Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips
March 2-3, 2020
Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02 The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets veterans know playoff opportunities can’t be wasted
PAGE 04 The Columbus Dispatch: Jody Shelley believes the Blue Jackets will stay in playoff chase
PAGE 06 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ Ryan Murray adept at dealing with setbacks
PAGE 08 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 3 | Jackets roar back with third-period charge
PAGE 09 The Athletic: A late surge, power play shines, Ryan Murray returns, and other observations
PAGE 13 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ Josh Anderson has shoulder surgery, is out four to six months
PAGE 14 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 3 | The 3-2-1 breakdown
Cleveland Monsters/Prospects
NHL/Websites PAGE 18 The Athletic: The Athletic’s NHL Power Rankings: New leader emerges for March to the playoffs
PAGE 26 The Athletic: How the spreading coronavirus is impacting the NHL
PAGE 29 The Athletic: DGB weekend power rankings: Sorting through trades, streaks and one major injury
PAGE 35 Sportsnet: 'The process works': NHL opts not to crush EBUG dreams at GM meetings
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The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets veterans know playoff opportunities can’t be wasted
By Brian Hedger – March 1, 2020
The longer guys stick around the NHL, stacking one season on top of the last, there gets to be a point where the perspective changes.
They get older, see the picture with a wider lens and begin to realize something that drives every single veteran currently playing for one of the league’s 31 teams.
Careers, they begin to see, do have a shelf life in the NHL. Games and seasons can pass with a blur, and there are only so many opportunities in a player’s life to compete for the Stanley Cup.
“I remember when I was young and it was definitely a different viewpoint than what I have now, knowing what I know now,” said Blue Jackets forward Riley Nash, whose past three seasons in Columbus and Boston were his only postseason appearances in a nine-year career that started with the Carolina Hurricanes. “You don’t get many cracks at it. The first four years of my career, we missed the playoffs every year and we weren’t even close. You never really know how many opportunities you’re going to get.”
Welcome to the stretch run of the Blue Jackets’ season, which was teetering precariously on the edge of a proverbial cliff going into a game against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night at Nationwide Arena.
The Jackets clung to the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, a single point ahead of the Hurricanes (75 points) and two ahead of the New York Rangers (74), but they’d lost 10 of 11 games (1-5- 5) and had played two more games than both teams nipping at their heels.
Coming off their first consecutive regulation losses since early December, both to the Minnesota Wild last week, the veterans inside the Blue Jackets locker room knew better than anybody what exactly was at stake.
“At this point in the season, it’s the older guys who need to show the way and show how we need to play,” said defenseman David Savard, who has helped the Blue Jackets qualify for the playoffs four times in his nine-year career with the team. “We’ve got to treat every game right now as a playoff game if we want to get in.
“It’s the older guys who’ve been in that situation before, who need to lead the way.”
Things could spiral downward in a hurry if they can’t, which would be a bitter way to end an otherwise impressive season. Despite leading the NHL in man-games lost, a metric that tracks the league’s most injured teams, the Jackets somehow managed to climb back into the playoff race.
Even as their injury list rose to double figures, they went 19-2-5 between Dec. 9 and Feb. 7 to claw back from an 11-point deficit into a playoff spot. But losing defenseman Seth Jones and forward Cam Atkinson on Feb. 8 against Colorado sent them reeling, and then their leading goal-scorer, Oliver Bjorkstrand, suffered a fractured ankle Feb. 20 against Philadelphia.
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Belief in the Blue Jackets is low to nonexistent outside the team’s parameters, as it’s been most of the season, but remains high among those healthy enough to play. The Jackets are saying all the right things, but their actions need to speak even louder in their final 15 games.
“We just need to have that urgency,” Nash said. “We need to know what’s at stake. We’re right in the thick of things right now. There’s no time to have a pity party or wallow in what’s going on.
“It’s the playoffs, basically, this time of year. It’s just having the intensity each and every play from the drop of the puck and realizing what’s at stake.”
