That also tells me the Penguins are ready to begin their chase of a third Stanley Cup in a row. The first scoreboard sighting of the season of Vladimir and Natalia Malkin might have been the highlight of a nice evening at the rink, but it hardly was the only one for the Penguins in their final regular-season game, a 4- 0 win against the Ottawa Senators. The team clinched home-ice advantage for the first-round of the playoffs, a significant accomplishment considering its 30-9-2 record at the Uptown palace and its 17-20-4 record on the road. The power play continued to rock and roll, getting a goal from Sidney Crosby and finishing with a 26.2 percent conversion rate, best in franchise history. The penalty kill continued a late-season surge, nullifying Ottawa’s four power plays. Backup goaltender Casey DeSmith got some much-needed work and, by making 35 saves in his first start since March 21 and pitching his first career shutout, showed he is ready, if needed, to step in for Matt Murray. Patric Hornqvist scored a goal in his fifth consecutive game, his 14th in the past 22 games and his 29th of the season. The third line added another goal when Phil Kessel converted a terrific pass from Riley Sheahan for his 34th. And Jake Guentzel scored a goal. Maybe best of all, Guentzel got a goal. “I’m really happy he scored,” Mike Sullivan said. “I think he’s played a lot better as of late. The last handful of games, we think his game is coming. He tends to be a streaky guy when he scores. He’s got a number of high- quality chances over the last number of games. Maybe this one really helps him moving forward. He’s a real good player. He’s got real good instincts. And he can finish.” If you remember the Penguins’ drive to that second consecutive Cup last season, you know Guentzel was huge. His 13 postseason goals, including five game-winners, led the NHL. It was one of the best playoff performances by a rookie in league history. Guentzel, one of four Penguins to play in all 82 games along with Crosby, Kessel and Olli Maatta, hasn’t been nearly so dominant of late despite playing on Crosby’s line with Bryan Rust. He had just one goal in the previous 19 games, including none in the past seven, before banking in a backhanded shot from behind the Ottawa net off goalie Craig Anderson’s leg. It was a Crosby-like goal, very similar, actually, to Crosby’s bank-shot power-play goal off Anderson’s leg for the first goal of the game. And maybe the best part of Guentzel’s goal? His mom and dad, Sally and Mike, were in the arena to see it, sitting near the Malkins. Who knew it was Parents’ Night? “I think it’s indicative of the type of goals Jake can score,” Sullivan said. “For a guy that may be undersized, he plays in the battle areas. He plays with a lot of courage. He has good stick skill.” It’s fun to think about how dynamic Crosby and the Penguins will be if Guentzel even approaches his production from last spring and Rust, who has one goal in his past 10 games, plays up to his big-game reputation based on 13 goals in 46 playoff games. The second line of Carl Hagelin, Malkin and Hornqvist has been strong. So has the Conor Sheary- Sheahan-Kessel line with Derick Brassard, apparently, nearing a return after missing the past five games with a lower-body injury. Good luck to any potential first-round opposing goaltender – Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovsky, New Jersey’s Keith Kincaid or Philadelphia’s Brian Elliott – trying to neutralize all of that skill. Good luck to any team trying to beat the Penguins. “We’re proud of this hockey team,” Sullivan said. “We think we have a terrific group of players. What I love about our group is, when the stakes get high, we play at our best.” It’s time. 1108018 Pittsburgh Penguins “I went back in the tunnel looking for [Dan] Potash, thinking he was back here, and he was out there,” DeSmith said. “In the heat of the moment, I just didn’t think to take my helmet off. I hope everybody could hear me.” Postgame impressions: A special honor for Sidney Crosby • Really physical game. You had Malkin mixing it up with Zack Smith, then later Mark Borowiecki. The Senators were angry when Carl Hagelin checked Ben Harpur, and he went sailing into the boards shoulder-first. Jason Mackey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Apr 7, 2018 5:02 AM Riley Sheahan took a Ryan Dzingel stick to the mouth. Fortunately for the Penguins, they survived it, with nobody worse for wear.

• The Penguins are hoping Guentzel’s goal — another bank shot — Sidney Crosby achieved one milestone, but missed another by a hair. might get him going. Thursday and Friday have been two of his best efforts of the season, and Guentzel tends to score goals in bunches. The Penguins captain played all 82 games of the 2017-18 regular season for the first time in his career. In fact, before Friday’s 4-0 win over There are certain players on the Penguins roster — Matt Murray falls into Ottawa, neither Crosby nor Mario Lemieux had ever accomplished that this category, too — where the playoffs suit their game, and I think feat. Guentzel is one of them. Look for him to build on this. Turns out Crosby had played in 80 and 81 games twice each but never Numerology suited up for every single Penguins game of a regular season. 100: Points for the Penguins, the ninth time in the last 11 full seasons That little factoid prompted a humorous exchange with Crosby, who was they’ve done it. unaware he had never gone 82 for 82. 30: Home wins for the Penguins, the fourth time in franchise history “I may have hit 81 a couple times,” Crosby said. “I must have just given they’ve hit that mark. those to myself as 82.“ 200: NHL wins for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. Jokes aside, Crosby’s recent run of good health is important for incredibly obvious reasons. 29: Points for Maatta, matching his career-high set in 2013-14. “It’s good,” Crosby said. “There were some years there where it was 18: Wins for the Penguins (18-2-1) in their last 21 home games. harder to get to 80 or 81. It’s great to be able to play in all of them. You don’t ever want to miss time. Certainly with the time I’ve missed over the years, it’s good to get a full one in.” Post Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 Crosby wasn’t the only one to do it; he was joined by Ironman Phil Kessel, Jake Guentzel and Olli Maatta. It was the eighth consecutive season for Kessel, while Guentzel and Maatta did it for the first time. “Thank the training staff,” Guentzel said. “It’s kind of a cool honor to get in all 82.” The milestone Crosby missed was the 30-goal mark, which he had hit the past two seasons and in three of the past four. Friday’s goal gave Crosby 29 on the season, a total that was helped along by a recent five-game goal-scoring recently. Despite missing the 30-goal mark, Crosby did meet his quota — according to Conor Sheary — of four bank-shot goals in a single season when he clanked one off Craig Anderson on the power play at 1:25 of the second period. • The Penguins finished with a 26.2-percent conversion rate on the power play, which surpassed the 1995-96 team’s previous franchise mark. “I remember watching that power play,” Crosby said. “They scored a lot. They scored a lot of really nice ones, highlight-reel goals. We certainly have a group that can score. We have guys who provide different things. “That’s an important part of us winning — special teams. Definitely the power play. We take a lot of pride in it. It was good that we were able to create good things throughout the year and help us win.” It’s no secret that the penalty kill has struggled some lately, but Friday’s four-for-four effort should be seen as encouraging. The Penguins were much more effective getting clears and showed much better pressure. “I think it’s good for the group,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “As I’ve said for the last little while here, we’ve done a lot of really good things on the penalty kill. We’ve given up one or two high-quality chances in a given game, and the puck has ended up in the net. I thought tonight we limited that. The quality of the chances wasn’t as high as what we’ve given up in the past handful of games. We got the timely save from Casey [DeSmith] when we needed it. The guys did a good job in front of him. Hopefully that will give us some confidence here moving forward.” • Is there a hotter player than Patric Hornqvist in the NHL right now? Scored a goal for the fifth consecutive game and finished the regular season by tying his career-high with a seven-game point streak (six goals, nine points). As Hornqvist was talking to the media afterward, Evgeni Malkin joked that it was because Hornqvist “was playing with 71.” Here’s guessing there’s a little more to it than that. • You probably saw Casey DeSmith doing his postgame interview with his mask on. No, it wasn’t a tribute to Ricky Williams. As DeSmith said, he “hit the panic button.” 1108019 Pittsburgh Penguins Now, the Penguins will sit back and watch Saturday as their first-round opponent is sorted out. Hornqvist said he will watch the games Saturday, while Sheahan said he’ll probably just keep tabs on his phone. Penguins lock up home ice in first round with win over Ottawa Whoever it is, though, the Penguins will be going into the first round playing some of their best hockey of the year and, thanks in large part to their rookie backup goalie, playing in the friendly confines where they’ve Apr 7, 2018 4:18 AM excelled this season. “I think down the stretch we had to play in some big games, so that mentality and games like that prepare you for the playoffs,” Sidney Casey DeSmith will not be in net for the Penguins when the puck drops Crosby said. “We did a good job, won some close games and got some for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series next week. important points. So we want to carry that momentum into the playoffs.” But DeSmith ensured Friday night that puck will be dropping in Pittsburgh — not Columbus, Philadelphia, Newark or Washington, D.C. Sam Werner: DeSmith posted his first career shutout, a 35-save masterpiece as the Penguins beat Ottawa, 4-0, to lock up home-ice advantage in the first round of the postseason for the third consecutive year. Their opponent is still to be determined — it could be the Blue Jackets, Devils or Flyers — Post Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 and will depend on a number of results around the league Saturday. Whoever they play, Game 1 will be in Pittsburgh, in large part thanks to DeSmith. Sullivan made the decision to go with him rather than a back- to-back for starter Matt Murray, and it paid off in spades. ‘We believe in Casey, he’s done a nice job for us, he’s given us a chance to win on most nights that he’s been in there,” Mike Sullivan said. “I thought he might’ve been our best player tonight. He was terrific.” Yes, it was against an dismal Ottawa team without its best player (Erik Karlsson) playing out the string in a lost season, but DeSmith answered the call every time he had to, making a number of timely saves and stopping 16 shots in the third period to seal the win. “It’s great,” DeSmith said. “That’s the last regular season game, I am pretty happy with it. Now it’s the real fun time of year and everyone’s really excited, including myself. I’m excited to be here for the run.” And he will be with the Penguins for their playoff run, at least the start of it. Sullivan said after the game that his inclination is to stick with the “status quo” at goaltending heading into the postseason, meaning Murray as the starter and DeSmith as his backup. Tristan Jarry, at least for now, will stay in Wilkes-Barre. It’s hard to say DeSmith didn’t earn that right Friday. “He made some huge saves for us,” Jamie Oleksiak said. “The whole team just plays with more confidence when they know they’ve got someone back there that can make some big stops. He definitely stepped up to the plate tonight, which was great.” The win obviously carried repercussions beyond just DeSmith’s postseason role, too. For a team with one of the widest home/road splits in the NHL, starting the postseason at home is no small advantage. The Penguins went 30-9-2 at PPG Paints Arena in the regular season, one of just two teams, along with Winnipeg, to win 30 games at home. Their record outside the 412 area code was a significantly less stellar 17-20-4. “Home ice is awesome and we want to be here as much as we can,” DeSmith said. “Our home record speaks for itself.” So does the Penguins ability to get up for games when there are concrete stakes on the line, an aspect of this team that bodes very well for the coming weeks (and, maybe, months). The Penguins have had some ups and downs in recent weeks, but in their last two games — Thursday night in Columbus and Friday against Ottawa — they turned in two of their best performances of the season. It’s probably not a coincidence that these were the two games that carried direct playoff implications. “It just shows, especially with what the team’s done in the past, how ready to get up for big games [we are],” Riley Sheahan said. “Guys like playing this style of game where it’s intense and we know we need a win. It’s a playoff-style game, so I think it shows the character of this team, a lot of the leadership comes out and guys just get excited for these types of games.” Against the Senators, the Penguins battled through a tight-checking first period, and went up 2-0 in the second on banked-in goals from Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. They extended that lead to 4-0 in the third thanks to Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist. “I think we played really well,” Hornqvist said. “Home ice is huge in the playoffs. We know it, and I think we had a good game. Even there in the second, we went away from our game a little bit but then in the third, we took over and won 4-0. That’s all that matters in the end.” 1108020 Pittsburgh Penguins Derick Brassard missed his fifth consecutive game with a lower-body injury, but seems to be moving toward a return. Sullivan said Brassard skated on his own Friday morning for the first time since his injury March Penguins playing meaningful games until the final day 27 in Detroit. Sullivan said it is “certainly a big step” for Brassard. Staff Report Sam Werner: Apr 7, 2018 12:09 AM Post Gazette LOADED: 04.07.2018 A year ago, the Penguins had two meaningless games at the end of the regular season before they got their playoff run underway. It was a chance for their regulars to get some rest at the end of a long season. That wasn’t the case this time around, as the Penguins went into their regular-season finale Friday night against Ottawa needing a win to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs next week. While resting some superstars that logged heavy minutes over the past five months certainly has its benefits, there also might be something to be said for playing competitive games all the way through. Coach Mike Sullivan said he didn’t have a preference. “I really haven’t given it much thought, to be honest with you,” Sullivan said before the home game against the Senators. “We’re just trying to react the right way to the situation that’s in front of us. Last year was a little bit different. This year, we were able to solidify a playoff spot, which was our first priority. Now we’re trying to put our team in the best possible position moving forward. There’s still a lot to play for, from our standpoint.” And no matter what happened Friday, the Penguins won’t know their first-round opponent until late Saturday night. Depending on the outcome of games around the league, it could be Columbus, New Jersey, Philadelphia or even Washington. Sullivan said in that regard, too, he didn’t have much of an opinion as to who the Penguins opponent is. “I think for us we’re just trying to become the best team that we can become going into the playoffs and put ourselves in the best possible position going into the playoffs,” he said. He will, though, be watching the games Saturday to see how things play out. “I’m sure we’ll watch, because regardless of what happens [Friday] with our game, we still don’t know who our opponent’s going to be,” Sullivan said. “There’s still a lot of scenarios that are out there. I’m sure everybody will be watching.” Despite the relatively high stakes of the game Friday, Sullivan opted to go with Casey DeSmith in goal over Matt Murray. Murray has started the team’s past seven games, and that, combined with him playing Thursday night in Columbus, led Sullivan to go with his backup. Murray has started both legs of a back-to-backs twice this season, including last weekend against Montreal and Washington, but lost on the second night both times. Sullivan said the decision, in a game with home ice on the line, is effectively a vote of confidence in DeSmith, who is 5-4-1 with a 2.63 goals against average and .913 save percentage this season. “We believe in him,” Sullivan said. “We know he’s a good goalie, we know he can help us win. He’s had some real good starts for us and, [with] the circumstances, being a back-to-back game and the fact that Matt has had [seven] starts in a row, I think it’s the right decision. I believe Casey’s a guy that can help us win.” Penguins ironmen Four players on the Penguins roster — Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, Jake Guentzel and Olli Maatta — played in all 82 games this season. This is the eighth consecutive season Kessel has played in every game for his team, but it’s the first time for the other three, including Crosby. “I think it’s an indication of the fitness level,” Sullivan said. “These guys really take care of themselves. They pride themselves on making sure they control everything they can to be in the best possible condition to endure the rigors of the schedule. This is a hard league. It can be a grind. These guys are extremely fit, they take care of themselves, and I think that’s an indication of it.” Brassard making progress 1108021 San Jose Sharks Martin the same support he received from the veteran after he bounced him out of the lineup earlier in the season.

“He’s been such a great guy to me all year. I have so much respect for How Sharks’ defenseman won his job back on eve of Stanley Cup him,” Ryan said. “Obviously, it’s disappointing. I thought I was playing playoffs well before this injury happened. I can’t really be upset with myself. I don’t think it’s anything I did.” By PAUL GACKLE | PUBLISHED: April 6, 2018 at 2:44 pm | UPDATED: Martin sympathizes with Ryan’s plight having been in his position earlier April 6, 2018 at 2:57 PM in the season. He said the fellowship between he and the rookie blue liner is a reflection of the culture in the Sharks dressing room.

“It isn’t the easiest position that he’s been put in this year right from the SAN JOSE — As Paul Martin toiled in the minor leagues earlier this beginning,” Martin said. “But Joaks is similar to me in the way that he season, the text messages he received from hockey friends gave him handles things. He’ll make the best of the situation and be ready because encouragement in moments of doubt. anything can happen in the playoffs.” Scott Gomez, Jamie Langenbrunner and Keith Ballard all communicated San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.07.2018 the same message as the veteran defenseman’s NHL career hung in the balance: “stay with it.” Martin followed the advice and now he’s back with the Sharks, gaining the inside lane over Joakim Ryan for a spot on the team’s blue line just in time for the Stanley Cup playoffs, which kick off Wednesday. “It was actually really good to hear from those guys. It makes a big difference,” Martin said. “In the back of your head, you never know. Those were tough days in the middle of it when you’re not playing. You don’t see anything changing and there’s not much you can do.” Martin did do one thing after he suited up for just three games over the first three months of the season: he requested a trade. When head coach Pete DeBoer went from pairing Ryan up with Brent Burns to Brenden Dillon and then back to Ryan in early January, it became clear where Martin stood on the depth chart. He eventually asked management for a trade and the Sharks waived him on Jan. 15 so he could join the AHL Barracuda to showcase his skills to prospective general managers. Martin played a total of 18 games in the minor leagues before the Feb. 26 trade deadline came and went without anyone biting on the hook. Martin acknowledges that he flirted with the idea that his 13-year NHL career could be over. “You don’t really think about it until you get toward the end,” Martin said. “Everyone goes through it at some point. Everyone’s story is different. “You just decide that you’ll take advantage of whatever opportunity you have when it comes.” The 37-year-old blue liner’s chance came in Vancouver on March 17 after Ryan suffered an upper-body injury. Martin logged 10:10 of ice time that night, seeing just three shifts in the third period. But as one game turned into two, three and four, Martin earned more confidence from DeBoer, receiving 19:26 of ice time in overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on March 27. “He’s been great,” Burns said. “We have great chemistry out there together and he’s just a great guy to play with. He talks a lot, he’s poised. It’s awesome. It’s been great to have him back.” Two nights later, DeBoer called Martin’s number again in Nashville even though Ryan was healthy enough play. Ryan’s now served as a healthy scratch in four straight games, making it highly likely that Martin suit up for the Sharks first playoff game next week. DeBoer said he’s simply going with the guy who gives his team the best chance of winning on a nightly basis. He isn’t looking down the road toward the playoffs. “This isn’t about keeping guys healthy or getting guys fresh or getting guys sharp,” DeBoer said in Las Vegas on March 31. “We’re trying to win every single game here. That’s the only thing that’s factoring into my decisions.” In his 10 games since he’s rejoined the lineup, Martin’s picked up two points while posting a plus-six rating, convincing DeBoer that he’s the best guy for Burns’ pairing right now. “He’s fresh. He’s moving well out there. He’s working to make sure he’s keeping gap. He always brings the intangibles of being able to make those subtle little plays, and his leadership, and his ability to help Burnzie out,” the Sharks coach said. “He’s also playing aggressive, which is something that maybe over an 82-game season last year, with fatigue and age and things like that, you get away from a little bit.” Ryan, who’s posted a team high plus-13 rating in 62 games this season, isn’t holding any ill will toward Martin for taking his job after he suffered an injury one month before the playoffs. The rookie defenseman is giving 1108022 San Jose Sharks MacKinnon, the Hart trophy candidate, along with Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen, had combined for seven points in two prior games against the Sharks this season. Takeaways: Statement game from Pavelski, and shutdown defense pair Not Thursday. MacKinnon assisted on Rantanen’s power play goal in the shows playoff form third period, and that trio combined for nine shots on goal, but Vlasic and Braun made sure that if the Avalanche were going to score at even strength, it was going to have to come from another line. By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: April 6, 2018 at 5:30 am | UPDATED: April 6, 2018 at 5:51 am Asked about Braun’s play, DeBoer said, “He was unbelievable. I think he and MacKinnon were even a couple of times and usually MacKinnon’s in alone on those, and Brauny went stride for stride with him. He was maybe our best player tonight.” SAN JOSE — So it’s all real simple now for the Sharks. Win Saturday against the Minnesota Wild and they’ll claim second place in the Pacific Couture echoed his coach. Division and earn home ice advantage in the first round of the NHL playoffs “MacKinnon’s dangerous every time he’s on the ice and he’s having a tremendous year. One of the top, if not the top player in this league this If that happens, everyone can point to Thursday night and the way the year,” he said. “Those two, to hold him off anything even strength was Sharks responded after they faced some adversity to earn what was pretty impressive.” probably their biggest win of the season. Braun finished with 25:27 of ice time, Vlasic had 24:28. Logan Couture scored a go-ahead goal in the third period and Martin Jones had 23 saves as the Sharks topped the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 at Unless the Sharks can win some playoff games in blowout fashion, SAP Center. expect those numbers to stay about the same for the rest of the season. Now two points up on Los Angeles and three clear of Anaheim for 3. Power play shows some bite: The Sharks’ power play can be a touchy second place in the division, the Sharks, even without Evander Kane and subject as times, especially when it’s not going real good. The Sharks a few others, played the type of game that gets everyone to think that entered Thursday ranked 16th in the NHL at 20.6 percent after some success in the postseason could be in order. converting on just 2 of 23 attempts over the last seven games. “(Colorado ties) the game, and I’m sure everyone’s thinking about the It looked good Thursday, even though the Sharks only had two cracks at other night,” said captain Joe Pavelski, noting Tuesday’s game when the it. The first power play try resulted in four shots on goal, the second Sharks let slip a one-goal lead in the third period and later lost 4-2. resulted in Couture’s 34th goal of the season. “For us to come out and get a power play and execute on it and stick one The biggest part about the goal was the timing of it. Only 1:17 earlier, in the net, it was important. Just kind of proves that this team has a good Rantanen’s goal had tied the game 1-1. But 32 seconds after Blake mindset, good character to come back and forget about things. Just Comeau went to the penalty box for high-sticking, Couture took a nice move forward and play.” seam pass from Kevin Labanc and fired a shot — once he controlled the puck — past Jonathan Bernier for a 2-1 Sharks lead. Here are three takeaways from Thursday’s game. “It was a big power play,” Couture said. “We moved the puck around OK 1. The Captain makes a statement: Pavelski was everywhere on on the first one that we had. The second one, it was a great play by Thursday night, not only assisting on Couture’s goal that gave the Sharks (Labanc) to find me. The puck hopped on my stick. I wasn’t trying to a 2-1 with 14:00 left in the third, but also doing the work to help bring shoot it along the ice, so got a little lucky.” about Joonas Donskoi’s goal with 9:46 to go, which proved to be the game-winner. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.07.2018 He also made an impressive sliding block on a Nathan MacKinnon shot attempt with eight seconds left in the third that might have prevented a goal and the game from going into overtime. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzffffffffffffffffff Pavelski’s final stat line: One assist, a +2, 20:06 of ice time to lead all forwards (he, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun all stayed on the ice for the final 1:45 or so until Tomas Hertl scored an empty-netter). Oh, and he finished with three blocks, three shots on goal and 12 faceoff wins out of 18. Pavelski’s block on MacKinnon was naturally a major topic after the game. “That’s huge,” Braun said. “You see that on the bench and it gets you excited. That’s the stuff we’re going to need going into the playoffs. When your leader’s doing that, night in and night out, you’ve got to do it too.” Asked how he felt after the block, Pavelski said, “Pretty good now. It hurt right away, goes away a little bit. It’s nothing new. It’s something guys are willing to do on this team and it was just my turn.” We’ve seen Pavelski take it up a notch numerous times before. On the eve of the playoffs, his effort could resonate for a long time to come. “That’s why he’s our captain,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “You do take him for granted, being around him every day. But there’s no bigger competitor than him. “He walks the walk. He’s first guy out there, throwing his body in front of pucks. When your best players are your most honest players, that’s what makes great leaders.” 2. Shutdown duo shines again: Whoever the Sharks face in the playoffs, whether it’s Los Angeles, Anaheim or even Vegas, the Sharks’ top defense pair of Vlasic and Braun will be relied upon to help keep the opposing team’s top line in check. Thursday’s game was another exhibition of what they’re capable of. 1108023 San Jose Sharks

Win gives Ducks a shot to overtake Sharks for 2nd place in Pacific

Associated Press Updated 11:22 pm, Friday, April 6, 2018

Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg had a goal and two assists, and the host Ducks kept up their surge toward the postseason with their ninth win in 11 games, 5-3 over the Dallas Stars on Friday night. Josh Manson and Andrew Cogliano each had a goal and an assist for Anaheim, which moved into third place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of Los Angeles. The Ducks are one point behind the second-place Sharks. Anaheim heads into its finale at Arizona on Saturday night. The Ducks and the Coyotes will begin about 90 minutes before the Kings host the Stars. If the Ducks win and the Sharks lose in regulation to visiting Minnesota later in the night, Anaheim will finish second in the Pacific. Rickard Rakell and Derek Grant also scored for Anaheim before Cogliano got a key breakaway goal with 5:25 to play. Ryan Miller made 23 saves to win his second straight start in place of John Gibson. He earned the 369th win of his career, tying Tom Barrasso for second among U.S.-born goalies. Penguins 4, Senators 0: Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel banked in goals off goalie Craig Anderson minutes apart in the second period, Casey DeSmith stopped 34 shots and host Pittsburgh clinched second place in the Metropolitan Division and home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. Pittsburgh will host Columbus, New Jersey or Philadelphia in the first round as the Penguins try to become the first team in 35 years to win three straight Stanley Cups. Blues 4, Blackhawks 1: Patrik Berglund scored three times, including a tie-breaking rebound goal in the third period, and St. Louis moved into position for the last Western Conference wild card with a road win. The Blues (44-31-6) moved one point ahead of the Avalanche (42-30-9) heading into their finale in Colorado on Saturday night. St. Louis has won three of four against Colorado this season. Lightning 7, Sabres 5: Nikita Kucherov became the second player in the NHL to reach 100 points this season and host Tampa Bay took a two- point lead in the Atlantic Division. Kucherov had a first-period goal and got his 100th point assisting on Dan Girardi’s goal 1:04 into the second that gave Tampa Bay a 4-2 lead. Raanta deal: Arizona re-signed goaltender Antti Raanta to a three-year deal through the 2020-21 season. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. He is 21-16-6 with a 2.24 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in 46 games after injuries threatened to derail his season. Tiebreaker: If the Flyers and Panthers finish even in points, regulation and overtime wins and goal differential, they’ll play a one-game tiebreaker to see who goes to the playoffs. The NHL announced the unlikely but possible tiebreaker as Philadelphia has one game and Florida two remaining. San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108024 San Jose Sharks

Surprising Sharks trio continues productive season in win vs Avalanche

By Marcus White April 06, 2018 8:32 AM

The Sharks owed the end of their four-game losing streak, tied for the longest this season, largely to the offensive contributions of a somewhat unexpected trio. Yes, Logan Couture, San Jose’s leading scorer and arguable MVP, gave his team a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. But, Joonas Donskoi, Kevin Labanc, and Justin Braun continued their surprisingly productive seasons with involvement on each of the Sharks’ three goals in Thursday night’s win against the Colorado Avalanche. Donskoi, arguably the least-unlikely of the bunch, scored what ended up being the game-winning goal. It was his 14th of the season, extending his in-progress career-high. Rather, we should say his NHL-high, but this year is still just the third time in his professional career he’s found the back of the net 14 (or more) times in a single season, and the first since his last season in Finland’s SM- (19 goals in 2014-15). We’ve written at length about Donskoi’s importance this season, so we’ll sum it up with this: Among the forwards that have played 300-plus minutes five-on-five, only Logan Couture has scored primary points (goals and primary assists) at a higher rate per hour (1.65) than Donskoi (1.62), according to Natural Stat Trick, Labanc, meanwhile, assisted on Couture’s power-play goal prior to Donskoi’s. The second-year winger’s continued success on the power play shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise, considering he racked up 102 of his 308 regular season and playoff points in junior on the man advantage. His continued opportunity, on the other hand, certainly is. Remember, Labanc was in the AHL as recently as November (albeit for a two-game stint) and was sent down to the Barracuda in the middle of the Sharks’ first-round series with the Oilers a year ago. San Jose banked on the 22- year-old taking a step forward in his second season, but surely didn’t expect him to become one of the league’s best setup men on the power play. Labanc’s primary assiste rate (3.23 per hour) on the man advantage is 11th-best among skaters that have played at least 150 power play minutes this season and ahead of names like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, John Tavares, and Steven Stamkos, among others. If you expected Labanc to keep that kind of company this season, would you mind pointing us in the direction of some lottery numbers? But of all the players who got on the scoresheet Thursday, Justin Braun’s undoubtedly been the biggest surprise this year. He opened the scoring with a deflected shot from the blueline, and set a new career-high with his fifth goal of the season. Braun added to his career-high in points, too, as the goal was his 33rd point of the season. That’s 10 points better than his previous best, which he reached twice in his only prior 20-point campaigns. All of those points have come at even strength, too. While Braun’s undoubtedly benefited from a career-high in five-on-five ice time per game (17:23) as well the best five-on-five shooting percentage (4.63) of his career, he draws the same difficult defensive assignments as partner Marc-Edouard Vlasic and not nearly as much power play time. The blueliner’s five-on-five goal, assist, primary assist, and point rates are unsurprisingly all the best of his career, but his underlying numbers are solid, too. He is generating five-on-five shot attempts (10.39 per hour) and shots on goal (4.66 per hour) at a higher rate than all but his first two NHL seasons, while also attempting shots that result in rebounds (0.7 per hour) at a higher rate than all but two Sharks defenseman: Brent Burns and Dylan DeMelo. Braun’s been a key component of a surprisingly offensive defense corps. The Sharks are tied for second in the league with three defensemen that have scored 30-plus points. It’s only the second time San Jose’s had that many in franchise history, and the first time in nearly a decade (2008-09; four). Braun, as well as Donskoi and Labanc, played key roles offensively in Thursday’s pivotal win. That couldn’t have necessarily been expected at the start of the season, but has simply become the norm by now. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108025 St Louis Blues Chris Butler starts again on defense; he saw 16 minutes 42 seconds of ice time Wednesday against Chicago, his high total in the four games he has played for the Blues this season. Blues update: Hutton to start in goal vs. Blackhawks; Allen starts Jordan Schmaltz, who missed the previous three games with an upper- Saturday body injury, has yet to be cleared and did not make the trip. BLUES' PROJECTED LINEUP By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago The Blues did not form lines during Friday's morning skate. Forwards CHICAGO • Earlier this week Blues coach Mike Yeo said his intention Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko was to start Jake Allen in goal Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Those plans have changed. Carter Hutton will get the start in tonight's Berglund-Brodziak-Steen critical contest at the United Center. Jaskin-Sobotka-Thompson "This is Hutts' game," Yeo said following Friday's morning skate. "It's a good opportunity for Hutts to get back in the net. He hasn't had a start in Soshnikov-Barbashev-Thorburn a long time. Defensemen "Obviously, he's a battler. We have a lot of confidence in Hutts going out Edmundson-Pietrangelo there and doing the job tonight." Dunn-Parayko The Blues close out the regular season Saturday in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche, who lead the Blues by one point _ 93 to 92 _ in the Butler-Bortuzzo. race for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. BLUENOTES Even if the Blues lose against Chicago tonight, they can still claim the wild-card berth by winning Saturday against Colorado. But by winning in The Blues are 1 for 17 on the power play over their past eight games. regulation or overtime against Chicago, the Blues can also lose in Meanwhile, the penalty kill has allowed seven goals in the last 20 overtime or a shootout in Colorado and still get in. opponent power plays over the past 10 games. So they can give themselves more leeway in all this with a victory against • Vladimir Tarasenko has eight points in his last seven games since the Blackhawks, and Hutton is eager to be a part of that. returning from an upper-body injury, on six goals and two assists. Brayden Schenn has eight points in his last 10 games, on three goals "I just know if we win these next two, we're in," Hutton said. "It's as and five assists. Kyle Brodziak has 10 points in his last 13 games on one simple as it gets. Of course, I know what's going on. I just try to win goal and nine assists. hockey games. That's my job here and every time I get in there, I just try and win. I don't try to worry about the last (game). Just worry about • The Blues suffered their first loss in regulation this season when leading winning games, doing the right things, the rest will take care of itself." after one period against Washington. They are now 23-1-2 under that scenario. Two nights later against Chicago, they suffered their first loss in It will be the first start for Hutton since March 3 in Dallas, although he did regulation this season when leading after two periods. They are now 31- play 36 minutes 9 seconds off the bench last Saturday at Arizona, 1-2 under that scenario. allowing four goals on 19 shots. He was sidelined for nine games after suffering a neck injury in the morning skate prior to the team's March 8 St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.07.2018 game in San Jose. He then was a backup for the next five games, playing only in that reserve role against Arizona. "It feels like a little while, but you get out there, it's fun," Hutton said, downplaying his down time. "It's the same thing. I think I started the year really well and that was coming off of four months off with no games. "It's just one of those games where you just play. There's a lot of things you can add into it. That's why you guys write storylines, but for me, it's just hockey. It's just a game and I go out there doing my thing." Ville Husso, recalled Thursday from San Antonio of the American Hockey League, will serve at the backup tonight against the Blackhawks. And what of Jake Allen, who made his 14th consecutive start _ the longest such streak of his career _ in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to Chicago at Scottrade Center? He accompanied the squad to Chicago and took part in the Friday morning skate, but was scheduled to fly out to Denver on Friday afternoon ahead of the team, kind of like a starting pitcher in baseball. The plan is then to start him Saturday against the Avalanche. Yeo said the goalie plan was put in place Thursday, and was influenced by the result of Thursday night's Colorado game at San Jose _ a 4-2 loss for the Avalanche that kept them only one point ahead of St. Louis in the standings. "As far as Jake goes, I think this is a much-needed break for him," Yeo said. "It's been an awful long time since he's had two days between a game. He's played an awful lot of hockey and so it gives him a chance to really collect some much-needed rest and get ready for tomorrow." LINEUP NOTES After missing the last seven games _ the first six with an upper-body injury and the seventh as a healthy scratch _ forward Nikita Soshnikov returns to the lineup tonight. He replaces center Oskar Sundqvist on the fourth line, with Ivan Barbashev sliding into center from the wing and Soshnikov playing on the wing. 1108026 St Louis Blues

In Jake we trust for Blues against Avalanche

Jim Thomas

CHICAGO • After the Blues changed plans and went with Carter Hutton in goal Friday against Chicago, their playoff hopes will sink or swim with Jake Allen on Saturday in Colorado. Before Friday, Allen had started 14 consecutive games, his longest starting streak in the NHL. The streak began with a 2-0 loss March 8 at San Jose after Hutton was a late scratch because of a neck injury. Allen went 8-5-1 in those 14 games, with a 2.46 goals-against average and a save percentage of .910. All of the games were critical to the team’s playoff push, most were very intense, and four went into overtime. So it’s quite possible that Allen was a little fried entering this weekend, although he has routinely insisted to reporters that he felt fresh. “I think this is a much-needed break for him,” Yeo said. “It’s been an awful long time since he’s had two days between a game. He’s played an awful lot of hockey, and so it gives him a chance to really collect some much-needed rest and get ready for tomorrow (against Colorado).” Allen accompanied the team to Chicago on Thursday and took part in the morning skate Friday at the United Center. But it’s believed that he flew out on his own to Denver late Friday afternoon, kind of like a starting pitcher in baseball. The team charter wasn’t scheduled to arrive in Denver until 2 a.m. (Central time) following the Chicago game. Even it was just for a day, the mental and physical break should be good for Allen, Yeo said. “Even if you’re a backup goalie, you still in the back of your mind, you’re still preparing like you might play,” Yeo said. “So again I think it’s a good opportunity for him to really get some rest.” Ville Husso was called up from San Antonio of the American Hockey League to back up Hutton against Chicago. Recently named to the AHL’s all-rookie team, Husso has been called up by the Blues five times but has yet to appear in a game. SOSHNIKOV RETURNS For the first time since suffering an upper-body injury March 21 against Boston, forward Nikita Soshnikov was back in the lineup Friday for the Blues. Entering Friday’s game, Soshnikov had sat out nearly as many games (eight) as he has appeared in (10) for St. Louis since he was acquired in a trade from Toronto on Feb. 16. Yeo opted for Soshnikov’s speed and feistiness against Chicago, deciding to sit center Oskar Sundqvist, who had appeared in the team’s previous nine games with a goal and an assist in that period. “Obviously, we’ve got back-to-back games,” Yeo said. “I would 100 percent expect Sunny to factor back into the lineup tomorrow (in Colorado). He’ll be fresh. He’s been playing well for us, and I think he’s gonna be a big part of that game tomorrow as well.” BUTLER BACK Veteran defenseman Chris Butler committed a turnover and then a penalty that set up Chicago’s game-winning goal on a power play Wednesday in St. Louis, but Yeo saw enough good qualities in his game to put him back in the lineup Friday. Butler was plus-1 in 16 minutes, 42 seconds of ice time, his high total in four games for the Blues this season. Besides, Yeo’s options were limited. Jordan Schmaltz missed his fourth consecutive game because of an upper-body injury suffered March 30 against Vegas and did not accompany the team to Chicago. BLUENOTES Besides Sundqvist, Schmaltz and Allen, other scratches for the Blues were rookies Nolan Stevens and Mitch Reinke. • Captain Alex Pietrangelo moved into a tie with Bob Plager for second in career games played by a Blues defenseman Friday, appearing in his 616th contest. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108027 St Louis Blues

Preview: Blues at Avalanche

Jim Thomas

Blues at Avalanche When, where • 8 p.m. Saturday, Pepsi Center, Denver TV, radio • Fox Sports Midwest, KMOX (1120 AM) About the Avalanche • The Blues aren’t the only playoff contender that has stumbled down the stretch. Colorado is 1-4-1 over the last two weeks, including a 4-2 loss Thursday at San Jose. The Avalanche (42- 30-9) are minus goalie Semyon Varlamov and defenseman Erik Johnson, both out with knee injuries. Leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon (38 goals) had two goals and an assist the last time these teams met, a 4-1 Colorado victory March 15 at Scottrade Center. The Blues won the only previous meeting in Denver, 4- 3 on Oct. 19. The Avalanche have lost just 11 games in regulation in 40 games this season at the Pepsi Center. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108028 St Louis Blues Hutton didn’t have a heavy workload, stopping 19 of 20 shots, but he did make some key saves, including on Patrick Sharp in the slot.

“I didn’t love the (Gustafsson) goal; I kind of got caught cheating a bit,” Blues win, improve playoff chances going into final game Hutton said. “But it’s also been how long since I played, so there’s a lot of positives that you can take out of it.” Jim Thomas After squandering a two-goal lead in Wednesday’s wrenching 4-3 loss to Chicago, the Blues played a structured, almost defense-first game, although they did get 35 shots on goal. CHICAGO • No doubt, ending their four-game winless streak was a huge Berglund’s first goal of the night came with just 1:43 left in the opening relief for the Blues. Under any circumstances, a win over the dreaded period, on a deflection of a shot by Joel Edmundson from just inside the Blackhawks is a night well spent. blue line. The change of direction caused by Berglund’s stick was too much for Berube, who couldn’t get over in time as the puck slid in to his Additionally, the Blues take some comfort in knowing they reach the left. playoffs merely by taking Colorado into overtime Saturday in Denver. Kyle Brodziak had an assist on Berglund’s first two goals, giving him 23 But in this wild, nerve-wracking, most unpredictable of Blues seasons, for the season to tie his career high, set during the 2009-10 season with there’s still some work to be done after Friday’s 4-1 victory over Chicago Minnesota. at United Center. “I thought for the most part, we played a smart hockey game,” Brodziak “It clears the picture,” coach Mike Yeo said, almost managing a smile. said. “We were managing the puck well, no dumb turnovers like we had “Like you say, there’s work to be done but now we know what we need last game. We were keeping their guys in front of us, which was huge. for tomorrow, and obviously that’s gonna be an intense hockey game. “They’re a pretty unpredictable team when it comes to their forwards, “But you know what, your whole life when you play the game and you’re where they’re playing on the ice.” on the outdoor rinks, when you’re playing road hockey — whatever. These are the games that you dream of. So as a player you really have St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.07.2018 to embrace that and get excited.” With Carter Hutton starting in goal for the first time in five weeks and three goals from Patrick Berglund, the Blues improved to 44-31-6, good for 94 points. That’s one point better than Colorado for the second and final wild-card berth in the Western Conference, with one game to play. But it won’t mean a thing if the Blues lose Game 82 in regulation on Saturday night to Stan Kroenke’s Avalanche. A win or even an overtime loss at Colorado gets St. Louis in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. A loss in regulation means it’s time to break out the golf clubs. Even if he were a fan — and not a goalie — Hutton said he would be enjoying this finish. Winner take all, almost. “I think you have to,” Hutton said. “I think part of you, your emotions are on your sleeve. We could sit here and we could look back at games where we could have stole a couple more points. Or did a couple more things different. But what’s done is done. “It’s all on the line tomorrow. Anything that happened this season doesn’t matter, other than tomorrow.” Berglund has been a different player since his one-game benching Feb. 28 against Detroit. After scoring a modest eight goals in his first 43 games, he has added nine more in his last 13 contests. He got two big ones Friday before a season-high crowd of 22,218 at United Center in the Blackhawks’ home finale. And then he put a cherry on top, adding an empty-net goal with 71 seconds left for his third career hat trick. Keep in mind, he also scored the last Blues goal the last time they were in the building, a 5-4 overtime victory March 18. So there’s something about Berglund and the United Center. “I don’t know what that’s all about,” Berglund said. “I’m just very happy that we got this win, walking into Colorado feeling good.” His second goal Friday proved to be the game-winner, coming just 16 seconds after Chicago defenseman Erik Gustafsson had tied the score 1- 1, beating Hutton near side to cap an odd-man rush 8 minutes, 8 seconds into the final period. Berglund gave the Blues a 2-1 lead when he pounced on a rebound of a shot by Robert Bortuzzo to the left of the Chicago net. “We all go to the net, and the puck came right on stick,” Berglund said. “So, open net.” Jaden Schwartz then provided some cushion, taking a Brayden Schenn pass from behind the net and drilling the puck past Chicago goalie J-F Berube for his 23rd goal of the season with 7 minutes, 20 seconds to play. Although denied his fourth shutout of the season, Hutton recorded his 17th victory, and his first since that same Detroit game for which Berglund was a healthy scratch. “He played a great game. He made a couple of really good saves there in the first (period), and I think even in the second and third,” Berglund said. “So he was really solid for us and I’m really happy for him.” 1108029 St Louis Blues unusual situation where Colorado could have to pull its goalie late in the third period with the game tied, because the extra point would do them in.

Forward Chris Thorburn was shaken up by a shot struck him in the back Berglund has a hat trick as Blues beat Blackhawks 4-1 | Morning Skate just b below his numbers. The Blues are rolling their lines and defensive pairings tonight. Going into Tom Timmermann the third period, everyone on the Blues has between 11 and 16 shifts. FIRST PERIOD UPDATE The Blues know exactly what they'll need from their final game of the In a game that means a little, but not a lot, the Blues jumped out to a 1-0 season in order to make the playoffs after a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks lead on the Blackhawks after one period at the United Center on a goal at United Center in Chicago on Friday night. by Patrik Berglund. The Blues snapped a four-game losing streak and jumped back into the Berglund tipped a shot by Joel Edmundson in the high slot, slowing it second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with the win. They are down enough that Chicago goalie J-F Berube was going to his right while one point up on Colorado with one game to play. The teams meet at the the puck tumbled in to his left. Pepsi Center in Denver at 8 p.m. Central time on Saturday. The game is important for a Blues team which has lost four in a row and The win means the Blues will go to the playoffs for the seventh is looking to head into a pivotal, do-or-die game with Colorado on a consecutive season if they can beat the Avalanche in any manner or take Saturday with some momentum, but it's biggest effect will be on the the game to overtime and earn a point. If that happened, the Blues and periphery of the playoff race. If the Blues lose, they can still get a playoff Avalanche would be even on points, even on the first tiebreaker of spot with a win on Saturday. If the Blues win, the biggest impact is that it regulation and overtime wins, but the Blues would have gotten five points would be possible for them to secure a playoff spot by getting an to Colorado's four this season. (The first meeting of the season in St. overtime loss to Colorado. Louis doesn't count for tiebreaking purposes since the teams played an But the most importance could be psychological, as the Blues try to get odd number of games.) back the good feelings they had when they won six in a row and moved "It clears the picture," Blues coach Mike Yeo said. "We have work to be to the brink of a playoff spot. Since then, they've lost four in a row and done. We know what we need tomorrow. It's going to be an intense have one point to show for it. hockey game. Your whole life, when you play the game on outdoor rinks For Berglund, it was his third goal in five games and his seventh in 16 or play road hockey, this is the game you dream of. We have to embrace games since he was a healthy scratch on Feb. 28 vs. Detroit. it. ... When you have to win your last game, it's intense, there's lots of pressure. I hope our guys embrace that. It's going to be a fun game." The Blues had some other chances earlier, but Berglund couldn't put the puck in an open net on a two-on-one. The Blues got a hat trick from Patrik Berglund, his second coming 16 seconds after Chicago had tied the game in the third period at 1-1. Carter Hutton made his first start in goal since March 3 at Dallas. He Robert Bortuzzo took a shot from the point that hit Kyle Brodziak and faced only five shots on goal, but Chicago still had some good scoring Berglund swatted in the rebound. He had the game's first goal, in the first chances that the Blues broke up or the Hawks couldn't finish. period, when he tipped in a shot by Joel Edmundson that crossed up Chicago goalie J-F Berube. Berglund has nine goals in the 16 games St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.07.2018 since he was a healthy scratch on Feb. 28 when Yeo was dissatisfied with the veteran forward's play. His third goal was into an empty net with 1:11 to play. It was his second career hat trick. "I give Bergie lots of credit," Yeo said. "He took lots of ownership. One of the things that deserves mentioning, it's a good lesson. He didn't have a lot of confidence then and he went on the ice for every single optional skate, he went on early and put the work in. … I'm happy to see him get rewarded." Jaden Schwartz got a clinching goal for the Blues with 7:20 to play, finishing off a pass from Brayden Schenn. With the game having minimal impact on the Blues' fate – had they lost, they still would have needed a win to qualify – the Blues spread out the ice time in the game, with the defensemen taking turns to the point that Chris Butler saw time on the power play so as not to load up on Alex Pietrangelo's ice time. Carter Hutton made his first start since March 3 and stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced. The only goal he allowed came from Erik Gustafsson on a shot that went over Hutton's blocker. The Blues sent Jake Allen ahead to Denver so he could get a full night's rest before the game. The Blues will be flying there after the game and likely getting to their hotel sometime around 2 a.m. SECOND PERIOD UPDATE Twenty scoreless minutes of hockey in the second period kept the Blues ahead 1-0 of Chicago at the United Center as they set the table for Saturday's decisive season finale against Colorado. Carter Hutton, getting the start in goal while Jake Allen rests up for Saturday -- he's already in Denver -- has had to make 12 saves in all, five in the first period and seven in the second. Chicago had a power play in the second period but Hutton stopped the two shots he faced in that span. The Blues have yet to have a power play. This game will neither clinch nor eliminate the Blues, no matter what happens, and what it will mainly do is set the parameters for the season finale on Saturday. If the Blues hang on to this lead and win in regulation, the Blues will move one point ahead of Colorado and reclaim the second wild card spot. They would then clinch a playoff spot with any win on Saturday or any game that goes to overtime, regardless of the result. Even if the Blues were to lose to Colorado in that case, going to overtime would mean a point for the Blues which would give them the second tiebreaker of best head to head record. That would also create an 1108030 Tampa Bay Lightning

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING NHL says Flyers, Panthers could play tiebreaker game

Associated Press Published: April 6, 2018Updated: April 6, 2018 at 05:18 PM

If the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers are even in points, regulation and overtime wins and goal differential at the end of the season, they’ll play a one-game tiebreaker to determine who goes to the playoffs. The NHL announced the unlikely but possible tiebreaker Friday as Philadelphia has one game and Florida two remaining. For the tiebreaker to happen Tuesday, the Flyers would need to lose their regular-season finale Saturday against the New York Rangers by exactly two goals and the Panthers would need to beat the Ottawa Senators and the Boston Bruins in a shootout Saturday and Sunday. In that case, Philadelphia and Florida would each have 39 regulation/overtime wins and a plus-1 goal differential over the season. The teams split their season series (which by rule eliminates the odd game between them to even out home ice) and the league does not have any further tiebreakers. Philadelphia currently has 96 points to Florida’s 92 and needs just a point against New York to clinch the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. This most recently happened in 2000 when the NHL announced Montreal and Buffalo would play a tiebreaking game if they finished the season tied for the final spot in the East. It did not come down to that, but it’s the precedent the league used to make this decision. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108031 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning controls its own destiny for home ice in conference playoffs

By Roger Mooney | Times Staff Writer Published: April 6, 2018

Thanks to Jared McCann's late third-period goal and the work of the rest of his Florida Panthers teammates, the Lightning now controls its own destiny in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference points standings. The Panthers' 3-2 win Thursday against the visiting Bruins means the Lightning (53-23-4) and Bruins (49-19-12 remain tied atop the division with 110 points. The Lightning now holds the first tiebreaker, which is regulation and overtime wins (47 to 46). Now, the Lightning's games tonight against the Sabres (25-43-12) in the regular-season finale and Saturday at Carolina in the season finale are important. The Bruins host the Senators on Saturday then host the Panthers on Sunday in a game that was postponed from earlier this season because of a snowstorm. "We're in this position to be able to win this division, something we set out to do," coach Jon Cooper said after this morning's optional skate. "Buffalo is in our way of doing that. We've got to be happy with the way we played Boston and the result of that game, but ultimately, things have swung in that we control what happens here the rest of the way. It's our last home game of the regular season. The guys should be fired up for this." White rally towels have been placed at each seat inside Amalie Arena, so tonight will have a whiteout effect when the towels are waved. Cooper said C Steven Stamkos (lower body) will not play the final two regular-season games. He said the target is for Stamkos to return to practice next week but did not say that Stamkos would be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs, which will start Thursday or Friday. And, Cooper said, given the time off between Saturday's regular-season finale and the start of the playoffs, he will not be resting players during the final two games. He wants his players to play to remain sharp. The Sabres enter the game with the fewest points (62) in the NHL. Thanks to expansion, they will be the first team ever to finish 31st. They have lost 11 of their past 16 but are 9-4-1 in their last 14 road games. The Sabres are 1-1-1 this season against the Lightning and own seven combined wins against the Lightning, Bruins and Maple Leafs — the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108032 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning journal: Yanni Gourde sets two rookie records

By Roger Mooney | Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 7, 2018 at 12:24 AM

TAMPA — C Yanni Gourde’s first goal in a calendar month is one he might remember for a long time. Gourde snapped a 13-game goalless streak in the first period of Friday’s 7-5 win against the Sabres to set the Lightning franchise record for goals in a season by a rookie. His 25th topped the 24 by C Tyler Johnson in 2013-14. Gourde broke in alone against Sabres G Chad Johnson, settled a bouncing puck, then wristed it past Johnson’s glove. Gourde’s last goal before that had been March 6, when he scored twice against the Panthers. Gourde also had two assists in the game to give him the team record for rookie points in a season. At 64, he bettered the 62 of Brad Richards in 2000-01. No rest Despite the Lightning’s two-point lead over the Bruins for first in the Atlantic Division heading into tonight’s regular-season finale at Carolina, coach Jon Cooper said he didn’t plan to rest any of his players. Boston plays tonight and Sunday. Aside from G Andrei Vasilevskiy, who will likely not play the second game of the back-to-back setup tonight, and C Steven Stamkos (lower body), who was listed as day to day, the Lightning was expected to have its regular lineup. The Lightning is expected to begin the first round of the playoffs Thursday at Amalie Arena, with Game 2 on Saturday. "We’re resting guys for what? The playoffs aren’t going to start until late next week," Cooper said. "There’s a whole bunch of rest (coming up) regardless. Our season ends (today), so you’re looking at potentially five days between games. … It’s more like guys need to play because you don’t want them sitting so long." Cooper said the Lightning’s "target" was to have Stamkos ready for practices as well as the playoffs’ start. Son seeks to best Dad Justin Richards, son of Lightning assistant coach Todd Richards, is a freshman on the Minnesota Duluth team that plays Notre Dame tonight for the NCAA championship in St. Paul, Minn. A forward, Justin has nine assists in 43 games. Todd, 51, was a defenseman in college for Minnesota, which lost the 1989 NCAA title game to Harvard 4-3 in overtime in St. Paul. He was named to the all-tournament team. 25 for 25 To celebrate the team’s 25th anniversary, Lightning fans voted for the top 25 players in team history. The results: Brian Bradley, Roman Hamrlik, Rob Zamuner, Enrico Ciccone, , John Cullen, Pavel Kubina, Vinny Lecavalier, Fredrik Modin, , Brad Richards, Marty St. Louis, Dave Andreychuk, Dan Boyle, Chris Dingman, Vaclav Prospal, Tim Taylor, Ruslan Fedotenko, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Brian Boyle and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108033 Tampa Bay Lightning

Roger Mooney’s Lightning-Sabres takeaways | tbo.com

By Roger Mooney | Times Staff Writer Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 7, 2018 at 12:22 AM

Good to see Yanni Gourde find the back of the net with his first goal in a month. The Lightning will need more of those if it is to have success in the playoffs. Rookie Anthony Cirelli has proven his worth on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. He shouldn’t be overlooked with the puck, either, as his goal 30 seconds into the game showed. He got another goal in the third. Want to know how tough it is to win in the NHL? The Sabres, who will finish with the fewest points in the league, have seven combined wins against three of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference: the Lightning, Bruins and Maple Leafs. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108034 Tampa Bay Lightning Kucherov is just the third Lightning player with 100 points in a season, joining Vinny Lecavalier (2006-07) and Marty St. Louis (2006-07).