Gerbe out with groin injury
Blue Jackets forward Nathan Gerbe will miss one to two weeks because of a groin injury, it was announced Sunday.
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The Columbus Dispatch: Jody Shelley believes the Blue Jackets will stay in playoff chase
By Michael Arace – March 1, 2020
Jody Shelley, the television analyst covering the Blue Jackets, has a certain quality that is increasingly rare in his profession. He is a former player with a trove of knowledge, including the knowledge that he doesn’t know everything. Also, his voice smiles, which is a wonderful quality to have over an 82-game slog.
Shelley picked up the phone when Cannon Fodder called Friday morning, and per usual, he had some pearls to offer to our hockey podcast.
The Jackets are entering the boggiest patch of this season’s slog, and their work boots are looking heavy. Yet Shelley remains sanguine when it comes to the Jackets’ playoff chances.
“This is a team you can get behind because they won’t quit,” Shelley said. “I think it’s going to come down to the final (two games), home with Tampa and on the road at Carolina. I think that’s what kind of end it’s going to be to this season. That weekend (April 3-4) could be the weekend.”
Note: This analysis was delivered Friday morning — before the puck dropped on an ugly 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Nationwide Arena. If you polled the standing-room patrons among the crowd 18,955 — the fourth-largest gate of the season — their level of confidence might not have been as high as Shelley’s.
These Jackets have handled more injury problems than Elk & Elk. That they are still in the playoff hunt with 16 games to go is a remarkable testament to their character. The question now is what they have left.
The Jackets have lost 10 of their last 11 games (1-5-5). Their one irreplaceable player, defenseman Seth Jones, suffered an ankle injury Feb. 10 and had surgery. In 10 games without him, the Jackets have allowed 39 goals. That’s 3.9 per. Contrast: In their first 57 games, they allowed 2.43 per.
“I think every team thinks they have a No. 1 defender until they get one and they lose him,” Shelley said. “I feel like Seth Jones, he conducts the play when he’s on the ice and there’s no one else in this organization that can do that. He controls the game.”
He has a little Nicklas Lidstrom in him?
“There’s definitely a little Lidstrom in him, and you can say that confidently,” Shelley said. “(Losing Jones) is the biggest loss they’ve ever had — by far.”
Lidstrom is among the 10 best defensemen of all time. Top three, probably. Jones has that kind of talent. Next contract, he should be making that kind of money. (San Jose’s Erik Karlsson, who carries an annual salary cap hit of $11.5 million, is the highest-paid in the league. Right now, I’d take Jones.)
Now, getting back to Shelley’s sanguine take on the Jackets’ playoff push, and it coming down to the last two games of the regular season … it’s looking like a best-case scenario.
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Take out Jones and a raft of other injured veterans and patch up the roster with rookies and American Hockey League players, and the margin for error and matchup problems can proliferate. This is especially true on the road, where opposing coaches have the second change and can better target the Jackets’ younger forwards and lesser defensive pairs.
“You can get exploited if you’re not careful,” Shelley said. “That’s why that hole is even bigger with Jones out.”
The Jackets, beginning with a game Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks at Nationwide Arena, have 16 games remaining, including 10 on the road. They head for western Canada this week. In the final stretch, they’ll play six of their last eight games on the road — all but one against playoff teams or teams in the playoff race.
On Saturday, April 4, the last day of the regular season, they will sit idle as the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers, among others, decide the fate of the wild cards in the East.
It ain’t over yet but, golly, it doesn’t look promising. More optimistic fans might think of it this way: Philly has five sets of back-to-backs left, the Islanders have a wicked trip at mid-month, Carolina has no goaltending, and as for the Rangers, they just lost Chris Kreider.
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The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ Ryan Murray adept at dealing with setbacks
By Brian Hedger – March 1, 2020
His laughter wasn’t because the question was funny.
There is nothing funny about Ryan Murray’s back problems, which have bothered the Blue Jackets’ 26- year-old defenseman for three straight seasons. However, when you’ve missed as much time as him, it’s understandable that a chuckle escaped when asked how he remains positive through each ordeal.