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Cirelli 4 (Gourde), 0:30. 2, Buffalo, Lightning tops Sabres, can clinch division title Saturday Mittelstadt 1 (Rodrigues, Scandella), 2:57 (pp). 3, Tampa Bay, Kucherov 39, 4:35. 4, Buffalo, Nylander 1 (Ristolainen, Guhle), 6:32. 5, Tampa Bay, Gourde 25 (Killorn), 9:40. Penalties—Hedman, TB, (delay of game), Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer 1:16; Conacher, TB, (high sticking), 17:22. Published: April 6, 2018 Second Period—6, Tampa Bay, Girardi 6 (Palat, Kucherov), 1:04. 7, Buffalo, Pominville 15 (Rodrigues, Guhle), 8:59. 8, Buffalo, Nolan 4 Updated: April 7, 2018 at 12:23 AM (Larsson), 15:58. 9, Buffalo, Okposo 15 (O’Reilly, Eichel), 18:45 (pp). Penalties—Scandella, BUF, (roughing), 4:24; Scandella, BUF,

(roughing), 4:24; Miller, TB, (high sticking), 9:55; Killorn, TB, (hooking), Just as it looked like so much was slipping away from the Lightning — on 17:46; Scandella, BUF, (high sticking), 19:50. the scoreboard, in the standings — Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point Third Period—10, Tampa Bay, Cirelli 5 (Killorn, Sergachev), 6:15. 11, came up big in the third period Friday night. Tampa Bay, Point 32 (Gourde, Killorn), 7:02. 12, Tampa Bay, Hedman A two-goal lead on the Sabres had turned into a 5-4 deficit, but Cirelli and 17 (Vasilevskiy), 18:34. Penalties—Conacher, TB, (tripping), 8:19. Shots Point scored in 47 seconds, rallying Tampa Bay to a huge 7-5 win in their on Goal—Buffalo 9-16-7—32. Tampa Bay 13-5-16—34. Power-play final regular-season home game at Amalie Arena in front of announced opportunities—Buffalo 2 of 5; Tampa Bay 0 of 3. Goalies—Buffalo, sellout crowd of 19,092. C.Johnson 10-16-3 (33 shots-27 saves). Tampa Bay, Vasilevskiy 44-17-3 (32-27). A—19,092 (19,092). T—2:25. Referees—Frederick L’Ecuyer, "We knew this game was a big one for us if we wanted a chance to win Kendrick Nicholson. Linesmen—Bevan Mills, Tim Nowak. the division," said Cirelli, who had his first multigoal game. "It was a good third period in that we came out there and played the right way and got Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 the results we needed to get." With the win, the Lightning (54-23-4) maintained control of its destiny relating to the Atlantic Division title. It can clinch the title, and home-ice advantage through the Eastern Conference final, with a win in regulation or overtime tonight at Carolina in their regular-season finale, or a regulation loss by Boston against Ottawa tonight. "Is there anything else that needs to be said? You win a hockey game, you win the division," coach Jon Cooper said. "That would be an unreal accomplishment." If the Lightning wins the division, it would open the playoffs against the East’s undetermined second wild card. If Boston wins, Tampa Bay would face a tougher opponent in Toronto in the opening round. Tampa Bay clinched the win with an empty-net goal with 1:26 left, a long shot from defenseman Victor Hedman that rolled down the length of the ice and banked in off the right post. Coming off a sterling 4-0 win against Boston on Tuesday night, the Lightning wasn’t nearly as sharp Friday, giving up three straight goals in the second period to the lowest-scoring team in the league to fall behind. But Cirelli came up with his second goal of the game to tie it at 5 with 13:45 remaining in the game, and before that could even be announced, Point stepped up with his 32nd goal for the lead with 12:57 left. Alex Killorn had assists on both goals, giving him three for the night. "We knew we needed to be much better than we showed in the second period," said center Yanni Gourde, who had a goal and two assists to set Lightning rookie records for goals and points in a season. "We came out with the right mind-set. We played simple, we got bounces, and when you work like that, you get those bounces." And this time, the Lightning did not relinquish the lead. Early in the second, the Lightning led 4-2 and had a four-minute power play, but it came up empty and Buffalo seized momentum. The Sabres scored twice to tie the score, then took the lead on a power-play goal from Kyle Okposo with 1:15 left in the period, taking a 5-4 lead into the final period. Buffalo went into the game with the league’s worst record and its lowest scoring average, but it scored five goals in the first two periods. The teams combined for five goals in the opening 10 minutes. Cirelli needed only 30 seconds to put the Lightning ahead with his fourth goal of the season, but Buffalo answered to tie the score with 17:03 left in the first. Nikita Kucherov scored next for his 39th goal of the season with 15:25 left, but Buffalo again quickly tied it, with Andrei Vasilevskiy giving up a tipped goal with 13:27 left. Gourde made it 3-2 with 10:20 left in the first, setting the Lightning rookie records for goals (25, bettering Tyler Johnson from 2013-14). Gourde’s three points in the game gave him 64, bettering the 62 of Brad Richards in his 2000-01 rookie year. Defenseman Dan Girardi added to the lead just 64 seconds into the second, with an assist from Kucherov, who hit 100 points on the season. 1108035 Tampa Bay Lightning

Record-setting night for Lightning’s Gourde

By Roger Mooney | Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 7, 2018 at 12:00 AM

TAMPA — C Yanni Gourde's first goal in a calendar month is one he might remember for a long time. Gourde snapped a 13-game goalless streak in the first period of Friday's 7-5 win against the Sabres to set the Lightning franchise record for goals in a season by a rookie. His 25th topped the 24 by C Tyler Johnson in 2013-14. Gourde broke in alone against Sabres G Chad Johnson, settled a bouncing puck, then wristed it past Johnson's glove. Gourde's last goal before that had been March 6, when he scored twice against the Panthers. Gourde also had two assists in the game to give him the team record for rookie points in a season. At 64, he bettered the 62 of Brad Richards in 2000-01. No rest Despite the Lightning's two-point lead over the Bruins for first in the Atlantic Division heading into tonight's regular-season finale at Carolina, coach Jon Cooper said he didn't plan to rest any of his players. Boston plays tonight and Sunday. Aside from G Andrei Vasilevskiy, who will likely not play the second game of the back-to-back setup tonight, and C Steven Stamkos (lower body), who was listed as day to day, the Lightning was expected to have its regular lineup. The Lightning is expected to begin the first round of the playoffs Thursday at Amalie Arena, with Game 2 on Saturday. "We're resting guys for what? The playoffs aren't going to start until late next week," Cooper said. "There's a whole bunch of rest (coming up) regardless. Our season ends (today), so you're looking at potentially five days between games. … It's more like guys need to play because you don't want them sitting so long." Cooper said the Lightning's "target" was to have Stamkos ready for practices as well as the playoffs' start. Son seeks to best Dad Justin Richards, son of Lightning assistant coach Todd Richards, is a freshman on the Minnesota Duluth team that plays Notre Dame tonight for the NCAA championship in St. Paul, Minn. A forward, Justin has nine assists in 43 games. Todd, 51, was a defenseman in college for Minnesota, which lost the 1989 NCAA title game to Harvard 4-3 in overtime in St. Paul. He was named to the all-tournament team. 25 for 25 To celebrate the team's 25th anniversary, Lightning fans voted for the top 25 players in team history. The results: Brian Bradley, Roman Hamrlik, Rob Zamuner, Enrico Ciccone, Daren Puppa, John Cullen, Pavel Kubina, Vinny Lecavalier, Fredrik Modin, Nikolai Khabibulin, Brad Richards, Marty St. Louis, Dave Andreychuk, Dan Boyle, Chris Dingman, Vaclav Prospal, Tim Taylor, Ruslan Fedotenko, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Brian Boyle and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108036 Tampa Bay Lightning

Roger Mooney’s takeaways from Friday’s Lightning-Sabres game

By Roger Mooney | Times Staff Writer Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 at 11:48 PM

1. Good to see Yanni Gourde find the back of the net with his first goal in a month. The Lightning will need more of those if it is to have success in the playoffs. 2. Rookie Anthony Cirelli has proven his worth on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. He shouldn't be overlooked with the puck, either, as his goal 30 seconds into the game showed. He got another goal in the third. 3. Want to know how tough it is to win in the NHL? The Sabres, who will finish with the fewest points in the league, have seven combined wins against three of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference: the Lightning, Bruins and Maple Leafs. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108037 Tampa Bay Lightning Sabres 2 3 0 5 Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.07.2018 Lightning rallies for crucial 7-5 win over Sabres

By Greg Auman Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 at 11:59 PM

TAMPA — Just as it looked like so much was slipping away from the Lightning — on the scoreboard, in the standings — Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point came up big in the third period Friday night. A two-goal lead on the Sabres had turned into a 5-4 deficit, but Cirelli and Point scored in 47 seconds, rallying Tampa Bay to a huge 7-5 win in their final regular-season home game at Amalie Arena in front of announced sellout crowd of 19,092. "We knew this game was a big one for us if we wanted a chance to win the division," said Cirelli, who had his first multigoal game. "It was a good third period in that we came out there and played the right way and got the results we needed to get." With the win, the Lightning (54-23-4) maintained control of its destiny relating to the Atlantic Division title. It can clinch the title, and home-ice advantage through the Eastern Conference final, with a win in regulation or overtime tonight at Carolina in their regular-season finale, or a regulation loss by Boston against Ottawa tonight. "Is there anything else that needs to be said? You win a hockey game, you win the division," coach Jon Cooper said. "That would be an unreal accomplishment." If the Lightning wins the division, it would open the playoffs against the East's undetermined second wild card. If Boston wins, Tampa Bay would face a tougher opponent in Toronto in the opening round. Tampa Bay clinched the win with an empty-net goal with 1:26 left, a long shot from defenseman Victor Hedman that rolled down the length of the ice and banked in off the right post. Coming off a sterling 4-0 win against Boston on Tuesday night, the Lightning wasn't nearly as sharp Friday, giving up three straight goals in the second period to the lowest-scoring team in the league to fall behind. But Cirelli came up with his second goal of the game to tie it at 5 with 13:45 remaining in the game, and before that could even be announced, Point stepped up with his 32nd goal for the lead with 12:57 left. Alex Killorn had assists on both goals, giving him three for the night. "We knew we needed to be much better than we showed in the second period," said center Yanni Gourde, who had a goal and two assists to set Lightning rookie records for goals and points in a season. "We came out with the right mind-set. We played simple, we got bounces, and when you work like that, you get those bounces." And this time, the Lightning did not relinquish the lead. Early in the second, the Lightning led 4-2 and had a four-minute power play, but it came up empty and Buffalo seized momentum. The Sabres scored twice to tie the score, then took the lead on a power-play goal from Kyle Okposo with 1:15 left in the period, taking a 5-4 lead into the final period. Buffalo went into the game with the league's worst record and its lowest scoring average, but it scored five goals in the first two periods. The teams combined for five goals in the opening 10 minutes. Cirelli needed only 30 seconds to put the Lightning ahead with his fourth goal of the season, but Buffalo answered to tie the score with 17:03 left in the first. Nikita Kucherov scored next for his 39th goal of the season with 15:25 left, but Buffalo again quickly tied it, with Andrei Vasilevskiy giving up a tipped goal with 13:27 left. Gourde made it 3-2 with 10:20 left in the first, setting the Lightning rookie records for goals (25, bettering Tyler Johnson from 2013-14). Gourde's three points in the game gave him 64, bettering the 62 of Brad Richards in his 2000-01 rookie year. Defenseman Dan Girardi added to the lead just 64 seconds into the second, with an assist from Kucherov, who hit 100 points on the season. Kucherov is just the third Lightning player with 100 points in a season, joining Vinny Lecavalier (2006-07) and Marty St. Louis (2006-07). Lightning 3 1 3 7 1108038 Toronto Maple Leafs compete hard enough. I thought we competed hard as the game went on. We had our chances but in the end we couldn’t overcome it. The bottom line is we’ve got one more game. This is our last chance to get Five takes: The Leafs didn’t match New Jersey’s effort until late ready but we’re going to have to get to another level than we were tonight, for sure.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 04.07.2018 By MARK ZWOLINSKI Fri., April 6, 2018

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ pushback in the third period against the New Jersey Devils was what the team and its coaching staff were looking for Thursday night. Toronto, outplayed and outworked through two periods in Newark, N.J., looked more like the 100-point team that they are in the final frame. They mounted their skating game and showed their creativity on offence to pin the Devils in their own zone and almost earn at least one point. But it was the Devils, playing desperate hockey, who were clearly the more involved team through the first two periods, and it propelled them to a 2-1 win. The Devils’ win clinched their first playoff appearance in six seasons. Here are five takes from the Leafs’ second-last game of the regular season: The good side: Toronto outshot the Devils 12-11 in the final period, after getting outshot in the first two, when the Devils pressured them in their own zone and had the advantage in puck possession. The game was exciting for the home fans, who cheered their team onto that playoff berth. Things got intense, too, with James van Riemsdyk getting into a lengthy jostle and nearly coming to blows. Van Riemsdyk is smarter than that, though; he knows it would be absolute insanity if he did fight and hurt himself in the regular season’s penultimate game. Still, emotion swept through the Leafs. If they were looking to sharpen themselves with a real, live, playoff-type game, they found it for several minutes at the end of the game. The flip side: The Leafs were outshot 7-0 before the game was four minutes old. They got the only goal of the first period but they were otherwise overwhelmed for long periods in their own zone. That can be the product of having clinched a playoff berth long ago and trying to survive, remain healthy, and weather the fury of a Devils team needing the two points. Turnovers, and some difficulties sorting out defensive zone coverage, highlighted the Leafs’ problems when the Devils came at them with speed and a monster forecheck. That will be noted by the coaching staff when the Leafs return to practice Friday, and in the time they will have before opening the playoffs. “I think that was a bit of the problem, not taking care of the puck well enough,” Nazem Kadri told reporters in New Jersey. “Now, they did a great job through the neutral zone and just kind of clogging that area and making it as difficult as possible to come through them. That’s how you win at this time of year and come playoff time, so they did a good job. “ More milestones, but … William Nylander scored his 20th of the season, a power-play marker in the first period that gave him a handsome $212,000 bonus listed in his entry-level contract. The Leafs now have six 20-goals scores for the first time since 1998-99 (Mats Sundin, Steve Thomas, Steve Sullivan, Sergei Berezin, Mike Johnson and Derek King). Nylander also joined Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner at the 60-point plateau; that marked the first time in Leafs history that three players put up 60 points in each of their first two years in the NHL. Toronto, though, failed to get a point that would have pushed them to a single-season franchise record of 104. Freddie Andersen entered the night with 37 wins, which tied a team record. He was spectacular on several occasions, but didn’t get the win that would have set a new franchise record for wins by a Leafs goalie. He’ll have one more chance Saturday, when the Leafs host Montreal. Powerful power play: It was interesting, in the first period, when Leafs coach Mike Babcock had van Riemsdyk, normally on the first power-play unit, with Auston Matthews and the second unit instead. It was believed Babcock may have been trying a new look for his second unit. He may also have been throwing a curve at Boston and Tampa Bay — Toronto’s potential first-round opponents — who had their top pro scouts in Newark, gathering intelligence on the Leafs. Toronto did score on the power play and, at just under 25 per cent, should finish the season with the best road power play in the NHL. But the Leafs’ penalty kill, while solid Thursday night, entered the game having surrendered five goals in its previous 11 kills. That will be another important detail to sort out before the playoffs open. The coach’s take: “I thought this was fair. I thought the team that worked the hardest won,” Babcock told reporters. “I thought they were more desperate early. We weren’t good enough defensively. We didn’t 1108039 Toronto Maple Leafs “You could probably track it back to about 2010, where the days of spreading out all over the ice ended,” Hughson said. “If you watch the game now, everything is played in quadrants. There’s five guys in every NHL TV voices talk dirty goals quadrant. You’re watching a Leaf game now, and if the puck goes into the left-wing corner, there’s five Maple Leafs there. Or if the puck’s anywhere near the front of the net, there’s five guys there.” By DAVE FESCHUK Those crowded confines demand an agile tongue. Fri., April 6, 2018 “You have to be more careful and guarded in your call now,” said Emrick. “It’s like in football, when there’s a 95-yard run for a touchdown, as broadcasters we’re always trained to look down on the field and see if there are any flags. Now in hockey, whenever we have a goal we’re There was a moment this season when Tyler Seguin’s teammates trained to look at not only the four officials, but we’re trained now to look couldn’t figure out why he was changing sticks. Players who swap out at the bench of the team that’s been scored upon and see if there’s any one stick for another are usually in the midst of a cold streak, but Seguin stirring around the bench there (in preparation for a coach’s challenge).” was hardly in a slump. To the contrary, in the midst of a season that has birthed the highest goal total of his career — the Brampton-bred forward Indeed, video review of offside and goaltender interference calls — the for the Dallas Stars had 40 goals heading into Friday’s games — Seguin hot-button topic of the NHL season — hasn’t merely sparked anger in was riding a hot streak. more than a few NHL fanbases. It’s been the bane of far too many NHL broadcasts. “At one point I think I scored eight goals in 10 or 12 games. And my teammates were like, ‘Why are you changing sticks?’” Seguin said. “I and my colleagues are supposed to be experts helping people understand what they’re watching,” Hughson said. “But if we haven’t got But he had his reasons. a clue, how are we supposed to translate that to somebody else and say “I said, ‘I’m scoring, but I can’t honestly remember a goal I’ve actually ‘I think that’s a good goal’ or ‘It’s not a good goal’? It turns out, more shot in the net,’” Seguin said. “Everything was a rebound or a tip or a often than not this year, we’ve been wrong … That’s what I want the deflection or a tap-in. I just think that’s where our game has gone … You league to get sorted out.” can score, but it’s hard to actually shoot and score.” Said Cuthbert: “The challenge for the guy on the air is, you want to be Perhaps nobody is more aware of the reality of the NHL’s dirty-goal era right 100 per cent of the time on whether it should stand or should be than its play-by-play announcers. Depending on your reading of history, it overturned, and you hope you’re in the 90-per-cent range … Now if was either 85 or 95 years ago that Foster Hewitt, the former Star staff you’re batting 60 per cent or 70 per cent, you’re probably doing a good reporter who became the father of hockey broadcasting, coined the most job, because it’s hard to figure out where they’re going with some of the famous phrase in the sport, “He shoots, he scores!” But thanks to the calls.” evolution of the game — with NHL goalmouths now clogged with traffic If analyzing super-slow-motion replays isn’t easy, neither is calling a designed to create the rebounds and deflections and tap-ins of which bang-bang play in real time. Seguin speaks — Hewitt’s signature call has fallen into relative disuse. “I remember doing a Leaf game earlier this year. Five goals and four of “You get some of those clean calls, ‘He shoots, he scores’ … but you them were tips. It wore you out,” Miller said. “You’re really watching for don’t get many anymore,” Paul Romanuk, the Sportsnet play-by-play tips. You’re watching for deflections. I’m not conscious of not saying, ‘He man, was saying in a recent conversation. shoots, he scores.’ I just say whatever’s happening, and what’s Clean chances, even for stars such as Auston Matthews with a knack for happening is you’re getting is a lot of dirty goals.” finding open ice, are fewer and far between despite the rise in NHL One of Miller’s best-known calls came on just such a goal: the Matt scoring overall. Halischuk marker that won Canada the world junior championship in Said , Hockey Night in Canada’s lead play-by-play voice: 2008. “Where it used to be, ‘Sedin comes down the wing. He shoots, he “I had no idea who scored it,” said Miller. “It was a mad scramble, and scores,’ now there’s an awful lot more, ‘They score — and now let’s try Halischuk reacted first, so I said Halischuk. I looked at Pierre McGuire and figure out who actually put it in the net.’” (who was providing colour analysis) and he kind of shrugged like, ‘I don’t NHLers, it should be said, are putting the puck in the net more prolifically know.’ So it was a lucky guess. I went off of who reacted first. If I called than usual this season, the highest-scoring campaign since the post- the wrong person? The one you don’t want to have to do is go back to lockout power-play bonanza of 2005-06. And there are those who don’t the studio and re-call it because you got the name wrong.” want that uptick in offence to get lost in this discussion. The lore of broadcasting does include tales of post-game studio retakes “You always feel good when you call something clean … and I actually for posterity’s sake. think (calling goals has) been a little easier the past couple of years,” said Said Hughson: “I always joke with (former Canucks voice) — , the TSN broadcaster. “We’re getting out of the dead-puck we always talk about the perfect broadcast. Nobody’s ever had one.” era, so I don’t want to complain. There’s actually been some spectacular stuff.” Both Emrick and Hughson remember Patrick Kane’s Stanley Cup- winning goal in 2010 as particularly imperfect. Speaking of not-so-artful Said Gord Miller, Cuthbert’s TSN colleague: “I think there’s more moments in the life’s work of an artist, the most important goal of Kane’s breakaways now.” career amounted to a bad-angle prayer from the left wing that should Still, in a pro sport that’s been around for more than a century, the most have easily been handled by Philadelphia goaltender Michael Leighton. recent 30-some years have seen the game wholly transformed. Doc The puck was in the net for a long moment before either Emrick, on the Emrick, now the lead play-by-play announcer on NBC’s national NBC call, or Hughson, on the CBC, could alert viewers to the fact the broadcasts in the United States, remembers his early days in the booth Cup had been won. for the 1980s Philadelphia Flyers. Back then, Emrick points out, there “It remains the worst call I ever made,” Emrick said. “Like were no traps clogging the neutral zone. And backchecking — “back said when he got the lifetime achievement award (at the sports Emmys pressure” in today’s parlance — often appeared to be optional. back in 2011): This isn’t Hollywood. We don’t get 25 cracks at the take. “If they scored, it would usually go in clean. And if it hit anything, it would We just get one.” hit the defenceman or it would hit a goaltender … It made the calls a lot Said Hughson: “It was a bewildering moment … You don’t want that to cleaner,” Emrick said. “You didn’t have goals that were deflections as happen all the time, especially at the end of a Stanley Cup series, but much. You didn’t have five guys surrounding a goaltender. It was a that’s sometimes what the game offers up to you.” different kind of hockey.” Seguin, for his part, can sympathize. Speaking in the Stars dressing A lot has changed in the interim. The pace of the game, for one, has room a while back, discussing all those times he’d scored without been upped substantially. shooting, he broke into his best impersonation of an ecstatic gondola “To use a Star Trek nerd analogy, it’s gone from impulse engines to warp dweller. 10,” said Romanuk. “There’s a shot! It’s tipped! Oh, is it in? No! They’re reviewing it! Or was it And thanks to better goaltenders and stouter defence, tactics have offside?” said Seguin, speaking in his best mock bellow. morphed, too. Such is the messy reality of NHL play-by-play. And so the quest for the perfect broadcast continues. “You never give up on that,” Hughson said. “That’s why I’ll have to work for another 30 years to try and get there.” Toronto Star LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108040 Toronto Maple Leafs With Vancouver struggling in the standings Rogers Arena has often been a quite building with plenty of empty seats this season. The Sedins’ finale produced the energy and enthusiasm of a playoff game. Daniel Sedin overtime hero in final game in Vancouver Even in the warmups fans lined the boards waving signs and snapping pictures on cell phones. One woman held up a sign which lit up with the words “Congrats Henrik and Daniel.” By JIM MORRISThe Canadian Press The first standing ovation came when the Sedins skated out for the Fri., April 6, 2018 national anthems. During the game there were loud cheers each time the Sedins stepped on the ice, anticipation whenever they touched the puck.

The fans almost got their wish 18 seconds into the game when Henrik hit VANCOUVER—It couldn’t have been scripted any better. the post. Daniel and Henrik Sedin said goodbye to the hometown crowd with a The standing ovations continued after most whistles during the third farewell straight out of a movie. period. Daniel and Henrik acknowledged with waves. Daniel scored the winning goal in overtime, off an assist from twin brother Prior to the game there was a video tribute. Past Canuck players and Henrik as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 coaches talked about the Sedins’ history, their contributions on the ice Thursday night. It was the Sedins’ final NHL game at Rogers Arena and and their work in the community. A tribute mural wall was installed a step back in time for the crowd of 18,865 who had one more taste of outside the arena for fans to write messages. The lights outside Rogers the elegance and skill the brothers brought to the sport. Arena and in many city buildings glowed Swedish blue and yellow in tribute. A blurry-eyed Daniel tried to describe his feelings when he saw the puck go into the net. During the game some fans chanted “one more year.” Daniel was asked if there was any chance the brothers would reconsider their retirement. “Relief,” he said. “I was happy. You couldn’t dream of a better ending in this building, the last time we stepped on this ice. “No, not at all,” he said. “I saw our kids up on the Jumbotron (during the game). That made me happy. We will spend more time with them.” “It was emotional.” Toronto Star LOADED: 04.07.2018 For Henrik, the Canucks’ captain and franchise leader in points, it was a perfect ending to an emotional week. “When I woke up this morning I knew it was going to be a big day,” said the older brother by six minutes. “We tried to enjoy every minute of it.” Daniel finished the night with two goals. Henrik also assisted on his first goal in the second period which tied the game 1-1. The 37-year-old twins from Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, announced Monday they are retiring after playing 17 seasons with the Canucks. Drafted second and third overall in 1997, their final game will be Saturday in Edmonton against the Oilers. The boisterous crowd at Rogers Arena was on its feet for most of the third period and the overtime. Between standings ovations there were chants of “Go Sedins Go” and “Hall of Fame.” The anticipation ratcheted up even higher when the Sedins went over the boards after Arizona’s Richard Panik was called for hooking at 1:16 of overtime. The goal came when Henrik passed back to Daniel, who blasted a shot from the blue line. The Canucks came off the bench to mob the brothers. Hats littered the ice. Coyote players banged their sticks in recognition. After the celebration Daniel and Henrik slowly skated around the arena, waving and clapping to the fans. Defenceman Alex Edler said it was the kind of finish the Canucks wanted for their teammates. “It was special for sure,” said Edler, who also assisted on both of Daniel’s goals. “We talked before the game it as going to be loud. We just fed off that. “The twins had a great game. They were on fire. It was a perfect ending.” The first goal was a throwback to the Sedins’ early years. The play began with Henrik making a move along the boards, then dishing the puck to Edler, who was streaking toward the goal. He passed to Daniel, who shot into an open net. Both Sedins had season-highs of ice time. Henrik logged 21 minutes 36 seconds. Daniel was on for 21:12 and had 10 shots on goal. Winning the game was just the icing on the cake. Sending the fans home buzzing about a last magical performance was the real victory for the Sedins. “It means something,” said Henrik. “The way the crowd showed up, right from the warmup. “To finish off like we did, they can walk away and remember this. If you lose the game 5-1, it’s not fun. It’s a better feeling for us.” Christian Fischer, Derek Stepan and Dylan Strome scored for Arizona (29-40-12). Jake Virtanen and Brendan Leipsic got the other goals for the Canucks (31-40-10). Both teams will miss the playoffs. 1108041 Toronto Maple Leafs the fan base is outraged that a player with Marner’s skill is toiling on the fourth line.

The message is clear: Babcock rewards hard work, not talent, with time Leafs were playoff-bound from the day the season started on ice. If some fans don’t understand that, the team certainly does. The reality: Marner scored in the first game of the season, not again until Nov. 11, and not again after that until Dec. 19. If he’s not scoring, Babcock By Kevin McGran reasons, he’s got to contribute in other ways. Learning defence is a start. Fri., April 6, 2018 Arenas win: The Maple Leafs, whose centennial celebration has lasted more than a season, celebrate their actual 100th anniversary with an afternoon game at the Air Canada Centre in their Toronto Arenas throwback jerseys. It’s an 8-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes that ends When the playoffs ended for the Maple Leafs last season — eliminated in a three-game regulation losing skid. The Leafs never lose more than six games, five that went to overtime, by the Washington Capitals — three regulation games in a row the rest of the way. The offence is back. head coach Mike Babcock said it was a time to celebrate the steps taken. Injuries mount: The Leafs’ depth is tested when key players are hurt. But he reminded everyone the Leafs finished eighth, and were eliminated Auston Matthews is sidelined on three different occasions, missing 20 in the first round. He spoke of how much more work had to be done, how games. Nikita Zaitsev is out twice, missing 22 games. Morgan Rielly much more had to be accomplished. And he laid out a simple goal. misses six games. Matthews’ injury reveals a lack of depth at centre, “We want to be a team in that situation that you’re in the playoffs every addressed somewhat with the acquisition of Tomas Plekanec at the trade year when the puck drops at the start of the season,” Babcock said. deadline. Patrick Marleau is a good soldier, a winger playing centre for some of Matthews’ absence. William Nylander also gets time at centre, a They certainly look like that now. The season wraps up Saturday with a position he may gravitate toward as early as next season if Tyler Bozak visit by the Montreal Canadiens. Beset by injuries and perhaps guilty of bolts as a free agent. overestimating their own talent pool — a problem that once plagued the Leafs, the Canadiens will miss the post-season. The defence has been an issue for two seasons, yet doesn’t seem to break without two of its mainstays. Other step up, notably Travis Dermott, The Leafs playoffs will begin — likely Thursday — in either Tampa or who is recalled from the Marlies and bolsters the blue-line crew without Boston, a reward for a season well-played. the need for a trade. Here’s a look at the highs and lows: Ultimately the team survives the injuries, going 11-7-2 without Matthews, 12-6-4 without Zaitsev, 5-1-0 without Rielly. Call-ups like Dermott, A quick start: The Maple Leafs dominate the Jets in the season Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson prove they belong. opener in Winnipeg, taking down their rival — and the only other Canadian team to make the playoffs, as it turns out — 7-2. Patrick Stretch drive: Marner is placed on the wing with Nazem Kadri and Marleau is an instant hit, scoring twice. The power play goes 2-for-4, the Patrick Marleau on Jan. 24, and the ground moves. Marner drives the penalty kill is a perfect 8-for-8. Those themes carry forward for most of offence on that line, ending slumps for all three players. With his new- the season. The Leafs establish themselves as a potent scoring found confidence, Marner starts driving the first power-play unit, machine, backed up by special teams. springboarding veteran James van Riemsdyk into career-year numbers. The team wins 13 in a row at home for the first time in its 100 years. They score eight goals the next game against the Rangers, and hit eight They can’t catch Boston or Tampa Bay. They can’t fall below third. one more time. They bolt to a 6-1-0 start. They never fall below .500. They’ve been a playoff team from the get-go. Fans at the Air Canada They are in a playoff spot from the beginning. The outside world only Centre chant: “We Want The Cup.” seems to be asking how good are they, really? Vegas oddsmakers list them as Stanley Cup favourites early on. Internally, Babcock is more Toronto Star LOADED: 04.07.2018 concerned about defence. You might be interested in Kathleen Wynne doesn’t often say she’s up against something almost unbeatable in politics — a yearning for change in government, Judith Timson writes. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is crushingly unpopular — but why? Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly has heard pleas from Canada’s biggest media companies that their survival is under threat from unregulated foreign rivals, but consumers have shown little sympathy in submissions to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the federal telecommunications regulator. Canadians adopt Kodi for pirated film, TV content, report says A group of buyers say the drop in GTA home sales devalued their existing properties far below what they expected when they bought in Mattamy Homes’ Preserve development in February 2017. Oakville homebuyers purchased at their own risk, housing minister says Unsteady Freddie: The Leafs are stunned 6-3 in Ottawa in late October and, two games later, they lose by the same margin at home to Carolina. Goals against are piling up. The Leafs a spiralling on a 2-6-0 bend by the time they come home from St. Louis. It’s duly noted that Frederik Andersen seems to have an October-November lull in his game. He has .901 save percentage and 3.25 goals-against average. Leaf Nation is worried. Less than a month later, however, Andersen will have posted two shutouts in a row. With his game back in a groove — one that lasts most of the season — the worries turn to the minutes he plays. He’s on his way to more minutes played than anyone else in the league. Marner’s slide: The Leafs pull out of an early November slump with a five-game winning streak that stretches into a 10-3-1 run, but Babcock still isn’t happy. Mitch Marner finds his way to the doghouse. A portion of 1108042 Toronto Maple Leafs

Saturday game preview: Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs

By Kevin McGran

Price vs. Matthews Carey Price recently eclipsed the legendary Jacques Plante for most games played by a Canadiens goalie, a rare memorable moment in a season of lows in Montreal. Auston Matthews is on a season-ending, eight-game points streak (five goals, six assists). NEED TO KNOW Ex-Leaf Kerby Rychel, sent to the Canadiens with defenceman Rinat Valiev in the trade for Tomas Plekanec, has one goal in three games with Montreal. Valiev is in the minors ... Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher has nine points (five goals, four assists) in the past eight games. ... The Leafs are 3-0-0 against Montreal this season, with a rare chance to sweep their historic rivals ... Montreal’s power play is a respectable 13th in the league, with a 21.2 per cent success rate. It’s led by Alex Galchenyuk, who has nine goals with the man advantage. The penalty kill (74.4 per cent) is 30th overall ... Heading into the weekend, the Canadiens have the fourth-best odds, 9.5 per cent, of drafting first overall. UP NEXT The playoffs. Toronto Star LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108043 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs driven by the power of three

By Bruce Arthur

One game left in this Toronto Maple Leafs season, and it looks like they’re just trying to get to the finish without a bumper falling off. The Leafs have been in the playoffs for a long time, and they knew this was where they were going from the start of the year. There have been times when this team looked like it was pacing itself for a long run. Thursday night in New Jersey was a good example. “I thought this was fair. I thought the team that worked the hardest won,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock told the travelling reporters after the 2-1 loss. “By no means did they slap us around, but you guys watch us all the time, we’re better than that.” Indeed, the recent games against elite teams like Nashville and Tampa Bay and Winnipeg showed this team has a higher capacity, which will be measured by a first-round series with the Lightning or Boston. With just Montreal on Saturday night left, it’s been a remarkable season. But before it ends, the 21-and-under core — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander — should be appreciated. All three have 60 points for a second straight year despite Matthews missing 20 games and, for the first time, they are Toronto’s three leading scorers. In the salary-cap era, 17 players have recorded at least 60-point seasons before they turned 22. No other team has had more than two, and only four other teams — the Crosby-Malkin Penguins, the Ovechkin- Backstrom Capitals, the Toews-Kane Blackhawks and the Laine-Ehlers Jets — have had as many as two at the same time. But within Toronto’s three, there has been a separation. Matthews has always been the alpha dog here. That hasn’t changed. Let’s use Hockey Reference, and see. And then, Marner. The winger was still struggling with his confidence in November. Before he was paired with Nazem Kadri on the Leafs’ second line, he had six goals and 32 points in 49 games. It made sense to play Leo Komarov with Kadri before that because ... well, he works super hard, and Mike Babcock loves the try-hards. That was about it. But with Marner where he should be, he has 16 goals and 37 points in 33 games, a 92-point pace. Among players who have played at least 20 games since the change, Marner is ninth in points per 60 minutes. He is ahead of Nathan MacKinnon and Claude Giroux and Nikita Kucherov and Phil Kessel, and behind Evgeni Malkin, McDavid, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Taylor Hall, Reilly Smith, Artemi Panarin, Brad Marchand, and ... Auston Matthews. In the salary-cap era, among 20-and-younger players in their first two seasons, only seven players have scored more than Marner: Sidney Crosby, McDavid, Patrick Kane, Steven Stamkos, Anze Kopitar, Laine, and ... Matthews. Marner is a star. He should be asking for Leon Draisaitl money, or more, when it comes to that. And then, we come to Nylander. He is preposterously skilled. His shot is a weapon. He makes zone entries sing. But with Marner’s emergence, Nylander sits a notch below the other two. He hasn’t had a similar run of dominance; he has merely been steadily good. In the past two years Matthews is 11th in the NHL in points per 60 minutes; Marner, goosed by the power play, is 17th; Nylander is 39th. That’s still good, of course: nominally, there are 93 first-line forwards in the NHL. But without Matthews, Nylander’s effectiveness has dropped, as you would expect. If Matthews asks for McDavid money, $12.5 million (all figures U.S.), and Marner asks for Draisaitl money, $8.5 million, Nylander might be closer to David Pastrnak’s $6.66 million, or thereabouts. Eh, the problems of hierarchy, of probably asking for hometown discounts, of fitting together a salary puzzle that could become complex very quickly: they can wait. For now, as the playoffs approach, all three have ramped up production in the second half of the season, and the team has followed. The Leafs will head into the playoffs against either Tampa or Boston as underdogs, but they will do it with a historic group of young stars. There haven’t been a lot of teams this deep, with this amount of young talent at its core. It is, at the very least, one hell of a problem to have. Toronto Star LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108044 Toronto Maple Leafs Compton Family Ice Arena built on the South Bend campus and opened in 2011.

This season, Evans led the entire NCAA in scoring for part of the season, Etobicoke’s Evans Irish cream rising to the top and was invited by GM Sean Burke to join Team Canada at the 2017 Spengler Cup. He played four games in Davos and that put him under consideration to play for Canada at the Pyeongchang Olympics, but he By Damien Cox narrowly missed making the final squad. With the Canadiens starving for prospects, particularly up the middle, it has been speculated all year that the six-foot, 185 pound Evans might Jake Evans has only himself to blame. join the bleu, blanc et rouge late in the season. If his first game had been at the ACC, it would have been a dream debut. He could have made his NHL debut Saturday night in the lineup of the Montreal Canadiens for their final game of the season against the Maple “Obviously, it’s something that’s been talked about,” he said, “but I Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. Sure, being an Etobicoke lad, he might couldn’t really think about it while our season was still going, and my goal have had to scramble for some extra tickets, and it might have cost him a has really been about doing something special at Notre Dame. This is a few bucks. once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here.” But now, that’s not going to happen at all. “If I’m good enough to play (in the NHL), I’ll play.” Had the University of Notre Dame lost its Frozen Four semifinal to For now, the NHL will have to wait. First, it’s time to “wake up the Michigan at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. on Thursday night, echoes” and win a college hockey title. Evans’ college career would have been over, and he likely would have signed his entry-level deal with the Habs and burned the first year of the Toronto Star LOADED: 04.07.2018 deal by playing against the Leafs. Instead, the 21-year-old centre and team captain scored the winning goal for the Fighting Irish with 5.2 seconds remaining in the third period, stunning the Wolverines and sending Notre Dame to Saturday night’s NCAA final against Minnesota-Duluth, a team that features NHL first- rounders Riley Tufte (Dallas) and Joey Anderson (New Jersey). So, with NCAA players such as Adam Gaudette (Northeastern/Vancouver), Dylan Sikura (Northeastern/Chicago) and Troy Terry (University of Denver/Anaheim) jumping into NHL lineups late in the season, the 21-year-old Evans won’t be joining them. “Hopefully, those games will be there soon for me,” he said in a telephone interview. Understandably, he’s not too upset about it, given that he has a chance to help Notre Dame make history by winning the school’s first-ever NCAA hockey title. The school that gave us football’s Four Horsemen, Knute Rockne and Joe Montana, and last weekend celebrated a thrilling national title in women’s basketball, has never won a men’s hockey championship despite graduating some pretty fair players to the NHL in recent years, including Ian Cole, Bryan Rust, Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri. The Irish lost to Boston College in the 2008 final. Since then, Notre Dame has moved to a fortified Big Ten hockey loop, and now the Jeff Jackson- coached squad is looking to finally break through on Saturday night. “It would be pretty special for the school. We have a great hockey program now,” said Evans, drafted 207th overall by the Canadiens in 2014. “This would be taking the next step as a program.” The Irish are riding an extraordinary streak of having won five consecutive playoff games with either a goal in the final minute of regulation play or in overtime, including the 4-3 triumph over Michigan. On the winning goal, Aurora native Cam Morrison drove down the left wing in the dying seconds and threw the puck into the slot. Evans, a right-handed shooting centre, reached between the legs of Michigan defenceman Quinn Hughes — expected to be a top-10 NHL pick this June — and got just enough on his shot to propel it between the pads of Wolverines goalie Hayden Lavigne. “I honestly don’t know how to explain how we’ve been able to win all these games like we have,” said Evans. “We’d like to be winning before those final moments, but the best thing about this team is that we’re so confident now in those situations. We don’t get down. We stay calm and we keep playing our game.” Evans grew up in the Royal York/Bloor Street area of Etobicoke, and played his first hockey in the Humber Valley Hockey Association out of Central Arena on Montgomery Ave. He moved to the west-end GTHL Jr. Canadiens organization, then on to the Mississauga Rebels. He was part of the Rebels squad in 2012, along with former NHL first-round pick Robby Fabbri, that upset Connor McDavid and the Toronto Marlies to win the OHL Cup. While many of the players in that game went on the , Evans was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers but chose Notre Dame out of a baker’s dozen of NCAA scholarship offers. “When I got to that rink and saw how amazing it was, that’s when I knew I wanted to go to Notre Dame,” he said, referring to the spectacular 1108045 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs' defencemen supported by Andersen

Lance Hornby

Frederik Andersen wants Toronto’s defencemen to know he has their backs. Meaning: he doesn’t want their faces mushed into the end boards when pucks are chipped into the Leafs’ zone with zealous enemy forecheckers in hot pursuit. Andersen was pleased with his overall work in that regard Thursday in New Jersey, cutting off wraparounds, controlling rebounds and quickly converting them for breakouts. Andersen is always looking to make his own stretch pass to a forward as well. “It’s something that’s good to help out on,” the goaltender said. “If they can avoid taking a hit, especially going into playoffs, keeping our defence healthy is a key for us. “It’s always a matter of keeping it as simple as possible. That’s when we get the most out of it. We try and work on it a lot.” There was one puck dropped into No Man’s Land on Thursday that resulted in Nikita Zaitsev getting rocked into the boards by big Brian Boyle of the Devils, a crowd-pleasing hit if ever there was one. Toronto was without Travis Dermott, one of its most effective puck movers, who is scheduled to return from a foot injury Saturday against Montreal. Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108046 Toronto Maple Leafs “We’re still learning that lesson,” Babcock said. “You see us some nights, we look like we don’t know that and other nights we really do. Sometimes the more respect you have for the opponent is when you’re likely to Maple Leafs' Andersen 'feelin' good' as playoffs near buckle down. “Saying all that, you just can’t out-score your mistakes in the NHL, you just can’t. You have to know how to play without (the puck). The guys Lance Hornby who do and can still score are the guys who win championships.” Published:April 6, 2018 Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018 Updated:April 6, 2018 4:46 PM EDT

Freddy Andersen is “feelin’ good” and maybe that’s all the Maple Leafs and their nervous nelly nation need to know as they sweat the final countdown to playoffs. Goaltending being such a vital part of post-season success, it was comforting to the team seeing Andersen stop close to 40 shots on Thursday in Newark, a 2-1 loss after his pre-planned hiatus, when two starts assigned to backup Curtis McElhinney. Coach Mike Babcock deemed it more prudent to have Andersen active in the last two games, including Saturday’s anti-climactic finale against Montreal, rather than him park his Danish duff for a full week after facing the Devils. Given the Habs are playing for pride and not playoffs, Andersen had his much stiffer test on Thursday, but had input on the strategy. “We talked about having a secure spot and to make sure I was rested,” Andersen said. “These two games were good to get into the rhythm of playing every other night. That’s how the playoffs will be and hopefully we can keep going for two months. “I was seeing the puck well (versus Jersey). It was not the result we wanted, but a good test for us. We have to get ready. “We have to take care of Saturday, do our preparations as well as possible. It’s going to be a couple of days of practice (Monday through Wednesday with the anticipated start of Game 1 in Tampa Bay or Boston on Thursday night). It would be great having a good feeling going in the playoffs.” Andersen will have the added incentive of a last attempt at setting the franchise record for most wins a season by a Toronto netminder. He and early 2000s brethren Ed Belfour and Andrew Raycroft are knotted at 37, if you don’t want to get picky about Andersen playing in the NHL’s shootout win era. It’s a notable feat in any case when looking back at how many times the Leafs thought they’d found the answer in goal in the post-Belfour years. They’ve yet to win a playoff series since 2004. “I’m aware of it, obviously,” Andersen said of the wins’ record. “Given the fact I’m playing a lot of games (he will tie last year’s total of 66 with the start against the Habs), it’s definitely a goal to try (t0) break. But we have to play well on Saturday to do it. “You set goals before the season. Some of them are to improve the best you can, perform the best you can. It’s really a team record. It’s been an inspiration just to make sure you play well every night. Hopefully, it’s something we can do as a team,” he added. .@f_andersen30 speaks to the media after Thursday night’s game in New Jersey. : https://t.co/QNmSHCCfHK#TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/XZtVqePWxQ — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 6, 2018 Coach Mike Babcock is giving his team plenty of down time as they approach next week, with a couple of days off this week and a projected rest on Sunday, too. By then, the Leafs will finally know their first-round foe. Babcock and his staff, not to mention press box observers Lou Lamoriello and Brendan Shanahan, saw some danger signs on Thursday. But Babcock was willing to chalk it up to the Devils seizing the moment, a chance to clinch their first playoff spot in six years on home ice, while the Leafs were perhaps guilty of looking ahead to next week. “It is what it is, now get ready for the next game and get ready for what we’ve earned,” Babcock said. “There was some irony for the coach in hearing the Devils credit their turnaround from last in the conference to nearly 100 points this year to a team-wide defensive commitment, so they’re not pegged as one- dimensional speed demons. 1108047 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.07.2018

Sawchuk on the silver screen

Lance Hornby Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 10:34 PM EDT

In the 51st anniversary year of the Leafs’ last Stanley Cup comes news of a movie on the man in net the night they won, Terry Sawchuk. Goalie, a feature film to be directed by Canadian Adriana Maggs and starring fellow Newfoundlander Mark O’Brien (Republic of Doyle, City On A Hill), has already begun principal shooting in Sudbury. The late Sawchuk was one of the NHL’s best money game performers for two decades, but the film promises to explore his complicated side, a difficult upbringing in Winnipeg, father to seven children and the pressure of playing the game’s most demanding role in an era when goalies did not wear masks and were subject to other injury risks. The film is based in part on the award-winning book of poetry, Night Work, by Randall Maggs (Adriana’s father) and the book Sawchuk: The Troubles and Triumphs of World’s Greatest Goalie by David Dupuis. Maggs won an award at the Sundance festival for her work on Grown Up Movie Star. Goalie is scheduled for release later this year. RECORD BREAKING? It would be pretty sour if the Leafs don’t get at least a point in Saturday night’s last game to break the club record of 103, which they’ve been approaching before losing two of the past three. For coach Mike Babcock, it won’t be anything out of the ordinary, having done it eight times in Detroit, while Patrick Marleau was on seven 100- point teams with San Jose. But for fans, to do it against old rival Montreal would be delicious. The loss in New Jersey prevented the Leafs from matching another part of that season of 103 in 2003-04, having a .500-plus record both home and away. Toronto completed its road schedule with a mark of 20-16-5. LOOSE LEAFS Boston and Tampa Bay had reps watching the Leafs at the Prudential Center on Thursday, the Bs with John Ferguson Jr. in the house. The former Toronto GM, now a player personnel exec and GM of Boston’s farm team, Ferguson was reacquainted with one of the Leafs he drafted many years ago, Leo Komarov … Speaking of the Leafs’ fourth line, Tomas Plekanec is about to have his April close-up. Brought in for some playoff relief, he won 14 of 20 draws the past two games, but did not a shot on goal in his limited offensive zone time … Defenceman Jake Gardiner, speaking on the 2-1 loss in Jersey: “That’s as close to playoff hockey as we’re going to get right now. That was kind of us last year, fighting for a spot to get in. They played hard, they played well, they didn’t give us too much” … The Marlies still had five games remaining before Friday night, facing Utica then Saturday in Rochester, before next weekend’s 3-in-3 that starts in Laval and ends at Ricoh Saturday and Sunday with 4 p.m. contests against Laval and Belleville. Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile. Birthdate{* birthdate *} Gender{* gender *} Attention Print Newspaper Subscribers For verification of Print Subscriber offers (e.g. epaper, Digital Access, Subscriber Rewards), please input your Print Newspaper subscription phone number and postal code. By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account. I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy. 1108048 Toronto Maple Leafs defensively), has already signed a new eight-year deal which kicks in next year at $6.5-million a year. Two (Dumba and Werenski) are still

young and have contracts that reflect that. The other two (Carlson and Jake Gardiner's career year is a blessing and a curse for the Leafs Josi) are also set to get paid.

A quick look at some of the recent UFA deals signed by high-end defencemen suggests Gardiner's raise could be significant. By Scott Wheeler Apr 6, 2018 He'll enter free agency at 28 (entering his age-29 season). Kevin Shattenkirk, at the same age, just earned a four-year deal with a cap hit of $6.65-million after posting his first 50-point season. Two summers ago, NEWARK, N.J. — “He's a real better defender than people think.” at the same age, Keith Yandle earned a seven-year deal at $6.35-million That's what Mike Babcock said on Monday night after Jake Gardiner per after a 47-point season. reached the 50-point mark for the first time in his seven-year NHL career. Alex Goligoski, he of considerably less offensive production and one 40- Babcock didn't mince his words. He never does. He wanted everyone to point season, earned a more modest five-year deal at $5.475-million in know that, offensive production aside, his most polarizing player was 2016. Gardiner is due, at the very least, that kind of a raise – and then good defensively. some, adjusted for the cap of tomorrow. When he signed his current five- year deal in 2014, it was a nearly identical contract to those of Marco “Jake’s one of those guys, he can just make plays, has real good hockey Scandella’s and Jake Muzzin’s a year later for $4-million a year on five- sense, knows where the puck’s going next,” Babcock continued. “He’s a year deals at the same age. Since, Scandella hasn’t posted more than 21 good hockey player.” points in a season.

The comment spoke to Babcock's broader hockey philosophy. On At the high end, a 30-year-old Marc-Edouard Vlasic (one of the rare Thursday afternoon, ahead of their 81st game of the season against the examples of a player who earned a deal on the back of his defensive New Jersey Devils, he reiterated that mantra. ability rather than his offensive output) walked into an eight-year deal “You can’t outscore your mistakes. You just can’t. So you’ve got to learn worth an average of $7-million, having never posted more than 39 points. to play without it and the guys that do and still score are the guys that win The harsh truth, though, is that the Leafs can't afford to lose Gardiner. championships,” he said, as if talking about Gardiner again. But the $25-or-so million they're going to pay Matthews, Marner (whose But the bread and butter of Gardiner's game has always been his ability recent play may elevate him into a different income bracket) and to generate offence. Nylander could make his incoming raise a cost they can't afford.

“That’s pretty cool, I didn’t know that,” Gardiner said when told that he The Leafs will already have $5-million and $4.5-million invested long- and Rielly were the first Leafs defensive duo to crack 50 points in the term in Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev (not to mention another year of same season since 2007 when Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe did Marleau at $6.25-million). the same. This, on a team that needs to solve its problems on the right side along On Thursday night, after getting hemmed in on his first few shifts (to the with retaining Gardiner on the left. While the graduation of Dermott gives tune of a minus-8 shot attempt differential out of the gate), it was the Leafs three strong options on LD, losing Gardiner would remain a big Gardiner straddling the line to make this play at the offensive zone blow. The only legitimate prospect on the back end in the pipeline, blueline for the elusive third assist: Timothy Liljegren, is a righty – and the Leafs are unlikely to find an After the 2-1 loss, I asked Gardiner how he judges a decision like that, upgrade (or even a replacement) via the draft now that it looks like they’ll and the risk-reward that comes with trying to make a play while tightly be selecting late in the first round for the foreseeable future. checked at the offensive zone blue line. Here's the complete list of defencemen the Leafs have signed for 2019- “I don't know if I would have done that again,” he answered with a smile. 2020: “It probably wasn't my smartest choice but it ended up working out. Left: Morgan Rielly, Travis Dermott, Andrew Nielsen. Originally I just didn't see anything so I cut back and I was going to go back down the wall but he took that away so I went back to the middle.” Right: Nikita Zaitsev, Timothy Liljegren.

It was the kind of high-risk play that comes with Gardiner's game. That's it. Five.

Ultimately it's the kind of play that earns players who can make it Only three, maybe four if all goes well for Liljegren next year, project as consistently real money. And for all the talk about the pending contract serious options. negotiations for the Leafs' three young stars and trio of likely-departing As good as they are likely to remain over the next couple of seasons, the UFAs, it's Gardiner's forthcoming contract that could pose the biggest salary picture up front may prohibit the Leafs from solving their biggest challenge. hole: defence. And Gardiner probably needs to be brought back to avoid At the end of next season, when Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews' that hole turning into an eery-looking cliff. deals will have to be done, Gardiner's team-friendly five-year deal — If he continues to put up points like he has next season, he may, like which pays him a modest $4.05-million — also expires. James van Riemsdyk before him, price himself out of town. Only this time This is the same Jake Gardiner who has played 26:29 and 27:21 minutes there won't be a Kasperi Kapanen or an Andreas Johnsson waiting in the during a 12-game stretch that has seen him post 10 points, and more wings to bail the team out. than 23 minutes in four straight games. The same player who has now The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 been a 30-point defenceman in five of his six full seasons. Overshadowed by Morgan Rielly's breakout year, Gardiner eclipsed his career high of 43 points (set last season) by Game No. 74 this season. After Thursday night's game, he is now only the third defenceman in the NHL to play 1500 minutes at 5-on-5 this season (Drew Doughty and Dmitri Orlov are the others).

He is (even if he doesn't post 50 points again next season), to put it mildly, going to to get paid.

Here's a look at the highest-scoring defencemen of the last two seasons (data up until April 5):

The first thing you'll notice is that Gardiner's 93 points ranks 17th, and puts him in some pretty elite company. Among the 31 highest-scoring defensemen, only five make less than him. One, Cam Fowler (who has been less productive offensively and makes less of an impact 1108049 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights go from 200-1 to 6-1 to win Stanley Cup

By Brent Musburger Special to the Review-Journal April 6, 2018 - 12:21 PM

There is no doubt that the Golden Knights have lifted the spirits of this city in more ways than we can count. The Golden Knights are the feel-good story of Las Vegas, the NHL and the entire sporting world. A big round of applause for owner Bill Foley and the Golden Knights organization as they begin their quest for the Stanley Cup, which they are 6-1 to win. That’s a long way from 200-1 last fall. Santa Anita Derby Part of the beauty of horse racing rests with the characters behind the scenes. Take Mick Ruis. He is the owner and trainer of Kentucky Derby contender Bolt d’Oro. With Javier Castellano on the mount, Bolt d’Oro will be the favorite Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby. Ruis is a high school dropout who worked his way up owning a scaffolding company in San Diego. He sold it to enter horse racing, but he went broke. He then built a bigger scaffolding empire and returned to racing with a ranch in Montana. Bolt d’Oro was named after Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt and his sire, Medaglia d’Oro, and he was raised in Big Sky country. As the Beach Boys once sang, Bolt d’Oro gives me good vibrations Saturday at Santa Anita. NFL draft odds Are you looking forward to betting on the NFL draft? After the combine last month, there was a clear-cut favorite to become the No. 1 pick — Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. And he still might be the one. You have to go back to 1995 to find a running back chosen No. 1 overall. That was Ki-Jana Carter, also a Penn State player, by the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterbacks are clearly preferred, and the betting favorite is Southern California’s Sam Darnold. He is minus 400 to go No. 1. Cleveland has the first pick, but long-shot players should remember that the Browns acquired veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor as a short-term solution. You can get a hefty price on North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb at plus 2000. Bettors, you are on the clock. More betting: Follow all of our sports betting coverage online at reviewjournal.com/betting and @RJ_Sports on Twitter. Brent Musburger’s betting column appears Saturday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His show on the Vegas Stats & Information Network can be heard on SiriusXM 204 and livestreamed at reviewjournal.com/vegas- stats-information-network. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108050 Vegas Golden Knights Quick fact about Mr. Franco: He’s become friendly with Joe Esposito, the vocalist on “You’re the Best,” the theme from “Karate Kid.” A few years earlier, Esposito was in the band Brooklyn Dreams, which collaborated Golden Knights hint to Logic-al event for playoff opener with Donna Summer on her hits “Heaven Knows” and “Bad Girls.” Esposito is also known for the hit song “Lady, Lady, Lady” from “Flashdance.” By John Katsilometes Franco and Esposito have actually recorded YouTube clip of the two performing “You’re The Best” (Franco plays guitar) and — get this — Esposito is a Vegas resident who plays with the band Small Change at The Kats! Bureau at this writing is 3535 bar at Linq Hotel. Fizzy water is Round Bar at Rampart Casino. The band is back April 20-21; Franco met pouring freely and the house music is jacked up at this watering hole, Esposito when checking out the band in November. Crazy. So, look for which is currently serving as media headquarters for the Emerge Music + some social-media posts from Rampart Casino. Impact festival. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.07.2018 The Mat Franco Theaterjust up the escalators, has also been transformed, morphing into a music club for the weekend event. (More on Mat in a minute). Until then, more from this scene, and elsewhere: Golden Knights rap shot The NHL is planning a pre-game concert starring the rapper Logic, to be held outside T-Mobile Arena before the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup Playoffs opener Wednesday night. The logical (heh) location would be Toshiba Square. The Golden Knights’ Twitter feed says, “Details to come as we know more!” No response at this writing from texts to the team’s PR raps. I mean, reps … Louie Las Vegas Louie Anderson’s new book, “ Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too,” is out. The book is a collection of letters from Anderson to his late mother, Ora. Anderson began writing about three years ago as he was cast as Zach Galifianakis’ mother in the FX show Baskets, for which Anderson won an Emmy. A Las Vegas resident, Anderson is prepping a live concert recording May 24-26 at South Point Showroom. All three shows are ticketed performances, same as Anderson’s usual appearances. The difference: The veteran comic’s material will be hard-focused on Vegas, and he plans to shop the show to cable networks or even just post it himself on his Facebook page. “I’ve been performing in Vegas since the ‘80s, it’s my home, and I love it,” Anderson said in a phone chat Friday. “This is going to be a Las Vegas special with jokes I’ve been telling for years. I want it recorded. I don’t want it to be lost.” Symphonic convergence Las Vegas Philharmonic has released its 2018-2019 season at the Smith Center, and the music of “Psycho” is in the lineup (but no cutlery allowed at Reynolds Hall, folks). Most intriguing is what is planned for the 2019- 2020 season: A full symphonic production of The Composers Showcase of Las Vegas. Philharmonic Music Director Donato Cabrera says he was struck with the idea during the Composers Showcase at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz in February. The next day he and Composers Showcase co-founder Keith Thompson met for coffee. “I told Keith it would be fantastic to bring these incredible artists inside Reynolds Hall and pair them with the Philharmonic. He agreed and we’re doing it. How cool would that be?” Very. TCS celebrated its 12th anniversary Wednesday night at Cab Jazz. The show has hopscotched around VegasVille from its original home at Suede restaurant. It’s spent time at the Liberace Museum, Creative Studios and Garfield’s in Summerlin before landing at Cab Jazz in 2012. The show has consistently drawn some of the best composers in the city, and Wednesday was no exception. And on that topic … Ex-”Jersey Boys” cast member and “Marilyn: The New Musical” at Paris Theater co-star Travis Cloer performed his latest original, “I Can’t Love You More” at Wednesday’s TCS show. This is a handy way to mention Cloer’s next gig April 13 at the Italian American Club. Cloer and his four- piece backing band will perform a wide of classics, including a couple of Four Seasons songs from Cloer’s days when he played Frankie Valli on the Strip. Cloer was invited back to the IAC showroom during his debut there in December, when club proprietor Benny Spano called out to the stage, “I have an offer you can’t refuse!” That is the IAC way. Franco’s big reveal 1108051 Vegas Golden Knights

Stanley Cup visits Las Vegas before NHL playoffs

By Ben Gotz / Las Vegas Review-Journal

At the end of a long NHL season, Mike Bolt is the guy you want to see. The Stanley Cup’s longtime keeper is a welcome sight for many weary players, because after months of games he gets to give them the ultimate reward. Bolt, who travels with the trophy about 200 days a year, brings the Cup around the world each summer when each member of the winning team gets to spend a day with it in his community. There’s hope one stop might be Las Vegas in a few months with the Golden Knights close to starting their playoff run, but with the team in Canada the Cup was brought far away from their prying eyes and to The Westin on Friday. If superstitions are to be believed, that’s a good thing for the Knights. “Players will usually not touch the Cup until they win it,” Bolt said. “Some guys don’t even want to go near it.” Bolt, who has chaperoned the 3-foot, 90-pound prize innumerable times the last 18 years, knows all about the traditions and superstitions surrounding the Cup, which has served as the NHL’s championship trophy since 1926. He’s with it most of the time for media events, corporate gatherings and team celebrations, though it actually spends around 330 days a year on the road. He’s there for the Cup parade and for many of the summer show-offs in players’ local communities. That doesn’t just include the U.S., as Bolt’s stops include Russia, Northern Sweden and recently Slovenia with Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar. “The country was beautiful, the food was great and the beer wasn’t too bad either,” Bolt said of Slovenia. The Golden Knights player who’s seen Bolt the most is undoubtedly Marc-Andre Fleury, who’s already had three days with the Cup as part of three title-winning Penguins team. Fleury’s name also appears on the Cup three times, as the champions get their names engraved into the surface of its five rings each September. The goaltender will be looking to get his name on there one more time when the playoffs start next week, while Bolt already will be thinking about this summer’s itinerary. He has visited Las Vegas plenty of times, including with Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender John Grahame in 2004, but he’s noticed a lot more excitement for hockey in town this year. His message to Golden Knights fans: Strap in. “If people in Las Vegas think the regular season was exciting, they ain’t seen nothing yet,” Bolt said. “The playoffs are awesome. “I’d like to challenge any sports fan who thinks the Stanley Cup playoffs are not the most exciting type of playoff sport in the world. It’s end-to-end action, edge-of-your-seat action.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108052 Vegas Golden Knights

Jonathan Marchessault, Luca Sbisa rejoin Golden Knights

By Steve Carp / Las Vegas Review-Journal

CALGARY, Alberta — The Golden Knights got a pleasant surprise Friday before the team’s practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Forward Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Luca Sbisa flew to Calgary from Las Vegas to work out with the team in preparation for the Stanley Cup playoffs. “It was good to get some time off, but now it’s time to get ready to play,” said Marchessault, the team’s second-leading scorer with 75 points, who missed the first two games of the team’s three-game, regular season- ending Western Canada trip, which concludes Saturday against the Flames. Marchessault said he wasn’t injured but took some time off to let his body heal. “We talked about it, and everyone thought it was the right thing to do,” he said. “But I’m fine.” Sbisa, who has had four extensive periods away from the team because of injuries, had the cast removed on his right hand after being injured Feb. 27. He isn’t expected to play Saturday. “It would have been a luxury to have a chance to play some games before the playoffs, but that’s not happening,” Sbisa said. “We’ll take it day by day and see how it goes, but I’m focusing on getting ready for Game 1.” Twelve players took part in Friday’s optional practice. “We’ve been trying to give guys some maintenance time ever since we clinched a playoff spot,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “The goal is to have everyone ready to go next week.” Whitecloud’s fan club Rookie defenseman Zach Whitecloud played in front of his parents during his NHL debut Thursday at Edmonton. His parents drove almost 12 hours from their Brandon, Manitoba, home to watch him play and then made the drive to Calgary for Saturday’s game. “It was great to have them there,” Whitecloud said. “It made the night special.” Whitecloud played almost 17 minutes and was a plus-3, as he was on the ice for all three Knights goals in a 4-3 loss. “He did fine,” Gallant said. “He deserved a chance, and I was very happy for him. He went out and competed and played smart and kept things simple.” Back to Chicago Brandon Pirri made a big impression this week with three goals in two games for the Knights. But he was reassigned Friday to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. Pirri was called up Monday on an emergency basis and had two goals Tuesday against Vancouver while also picking up his 100th career NHL point. He also scored against Edmonton. But with Marchessault back and Reilly Smith expected to play Saturday, Pirri rejoined the Wolves, who also are preparing for the postseason. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108053 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights end regular season with one goal — stay healthy

By Steve Carp / Las Vegas Review-Journal

CALGARY, Alberta — If the Golden Knights end the regular season Saturday with their second consecutive loss, coach Gerard Gallant won’t get too uptight. Sure, he would like the two points entering the Stanley Cup playoffs. But from Gallant’s perspective, he would prefer that his team get through its game against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome with no injuries. “Just go out and play, have fun and be smart,” Gallant said Friday of his message to the team after an optional practice at the Saddledome. “We’re pretty much locked in, so we want to get everyone ready for next week.” Expect Gallant to rest some players while others might find themselves on the ice. Reilly Smith, in particular, might be ready to return from his upper-body injury that he suffered March 6. He has been skating with the team all week during its three-game swing through Western Canada and has been cleared for contact. The hope is to avoid any more injuries in Saturday’s regular season finale against the Flames in Calgary. (Steve Carp/Las Vegas Review- Journal) Jonathan Marchessault rejoined the team Friday after sitting out the first two games of the trip in Vancouver and Edmonton for maintenance purposes. If both play as expected, Gallant gets his top line of William Karlsson, Smith and Marchessault together for the first time in a month. Karlsson was given Friday’s practice off, and Smith and Marchessault participated. But slowly, the Knights are regaining their continuity. Will Carrier’s return this week saw him back with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Tomas Nosek on the fourth line, and they will be leaned on heavily during the playoffs. Erik Haula and James Neal eagerly await the return of linemate David Perron, who will miss his sixth straight game Saturday but is expected back for the playoffs. Gallant has used Tomas Tatar with Haula and has put Alex Tuch on that line, along with Karlsson. “One of our strengths this year has been depth,” Gallant said. “We’ve been able to put guys in when guys went out with injuries, and they’ve played well. Guys like Tuch, Carpy (Ryan Carpenter) and Tatar have been all over the lineup, and they’ve done a good job wherever we’ve asked them to play.” Gallant said other than the final score — a 4-3 loss Thursday at Edmonton — he couldn’t have asked for a better scenario. “It was an up-and-down game, a skating game, no chippy stuff, just good, clean hockey, and nobody got hurt,” he said. “As a coach, that’s what you’re hoping for at this time of the year.” Some of the Knights have something to play for Saturday. Haula, who has had a career season, needs one goal for 30. Karlsson is looking for an additional plus/minus point to get to plus-50, something no one in the NHL has done since 2010. Karlsson and Colin Miller are looking to finish the season having played all 82 games. Tatar has played 81 games, but his first 62 were with Detroit before he was traded Feb. 26. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108054 Washington Capitals Chances to win Stanley Cup: 13 percent The Bruins boast a solid top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, but their defense has been sensational at limiting high 2018 NHL Stanley Cup playoff odds: Predators, Golden Knights and quality shots. According to Corsica’s expected goal model, which factors Bruins the early favorites in shot quality factors such as distance, angle and whether the attempt was a rebound, five of Boston’s defenders — Charlie McAvoy, Kevan Miller, Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Zdeno Chara — rank among the By Neil Greenberg April 6 at 11:14 AM top 30 blue-liners playing at least 1,000 minutes at even strength for lowest expected goals-against per 60 minutes. McAvoy and Miller have been good enough to rank among the top 10. The NHL’s second season is almost here, and there are many worthy The benefit, of course, is Boston’s goaltenders don’t have to deal with as candidates to be the last team standing this postseason. many scoring chances, especially those classified as “high danger” from the slot or the crease. Tuukka Rask sees a league-low 24 scoring In the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators on Thursday night chances per 60 minutes at even strength and just 9.5 high-danger clinched the Presidents’ Trophy, the first in franchise history, earning chances per 60 minutes, the fifth-lowest among 25 netminders playing at them home-ice advantage for as long as they remain in the playoffs. As a least 2,000 even-strength minutes this season. result, they are not only a solid choice to represent the West in the Stanley Cup finals for a second straight year, they are the league Washington Post LOADED: 04.07.2018 favorites to win the Stanley Cup (17 percent). Our postseason probabilities are based on the win rates that fuel our weekly power rankings and take into account a team’s actual win-loss record; its expected win-loss record based on goals scored and allowed, also known as its Pythagorean winning percentage; and its expected win- loss record based on expected goals for and against, a metric created by hockey metrics website Corsica, which takes into account the likelihood a shot becomes a goal based on distance, angle and whether the attempt was a rebound, on the rush or generated on the power play. As the Stanley Cup playoffs unfold, we’ll provide updated win probabilities for every team in the postseason. We’ll update these odds at the conclusion of every series, so you can see whether your favorite team (or most-hated rival) is in position to hoist the Cup or be sent home earlier than expected. Nashville Predators Chances to win Stanley Cup: 17 percent The Predators advanced to the Stanley Cup finals in 2017 and appear poised to repeat as the Western Conference’s representative this year. Much of their success starts in net. is tied for the league lead in shutouts (eight) and has provided Nashville with a quality start — games in which he posted an above-average save percentage — 67 percent of the time, the highest among the 20 goaltenders with at least 50 starts in 2017-18. Rinne also has an above-average save percentage against high-danger scoring chances, stopping eight of every 10 shots from the slot or the crease at all strengths. Nashville’s roster is also deep. Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson lead the team with 61 points apiece, and 11 other skaters have scored at least 10 goals. Four players — Arvidsson, Forsberg, Kevin Fiala and Craig Smith — have 20 goals or more. Plus, the Predators’ most-used line of Forsberg, Arvidsson and Ryan Johanson has outscored opponents 33-15 at even strength with a majority of scoring chances (51 percent) also going in the team’s favor. Vegas Golden Knights Chances to win Stanley Cup: 13 percent The Golden Knights had a remarkable debut season, crushing the 24- year-old record set by the Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (34 during the 1993-94 campaign) for wins by a first-year expansion team. And they did it by getting career seasons from key players. Center William Karlsson scored 18 total goals for the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets in his first three seasons in the NHL and then potted 43 (and counting) for Vegas in his fourth year. Winger Erik Haula bested his career high in goals (15) set in 2016-17 by nearly doubling his scoring output a year later (29 through 75 games). And Jonathan Marchessault, who is on his fourth team in five years, showed that last season’s 30-goal campaign was not a fluke: The 27-year-old has 27 goals in 76 games this season. Among the 44 line combinations that have skated at least 300 even- strength minutes this season, none has a higher goal differential than Vegas’s top line of Marchessault, Karlsson and Reilly Smith (plus-23). After adjusting for shot quality and quantity, their expected goal differential is the second-best in the NHL (plus-8) behind Nashville’s trio of Smith, Fiala and Kyle Turris (plus-10). In other words, their skill at scoring goals is the real deal. Boston Bruins 1108055 Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin needs a hat trick in season finale to reach 50 goals. He’s done it before.

By Roman Stubbs April 6 at 7:30 AM

Washington’s Alex Ovechkin has scored 50 or more goals in seven seasons during his long and decorated career, but questions crept in about whether he would be able to hit that mark again after he posted 33 a year ago. It was the second-lowest total of his career and a potential hint that his 32-year-old body was slowing down in a young man’s NHL. Yet there Ovechkin was on Thursday night, playing with his usual youthful exuberance on a power play in the second period against Nashville. He went top shelf on Predators goalie Juuse Saros to score his 47th goal, staying in contention to finish his 13th regular season with yet another milestone in a season full of them. Ovechkin would need a hat trick in Saturday night’s finale against New Jersey to get to 50, but that he is in mathematical contention to do just that seems like a notable accomplishment in itself. Should he get to that rarefied total for the eighth time, he would be just the fifth player at 32 years or older to do so. Not that Ovechkin wanted to talk about it after his team’s 4-3 loss Thursday night, in which he watched two potential game-tying shots sail wide in the final 1:48. Washington is just days away from beginning the playoffs, and more pressing questions about whether Ovechkin can lead the snakebit Capitals past the second round await. “Anything is possible. We’ll see what is going to happen after tomorrow. Right now, our focus isn’t on 50, our focus is on the playoffs, being in shape … didn’t get hurt, so that’s the most important thing,” Ovechkin said. Thursday began with another Ovechkin coronation during a pregame ceremony, which included a lengthy tribute video, photo ops on the red carpet and his Capitals teammates presenting Ovechkin with a trip to Spain as a gift for reaching his latest milestone — playing 1,000 games. It came less than a month after Ovechkin scored his 600th career goal in a win over Winnipeg. The week before, he had become just the sixth player to score 40 or more goals in nine different seasons after he netted his 40th in the outdoor game against Toronto in Annapolis; afterward he quipped: “Forty is nice, but 50 is better.” Reaching that mark was made more difficult after Ovechkin scored just one goal during a six-game stretch in March, although he seems to have gained traction with a pair of goals in each of his past two games and could’ve had another clean look had teammate Evgeny Kuznetzov not banked a crossing pass intended for Ovechkin off a Nashville defender and into the net for a Washington goal. Ovechkin is also expected to play his 82nd game of the season Saturday night, completing his regular season wire-to-wire despite Washington Coach Barry Trotz considering resting his captain for the final two games. But Ovechkin has felt good, Trotz said, and there was no reason to sit him Thursday. It might’ve not felt right anyway given the pomp and circumstance of the pregame ceremony, and Ovechkin responded by inching closer to a benchmark that so many believed was out of reach. Ironically, two years ago, Ovechkin found himself in the same position; he needed a hat trick in his final game to reach 50. And that’s exactly what he produced. But Ovechkin also made clear, more than anything, that there are more important pursuits ahead, and his teammates echoed that sentiment. “I can’t even count on my hands, I don’t think, this year how many milestones he’s hit,” Washington’s Tom Wilson said. “Right now it’s our team game. He might tell you too, it’s time to stop talking about Ovi and individual stuff. You want to have a team game at this time of year. That’s the most important thing.” Washington Post LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108056 Washington Capitals “Instead of coming in and having this huge expectation to live up to and they’ve been this and they’ve been that and they’ve played in the league for this long, these are guys we’re still helping to develop as players,” Michal Kempny wasn’t a blockbuster get for the Capitals, but he could Reirden said. “Not that we weren’t with our other guys, but they’re just at help like one a different phase of development. I think they’ve been really eager.” Kempny has acquitted himself well enough that MacLellan said re- signing him this summer is a consideration. It seems to have been a by Isabelle Khurshudyan good fit for both sides. “I had a really good feeling about it because I talked with coaches and GM,” Kempny said. “We had a pretty good talk, and I felt pretty good Michal Kempny arrived in Washington unsure what to do with his about it. You know, I made a couple of mistakes and a couple of bad furniture, or whether he should get an apartment. He had never been things in my play, but I was still in the lineup. That’s pretty good for me traded, this being just his second season as an NHLer. He acknowledged because in Chicago, when I make mistakes, I was out of the lineup. Now, he would need some time to adjust. He wasn’t a savior or the missing in Washington, I still play. That’s the things which help me, and because piece for the Capitals, nor was he expected to be. He wasn’t a proven of that, I feel pretty good.” commodity, not even playing much when the Chicago Blackhawks dealt him. But he was Washington’s No. 1 target. Washington Post LOADED: 04.07.2018 A year after the Capitals made a blockbuster move at the trade deadline by acquiring rental defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, the hottest name available, Washington took the opposite approach. The Capitals traded a 2018 third-round pick to the Blackhawks for Kempny, a 27-year-old with a $900,000 salary cap hit who had been a healthy scratch for half the season on a team out of the playoff race. But one team’s trash can become another team’s treasure: Kempny has played in 21 games for Washington, slotting into the top-four defense corps beside John Carlson and skating 16:46 per game. And the Capitals didn’t have to part with a first-round pick or a top prospect to get him. Postseason performance will provide the final grade on the team’s additions of Kempny and fellow blue-liner Jakub Jerabek, acquired from Montreal for a 2019 fifth-round pick, but Washington’s defense has gone from allowing 32.5 shots per game before their arrival to 30.4 after. The Capitals have traded for a defenseman before the deadline all four years under General Manager Brian MacLellan, and perhaps this is a lesson that sometimes the best moves don’t have to be splashy. “The two guys we added here are good fits,” MacLellan said. “In theory, you think they’re all good fits, but these guys came in and did exactly what we thought they were going to do. I mean, you add a guy like Shattenkirk, and it changes the dynamic at the back end. All of a sudden, Carlson’s not on your first power play. It changes the chemistry more so than what we’ve done this year. We had holes to fill this year, and we filled them with guys that aren’t as high-profile but are just steady and provided the things we needed for our team. So it’s worked out.” As the Capitals played two rookie defensemen, Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey, for most of the season, it became obvious Washington would look to make changes to its blue line before the Feb. 26 trade deadline. Ottawa superstar Erik Karlsson was reportedly available. The New York Rangers were looking to deal proven top-pairing defenseman Ryan McDonagh. But perhaps the outcome of the Shattenkirk deal lingered for MacLellan as he was considering what to do. While Shattenkirk had good production for the Capitals during the regular season with two goals and 12 assists in 19 games, he was playing in a lesser role than Kempny as a third-pairing defenseman, and he struggled in the playoffs with a minus-4 rating and six points in 13 games. MacLellan said he thought about adding a “higher-end” blue-liner, but he focused more on the qualities the team needed. Washington wanted someone to play on the left side of Carlson, and with how the Capitals had often struggled to get the puck out of their end, they desired more mobility on defense, especially after the team lost a speedy skater in Nate Schmidt when he was swiped in the Vegas expansion draft. “Schmidty might be the best skater in the league, but certainly [Kempny is] up there, and he can really wheel around the ice,” Carlson said. “That’s just another thing you kind of have to get a feel for, when his tendencies to [join the attack] are. We both want to get up the ice all of the time, but I think now, we don’t really have to say much to each other. We can just read off each other based off instincts and just seeing plays develop and knowing, ‘Okay, I’ve done this play 20 times now.’ The more you execute those plays, the easier it is to have a read on what each other is doing. I think that’s really developed from the beginning when he first got here.” MacLellan said the Capitals had Kempny “projected right,” so while he exceeded low external expectations, he has been what the team hoped he would be. But what Washington couldn’t have known about Kempny until he was in its dressing room has been a pleasant surprise. Associate coach Todd Reirden said he’s in “phenomenal shape,” and he’s seen a willingness to learn, with Kempny constantly lurking around his office so they can review video of his shifts. Jerabek hasn’t played as much as Kempny because he and Djoos have alternated in and out of the lineup, but in the 10 games he’s played, Washington is 8-2-0. 1108057 Washington Capitals

Brian MacLellan would be just fine with a first round matchup against the Penguins

By J.J. Regan April 06, 2018 3:45 PM

The regular season may be nearing its end, but the mess that is the Eastern Conference standings has given little clarity as to who the Capitals will play in the first round of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. As of the time of writing, Washington could play one of four different teams in the first round: The Devils, Flyers, Blue Jackets or Penguins. One of those four is the team that has eliminated the Capitals in each of the past two seasons, the Pittsburgh Penguins. What does Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan think about an early matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champs? Bring it on. "I’m all right with it," MacLellan said during a recent interview with the media. "I’m all right with whoever we have. I think our fans would have a little conniption. But no, I think play Pittsburgh first, second, third round – I don’t know, I mean we have to get through them eventually." The chances of this happening are actually quite remote. The Penguins needs just one point to guarantee themselves second place in the Metropolitan Division and their final game comes Friday against the Ottawa Senators, one of the worst teams in the NHL, who will be without their best player in Erik Karlsson. Pittsburgh would have to lose that game in regulation and both Columbus and New Jersey would have to win their season finales in order for the Penguins to fall into the wild card. Chances are, that is not going to happen. The overall point MacLellan was trying to make — however— was that it does not matter to him or to the team who their first-round opponent is because the matchup will be against a good team regardless. "We have a good division," MacLellan said. "There’s a lot of good teams. And then they’re all pretty close. You can tell by the points. There’s very little that’s separating all of us. It’s going to be a hard first-round match for everybody. Whether you play well against Philly or Pitt – I don’t know. It’s going to be difficult no matter what.” Having said that, MacLellan also likes Washington's chances. While every team has its strengths, MacLellan also sees a lot of weaknesses throughout the Eastern Conference in what he believes will be a wide-open race. "I think every team has some weaknesses and some holes in it," he said, "And the way those holes and weakness are managed by coaches is going to determine how far you go.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108058 Washington Capitals 2C Winnipeg Jets (112 points) vs. 3C Minnesota Wild (99 points) Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.07.2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs 2018: NHL Playoff Bracket Projection

By J.J. Regan April 06, 2018 10:00 AM

With just three days remaining on the 2017-2018 schedule for the Capitals, the Stanley Cup Playoff picture for the NHL Eastern Conference is still up in the air. We may know who most of the teams are, but they are too close in the standings to know where they will finish. The Capitals have locked up the top seed in the Metropolitan Division, and as of Friday, could still face one of four teams: the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets or Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils are 44-28-9 with 97 points and one game remaining after a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. They currently sit in the first wild card spot which, if it holds, would mean a first round matchup with Washington. The Flyers sit in the second wild card spot with a 41-26-14 record and 96 points. They are the only team in the Eastern Conference currently in playoff position that has not yet clinched a playoff berth. They need just one more point to fend off the Florida Panthers and secure their spot. The Blue Jackets are third in the Metropolitan Division with a 45-29-7 record and 97 points. A win in the season finale and a Pittsburgh regulation loss would allow them to climb into second place and gain home ice for the first round. If they should lose their final game, however, they could potentially fall all the way to the second wild card spot. The Penguins held on to second place in the division with a win over Columbus on Thursday in what could be a playoff preview of their first- round series. Their record is currently 46-29-6 with 98 points. If the Penguins win on Friday night, they will be locked in to the No. 2 seed in the Metro and therefore cannot face the Capitals in the first round. There is a chance Pittsburgh could face the Capitals in the first round should both New Jersey and Columbus win their final games and the Penguins lose both remaining games. Pittsburgh, however, has more total wins (44) than Columbus, New Jersey and Philadelphia (39) which gives the Penguins the tie-breaker over all three teams. In the Atlantic Division, the Lightning are in position to grab the No. 1 seed (53-23-4, 110 points) after Boston's loss on Thursday. Both teams are tied with 110 points, both have two games remaining, but Tampa owns a higher ROW by one. The Bruins (49-19-12, 110 points) could have taken the division lead Thursday, but a 3-2 loss to Florida keeps them in second place behind Tampa. The Maple Leafs are the third team locked into the top three of the Atlantic and are will face the loser of the Tampa-Boston race. Here is how the 2018 NHL Playoff Bracket looks as the league heads into the final weekend of play. POWER RANKINGS: DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Bracket Projection Eastern Conference (As of Friday Arpil 6): 1M Washington Capitals (103 points) vs. WC1 New Jersey Devils (97 points) 2M Pittsburgh Penguins (98 points) vs. 3M Columbus Blue Jackets (97 points) 1A Tampa Bay Lightning (110 points) vs. WC2 Philadelphia Flyers (96 points) 2A Boston Bruins (110 points) vs. 3A Toronto Maple Leafs (103 points) Western Conference (As of Friday April 6): 1P Vegas Golden Knights (109 points) vs. WC1 Anaheim Ducks (97 points) 2P San Jose Sharks (100 points) vs. 3P Los Angeles Kings (98 points) 1C Nashville Predators (115 points) vs. WC2 Colorado Avalanche (93 points) 1108059 Washington Capitals

Caps avoid first round matchup with Pittsburgh as Penguins win season finale

By J.J. Regan April 06, 2018 10:05 PM

As of Friday morning, there were four teams in the running to be the Capitals' first-round opponent. That list is now down to three. The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-0 on Friday, locking up second place in the Metropolitan Division which means they will not play Washington in the first round. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan told reporters on Friday that he would be just fine with a first-round matchup against Pittsburgh despite the fact that the Penguins have eliminated Washington in each of the past two seasons. "We have to get through them eventually," he said. Those words may still be put to the test, but it will not be in Round 1. With Washington in first and Pittsburgh in second, this sets up a possible second-round matchup between the two teams should both advance. If they meet again, it would be the third consecutive year the two teams played in the second round thanks to the NHL's divisional playoff format. The Capitals' first-round opponent will ultimately be determined Saturday night. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108060 Washington Capitals

Brian MacLellan makes the case for Ovechkin to win the Hart Trophy

By Tarik El-Bashir April 06, 2018 4:30 PM

Does Alex Ovechkin deserve a fourth Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP? GM Brian MacLellan said on Friday that he believes Ovi deserves serious consideration for a few reasons: his strong start as the Caps scuffled through a turbulent October, his improved attentiveness on defense as well as his increased performance in the playmaking department. “Yeah, I do,” MacLellan said when asked if he thinks Ovechkin should be in the MVP conversation. “I think he should be involved in the discussion with the players that are in that group. I see some lists where he’s on it, and some where he’s not.” Indeed, there’s an unusually large pool of candidates with no clear favorite this spring. Among the players receiving serious consideration: Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, New Jersey’s Taylor Hall, Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, among others. In addition to those players, Ovechkin has also made a strong case for himself, while leading the Caps to a third consecutive Metro Division title. Consider: He leads the NHL with 47 goals, a year after scoring only 33. If he stays on top, he’ll become only the second player in the expansion era to lead the league in goals at age 32 or older. In addition to Ovechkin’s offensive excellence/resurgence, he’s also “evolved” in other areas of his game — something MacLellan challenged the star player to do following last year’s disappointing second round playoff ouster. “He’s had an outstanding year,” MacLellan said in a wide-ranging interview at the team’s headquarters on the eve of the regular season finale. “He’s played at a high level for most of the year. He probably did carry our team at the beginning of the year—or he did carry our team—at the beginning of the year.” MacLellan added: “I think he’s evolved to where he’s scoring goals differently. There’s more tips, screens, rebounds. He’s put the effort in defensively, more so than I’ve seen in past years, the backchecking, the play in D-zone, the play on the wall in the D-zone. He’s improved on all that stuff. “His playmaking, I think, is as high as it’s ever been. His use of fake shots, making plays, drawing goalies, drawing defense. Five-on-five his production is outstanding this year." Ovechkin claimed the Hart Trophy in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2012-13. An argument could, in fact, be made that this has been his most complete season as an all-around player. “He’s been a fun player,” MacLellan said. “He’s been a big part of the team. And he should be included with the Taylor Halls, Nathan MacKinnons. He should be in that group.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108061 Winnipeg Jets defeat to the Nordiques in the finals. After forcing a Game 7 with a 12-3 victory on home ice, the Jets were thumped 8-2 on the road two days later. A chance to leave the past behind 1977-78 — (50-28-2, first in the WHA): The terrific trio was now a fearsome foursome as Kent Nilsson joined the party. Along with Hull, Hedberg and Nilsson (no relation), the four had 472 regular-season By: Mike McIntyre | Posted: 04/6/2018 10:20 AM points and another 50 in just nine playoff games as Winnipeg easily beat the Birmingham Bulls (4-1) and then swept the Whalers (4-0) for their second Avco Cup. It may seem hard to believe — especially for the youngest generation of 1978-79 — (39-35-6, 3rd in the WHA): After a 28-27-6 start to the hockey fans in this market — but playoffs used to be a staple around season, coach Larry Hillman was fired by general manager John these parts. Ferguson and replaced by Tom McVie. He went 11-8-0 down the stretch, but saved his best work for the playoffs as the Jets swept the Nordiques Yes, the Winnipeg Jets were frequent guests at the annual spring fling. (4-0), then beat the regular-season champion Oilers (4-2) for their third As certain as April showers bringing May flowers. As reliable as crater- Avco Cup. Hull was limited to just five regular-season games and no sized potholes opening up on your sloppy commute to work. playoff contests, while both Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson had gone to play in Since forming in 1972 and beginning play in the World Hockey the NHL with the New York Rangers. But the Jets got key contributions Association, the Jets quickly established themselves as one of the elite from the likes of Willy Lindstrom, Morris Lukowich and Peter Sullivan. franchises in that league. They made the playoffs in six of their seven The WHA, which had been negotiating a merger with the National seasons and were victorious in 11 of the 14 series they played — Hockey League for a couple of years, ceased operations at the end of including going all the way and capturing the Avco Cup in 1976, 1978 the season; the Jets, Oilers, Nordiques and Whalers began life in the and 1979. NHL in the fall. But the same success didn't follow them to the National Hockey League 1981-82 — (33-33-14, second in the Norris Division): An amazing and the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup; not in their first iteration from 1979 turnaround season after winning just nine games the previous year, to 1996, and not since True North purchased the and Winnipeg cracked the NHL playoffs for the first time, led by rookie head relocated the team here in time for the 2011-12 season. coach . Rookie won the Calder Trophy for his Not even close. incredible first season, while fellow rookie Scott Arniel and trade addition Paul MacLean would provide plenty of offensive punch and a strong Yes, Winnipeg managed to reel off seven straight playoff appearances foundation for years to come. The Jets were upset in the opening round beginning in the spring of 1982. And true, the Jets punched their post- by the third-place St. Louis Blues, losing the best-of-five series in four season ticket a total of 11 times in their 17 NHL seasons before packing games. their bags and heading to the desert to become the Phoenix Coyotes. But Winnipeg won only two of the 13 series they played in during that 1982-83 — (33-39-8, fourth in the Smythe Division): A shift to the Smythe time. So while playoff appearances became somewhat routine, so did Division, thanks to NHL re-alignment necessitated by the Colorado disappointing early exits. Rockies relocation to New Jersey, would prove to be a decade-long nightmare for the Jets. The good news was a second-straight playoff Recent history has been even less kind. This marks just the second berth. The bad news: Having to play the emerging dynasty in Edmonton playoff appearance for Jets 2.0; their only other stint was a 2015 four- in the first-round, getting swept in three straight. won his game sweep courtesy of the Anaheim Ducks. fourth of eight-straight Hart Trophies as MVP with a 196-point season (71G, 125A) as the Oilers lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to the three-time Overall, Winnipeg has won just two of the 14 playoff series they've defending champion New York Islanders. played in the NHL, in what is now the 24th season in this market. They've never gone beyond the second round. And the last time that happened 1983-84 — (31-38-11, fourth in the Smythe Division): One more point was back in the spring of 1987. would have landed the Jets a third-place finish and a much friendlier first- round opponent. Instead, it was deja vu all over again — getting smoked General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and his staff hope to change that by Edmonton to the tune of a three-game sweep. The Oilers went on to beginning next week and believe they've built a team primed for long- win their first of five Stanley Cups, while the Jets again licked their term success, not just this spring but for years to come. wounds, stuck in the league's toughest division (sound familiar?). Time will certainly tell if that's true. 1984-85 — (43-27-10, second in the Smythe Division): After their best- There's an old saying that those who don't learn from history are doomed ever regular season to that point, and a fourth-overall finish in the league, to repeat it. And so, as fans gear up to welcome the Winnipeg Whiteout there was plenty of optimism. This team featured six 30-goal scorers and back to town, we take you today on a trip to the past to look back at seemed headed for greatness. A heated first-round series with Calgary every previous Jets playoff appearance— the good, the bad and the ugly. ended with Winnipeg winning the best-of-five in four games for their first- ever NHL playoff series victory. But it came at a cost. Jamie Macoun became public enemy No. 1 after his Game 3 cross-check on Hawerchuk sent the star centre to hospital with broken ribs, knocking him out for the 1972-73 — (43-31-4, first place in the Western Division): First season, rest of the playoffs. Without their leading scorer for a second-round date first playoff appearance, first series victories. It was quite a debut for the with the Oilers, the Jets were again swept, led by Gretzky's 13 points in Jets, led by Bobby Hull, Norm Beaudin, Chris Bordeleau, Larry Hornung four games (6G, 7A). Of course, Edmonton beat everyone again that and goalie Joe Daley. Winnipeg disposed of the Minnesota Fighting year in winning a second-straight championship. Saints in five games and swept the Houston Aeros in four straight before losing the Avco Cup final to the New England Whalers in five wild games 1985-86 — (26-47-7, third in the Smythe Division): A dreadful followup to that featured 48 combined goals. a strong year, which included Ferguson firing coach late in the year and putting himself behind the bench for the duration. Winnipeg 1973-74 — (34-39-5, fourth in the Western Division): A tough sophomore still managed a third-place divisional finish despite a horrible record. But year for the Jets, who were swept in four games by the Aeros in their it was basically Hawerchuk vs. the world, and Winnipeg was swept in first-round series. The lowlight was a 10-1 blowout in Game 3 in Texas. three games by the second-place Flames, who finished 30 points ahead Houston went on to win their first of two consecutive Avco Cups. of them in the standings. 1975-76 — (52-27-2, first in the Canadian Division): Following their only 1986-87 — (40-32-8, third in the Smythe Division): The "Winnipeg WHA non-playoff year, Winnipeg returned with a vengeance. Ulf Nilsson Whiteout" was born. With Calgary fans opening eyes with their "C of and Anders Hedberg were in the fold, joining Hull to give the Jets a Red," Winnipeg fans respond by dressing head to toe in white for home feared trio. Winnipeg rolled through the regular-season and playoffs with games. And the momentum helped propel the Jets to their second-ever convincing series wins over the Edmonton Oilers (4-0), NHL playoff series victory, ousting the Flames in six games. That set up (4-1) and the two-time defending champion Aeros (4-0) to capture their a second-round date with the Oilers, who steamrolled them yet again in a first Avco Cup. The icing on the cake was a 9-1 victory on home ice in four-game sweep on their way to a third Stanley Cup. Game 4. Nilsson, Hedberg and Hull combined for an amazing 65 points in 13 games. 1987-88 — (33-36-11, third in the Smythe Division): The seventh-straight year the Jets qualified for the playoffs. And once again Edmonton ended 1976-77 — (46-32-2, second in the Western Division): Injuries reduced their season, this time in five games, en route to a fourth Stanley Cup. Hull to just 34 regular-season games, but Winnipeg gave it another good Winnipeg could score with the best of them, but keeping pucks out run with series wins over the San Diego Mariners (4-3) and Aeros (4-2). remained a big issue. They surrendered 310 during the regular season, They came up just short in winning consecutive titles with a 4-3 series and Daniel Berthiaume was lit up for 25 more in the five playoff games. 1989-90 — (37-32-11, third in the Smythe Division): After a one-year absence, Winnipeg was back in the playoffs under the guise of new GM Mike Smith, who had replaced Ferguson the previous season. They were also guided by a new head coach, Bob Murdoch. Despite the changes, there was still a familiar constant — having their Stanley Cup hopes dashed by Edmonton, albeit in an incredible seven-game series. This one is best remembered for Dave Ellett's double-overtime winner to give Winnipeg a 3-1 series lead, followed by three straight Oilers victories to end Winnipeg's season for a sixth (and final) time. The battle-tested Oilers went on to win their fifth Cup that year. 1991-92 — (33-32-15, fourth in the Smythe Division). John Paddock replaced Murdoch behind the bench after Winnipeg missed the playoffs the previous year and he brought a defensively stingy style in which the Jets had the third-best goals-against average in the league. But a fourth- place finish meant taking on the first-place Vancouver Canucks, who knocked them out in a seven-game series that went the distance. Phil Housley, Ed Olczyk, Pat Elynuik, Fredrik Olausson & Co., just couldn't get by a stacked Canucks squad that included Trevor Linden, Cliff Ronning, Pavel Bure, Geoff Courtnall and Kirk McLean. Courtnall scored a hat trick in Game 7, which Vancouver won 5-0. 1992–93 — (40-37-7, 4th in the Smythe Division): Teemu Selanne had taken the NHL by storm in his rookie year, but the Finnish Flash and his teammates — including fellow rookies Keith Tkachuk, Alexei Zhamnov and Evgeny Davydov — were unable to lead the Jets to a first-round playoff victory over the Canucks, who eliminated them in six games. Vancouver forward Greg Adams scored a controversial series-winner in overtime, crashing into Winnipeg goalie Bob Essensa, knocking the puck in off his skate. The goal stood, Winnipeg was eliminated and the irate home crowd littered the ice with debris. 1995-96 — (36-40-6, 5th in the Central Division): Following two straight non-playoff seasons, Winnipeg was back for one final hurrah before heading to Arizona. It was bittersweet, as the NHL's No. 1 team, the Detroit Red Wings, sent them packing with a six-game series victory that triggered a sad farewell scene at the old Winnipeg Arena. Sergei Federov, Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov and the 62-win Red Wings were later upset in the conference finals by the Colorado Avalanche, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. 2014-15 — (43-26-13, fifth in the Central Division). Nearly two decades later, the former Atlanta Thrashers were back in the NHL playoffs. Barely. A wild-card playoff spot earned in the final days of the regular season meant a date with the mighty Ducks. And Anaheim quickly put an end to the Whiteout, sweeping the Jets in four. Winnipeg had leads going into the third periods of the first three games, but Anaheim's experience — with the likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler — proved to be the X-factor. There was no Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Paul Stastny, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey or Connor Hellebuyck on a Jets squad that just didn't have the necessary depth. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 04.07.2018 1108062 Winnipeg Jets just really excited to see our fans and the whiteout and see the real atmosphere in Winnipeg."