His latest, which started Dec. 14 at Ottawa, has cost Murray the past 33 games after missing 35 during the 2017-18 season and 24 games plus the Jackets’ entire 10-game playoff run last season.
“I’ve been through it so many times, it’s just ridiculous,” said Murray, who is expected to return to action Sunday night at Nationwide Arena against the Vancouver Canucks. “It’s a good time to reflect, I think, just kind of look at how you’re doing things and what’s going on in your life, game and everything.”
Anybody who’s gotten to know Murray can understand where that logic originated. The back issues are the most serious, but he’s had several injuries since his rookie season in 2013-14.
Not by choice, but he’s become a bit of an expert in dealing with sitting out. He has also logged uncounted hours of rehab and has a philosophical soul, so it makes sense that Murray has learned to find the positives within some negative situations.
Each time he’s been hurt, it has cut short a strong season.
Two years ago, when the back issue first appeared, he’d become a steady puck-moving defenseman on the second pairing. Last year, he developed that ability even more before leaving the lineup. And then it happened again this season, after Murray had worked in the offseason to learn preventative exercises and other measures to stay healthy.
“You’ve got to stay with it,” said Murray, who practiced Saturday and was activated off injured reserve. “I think after last year, I was in a worse place mentally, I guess. This year, it was just kind of like, ‘You’ve just got to deal with it and keep moving forward and keep looking forward.’ I’ve talked to some really good doctors, the trainers have helped me out tremendously with everything they’ve done in there, so, I’m just looking forward to getting back out there and playing, because that’s the fun stuff.”
Murray has also added some fun to his life away from hockey and it makes perfect sense, too. He’s become a dog owner, like a number of teammates, and recently added an Australian shepherd puppy named Jake to his life.
“I was just kind of thinking about it and some guys on the team have dogs, so I don’t know … it seemed like a good thing to do,” Murray said. “He’s 4 months. He’s a puppy, so that’s been keeping me with it, for sure. It’s been a handful, but I think it’s helped, too. Like, through a hard time you just go home to him and hang out with him.”
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Meanwhile, on the ice, he’s headed for a reunion with another friend. This one, Markus Nutivaara, is decidedly not Australian (he’s Finnish) and has logged plenty of time as Murray’s wingman in the past.
Coach John Tortorella, also a noted dog lover, unveiled new defensive pairings at practice that included Zach Werenski and David Savard as the top unit, Murray and Nutivaara as the second duo, and rookies Vladislav Gavrikov and Andrew Peeke as the third.
Murray is just happy to be back before the end of the season, which he didn’t get to experience last year.
“It’s just fun to be around the guys again,” he said. “It’s just good to be out there again playing hockey.”
Cannon fodder
Nathan Gerbe and Elvis Merzlikins were the only two players who didn’t practice. Merzlikins is out because of an upper-body injury, and Gerbe is “nicked up,” Tortorella said. … The Blue Jackets practiced in front of season-ticket holders, who lined the lower bowl of Nationwide Arena’s main rink before attending a meet-and-greet event in the concourse. ... Rookie forward Ryan MacInnis was recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League and skated at right wing on the fourth line.
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The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 3 | Jackets roar back with third- period charge
By Brian Hedger – March 1, 2020
They were lifeless again for most of the game, looking like a team headed straight toward a third straight loss and 11th in 12 games.
The Vancouver Canucks were draining the life out of Nationwide Arena and the Blue Jackets past the midpoint of the third period Sunday night, but then found out what the rest of the NHL has learned about the team from Columbus this season.
They might look dead sometimes, but the zombies just keep finding ways to lurch forward as this injury- riddled season heads into its final five weeks. It happened again in the Jackets’ final game heading into a Western Canada swing, with a four-goal outburst late in the third period leading to an improbable 5-3 victory against the Canucks that turned a moribund building into a madhouse for the final minutes.
Riley Nash cut the Canucks’ lead to 3-2 on a goal at 12:39 of the third, Zach Werenski scored his 20th goal of the season to tie it 3-3 on a power play less than three minutes later and rookie Emil Bemstrom capped another power play at 18:23 for the one that decided it.