Jets head coach Paul Maurice wasn't ready to discuss much about Jets preparing for Wild playoff test Minnesota on Friday, preferring to keep the focus on regular-season game No. 82 against the Blackhawks. Hellebuyck will get the start in net, while defenceman Tucker Poolman looks to come in to replace Jacob By: Mike McIntyre Trouba, who "tweaked" a previous ankle injury during practice Friday. Maurice insisted there's no concern and Trouba will be ready for the Posted: 04/6/2018 7:00 PM playoffs. Forward Brandon Tanev is also expected to come back into the lineup, but who comes out hasn't been announced.

As for the playoffs, Maurice said he isn't concerned about his team's The National Hockey League schedule requires them to finish out their collective lack of experience. regular-season schedule Saturday with what has been rendered a mostly meaningless home date with the Chicago Blackhawks. "In so far as not having played a game, the closest thing you can do is watch them, and everybody would be aware of it. They're aware of the But you can forgive Winnipeg Jets players, coaches and fans for looking change in intensity of those games. And then the only other way to get it ahead and having Minnesota on their mind. The first-ever Jets and Wild is to live it. When you're doing something new, the first experience is playoff matchup will begin next week and excitement is building for what where you can gain the most. The biggest part of that curve is the first a prolonged duel between the Central Division rivals will bring. game, getting a feel for it," said Maurice. "We've got a whole lot of guys "This city is dying for playoff hockey," Jets centre Mark Scheifele said that need to go through it, and we want them to go through it. We're real following Friday's practice. excited they're going to get that chance." Just a handful of current Jets were part of the 2014-15 squad that snuck Maurice said one of the most important lessons to learn is how to handle into the playoffs by capturing a wild-card spot, only to be swept in four the inevitable swings in momentum. games by the Anaheim Ducks. "I don't remember anybody going 16-0, so you're going to have deal with "It was exciting. They were fun games to play in Winnipeg. Obviously you some adversity in the playoffs. And that's where the guys that have wish there were more games. Hopefully we can do that this time around," experience get to step up," said Maurice. "My feeling is momentum said Scheifele, who was just in his second full season at the time. changes every time the puck drops. There's a lot of Stanley Cup champions that have gone down 2-0 in their first series. So every time While young stars such as Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, the puck drops, every game is a chance to either reclaim momentum or Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck will be getting their first taste of that good feeling that you've lost or grab hold of it and run with it." NHL playoffs, this has an entirely familiar feeling for one veteran player. Paul Stastny will be meeting Minnesota in the first round for the fourth Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 04.07.2018 time in the past five seasons. His Colorado Avalanche were knocked out by Minnesota in seven games in 2014, and his St. Louis Blues were sent packing by the Wild in six games in 2015. St. Louis got some revenge last year when they beat Minnesota in five games. Now a member of the Jets following a blockbuster trade-deadline deal, Stastny will likely be one of the loudest voices in the locker room sharing his experiences. "Some people get way too amped up, or way too down and get away from their game sometimes. Yeah it's more physical, more intense hockey, but you've got to stick to what makes you successful and stick to trying to be loose and having fun out there and enjoy the moment," said Stastny. "For me, it's more about talking to guys individually. The best players aren't the ones who elevate their game. I think it's the ones that stay consistent." Winnipeg and Minnesota had the two best home records in the league this season, and Stastny said the huge, hockey-crazed fan bases in both markets will only add to the atmosphere. "Playoffs in hockey is a different animal," he said. "Home games are great. I think road games are almost even more fun as a player. You're playing in a hostile environment. It's just you and the team against everyone else. You want to do everything you can to quiet that crowd down. And when you do and get a win on the road, there's nothing better than that." Defenceman Tyler Myers said there will be plenty of speed to burn between the Jets and Wild, who should finally solidify the true rivalry that many have been pining for since NHL hockey returned here in 2011. "It definitely adds to a rivalry for sure. You develop a bit of a hatred for the other team, if you want to call it that," said Myers. "Both arenas are going to be extremely loud, extremely energetic. Whether it's the home team or the away team, it's going to be a pretty exciting atmosphere playing. Certainly we're excited to have the fans in our barn behind us when we're here. We'll just try to carry the same prep we've had in the year and try to take it one game at a time." Stastny said players and fans will quickly learn to embrace the "hate." "Once you get a couple of games under your belt, you really grow to hate your opponent. That’s the beauty of playoffs. Once you play a team once, then you always have that history with them and it never goes away," he said. Jets goaltender Hellebuyck actually has a good friendship with Minnesota starting goalie Devan Dubnyk, as the pair trained together last summer in British Columbia. He's looking forward to what the series will bring. "He's a great goalie and it's going to be a great series. It's going to be hard-fought, but we'll put our friendship aside for it," said Hellebuyck. "I'm 1108063 Winnipeg Jets "We’ve worked very hard from the start in handling our day-to-day and not spending a whole lot of time talking about last season or the sins of the past, and not about expectations," said Maurice. Jets fans need to temper playoff expectations That’s a predictable answer, in some ways, from a man who leads a team from whom so little was once expected and for whom anything less than hoisting a Stanley Cup will now be a disappointment. By: Paul Wiecek If these Jets had been paying attention to the low expectations for them Posted: 04/6/2018 5:30 PM | Last Modified: 04/6/2018 6:49 PM at the start of the season, they’d be wondering now where yet another NHL season had gone wrong. And if they were paying attention to the impossibly high expectations for them now, they’d be wired too tight to even get out of bed in the morning. It was midway through the third period Thursday night, during a break in what would ultimately go into the books as a workmanlike 2-1 victory for So instead, the Jets' mantra heading into the playoffs remains the same the Winnipeg Jets over the Calgary Flames, when there was suddenly a as it’s been all season — almost comically so. Asked to look ahead to a murmur in the crowd at Bell MTS Place. first-round playoff matchup against the Minnesota Wild that was confirmed Thursday night, Maurice and Wheeler refused to bite, citing I use the term murmur advisedly because chant would be wildly that meaningless game still to be played on Saturday against Chicago. overstating it. In a building known for its decibels, this one was quiet enough that it actually took a couple seconds to make out what was "Still got to get through one more game," said Wheeler. "Sunday," said being murmured. Maurice. And then it clicked. After a lifetime of waiting, a handful of Winnipeggers Give them credit — these guys are not only on their game heading into in the crowd had decided to choose this moment to give voice to an the playoffs, having won 10 of their last 11, they are also on message. entire city’s most pent-up desire: "We want the Cup! We want the Cup! We want the Cup!" Both will serve them well in the days — and hopefully weeks — ahead. It was bold, I will give them that: demanding your Stanley Cup with one If ever there is a time to live mindfully, it is in the depths of a run through regular-season game still to go and this iteration of the Jets franchise still the NHL playoffs, which have always been a graveyard for teams unwise looking for its first playoff win is putting the cart before the horse and then enough to get ahead of themselves and start thinking ahead. pushing both of them out into traffic at the middle of Portage and Main. That’s a condition this city’s hockey fans know more painfully than most. It was, to put it mildly, all very, very premature. And the crowd seemed to Twice in the long and tortured playoff history of Winnipeg Jets 1.0, the sense as much. A bunch that once famously serenaded Alexander Jets had a 3-1 series lead slip away from them. Ovechkin at full throat for the better part of five minutes with ‘Crosby’s better’ embarrassedly let this one drop as quickly as it started, gratefully It’s why one of this city’s most enduring hockey moments — Dave Ellett’s seizing on a resumption in play as an excuse to let it go. double-overtime goal in the 1990 playoffs that gave the Jets a 3-1 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers — is remembered better for the crushing It came off, as statements of demands go, more Oliver Twist than Attica. disappointment that followed: a complete Jets collapse and three straight wins by the Oilers to win the series and, ultimately that season, the Cup. But it also illustrates how quickly and wildly the expectations for this Jets team have changed this season. Only in a city as tortured as Winnipeg are our proudest sports moments just as likely as not to be intertwined with our most painful sports A day that concluded with Jets fans demanding the Cup began for me moments. with an email that served as a stark reminder of just how little was once expected of this team. That’s the context and the backdrop to the heady days to come in these parts. The folks over at the gambling website bodog.net sent out an update that detailed which NHL teams had most exceeded their expected points total Here’s a little more context: for all the soaring expectations in this town this season. The Jets were near the top of that list: with 112 points, they right now, those same bookmakers in Las Vegas that had the Jets have exceeded the opening-day over-under line that was set for them of missing the playoffs at the start of the season say the Jets are still 10-1 90.5 points by a whopping 21.5 points. long shots to win the Cup, behind Nashville, Tampa, Boston, Vegas and Pittsburgh. That’s worth reflecting on for a moment: a Jets team for whom Stanley Cup aspirations are now being given voice was at the start of this year, Maybe they’re just as wrong about the Jets this time as they were the last by consensus, not even expected to make the playoffs, which is what a time. If you’re one of the people who insist you saw greatness all along line of 90.5 points means in today’s NHL. for this Jets team, you must love those odds. You should bet the house again. Now, there are no shortage of Winnipeggers who will tell you they knew this Jets team would do great things this season. Those people are, of Just know that expectations have been high for the Jets in the playoffs course, lying. before in this town and those memories still bring a shudder to those who were there. Nobody saw any of those things coming because nobody could have predicted Connor Hellebuyck would have a historic season that has seen There’s an old saying that expectations are just future resentments. It’s a him tie Tom Barrasso’s record for most wins by a U.S.-born goaltender. good saying. Nobody could have foreseen that youngsters Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers would combine for 103 goals. And nobody saw a 90- Yeah, we want the Cup. More than most, I’d venture. point season and Hart Trophy consideration in the cards for Blake But what we need first is a playoff win. And then another. And another. Wheeler. Rattle off 16 of those and the cart, the horse and the rest of this city will If anyone tells you today that they did, ask to see their betting slip. all be standing at Portage and Main. Because if you really did see any of that coming, a wager the size of your mortgage on the Jets hitting the ‘over’ on 90.5 points was the only logical Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 04.07.2018 next move. On a Thursday that was bookended by reminders of the low expectations people once had for this team and the stratospheric expectations they now have, Jets head coach Paul Maurice waded into the middle of it with some musings of his own on expectations. In a morning availability with the media, Maurice was asked how a team that was still in the race for the Presidents' Trophy until Nashville finally clinched Thursday night had somehow managed to smooth out the roller- coaster ride that is an NHL season and make "relentless consistency" their calling card this season. Maurice’s answer sounded like something you might hear from a self- help guru: live mindfully and focus only on what’s directly in front of you. 1108064 Winnipeg Jets the team that's been working on this," he said. "I'm planning to bring my family down and I'm planning to see a lot of other Winnipeg families coming down. Winnipeg Jets playoff party will close off Donald Street during home "One thing I love about sports is it... brings the community together," games Bowman added. "This is really going to be a lot of fun and a great way for Winnipeggers to share their excitement and be part of the buzz that's happening in our community. By: Randy Turner "We're seeing Jets Nation extend from coast-to-coast and beyond right Posted: 04/6/2018 6:25 PM now. That's why we fully expect this to be Canada's team going into the playoffs."

In fact, that bandwagon appears to include rapper Snoop Dogg, who on SUPPLIED Friday appeared in an NHL video — holding a hockey stick and wearing an NHL jersey. Organizers of the first-ever Winnipeg Whiteout Street Party are hoping the event to more than sizzle. "Shoutout to Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets for making the playoffs," Dogg said, adding, "Hey, man, I heard I was in the playoffs, too. Is that They'd like it to Fo' Shizzle Dizzle. true? Get your pucks and sticks ready." SUPPLIED Then followed a cryptic graphic that read: "Snoop Dogg Coming April The Winnipeg Whiteout Street Party will be located on Donald Street 11." Coming where? between Portage and Graham Avenues. Spiring rolled out the welcome mat for Snoop to venture north. The plan is to hold the parties before every Jets home playoff game on "I think he should come," she said. "Let him perform (at the street party)." Donald Street, between Portage and Graham Avenues, that will feature entertainment, two giant screens to watch the game, alcohol sales and Donnelly, a veteran of the music industry who handles concerts for food trucks. TNSE, added: "I'll get right on that. Absolutely." The festivities will begin two hours before puck drop and continue until 30 It didn't sound like Donnelly was joking. minutes after the game ends, including possible overtime. The cost is very Winnipeg: Free. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 04.07.2018 "We looked at a number of locations and it's never easy to block streets or block traffic," said Dayna Spiring, president and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg. "But this is one of those once-in-a-generation opportunities and we really felt we needed to celebrate. "We've seen other cities do it and they've done it very, very well. We're going to do it the Winnipeg way and I hope we'll set a new bar. "Company is coming," Spiring added. "Let's show them how great Winnipeg is." Spiring said stakeholders — including city departments such as transit police, True North Sports and Entertainment and Winnipeg BIZ — are not sure how many fans the street parties will attract. But they will continue to expand and adapt if the Jets playoff run continues past the first round and beyond. Mayor Brian Bowman speaks to the media at the Winnipeg Whiteout Street Party announcement. The Jets will host the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of a seven-game series that could begin on Wednesday, although the NHL is not expected to confirm series dates until Sunday. "We're going to see how it goes," Spiring said. "For Games 1 and 2 it may be a smaller number. It may grow depending on how far the Jets go in the playoff season. We're ready for big numbers and we've got opportunities to expand if we need to." Spiring said organizers are prepared to host crowds of up to 10,000. "Right now we have a relatively contained space, it's a smaller space," said Kevin Donnelly, senior vice-president of TNSE. "As it grows our plans and ambitions and hopes grow with it. We'll be meeting and revising after each event with stakeholders and adjusting as we need to. Obviously, there are a lot of unknowns." During away games, TNSE has tentative plans to host fans in the arena when possible. Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman is confident that Jets fans will flock to the street party, regardless of weather, which on Friday was minus-7, with winds gusting to 51 km/hr, creating a windchill of -17 C. "Even if it's snowing out, people will show up," Bowman said. "We're Winnipeggers. This isn't Toronto. We'll show up and deal with the snow." Although organizers concede there will probably be more traffic downtown on game nights, it shouldn't create any major problems. "We think there's ample opportunity to disperse in every different direction," Donnelly noted. "(And) There's parking lots throughout the downtown. So that (traffic snarls) hasn't really been a factor so I don't expect it to be dramatically different (from a regular Jets home game)." Bowman said city departments have been working together to provide a secure, family-friendly environment. "I have tremendous confidence in 1108065 Winnipeg Jets The 6-0, 168-pound Niku was self-assured in his debut, scoring on his first shot in the NHL.

"You did not see a lack of confidence, which is good," Maurice said with Key players rested ahead of playoffs a smile. ENSTROM UPDATE: Maurice said he is waiting for the club’s medical Mike Sawatzky staff to clear Enstrom for a return to practice. Enstrom has missed seven games with a lower-body injury. Posted: 04/6/2018 4:00 AM | Last Modified: 04/6/2018 7:39 AM| Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 04.07.2018

He was reluctant to take a break, but Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey was feeling refreshed and invigorated Thursday morning. Morrissey joined five other Winnipeg regulars with a night off in Montreal Tuesday — Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Jacob Trouba and Connor Hellebuyck were the others — and he understood the significance of head coach Paul Maurice’s move. Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey was hoping to play every game this season but understands why he was rested before the playoffs. "I feel great today," Morrissey said following the morning skate. "It’s something Paul and I had talked about a little bit over the last couple of weeks, and it’s something that was a pretty hard decision to make. It was hard to want to come out of the lineup, especially having played all the games. It was tough on me to do that. One of the things we talked about, Paul has such a great plan for where we’re going and what our players need. That rest will help a lot now and down the line." Playing a full 82-game schedule is a matter of pride for NHL players, and the Jets — who had lost 279 man games to injury entering Thursday’s game with the Calgary Flames — had only five players in position to accomplish the feat. "It’s something I was able to achieve last year," Morrissey said. "A lot of it is luck, sometimes you just can’t avoid getting the flu or a shot or something like that. It’s something I hope to have a chance to do more in my career. But, at this time, we’re so excited about the coming weeks." Lowry, meanwhile, has played in only 44 games during an injury-plagued campaign and took some convincing. "If it was up to me, I kinda wanted to play. But after talking to the trainers and talking to Paul, it made sense to take that time off," Lowry said. "You get two full days to rest." Lowry, in his fourth full season with the Jets, wasn’t really interested in the mental break. "You know what, I’ve had 10½ weeks off in the last three months. I don’t really need a break," he said. "For those (other) guys, it’s nice. Back-to- backs can get tough. You get in late and your body is a little tired. Sometimes, it’s good to watch games from up top, too. But for me, there’s no mental break there. I’m ready to go. That was more a physical rest." Being ready for the grind of the post-season is crucial for Lowry, who will be depended upon heavily for his grit and determination. "I’m not going to go out of my way to hit guys and take myself out of position," Lowry said. "I think, for me, a lot of my game is controlled physicality. It means getting in on the forecheck and being hard to play against when I can. I don’t necessarily want to run around with my head cut off and not realize there’s a puck out there." Convincing veterans to take time off wasn’t a big debate, Maurice said. "Not overly difficult," Maurice said. "They all understood the situation. A back-to-back is the game you’re going to take some guys out. Every NHL team’s got a list of 13 guys who are dealing with something. It’s rare that a guy feels 100 per cent healthy. So those guys came out. They’re all going back in. It wasn’t difficult." Sami the new Toby? Newly minted AHL all-star defenceman Sami Niku made his NHL debut for the Jets in Montreal on Tuesday, and Maurice was asked for an early assessment of the flashy Finn. "We look at him as somebody like Toby Enstrom. When Toby came into the league, he was very dynamic, he had a couple of 50-point seasons. Toby was a real skater, a real puck-mover. He went back and got it quick, he moved it quick. All of the things you’d like to see improve, he’s going to need to improve, you wouldn’t say of any defenceman — where his stick is a lot of the time. Those are things you learn, that your stick is really important if you’re a smaller guy. How you handle net front on bigger men. Those are things he will learn over time." 1108066 Winnipeg Jets Laine was still downplaying it, though, when I asked him about it, Thursday morning.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “A lot of things can happen. But I don’t want to Bring on the post-season, already... Morrissey dodges a bullet... Give the think about that. Because then it’s just going to be hard to play if you’re Rocket Richard to Ovie... Jets prospects named AHL stars thinking about those kinds of things.” It’s interesting to hear Laine say thinking too much about scoring goals Paul Friesen would hurt him. The man is wired to put the puck in the net. Published:April 6, 2018 He acknowledged not scoring for several games in a row does get into his head, but just a little. Updated:April 6, 2018 8:38 AM CDT “Those past couple of games I felt like the pucks were bouncing all over the place and just couldn’t get a handle on it,” he said. “It just affect you when you’re not scoring and when you’re not getting points as a second- Watching the Winnipeg Jets play the Calgary Flames in the second-last line guy. It’s inside your head. game of the regular season, Thursday, one thing became painfully clear. “But my head is pretty strong. I’m not going to let those things affect my This team needs a game that means something. head and my game. But obviously it’s going to affect somehow.” These half-speed efforts against also-rans with lineups that vaguely One thing a scoring slump does is make him mad at himself. resemble NHL rosters are doing nothing for the Jets’ work habits or energy level. We’ve seen that bring out the best in him at times this season. It’s like an exhibition season in April. “But now I got the goal, so hopefully it will bring my confidence back up and hopefully score a couple more,” he said. Thursday’s first period put the slug in sluggish. He didn’t against the Flames, and Ovechkin extended his lead to three The defence coughed up two breakaways, a combination of bad goals against Nashville. decisions and execution leaving goalie Connor Hellebuyck to face Michael Frolik and Johnny Gaudreau all alone. The race is all but over, now. Hellebuyck stopped them both, but that’s not the point. MEDIA FRENZY Neither is the score, 2-1 for the Jets. The playoffs will bring a whole new level of attention to this team, including the heat of a brighter national spotlight. The Jets can beat teams like the Flames on skill alone, a couple of high- end offensive plays the difference. There was a taste of it already on Thursday, with additional media in town, causing the Jets to shelter certain players, including captain Blake But that high-flying, attacking game that makes Winnipeg a scary team to Wheeler, from doing interviews with local media. play? The deeper the Jets go, the crazier all of this will get. It wasn’t there. That’s just another distraction (annoyance?) contending teams have to The crisp passing? learn to deal with. Rarely in sight. ON THE FARM The Jets weren’t exactly throwing their weight around most of the time, A day after the Manitoba Moose placed two players on the AHL all-rookie either. team, they placed the same two, plus one more, on the all-star team. Things got a little more intense late in the third period, and the crowd Finnish defenceman Sami Niku and first-year forward Mason Appleton finally got into it, too. But for the most part, it was ho-hum stuff. made the grade on the first team, while goalie Michael Hutchinson made the second all-star team. Before the game, Patrik Laine talked about the challenge of these last few games before the playoffs. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 04.07.2018 “It’s been a little bit different, these last couple of games,” Laine told me. “Because obviously the other team is not going to make the playoffs, so they’re just kind of playing and not battling so hard. It’s been different. “But we’ve been able to play some decent hockey. Not as good as we want.” It was more of the same against Calgary. Good in spurts, but mostly just decent, at least until a spirited finish Hard to blame them, knowing what’s to come. AVOIDING SICK BAY The No. 1 priority, of course, is to get through these final games healthy. The Jets on Thursday dodged one such bullet aimed at defenceman Josh Morrissey, who was sent sliding, back-first, into the corner boards by Calgary’s Michael Stone in the first period. A wincing Morrissey struggled to the bench, but shook it off soon enough to get bowled over by Garnet Hathaway before the period was up. Morrissey finished the game, no doubt needing an ice pack or two. The Jets will be thrilled that’s all he needs. ROCKET RICHARD UPDATE Mired in a seven-game goal drought going into Tuesday’s game in Montreal, Laine had declared the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy over. His goal against the Habs pulled him to within two of leader Alex Ovechkin again, renewing the race, at least in some minds, going into the last two games. 1108067 Winnipeg Jets This past Tuesday, the 29-year-old at least provided a straw for them to grasp, stopping 36 of 40 shots in a 5-4 overtime win in Montreal.

“Very important,” defenceman Tyler Myers said. “I think of the game The Jets’ forgotten man | Winnipeg Sun Mase played before he missed some time here at the end. He was unreal. For him to step back in in Montreal and play the way he did — he looks completely up to speed, to me.” Paul Friesen Mason’s NHL career has had more ups and downs than the media elevator at the arena during the post-game deadline rush. The man behind the mask stared down a streaking Nik Ehlers, flashed His playoff resume doesn’t exactly sparkle. Ask him about his post- his catching glove and stole a goal away in practice, Friday. season highlight and he jokes it’s the year the Devils won the Cup – when he was seven years old. Teammates cheered, and the goalie celebrated by waving his arms back and forth, across each other – the football referee’s signal for an Yet the Jets hope he can be a steadying influence if and when incomplete pass. Hellebuyck needs it. Steve Mason. The forgotten man. Myers says the way Mason has worked his way back from injury after injury this season has earned him the respect of teammates. Remember him? “It’s what he does in practice, as well,” coach Paul Maurice said. “When Truth be told, Mason would probably like to swipe most of the files from he came back he was stopping an awful lot of pucks, pulling some out of the 2017-18 regular season from his memory bank, if he could. the air that he shouldn’t have. And the guys see that.” The 10-year NHL vet was going to be Connor Hellebuyck’s shield this Friday, Mason pulled another one of those out of the air. season. The steadying presence that held the fort while Hellebuyck found his way. Maybe he’ll get a chance to pull 2017-18 off the scrap heap, too. A disastrous debut, two concussions and a knee scope, coupled with It’s a new season, after all. Hellebuyck’s seizing of the No. 1 job, relegated Mason to an occasional presence hovering around the team, like a ghost. “For the whole team,” Mason said. “It’s a good opportunity for everybody here.” Now you see him, now you don’t. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 04.07.2018 But on Friday afternoon, when the Jets sent prospect Eric Comrie back to the minors, Mason officially became the team’s backup goalie for the playoffs – one play from becoming the most important man on the ice. “And I feel ready for it,” Mason, the sweat still dripping from his face, said after practice. “Obviously Helle’s the guy, continuing into playoffs. But all it takes is some tough luck and I have to be ready. It’s my job.” “Tough luck” might best describe Mason’s season, so far. -Shelled for five goals on 20 shots in the season opener against the Leafs. -Shelled for six more the next game in Calgary, as his teammates made a mockery of the word “defence” in front of him. -A week on the bench, then another five goals against in his next chance. -When he finally held a team to just one goal, his team scored one — and he lost in overtime. “It didn’t start off well with a couple of games there,” Mason said, not overly eager to look back at the carnage. “But since those first eight games I feel really happy with the games I’ve played. It’s just they’ve been too few and far between, unfortunately.” Each time it seemed Mason might be rounding into form to at least provide some dependable relief for Hellebuyck, he got hurt again. Even his finest moment was cursed. After missing 21 games to his second concussion, he came off the injured list to shut out the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, March 6. He celebrated with another trip to the doctor. “I just felt something in the second period in New York that wasn’t comfortable,” he recalled. “Got an MRI and we decided it needed to be cleaned up a little bit.” Poof – he disappeared again, this time for a knee scope and 13 more games. “More tough luck in a tough year,” Mason said. “Things happen. You deal with it.” The Jets dealt with it by turning first to a raw Comrie, then to Michael Hutchinson, still steaming from his early-season demotion to the minors, then back to Comrie again when Hutchinson got hurt. There was little comfort in any of that. There would have been absolute terror, had Hellebuyck run into some tough luck of his own. So it was vital for Mason to come back before the playoffs and show his teammates, his coaches, hell, himself, too, that he still knew how to stop a puck. 1108068 Winnipeg Jets

JETS VS. HAWKS GAMEDAY: One last game before the real fun begins

Ted Wyman Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 7:19 PM CDT

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME STAY HEALTHY: This is a meaningless game for the Blackhawks, who will miss the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, but for the Jets it’s one final tuneup before they embark on what they hope will be a long playoff run. The number one goal for this game should be to avoid injuries. Defenceman Jacob Trouba tweaked a lower body injury in practice Friday and will likely sit out Saturday, though coach Paul Maurice said he should be fine. RECORD CHASER: Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck will make his 64th start of the season and will be gunning for his 44th win, which would be a new record for an American, breaking the mark set by Tom Barrasso of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992-93. Hellebuyck has won his last eight starts. 30 FOR 27: Third-year winger Nikolaj Ehlers is looking to become the third Jets player this season to score 30 goals. Sophomore Patrik Laine has 44 goals and rookie Kyle Connor has 30. Laine is likely out of the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy, as his idol, Alex Ovechkin, has 47 goals, but he could make it interesting with a big game. FINAL STANDING: The Nashville Predators have clinched first place overall, earning the Presidents’ Trophy, which also gives them top spot in the Central Division and Western Conference. The Jets currently sit second overall in the league, conference and division, three points back of the Preds. A Jets win Saturday will give them at least a tie for the second best record overall (Boston and Tampa can both get to 114 points as well), which could come in handy in terms of home-ice advantage if they can get deep into the playoffs. PLAYOFF LINEUP: Jets coach Paul Maurice said speedy fourth-line winger Brandon Tanev will return to the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s game. Tanev’s speed, physical play and willingness to throw himself in front of opposition shots could be big assets in the playoffs. Maurice wouldn’t say which player is coming out of the lineup, though rookie Jack Roslovic has been a healthy scratch when the Jets are fully healthy in recent weeks. THE BIG MATCHUP Blake Wheeler vs. Patrick Kane Kane won the scoring title and the Hart Trophy just two years ago but this year he has 16 points less than Wheeler, who has had a career year with the Jets. Wheeler is up to 90 points and is tied for eighth in the NHL and can move up with one more big game. However, the Jets have struggled against the Hawks this season, winning only once in four games and getting outscored 15-10. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 04.07.2018 1108069 Winnipeg Jets

Mason says Hellebuyck making it look easy

Paul Friesen Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 7:11 PM CDT

Steve Mason has seen dozens of goaltenders in his 10-year NHL career, and Connor Hellebuyck’s season stands above them all in one category. “He’s been extremely consistent this year — as consistent as I’ve seen a goaltender,” Mason said of the Jets starter. “He’s just in stride right now. I don’t think he’s stressing out about anything, which is important as a goaltender. “He’s just making it look easy.” That might be the biggest compliment you can give a goalie these days. At their best, they don’t waste any effort. “He doesn’t do anything extra,” is how Mason put it. “Every move is for a purpose. And that’s why he’s been so efficient this year.” Mason, 29, was signed to be a mentor of sorts to Hellebuyck, manning the crease while the 24-year-old found his legs as a starter. It happened immediately, and with 43 wins Hellebuyck is one away from setting an NHL record for victories by an American-born goalie. “I’ve definitely been a sounding board for him,” Mason said. “But when you’re a No. 1 guy, you dictate what happens. If he wants to come to me, that’s fine. But I’m not going to go to him and mess with what he’s got going right now. Because it’s working for him.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 04.07.2018 1108070 Winnipeg Jets “When you are doing something new, the first experience is where you can gain the most,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “The biggest part of that curve is getting a feel for it. Jets not concerned about Wild’s significant edge in playoff experience “It’s probably more important that, in those momentum shifts that happen in every series, that the guys who have been through it before, the veteran guys, can explain that they don’t remember anybody going 16-0 Ted Wyman so you’re going to have to deal with some adversity during the playoffs. That’s where the guys who have some experience can step up and have a big voice.” For all the balance and depth they’ve displayed through four lines and That’s one of the reasons the Jets acquired Stastny at the trade deadline. three defensive pairings, on special teams and between the pipes, the He has played in nine playoff series in his career and made it to the Winnipeg Jets still lack in one key area as they prepare for what they Western Conference final with the St. Louis Blues in 2016. hope is a long post-season run. “One more guy that has been ahead in series, been behind in series, that Playoff experience. has had that shift in momentum and can keep his focus,” Maurice said. Yes, they have had a brilliant regular season and yes they were in Stastny described it as a wave of emotions. You win one game and you second place overall in the NHL heading into their final game, Saturday might think “This is easy, we just have 15 more of these to go.” Then you night at Bell MTS Place against the Chicago Blackhawks. lose two games and you might think “This is the end of the world.” But the fact remains that seven of their key players have never played an Then you win two more and you think you have it all figured out again. NHL playoff game and a total of 13 players have played four games or less, without recording a single victory. Just five players on the Jets “You’ve got to know, day in, day out, that you just worry about that day roster — Paul Stastny, Dustin Byfuglien, Matt Hendricks, Blake Wheeler and the next day brings a whole new set of challenges,” Stastny said. and Mathieu Perreault, have played more than 20 games in the post- season, “The emotional side of it is the key.” By comparison, their first-round playoff opponent — the Minnesota Wild The Winnipeg Jets and their fans will likely have to wait until the final — have 15 players with more than 20 games of playoff experience. buzzer of the full NHL season to find out exactly what the schedule is for a first-round playoff showdown with the Minnesota Wild. It could be an edge for the Wild, but it’s not something the Jets are concerned about. The NHL post-season schedule is not expected to be released until Sunday night, after the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers play a make- “I haven’t given two thoughts about how much experience they’ve had in up game in Boston. the playoffs,” Jets defenceman Tyler Myers said Friday after practice at Bell MTS Place. “It goes back to us, as a group, knowing the way we The Bruins are in a dogfight with the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place have to play to win a hockey game. We carried that mindset and we in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. The winner will play pounded that preparation into this room the entire year and it just got the wild-card team, while whichever team finishes second will face the better and better and better as the season went on.” Toronto Maple Leafs. The Wild players have collectively played 748 NHL playoff games during The Panthers could still have a chance to make the playoffs as well, if their careers, while the Jets have played 265 games. they win their final two games — including Sunday — and the Philadelphia Flyers lose Saturday to the New York Rangers. The Wild’s top three active players — not counting defenceman Ryan Suter and his 78 games of experience, who will miss the series due to With the Leafs opponent still unknown, the national broadcast partner injury — have combined for more playoff games than the entire Jets (Sportsnet) and the league are still deciding which nights they want the roster. Matt Cullen has played 123 games, Zach Parise 94 games and Leafs on TV and which nights they want the Jets to be their primary Daniel Winnik 58 games, totalling 10 more than all the Jets. focus. But young players like Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers (103 It is anticipated the Jets and Wild will open Wednesday at Bell MTS combined goals this season) have to start somewhere, and the Jets Place, while the Leafs visit either Tampa or Boston on Thursday, but believe they can find instant success. nothing is set in stone. “Sometimes when you don’t have any experience, you just go out there It is possible things could be decided between the Lightning and Bruins and play, you don’t overthink,” said Stastny, who leads the Jets with 55 by Saturday night, allowing the league to release the playoff schedule games of playoff experience. “Sometimes you have lots and you earlier, but it does not look likely. overthink. It’s more about the mental side of the game. There are also some building conflicts for the Jets-Wild series, both in “The old cliché is ‘You’re too young to even think about anything’ and Winnipeg and St. Paul, so don’t expect to see a series with games sometimes that’s a nice problem to have. Guys like that, you want them played every second night. to keep playing like that. When things go bad or you’ve got to weather a One thing the Jets do know for sure is they will finish second overall in storm here or there, that’s where you look to the older guys to settle the the Western Conference. Nashville — the Predators will face St. Louis or group down.” Colorado in the first round — has locked up first place (and the The playoffs are all about learning to handle the ups and down. It’s a Presidents’ Trophy) with 115 points and the Jets are second with 112. marathon to the Stanley Cup and for any team playing into June there That means, should the Jets get as far as the Western Conference final, will surely be joyous victories and crushing defeats along the way. they would have home-ice advantage against Vegas (109 points) or The Jets franchise has never won a playoff game so they will have to another other team that emerges from the Pacific Division. learn how to deal with those peaks and valleys on the fly. If the Jets beat the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night at Bell MTS “My experience from the AHL, when we went to the Calder Cup final (in Place in their final regular-season game, they could finish second overall 2014), every game you win you think ‘We can sweep these guys,’ and in the league, depending on what Boston and Tampa do in their final two every game you lose it’s like ‘Sh–, maybe we can’t pull this off,’” Jets games and depending on the league’s tiebreaking formula. defenceman Ben Chiarot said. “So it’s all about controlling that up and It’s thinking way too far ahead, but second place overall would give them down and staying even-keeled.” home-ice advantage should they make it as far as the Stanley Cup Final. “Once you get into it, it’s all the same as what we already know. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 04.07.2018 Experience can only help you so far.” That experience can only come from living it. The players who have never played an NHL game can only watch them and try to get a sense of the intensity of post-season hockey. Until they step on the ice for that first electrically charged faceoff, with thousands of white-wearing fans hitting new decibel levels and with a playoff-hardened opponent on the other side of the ice, they’ll never fully understand. 1108071 Winnipeg Jets Florida’s fate, the entire NHL and hockey fans everywhere may be in a holding pattern until late Sunday.

The Wild won four of five meetings against the Jets last season but are Wild's challenges vs. Jets: Stop potent attack, don't fall into another 0-2 1-3 this season, including a 7-2 loss at Winnipeg. In the last meeting in hole January, the Wild won 4-1. They are 5-7-1 all-time in Winnipeg, 7-4-2 at home.

By Michael Russo Apr 6, 2018 If the Wild have any prayer of winning this series, they have to remedy their porous road play.

The Jets have the most home wins in the NHL with 31, although the Wild SAN JOSE, Calif. — So, here’s the torturous task ahead of the Wild after have the fewest regulation losses at home with six. they face the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night and attempt to avoid a third consecutive loss to end the regular season. But the Wild are tied for the second-fewest road wins (17) of any of the 16 teams currently in a playoff spot and tied for the most regulation road The Winnipeg Jets, at least before their finale against the Chicago losses (20) of that group. Blackhawks, are tied for second in the West with a franchise-record 51 wins, including 10 wins in their past 11 games. They rank second in the The Wild also have a pattern of digging themselves into big-time series NHL with 3.32 goals per game, fifth in the NHL with 2.65 goals allowed holes. per game and fifth on a power play that connects 23.3 percent of the Since 2013, when the Wild snapped a four-year run of postseason time. omissions, the Wild have fallen into a 2-0 hole in six of their seven series Blake Wheeler, the pride of the Breck School in Golden Valley, and three in a row. Of those six 0-2 deficits, five started on the road. Minnesota, and the former Gopher, ranks tied for eighth in the NHL with Digging a hole in the playoffs 90 points, is second with 67 assists and second with 39 points on the power play. Patrik Laine — aka Alex Ovechkin, Jr. — ranks second in the In six of seven series in the Parise-Suter era the Wild have gone down 0- NHL with 44 goals, including a league-high 20 on the power play with 2, losing five. most of them coming from Ovechkin’s favorite neighborhood inside the left faceoff circle. Star centerman Mark Scheifele has averaged a hair Only last year's series against the Blues started at home, also yielding an above a point per game. Kyle Connor leads all NHL rookies with 30 goals 0-2 deficit. and Nikolaj Ehlers, who often makes the Wild’s life miserable, is one Year Opp. Round Games 1 and 2 Series result short of 30. 2013 CHI First L 2-1 (OT), L 5-2 CHI won 4-1 Connor Hellebuyck has won 43 games, tied for the most all-time by a U.S.-born goaltender (Tom Barrasso, 1992-93). Oh, and sharp-shooter 2014 COL First L 5-4 (OT), L 4-2 MIN won 4-3 Dustin Byfuglien loves to torment his home-state team with brute force 2014 CHI Second L 5-2, L 4-1 CHI won 4-2 and mammoth hits (ask Mikael Granlund’s surgically-repaired wrist from a few years back) every time he goes against them. 2015 STL First W 4-2, L 4-1 MIN won 4-2

Overcoming the Jets in the first round will be quite the challenge for the 2015 CHI Second L 4-3, L 4-1 CHI won 4-0 Wild, and they’ll have to do so without stalwart defenseman Ryan Suter and possibly a rusty, less-than-100-percent Jared Spurgeon if he’s 2016 DAL First L 4-0, L 2-1 DAL won 4-2 indeed ready to return from a hamstring tear by Game 1. 2017 STL First L 2-1 (OT), L 2-1 STL won 4-1 “They come at you, nine (forwards) deep,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau The Wild did rally to win one of those series (2014 against Colorado) and said. “And their D are up the ice. You better be able to play good defense also won in 2015 against St. Louis, the one time in that stretch they against them. Without giving anything away, you can't trade chance for managed to split the first two games. Since 2013, the Wild are 5-15 on chance with them, they're too good for that. We have our work cut out for the road in the playoffs. us.” “This (arena) is going to be rocking and that one (in Minnesota) always What the Wild have going for them is more of a battle-tested lineup with a gets loud,” said Jets center Paul Stastny, who has played the Wild in the core that will be partaking in their sixth consecutive postseason. On the playoffs twice with Colorado and twice with St. Louis. “The louder the other hand, the Jets, who relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta for the building, the more fun it is to play. When you go on the road in a hostile 2011-12 season, have made the playoffs twice in the 18-year history of environment, it really brings the guys together. the franchise and have never even won a playoff game. “We want to dictate play and throw everything at them instead of sitting Zach Parise and Blake Wheeler back. That’s when we play at our best.” They last made the playoffs in 2015 when the Boudreau-coached Stastny said the Jets are well aware of Suter’s absence, but “sometimes Anaheim Ducks swept them. teams build off of that and play better.” What does Boudreau remember about the NHL’s smallest arena, Bell That’ll need to be the case with Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba manning MTS Place, with a capacity of 15,321? the top pair and a potential of a Nick Seeler-Spurgeon pair and Gustav “It was loud until we got the lead,” Boudreau said. “The key is to get the Olofsson or more likely Carson Soucy with Nate Prosser. Ryan Murphy lead and keep them quiet, but it's tough to do because they've got a lot of will also provide insurance if Spurgeon isn’t ready. hope this year. They've been at the top of the league the whole year, so In Saturday’s finale, Olofsson will rejoin the Wild after missing the past I'm pretty sure they're gearing themselves up for a long run.” three games with a concussion. Louie Belpedio is also expected to make The sense is the Wild could open the series in Winnipeg on Wednesday his NHL debut. With the Wild no longer in emergency conditions, Soucy night. With two Canadian teams in the postseason, some feel the league had to be reassigned to Iowa. will want the Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs playing on alternating nights But it’s anticipated that Soucy will be recalled in time to practice with with the Maple Leafs going Thursday-Saturday this week so they could Minnesota on Monday. After the regular season, the Wild can have three be on Hockey Night in Canada. players from Iowa at a time until Iowa’s season ends. Belpedio and But this is unconfirmed and highly speculative. The schedule for each Jordan Greenway don’t count as recalls. series could be released as early as late Saturday night if the “They present a lot of challenges,” Prosser said of the Jets. “They have a Philadelphia Flyers get at least one point against the New York Rangers lot of forwards that are skilled guys, shooters, dishers, guys that can or the Florida Panthers lose to the Buffalo Sabres. skate. There’s a lot of challenges there. We’ve got to make sure we’re That would eliminate the Panthers from postseason contention. But if making the hard, simple plays, not turning pucks over. Pucks out at the Sunday’s rescheduled Panthers-Boston Bruins game determines blue line, pucks in at the offensive blue line. There’s a lot of little things that we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing right. “And then we want to outwork them first and foremost. That’s the biggest thing. When we’re winning our battles in the corners, when we’re winning them in front of the net, that goes a long way and we’ve got to make sure we’re doing that.”

Eric Staal, who is one goal from matching Marian Gaborik’s team record with 42 goals in a season, is looking forward to the challenge.

“I think playoffs, everything is wiped clean,” he said. “It doesn't matter what happened during the regular season. You’ve got to just focus on Game 1. For us, I'm sure we'll do a lot of pre-scout and a lot of talk amongst (ourselves) on what we can do to be successful against them and then when Game 1 starts, we'll be ready to go.”

The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108072 Winnipeg Jets And when practice was over and Heinz brought him onto the ice, Ehlers was an instant success on his skates.

“I could see it all, already, after his second time on the ice,” Heinz said. Supported at every turn by his father Heinz, Nikolaj Ehlers has achieved “He was four years old and, I remember, I’d take him out on the ice after many of his hockey dreams (practice) and the other guys would watch him skate. They would say, ‘He’s four years old – how long has he been skating for?’

By Murat Ates Apr 6, 2018 “It was the third or fourth time on the ice. Unbelievable. I could tell very early that he could skate.”

As the four-year-old boy turned into a teenaged phenom, his superlative Nikolaj Ehlers, the point-scoring speedster who was born in Aalborg, speed remained one of his most effortless strengths. Learning to accept Denmark and raised in cities throughout Europe before becoming an his father’s wisdom took more work. NHL star in Winnipeg, is enjoying perhaps the least celebrated 60 point season in Jets history. Heinz Ehlers’ high-level knowledge of the game meant constructive criticism even when goals and points were coming easily to Nikolaj. Given the sheer amount of talent at the Jets’ disposal, there are many aesthetic joys to watching Winnipeg play hockey this season. But for “I think that too often, when I watch him play, I forget to be a hockey those who love hockey at high speeds, there is perhaps nothing more dad,” Heinz said. “I’m more – I’m looking more at his game with a coach’s electrifying than watching Ehlers flying through open ice at speeds few in eye. So I’ve been… I would say critical is probably the wrong word, but the NHL can match. when I saw him making mistakes I would definitely tell him.”

In many other markets, Ehlers would get a lot more press. Not only do “Sometimes it was hard,” Nik said. “Sometimes you didn’t want to listen the Jets often fly under the league-wide radar, Winnipeg also boasts to him at all. You thought he was a little too hard on you.” Patrik Laine’s 44 goals, Blake Wheeler’s league-leading 67 assists, and “I would also praise him when he was playing well,” Heinz said. “Don’t Kyle Connor’s 30 goal rookie season. get me wrong. I probably had a little bit too critical or coaching eye on According to his father, Heinz Ehlers, the lack of fanfare suits the Jets him than, just as a dad, being happy with whatever he did. speedster just fine. “He’s still young. He still makes mistakes. That (happens) when you’re a “I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” said the elder Ehlers by telephone. “At the creative player. You make more mistakes. But to be a great player you moment, they have so many players on the team that can score and who get better at learning when to do it and when not to do it.” have played well. I would say I don’t mind as a parent and I think it may One thing I’ve noticed in the Jets dressing room this season is the even be the best for Nikolaj – that he’s not the focus. sincerity and thoughtfulness with which Nik Ehlers approaches the “The other guys have more attention – (Mark) Scheifele, Laine, Wheeler, questions he is asked – including those about his mistakes. For example, and Kyle Connor. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. You can only just try to after a bad first-period giveaway against the Rangers in February led to perform every night.” an easy Mats Zuccarello goal, Ehlers took full responsibility for the play.

Heinz Ehlers is not your typical hockey parent. In addition to being “It was a stupid pass from me trying to make it into the middle there,” he drafted by the New York Rangers in 1984, he had a long playing career said at the time. “It got picked off and they score. It's something that I in the Swedish Elite League, Swiss-A league, and Deutsche Elite League gotta take on me, but we let them get back into the game.” before beginning a professional coaching career. These are the types of plays father and son talk about and certainly ones He is currently the head coach of Switzerland’s SCL Tigers and when he both Ehlers men would like to see removed from Nik’s game. Still, talks, his son listens. creativity holds value. Skilled players give the puck away more because they try to do more with it. “I learned a lot from him,” Nik said. “He played in Europe for many years and he was a really good player too so, you know, whenever I wasn’t Heinz Ehlers said the most important thing to do when mistakes get doing well he’d tell me – even though I felt I was doing well. And when I made is to own them. was doing well, he’d tell me as well.” “We always taught him to own his mistakes,” Heinz said. “I always said to At the moment, almost everything is going well for the younger Ehlers, him that one of the best things you can do when you fuck up with a 22. turnover on the offensive blueline is come on the bench and say, ‘Sorry guys, my mistake.’ Then everyone knows. Playing on a line with Paul Stastny and Laine, Ehlers’ 60 points on the season are supported by strong underlying numbers. “You know what? Most of the time, after a game when he feels he’s been bad, I wake up to a message. I wake up to a message a lot of the times, The trio is enjoying 52.3 per cent of 5-on-5 shot attempts, 51.6 per cent saying, ‘I was really bad today. I kept making mistakes or turnovers.' He’s of expected goals, and – buoyed by high shooting and save percentages critical. Sometimes when things are not going well and he gets a little bit – have outscored its opposition 15-7. too critical and too hard on himself, then I try to push him in the other direction.” With Scheifele, Wheeler, and Connor firmly established as Winnipeg’s top line, Ehlers and company have been able to feast on slightly softer “When I look back now, sometimes you fight with him over something competition. Despite the occasional costly turnover, there are times when that happened on the ice and you’re 100 per cent sure you were right… it looks nearly impossible for teams to stop Ehlers flying through the And now I’m here so he was probably right,” Nik said. “Because I was neutral zone. changing (to) whatever he said. You know, when he didn’t like seeing something that I did on the ice, even though I thought I was right, I would Across the NHL, only Connor McDavid attacks opposing bluelines with still change it.” more frequent success: And whatever the level of criticism, whatever the difficulty of You’re looking at how often each player gains the opposing blueline with conversations throughout the years, Nik knows his father’s words have possession of the puck (and can play with the data yourself, courtesy paid off. Corey Sznajder and CJ Turtoru, here.) Naturally, the list is a who’s who of NHL speedsters. “It never got to the point where I was sitting by myself and crying or something like that, right? So it was all worth it,” Nik said. It is perhaps not surprising that Ehlers took to skating quite easily as a child. Heinz wasn’t the only hockey professional who gave Nik advice.

As a boy, a four-year-old Nik would watch his father practice with the When the 2012-13 NHL season was partially lost to a lockout, star Berlin Capitals of the DEL – eyes wide, mind sharp, face pressed up players like Patrick Kane and Tyler Seguin looked for work on teams in against the glass – with a quiet intensity unmatched by other kids his beautiful cities around the world. That brought them to Biel HC in Biel- age. Bienne, Switzerland. Nik Ehlers practiced regularly with Biel HC and even suited up for 11 games at just 16 years old. His speed and skill caught the eye of the NHL superstars he played with.

“It all started when I was playing in Switzerland with Patrick Kane and (Tyler) Seguin,” Ehlers said. “They kind of gave me a hint and told me to come over and play junior hockey over here – and it sounded exciting. So I went straight home and I was like, ‘Hey, listen, these guys are saying this.’

“I mean, I was 15 at the point. I was practicing and played the last half of the season in a pro hockey league in Switzerland, which is not bad hockey at all. Having those guys in the league and telling me that I should think about going over and playing… It’s pretty cool to hear.”

Like Seguin and Kane, Heinz Ehlers knew his son had a special talent. When the path towards North American hockey and an NHL career began to look like a distinct possibility, he was fully supportive. Heinz saw his son’s skill, his speed, and – most of all – his drive to succeed.

“He’s got ambition, I can tell you that,” Heinz said. “He wants to score, he wants to get better because he’s always done it his whole career. He’s ambitious. If you’re 15 years old and you’re playing in the highest league in Switzerland and one of the better leagues in Europe, then you’re going to know in yourself that you’re good. I guess hearing it from those kinds of guys, that motivated him to go to North America.

“Of course, it hurts. It was tough, saying goodbye at the airport. But no problem – he should follow his dreams. He had a shot at making the NHL. I knew that was his goal – that was what he really wanted.

“Why not just follow your dreams? Things turned out. It’s gone the right way.”

Nik Ehlers’ next dream is to win the Stanley Cup.

Winnipeg has clinched home-ice advantage to open the NHL playoffs and, thanks to a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, Ehlers knows his first round opponent will be the Minnesota Wild.

“No one here is playing for second place,” he said on Thursday.

But when the Jets face off against the Wild at Bell MTS Place Heinz Ehlers won’t be there – he will be getting ready for the 2018 World Hockey Championships in Denmark.

Heinz Ehlers and I talked about the NHL playoffs, about the world championships, and about the kind of trash-talking text messages the Ehlers family throws around depending on whether Nik’s Chelsea FC, his brother’s Liverpool FC, or Heinz’s Manchester United are at the top of the English Premier League table.

After all of that, Heinz still wanted to say this about his son:

“The human being Nikolaj… I’m really proud of the way that he is. He’s very generous to the family and his friends and inviting people over all the time. And people really appreciate it. Especially with his talent. He’s making not yet the big money that he’s going to be making next year but he really tries to love the people around him. He’s just, in general, a good boy.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108073 Vancouver Canucks

Bulls & Bears: Sedins gave all they had for this city, and then some

TOM MAYENKNECHT Published on: April 6, 2018 | Last Updated: April 6, 2018 3:19 PM PDT

Bulls of the Week The sudden retirement of Henrik and Daniel Sedin from the Vancouver Canucks and the NHL is more than just a West Coast hockey story. It’s national, leaguewide and international when it comes to the global hockey community spanning North America and Europe. Just as the Edmonton Oilers’ superstar Connor McDavid is a generational talent as an individual player, the Sedins — as a pair of twin brothers collecting more than 2,000 points between them while playing all of their 17 NHL seasons for the same team — are certainly a once-in-a- generation occurrence, likely only once-in-a-lifetime and perhaps never to be replicated again. Baseball has its “five-tool players,” those rare stars who hit for average, for power, run with speed, throw and field. In hockey and in the business of sport, the Sedins are “five-tool professionals” like we’ve never seen before; a remarkable combination of assets in terms of their telepathic playmaking talent, their impeccable work ethic, their exemplary leadership abilities, their philanthropic generosity and, more than anything, their second-to-none quality as human beings. If role models are still a thing in this modern era of professional sport, the Sedins are the rarest of prototypes. The Sedins made this a winning week for sports talk radio, sport television and social media, especially Twitter, along with Canucks’ merchandising and 50/50 fundraising draws — with Vancouver real estate agent Derek Kai winning the biggest North American prize on record, the $507,278 share of the $1,014,555 pot. As ESPN sport business reporter Darren Rovell pointed out, both Kai and the Canucks for Kids fund for children’s charities made more Thursday night at Rogers Arena than the Sedins did themselves (US$397,275 apiece compared to US$170,732 combined for the twins). It was also a winning week for numerologists and the numbers 22 and 33, with Daniel Sedin scoring his 22nd goal of the season at the 0:33 mark of the second period and then at 2:33 of overtime (or as some preferred to suggest on Twitter, 22:33 of the third period), both times assisted by Henrik Sedin. And that came after their second-to-last game on home ice Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, when the regulation time shots on goal were 33-22. Secondary ticket prices rocked up to 4½ times face value for Thursday’s home ice finale but the real winners were the fans who held on to their tickets and witnessed first-hand a glowing tribute to “Sedinery.” Bears of the Week The Stanley Cup is the one hole in the resume of Henrik and Daniel Sedin. The hockey gods got that wrong. Sure, the yin and yang of life means there will always be critics and contrarians, yet those who do not fully appreciate the Sedins reveal more about themselves than anything else. That’s why we’re so bearish on the critics of Henrik and Daniel in the face of everything they’ve accomplished on and off the ice in their lives. That’s especially true of those naysayers fortunate enough to live in Vancouver throughout their remarkable 18-year NHL careers. There’s no one more offside this week than those who do not respect the qualities required to win Olympic and World Championship gold and to be automatics when it comes to the rafters at Rogers Arena, the Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame. The Sport Market on TSN 1040 rates and debates the bulls and bears of sport business. Join Tom Mayenknecht Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. for a behind-the-scenes look at the sport business stories that matter most to fans. Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108074 Vancouver Canucks Canucks. At times, Pyatt looked like a true top-six winger playing alongside Daniel and Henrik. Unfortunately, he wasn’t, and as that became apparent, he fell down the depth chart in subsequent seasons, Daniel and Henrik Sedin’s 10 best linemates eventually leaving the Canucks as a free agent in the summer of 2009. 7. Harrison Mooney Why were the Canucks convinced that the Sedins needed a big, right- handed shot? Because that’s what they had in Trent Klatt, their regular winger for the first three seasons of their NHL career. Klatt was initially skeptical of the Sedins’ talents, as well as being assigned to babysit them It goes without saying that the greatest linemates Daniel and Henrik on the ice. Sedin ever had were one another. The twins had an incredible chemistry during their remarkable 18-year career, which is probably to be expected Those are his words. “My reaction was, They’re just babies. I mean, when you play the majority of your professional hockey alongside the they’re not ready for this. Good grief. They were so young, and they were person with whom you shared a womb. The best chemistry is forged in coming from another country,” Klatt told Sportsnet. utero. “But they were consummate professionals at the age of 19.” Unfortunately, there were only two boys in mama Sedin’s womb, leaving the twins one man short of a complete line. And surprisingly, despite the They were also excellent playmakers, albeit raw ones at that early point Sedins’ considerable talents, they couldn’t make it work with just anyone in their careers. Klatt posted 13 goals and 20 assists playing with the — at least long-term. They played a brief stretch with enforcer Wade Sedins in their rookie year. The 33-point campaign was his best in three Brookbank, who scored just six career goals in the NHL. Two of them seasons, and he nearly matched those totals with a 16-goal, 29-point came in consecutive games on Daniel and Henrik’s wing. campaign two years later. Unfortunately, Klatt saw the king-making potential of being the third Sedin, and asked for more money than GM But that experiment didn’t last. It rarely did. The number of players Brian Burke was willing to give him. He signed with the Kings in 2003-04, auditioned to be the third Sedin over the years feels impossible to count. leaving a Klatt-sized hole on the Sedins’ right side that they tried to fill Over two decades, 57 different players scored goals assisted by both with numerous players matching Klatt’s description over the years. Sedins, and scores more were set up by just one member of the duo. 6. Markus Naslund All that said, some players did manage to make their mark with the twins, and on the eve of Daniel and Henrik’s final NHL game, it seems an ideal Naslund never got much love as a Sedin linemate, likely because the time to make a list. Here are the 10 best linemates the Sedin twins ever majority of his success came on another historic Canucks line — you had. might have heard of it. But after the breakup of the West Coast Express when the Roberto Luongo trade sent Bertuzzi to Florida, Naslund needed 10. Jason King someone to play with, and so did the Sedins. Jason King’s run with the Sedins was a short one. The Newfoundland Naslund’s game didn’t quite complement the twins, admittedly. He was winger broke into the NHL in a big way at the outset of the 2003-04 more of a north-south player and they were doing a curious, but effective, season, earning a spot on the Sedins’ line out of training camp and east-west thing, but the trio had a lot of playmaking skill and at least two making the most of the opportunity early. King scored 11 of his 12 career deadly shots. When they worked, they worked. Naslund scored 15 goals NHL goals in the first two months of the year, with six of them being assisted by both Sedins during his time in Vancouver. assisted by both Daniel and Henrik. Eight came in the month of November, earning King the NHL Rookie of the Month award. “They made hockey easy,” he told Sportsnet. “They knew where to put the puck and they knew where to go on the ice. Each step looked a lot He made enough noise with the twins for the trio to earn a clever easier than it was for most players. They were able to think a couple of nickname: the Mattress Line, they were called, on account of being two steps ahead.” twins and a King. 5. Radim Vrbata Unfortunately, King couldn’t keep the magic going, and soon fell out of favour with the Canucks’ coaching staff. Following the 2004-05 lockout, Radim Vrbata signed a two-year contract with the Canucks in July 2014, he was unable to crack the Canucks lineup. He would play four more but like so many other Sedin linemates (even several of the ones on this NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007-08, but that was it for the list), his success with the twins really only lasted one season. Vrbata was Newfoundland native — although he did manage to find his way back to dynamite with the Sedins in the 2014-15 season, putting up 31 goals and the Canucks organization as a coach. King currently serves as an 32 assists. The 31 goals were the second-highest total of his 1,000-game assistant coach for the , Vancouver’s AHL affiliate. NHL career. 9. Pavol Demitra Unlike many of their previous linemates, Vrbata wasn’t a big body, but what he lacked in size, he made up for with a willingness to shoot the Czech hockey legend Pavol Demitra signed with the Canucks in the puck. That’s never a bad thing with the Sedins, who have said in the past summer of 2008, as the organization cast about in search of a that Daniel was only the de facto goal scorer of the pair because one of replacement for the departing Markus Naslund. Demitra played his final them had to be. They always preferred passing off the finishing job to two NHL seasons in Vancouver, much of it on Daniel and Henrik’s wing. somebody else, and Vrbata was more than happy to take the gig. In his first season, he put up 20 goals and 53 points in 69 games, good for fourth in team scoring. Five of those goals were assisted by both During his time with the Canucks, the trigger-happy winger scored 14 Sedins, as Demitra showed flashes of the elite skill he’d demonstrated in goals assisted by both Daniel and Henrik, more than all Canucks his younger days alongside the Canucks’ dynamic duo. forwards except three. He certainly could have had more, but his second season with the Canucks was a disappointment. He fell down the depth Unfortunately, Demitra couldn’t replicate his success in the 2009-10, chart, finished the year with just 13 goals, and the following summer, he missing most of it with a shoulder injury suffered during the 2009 signed elsewhere. playoffs. Following the disappointing season, Demitra left the NHL for the KHL. He tragically died in 2010 when the plane carrying his team, 4. Jannik Hansen Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, crashed during takeoff. People said he had hands of stone. But what Jannik Hansen lacked in 8. Taylor Pyatt finishing ability, he made up for with his speed on the forecheck. As the Sedins began their slow decline, what they needed more than a big, Traded to Vancouver in the summer of 2006, Taylor Pyatt was believed right-handed shot, or even a particularly gifted shooter, was someone to be the prototypical Sedin winger. A right-handed shot who stood six- who could retrieve the puck for them on dump-ins and pressure foot-four and weighed over 230 pounds, it was believed Pyatt would add defenders into turnovers. Hansen did this with aplomb and for a stretch, some muscle to the Sedin line and potentially protect them from bullying he was the Sedins’ most effective winger as a result. defenders. That wasn’t Pyatt’s game, however. He had nary an ounce of menace in him. To this day, he’s remember primarily for his striking blue And it’s not like he couldn’t score. Hansen had his best goal-scoring eyes. They were limpid pools, more likely to seduce than deter season in 2015-16, playing much of the campaign alongside the Sedins aggressors. and netting a career-best 22 goals. He may not have been a natural finisher, but if the Sedins can make Wade Brookbank a goal scorer, or Still, the Sedins saw some success with Pyatt, who put up career highs guide Jason King to a rookie-of-the-month award, they can work with a of 23 goals and 37 points in his first season on their line. Pyatt scored 11 natural checker like Hansen — something they definitely proved before goals assisted by both Sedins, and certainly owed them a thank-you on Hansen’s trade to the San Jose Sharks ended the partnership. Hansen several more of the 49 goals he scored in his three seasons with the scored 13 goals assisted by both Sedins during his Canucks tenure. 3. Mikael Samuelsson Daniel Sedin and Mikael Samuelsson celebrate after Samuelsson scored their second goal against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on May 3, 2010, at the United Center in Chicago. Bill Smith / Vancouver Sun Samuelsson played with the Canucks from 2009 to ’11, and he played mostly on a second line with Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond. But when Alex Burrows was hurt, or having a rough night, Alain Vigneault often turned to Samuelsson as Sedin No. 3, and the winger often excelled in the role. He had back-to-back 50-point seasons in Vancouver. He scored a career-high 30 goals in his first season with the Canucks, with many coming after a pass from a Sedin. His first career hat trick, on March 9, 2010, came courtesy of three setups from Henrik. Samuelsson scored seven goals assisted by both Sedins, and if not for injuries that slowed the winger down in the late stages of his time with the Canucks, it’s a foregone conclusion that he would have had several more. 2. Anson Carter talks to Henrik and Daniel during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at General Motors Place on Jan. 10, 2006. Jeff Vinnick / PROVINCE Anson Carter played just one year in Vancouver, and what a year it was. The Sedins broke out in 2005-06, and Carter’s stint on their line was a big part of the reason why. He put up an eerie 33 goals and 22 assists in 81 games with the twins — the second-best season anyone ever had in the role. What’s more, Carter’s totals came almost exclusively with Daniel and Henrik. Twenty-one of those 33 goals were assisted by both Sedins, second only to the man ahead of him on this list. That’s nuts, especially when you consider other big-name Sedin beneficiaries like Hansen, Naslund or defenders Sami Salo and Alex Edler all played with the twins for eight years or more. Sadly, Carter didn’t return for a second season after asking for more than the team was willing to pay him. His career fizzled out shortly after that, leading many to suggest that he made the wrong decision. But when you consider how perfect he was with the twins, one could argue that it was the Canucks who erred. 1. Alex Burrows Was there ever any doubt? Nobody ever clicked with the Sedins quite like Alex Burrows. Maybe it’s because he got to play with them in their true prime. Or maybe it’s because he was simply the perfect complement to their game. Burrows worked tirelessly on his ability to score at the edge of the crease, and what he lacked in immovability, he made up for with sheer will. He wasn’t impossible to clear from the crease, but he refused to stay away. Furthermore, he was an excellent forechecker, gifted at creating turnovers and getting the puck to the Sedins with room to move. Alain Vigneault put Burrows on the Sedins’ line on Feb. 12, 2009, and unlike the assortment of forwards behind him on this list, he managed to keep the job until injuries began to slow him down in 2012-13. During that time, he had three straight 50-point seasons, and scored no fewer than 26 goals each year. In 2009-10, he scored a career-high 35 alongside the twins. In 2010-11, he and the Sedins led the Canucks to the franchise’s third Stanley Cup Final appearance. No player scored anywhere close to the number of goals assisted by both Sedins that Burrows did. In fact, no two players combined even come close. Together, Anson Carter and king of the one-timer Sami Salo add up to 41. Burrows did it a whopping 50 times. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108075 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks’ Adam Gaudette wins Hobey Baker as best NCAA men’s player

Harrison Mooney More from Harrison Mooney Published: April 6, 2018 Updated: April 6, 2018 5:32 PM PDT

Vancouver Canucks prospect Adam Gaudette may be through with college hockey, but college hockey isn’t through with him. On Friday, Gaudette became the first player from Boston’s Northeastern University to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given annually to the best men’s hockey player in the NCAA. He was the top vote-getter on a list of 10 finalists, which included Florida Panthers prospect Henrik Borgström and Boston Bruins prospect Ryan Donato, both of whom made their NHL debuts in recent weeks. Gaudette, who turned pro last month following his junior year of college hockey, led the NCAA’s Division 1 in scoring with 30 goals and 60 points. Gaudette also recorded two hat tricks in his junior season, one of which came in the Beanpot championship game as Northeastern won the title for the first time since 1988. He was named the tournament MVP. Previous Hobey Baker winners include Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Jimmy Vesey and Will Butcher. Previous Hobey Baker winners to play for the Canucks include Brendan Morrison, Ryan Miller and Jason Krog. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108076 Vancouver Canucks It was a sequence where they celebrated with teammates before skating their final, slow laps around Rogers Arena saluting the fans with whom they’ve forged this dynamic bond. Jason Botchford: Running on fumes, Sedins prep for last call in The performance was so stunning because it’s been a long time since Edmonton the Sedins have played with that kind of speed and ferocity. It’s part of the reason fans started chanting “one more year.” JASON BOTCHFORD But in what was his most telling comments yet, Henrik explained why that just can’t happen. Published:April 6, 2018 “We’re at peace,” he said. “It was a great ending. It couldn’t have finished Updated:April 6, 2018 2:43 PM PDT any better. But we’re done. There’s no coming back. “We’ve been gone a lot (because of road trips). But even when we’re home, we go to games at 3:30 p.m. every day. (The kids) come home It took 18 years for hockey to tire out the Sedin twins. from school every day at 3:30 p.m. We never see them. Also, it took a weeklong love-in so endearing everyone in Vancouver “They’re in bed when we get back. I have seen a lot of their soccer seemed to want to play a part in it. It took a lineup of tributes which, at games. I haven’t seen a lot of their hockey games. It’s going to be fun to this rate, may not fizzle out until June. And it took the most emotional be a part of it now.” game the Sedins have ever played. For most of us, the most compelling parts of the night were wrapped up If someone could adapt Thursday’s NHL game into a Broadway-like in either the Sedins or some of their memories. show it would play to sellout crowds in Vancouver for years. There would be an emotional powerhouse story told and through it the most satisfying One of the things that stuck with them was the visuals on the scoreboard piece of art the city has ever seen. when the camera panned to their kids. On paper, the Sedins’ curtain call in Vancouver was a thrilling 4-3 “When I saw them playing rock, paper, scissors, I thought it was the right overtime win against the Arizona Coyotes. But if you were there, or decision (to retire),” Daniel said. watching the broadcast, it was a robust, inspiring emotive experience that felt more like a guided tour through a rich museum than a sporting event. That’s because they want to miss as few of those moments with their kids as they can. Oh, the sporting part of it was incredible and better than anyone could have hoped. But the historical angle, the what-this-means portion of the NEXT GAME night, pierced right through the centre of your heart. Saturday Together, both elements left the Sedins admittedly exhausted. Now they Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers have to do it one more time in Edmonton — and with feeling. 7 p.m., Rogers Place, CBC, SNETP, SNET 650 AM They will dig in one last time, but they are on fumes. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.07.2018 Against Arizona, Vancouver head coach Travis Green didn’t let the city down. He played the Sedins more than 21 minutes each and gave them huge roles in overtime. They made the coach look good with a series of dominating shifts where they got that signature cycle going one final time in Vancouver. The crowd fed them but they fed the crowd, too. The feeling from the audience went from “this is cool” to “I can’t believe what I’m seeing” over the course of three periods. Whatever happens in Edmonton, it can’t top Thursday night and that’s how it should be. The day started like any other for the Sedins. They drove to the rink the same way they have for the past 700 trips, give or take a couple. They took the optional, like they almost always have, passing on the game-day skate, a routine some have dubbed “The Swedish Holiday.” More players than usual gathered in the morning behind the locker-room in what they refer to as “The Swedish Lounge.” They had a team meeting, and their coach shared a video of some of their most beautiful moments. “It was when we looked like some of the younger guys in here,” Henrik joked. Funny because that’s how they looked in Thursday’s game, too. Fuelled by either adrenalin or magic, and we’re leaning toward the latter, the Sedins put on a show that would have impressed even during their eight-year run of offensive dominance. From 2005-13, Henrik was fifth in NHL points and Daniel eighth. Together for those eight years, they were the most potent line in hockey. Well, they were again Thursday. They combined with Alex Edler on a tick-tack-toe goal pulled from the 2011 yearbook. Daniel scored that one and the overtime winner too, a goal birthed from the type of persistent puck possession shifts that so often whittled opponents down to the nub. It brought the house down. Asked what he will take with him, Henrik said it’s what happened from that game-winning goal on. 1108077 Vancouver Canucks again. Look, you can see his numbers in the second picture, as he's clearly headed back the other way. And boy, you have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool ol' Cousins and Richardson. Systems Analyst: The Sedins Sedined some real Sedinery in their final Cousins has worked his way back to the defensive side of the puck, but game in Vancouver now that he has Henrik in the palm of his hand, he's going to get him on the other side, where the Canucks forward is so obviously going. As is Richardson. By Justin Bourne Apr 6, 2018 CRAAAAAAP.

“He went thataway.” It’s not uncommon after some moving sporting event grips the nation to read writers lead into their piece with some version of “I’m not an And that's it. That's how the goal gets scored. Seriously. Well, semi- emotional guy, but…” seriously, there's more to it, but that caught two Coyotes forwards, and now the Canucks have numbers going the other way, which is what they Well goddammit, I am an emotional guy, and it’s awful. The rest of you utilize to complete the goal. Look at the separation Henrik created with are lucky. There are always moments that get to the majority of fans – a trademark Sedin smoke and mirrors. recent example would be something like Blue Jays opening night, when they retired Roy Halladay’s jersey with his wife and sons looking on. But Meanwhile, on the weak side of the ice, Edler has recognized the trapped like, I cried this morning watching the Ducks equipment manager being Coyotes, so he activates into the rush. given a damn boat. So needless to say, the way the Sedin brothers' final Now, thanks to the positioning of Martinook, the Coyotes can actually game went, and how it ended, yes, my eyes may have leaked a few MLs manage the developing situation and even get themselves into a position of salty discharge. where they could feasibly snuff the rush out entirely. In fact, if it isn't But those tears are positive tears, so I’ve spent the bulk of my Friday Henrik Sedin, they probably succeed. morning reading as many recaps and tributes to the twins as possible, As you can see below, Martinook has “cut the ice in half” as coaches like and I’ve picked up one recurring theme throughout all of them: to say. He's in the middle of the ice, and wants to use his stick position to Storybook. “You can’t write this, who writes this stuff, it’s like someone sweep the on-rushing forward into his defender. Real nice stick here. wrote it.” And, for sure, it seems entirely implausible. But, for me, I connect it more to the old classic movie poster tagline “You’ll laugh, you’ll Beautifully done, as he's angled the Canucks into what's essentially a cry.” I say laugh, because some of the plays the Sedins made on two-on-two, an offensive situation from which it's tough to generate Thursday were such a perfect encapsulation of their careers I was in anything. disbelief. On the play I’m going to breakdown today – the Canucks first goal scored by Daniel – it’s a subtle play that made me legitimately, But like all magicians, the Sedins biggest offensive tool is misdirection. audibly chuckle. They have the vision and smarts to anticipate what the opposing defenders think will happen, and they happily play into it. As Henrik So, there, I laughed, I cried. That was one hell of a movie. crosses the blueline, he has Gagner to kick it out to — and most players would — and Martinook knows that. So, Henrik lets him “know” what's But be careful not to chalk up their laughably perfect final game in coming next, and plays into it. It sure looks like he's gonna hand the puck Vancouver as magic, cosmic, a matter of serendipity. The Sedins and off. their teammates wanted that game and they worked for that ending. But when he doesn't pass it, the Coyotes have them dead to rights. From the first shift when Henrik rang a rebound off the post, to the way Martinook has angled Henrik into Gagner and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the team responded in the third period, nothing could’ve been more and now all the Canucks captain has as an option is to chip it in on his obvious. One of the twins (forgive me, but I have no idea which) said in a backhand and go get after it. That or kick it back off the boards to post-game interview the night would have been just as special had the Gagner, which Martinook reads and covers off on. game not ended the way it did, to which I say bully. They put in the work because they knew this would be even more special not just for them, but OHHH boy, he's cutting. “Well that wasn't a chipped in backhand at all,” for the fans. They wanted to give them one final gift, knowing how hard thinks Ekman-Larsson. It's a tight little spot that Henrik slices in to, but everyone was rooting for them. holding onto the puck for as long as he did dragged the Coyotes defender outside the dots and now he has the inside of the ice. And UH- You know how many shots on net Daniel racked up on Thursday? To OH, look at what's happening at the top of the screen. There's an quote Varsity Blues, “ TEN, TEN, A F****N’ TEN.” outnumbered defender and a ton of ice. I wonder if the guy with EIGHT Over 17 years and 1,305 games played, know what his career high is? HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE CAREER ASSISTS will succeed in Yeah, that'd be 10. He’s only hit that number three other times over that making a tape-to-tape pass? huge span of games. Ten shots isn't quite Kobe Bryant in his final game So Cousins got boom-roasted at the other end of the ice, and now he's (50 shot attempts, most in a single game in NBA history), but in 2,542 stopped skating on the backcheck, getting his blades locked on tracks. NHL games played this season, only 30 times has a player had 10 shots. It's conceivable that if Henrik didn't look completely out of options That's a lotta shots. Cousins would've kept skating back and grabbed on to Edler, but that's And the team? Down 3-1 going into the third and they outshoot the the thing with making plays like Henrik made there. It's not just the one Coyotes — let me just double check this is right — yep, 15-0. Needless guy you beat, it's that everyone else is off their guard, too. to say, it was a remarkable evening, but as I said, it wasn’t just magic – So here's where things get all Swedish. Tape to tape, obvs. this was earned. Edler takes it to his backhand, and goaltender has to (To top it all off, Henrik passed Nicklas Lidstrom for the most overtime honour the shot. He drops to his knees to block the net, while Luke assists in NHL history (23). No big deal.) Schenn tries to go all kick-save-and-a-beauty on the Edler pass. But Anyway, the overtime winner doesn’t exactly need breaking down. The nope. quick synopsis: Daniel slap-shooted it into the hockey net. But it was that He slides it through, and Daniel — he of over 400 NHL goals between first goal of the game, Daniel from Alex Edler and Henrik that was so the regular season and playoffs — buries what's a much, much harder perfect. Let’s pick it apart, shall we? shot than it looks. Off-hand one-timer on an angle? Pfft, for him that's an Have a watch, and then we'll go frame by frame: easy net bulger all day. Okay, so as you saw in the video, Edler does a good job pinching off A real cherry on top is the face of Ekman-Larsson at the end of the clip. Jordan Martinook in the D-zone and waiting for Sam Gagner to come in To me, it's the perfect visual representation of the words “utter and grab the puck. Gagner rims it up to Henrik, who is at a standstill bemusement.” It's like he's thinking “Damn, I got roasted by my along the wall. Coyotes forwards Nick Cousins (No. 25) and Brad countryman, but at the same time, it's kind of an honour to get dunked on Richardson (No. 15) have recognized the Coyotes loss of possession by a Sedin in their final career home game? I can't believe that just and start coming back. happened.” Now, with Henrik being at a standstill, both of those backcheckers will Like, that's something he can tell his kids about. Not only did he simply easily overtake him momentarily, and all three of them know it. get to play against a pair of his country's national legends, but he got to be on the stamp that proves that even as their careers wound down they As you can see in the first picture, you can't see Henrik's numbers. So could still light you up. what he sells them on, is that he knows he's going to be overtaken, so he's gonna take it back into the Canucks D-zone and try the breakout Check out his face. One thing I've had the privilege to be around while growing up was old NHLers telling war stories. And because there's little video of those days means the guys can make the stories even bigger and better. This highlight reminds me of some of those “that can't possibly be true” whoppers those guys would tell. I can see OEL at 60 telling the boys the story of getting owned here, launching into it like “So, it's these guys last career home game ever, right, and the building is PACKED. And I idolized these guys growing up…” And off he'll go. In Derek Jeter's final All-Star Game he hit a home run off a pitcher who, in the postgame presser, said he “grooved one” for Jeter out of respect. As in, threw him a meatball so Jeter could look good. Whether that story is true or not, I thought of it when seeing it was a fellow Swede who got walked by a Sedin. After enough viewings I can state unequivocally: that wasn't the case here. The Sedins may not be the players they were when they were winning Art Ross trophies, but man, they still got “it,” whatever “it” may be. It's been a treat to watch them all these years, and even more special to see them close out in Vancouver on a note like the one we witnessed on Thursday night. The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108078 Vancouver Canucks “From our own end, I got some room and they lost a few guys on the forecheck. After that I looked (Gagner) off,” said Henrik. “Their forward went to (Gagner) and I was able to cut inside. (Edler) came at the perfect Henrik and Daniel Sedin orchestrate storybook send-off in Vancouver spot and he makes a great play. When I see the puck going onto Danny’s finale stick, I’m just hoping he’s not going to fan on it.” Retirement may be coming, but the Sedin sarcasm game is still strong. By Israel Fehr Apr 6, 2018 The ovations grew louder in the third with every Sedins shift — there was an orchestrated Viking clap before the period began and two organic ones during play, which pleased the Sedins — and the Canucks overcame a 3-1 deficit to force overtime against the Coyotes. Henrik and Daniel Sedin are notoriously creatures of routine. Their dedication to and precision in their craft is part of what made them great If you’re reading this, you know how it ended. The Sedins, on the power hockey players. play, in overtime, Daniel scoring the goal with assists from Henrik and Edler at the 2:33 mark for a 4-3 Canucks win. So when Henrik stood near the hashmarks and smiled while sharing a laugh with longtime teammate Alex Edler during warmup, it was no When the celebratory mob had dispersed, the laps of the ice began, the different than any other game the two had played together. Sedins acknowledging the fans. Then they disappeared down the tunnel, but only for a brief moment, as they returned when they were announced “We do it every warmup, kind of do the same thing every time,” said as the game’s co-first stars. There were no second or third stars. Edler. “But it was extra special tonight.” The lovefest continued for a few more minutes, before the Sedins went to Because despite the Sedins’ best efforts, Thursday night at Rogers the bench to embrace their teammates and then head down the tunnel to Arena was going to be anything but normal. the Canucks dressing room one last time. The cheers during a pre-game video montage, which included tributes Who writes this stuff? from Roberto Luongo, Alex Burrows, Alain Vigneault and and was narrated by Brian Burke, were enough to send a chill down your These kind of goodbyes aren’t easy. In truth, they rarely even happen. spine. The nostalgia was on high and the ovations were just beginning. Look at the greats from Canadian NHL teams in the recent past. Jarome “Before the game in here, you could hear the crowd and everyone was Iginla, Daniel Alfredsson and Mats Sundin left their longtime homes real amped up for the game,” said Henrik. before calling it a career. Blue Jays star Jose Bautista had his swan song forced on him and is still hoping to catch on with another MLB team. You could excuse them then if they were preoccupied when they stepped onto the ice for the start of the game — and they were given a few Trevor Linden’s final home game is remembered fondly in Vancouver, seconds of shine by their purposely tardy teammates — but the Sedins but the result was a 7-1 loss in a season the Canucks narrowly missed aren’t ones to be lost in thought. So as the minor hockey player that the playoffs and Linden’s retirement was not yet official. accompanied the team in the pre-game skate did her best to keep up with the Canucks, both Sedins gently guided her along when they twirled We’ve learned the Sedins’ retirement plan was a bit of an open secret by to ensure she wouldn’t be run over by any players. around the NHL over the last couple months. It started to become obvious something was up when veterans from old rivals went out of their The Sedins: always looking out for and lifting those around them, even way to pay their respects to two players that had come to define the when the spotlight is squarely focused on them. Canucks franchise. Over nearly two decades in Vancouver, there were the jaw-dropping The Sedins announcing their retirement plans publicly earlier in the week plays on the ice and the acts of kindness and generosity in the was out of character. They’re not out to make it about themselves and community. In one way or another the Sedins touched people, and every would have been perfectly comfortable waiting to confirm their decision person in the arena Thursday night had a favourite memory that they once the season was over, but felt like they owed it to the organization hold close to their heart. and the fans to have this send-off. Mine is shared by many others, but feels extra special to me because I “We’re quiet guys that don’t really like the attention,” said Daniel. “But was in the building when Daniel scored his through-the-legs goal, set up looking back now, I think we made the right decision. I hope the fans are by a brilliant Henrik no-look, through-the-legs touch pass, against the happy because we are really happy to go out this way.” Flames in the 2009-10 regular season finale. “We knew it was going to be emotional,” Henrik added. “We tried to stay The goal itself was breathtaking, but what it represented is what fuelled as focused as possible. It was tough. It seemed like every time we the crowd’s roars that night even more. Henrik was gunning for the stepped on the ice they were on their feet.” scoring title, and every point he collected that night allowed him to distance himself from Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Both Sedins And for the younger players that hope to be the future of the Canucks, had four points that night; Henrik finished three points ahead of Ovechkin especially the players like Troy Stecher and Jake Virtanen that grew up and Crosby in the scoring race. in the Lower Mainland and consumed all the Canucks hockey they could, like the rest of us, to be a part of this night was the ultimate dream come And that’s what made it all the more special. In an era that was set to be true. dominated by Crosby and Ovechkin, it was one of the two Swedish twins — the much-hyped prospects from a decade earlier that took some time “I was talking to my best friend before the game, I was texting him,” said to ripen — that had risen above both to capture the Art Ross, and Stecher. “It’s incredible. We were saying, every memory we remember of ultimately the Hart Trophy, too. The next year it was Daniel’s turn to take Canucks hockey, they were part of the team. I was six-years-old when home the Art Ross, and the team, of course, went on a wild ride all the they first played for them so I don’t remember anything before then. As a way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. family we’ve been through it with them and it’s pretty emotional to see them hang it up.” Boy did the Sedins’ journey have some bumps in it — and man did this city ever put them through the ringer — but we saw them grow up and The team’s colours have changed since the Sedins debut back in 2000 earned their place up there with the best in the game. and heck, even the arena’s name is different. But for 17 seasons, they were a constant for the Canucks, and through the highs and the lows, All the fans wanted from Thursday, beyond recognizing the Sedins for they never wavered. They got their due Thursday as two future Hall of their years of service with the Canucks, was to catch one more glimpse Famers with a night that'll never be replicated again in Vancouver, from of their on-ice magic. the unique circumstances of their careers to what unfolded on the ice. On the first shift of their final game in Vancouver, the twins nearly “It’s a night we’ll remember forever. We couldn’t ask for more,” said delivered on that collective wish, with a quick rush that ended with Henrik. Henrik’s shot smashing off the far post. Oh so close. “When you get a chance to go through this, it’s once in a lifetime and you There were more flashes, as there have been all season, but this night can’t describe the feelings.” wouldn’t be complete without one more magic moment. Well, actually, it wouldn’t haven’t been quite right without two. The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 In their first shift of the second period, it happened. Henrik to Edler to Daniel. Goal. Just like old times. 1108079 Websites Now, let’s examine Dallas. Unlike Calgary, Dallas didn’t make the playoffs last year, finishing with 79 points, good for sixth in the Central Division and 11th in the Western Conference – a 30-point year-over-year The Athletic / Duhatschek Notebook: What went wrong in Calgary and drop-off from the 109-point team that finished first overall in the Dallas, the Sedins' toughness, Calder questions conference the year before (where the Stars lost in the second round of the 2016 playoffs). Internally, the belief in Dallas was that the Stars were closer to the 109-point team they were two years ago than to the 79-point they were last year, and thus the moves they made in the offseason were By Eric Duhatschek Apr 6, 2018 aggressive and specifically designed to get back into the upper echelons of the conference.

Ben Bishop was an expensive addition in goal, replacing Antti Niemi. Post-mortems are coming next week for every NHL team that didn’t Marc Methot, fresh off a great season as Erik Karlsson’s partner, was make the playoffs, where the powers-that-be will ponder what went right, brought in to stabilize the Stars’ blueline at the cost of 2020 second- but mostly focus on what went wrong – and the steps needed to correct round pick. Alex Radulov and Martin Hanzal were expensive free-agent that. Understandably, the outcome of these exercises can vary wildly, additions up front, Radulov signed to play top-three minutes on the first and largely depend upon a team’s expectations going into the 2017-18 line; Hanzal to provide the kind of third-line, big-man centre-ice presence season. that coach Ken Hitchcock has had on virtually all his teams for as long as If they were modest, the calls for change tend to be more muted. If they he’s coached in the NHL. That was the other big move. Hitchcock had were high and went largely unmet, that’s going to be a problem. presided over the Stars’ 1999 Stanley Cup championship and was the ultimate win-now coaching hire. The Chicago Blackhawks jumped the gun on everybody this past week. Even as they are about to complete their worst season of the John Hitchcock is known as a task master, and not every player has loved McDonough era, the Blackhawks announced Thursday that both general every minute of the time they spend playing for him. But Hitchcock also manager Stan Bowman and coach Joel Quenneville would be returning had 781 career wins going into the season and has often had really good next season, quelling any speculation there might be changes there. In early success with a new team. Hitchcock was hired last year on April 13 Chicago, the biggest challenge will be getting an accurate read on where which, coincidentally, was the same day Vegas announced they’d hired the franchise sits, given how the bottom fell out after goaltender Corey Gerard Gallant as their head coach. Given Gallant’s history with Stars’ Crawford was injured. Chicago wasn’t great, even with Crawford in the general manager Jim Nill – both cut their teeth for years in the Detroit lineup, but they were respectable. They were introducing young players Red Wings’ organization – you wonder if things might have turned out into the lineup and they might have stayed in the hunt for a playoff spot if differently in Dallas if the Stars had opted for Gallant instead of they’d gotten the sort of consistent netminding Crawford normally Hitchcock. Maybe that would have changed the outcome. Now, they’ll provides. So, the jury is quite reasonably out on the Blackhawks. never know. Gallant is the odds-on favorite to win the as coach of the year and his team – the Golden Knights – will have A handful of teams – the Arizona Coyotes, the Vancouver Canucks, the home-ice for the first round of the playoffs. Buffalo Sabres – remain in the early stages of rebuilding, which will buy them a little more time. Even if they all imagined they could do what the Dallas, like Calgary, made significant expensive changes that didn’t Colorado Avalanche have done, and made an unexpected leap forward tangibly change the outcome. The Stars will finish sixth in the division this season, the fact that they weren’t able to put it together shouldn’t again – they are at 90 points through 80 games – better, but not good alter the course they’ve set for the organizations. Eventually, it’ll come or enough to justify the dollars they spent on all those pricey reinforcements it won’t, but integrating kids into your lineup usually requires enduring in goal, on defence, up front and behind the bench. some growing pains and one of these days, even the Vegas Golden Calgary stuck with the same coaching staff and made minor alterations to Knights will start to inject their drafted players into the lineup and let’s see their forwards, which didn’t take any of the scoring pressure off the top how that goes. line. Last year, the Flames had 94 points, scored 226 goals, gave up When sifting through the ashes of a failed season, the spotlight generally 221, which was enough to scrape into the playoffs. This year, the Flames glares hardest on teams that were supposed to be improved on paper – are at 82 points, have scored 211 goals and given up 247. The last and ended up failing to meet those heightened expectations. Those are month was a tire fire. Improvements in goal and on defence did not the teams, where the staff needs to be looking over their shoulders come translate into wins or points in the standings. So what now? What next? Monday, when the off-season officially begins. The usual response to an underachieving season is to make some Let’s examine two case studies from the past season, the Calgary changes on the coaching staff. Calgary’s penalty killing has been Flames and the Dallas Stars. respectable (10th overall), but the power play has struggled (29th, with 42 goals in 264 attempts for a 15.9 success rate) despite the presence of Last spring, after making the playoffs but losing in the opening round to the highest-scoring goal scorer on the blueline in the NHL (Dougie the Anaheim Ducks, the Flames determined they needed two things to Hamilton) who at different times this season has played on the top improve — change their starting goalie and upgrade their top four on power-play unit and other times has been on the second unit. Calgary defence. Last year’s starter, Brian Elliott, on balance had a pretty good also has a decent net front presence (Tkachuk); a player that can take year after a slow start, but he had a couple of rough outings against the the zone (Gaudreau) and a bomber from the point (Hamilton) – all the Ducks in the playoffs, which turned the organizational sentiment against pieces you theoretically need to make a power play work. But the him, when they contemplated giving him a contract extension. The execution has been lacking. Presumably, somebody is going to take the thinking was: What if Elliott’s start next year was as bad as last year? fall for that. Then what do you do? The risk, of course, in making any sort of judgement immediately is to So, the Flames combed the trade market and discovered the asking price react emotionally to a disappointing, underachieving season. Nowadays, for Cory Schneider was too high and ultimately settled on Mike Smith, as social media has empowered the masses, drowning out the noise is who had a history with Flames’ general manager Brad Treliving from their even more complicated than before, when people who wanted to days together in Arizona, and at 35, was looking for a new opportunity to complain either had to telephone the call-in shows or write letters. The play on a contender. The Flames were excited by two aspects of Smith’s challenge is to rationally assess what went wrong — and if the game – his puck-moving ability and his competitiveness. They believed conclusion is it wouldn’t take much to get it back on track, stay the course the first would take pressure off their defencemen, because he often as much as possible, with minor tweaks, but no major surgery. Still, that’s could facilitate the breakout; and they believed the second would inject easy to say, harder to do. It requires a conviction in your own decisions, additional personality into what is generally a quiet, low-key dressing at a time when the temptation is to second-guess all the unsuccessful room. Smith was pretty good too – until he got injured, and then hasn’t moves you’d previously made. Selling patience to a fan base that is tired been quite the same player since. The other move the Flames made was of showing patience is a tricky proposition, and it gets even harder if to trade for New York Islanders’ defenceman Travis Hamonic, on the ownership is listening to the displeasure and believes it will be reflected grounds that Hamonic could fill out their top-four on defence and allow in the box office for the coming season. That, of course, is when the most Michael Stone to play as a third-pair guy. Other teams, including the dangerous miscalculations and mistakes are made. Toronto Maple Leafs, were also bidding on Hamonic and the final cost to Calgary was high as a result – a first and two second-round draft The fight club choices. But the Flames figured they were entering their window to There’s been a lot of talk lately about on-ice confrontations and clashes compete after making the playoffs in ’17 and believed these two moves, and the appropriate way to respond. Most people in Calgary seemed to along with the natural maturation of their young core (Sean Monahan, think the Flames didn’t respond correctly last weekend when the Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett) would move them Edmonton Oilers’ Milan Lucic started to take liberties with their forward in the NHL standings. Didn’t happen. goaltender, Mike Smith, and only Tanner Glass, a middleweight, came to Smith’s defence. Smith spoke afterward after about what a great teammate Glass was and ventured how maybe a little more of that and then Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine) enter the NHL. That hasn’t compete level wouldn’t be a bad thing in the Flames’ dressing room. Fair been the case. There may not have been as much hype around the class enough, up to a point. Glass has, throughout his career, been a great of ’18, but the reality is, there’ll be seven first-year players this year who teammate, which is one reason why he earned a contract with the will score 50 points or more (Barzal, Keller, Gourde, Connor, Boeser, Flames in the first place, after attending training camp on a PTO. But Alex DeBrincat and ) and an eighth (Pierre-Luc Dubois) can Glass, at 34, isn’t much of a player anymore and gone are the days when join them if he scores two points in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ final a team could carry a player on their roster as a deterrent, just in case an game of the season. Last year, only four exceeded 50 points – the three opponent tried to rough them up. Eventually, the dialogue spilled into a Leafs (Matthews, Nylander and Mitch Marner), plus Laine. Not bad for a discussion of courage, and that’s where it lost me. rookie class with unexpected depth – and one that will make choosing five for your awards ballot far trickier than anyone might have anticipated. I’ve watched a lot of hockey over the past 40 years and it always struck me that the most courageous players are not the hitters, but the hittees. I The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 was formulating this thought while writing about the Sedins earlier this week. In all the retrospectives penned about them, there was a good deal written about all the heat they absorbed for not being physical, even before social media allowed people to really pile on. As recently as 2011, – working as a television analyst – dismissed them as “Thelma and Louise” in the midst of the Stanley Cup final against his beloved Boston Bruins, even though Daniel had won the scoring title that April, a year after Henrik had won it. Doesn’t performance count for anything? It didn’t seem to. The hallmark of the Sedins game, long before “puck possession” became popularized in the hockey vernacular, was puck possession. They had the puck a lot, which, by the way, according to the rulebook, is the only way you can put yourself in harm’s way in hockey. People lose sight of this fact sometimes: In hockey, you can only legally apply a body check to the player carrying the puck. You do it to anyone else and it’s an interference penalty. Over the years, most of the players lauded for their toughness are the seek-and-destroy guys, the ones that would unload on the puck carrier. These guys almost never have the puck. And if you’re hitting somebody, a lot of times, you are in a position to take the measure of an opponent, protect yourself and then, away you go. By contrast, the puck carrier has to manage the puck at the same time as being aware of everything else happening to him on the ice. Trickier. Some of the most immensely talented – William Nylander is a good example of this – do seem to be able to play with their heads up 100 per cent of the time. Not everybody has Nylander’s skill set. Others occasionally have to glance down to find the puck and sometimes, that leaves them vulnerable. Over the years, I’ve watched painfully as the likes of Luc Robitaille and would go into high traffic areas and just get clobbered by defencemen, or get worked out by someone’s stick, and they kept at it. They rarely ever got credited for the toughness they demonstrated by putting themselves constantly in harm’s way. Sometimes, they were derisively dismissed as pretty boys. I always thought just the opposite – that it takes a lot more courage and determination to handle the puck and leave yourself open to those hits than it does to never handle the puck and occasionally lower the boom on somebody. When the Sedins announced their retirement Monday, amid all the glowing accolades that rightly came their way, almost no one pointed that they were a lot braver than they were ever given credit for. They had the puck all the time. On top of all the other things they accomplished in the game, they took a lot of physical abuse along the way – and never let it change the way they played. Not sure if enough people ever understood – or appreciated how hard that is to do. Calder gazing Trophy ballots for the major NHL awards arrived in our email in-baskets this past week and while the primary focus is going to be on the great competition for the Hart Trophy, the Calder is going to be interesting to see who finishes in the top three and gets to attend the awards ceremony in Las Vegas to congratulate Mathew Barzal on his win. This past week, Barzal became the first rookie since Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin in 2006-07 to top the 80-point mark – he has 22 goals and 61 assists, with one game to go to match the 85 points Malkin registered 11 years ago. Injuries to Barzal’s two closest competitors at mid-season – Vancouver’s Brock Boeser and Boston’s Charlie McAvoy – turned a three-horse race into what should be a runaway victory for Barzal. The question is, who else finishes in the top three? Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor has made a late charge, scoring another overtime winner this past week to get him to the 30-goal mark, one ahead of Boeser. Of late, Arizona’s Clayton Keller – the NHL’s rookie of the month for October – has made a strong push as well. Keller is second overall in rookie scoring with 65 points, four ahead of Tampa’s Yanni Gourde and nine up on Connor. On a points-per-game basis, Boeser – 55 points in 62 games or 0.80 — is still No. 2 behind Barzal for any player who’d played 60 games or more. What’s noteworthy is that, going into the season, there was a perception that this year’s rookie crop paled in comparison to the previous two years, which saw generational players (Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel 1108080 Websites “[And] just generally speaking, from 2005 until now, how far we’ve come as an organization and as a team,” Sharp continued. “All the great players I’ve played with. I’m lucky to be part of it to be honest with you. The Athletic / So long, Sharpy: Patrick Sharp calls it quits after United The Blackhawks are a family from the top down. You probably hear that Center sendoff a lot from us, but I truly feel a part of it. I know my immediate family feels that as well. I’m grateful that I got that opportunity to come back and play for the Hawks organization, and that was a special feeling for me [Friday night].” By Chris Kuc 1h ago Stan Mikita was on the ice at the United Center on Friday night.