Gustav Nyquist scored into an empty net for the game’s final goal, capping a shocking comeback victory.
The Canucks came into the game after losing their previous two games and falling 4-2 on Saturday night in Toronto. They scored two early goals in the first against the Blue Jackets, by Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson, and took a 3-1 lead 1:12 into the second on a tally by J.T. Miller.
The Canucks dominated much of the game, but just couldn’t hold off the Jackets’ late charge, which moved them to 78 points and kept them in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Kevin Stenlund scored in the first period for the Blue Jackets (32-21-14), who got two assists from defenseman Ryan Murray in his first game back from a long absence with a back injury.
Werenski and Stenlund had a goal and assist each, while Joonas Korpisalo made 36 saves for his 19th win of the season in net.
Pettersson and Miller each had a goal and two assists for Vancouver, which started Louis Domingue (30 saves).
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The Athletic: A late surge, power play shines, Ryan Murray returns, and other observations
By Alison Lukan – March 1, 2020
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ten observations from the Blue Jackets’ 5-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Nationwide Arena:
1. ‘One shot away’
Even Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella seemed unable to describe how his team, mostly outplayed through 50-plus minutes, pieced together a four-goal flurry in the final 7:21 to beat the visiting Canucks 5-3. When asked to describe his players’ effort, he took a five-second pause to gather his thoughts, a grin lurking at the corners of his mouth.
“Yeah, it … I don’t know what to say,” Tortorella said.
Columbus had been battling many of the same issues as of late: struggling to get the puck out of the zone; allowing an attack from the middle of the ice and low slot. Even though the Blue Jackets were able to add one goal courtesy of Kevin Stenlund, they were down 3-1 after 21 minutes.
But then, with a final seven minutes looming, Zach Werenski gathered the puck as it left the Blue Jackets’ zone, allowing his teammates to regroup. The defenseman got back in the zone and sent the puck to Ryan Murray, who deftly sent a cross-zone feed to Riley Nash in the right circle. Nash lasered a shot between Louis Domingue and the post to narrow Vancouver’s lead to one. It was the beginning of a rally.
“I can’t tell you what I was saying when (Werenski) didn’t keep the puck in,” Tortorella said. “Then the play he makes to enter the zone and gives it to Murr. Not many players can do that. Great shot by Nasher that gives a team some juice that didn’t have juice.
“If you score a goal, you got a chance. You’re just one shot away. That’s all you hear on the bench is ‘one shot away.’ It’s been frustrating, it has, so yeah, so I’m happy for them.”
2. Putting the special in special teams
For all of their struggles, the Blue Jackets grabbed ahold of their power-play opportunities. Columbus didn’t draw a penalty until 14:04 into the third, but Werenski made the most of it scoring the tying goal 1:01 later.
“We’re confident going over the boards there,” Werenski said. “It was a big goal for us. We knew it was a big moment and we capitalized on it. It’s a great game for us to build on moving forward here.”
A little over three minutes later, Emil Bemstrom scored the winner on the second — and final — Blue Jackets power play. It was the third time this season the Blue Jackets have gone 100 percent on the power play, and the fifth time they have scored multiple power-play goals. The last time was Nov. 29 against Pittsburgh.
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3. Murray’s back
Murray missed 34 games because of a back injury and hadn’t seen game action since Dec. 14. But he returned to the Blue Jackets, who desperately needed his puck-moving ability and vision, and didn’t disappoint.
“It felt really good to get back out there,” Murray said. “I was a little bit rusty in the first, struggled a little bit in the first few plays. You know, a couple turnovers here and there but they kept putting me back out there and good things happened. I was thankful for that.”
Murray had the primary assist on Nash’s goal and the secondary helper on Bemstrom’s winner.
“He’s got great vision,” Werenski said. “I think everyone knows that. It’s awesome having him back … even on breakouts and in the neutral zone. He’s always finding the open guy and you could definitely feel his presence out there tonight.”