The Blackhawks legend wasn’t there in body — the brain disorder Patrick Sharp took a spin around the United Center ice, soaking in the suspected to be dementia with Lewy bodies has stripped Mikita of his adulation from the largest crowd of the season. memory and prevented him from attending — but he was there in spirit. The 36-year-old winger was skating with the knowledge that he had He was there in spirit for the largest crowd of the season, in spirit for his played his final game at the arena and after the Blackhawks’ 4-1 loss to family — including grandsons Billy, Charlie and Tommy who skated onto the Blues on Friday night in front of 22,216 fans, Sharp said he will retire the ice in full Blackhawks uniforms with the familiar No. 21 on their backs from the NHL following Saturday night’s season finale against the Jets in as part of the team’s “One More Shift” ceremony — in spirit for Hawks Winnipeg. players and members of the organization and in spirit for every hockey fan who had the privilege of seeing one of the greatest hockey players to “I think I’ve known what I wanted to do for a long period of time here and ever lace up skates in action. it’s never easy, you know?” an emotional Sharp said in the Blackhawks’ dressing room following the loss. “But I think I’m just ready to take that Mikita’s legacy continues to live and goes beyond his retired No. 21 next step in my life, and I’m looking forward to it.” hanging from the rafters of the UC and the statue standing outside of the arena. It lives in memories passed from generation to generation. Sharp will leave a legacy as one of the most popular and productive players to don a Blackhawks uniform after spending 10 seasons during Thirteen-year-old Billy Gneiser, himself a hockey player in a bantam two stints with the organization. After arriving from the Flyers via a trade league in Romeoville, never saw his grandfather play and “all I know is midway through the 2005-06 season, Sharp became a dangerous scorer he was pretty good.” who eventually helped the Hawks capture Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Before his debilitating disorder that fully hit in January 2015, Mikita passed along knowledge that helped him excel for 22 seasons in the After that third Cup, Sharp was traded to the Stars and spent two NHL — all with the Blackhawks — from 1958-80. Mikita remains the seasons in Dallas before signing a one-year contract with the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 1,467 points and is second to Blackhawks last summer. Bobby Hull in goals with 541. Mikita won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1967 and 1968, the Art Ross Trophy as the Even before a disappointing season individually and team-wise, Sharp league's leading scorer in 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1968 and the Lady Byng sensed that the 2017-18 campaign would be his last. Trophy for gentlemanly play in 1967 and 1968. The gritty and graceful “You never want to come to grips with it to be honest with you but that’s center was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. probably one of the reasons I came back,” Sharp said. “Chicago’s my “He taught me almost everything hockey,” Billy said. “Taught me how to home and it’s my family’s home — we mentioned that when we left the win faceoffs, taught me how to skate, taught me how to tie my own first time. I’m grateful that I was able to come back and play this year. I skates and tape my stick, especially.” know it hasn’t been the season that we’ve all wanted but it really does mean a lot to me.” Stan Mikita also suggested a position change for the youngster. THANK YOU, SHARPY.#BLACKHAWKS “I was a defenseman at first, and I was like, ‘I want to score goals. I want PIC.TWITTER.COM/CO2MUT2DE3 to be a goal-scorer,’ Billy said. “So my grandpa said, ‘be a centerman, you’ll score more goals like that.’ I’ve been a center since.” — CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (@NHLBLACKHAWKS) APRIL 7, 2018 As an ambassador for the Hawks, Mikita also made an impact on current The tributes for Sharp came early Friday, with Patrick Kane giving his players. teammate the “A” on his sweater as an alternate captain before the game and a video tribute played for Sharp during the third period. “Stan Mikita means a lot to the Blackhawks organization,” Kane said. “He’s represented the game in an amazing way. Just talking to him in the After the final buzzer sounded, Sharp skated to center ice and stood in past he is a really nice guy, down to earth and a big Blackhawks fan. He the spotlight while his teammates stayed near the bench and tapped their had a lot of stories and memories to tell. It was always funny when he sticks. Then came the solo trip around the rink and later, teammates and Bobby and Tony [Esposito] got together and started telling stories. saluted Sharp in the dressing room with Kane giving a speech about his long-time teammate. “He played here for so many years and has a lot of scoring records and won a lot of trophies along the way but more than that he’s one of those “It will be fun to play [Saturday] and I’m looking forward to it, but playing guys who represented the Blackhawks as best as he could,” Kane the last game at the United Center in front of these fans was something continued. “Anytime you met him he was never one to brag about his that meant a lot to me,” Sharp said. “It was a special time in the locker past accomplishments. He is always very polite and complimentary.” room as well, listening to what Kaner had to say. He had some touching words after the game and it meant a lot.” Mikita’s family visits the 77-year-old each day and a caregiver was to help him watch the ceremony from the suburban facility where he When asked what Sharp would do next, he flashed his trademark wit. resides. “Big game against Winnipeg tomorrow,” Sharp said with a smile. “[I’ll] just “Stan is, from the neck up, completely gone and from the neck down he kind of get away from hockey for a couple months, I’ll be in Chicago and is as strong as a horse,” Mikita’s daughter, Jane Mikita Gneiser, said. “He look forward to taking the kids to school and picking them up and just go is just kind of plugging along. from there.” “Every now and then he’ll have those moments where you go, ‘oh man, Coach Joel Quenneville praised Sharp, a four-time 30-goal scorer, 2011 he gets it, he understands,’” she added. “But he does not know us for the NHL All-Star Game MVP and Olympic gold medalist while playing for most part.” Team Canada in the 2014 Winter Games in , Russia. Said Billy: “Whenever I have the time I always want to go see him. I “You look back and you … think about the championships that he was a always try and talk to him [and] he tries to talk back, but he doesn’t significant part of and the contribution he made to the team and how he remember me. It is very difficult.” was respected in the locker room,” Quenneville said. “It was one of those nights when you think about all the good situations he had here in Helping ease the pain the family is going through was Friday’s ceremony, Chicago. His family grew up here and a lot of good things happened and which drew a roar from the crowd and stick taps from both teams. he was a big part of the community as well.” “It’s a wonderful tribute,” Mikita said. “It’s nice to be remembered — my Saturday’s game will mark Sharp’s 939th and final NHL game and will be dad has said that in many of an article. To be remembered by the fans, another memory amassed during his accomplished career. When asked by the organization and by the current players is huge.” his finest memory, Sharp said, “winning the Stanley Cup the third time on home ice was cool. Kane and the Blackhawks will play their final game of the season Saturday night against the Jets and then become spectators during the postseason. The situation still stings Kane. “It’s kind of sunk in now but it still hurts,” Kane said. “Especially when all of these teams now are gearing up and getting ready for that next push. Last year at this time we were resting guys for the last few games of the season and here we are just trying to enjoy the last few days.” Kane said he is pondering his offseason plans, including whether he will play for Team USA in the upcoming World Championship. “It’s possible,” the winger said. “I’ll sit down and talk to my agent (Pat Brisson) and talk to [general manager Stan Bowman] and think about it myself too. We’ll see. If you get that opportunity you want to take advantage of it and represent your country any time you can. I’ll sit down and see what’s right after the season.” The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108081 Websites This last bit is really key. As MacKinnon gets set to release this shot, Parayko's stick and body position give Carter Hutton a clean look at the puck. MacKinnon is a dangerous scorer, but from a shot taken at an off- The Athletic / The Blues' Line: St. Louis' ability to stop MacKinnon, Avs in angle from above the circles, it's one — if clear-sighted — your Game 82 will determine playoff fate goaltender should stop 95 or more times out of 100. And for the first two games against Colorado with MacKinnon in the lineup, most of his possessions on the puck looked a lot like this. By Evan Sporer Apr 6, 2018 This play illuminates a bit of what works and a bit of what doesn't against MacKinnon. It starts with a bad turnover by Joel Edmundson, who tries to go low-to-high, but with MacKinnon lurking above the circles, it's a risky Eighty-one games, 4,864 minutes and 56 seconds, 2,608 shots on goal, pass he's easily able to intercept. and 2,379 shots against. Alex Pietrangelo plays the role of rescuing hero here, though. This is an And yet, remarkably, given all the hockey the St. Louis Blues have incredibly difficult play to defend because MacKinnon's momentum is played this season, everything will come down to this moment. The already taking him toward St. Louis' zone because of where he has to Blues' playoff fate will be determined by their next 60 minutes (or possibly stretch to get this puck. slightly longer) against the Colorado Avalanche. The only reason Pietrangelo is able to keep pace with MacKinnon is This is a position that neither club was expected to be in. Colorado had because of that really efficient, first crossover step. It swings his hips the worst record in the NHL a season ago, a bottom-10 season in terms around and gets him in pursuit right away. That and that alone is why of points produced this century. In November, they traded away Matt he's able to go stride-for-stride as MacKinnon sprints forward. Duchene. All signs pointed toward a rebuild, not a postseason trip. Then, another good instance of smart stick positioning, with Pietrangelo In St. Louis, it was an incredibly strong start to the season, followed by a holding it in a spot that, should MacKinnon try to cut to the inside, February swoon, which led to trading Paul Stastny prior to the deadline. Pietrangelo could defend. And, like that sequence with Parayko, Some took that to mean waiving the white flag on a voyage to the Pietrangelo is allowing Hutton a clear view of this shot (not to mention playoffs, but after a seven-game losing streak, St. Louis went 9-5-2, how aggressively Hutton is playing this, working with Parayko and including a six-game winning streak. banking off him turning MacKinnon into a shooter in that lane) and it turns into a pretty routine save for Hutton. So, for the fifth time this season, St. Louis and Colorado will meet, this time with the stakes at their highest. The stick positioning can be so key because, when you begin to reach and sell out, it can be like quicksand for your skates. So if the stick fails, it No matter the result of the Blues game against the Blackhawks on Friday can really leave you in a compromised position. night, Saturday's finale will be a play-in game. St. Louis controls its own destiny and, based on how it has performed against the Central Division The outstretched stick by Edmundson here keeps MacKinnon honest on rival it's rubbing shoulders with as it heads down the turn toward the this zone entry. Again, it's that yellow-light effect, just forcing MacKinnon finish line, that might not be a bad thing. to slightly take his foot off the gas and go east-west instead of north- south. The Blues have won three of the four previous meetings and dominated the only game against Colorado they lost. What St. Louis has done At the point MacKinnon tries to shoot, Edmundson does a really good job effectively this season — sans that one setback — is contain the disrupting that release. Though he pulls his hands back to create Avalanche's top stars. For a top-heavy team that has been carried by an separation, Edmundson follows the puck and not the man, not giving MVP candidate, that is paramount to success. MacKinnon the luxury of a free look. Colorado is 20-7-2 in games Nathan MacKinnon scores a goal and 32- And when you talk about the gameplan and how to be successful against 11-7 when he gets at least a point. In the first three matchups against the Colorado, limiting MacKinnon is so key. Consider how well the Blues Avalanche this season, MacKinnon was held without a point (he played have controlled play at 5-on-5 in the four matchups, with a score- in the first two games but missed the third due to injury), and St. Louis adjusted Corsi-for percentage of 54.75, and keeping such an won each game. More recently, MacKinnon scored twice, and the instrumental offensive player at bay goes a long way toward winning the Avalanche pocketed their only victory of the season against the Blues, game. despite St. Louis controlling play. Most recently though, MacKinnon scored two goals in a 4-1 Avalanche In their first two matchups against a MacKinnon-led Avalanche, the Blues win against the Blues (St. Louis out-shot Colorado 45 to 23, and out- didn't have any lapses in any of the 49 shifts MacKinnon took. But in that attempted Colorado 66-36). loss, the Blues made two critical mistakes during MacKinnon's 23 shifts, and he capitalized on both. For a player of his caliber, it only takes one Again, all it took was two defensive mistakes that MacKinnon was able to opportunity to create a goal, and MacKinnon made good on both of his. turn into two goals, and it completely changed the dynamic of this game. It's one of the ways the Blues can dominate a game and still lose. Colorado is able to quickly jump back into the zone as the Blues are While MacKinnon has all the skill in the world on the puck, a deceptive executing a line change. Right here though is where this sequence release point that he disguises really well and a sneakily hard shard, his becomes problematic. As the puck is sliding into the middle, MacKinnon skating ability is what affords him opportunities to get said shot off. gets left alone on the weak side. Not only does this leave him open for Gabriel Landeskog to find, but also forces Jake Allen to have to come MacKinnon is so scary to defend off the rush. If you're being backed across and quickly reset, which adds another wrinkle to this. down, it's incredibly difficult to anticipate and then defend a change of direction. MacKinnon is so good on his edges and so quick in his cuts Because as Allen shifts over to get square to the new puck that he's really hard to keep in front of you. Think of it like a wide receiver carrier/eventual shooter, Parayko tries to leave his man to defend who gets a great jump off the line of scrimmage and can run right at a MacKinnon. That last-ditch effort sees Parayko split the shooting lane, defensive back. Not much fun if you're not the guy with the puck. also jumping right in Allen's line of sight. But one of the things St. Louis does really well on this transition chance So when MacKinnon releases this puck, Parayko is completely screening is team defense. MacKinnon loves to circle back on plays to retrieve the the goaltender, and Allen never sees this shot going toward the far side. puck and pick up a full head of steam. Jaden Schwartz does a great job But the whole play began with MacKinnon getting left alone above the at the blueline of at least providing a speedbump and funneling faceoff circle, the first domino that eventually crashed with the MacKinnon to the outside. It's a tall task to ask Schwartz to stop Avalanche's top player getting a screened shot from a scoring area. MacKinnon altogether, but by at least playing the role of yellow light (or what a yellow is supposed to do), it puts St. Louis in much better position. His second goal was much of the same, a missed assignment, in this instance leading to an easy tap-in. Schwartz then passes MacKinnon off to Colton Parayko, and it's up to the 6-foot-6 Blues defender to play 'contain defense' against the speedy A routine point shot taken by Colorado, and MacKinnon is cutting through forward. Parayko is actually great in these situations for a few reasons. the circle here, making his way toward the goal. Brayden Schenn gets He's very efficient in his footwork, which allows him to keep his balance. turned around, and Vladimir Tarsenko peeks toward the crease, neither Also, with that height and reach comes a longer stick. This helps of them picking up MacKinnon crashing the net. Parayko maintain a pretty honest gap when defending sequences like So what you get here is two forwards defending the same area, and these, which is an advantage he specifically has over most defensemen. neither identifying the forward sneaking in behind the play. And when MacKinnon is on the ice, you always need to be aware of where he is (granted, this type of missed coverage is just a bad breakdown; most players probably can tap in the puck like MacKinnon did). In a game where the Blues were generating plenty of possession and chances, Colorado quickly took a 2-0 lead, was allowed to play a more defensive style the rest of the way and, even though the shot counter was firmly pointed in St. Louis' favor, the Avalanche got enough offense out of their best player via these two mistakes. It was all they needed to come away with two points. It's why on Saturday it will be so crucial to keep track of No. 29's every motion, and given that the game is at Pepsi Center, Jared Bednar and his staff will do everything in their power to keep MacKinnon away from Pietrangelo, whom he's played over 40 minutes against at even strength this season, more than any other Blues skater. Whoever matches up against MacKinnon though, how well they're able to neutralize his strengths, which, in the first two games, the Blues did an excellent job with, will be a big storyline and subplot to how the Blues are able to write what they're hoping isn't the final chapter of their season. The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108082 Websites acknowledged being fatigued, and there is concern that Tampa Bay has overused him this season even though they were never at risk of missing the playoffs. Vasilevskiy has played in 64 games, fifth-most in the NHL. The Athletic / What are the chances? A look at the Blue Jackets' five Then again, Bobrovsky has played in a career-high 65 games. possible first-round opponents Head to head in 2017-18: 0-3 BOSTON BRUINS By Aaron Portzline Apr 6, 2018 Percentage chance: 8.1 It happens if … the Bruins finish ahead of Tampa Bay (see above) and The Blue Jackets clinched a playoff berth with the 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets slide to the second wild-card spot. the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, but their first-round opponent is At first glance: Boston has been a behemoth in the second half, catching anything but decided. Tampa Bay atop the East when the Lightning seemed poised to run away Heading into Saturday's regular-season finale in Nashville, the Blue and hide early in the season. The Blue Jackets won the season series, Jackets still could face any one of five teams beginning next week. They but Boston is a heavy, hard team, and the Jackets have never had an could finish as high as second in the Metropolitan Division or as low as answer for feisty Brad Marchand. He has 5-5-10 in six games versus eighth in the conference, the second wild card. Columbus since the start of last season. Can you imagine Rick Nash facing the Blue Jackets in the playoffs? This matchup would bring The Athletic takes a look at those five possible opponents, what would Columbus' Sean Kuraly back to town in a B's sweater, too. have to happen for the two clubs to meet, and what the matchup might hold for the Blue Jackets. Head to head in 2017-18: 2-1-0 The percentage chance figures are provided by sportsclubstats.com. NEW JERSEY DEVILS PITTSBURGH PENGUINS Percentage chance: 3.1 Percentage chance: 42.6 It happens if … the Penguins lose tonight to Ottawa in regulation, then get jumped by both the Blue Jackets (vs. Nashville) and Devils (at It happens if … the Blue Jackets win Saturday in Nashville, but it can Washington) with regulation, overtime or shootout wins on Saturday. If also happen if the Jackets lose in regulation to the Predators AND New the Penguins get so much as a point (overtime or shootout loss) tonight Jersey loses in regulation at Washington AND Philadelphia loses in vs. Ottawa, the Blue Jackets and Devils can't meet in the playoffs. regulation, overtime or a shootout versus the New York Rangers. At first glance: The Devils have been one of the NHL's biggest surprises At first glance: Any first-round opponent will be a hurdle for the Blue this season. Taylor Hall may be the Hart Trophy favorite and he's by far Jackets, as they've never made it out of the conference quarterfinals. But New Jersey's top weapon, but the Devils became one of the quickest, Pittsburgh unnerves the Blue Jackets like no other opponent, from most tenacious teams in the league only one season after having the No. goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky all the way up the ice. The Jackets can still 1 overall pick. After getting humiliated by the Devils on Dec. 5 in earn home-ice advantage with a Penguins loss tonight vs. Ottawa and a Nationwide Arena, the Jackets won the next three meetings by a Columbus win Saturday in Nashville. At 1-5-3 in their last nine games combined 13-5. One big issue with New Jersey: Who's your goalie? Keith versus Pittsburgh — including 0-1-3 this season — the Blue Jackets will Kinkaid has more starts and better numbers than Cory Schneider, but the take any advantage possible against the two-time defending Stanley Cup Devils may need Schneider to get out of the first round. champs. If they can't avoid them entirely, that is. Head to head in 2017-18: 3-1-0 Head to head in 2017-18: 0-1-3 The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 WASHINGTON CAPITALS Percentage chance: 33.2 It happens if … the Blue Jackets get jumped by either New Jersey or Philadelphia — but not both teams — and settle into the first wild-card spot. The Devils can leapfrog the Blue Jackets if the Jackets lose in regulation and the Devils win or lose in overtime or a shootout, or if the Jackets lose in overtime or a shootout and the Devils win in any manner. As for the Flyers, they would jump Columbus if the Blue Jackets lose in regulation, overtime or a shootout to Nashville and the Flyers win in regulation or overtime against the Rangers. This would give Philadelphia a 40-39 edge in regulation and overtime wins. At first glance: Avoiding the Penguins may be preferable to some, but the Capitals are a lousy consolation prize. Many expected Washington to take a solid stride backward this season, but they won the Metropolitan Division title for a third consecutive season. Yes, the Capitals have Alex Ovechkin, but they carry as much postseason baggage as any team in the NHL. Dating back to 1997-98, the Caps have reached the playoffs 12 times, but they've never made it past the second round, losing six times in the first round. The Blue Jackets routed Washington 5-1 in late February in Nationwide Arena — their most recent meeting — but the season series has been all Caps. Head to head in 2017-18: 1-3-0 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Percentage chance: 12.9 It happens if … the Lightning win their pitched battle with Boston to win the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. The winner gets the No. 1 seed and would play the second wild card, meaning the Blue Jackets would need to be jumped by New Jersey AND Philadelphia to push Columbus into the Atlantic pool for the first two rounds. At first glance: The most feared club in the East for most of the season, the Lightning have cooled slightly, going 5-6-0 since March 10. The club's speed and depth of scoring are truly frightening. The Lightning have five players with more than 60 points, led by MVP-candidate Nikita Kucherov, who is closing in on 100 points. They swept the Jackets by a combined score of 12-4 this season. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has 1108083 Websites coincidence. And while there’s certainly some luck involved with every rebound and loose puck, it’s still not always easy to be in position to capitalize. The Athletic / Red Wings prospect report: Michael Rasmussen The passing element of what Williamson described is key, too. Six of Rasmussen’s seven assists so far in the playoffs have come at By Max Bultman Apr 6, 2018 even strength, which is a good sign toward production there. The other topic that naturally comes up with a player of Rasmussen’s size is quickness. If a player doesn’t have elite speed, what’s he doing to Welcome back to the Red Wings prospect report, a weekly series from create space for himself with the puck? The Athletic Detroit giving you an in-depth look at the future of the organization. “At this level, and even probably the pro level, he’s so big and strong that he can use his body either to shield the puck or to work into position to So far, as we’ve gone through the list of the Red Wings’ top prospects, separate himself from somebody,” Williamson said. “But I think he just we’ve split the articles up between two or three players at a time. This has to continue to get stronger and quicker off the ice. And he’s a guy time, we’re going to devote the whole space to one: No. 1 prospect that if Detroit tells him that these are the three things he has to work on in Michael Rasmussen. the offseason, he’s going to get as much out of himself as he can, and he’ll put the work in.” The No. 9 overall pick in last season’s NHL Draft, Rasmussen was a somewhat controversial selection. The 6-foot-6 forward has some solid Kamloops coach Don Hay — a former NHL coach himself — felt scoring numbers in the WHL — particularly in an injury-shortened season Rasmussen had already made some progress on that front. — but he doesn’t fit the profile of the prototypical game-breaking center the organization has lacked. “He’s one of those big guys that’s very deceiving,” Hay said. “You think you’re right with him and he pulls away from you. So I think his skating Still, Rasmussen showed up at NHL camp this past fall and impressed. has gotten better as he’s matured and gotten stronger.” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said of Rasmussen in February that “guys that are that size, with that skill set, are unique in this league. … Come next Away from the puck, Williamson talked about Rasmussen as a “big, fall I’m hoping he’s pushing hard to make the team.” He scored 31 goals strong power forward” and said he thinks he’ll use his stick better as he with 28 assists in 47 games this regular season, and he has 12 points continues to develop. He also said Rasmussen is confident in what he through his Tri-City Americans’ first four playoff games. can do, but knows he’ll have to continue improving across the board — skating, quickness and more — to reach his potential. Rasmussen won’t turn 19 until April 17, and it’ll be years before we know exactly how to evaluate his selection against the other players available. As for what that potential might be, Hay had an interesting comparison. But it’s never too soon to assess his progress and project him forward. “I kind of look at him as almost being like a Jeff Carter-type of player,” The first thing that jumps out from Rasmussen’s highlights is how many Hay said. “Big, strong guy that can get body position and do a good job of his goals are coming right near the net. Whether they’re rebounds, protecting the puck and getting his shot away.” cross-slot passes or something else, he knows how to score in deep. Of course, as with all sports comparisons, talk of Rasmussen being “like” That’s probably something to be cautious about when projecting — Carter demands a heavy brake pump because you’re putting someone goalies should have better rebound control at each progressive level, and who has never played an NHL game next to an All-Star. To best defensemen should be better at taking away lanes — but there is understand those comparisons, though, you have to think of them in certainly something to be said for finding those pucks and finishing. terms of playing style, using the NHL comp as an aspirational version of The more times you watch Rasmussen's goals, the more you notice how where the player’s game could go if everything goes well. quickly he gets on the loose pucks near the net, leveraging his chances Carter routinely has put up 60-point seasons in the NHL at 6-foot-4, so and burying. At his size, being comfortable playing at and around the net you’d want to see Rasmussen develop more before getting too attached is a huge plus. He could add weight, but he’s already working the net to that idea. Some of Carter’s goals from last season do look similar to front and getting to pucks. That’s not always the way scorers are used to the type Rasmussen scores around the net and on trailing passes, but playing, but it can pay huge dividends if the buy-in is there. the key once again is going to be whether Rasmussen can skate like Rasmussen has a good shot and some sneaky passing ability, too. That Carter and score that way at even strength. Carter has tallied double-digit part is important, because even though playing around the net is valued power-play goals in four NHL seasons, but special teams hasn’t made up in all parts of the game, there won’t always be sustained possessions on quite the same share of his production as it has for Rasmussen. which to set up there at even strength. It’s always worth wondering if a given comparison is the right name to That’s not a new idea — Rasmussen’s power-play-heavy scoring pull, but Hay has coached in the NHL, so he has some credibility here, distribution has been pointed out repeatedly, and it remains a question too. Comparing some of Carter’s highlights from last season to he’ll face as he looks to make the NHL roster next season. He scored 17 Rasmussen’s, you can at least see what he’s getting at. of his 31 regular-season goals on the power play, and while that’s better Hay thought missing time due to injury the past two seasons may have than not scoring at all, it comes with the reality that there are only so slowed the young forward’s development but still thought, “He’s got, many power plays in a game. In the Americans’ first playoff round, three really, lots of potential.” of his five goals came with the man advantage. The other thing that could be in play here is Rasmussen’s focus and Even this preseason, three of Rasmussen’s four goals with the Red maturity. A lot of young players, Williamson said, don’t grasp things like Wings came on the power play — though one of those was not a rest and nutrition until they hear it from the pro players. “Michael’s “quintessential” power-play goal, with Rasmussen picking up a loose already got that,” he said, which is a good sign for a player who will be puck behind the net, taking it in front and scoring from a tough angle. looking to make an NHL club at just 19. We’re still talking about a player who scored four goals in five games, of course, but as he continues to develop, his ceiling could depend on what Knowing what Rasmussen’s future will look like is impossible until we see he can do 5-on-5. him in Detroit and playing against the best of the best, but Williamson is optimistic. “I think without a doubt” he can produce at even strength, Tri-City coach Mike Williamson told The Athletic. “I think he’s really good around the net “I think he’s going to have a long, long NHL career,” Williamson said. and benefits from his willingness to go to the net, his sense to be in the “He’s going to adapt. He’s the type of player that I think the higher level right spot at the right time and he’s got great hand-eye. … He benefits that he plays, the easier he’s going to adapt. He’s going to fit in well (at and gets rewarded on the power play because of that, but he’s not a one- higher levels) and I really think next year it’s going to be very, very tough dimensional player. He’s got a great release, he can pass the puck, he for them to send him back. Knowing his focus and his drive, I think he’s knows where players are on the ice and can get himself in a position to going to put himself in position where he’ll be ready to play.” score, so I don’t think producing even strength is going to be a problem. The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 “I think he’s going to be a good two-way guy that is big and strong and tough to get the puck off of when he has it, but also has the desire and everything to get it back for his team when they don’t.” Getting in position to score can be an underrated quality because, on tape, you can’t easily see it. With Rasmussen, it sometimes looks like pucks are finding him, but at some point that probably stops being a 1108084 Websites “From our own end, I got some room and they lost a few guys on the forecheck. After that I looked (Gagner) off,” said Henrik. “Their forward went to (Gagner) and I was able to cut inside. (Edler) came at the perfect The Athletic / Henrik and Daniel Sedin orchestrate storybook send-off in spot and he makes a great play. When I see the puck going onto Danny’s Vancouver finale stick, I’m just hoping he’s not going to fan on it.” Retirement may be coming, but the Sedin sarcasm game is still strong. By Israel Fehr Apr 6, 2018 The ovations grew louder in the third with every Sedins shift — there was an orchestrated Viking clap before the period began and two organic ones during play, which pleased the Sedins — and the Canucks overcame a 3-1 deficit to force overtime against the Coyotes. Henrik and Daniel Sedin are notoriously creatures of routine. Their dedication to and precision in their craft is part of what made them great If you’re reading this, you know how it ended. The Sedins, on the power hockey players. play, in overtime, Daniel scoring the goal with assists from Henrik and Edler at the 2:33 mark for a 4-3 Canucks win. So when Henrik stood near the hashmarks and smiled while sharing a laugh with longtime teammate Alex Edler during warmup, it was no When the celebratory mob had dispersed, the laps of the ice began, the different than any other game the two had played together. Sedins acknowledging the fans. Then they disappeared down the tunnel, but only for a brief moment, as they returned when they were announced “We do it every warmup, kind of do the same thing every time,” said as the game’s co-first stars. There were no second or third stars. Edler. “But it was extra special tonight.” The lovefest continued for a few more minutes, before the Sedins went to Because despite the Sedins’ best efforts, Thursday night at Rogers the bench to embrace their teammates and then head down the tunnel to Arena was going to be anything but normal. the Canucks dressing room one last time. The cheers during a pre-game video montage, which included tributes Who writes this stuff? from Roberto Luongo, Alex Burrows, Alain Vigneault and Marc Crawford and was narrated by Brian Burke, were enough to send a chill down your These kind of goodbyes aren’t easy. In truth, they rarely even happen. spine. The nostalgia was on high and the ovations were just beginning. Look at the greats from Canadian NHL teams in the recent past. Jarome “Before the game in here, you could hear the crowd and everyone was Iginla, Daniel Alfredsson and Mats Sundin left their longtime homes real amped up for the game,” said Henrik. before calling it a career. Blue Jays star Jose Bautista had his swan song forced on him and is still hoping to catch on with another MLB team. You could excuse them then if they were preoccupied when they stepped onto the ice for the start of the game — and they were given a few Trevor Linden’s final home game is remembered fondly in Vancouver, seconds of shine by their purposely tardy teammates — but the Sedins but the result was a 7-1 loss in a season the Canucks narrowly missed aren’t ones to be lost in thought. So as the minor hockey player that the playoffs and Linden’s retirement was not yet official. accompanied the team in the pre-game skate did her best to keep up with the Canucks, both Sedins gently guided her along when they twirled We’ve learned the Sedins’ retirement plan was a bit of an open secret by to ensure she wouldn’t be run over by any players. around the NHL over the last couple months. It started to become obvious something was up when veterans from old rivals went out of their The Sedins: always looking out for and lifting those around them, even way to pay their respects to two players that had come to define the when the spotlight is squarely focused on them. Canucks franchise. Over nearly two decades in Vancouver, there were the jaw-dropping The Sedins announcing their retirement plans publicly earlier in the week plays on the ice and the acts of kindness and generosity in the was out of character. They’re not out to make it about themselves and community. In one way or another the Sedins touched people, and every would have been perfectly comfortable waiting to confirm their decision person in the arena Thursday night had a favourite memory that they once the season was over, but felt like they owed it to the organization hold close to their heart. and the fans to have this send-off. Mine is shared by many others, but feels extra special to me because I “We’re quiet guys that don’t really like the attention,” said Daniel. “But was in the building when Daniel scored his through-the-legs goal, set up looking back now, I think we made the right decision. I hope the fans are by a brilliant Henrik no-look, through-the-legs touch pass, against the happy because we are really happy to go out this way.” Flames in the 2009-10 regular season finale. “We knew it was going to be emotional,” Henrik added. “We tried to stay The goal itself was breathtaking, but what it represented is what fuelled as focused as possible. It was tough. It seemed like every time we the crowd’s roars that night even more. Henrik was gunning for the stepped on the ice they were on their feet.” scoring title, and every point he collected that night allowed him to distance himself from Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Both Sedins And for the younger players that hope to be the future of the Canucks, had four points that night; Henrik finished three points ahead of Ovechkin especially the players like Troy Stecher and Jake Virtanen that grew up and Crosby in the scoring race. in the Lower Mainland and consumed all the Canucks hockey they could, like the rest of us, to be a part of this night was the ultimate dream come And that’s what made it all the more special. In an era that was set to be true. dominated by Crosby and Ovechkin, it was one of the two Swedish twins — the much-hyped prospects from a decade earlier that took some time “I was talking to my best friend before the game, I was texting him,” said to ripen — that had risen above both to capture the Art Ross, and Stecher. “It’s incredible. We were saying, every memory we remember of ultimately the Hart Trophy, too. The next year it was Daniel’s turn to take Canucks hockey, they were part of the team. I was six-years-old when home the Art Ross, and the team, of course, went on a wild ride all the they first played for them so I don’t remember anything before then. As a way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. family we’ve been through it with them and it’s pretty emotional to see them hang it up.” Boy did the Sedins’ journey have some bumps in it — and man did this city ever put them through the ringer — but we saw them grow up and The team’s colours have changed since the Sedins debut back in 2000 earned their place up there with the best in the game. and heck, even the arena’s name is different. But for 17 seasons, they were a constant for the Canucks, and through the highs and the lows, All the fans wanted from Thursday, beyond recognizing the Sedins for they never wavered. They got their due Thursday as two future Hall of their years of service with the Canucks, was to catch one more glimpse Famers with a night that'll never be replicated again in Vancouver, from of their on-ice magic. the unique circumstances of their careers to what unfolded on the ice. On the first shift of their final game in Vancouver, the twins nearly “It’s a night we’ll remember forever. We couldn’t ask for more,” said delivered on that collective wish, with a quick rush that ended with Henrik. Henrik’s shot smashing off the far post. Oh so close. “When you get a chance to go through this, it’s once in a lifetime and you There were more flashes, as there have been all season, but this night can’t describe the feelings.” wouldn’t be complete without one more magic moment. Well, actually, it wouldn’t haven’t been quite right without two. The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 In their first shift of the second period, it happened. Henrik to Edler to Daniel. Goal. Just like old times. 1108085 Websites Dubois overcame many obstacles, including staring down the rookie wall and making it blink.

“I think the whole season I have been taking care of my body,” Dubois The Athletic / Pierre-Luc Dubois holds his own against Sidney Crosby to said. “I’ve learned from guys in the room how they take care of help Blue Jackets earn point, playoff berth themselves. I still feel good, I still feel like a 19-year-old.” No team in the league is deeper and more talented down the middle than By Tom Reed Apr 6, 2018 the Penguins. It’s been that way for years with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the charge. Injured Derick Brassard, acquired at the trade deadline, is expected to be ready for third-line duty when the playoffs open next week. Sidney Crosby bent over to settle the puck with his left hand, chipped it into the neutral zone and braced for a hit along the wall from a kid who Dubois is part of a terrific group of young centers in the Metro Division was 10 years old when the Penguins captain raised his first Stanley Cup hoping to eventually dethrone the Penguins. There is Nico Hischier (19) in 2009. with the Devils, Nolan Patrick (19) with the Flyers and presumptive Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal (20) with the Islanders. Pierre Luc-Dubois finished his first-period check, bumping the best player of this generation into a linesman in front of the Pittsburgh bench. Crosby None is as physically imposing as Dubois, whose willingness to play in took three strides toward the Blue Jackets rookie before delivering a bit the high-traffic areas helped him score 20 goals. of a cross-check to the youngster’s back. Dubois showcased the breadth of his skills against the Penguins. Dubois turned to the Penguins center and challenged him to a fight, reported Fox Sports Ohio analyst Jody Shelley, who was embedded He produced primary assists on goals from Werenski and Atkinson. He between the benches and whose 1,538 career penalty minutes make him battled Hornqvist in front of the Penguins’ net, leading to a second-period fluent in such language. skirmish. The Blue Jackets horse also survived Malkin’s attempt to make him a gelding in the final seconds of the first period, lying on the puck to A half-hour after the Blue Jackets secured a playoff berth with a point in a run out the clock as the Penguins’ center kept jabbing his stick 5-4 overtime loss at Nationwide Arena, Dubois was asked if he had underneath Dubois’ frame in an attempt to free the puck. indeed tendered the invitation. Sitting in his locker room stall, the center paused momentarily before responding: “He’s not afraid of a thing,” Tortorella said. “He’s not afraid of any responsibility. He’s not afraid of any person, any stature.” “There’s a lot of stuff that happens in a game.” Dubois’ most memorable moment came midway through the third period Dubois was mixed up in all of its frenetic, four-lettered glory Thursday with the Blue Jackets nursing a 4-3 lead. The center went behind the night. He jousted and jawed with Patric Hornqvist, set up two goals, went Pittsburgh net only to be knocked to the ice by goaltender Matt Murray. head to head with Crosby for more than 13 minutes at even strength and covered more ice than the arena Zamboni. In an emotionally charged Suddenly, the Penguins were in full flight the other direction. Dubois match with so much riding on the outcome, no Blue Jackets played a skated nearly the length of the rink to catch Crosby, and his backcheck better 200-foot game. was good enough to affect a shot that Sergei Bobrovsky stopped. “He’s good, he plays a mature game,” Crosby said of Dubois, who “I tried to go behind the net (and) something happened,” Dubois said of centered a top line with Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. “He’s playing the collision. “Then, I was late behind the play. When you see five guys in with two skilled players and he looks like he fits right in there. He’s an front of you, you know you have to get back as fast as possible. I was example of one of those young guys that adjusts pretty quickly. As the lucky enough to get a stick on it. (Crosby) still got a shot off.” season goes on, you can tell he’s gotten better and better. He’s a strong The Blue Jackets might not know who their first-round opponent is until player for them.” late Saturday. It could wind up being the Penguins again. That’s high praise coming from one of hockey’s biggest winners and Pittsburgh’s advantage at center, to say nothing of its playoff pedigree, fiercest competitors. would make the Penguins prohibitive favorites to advance. A team relying Dubois and the Blue Jackets built four one-goal leads, and each time on a first-line teenage center in postseason is rare, and it seldom ends Crosby and the two-time defending Cup champions rallied before Phil well. Kessel scored his second of the evening in OT to win it. Dubois would embrace the challenge of facing the Penguins and Crosby Crosby finished with one power-play assist and one shot on goal in 22- in a seven-game series. plus minutes. Dubois registered two assists to give him 48 points on the “He competes, a lot of guys compete — I compete,” Dubois said. “There season, breaking Zach Werenski’s franchise mark for rookies. are a lot of good players in this league, and he’s one of them, obviously. No statistic reflects a coach’s trust more at this juncture of the season “I want to play hard and finish my checks. I think some guys think I’m than ice time. Dubois logged 24:45 — the second most of his career and young and I can get pushed around maybe, but I’ve said this before, ‘I’m second most on the night to Norris Trophy candidate Seth Jones (26:57). not scared of anyone.’ ” “The way he plays, (he’s) asking for more, more and more,” John Dubois has earned the respect of his coaches and peers. And, maybe, Tortorella said of the teenager. “I gave him a handful tonight against that one day, an endorsement deal from Spalding. guy Crosby. I think he just has such a tremendous future.” The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 Two years ago, skeptics wondered why general manager Jarmo Kekalainen made Dubois, a converted winger, a part of the Blue Jackets’ future. The decision to select him ahead of Jesse Puljujarvi at No. 3 overall was panned in some precincts. On a night the organization qualified for its second consecutive playoff bid, Tortorella offered unsolicited — and uncensored — props to Kekalainen and the front office for choosing Dubois. “That is a great job by our management team and scouting staff hanging their balls out there a little by taking him,” the coach said. “A lot of people second-guessed our group. That kid is going to be a very, very good player. He’s just starting.” Executives at Spalding don’t obsess as much about balls as Tortorella. He publicly celebrates courage and fortitude like few in the game and rarely passes on an opportunity to laud his 6-foot-3, 207-pound man- child. Tortorella didn’t scratch Dubois once this season and, assuming the kid isn’t plunked in the head by an anvil between now and Saturday in Nashville, the center will become the first Blue Jackets rookie to appear in all 82 games. 1108086 Websites But he hasn't yet “stolen” a meaningful game against the Penguins, and he didn't play well enough Thursday to change the narrative that surrounds him against Pittsburgh. The Athletic / Blue Jackets clinch playoff spot, but OT loss to Penguins “I feel good,” Bobrovsky told The Athletic. “I feel mentally good. I feel sullies mood physically good, so we'll see what's going to happen.” The Penguins' first goal (Kessel) was deflected by Cole in the high slot, By Aaron Portzline Apr 6, 2018 sending the puck over Bobrovsky's glove. The second was an incredible effort by Patric Hornqvist, who batted a puck out of the air in the slot. The third was a sniper's snipe by Kris Letang, who went far corner from the right faceoff circle. It didn't feel like a celebratory mood in the Blue Jackets' dressing room Thursday, even though the Jackets earned the point they needed to Now comes the difficult part. When you start describing a fourth and a clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs for a second consecutive year. fifth goal allowed by the goaltender, you know it was a long night in net, be that the goaltender's fault or not. The players had to keep reminding themselves to be happy, that the goal they set about to achieve in October had come to fruition for only the The Penguins' goal that tied it 4-4 at 12:16 of the third was truly bizarre. fourth time in franchise history. Sheary split the Jackets' top defensive pair — Zach Werenski and Seth Jones — to earn a partial breakaway. But the latest heartbreaking loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins — 5-4 in overtime — was hard to shake. The Blue Jackets led 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and 4- Bobrovsky made the initial save, but the puck slid to his left as Jones, 3, trailing for the first time when Phil Kessel snapped off a wrister during Werenski and Bobrovsky appeared to stop playing, believing the puck three-on-three play only 1:06 into overtime. had been frozen. Sheary, still on the ice, reached out with his stick and flipped it behind Bobrovsky into the net. It was a reminder of the pain the Blue Jackets have endured through the recent years at the hands of Pittsburgh, and the task that might befall “I thought all three players stopped playing for us,” Tortorella said. “I them again as soon as next week if the two clubs meet again in the first thought Bob stopped playing, 'Z' stopped playing and Jonesy stopped round. playing. Kind of a weird goal.” “It sucks losing the game; it's kind of weird,” Blue Jackets coach John The fifth goal — Kessel's wide open wrister in OT — was the one that Tortorella said. “But I'm thrilled for the team. I am absolutely thrilled, with bothered Bobrovsky. the amount of work they put in … we were almost dead and gone there a couple of months ago. I'm thrilled that they get to experience what we're “It's not hard to read,” Bobrovsky said. “He has a quick release. But I going to experience here.” would say that last one … it's not his score; I allowed that goal. The Blue Jackets can still finish as high as second in the Metropolitan “Obviously they have up front some really good players, so many Division and earn home-ice advantage if they win Saturday in Nashville options. They play quick. It's hard to play against them. Yeah, it was a and the Penguins lose in regulation in their regular-season finale against tough game.” Ottawa. The Blue Jackets were quick to defend Bobrovsky, per usual. The Jackets will learn their first-round opponent late Saturday, but it'll Here's Mark Letestu: “Kessel has 33-34 goals for a reason. The guy can either be Tampa Bay, Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh or New Jersey. shoot the puck. They’ve won a couple Cups now. It’s a good team. “It feels good to clinch,” Blue Jackets left winger Boone Jenner said. “We Would he want a couple back? I’m sure. That’s his competitive nature. have to look at it that way. It was a back-and-forth game, but it feels good Bob probably says he could save them all. That’s just the way he is. to know we're playing next week.” Didn’t happen tonight, but doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen going forward.” The Blue Jackets won't likely be favored against whichever first-round opponent they face with the exception of New Jersey. But if it's the Here's Tortorella: “I thought Bob made some really big saves at key times Penguins again — it would be the third time in five years — there will be in the game. I thought both goalies made key saves at big times, and I much gnashing of teeth in central Ohio. thought both goalies had some struggles in certain times.” The Jackets may have shrunk the considerable talent gap that once Here's Cole: “I think Bob played great. He's a world-class goaltender. I existed between them and the Penguins, but they have not shaken some think we can do a better job helping him in some situations. He made of the tendencies that always seem to surface when they play the two- some great saves, he saves our bacon and we try to help him out as best time reigning Stanley Cup winners. we can. But I think we can do a better job of that.” When the Penguins decide to press the pedal to the floor, the Blue Notebook Jackets can only set up camp in their own zone and dig in for a long, • Rookie center Pierre-Luc Dubois drew a huge assignment Thursday: arduous shift. It happened over and over Thursday, with Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby. Dubois played 24:45, the second- generating 43 shots on goal, the most Columbus has allowed since Jan. highest figure of his career. He also had two more assists, giving him 20- 30. 28-48 on the season, a new Blue Jackets single-season rookie scoring “There are a number of things we can do better,” Tortorella said, “but you mark. Zach Werenski had 11-36-47 last season. When Dubois dresses have to give them credit. They can score goals. They know how to win. Saturday in Nashville, he will have dressed in all 82 games, a first for a Are there certain situations we could have been better in, sure, but we Blue Jackets rookie. still put in a lot of good minutes, too.” • The Blue Jackets went 0-1-3 versus Pittsburgh this season. The first Which brings us to Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. two losses were shootout losses, then a 5-2 blowout loss in February in Nationwide, and now Thursday night. Since a 7-1 win early last season, Because Bobrovsky has struggled so profoundly against the Penguins — the Blue Jackets are 1-2-4 in the regular season against Pittsburgh. mostly in the playoffs — every game he plays against Pittsburgh is dissected almost forensically. • Bobrovsky's career regular-season numbers against Pittsburgh: 11-7-5, 2.88 goals-against average, .909 save percentage. His playoff numbers The Blue Jackets do him no favors by chasing the puck in their own end, versus Pittsburgh: 3-8 with a .889 save percentage and 3.73 goals- and they further fueled the problem with a series of garish turnovers against average. Thursday. Everybody took a turn: Ian Cole had a doozy early in the game, Jack Johnson had two later in the game, and so on. • Tortorella will never pass an opportunity to take a swipe at Josh Anderson's agent, Darren Ferris. So it was Thursday when Tortorella met One of the Penguins' longest shifts in the Blue Jackets' end — it was with the media pregame and was asked about Anderson's return after nearly two minutes long in the second period — ended only when two missing five weeks with a knee injury. Anderson's return was delayed Pittsburgh forwards, Phil Kessel and Conor Sheary, smacked into each temporarily by illness and a death in his family. But the agent and player other near the blue line, sending the puck into the neutral zone. both requested a second opinion on his knee injury, which is within their rights per the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. To be clear: Bobrovsky, who had 38 saves, was not the Blue Jackets' problem Thursday, and he did not look discombobulated as he has in • Here's Tortorella: “Like I told Andy yesterday, I said, 'Where ya been? I previous games against Pittsburgh. don't see you on the ice. You're sick. You're this, you're that. You've got an injury. Are you gonna play?' He told me (on Wednesday), 'I'm ready to go.' I said, 'OK, you're in.' … I just didn't see him on the ice half the time. He's sick … he did have some family issues, which are very important to take care of. His agent was jetting him all over the place to get opinions, and sometimes I wasn't sure if he was practicing or not. So … that's what I asked, I said, 'So what's up? It's good to see ya. Are you ready to play?' He said, 'Yeah.' And it kind of shocked me. I said, 'OK, you're in!' That's how it goes. That's how it goes with Andy anyway.” • Anderson played 9:44 during 20 shifts, had two shots on goal and a plus-1 rating. • Here's Tortorella on the Blue Jackets' postgame mood: “It’s a little bittersweet ’cause it’s Pittsburgh. You don’t want to lose to them. But in the big picture, for our team, for our guys, I am really happy for them. One of the youngest teams in the league. They get to experience things that start forming their legacies as players. Not this shit in the regular season, it’s the playoffs, and they get a chance to experience it, some guys two in a row.” • The Blue Jackets are 13-1-2 in their past 16 games, and it still took them until Game 81 to clinch. Incredible, really, that a 10-4-2 record in that stretch would have eliminated them from the playoffs. Here's Tortorella: “I said five-six weeks ago that we’re going to find out how these guys handle the situation, because we’re in a dogfight. I think they’ve handled themselves very well. It's so promising for us right now, but also the experiences you go through to get here, to get the opportunity to play in the playoffs.” • Dubois and Cole each had run-ins with Hornqvist, who has channeled his fellow Swede Tomas Holmstrom, who made a living out of making games a living hell for goaltenders. Here's Cole: “He’s one of the best at what he does in front of the net. He’s a challenge. He’s a unique challenge. We’re just going to have to find a way to deal with him.” • Here's Letestu on playing the Penguins: “I think we give them a little too much credit, a little too much respect. I think we can hang with them. As a group we’re going to be up to that task. It was a really well-played game. They just made one more play than us tonight.” • More Letestu: “We’ll forget about this game in a week. This is just a regular-season loss, and we’re in the dance now. Get ready for the playoffs.” • The Blue Jackets named Bobrovsky the 2017-18 Community MVP Award winner, which recognizes the player who “best exemplifies service, dedication, and leadership.” The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation will make a $5,000 donation to a charity of Bobrovsky’s choice. Sergei and his wife, Olga, treated about 1,000 children and families to a suite night experience as part of Bob’s Battalion. Their guests enjoyed Blue Jackets games, concerts and special events in a catered suite and each went home with a Bob’s Battalion keepsake. The suite is also equipped with a set of “Bob’s” goalie equipment that offers kids a try-on station and photo opportunity. In addition to joining his teammates to visit young patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and sort food at Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Bobrovsky also participated in this year’s Flashes of Hope photo shoot alongside several pediatric cancer patients during a practice visit to Nationwide Arena. Previous winners — 2016-17: Nick Foligno; 2015-16: David Clarkson; 2014-15: Foligno; 2013- 14: Derek MacKenzie; 2012-13: MacKenzie; 2011-12: Mark Methot; 2010-11: Jared Boll; 2009-10: R.J. Umberger; 2008-09: Rick Nash; 2007- 08: Dan Fritsche; 2006-07: Jody Shelley; 2005-06: Manny Malhotra; 2003-04: Luke Richardson; and 2002-03: Tyler Wright. The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108087 Websites When they finally realized they had reached a fourth straight NCAA Tournament, a different team emerged.

“I'll tell you, the way we got in was really an eye-opener for our guys The Athletic / Forget rebuilding, Minnesota Duluth is back in the national because they knew it could have been done, and I think it gave them a championship game second life and a new opportunity,” Sandelin said. “And they've taken advantage of it.” By Chad Graff Apr 6, 2018 If Sandelin uses the same lineup on Saturday, only eight of the 19 Bulldogs that take the ice will have played in last year’s national championship game, something even captain Karson Kuhlman — one of three seniors in the lineup — called, “wild.” Scott Sandelin took the front seat on the team bus with 150 quiet miles north in front of them. It was three weeks ago and his Minnesota Duluth JARED THOMAS' PRESSURE CREATED THE TURNOVER AND THEN Bulldogs were losers in both of their conference tournament games at HE FINISHED THE BREAKAWAY OFF THE GREAT LEAD PASS Xcel Energy Center, what he thought at the time may have been enough FROM KARSON KUHLMAN TO MAKE IT 2-0 to keep his team from another NCAA Tournament appearance. BULLDOGS!!!#FROZENFOUR PIC.TWITTER.COM/KHHFBJQQGZ UMD, fresh off a trip to the national championship game the year before, — NCAA ICE HOCKEY (@NCAAICEHOCKEY) APRIL 5, 2018 wasn’t supposed to be among college hockey’s best, and yet Sandelin couldn’t help but sulk, feeling like his team had what it took to make a “I think going back to that NCHC tournament here we kind of got a taste run. of how hard playoff hockey was and I think losing those two games that weekend was a turning point for our club,” Kuhlman said. “We don’t want By the time they arrived in Duluth, Notre Dame was finishing up a win our (season) to end.” that made the Bulldogs the last team to earn an at-large bid in the tournament, besting the Gophers by .0001 percentage points. They extended it one more game Thursday with a suffocating defense that allowed just 20 shots on goal and few quality scoring chances for In his office, Sandelin took a deep breath and cracked a beer. Ohio State. “That’s exactly what I did,” he said. A defensive group that includes five freshmen scored the game’s first goal and used quick outlet passes to keep the Buckeyes from On Thursday, Sandelin smiled as he looked back on that night, back on establishing much offensive zone time. the low expectations of six months ago, back on the 7-9-2 record his team once had. Thanks to a 2-1 win over Ohio State, the 18-year coach “Obviously, a lot of people doubted us,” said Scott Perunovich, one of the has Minnesota Duluth headed to a second straight national five freshmen defensemen. “But it just shows, our coaching staff, how championship game, this time to face Notre Dame, which beat Michigan good they are and their leadership is the best I’ve ever had and they can in a thrilling nightcap on a goal in the final seconds. It's a remarkable run really get the boys going. It took everyone to come together. I think the for the Bulldogs, even before considering Sandelin lost more than half of freshmen did a good job stepping up throughout the year and the whole his lineup from their national championship loss to Denver a year ago or team came together. You know, we’re playing Bulldog hockey right now that he used eight freshmen in the Frozen Four on Thursday. All of which and can beat anyone.” begs the question: How in the heck is UMD back in the national championship game? Sandelin was celebrated a year ago for living up to expectations, navigating a talented team to within a goal of a title. “I don't know,” Sandelin said with a laugh. “You know what, you just don't know. We knew we had some good freshmen coming in. But we had big But now, his work has a team that thought it was eliminated from NCAA question marks, there's no question about that. So, I think even with a lot Tournament contention three weeks ago in the championship game for a of people, there was doubt.” second straight year. FRESHMAN LOUIE ROEHL NEEDED LESS THAN TWO MINUTES TO “I couldn't be more proud of this group,” Sandelin said. “We sat here PUT THE "HOME" TEAM FROM DULUTH IN A COMMANDING three weeks ago and we thought our season was done. That would have POSITION. THE BULLDOGS ARE 19-7-0 THIS SEASON WHEN THEY sucked for our seniors to end it that way because we didn't give SCORE FIRST. #FROZENFOUR PIC.TWITTER.COM/AYQVF3VAO4 ourselves a chance to win those games and we went back and got lucky. I think it gave us a second life. And here we are.” — NCAA ICE HOCKEY (@NCAAICEHOCKEY) APRIL 5, 2018 The Athletic LOADED: 04.07.2018 So much doubt that Sandelin felt the need to talk to the few older players he had at the beginning of the season. The year before, they were on a team stacked with professional talent and elder leadership. A season later, they were looking at a roster of underclassmen so young and inexperienced that it included some, like Saturday’s goal-scorer Louie Roehl, who was brought to campus a year earlier than expected to fill the big holes left by early departures. “Louie’s not the biggest goal-scorer,” senior Jared Thomas, who netted the game-winner, said. “No goals in high school, right?” Roehl nodded at the question, confirming that he indeed went 52 games at Eden Prairie without a tally. And yet, that’s how this UMD team continues to win, relying on balanced contributions and strong team defense, a combination that has them a game away from the program’s second national championship. Saturday will be the school’s third championship appearance in eight years, dating back to their 2011 title that came at the site of Saturday’s game. They are the first team to reach successive championship games since Boston College went to three straight from 2006-08. “It’s pretty remarkable getting back to this game,” Thomas said. “Last year we had a much older group and expectations were super high. This year, it’s the complete opposite, I guess.” They won Thursday’s game behind a quick start that gave them a two- goal lead before three minutes, five seconds had elapsed. But they got here, they said, because of what they changed after that NCHC tournament three weeks ago. Sandelin described the bus ride back as, “pretty dramatic.” Players and coaches perused their phones, trying to find combinations that would yield a tournament result. 1108088 Websites wear them down. That stuff becomes a lot more valuable and you’ll see it a lot more. You see it all the way down the line come playoffs. Not that guys aren’t giving 100 per cent during the season, but it is an 82-game Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Can the Maple Leafs survive playoff season. You’re trying to get to the playoffs. Once you’re there, the nastiness? intensity picks up, the physicality picks. Everything is on another level. It’s the best time of year.”

Martin says the strategy of punishing your series opponent isn’t just Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox April 6, 2018, 1:17 PM implied; it’s spoken about in the room, often. “It’s talked about to more extremes in the playoffs. You have a chance where you’re playing, say, a [Kris] Letang on the back end, you want to A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious make it physical on them. You could be playing the same guys for two and less so, and rolling four lines deep. weeks. If you’re constantly being rubbed out, if you’re constantly being hit, that takes a toll on your body. The hope is, by games 5, 6 and 7, 1. There are three major reasons why we believe the Toronto Maple that’s taken its toll and they turn it over, make a mistake. Everything is Leafs should be secretly rooting for the Boston Bruins to outperform the that much more important in a playoff series. That’s the message.” Tampa Bay Lightning this weekend. Both of the Leafs’ potential Round 1 hosts have 110 points and two games left; Tampa wins the tiebreaker. Sure, a bend toward a more physical game plan might benefit Martin personally, but he’s not lying. To a man, the Leafs say it doesn’t matter which Cup contender they draw next week, but we’re not buying it. The game will get nasty fast, and nastier in TD Garden than in Tampa. The Leafs will be in tough either way in Round 1, but they’ll have fewer For one, Andrei Vasilevskiy has admitted to being tired and has had a wounds to lick and a better shot at proving that speed and offence can worse second half than Tuukka Rask. For two, the Lightning carry higher rule the day if they draw the Lightning. expectations than any other club in the East — because they’ve been at the top of the standings since October, because they pushed all-in at the 2. With the final regular-season game going Sunday and the playoffs deadline, and because their core has already come within two wins of starting Wednesday and no coaches getting fired in-season for the first lifting the silver thing. One spring ago, Leafs coach Mike Babcock called year since 1967 expansion, many are predicting a Black Monday in the it “the pucker factor,” and it has had sour effects on some wonderful NHL. regular-season Washington Capitals squads. That Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman were given an endorsement Enter now to win the ultimate grand prize: an all-new 2019 RAM 1500 + from Chicago Blackhawks president John McDonagh Thursday allows us $25,000 cash! to turn our attention elsewhere. But the third, and most intriguing reason, is that Boston is nasty (and The Buffalo Sabres, the first franchise to finish 31st, weren’t supposed to we’re not just talking about Brad Marchand’s Twitter feed). be this awful. A Hall of Famer as a defenceman, Phil Housley coached only high school before leapfrogging to an NHL assistant in Nashville and The Leafs, much like Tampa, are built to win one way: speed and skill landing the head gig in Buffalo. and pray their gigantic goalie is dialed in. That identity flies smoother in the East than the West. Rookie GM Jason Botterill hired Housley, so we’d be surprised if he didn’t choose to give him another shot — but ownership’s patience might Last Saturday’s match versus the Winnipeg Jets, albeit in a no-stakes thin. back-to-back, drilled home a point: The Maple Leafs can be pushed around physically. Housley points to the Sabres’ losing so many one-goal games in October as a major factor in the spiral downward. “The Jets are a big, strong team. They’re built that way for sure. They’ve got a lot of bodies. They can roll both ways,” says Leafs tough guy Matt “If you get off to the start that we did, it’s just hard to overcome that Martin, who — let’s be honest — won’t see playoff ice time unless during a long season. To get that momentum, you need to come out of something goes sideways. “[Coach Mike Babcock] obviously has a the gate,” he said. “We never got back in stride.” certain style of game that he likes that might not be the Winnipeg Jets’ style and what they like.” True. But Florida, Minnesota and Colorado also stumbled early and managed to figure things out. Toronto’s 20 hits per game rank them 24th in the league, the gentlest of any club headed to Eastern Conference side of the bracket. The Leafs The players would rather own the underachievement than let their coach rank 27th in blocked shots, 28th in penalty minutes per game (6.9) and take the heat. 26th in majors (12), which is great for preserving your health and winning special-teams battles, but hockey is about to hurt. “I thought he’s done a good job. I don’t think we’ve helped him out very much,” Ryan O’Reilly says. “He’s very detailed, and when we stick to “We’re a fast team. We rely on our skill and speed more than anything. that, we’re a good team. When we get away from the game plan, it’s You have to play to your strengths is what I’d say,” Martin says. “The Jets tough. I think he’s a good coach that lays out a good game plan for us. are a big, physical team-that’s their strength. The speed of this team, the He’s honest.” skill, that’s our strength. It’ll be interesting to see if we get a matchup like that how it would play out.” Funny how the Sabres went from having the longest-tenured coach (, 1997-2013) to the Edmonton model of four different bench Indeed. Boston is that matchup; Tampa is not. Is Babcock concerned bosses over five years. That constant turnover has to be difficult for the physicality could be an issue for his charges over a seven-game grind? players, no? “No,” he said flatly, following that Jets loss. “It’s tough to comment on that,” O’Reilly says. “When I look at everything, it comes down to the guys who go on the ice. New staff comes in; Babcock is molding these Leafs more in line with Pittsburgh — crazy changes are made. That happens. It’s a job. Things don’t work, changes forward depth that only needs tiny windows to score, killer power play, will get made. defence by committee, great goaltending — than Washington, which Martin says is the heaviest team in the East. Tampa coach Jon Cooper “We’ve got to figure it out in this locker room. The guys that go on the ice says he actually enjoys playing Babcock teams because he knows they’ll every day, we have to change it.” stick to a system. Unsaid: They won’t beat his guys up. 3. This is a wonderful reminder that a hockey team is about more than But the grind of the 82-game season can lull us into an amnesia about just players and coaches: how ugly the post-season can get. It’s why James van Riemsdyk might not be allowed to set up shop in the blue paint and why Anaheim and 4. This June will mark the sixth annual interview period for the NHL’s L.A. should scare the West as low seeds. unrestricted free agents. Buffalo Sabres backup Chad Johnson is expecting to be part of the wining and dining for his fifth time. He tells us “It picks up big-time. You see bodies flying everywhere, especially early that every year he reaches his job interview fair, the Toronto Maple Leafs in a series. Finishing checks, blocking shots-all that stuff becomes that are involved. much more valuable in the playoffs,” Martin says. “Every year I’ve talked to them. It seems like five or six teams every year “Look at finishing checks, for example. We played Winnipeg the other are always very interested and I’ve had offers from them every year, night: If we finish all our checks on them, we don’t see them for the rest which is nice. I have a lot of respect for that organization,” says Johnson, of the year. But if we’re in a series with them, you finish their guys and who recognizes that the Leafs are set for 2018-19 with Frederik you play ’em the next night and you hope over the course of a series you Andersen and Curtis McElhinney both excelling. “It has to be the right fit with contract. I have so much respect for Mr. When the NHL threw a $1 million incentive on the table for the winning Lamoriello and Babcock — they put together a really good team. You team of its divisional 3-on-3 all-star tournament in 2016, it was kinda like never know what lies ahead or what can happen, but I’ve had hosting a game of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and then only inviting conversations with them every summer. It just hasn’t worked out.” millionaires to play. Johnson (10-15-3) earned $2.5 million playing behind a soft D core this For the average all-star, a win equates to a 1.6% salary bonus, basically season. His save percentage ain’t pretty (.895), but he did beat the a cost-of-living raise. Leafs, Lightning and Bruins six times this year. He suffered too many nights like Monday, when the dynamic Leafs hung five goals on him, all I asked a bunch of all-stars in Nashville what they would do with their on Grade-A chances. Put Johnson in, say, St. Louis and is he that much share of the prize pot if they won. worse of a backup than Carter Hutton (.930)? Daniel Sedin, the Canucks lone representative, was the only one who “Whatever team you’re on, there’s so many factors that go into my said he’d give the money to charity. Didn’t even blink. statistics as a goaltender,” Johnson explains. “I obviously don’t have the “If I win, it’ll be going to a good cause,” Sedin told me the day before the statistics I want to have, but I’m happy for the way I’ve played. game. “I know that.” Sometimes you can’t control everything else around you. I try not to think about that too much. I try to worry about what I can control. The first half The next day, Sedin and the Pacific Division did win. Karma. of the year was tough for everybody. Tellingly, that was the last winter a Sedin was invited to the showcase, “I’ve felt good all year with my game, it’s just the second half we’re giving way to next ones Bo Horvat (2017) and Brock Boeser (2018). playing a little better than we were in the first, and I’m getting results. I feel I can help any team as long as I have help.” The thing that most sticks out from my back-to-back sit-downs with Henrik and Daniel as they entered the 2015-16 season is their honesty. Is Johnson, 31, nudging his team under the bus with those comments? Is he trying to get the jump on selling his CV to stick in the league? Maybe Henrik: “It feels like the Western Conference has gotten better around us a little, but Housley has his back. for the last six or seven years.” “Earlier in the season we weren’t giving him the goal support or we were Daniel: “I can’t even go on the swings anymore with my kids. I get sick.” giving up too much [chances],” Housley says. “He’s a very good pro. He That comment made me think of the concussion Daniel suffered by the approaches his practices and comes to work and has played really good nasty elbow of Duncan Keith and the night his head got clipped by hockey for us lately.” Nazem Kadri. We’ll never know what they’ve endured physically to lead Buffalo is likely to give Linus Ullmark, 24, a chance to start in October. such remarkable careers. But do the Sabres attempt to bring back Johnson or Robin Lehner or 9. “It is—how do you say?—sad,” said Andreas Johnsson, the Swedish shake things up? Maple Leafs rookie who grew up admiring the Sedins, upon learning of Johnson believes he can be “that really good 1B” option and counts his their retirement. Johnsson will never get to play against Daniel and great run in 2016-17 for Calgary as the most enjoyable stint of his career. Henrik. “It’s my hometown. I’ve always had a lot of pride and passion for the “I’ve never met them. They’re really big back home. You see them every Flames organization,” Johnson says. “Being able to play in front of family championship, every big Swedish tournament, and I watched all their and friends, I don’t think there’s anyone who would play harder than I did highlights too. They’ve done such an amazing job here in the NHL and for that city and that organization just because I want that city to do well for the Swedish national team,” Johnsson says. “I’ve been following them — not when I’m playing against them obviously. I’m open to anything. I my whole career. They’re amazing players.” can’t say no to anywhere. I was very passionate about being a Flame. Staying up late to watch the twins’ magic Thursday night, it dawned on We’ll see what happens.” me that there is a generation of hockey fans who don’t know what the As taxing as it is, Johnson likes the UFA interview process as he’s been Canucks look like without the Sedins. And now there will be a generation able to develop a dialogue with teams like the Leafs, and you never know who’ve never seen them play. when those relationships could lead to work down the road. It is — how do you say? — sad. “It makes for a pretty stressful week, trying to make a decision,” he says. Daniel scores goal 22, assisted by Henrik at 33 seconds. “For me, it’s all about looking at that opportunity where there’ll be a chance to play and compete for playing time.” — luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 6, 2018 5. I’m jacked to watch director Gabe Polsky’s upcoming sports 10. Which is a more promising sign for the Toronto Raptors: the Boston documentary In Search of Greatness, which features Wayne Gretzky, Celtics’ injury list or Krusty the Clown giving them a shoutout? Jerry Rice, Serena Williams and more. The film, due this fall, has already stirred a little 2019 Oscar buzz, and if it’s half as good as Polsky’s last 11. No one tanks like Buffalo tanks. By securing the worst record in the film, Red Army doc, it’ll be worth 90 minutes of your life. Here’s the NHL, the Sabres have the best odds (18.5%) at winning Rasmus Dahlin, trailer: who would have an opportunity to crack one of the league’s thinnest blue lines. 6. David Amber has a brilliant idea for this June’s NHL Awards. We can picture Dahlin linking with Rasmus Ristolainen, giving the Sabres Invite Scott Foster — the 36-year-old accountant/beer leaguer who a young, deadly lefty-righty, Swedish-Finnish pairing for years. posted a 1.000 save percentage in seven saves of emergency relief for the Chicago Blackhawks — to present the Vezina Trophy. With an 81.5% of not landing Dhalin, however, franchise face Jack Eichel has been keeping tabs on a draft-eligible power forward with a hockey Do it, NHL. bloodline who’s been starring for his alma mater in Boston. 7. Fashion forward Auston Matthews says he discussed the possibility of “I know BU has a good player. I follow them and [Brady] Tkachuk’s creating his own clothing line last summer but decided the timing wasn’t there,” Eichel says. “I’m a hockey fan, so I follow everything.” right—yet. It’s “definitely” an endeavour he sees pursuing in the future, he said this week. What Eichel sees is a very large, very skilled 18-year-old. Brady is 6-foot- 2, 194 pounds. Because he was born on Sept. 16, he missed being part The rollout of Auston Matthews, The Brand has started small by design. of the 2017 draft class by mere hours and he’ll actually be 19 when the The sophomore counts Bauer, Fanatics, Upper Deck, and — the biggie 2018-19 season kicks off. — Scotiabank as his endorsers. Matthew Tkachuk — one of a select few Calgary Flames whose level of Matthews’ personal deal with Scotiabank didn’t come to fruition until a intensity did not disappoint this season — says his younger brother is few months after the bank bought the naming rights of the Leafs home better. And Brady’s 23 points, 61 penalty minutes and plus-15 rating over arena for $800 million. 40 games as an NCAA freshman speak to an involved player. As far as the proper timing goes, we’re betting Matthews waits until his After watching Eichel carry a disproportionate amount of the work monster multi-year extension with the Leafs before he follows P.K. alongside Evan Rodrigues and Jason Pominville on the Sabres’ top line, Subban and Jack Eichel into the fashion world and starts popping his the young Tkachuk would be a compelling addition for a Sabres squad name on tags. that needs more bite. 8. Allow me to pile on to the Sedin love. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. 12. On Tuesday I will be on a flight bound for Winnipeg. They’re calling for subzero temperatures and a Whiteout. I’ve never experienced playoff hockey in Manitoba, and I cannot wait to write some words about it. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108089 Websites with Tyler Bozak, Tomas Plekanec and Dominic Moore all walking toward unrestricted free agency and Frederik Gauthier failing to wow in his 2017- 18 call-up, a window should open for Aaltonen—one of the final cuts at Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs Prospect Report: Which Marlies can make the 2017 camp—to earn a third- or fourth-line pivot spot. A 2013 sixth- the NHL jump? rounder who sharpened his skills as a pro in the Finnish Elite League and KHL before flying west this season, Aaltonen has scored 41 points through 60 games and plays the type of responsible defensive game that pleases coaches. Luke Fox | April 4, 2018, 10:44 AM Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.07.2018

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect pool, like that of the Jets before them, has become one of the most enviable in the entire NHL. Even with a relatively healthy big club, the Leafs haven’t hesitated to pull from their farm system this season. And whenever they go digging— Kasperi Kapanen, Travis Dermott, Andreas Johnsson, Justin Holl—they come up with a mitt full of gold. “There’s nowhere to hide,” says Toronto coach Mike Babcock of the close ties, both geographically and systematically, between the Leafs the Marlies. The toast of the minors, the first-place Toronto Marlies (50-18-1-1, 102 points) broke an AHL record with their 29th road win on Saturday (all in regulation), despite already graduating their three best players mid- season. “When I get here it’s nothing new, really,” says Andreas Johnsson, who praises Sheldon Keefe & Co. for developing his skills. “They really prepared me for this opportunity.” With a tip of the cap to goalies Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard—the AHL’s best tandem, easy—here are a few more skaters in the Leafs system who could make the leap in 2018-19. Livestream every single game of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs— blackout free—plus the , key Raptors & NBA Playoffs matchups and the 100th Mastercard Memorial Cup, all in one subscription. Justin Holl, D: When I asked Travis Dermott to tell us the next Marlies member who could come up to the Leafs and stick, he raved about Johnsson and was pretty accurate in his prediction. So Monday night, after Johnsson registered his first multi-point NHL game, we asked the same question. Who on the Marlies can make the jump yesterday? “We have a lot of guys,” Johnsson said. “Justin Holl is down there. He was up here two games and did really good—he scored two goals. He can play here.” Yes, Holl enjoyed 2017-18’s most delicious cup of coffee and could pack it up now and retire as a goal-per-game NHL player who got to bring his dad to every road game he ever played. More likely: The right-shot defenceman fights his way to a roster spot in October. With the returns of Roman Polak (UFA) and Connor Carrick (RFA) uncertain, Nikita Zaitsev is the only righty on the Leafs’ blue line signed for 2018-19—and none of those three have had the type of season that makes them untouchable. So, does Toronto break the bank to land a brand name (John Carlson won’t come cheap) or give the late-blooming Holl a chance to stick? The 26-year-old has been a solid plus-24 for the Marlies in his all-star season, contributing 26 points and firing 118 shots on net. Holl, too, will be a restricted free agent this summer, but he should be retained so the Leafs don’t feel forced to rush… Timothy Liljegren, D: Remember, the kid is still only 18 and has been playing regularly on North American ice for less than 10 months, but the flashes of offence and maturity in the teenager’s game have impressed all watchers in the AHL. Liljegren — or, as Babcock has referred to him, “Lily Pad” — cracked Sweden’s silver-medal world junior squad and has featured prominently on one of the AHL’s best blue lines, putting up 15 points and a plus-18 rating. He should be left to steep one more season in the minors and, like Dermott, be over-ready when he arrives. Andreas Borgman, D: The bruising Borgman lasted longer in the NHL this fall than countryman Calle Rosen, but both of the mature Swedish prospects appear to be wrapping up their first year abroad with a legitimate run at the Calder Cup. More polished and confident, Borgman should have a great shot at the big roster in the fall. Oh, and he may just have scored the best goal of the entire AHL year: Miro Aaltonen, C: The riches the Leafs can roll out on the wings is tempered with their dearth of dependability up the middle of the ice. Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri are a wonderful one-two punch, but 1108090 Websites Pittsburgh has been just OK, the Jackets need to keep pushing. Two more W’s could give them home ice in Round 1, and they’ve had seven more victories at Nationwide than away from it this season. Sportsnet.ca / NHL Power Rankings: What Do We Do Now? Edition 9. San Jose Sharks Not yet locked into the Pacific’s second seed, the suddenly skidding Luke Fox | April 4, 2018, 1:15 PM Sharks (they’ve caught three straight L’s) can’t get carried away with prepping that John Tavares PowerPoint presentation just yet. They’re looking for a low-travel, first-round match with either Anaheim or L.A. Live through that, and San Jose’s path back to the Western Conference final This is our favourite time of year. should be more manageable than surviving the Central. Winnipeg and Nashville could beat the snot out of each other. Half of the league is gearing up for games that matter, and the other half is about to start shaping a group that will give them a better chance next 10. Anaheim Ducks time. Winners of seven of their past 10, the Ducks keep pushing despite Firings and hirings. Retirements and lottery picks. Trades and signings. injuries to starter John Gibson and defenceman Cam Fowler. (Hey, that’s Joyful victories and crushing losses. Giddy up. why they signed Ryan Miller). Maintaining a position above the second wild-card seed will be critical; they don’t want to draw Nashville off the In our final installment of the 2017-18 NHL regular-season ratings, we hop. wonder where your favourite teams goes from here, be it their greatest playoff concern, an off-season dilemma, or into the abyss. 11. New Jersey Devils It’s our season-wrapping NHL Power Rankings: What Do We Do Now? As goes Taylor Hall, so go the Devils. The stud winger’s four-point Edition. showing Tuesday pushed his point streak to nine and his name to the front of Hart Trophy voters’ minds. New Jersey is in that nothing-to-lose As per tradition, all 31 clubs are ranked in order of their awesomeness stage, but the goal now should be finishing ahead of Philly to avoid right now. Tampa or Boston in Round 1. The write-ups focus on the next item on the agenda. 12. Pittsburgh Penguins 1. Winnipeg Jets Where do the Penguins go from here? Into history. “The last two years The first 50-win edition of the Jets franchise is wisely using the week gave us so much confidence. We understand we’re a great team,” leading up to the White Out to rest its stars — six core players sat out Evgeni Malkin told reporters this week. “It’s time to win and time to Tuesday’s walk over the Canadiens — and trying not to think sweep [make] history. It’s, like, amazing. It’s a great chance to win.” against a ravaged Minnesota D-core that will limp into Manitoba without 13. Los Angeles Kings Ryan Suter and possibly Jared Spurgeon. Considering Jeff Carter is healthy, Anze Kopitar is wrapping the best 2. Nashville Predators regular season of his life, and Drew Doughty is a good bet to be on the After having a last-minute tying goal wiped off the board in Florida on Norris ballot, the Kings have the makings of that team you dread facing in Tuesday, the Predators must focus all their efforts toward calming their April. This feels like this core’s best shot at reaching the top of the famous fan base, who could be watching a lot of debatable calls in four mountain one more time. rounds of hockey. 14. Minnesota Wild 3. Boston Bruins With Bruce Boudreau’s playoff record and a season-ending injury to the The Bruins can’t waste time lamenting Brandon Carlo’s season-ending Wild’s most important skater (Ryan Suter), no one will pick the Wild to ankle fracture or Tuesday’s no-show in Tampa. They must get healthy upset Winnipeg. It’s either shock the NHL or risk serious off-season and get a couple more wins in order to avoid the Maple Leafs in Round 1 changes that could begin with GM , who does not have a and host the weakest wild card team. contract for 2018-19. 4. Washington Capitals 15. St. Louis Blues After clinching yet another Metropolitan Division crown, Barry Trotz has a The Blues shed a top-six centre (Paul Stastny) to a divisional rival at the week to commit to the right starting goalie: or Braden deadline, have watched a steady stream of core players hit IR (Jay Holtby? Choose wisely, Coach. Only your job and the Capitals Curse Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson are done for the season), lost two in may depend on it. a row down the stretch here, and yet … they still control their own destiny. Why not squeak into the playoffs and retool in the summer by 5. Tampa Bay Lightning adding a scoring punch with their cap flexibility? Of all the Eastern Conference playoff clubs, none has fewer wins over its 16. Philadelphia Flyers past 11 games than mighty Tampa. Encouraged by Tuesday’s 4-0 blanking of rival Boston, the Lightning have a back-to-back against Led by Claude Giroux’s Hart-calibre bounce back, the Flyers appear softies Buffalo and Carolina to hop on a little run, get captain Steven “I’ll destined to steal a playoff berth and an opening-round matchup where Never Be 100 Per Cent” Stamkos as healthy as humanly possible, and 100 per cent of the pressure will fall on the other guys. Nothing to lose. feel confident heading into the dance. Enjoy this ride in a magical year for Philadelphia sports. 6. Vegas Golden Knights 17. Florida Panthers Vegas has earned the right to play with house money this spring, so even We admit we were bullish on Florida’s playoff bid a couple of weeks ago. if the Knights crap out early against one of the more seasoned California But consecutive wins over Boston to end the season is just too tall a task. teams, everyone gets a pass and George McPhee will have a chance to The young Cats can go into the summer confident they shouldn’t have to shock the hockey world all over again this summer. With $27.55 million in claw their way into the post-season next year. Bob Boughner can coach, free cap space, the Knights could chase whoever they want: John Roberto Luongo can still stop pucks (please don’t follow the Sedins into Tavares, Erik Karlsson, John Carlson… that good night just yet), Aleksander Barkov is one of the world’s best hockey players full-stop, and there should be enough internal 7. Toronto Maple Leafs improvement for optimism here. Heck, they may even revisit that Max Pacioretty trade. After two months of trying to manufacture urgency, the Maple Leafs will suddenly find themselves in a game that actually matters next Thursday. 18. Colorado Avalanche If Toronto fails to battle through a nasty Round 1 draw (Tampa or Boston), the pressure to upgrade its blue line via trade or free agency will The Avalanche’s playoff hopes aren’t buried yet, but with Semyon be massive this off-season. No more free passes. Varlamov and Erik Johnson done, even if Colorado makes the cut, it has first-round fodder written all over it. Still, this bright season is one to build 8. Columbus Blue Jackets on, and $25.3 million in cap space — with no pressing extension negotiations or trade requests to stress Joe Sakic — means Colorado John Tortorella doesn’t want to hear your congratulations until he sees could get even better. an “X” beside his club’s name in the standings, but Columbus is the hottest team east of Winnipeg and peaking at the perfect time. Since 19. Carolina Hurricanes The NHL’s longest playoff drought will continue, but will head coach Bill fire Garth Snow, fire all the goalies and hope that Mathew Barzal is Peters? Peters is the favourite to coach Team Canada at the world immune to the sophomore slump. championship in May, and it says here there’s a strong chance he’ll find a new seat during this summer’s inevitable coaching carousel. The 29. Montreal Canadiens Hurricanes’ new GM, whoever he may be, will be tasked with balancing Word is Marc Bergevin will have the opportunity to fix his own mess, his owner’s push for profitability and constructing a team with a Grade-A which means scrambling around the draft floor to Max-imize a return for goalie and a few more snipers. Godspeed. Pacioretty, wooing John Tavares with the finest bowl of poutine money 20. Dallas Stars can buy (unicorn gravy, perhaps?), and somehow spinning his assets (four second-round picks gives him options) into a real centreman. In Is it just me, or does it feel hot in Texas? The flip side of feel-good stories saying all that, if Carey Price and Shea Weber don’t arrive and stay like Colorado and Vegas are disasters like Dallas. Jim Nill swung for the healthy and inspired, this team doesn’t have a chance. fences and flew out to centre. Does ownership give this group a break because of its injury trouble, or do Nill, coach Ken Hitchcock and the 10 30. Ottawa Senators pending free agents all risk unemployment? Do you buy out Jason Is that a puck in your pants, Erik Karlsson, or are you just happy to see Spezza or retain a chunk of his silly $7.5 million salary in a trade? And which Cup contender you’re going to win the Norris with in 2018-19? what of MVP Tyler Seguin, who deserves a raise and could get one as early as July 1 but may not wish to re-sign with such a top-heavy roster? 31. Buffalo Sabres 21. Vancouver Canucks Recognizing the Sabres need a culture change is one thing; establishing that is another. The defence requires a dramatic overhaul, and goalies After the salutes and tears and the classy exit, the Canucks will start a need to be hired. If tanking doesn’t yield Rasmus Dahlin, GM Jason new era in earnest with a big summer. Slap a ‘C’ on Bo Horvat’s chest, Botterill’s trading skills will be tested. Everyone except Jack Eichel and hope their lottery luck spins, hit the negotiating table with RFAs Jake Casey Mittelstadt should be in play. Buffalo’s patience is getting tested. Virtanen and Sven Baertschi, draft well, and — most importantly — spend that $21 million in cap space wisely. No more Loui Erikssons, Mr. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.07.2018 Benning. 22. Arizona Coyotes The Coyotes owned spot 31 in the NHL standings for so much of the year that the fact they’ve been playing decent hockey of late has flown under the radar. Arizona must re-sign starting goalie Antti Raanta and make a decision on Luke Schenn (both UFA), but the biggie is Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who is eligible for an eight-year extension on July 1. GM John Chayka will have $28.7 million in cap space to get creative, and the man loves to deal (see: Nicklas Hjalmarsson, Derek Stepan, Jason Demers). Max Domi (RFA) is a compelling trade chip. The Coyotes could be one of the big movers and shakers at the draft. 23. Calgary Flames Yikes. The Flames pushed all-in on a flush draw that never turned. Calgary doesn’t have a pick until Round 3 of the draft. Does Brad Treliving’s failure to lottery-protect his first-rounder in the Travis Hamonic deal cost him his job, or does he make coach Glen Gulutzan fall on the sword? A member of the over-hyped D core — Dougie Hamilton? Hamonic? T.J. Brodie? — could be dealt in a bid to add secondary scoring and character. 24. Edmonton Oilers Everyone who didn’t score 100 points this season, raise your hand. If your hand is up, your job is not safe. 25. Chicago Blackhawks This one is fascinating. When a team dips from disappointing to awful, gives out a crippling extension (see: Seabrook, Brent) and some brutal trades were made (turns out, Artemi Panarin doesn’t need Patrick Kane to look awesome), the GM is usually under fire. But Stan Bowman has never used his fire-the-coach card and three Cups will earn you good credit. Is Joel Quenneville out? Maybe, but he’s owed a ton of dough and this isn’t his fault. ’s absence is difficult to overstate. 26. Detroit Red Wings A significant summer in Motown. needs to either be extended or bid adieu so we know which Red Wings GM will interview the big-name free agents. Dylan Larkin needs a juicy new contract. Mike Green might walk to a contender for free. RFA forwards Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Martin Frk and Tyler Bertuzzi will all be trying to get their slice of the pie. And at age 37 but with three more years on his contract, Henrik Zetterberg needs to start considering his appetite for losing. 27. New York Rangers Since ravaging his roster at the deadline, we’ll soon learn if GM Jeff Gorton is opting for a slow rebuild or a rapid reset. Does he scoop Ilya Kovalchuk from the KHL? Try to bring back Rick Nash and/or Michael Grabner? Or — wait for it — do the cash-flush Rangers win the draft lottery after seven years of avoiding it? 28. New York Islanders It’s getting simple now. Pray that John Tavares doesn’t interview well and, like Steven Stamkos, decides to do the hockey thing and re-signs. If not, there’s no choice but to salvage some scraps from a sign-and-trade, 1108091 Websites “There’s so many X’s and O’s out there—I think most coaches coaching at that level, they know their X’s and O’s—but how do you get the players to grow in your environment?” he said. “Because that’s the biggest key Sportsnet.ca / Why Rikard Grönborg could be NHL's first European head for me. How do you communicate with those players? How did you get coach since 2001 them to excel and become better and buy into the system? That’s what I’m intrigued about, is how you develop the players.”

While he has started preparations for next month’s IIHF World Hockey Chris Johnston April 6, 2018, 6:56 PM Championship in Denmark, Grönborg is keeping tabs on what’s happening overseas. He is due to make a presentation to NHL coaches during their annual meeting at the draft in June and knows there’s at least the possibility of being interviewed for a job here before then. In a league that mines more than 30 per cent of its players from overseas, it stands as a paradox that the NHL has seen a generation We’ve gone the entirety of the 2017-18 regular season without a coach pass since one of its teams last hired a European-born head coach. being fired, but that’s bound to end in the coming days. As many as five or six teams could eventually be in the market once they reach the off- Rikard Grönborg has some thoughts on the disconnect. Language issues season. and cultural differences surely explain part of the trend, he reasons. But the Swedish men’s national team coach has also observed a copy-cat In a league that included 95 Swedish players this season—the third- tendency permeating from the world’s top hockey league. highest total, behind Canadians and Americans—there’s no reason to think a Swedish coach couldn’t have success. “Everyone’s playing the same system,” Grönborg said this week. “It seems like they have one team that’s been successful for a year or two “I don’t see why not,” said New Jersey Devils centre Marcus Johansson. and suddenly everyone is emulating everything that they do. Everything “I think it’s definitely possible. I think there are some really good coaches from recruiting the same type of players to the same systems. I think the in Europe, too. It would be interesting to see how it went.” challenge for management is to look what kind of team you have and [say] ‘OK, who is going to fit our team—the team we have right now—and It’s going to take some outside-the-box thinking. Someone willing to look develop us into a contender in the National Hockey League?” past what Grönborg doesn’t have—such as work experience in any North American pro league—while placing value on what he does have, which It’s a cycle he intends to break. There are some in NHL circles who is a whole lot of time spent with top NHL players in the heat of believe the 49-year-old is likely to attract interest once the coaching international competition. carousel kicks into high gear next week, and it’s safe to say the interest is mutual. He needs a GM who is looking to do more than copy the latest trends. By his own admission, Grönborg needs to find a general manager willing “I think it’s more of a challenge to assess what your team is all about, to “stick his neck out a little bit.” There hasn’t been a coach of his kind what your strengths are and how you find the right guy for helping the since Finn Alpo Suhonen (Chicago) and Czech Ivan Hlinka (Pittsburgh) team out,” said Grönborg. “Look at soccer in Europe: I mean you have a were hired before the 2000-01 season. Dutch coach in the English league, you have an English coach in the Swedish league. It doesn’t really matter. They look at ‘OK, we want the However, the timing might be right for a man who has spent more than a coach that’s going to fit the profile for our team’ more than, you know, decade inside the Swedish federation—coming into contact with virtually where he’s from or anything like that.” every active player of consequence from that country while coaching at the under-18 worlds, world junior championship, IIHF World Hockey This is where things are headed eventually. Just as we’ve started to see Championship and, most recently, the Pyeongchang Olympics. some small shifts in the type of people getting hired to work in NHL front offices, the search for top coaching talent will inevitably require men and “To me, the only challenge that would be left is the National Hockey women of different backgrounds to start being considered for these League, to be perfectly honest,” said Grönborg. “I’ve kind of done all that positions. stuff and coached some of the best players in the world. Now I’m interested to have my ideas, to [implement] them over a period of time Given the regions of the world where the sport is most popular, it should and do them overseas, and kind of challenging the coaching community naturally lead someone back to Europe. over in the NHL. Hey, it might even take them to Grönborg’s front door. “I bring a different perspective on things.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.07.2018 He is best described as a hybrid. Grönborg is actually a dual Swedish-American citizen after playing college hockey at St. Cloud State in Minnesota and spending the first 10 years of his coaching career in places like Wisconsin, Montana and Texas. He married a woman from Salt Lake City and holds a master’s degree in management and leadership. In fact, he might never have returned home in the first place had he been successful in landing the Spokane Chiefs’ head coaching job in 2005— finishing as a runner-up to Bill Peters after working one season as an assistant coach with the WHL team. It was shortly after that when the Swedish federation came calling. A big part of Grönborg’s appeal to them was that he had learned a different style of the sport while working in the U.S., and they were interested in exploring different methods of running a bench. “When it comes to North American coaching, generally speaking, a coach comes to coach vs. just being a trainer, as we call it in Sweden [coach is translated as tränare in Swedish]. Go out and train the team,” said Grönborg. “Here it’s actually a coach and kind of plan how we utilize the players and give them job descriptions and whatnot. There’s different tweaks in the game situations instead of just kind of rotating four lines, which was very common back in Sweden. “You’d rotate four lines until there was 10 minutes left and then go down to three lines and then you go down to two lines the last two minutes. …In Sweden, it was very common to have four very even lines.” Grönborg instead prefers to carve out specific roles and assign tasks. He is keen on communication so that expectations are clear and believes that the next generation of players will require more feedback than ever before because of the world in which they were raised. 1108092 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / How the Panthers and Flyers could force a playoff tiebreak game

Rory Boylen | April 6, 2018, 5:18 PM

And now for something completely different. With one playoff series locked (Minnesota will play Winnipeg) and none that can be secured Friday night, this figures to be a busy and important weekend in the NHL. Every other series could be decided Saturday night, and the Boston- Florida game on Sunday could still hold some meaning. But even when that’s done there’s a chance one playoff spot will still need to be determined. Livestream every single game of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs— blackout free—plus the Toronto Blue Jays, key Raptors & NBA Playoffs matchups and the 100th Mastercard Memorial Cup, all in one subscription. The Philadelphia Flyers currently hold the second wild card spot, the only place left to clinch in the Eastern Conference. They are four points up on the Florida Panthers with one game left against the New York Rangers — all the Flyers need is one point and they’re in. Florida, on the other hand, needs some luck. They need for both Philadelphia to lose in regulation and to win their own final two games: Saturday versus Buffalo and Sunday at Boston. If the two teams end up tied in standings points, the first tiebreaker is ROW – regulation and overtime wins. Currently, the two teams are even there at 39 apiece. The next tiebreaker is points in their season series. Since they played each other three times and one team had an extra home date, the first of those would be excluded. Because of that, the season series for tie- breaking purposes would be 1-1. The third tie-breaker would be goal differential on the season. The Flyers are plus-3 heading into the weekend and the Panthers are minus-1. So while the Flyers have the inside track, we face a scenario where not only would the Panthers and Flyers be tied in standings points, but also in each of the tiebreakers after 82 games. There is only one possible way this can happen: the Flyers need to lose to the Rangers in regulation by two goals and the Panthers need to win both of their last two games in a shootout. Any other conclusion and we’d have a clinched playoff spot either way. So what would happen if this is how the weekend plays out? The NHL announced that the two teams would have to play a tie-breaking game on Tuesday, April 10. From the NHL: • An equally weighted draw will be conducted by the League – promptly upon the conclusion of the last game of the regular season on Sunday – to determine home-ice advantage for the game. • Should the score of that game be tied at the end of regulation, overtime will be conducted under the rules that are in effect for the Stanley Cup Playoffs (i.e., five-on-five skaters, sudden-death, 20-minute periods until a winner is determined). Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108093 Websites With 23 goals and 55 points – five more than his brother – Danny has moved into a tie with injured rookie Brock Boeser for the Canucks’ scoring lead. A point against the Oilers, the source of more Sedin points Sportsnet.ca / Sedin twins give Canucks fans yet another magical than any other club, will give him the team scoring title in his final season. memory “It really doesn’t happen like this where two Hall of Fame guys that have been on one team as long as they have, go out on their terms and are still playing games,” Canucks coach Travis Green marvelled after the Iain MacIntyre | April 6, 2018, 2:13 AM morning skate. “It’s very special. “Take it all in, enjoy it. Hopefully everyone remembers it. And hopefully some of our players learn something from it.” VANCOUVER – Rogers Arena was not so much a hockey rink Thursday as a memory studio. Several of the Canucks are too young to remember a Vancouver team that did not include the Sedins, who arrived in Vancouver before the Nearly 19,000 people came to get their shot, to fix in their minds and 2000-01 season as second- and third-overall draft picks. hearts what it was like, and to use these memories like cherished photos to pull out years from now and remember and be glad they were there. Expectations for them were impossibly high, and yet the Sedins surpassed them. Daniel and Henrik Sedin gave them something priceless. “The fans, how loud it was, how they played, and the ending …” Edler In the twins’ last touch of the puck in Vancouver – their final home game said when asked how he will remember this night. “It couldn’t get much as Canucks at the end of 18-year Hall of Fame careers – Danny shot better. It was definitely special to be part of. You’re going to think back to from Hank’s pass to lift the team they came to define to a 4-3 victory this night, how the building was, how the game ended. against the Arizona Coyotes. “It was really special.” No. 22 scored from No. 33 at 2:33 of overtime. Daniel scored an even prettier goal, on passes from Henrik and their longest-tenured teammate, Henrik said his best memories from Thursday will be from the overtime fellow Swede Alex Edler, at 33 seconds of Period 2. goal on – the time both fans and twins were able to celebrate a relationship as rare as the Sedins. Truly, you could not dream these things as a finale at Rogers Arena for the two greatest players in Canucks history. “But even the whole day … when I woke up this morning, I knew it was going to be a big day,” he said. “We tried to enjoy every minute of it.” “I didn’t sleep much last night, so I didn’t have any dreams,” Daniel smiled after a long, slow, victory lap on the ice with his brother. “But it Memories for a lifetime. was amazing, especially for Hank and Eddie to be the setup men. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.07.2018 “It was a tougher today for sure when we realized it was the last game. We tried to go out there and play the right way, but I was tired today. (But) when the fans show up, you want to put on a good game for them. I hope they go home happy. I know we are.” After a combined 2,634 games in the National Hockey League, the 37- year-old identical twins from Ornskoldsvik were once again the best Canucks in their final home game. They have a Saturday road game in Edmonton before they are finished as players, having announced their retirement on Monday while still productive NHL scorers. Amid an electric, emotional atmosphere unseen outside a playoff game in Vancouver since Canucks president Trevor Linden, one of the Sedins’ early mentors and advocates, retired as a player exactly 10 years earlier, the crowd chanted “Hall of Fame! Hall of Fame!” in the third period, then “One more year! One more year!” after the Sedins won the game on an overtime power play. In their final, fleeting two weeks with the Sedins, the Canucks are 6-1-1. “Absolutely, it means something,” Henrik said of generating goals in their final game in Canucks home blue. “The way the crowd showed up … it was just an incredible night. To be able to win and finish it off like we did, that’s something they can walk away and remember as well. It’s a better feeling for us. “Before the game in here, you could hear the crowd. Everyone was really amped up for the game. The guys (on the team) have been great. It’s tough to play in these games. I played in the one Trevor played in, and it’s not easy. I think they wanted to do the best for us, and they did.” One of the most powerful and remarkable aspects of sports is that they mark not only athletic achievement but time itself. The biggest moments, joyous or heart-breaking, are like mile markers in our lives. It happened, and we were there. And if we weren’t there, at least we witnessed it through television. On the West Coast, where the Canucks haven’t yet blessed our memory banks with a Stanley Cup after 48 years in the NHL, Thursday was one of those mile markers everyone will remember. April 5, 2018, the night the Sedins won their final home game and were cheered off the ice. Daniel scored twice, including the game winner, and registered 10 shots on net. Henrik set up both goals and attempted six shots, which is about a month’s worth for the all-world playmaker who has just three goals this season. “I get a big bonus at four goals, so I needed to get one,” Henrik joked. “But I didn’t get it. We had 15 seconds of energy (for shifts) and then we were dead tired. That’s not normal. I think our heart rate was through the roof the whole night.” So imagine what they might do Saturday in Edmonton after a couple of good sleeps. 1108094 Websites The fact it came against the Leafs (who had blown a 3-0 lead in that game), and that after scoring, Adams headed straight for the corner to celebrate with the fans before his teammates arrived to mob him. Sportsnet.ca / Brad Fay: My 10 most memorable Canucks games in June 11, 1994 Vancouver Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final. The Canucks would win 4-1 but not without a heart-stopping use of instant replay on a Geoff Courtnall goal Brad Fay | April 6, 2018, 6:17 PM that could not be reviewed until play was finally stopped following a Rangers goal at the other end.

That was only the capper on one of the three or four greatest games in Last night was special. team history. An otherwise nondescript second-to-last game of the year for two teams March 8, 2004 going nowhere became must-see TV. Memorable or notable doesn’t always mean good. But anybody in the Even if, like me, you’re a Canucks fan living in the Eastern time zone and building the night of the Todd Bertuzzi-Steve Moore incident won’t ever saw the game – and its signature moment – carry on well past 1 a.m. ET. forget the ugliest night in team history. Watching the Sedins take their three-hour farewell skate at Rogers April 5, 2008 Arena, being met by a wave of screaming cheers every time they took the ice, got this BC boy reminiscing about where a night like this ranks in Trevor Linden hadn’t officially announced his retirement but it was pretty team lore. clear that this was his plan as the Canucks welcomed the Flames for the home-season finale. And that was before the Hollywood ending that was either “unbelievable” or “expected,” depending how closely you have watched the twins play The third period began with the Flames and Canucks stepping away to since the turn of the century. allow Linden to bask in the adoration of the Vancouver faithful. The victory lap afterwards and the memorable wave as he left the ice are Livestream every single game of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs— etched in Canucks lore. blackout free—plus the Toronto Blue Jays, key Raptors & NBA Playoffs matchups and the 100th Mastercard Memorial Cup, all in one Perhaps the most emotional night in team history (or 1a/1b with the final subscription. item on this list.) ‘Best games’ is one kind of list. The following, while including some that April 26, 2011 would qualify for the former, are the most memorable or notable ever to The Canucks slay the dragon. be played at home – the “had-to-be-there” games at either the Pacific Coliseum or GM Place/Rogers Arena. The games that are likely to be After blowing a 3-0 series lead to the defending champion Blackhawks talked about forever. and a late lead in Game 7 of the first round, there may not have been a more intense event in team history than overtime that night. This top-10 list (in chronological order) is all about the shared experience of a fan base who bared witness and still get asked incredulously, “YOU Alex Burrows steals the puck, fires and scores and the loudest collective WERE THERE?!” exhale in Vancouver sports history morphs into one of the wildest celebrations. Note: I’m not including the franchise’s inaugural game in 1970. Too obvious. June 15, 2011 December 29, 1972 Again, not the best of memories to say the least but this night marked the only time in Canucks history that a game was played on their home ice A Vancouver fan reaches over the glass (yes it’s been elevated a bit with a chance to claim the Stanley Cup. since then), grabs the hair of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Don Saleski and one of the scariest incidents in NHL history unfolded. This game was as big as it gets in terms of historical significance for a team still in search of its first championship. Along with several fights on the ice – standard stuff for the Broad Street Bullies in those days – visiting players also made their way into the seats April 5, 2018 at the Coliseum. In the end, seven Flyers were charged with various offences including swinging sticks at the Canucks faithful. Perfection. Like Derek Jeter’s game-winning RBI in his final-at-bat at , the Sedin’s final home game ended as it should: Henrik May 1, 1982 setting up Daniel (and not the other way around) in overtime, pushing an already emotional evening over the top. In game two of the Campbell Conference final in Chicago two days earlier, Roger Neilsen had waved the white towel in mock surrender to As a lifelong fan, I don’t think I can remember a better crowd at the the officials, late in a loss that evened the series. Coliseum or the new joint. They were on-point the entire night, leaving the two best players in franchise history with no doubt as to what they Two nights later, the Canucks hit the Coliseum ice to a building full of mean to the city. white towels people had brought with them from their homes. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.07.2018 It was a stunning sight that not only started a tradition in Vancouver but one that fans all over hockey have adopted. November 5, 1991 Many who were there still talk about Pavel Bure’s NHL debut as the most electrifying night in Vancouver sports history. For a franchise that never had a true superstar in its first two decades of existence, it’s almost like the packed house at the Coliseum had its collective breath taken away every time the Russian touched the puck. He looked like he was in a video game stuck on fast forward. May 25, 1994 Greg Adams scores 14 seconds into double OT to beat the Maple Leafs in game 5 of the Conference Final and send the Canucks to their second Stanley Cup Final. Many factors combined to push that night over the top, including the improbability of the Canucks heading to the Cup Final. 1108095 Websites #CBJ John Tortorella: "It sucks losing the game. But I’m thrilled for the team. I am absolutely thrilled, with the amount of work they put in … we were almost dead and gone there a couple months ago. I’m thrilled Sportsnet.ca / 6 things we learned: Taylor Hall's playoff drought is over that they get to experience what we’re going to experience here." — Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 6, 2018 Emily Sadler | April 6, 2018, 8:40 AM Panthers keep playoff hopes alive The Florida Panthers aren’t going down without a fight. They edged the Carolina Hurricanes Monday night, squeaked by with a controversial win Taylor Hall punched his ticket to the post-season, the Panthers survived over the Nashville Predators a day later, and then made it three in a row another day, and a city bid farewell to a couple of legends. with a crucial victory against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Here are six things we learned in the NHL on Thursday night. In doing so, the Panthers also played spoiler for the Philadelphia Flyers. Like many hockey fans, the Flyers were also likely glued to the game Hall heading to the playoffs following their own important 4-3 win over the Hurricanes. Had Florida lost to Boston, Philadelphia would’ve clinched the final spot in the East. Eight seasons, 529 games, and one emotional trade later, Taylor Hall is heading to the post-season for the first time in his NHL career. As it stands now, the Flyers sit in the second wild-card spot with 96 points and one game remaining. They’ll need at least one point against The New Jersey Devils made it official at home against the Toronto the lottery-bound New York Rangers this Saturday to clinch, while the Maple Leafs, winning 2-1 to clinch the franchise’s 23rd playoff berth and Panthers (92 points) will need to win both of their final two games (in first since 2012. The fact that it was against the Leafs means Lou addition to the Flyers losing in regulation, of course) to steal the spot Lamoriello has been present for every single one of ‘em — how cool is away. They’ve got the last-place Buffalo Sabres on Saturday followed by that? the Bruins again on Sunday. Lou’s old club has been on a real tear lately, led by Hall and his Hart Bonus: While the most important part of Thursday’s Panthers-Bruins Trophy-worthy campaign. While he didn’t get on the score sheet game was the outcome, it was an especially significant game for Thursday, Hall entered the game on a nine-game point streak with 17 goaltender Roberto Luongo, who joined Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy points (8G, 9A) during that time. In 76 games with the Devils this season, as just the third netminder to play 1,000 career NHL games. the 26-year-old has a career-high 39 goals and 54 assists, and his 93 points is a whopping 42 more than the Devils’ second-best scorer, Nico Predators on top Hischier (19-32—51). This is kind of cool: While the Panthers (or, um, maybe the refs) spoiled Taylor Hall: "I know much has been made about myself, but we're a the Predators’ party Tuesday night with that crazy goalie-interference team that relies on everyone. It might not be points, but for example, non-goal that kept Nashville from locking in the Central Division and Zajac's line, how they shutdown Matthews tonight, that's more important Western Conference’s top seed, they settled the score with their old foes than me going out and getting a second assist on the power play." on Thursday. — Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) April 6, 2018 The Bruins’ regulation loss means the Predators officially claim the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team in the league (115 points) after “Not to rehash it, but just how I got traded here and all we went through clinching the Western Conference and Central Division by defeating the last year, and the way that we’ve been able to kind of overcome Washington Capitals Thursday. It’s their first time earning the honour — everything this season and really play our best hockey down the stretch and probably not their last. here … I’m really proud to be part of this group, and excited for what we can do in the future,” Hall told reporters after the game. Smashville now has home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. This’ll be fun. Hall’s playoff drought is the NHL’s fourth-longest among active NHLers. Jeff Skinner’s remains the longest (577) while Zach Bogosian (552 This will also be fun: games) will take over second place now that Evander Kane (573) will also finally get his first taste of playoff hockey after helping the San Jose With the Nashville Predators clinching first place in the Central Sharks clinch last week. Division, the Jets will play the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. And Nylander makes six — Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) April 6, 2018 The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t exactly struggled in the goal-scoring department lately, sitting third in the league in total goals scored this Vancouver says farewell to its favourite duo season with 266 (tied with the Penguins). Thursday was an emotional night in Vancouver, as the city said goodbye Goals can come from just about anyone on any given night — and this to two of the best to ever represent it at the rink. Just a few days after week, it’s been William Nylander. The Swedish centreman followed up announcing that this season would in fact be their last, Daniel and Henrik Monday’s two-goal, three-point night with another goal Thursday against Sedin suited up for the final home game of their illustrious careers. the Devils, bringing him to 20 on the season. The pair connected on a gorgeous goal to start the second period — No. That means the Maple Leafs now have six players with 20 or more goals 22 on the season for Daniel, assisted by Henrik just 33 seconds into the this season — that’s the most in the league — with Nylander joining frame, because hockey always seems to write the best scripts. James van Riemsdyk, Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri, Patrick Marleau and Mitch Marner. His stat line (20-40-60) is almost identical to that of The game featured more standing ovations for the twins than we could last season, when he tallied 22 goals and 39 assists as a rookie. count, with fans on their feet for just about every shift, culminating in a magical overtime moment as Daniel scored the winner at 2:33 into extra The #leafs have six 20-goal scorers for the first time since 1998-99, time, assisted by his brother. The celebration that followed was pretty when it was Sundin, Berezin, Thomas, Sullivan, Johnson and D. King. incredible. — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 5, 2018 The Sedins will suit up for the final game of their careers this Saturday in Edmonton. Next stop: Hall of Fame. Blue Jackets clinch Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.07.2018 The Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime, but that one point was all they needed to punch their ticket to the post- season. It’s the franchise’s fourth-ever playoff berth, and first time getting into the post-season in back-to-back years. Fitting, too, that the clinching game would come against their biggest playoff foes. The Blue Jackets have faced (and lost to) the Penguins in the first round in their past two playoff appearances, and as things stand right now, they’re on a collision course for another Round 1 meeting next week. 1108096 Websites A solid second half showed some good things from the Maple Leafs. They’re a potent offence when Auston Matthews is healthy, and call-ups Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson could prove to be playoff TSN.CA / Snapshot: Predators finish on top wildcards if Toronto wants to take advantage of the speed that they provide.

Key Injuries: None. Scott Cullen PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (46-29-6)

THIS WEEK: 6 LAST WEEK: 6 The Nashville Predators finish on top of the Snapshot rankings, ahead of the Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning. GF: 3.28 GA: 3.06 SA CF%: 52.3 The Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers are NET PP/60: +9.34 NET PK/60: -6.74 moving up as the season winds down while the Minnesota Wild, Florida The overall picture for the Penguins isn’t ideal; not dominant at even Panthers and Calgary Flames are sliding. strength and the goaltending has been shaky, but they have a (Snapshot is a continuation of the analytically-based Power Rankings devastating power play and if Matt Murray finds his groove in the that I’ve been doing on TSN for many years. They are generated using postseason, they still have the high-end talent to go on a run. statistics and individual player grades, which allows for ranking flexibility Key Injuries: C Derick Brassard (groin). based on player availability due to injuries, suspensions, coaching decisions etc. and are used for the model being measured, with others, WASHINGTON CAPITALS (48-26-7) here.) THIS WEEK: 7 LAST WEEK: 7 NASHVILLE PREDATORS (52-18-11) GF: 3.10 GA: 2.90 SA CF%: 48.5 THIS WEEK: 1 LAST WEEK: 1 NET PP/60: +7.33 NET PK/60: -6.57 GF: 3.17 GA: 2.49 SA CF%: 52.3 They might be flying under the radar a bit compared to the years when NET PP/60: +6.96 NET PK/60: -5.54 they have won the Presidents’ Trophy, but the Capitals have won 11 of 14 down the stretch and don’t have the pressure of expectations, even Maybe it’s nothing, but G Pekka Rinne has a .880 save percentage in his though they will finish on top of the Metropolitan Division. past five starts, which isn’t ideal heading into the playoffs, and that’s contributed to the Predators slumping a bit, but they still finished on top Key Injuries: None. of the standings while playing in the league’s toughest division. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (45-29-7) Key Injuries: RW Calle Jarnkrok (upper body). THIS WEEK: 8 LAST WEEK: 8 WINNIPEG JETS (51-20-10) GF: 2.89 GA: 2.74 SA CF%: 51.7 THIS WEEK: 2 LAST WEEK: 2 NET PP/60: +4.73 NET PK/60: -8.07 GF: 3.32 GA: 2.65 SA CF%: 52.3 One regulation loss in the past 16 games is a pretty nice way to run NET PP/60: +8.06 NET PK/60: -5.51 towards the postseason. The Blue Jackets could use a few more players returning from injury to really give them their best shot in the postseason, The Jets aren’t far behind the Predators, and the teams have different but they’re playing well enough that they will need to be taken seriously. relative strengths – no team can match the depth of talent of Winnipeg’s forwards, while the same may be said for Nashville’s defence. Could be Key Injuries: RW Josh Anderson (knee), LW Nick Foligno (lower body). an interesting matchup if these two clubs meet…in the second round. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (51-23-7) Key Injuries: D Tobias Enstrom (lower body), D Dmitry Kulikov (upper body). THIS WEEK: 9 LAST WEEK: 9 BOSTON BRUINS (49-19-12) GF: 3.30 GA: 2.69 SA CF%: 52.0 THIS WEEK: 3 LAST WEEK: 4 NET PP/60: +6.80 NET PK/60: -5.29 GF: 3.25 GA: 2.56 SA CF%: 53.6 The Golden Knights have slumped over the past six weeks or so and are dealing with some injuries as the playoffs approach. If they can get NET PP/60: +7.32 NET PK/60: -4.55 healthy, and get strong goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury, though, they could still be in line to win a round, maybe two. Even though they are winless in three, and may lose the division to Tampa Bay, the Bruins are getting healthier and that’s been the main Key Injuries: D Luca Sbisa, RW Reilly Smith (upper body), LW David concern as they head towards the postseason. Perron. Key Injuries: D Brandon Carlo (leg), C Riley Nash (head), RW Rick Nash LOS ANGELES KINGS (45-28-8) (upper body). THIS WEEK: 10 LAST WEEK: 11 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (53-23-4) GF: 2.90 GA: 2.44 SA CF%: 49.7 THIS WEEK: 4 LAST WEEK: 3 NET PP/60: +6.95 NET PK/60: -4.40 GF: 3.51 GA: 2.83 SA CF%: 52.6 The Kings have one regulation loss in the past nine games, and certainly NET PP/60: +8.66 NET PK/60: -7.44 have a veteran team that knows what it’s like to win in the postseason, but it would be a little bit easier to have faith in them if they were healthier Even though they have lost four of the past six games, the Lightning on the blueline. have squeaked into the Atlantic Division lead, which would set up a more favourable first-round opponent in the playoffs, but if Tampa Bay doesn’t Key Injuries: D Jake Muzzin (upper body), D Derek Forbort (lower body). have Steven Stamkos healthy for the start of the postseason that would leave them more vulnerable. SAN JOSE SHARKS (45-26-10) Key Injuries: C Steven Stamkos (lower body). THIS WEEK: 11 LAST WEEK: 10 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (48-26-7) GF: 3.01 GA: 2.72 SA CF%: 51.4 THIS WEEK: 5 LAST WEEK: 5 NET PP/60: +7.75 NET PK/60: -4.33 GF: 3.28 GA: 2.81 SA CF%: 50.9 Had gone five straight without a regulation win before beating Colorado Thursday; word has come that C Joe Thornton won’t be ready for the NET PP/60: +8.28 NET PK/60: -5.86 start of the playoffs, but the team has played well in his absence. Key Injuries: C Joe Thornton (knee), D Joakim Ryan (upper body), LW Key Injuries: C Aleksander Barkov (upper body). Evander Kane (arm). COLORADO AVALANCHE (42-30-9) ANAHEIM DUCKS (42-25-13) THIS WEEK: 18 LAST WEEK: 17 THIS WEEK: 12 LAST WEEK: 14 GF: 3.09 GA: 2.89 SA CF%: 47.7 GF: 2.79 GA: 2.58 SA CF%: 48.9 NET PP/60: +6.72 NET PK/60: -5.08 NET PP/60: +5.58 NET PK/60: -4.62 Given where they finished last season, the Avalanche are practically One regulation loss in the past 10 games for a Ducks team that shouldn’t playing with house money, but now that they’re this close, a win against be an easy out in the postseason, though they’d be even tougher if G St. Louis on Saturday to make the playoffs would really be something. John Gibson is healthy because he’s been great this year. Key Injuries: D Erik Johnson (knee), G Semyon Varlamov (knee). Key Injuries: RW Patrick Eaves (Guillain-Barre), D Cam Fowler (shoulder), G John Gibson (upper-body). DALLAS STARS (41-31-8) NEW JERSEY DEVILS (44-28-9) THIS WEEK: 19 LAST WEEK: 19 THIS WEEK: 13 LAST WEEK: 16 GF: 2.80 GA: 2.69 SA CF%: 51.6 GF: 2.96 GA: 2.90 SA CF%: 48.4 NET PP/60: +6.02 NET PK/60: -6.24 NET PP/60: +6.94 NET PK/60: -5.10 Dallas’ March collapse took them right out of the playoff picture, and even though the roster isn’t perfect, by any means, there is enough talent When the Devils’ schedule looked daunting down the stretch, I noted that for this to be a playoff team. if they were going to reach the playoffs, they were really going to earn it, and they have, going 10-2-1 in the past 13 games. Taylor Hall has made Key Injuries: C Martin Hanzal (back), G Ben Bishop (knee). his Hart Trophy case, and Keith Kinkaid has emerged as their better STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: A look at Julius Honka and option between the pipes. defencemen that thrive in a limited role; Dzingel, DeBrincat, Miller and Key Injuries: LW Marcus Johansson (concussion). more. https://t.co/A4wkaVM1oi @TSNAnalytics pic.twitter.com/mqNJzOjaRi STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Hall is making his case for MVP; Benn, Barzal, Panarin, Connor, Pirri and more. https://t.co/ENZGESGlfx — Scott Cullen (@tsnscottcullen) April 5, 2018 @TSNAnalytics pic.twitter.com/V3lWyTSYly CAROLINA HURRICANES (35-35-11) — Scott Cullen (@tsnscottcullen) April 4, 2018 THIS WEEK: 20 LAST WEEK: 22 ST. LOUIS BLUES (43-31-6) GF: 2.74 GA: 3.10 SA CF%: 54.5 THIS WEEK: 14 LAST WEEK: 13 NET PP/60: +5.77 NET PK/60: -8.34 GF: 2.71 GA: 2.70 SA CF%: 51.9 This is not a becoming finish for the league’s top Corsi team but, as NET PP/60: +3.96 NET PK/60: -6.62 always it seems, goaltending continues to pose problems and the ‘Canes could use another finisher or two. They’ve been able to start auditions for Going winless in four has the Blues still fighting for a playoff spot, and next season and there is some potential offence coming. they could settle it in the final game, against Colorado, but a win against Chicago beforehand would offer a bit more cushion to complete this Key Injuries: D Brett Pesce (shoulder), C Victor Rask (shoulder). somewhat unexpected late-season run. EDMONTON OILERS (35-40-6) Key Injuries: RW Robby Fabbri (knee), D Jay Bouwmeester (hip), D Carl THIS WEEK: 21 LAST WEEK: 20 Gunnarsson (knee). GF: 2.80 GA: 3.21 SA CF%: 50.1 MINNESOTA WILD (44-26-11) NET PP/60: +4.23 NET PK/60: -6.99 THIS WEEK: 15 LAST WEEK: 12 Connor McDavid has put up 106 points on a team that has been utterly GF: 3.01 GA: 2.79 SA CF%: 47.7 abysmal without him on the ice, and the challenge for the Oilers is to NET PP/60: +6.69 NET PK/60: -5.66 make the moves needed this offseason so that they aren’t looking to the lottery again next season, because wasting peak McDavid years can’t be 5-4-4 in the past 13 games, the Wild are staggering towards the a thing. postseason, currently missing their top defence pairing. That doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence. Key Injuries: LW Mike Cammalleri, D Oscar Klefbom (shoulder). Key Injuries: D Jared Spurgeon (knee), D Ryan Suter (fibula). NEW YORK ISLANDERS (34-37-10) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (41-26-14) THIS WEEK: 22 LAST WEEK: 23 THIS WEEK: 16 LAST WEEK: 18 GF: 3.17 GA: 3.58 SA CF%: 47.2 GF: 3.01 GA: 2.91 SA CF%: 49.5 NET PP/60: +6.52 NET PK/60: -8.74 NET PP/60: +5.73 NET PK/60: -8.62 John Tavares and Mathew Barzal are tied for the team scoring lead with 83 points, which is impressive, but fixing the defence and dealing with The Flyers have one regulation loss in the past 10 games, yet they’re still Tavares’ free agency are going to make for a really challenging summer. trying to fight off Florida for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Goaltending has been a problem area, and the return of Key Injuries: D Calvin De Haan (shoulder). Brian Elliott may help, but it might not. CALGARY FLAMES (36-35-10) Key Injuries: None. THIS WEEK: 23 LAST WEEK: 21 FLORIDA PANTHERS (42-30-8) GF: 2.58 GA: 2.99 SA CF%: 53.0 THIS WEEK: 17 LAST WEEK: 15 NET PP/60: +4.71 NET PK/60: -6.96 GF: 2.96 GA: 2.98 SA CF%: 49.7 In case there was some doubt about whether the Flames could have NET PP/60: +5.75 NET PK/60: -5.49 been a playoff team (they should have been), they have dropped nine of 10 down the stretch as their injured list grows. Can the Panthers force a play-in game by winning their last two? Their chances would probably be enhanced by the availability of C Aleksander Barkov, who was hurt late in Thursday’s win over Boston. Key Injuries: LW Kris Versteeg (hip), LW Matthew Tkachuk (upper body), NET PP/60: +6.58 NET PK/60: -8.37 D T.J. Brodie (upper body), C Sean Monahan (wrist), D Travis Hamonic upper body). Say this for the Canadiens: four regualtion wins in the past 17 games is helping their chances in the lottery. They might be able to turn this ARIZONA COYOTES (29-40-12) around quickly, but a lot will have to go right for that to happen and, after this season, who is expecting a lot to go right here? THIS WEEK: 24 LAST WEEK: 25 Key Injuries: RW Ales Hemsky (concussion), D Shea Weber (foot), LW GF: 2.54 GA: 3.06 SA CF%: 47.8 Max Pacioretty (knee), C Phillip Danault (neck), C Andrew Shaw (head). NET PP/60: +4.88 NET PK/60: -7.02 OTTAWA SENATORS (28-41-11) Over the past two months, the Coyotes are 17-8-3. It’s likely to cost them THIS WEEK: 30 LAST WEEK: 31 spots in the lottery, but there is probably something to having a young team realize it can win in this league, because that was surely in doubt GF: 2.71 GA: 3.44 SA CF%: 46.5 through the first four months of the season. NET PP/60: +4.85 NET PK/60: -7.90 Key Injuries: D Jason Demers (upper body), D Niklas Hjalmarsson (lower body), C Christian Dvorak (lower body), D Jakob Chychrun (lower body). The Sens had gone 10 straight without a regulation win before winning in Buffalo on Wednesday, and now it's time to worry about Erik Karlsson's NEW YORK RANGERS (34-38-9) future in the nation's capital. Fun! THIS WEEK: 26 LAST WEEK: 24 Key Injuries: LW Clarke MacArthur (concussion), RW Mark Stone (leg). GF: 2.81 GA: 3.19 SA CF%: 45.2 BUFFALO SABRES (25-43-12) NET PP/60: +6.92 NET PK/60: -5.75 THIS WEEK: 31 LAST WEEK: 30 It’s been interesting to see the Rangers hold tryouts for next season. GF: 2.38 GA: 3.34 SA CF%: 46.4 Neal Pionk, John Gilmour, Rob O’Gara and Ryan Sproul have all been playing on defence, but serious work is going to be needed in the NET PP/60: +4.83 NET PK/60: -6.39 summer to fix this group. It’s exciting to secure the best odds at the first pick in the draft, especially Key Injuries: D Kevin Shattenkirk (knee), D Anthony DeAngelo (ankle), when the pick could be a franchise defenceman like Rasmus Dahlin, but RW Jesper Fast (groin). 18.5% still means that there is more than a four-in-five chance that the Sabres don’t get the top pick. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (33-37-10) Key Injuries: D Zach Bogosian (hip), D Jake McCabe (thumb), LW THIS WEEK: 25 LAST WEEK: 26 Zemgus Girgensons (face), G Robin Lehner. GF: 2.83 GA: 3.08 SA CF%: 52.7 TSN.CA LOADED: 04.07.2018 NET PP/60: +5.05 NET PK/60: -7.16 On one hand, I don’t mind the Blackhawks going forward with GM Stan Bowman and Coach Q but, on the other hand, it’s also concerning if they think that this core can still be a Cup contender. Key Injuries: G Corey Crawford (upper body), RW Anthony Duclair (knee), C Jonathan Toews (upper body) DETROIT RED WINGS (30-39-12) THIS WEEK: 27 LAST WEEK: 27 GF: 2.58 GA: 3.09 SA CF%: 48.3 NET PP/60: +5.11 NET PK/60: -6.74 After missing the playoffs for a second straight season, the Red Wings are going to get forced into rebuilding, though their efforts are also going to be hindered by some of the contracts they handed out during the streak of playoff appearances. Key Injuries: D Mike Green (back). VANCOUVER CANUCKS (31-40-10) THIS WEEK: 28 LAST WEEK: 29 GF: 2.67 GA: 3.17 SA CF%: 47.2 NET PP/60: +7.12 NET PK/60: -6.99 5-0-1 in the past six games, the Canucks aren’t helping their lottery positioning, but are also putting forth a respectable finish to the career of the Sedins. Key Injuries: RW Derek Dorsett (neck), LW Markus Granlund (ankle), LW Loui Eriksson (rib), LW Sven Baertschi (shoulder), RW Brock Boeser (back), D Erik Gudbranson (shoulder), D Ben Hutton (foot), D Chris Tanev (leg). STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: The Sedins finish in style in their last home game, Brown has a career night, Kessel, Smith, Kuznetsov, Deslauriers, McDavid and more. https://t.co/rXVjPdukGu @TSNAnalytics pic.twitter.com/JE3mYhKtCl — Scott Cullen (@tsnscottcullen) April 6, 2018 MONTREAL CANADIENS (29-39-13) THIS WEEK: 29 LAST WEEK: 28 GF: 2.53 GA: 3.14 SA CF%: 49.7 1108097 Websites loss to Montreal, giving him eight points (3 G, 5 A) during a five-game point streak…Oilers RW Ty Rattie contributed a goal and an assist in a 4- 3 win over Vegas. He had gone four games without a point, but has nine TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Sedins with a superb send-off points (5 G, 4 A) in 13 games since getting called up from the AHL…Wild C Mikko Koivu picked up three assists in a 5-4 overtime defeat at Los Angeles; he had two points (1 G, 1 A) in his previous nine games…Wild D Mathew Dumba added a goal and an assist while Wild RW Mikael Scott Cullen Granlund chipped in a couple of assists. Dumba has 11 points (4 G, 7 A) in the past 11 games and Granlund has seven points (1 G, 6 A) in the

past six games…Kings D Christian Folin and LW Tanner Pearson both The Sedins finish in style in their last home game, Brown has a career had a pair of assists in a 5-4 OT win against Minnesota. Folin had one night, Kessel, Smith, Kuznetsov, Deslauriers, McDavid and more in Scott assists in his previous 13 games and Pearson ended a four-game Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. scoreless slump…Sharks C Logan Couture produced a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win against Colorado, giving him 12 points (7 G, 5 A) in HEROES the past 12 games. Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin – The Twins played their last home game Penguins LW Carl Hagelin had a ridiculous game (20 for, 2 against, 90.9 and finished in style, with Daniel scoring a pair of goals, including the CF%, 12-1 scoring chances) in a 5-4 OT win at Columbus…Capitals D overtime winner, both set up by Henrik, in a 4-3 victory against Arizona. John Carlson and LW Alex Ovechkin combined for 27 shot attempts in a 4-3 loss to Nashville…Sharks D Brent Burns fired 14 shot attempts (7 Dustin Brown – On most other nights, Brown would be the lead after he SOG) in a 4-2 win against Colorado. Avalanche C Nathan MacKinnon racked up four goals on 11 shot attempts (7 SOG) in a 5-4 overtime win countered with a dozen shot attempts (5 SOG) at San Jose. against Minnesota. He’s put up 15 points (8 G, 7 A) in the past 11 games and the 33-year-old has gone for a career-high 61 points this season. Islanders G Jaroslav Halak had 34 saves on 35 shots in a 2-1 win vs. the Rangers. He had a .874 save percentage in his previous nine Phil Kessel – The Penguins sniper tallied two goals, including the games…Devils G Keith Kinkaid turned away 31 of 32 shots in a 2-1 win overtime winner, and an assist in a 5-4 victory at Columbus. He has 24 over Toronto. He’s been terrific in New Jersey’s playoff push, posting a points (9 G, 15 A) in the past 20 games and has a career-high 90 points. .931 save percentage in his past eight games…Jets G Connor Craig Smith – Nashville’s winger scored two goals in a 4-3 win at Hellebuyck had 31 saves on 32 shots in a 2-1 win vs. Calgary, giving him Washington, clinching the Presidents’ Trophy for the Predators. He has a .930 save percentage in his past 13 games…Maple Leafs G Frederik six points (4 G, 2 A) in the past five games and has a career-high 25 Andersen stopped 37 of 39 shots in a 2-1 loss at New Jersey. He had a goals. .884 save percentage in his previous 10 games. Evgeny Kuznetsov – Washington’s playmaking pivot produced a pair of FIRSTS goals and added an assist in a 4-3 loss to Nashville. He has 18 points (7 Spencer Foo - The Flames winger scored his first NHL goal in his third G, 11 A) in the past 10 games, giving him a career-high 82 points in 78 game, a 2-1 loss at Winnipeg. games. TSN.CA LOADED: 04.07.2018 Nicolas Deslauriers – The Canadiens winger scored twice in a 4-3 win at Detroit; he had one goal in his previous 18 games, but has a career-high 10 goals this year. Connor McDavid – Edmonton’s superstar centre earned three assists in a 4-3 win against Vegas, giving him 35 points (14 G, 21 A) in the previous 20 games and he’s up to a league-leading 106 points in 81 games. ZEROES Andreas Athanasiou – Detroit’s skilled winger had a rough night (2 for, 18 against, 10.0 CF%, 2-7 scoring chances) in a 4-3 loss to Montreal. Mark Letestu – The Blue Jackets veteran struggled (2 for, 11 against, 15.4 CF%, 0-8 scoring chances) in a 5-4 overtime loss to Pittsburgh. VITAL SIGNS Brian Elliott – Philadelphia’s veteran netminder returned to the Flyers lineup, making his first start since February 10. He was a little shaky, but stopped 19 of 22 shots in a 4-3 win vs. Carolina. SHORT SHIFTS Claude Giroux has bounced back from a down year to post a career-high 99 points with one game remaining. Flyers LW Claude Giroux contributed a goal and an assist against Carolina; he has 16 points (5 G, 11 A) during a nine-game point streak, and is up to a career-best 99 points on the season…Flyers C Sean Couturier and D Shayne Gostisbehere both had two assists in a 4-3 win over Carolina. Couturier had two points (1 G, 1 A) in the previous six games, and Gostisbehere has 14 points (3 G, 11 A) in the past 12 games…Predators C Ryan Johansen and D Roman Josi both had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win at Washington. Johansen has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in the past eight games and Josi has 21 points (5 G, 16 A) in the past 20 games…Predators D Ryan Ellis and C Kyle Turris both added a pair of assists. Ellis has eight points (2 G, 6 A) in the past seven games and Turris has 12 points (4 G, 8 A) in the past 13 games…Devils LW Patrick Maroon picked up a pair of assists in a 2-1 win against Toronto, ending a six-game scoreless drought…Penguins RW Patric Hornqvist had a goal and an assist in a 5-4 overtime win at Columbus, giving him eight points (5 G, 3 A) during a six-game point streak…Penguins D Justin Schultz added a couple of assists; he has six assists in the past six games…Blue Jackets LW Artemi Panarin and C Pierre-Luc Dubois both earned a pair of assists in a 5-4 OT loss to Pittsburgh. Panarin is shredding the league, with 29 points (9 G, 20 A) in the past 16 games and Dubois has nine points (5 G, 4 A) during a five-game point streak…Red Wings C Dylan Larkin recorded a goal and an assist in a 4-3 1108098 Websites The argument I'm effectively putting forth in favour of Honka is not even about him specifically, but it’s about a broader issue and is more about possible coaching and management blind spots. As brilliant and TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Honka still trying to crack the lineup accomplished as Ken Hitchcock has been as a head coach, for example, he doesn’t have much of a history of playing undersized puck-moving defencemen. That’s hardly a unique position among veteran NHL head coaches, and one that should be interesting moving forward because Scott Cullen there does appear to be a trend towards accepting smaller defencemen in the game. In the 2018 Draft, for example, Adam Boqvist and Quinton

Hughes are sub-6-foot defencemen expected to go in the first half dozen A look at Julius Honka and defencemen that thrive in a limited role; picks or so. That situation would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Dzingel, DeBrincat, Miller and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Evaluating defencemen is difficult enough but there are some who can Speaking. produce favourable overall results if given the opportunity. At the risk of dipping a toe into the Honka Wars, I’m going to look at A couple of examples (there are more)… some defencemen that have thrived in limited opportunities this season. Cody Franson may not paint the prettiest picture on the ice, but he has In the hockey analytics community, there can be a tendency to argue in consistently posted strong shot differentials, and the Blackhawks were favour of seventh defencemen, players that the numbers suggest might outshooting and outscoring the opposition with Franson on the ice this deserve more regular playing time and are perceived as being wronged season when he was waived, and every other team in the league passed by the hockey men that make out the lineup. Think of the Toronto Maple on picking up the rest of his one-year, $1-million deal. Leafs, where they use Roman Polak ahead of Connor Carrick on a regular basis, and it’s those lineup decisions that seem to draw more Also consider Derrick Pouliot, a 2012 first-round pick who couldn’t land a intensive interest from those looking at the numbers. regular spot on the Pittsburgh blueline, playing 67 NHL games over three seasons, before he was traded to Vancouver. One of the defencemen that has landed into this discussion is Stars defenceman Julius Honka, the 14th pick in the 2014 Draft, who has Pouliot is not a star, but he was a serviceable NHL defenceman this struggled to earn regular playing time in Dallas this season, despite season after he found an opportunity with a team that needed to take a posting strong possession stats in his limited duty. chance on his upside, and maybe Honka needs that kind of opportunity if he’s not going to get it in Dallas. Here are the defencemen that played fewer than 14 minutes per game at 5-on-5 (minimum 20 games) and had favourable relative possession Wouldn’t rebuilding teams like Buffalo, Detroit, Vancouver or the Rangers stats. make some sense as a landing spot? On a team without expectations, Honka could be dressed regularly and given an opportunity to sink or Will Butcher New Jersey 79 12:53 53.0 swim; to show whether or not he’s a legitimate NHL defenceman. 5.8 55.2 6.1 53.5 At this point, he’s not playing enough to have a great answer one way or Anthony DeAngelo N.Y. Rangers 32 13:58 49.6 the other. 5.5 48.2 1.7 31.9 From Wednesday’s games… Christian Djoos Washington 62 13:20 51.7 4.8 51.9 8.3 57.5 HEROES Ben Lovejoy New Jersey 55 13:13 52.4 Ryan Dzingel – The Senators winger had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 4.6 55.1 6.5 50.0 win at Buffalo; he has six points (1 G, 5 A) in the past seven games. Tim Heed San Jose 29 12:20 55.1 4.1 59.9 Alex DeBrincat – Chicago’s rookie sniper had a goal and an assist in a 4- 10.6 57.7 3 win at St. Louis, and he’s finishing strong, with 10 points (6 G, 4 A) in the past nine games. Julius Honka Dallas 40 11:25 53.2 4.0 55.7 2.6 55.6 Ryan Miller – Filling in for an injured John Gibson, the veteran Ducks netminder stopped 26 of 27 shots in a 3-1 win against Minnesota. He has MacKenzie Weegar Florida 57 13:37 51.7 3.7 a .951 save percentage in his past seven appearances. 50.0 2.5 55.0 ZEROES Alex Biega Vancouver 42 13:46 50.4 3.7 51.1 6.0 54.6 Colin White – The Senators rookie winger had a tough game (4 for, 14 against, 22.2 CF%, 2-7 scoring chances) in a 4-2 win at Buffalo. Nick Jensen Detroit 79 13:52 51.5 3.6 49.2 0.9 44.6 Dmitrij Jaskin and Tage Thompson – The Blues forwards struggled (9 for, 15 against, 37.5 CF%, 4-8 scoring chances) and were on the ice for two Mikhail Sergachev Tampa Bay 78 12:58 53.8 goals against in a 4-3 loss to Chicago. 2.8 54.9 2.9 59.3 David Kampf – The Blackhawks rookie centre was on the wrong side of There are a lot of sixth and seventh defencemen there, but some of the puck (6 for, 20 against, 23.1 CF%, 4-12 scoring chances) and was on those players are young guys who haven't yet been given more the ice for two goals against in a 4-3 win at St. Louis. responsbility. Butcher, Djoos, Heed, Weegar, and Sergachev are all rookies. Nate Prosser and Carson Soucy – Minneota’s third pair was on the wrong side of the puck (9 for, 18 against, 33.3 CF%) and on the ice for Maybe Honka is like David Rundblad, a player who puts up stellar two goals against in a 3-1 loss at Anaheim. numbers in spot duty, but ultimately didn’t fit in the league. In Rundblad’s final years, from 2013 through 2016, his relative Corsi ranked 13th VITAL SIGNS among defencemen with at least 500 5-on-5 minutes, fitting between P.K. Subban and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. This obviously doesn’t mean Bobby Ryan – The Senators winger suffered a lower-body injury at Rundblad is their equivalent, but he was hanging in pretty good company Buffalo and was forced to leave the game. for a player that couldn’t even secure regular spot in the league. SHORT SHIFTS Often the first disclaimer for a part-time player putting up stellar shot differentials is to cite the player’s usage. This certainly applies in Honka’s Blues C Brayden Schenn and RW Vladimir Tarasenko both had a goal case, as he had the most sheltered usage among Stars defencemen, and an assist in a 4-3 loss to Chicago. Schenn has nine points (3 G, 6 A) facing easier opposition and rarely starting shifts in the defensive zone. in the past 10 games and Tarasenko has eight points (6 G, 2 A) in the past seven games…Senators LW Alex Burrows had a goal and an assist The question, then, is if Honka is succeeding in his sheltered role, why in a 4-2 win at Buffalo. He had no points in his previous eight has he not been getting more challenging opportunities? It’s one thing to games…Ducks defencemen Francois Beauchemin and Josh Manson say that that coaching staff doesn’t trust him – his usage and ice time both had two assists in a 3-1 win over Minnesota. Beauchemin has six make that abundantly clear – but why would they not trust him even points (1 G, 5 A) in the past seven games and Manson has four points (1 relative to players who are producing tangibly worse results? For G, 3 A) in the past six games. example, before he was traded to Pittsburgh, Jamie Oleksiak was ahead of Honka on the Stars’ defensive depth chart this season, but was getting FIRSTS crushed in that role. Blake Hillman – Chicago’s rookie defenceman scored his first NHL goal, in his second NHL game, a 4-3 win at St. Louis. TSN.CA LOADED: 04.07.2018 1108099 Websites Mathew Barzal – The Islanders’ Calder Trophy front-runner scored two goals and added an assist in a 5-4 win over Philadelphia. He has 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in the past 11 games and is up to 82 points for the TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Power play helps Hall's case for Hart season. Artemi Panarin – Columbus’ talented playmaker is wreaking havoc down the stretch. He produced a goal and two assists in a 5-4 overtime win Scott Cullen against Detroit, and has put up 27 points (9 G, 18 A) in the past 15 games to hit a career-high 80 points.

Kyle Connor – The Jets’ freshman winger had a goal and two assists in a Hall is making his case for MVP; Benn, Barzal, Panarin, Connor, Pirri and 5-4 overtime win at Montreal. He has 14 points (8 G, 6 A) in the past 11 more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. games, and has taken over the rookie goal-scoring lead with 30. Not bad for a guy who started the season in the American Hockey League. New Jersey’s star left winger, Taylor Hall, continued his push for Hart Trophy consideration, lighting up the Rangers for two goals and two Brandon Pirri – The Golden Knights’ 26-year-old forward scored two assists in a 5-2 victory. He has 17 points (8 G, 9 A) during a nine-game goals in his first NHL game of the season, a 5-4 shootout win at point streak, and is up to a career-high 93 points in 75 games this Vancouver. He had previously played 226 games for the Blackhawks, season. Panthers, Ducks, and Rangers, but was in the AHL this season, where he put up 51 points (29 G, 22 A) in 54 games. The biggest difference for Hall in this career season is power-play production, as he’s tallied 37 points with the man advantage this year, ZEROES ranking third in the league behind Phil Kessel and Blake Wheeler (What do they all have in common? All three have been traded by Peter Troy Brouwer, Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik – The Flames trio was Chiarelli!). Hall’s previous high was 21 power play points, set in 2011- on the ice for three goals against in a 4-1 loss to Arizona. 2012. Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture and Mikkel Boedker – The Sharks line was That also means Hall has recorded an unusually high percentage of on the ice for three goals against in a 4-2 loss at Dallas. points relative to goals scored by the Devils on the power play when he’s on the ice. David Backes – Boston’s veteran winger was on the ice for three goals against in a 4-0 loss at Tampa Bay. Here are the players with at least 30 power-play points compared to how many power-play goals their team scored when they are on the ice with VITAL SIGNS the man advantage: Damon Severson – The Devils continued to make their 23-year-old Blake Wheeler Winnipeg RW 39 45 86.67% blueliner a healthy scratch, which is interesting given how important these games are for New Jersey as they try to clinch a playoff berth. Taylor Hall New Jersey LW 37 45 82.22% Nikita Scherbak – Montreal’s rookie winger suffered a concussion against Winnipeg. Evgeni Malkin Pittsburgh C 36 46 78.26% Mike McKenna – The 34-year-old goaltender, who has spent the vast majority of his career in the American Hockey League, entered the Stars Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay RW 36 46 game in relief of Kari Lehtonen and stopped all 17 shots that he faced in 78.26% a 4-2 win at San Jose. Josh Bailey N.Y. Islanders RW 30 40 SHORT SHIFTS 75.00% John Tavares is up to 83 points for the season. Jakub Voracek Philadelphia RW 35 47 74.47% Islanders LW Anthony Beauvillier had a goal and two assists in a 5-4 win over Philadelphia, giving him 10 points (6 G, 4 A) in the past seven Steven Stamkos Tampa Bay C 33 45 games…Islanders C John Tavares scored a pair of goals, and has 19 73.33% points (6 G, 13 A) in the past 15 games…Islanders RW Jordan Eberle added a couple of assists against the Flyers. He has 12 points (2 G, 10 Phil Kessel Pittsburgh RW 40 56 A) in the past 12 games…Flyers C Nolan Patrick scored two goals and 71.43% added an assist in a 5-4 loss at the Islanders. He has five points (3 G, 2 A) in the past six games…Flyers LW Claude Giroux had a goal and an Patrik Laine Winnipeg RW 30 42 71.43% assist, and has 14 points (4 G, 10 A) during an eight-game point Nathan MacKinnon Colorado C 31 44 70.45% streak…Flyers D Shayne Gostisbehere contributed a couple of assists, giving him 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in the past eight games…Devils D Will Claude Giroux Philadelphia LW 35 50 Butcher scored two goals in a 5-2 win against the Rangers and has 14 70.00% points (3 G, 11 A) in the past 14 games…Devils C Travis Zajac added a goal and an assist, giving him four points (1 G, 3 A) in the past four Shayne Gostisbehere Philadelphia D 32 games…Red Wings LW Tyler Bertuzzi scored a pair of goals in a 5-4 46 69.57% overtime loss at Columbus. He has five points (4 G, 1 A) in the past six John Tavares N.Y. Islanders C 30 44 games…Red Wings C Henrik Zetterberg contributed three assists and 68.18% has six assists in the past six games…Blue Jackets RW Cam Atkinson scored two goals in a 5-4 overtime win vs. Detroit, and has 24 points (13 John Carlson Washington D 31 46 G, 11 A) in the past 19 games…Blue Jackets D Seth Jones added three 67.39% helpers and RW Oliver Bjorkstrand had two assists against the Red Wings. Jones has 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in the past 10 games, while Mikko Rantanen Colorado RW 33 49 67.35% Bjorkstrand had one assist in his previous seven games…Playing his first Sidney Crosby Pittsburgh C 36 56 game in two-and-a-half weeks, Jets rookie RW Jack Roslovic produced a 64.29% goal and an assist in a 5-4 overtime win at Montreal, his second straight multi-point game…Canadiens LW Alex Galchenyuk had a goal and an Alex Ovechkin Washington LW 30 50 assist in a 5-4 overtime loss to Winnipeg and has 11 points (3 G, 8 A) in 60.00% the past 11 games…Lightning RW Ryan Callahan and D Braydon Coburn both had a pair of assists in a 4-0 win against Boston. Callahan Hall has 55 even-strength points, which is good, but is tied for 14th in the had one assist in his previous 12 games while Coburn matched his league and ranks as his second-highest even-strength production of his production from the previous 16 games…Coyotes LW Max Domi earned career (having recorded 62 even-strength points in 2013-2014). a couple of assists in a 4-1 win at Calgary, giving him 12 points (4 G, 8 A) It’s been a fantastic season and Hall is going to be in the Hart Trophy in the past nine games…Golden Knights C William Karlsson continued his offensive assault with one goal and two assists in a 5-4 overtime win discussion thanks to his power play production. at Vancouver. He has 12 points (4 G, 8 A) during a five-game point HEROES streak…Golden Knights RW Alex Tuch and D Colin Miller both had a pair of assists. Tuch has five points (2 G, 3 A) in the past five games and Jamie Benn – Dallas’ captain notched a hat trick in a 4-2 win at San Miller had no points in his previous seven games…Canucks LW Nikolay Jose, giving him 21 points (11 G, 10 A) in the past 19 games. Goldobin scored twice during a 5-4 overtime loss to Vegas; he has six points (3 G, 3 A) in the past seven games…Canucks C Brandon Sutter contributed a goal and an assist, and has eight points (5 G, 3 A) in the past eight games…Montreal’s line of Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher controlled play (13 for, 2 against, 86.7 CF%, 7-0 scoring chances) in a 5-4 overtime loss to Winnipeg. Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy turned away all 33 shots that he faced in a 4-0 win against Boston. He had a .873 save percentage in his previous seven starts…Panthers G Roberto Luongo stopped 45 of 46 shots in a 2- 1 win against Nashville, to keep Florida’s playoff hopes alive. He has a .932 save percentage in his past 14 games…Coyotes G Antti Raanta had 42 saves on 43 shots in a 4-1 win at Calgary and has a .954 save percentage in his past 16 games. FIRSTS Sami Niku – A 2015 seventh-round pick by the Jets, the 21-year-old defenceman scored a goal in his NHL debut, a 5-4 overtime win at Montreal. He had 52 points (15 G, 37 A) in 71 AHL games to earn this late-season promotion. Dylan Gambrell – A second-round pick of the Sharks in 2016, the 21- year-old centre made his NHL debut for San Jose. He had 43 points (13 G, 30 A) in 41 games as a junior at Denver University this season. Alex Broadhurst – Undrafted out of junior, where he finished with the London Knights, the 25-year-old centre made his NHL debut for Columbus against Detroit. He had 41 points (19 G, 22 A) in 66 AHL games before getting the call. TSN.CA LOADED: 04.07.2018