4. Put down the shovel
While the Blue Jackets’ late heroics earned them a big two points, there’s still the issue of going down by multiple goals early. Vancouver’s first goal was scored just one minute in and its second was 6:08 later. In the last seven games, Sunday was the fourth time Columbus has allowed a goal against in the first five minutes of play and the fourth time it was down multiple goals before the end of the first period.
The Blue Jackets’ hope is that getting their first regulation win since Feb. 7 can help fuel more of the type of play that came late in the game instead of what came at the beginning.
“I think we can build on it,” Werenski said. “We can learn from it. Learn how we have to play to be successful. It’s been a tough stretch for us but we’re still right there in the thick of things and this was a big win for us tonight.”
5. Korpisalo gets the W
Joonas Korpisalo hadn’t played a full 60 minutes since returning from a knee injury. He entered for an injured Elvis Merzlikins against Ottawa and was pulled from Friday’s 5-0 loss to Minnesota. But Sunday, the Finn stood against 39 shots, stopping 35, improving as the game went on.
“A big point in the game was when they score the third one,” Tortorella said. “I’m not crazy about the goal, quite honestly, I’m not sure I’m going to do with Korpi at that point. But I thought he battled in the second half of that game to keep it 3-1. We chased the play a lot, they had the puck a lot. Korpi made some big saves to keep it there.”
For his part, Korpisalo said there were “a couple” of goals he wanted back, but he felt more and more settled as time went on.
“I did better than last time,” Korpisalo said. “I felt like myself today, which is good. Yeah, that was fun.”
6. Keep the streak alive
It’s hard to believe any Columbus skater has made it through an injury-laden season unscathed, but three have, including Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has yet to miss a game in his three-year NHL career. So
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there was some breath-holding when the center left the ice after getting hit in the face with a puck in the closing minutes of the second period.
But Dubois — with five stitches on the lower left side of his chin — was back on the ice to take the opening faceoff to start the third. He played 17:38 and had one assist, a team-leading five shots on goal, three hits and a 53 percent advantage on the faceoff dot.
7. Condense for offense
Although Dubois started the game centering Devin Shore and Emil Bemstrom, ultimately, the majority of his minutes were with Alexander Wennberg on his left side. It was a curious albeit productive choice for a team that has been thin down the middle, but the two-center trio worked well.
Tortorella acknowledged the change was made because with so much offensive talent missing from the lineup due to injury, he didn’t want to spread what he had across all lines. Instead, he wanted to consolidate it.
“I gotta find some offense,” Tortorella said. “I know Luc and Bemmer have a little history. And Wenny has been a good player for us. … Luc’s line was probably the best line. We have to find some way to create some more offense and take some pressure off of our back end and have the puck more. So, again, I can’t spread it thin, I’ve got to condense it a little bit.”
8. Pieces coming together
The Blue Jackets’ last two game-winning goals have gone off Bemstrom’s stick. And while talk surrounds his shot, it might be more important that the parts of his game outside of scoring goals are coming together.
It was Bemstrom who drew the tripping call 16:27 into the third period to give the Blue Jackets their second power play of the game. One minute and 54 seconds later, he put the puck in the net.
“He wins a puck battle in the neutral zone before the penalty’s called,” Tortorella said. “I think he sees a chance. … He’s playing with Luc and we were putting those guys out there quite a bit. It’s a process for him to understand how important it is to play away from the puck. I think it’s been a major struggle for him this year as far as puck battles. But we’re going to give him an opportunity, because the puck follows a little bit as far as scoring goals.”
9. Adios!
The Blue Jackets will sleep in their own beds Sunday night before flying to Calgary on Monday afternoon. Over the next six days, they’ll make the annual swing through western Canada to play the Flames, Canucks and Oilers, all teams that are fighting for playoff positioning. It was on that trip last year that the Blue Jackets galvanized after back-to-back losses to win seven of their final eight games and squeak into a playoff spot.
There’s no telling whether the same will be said about this year’s trip, but there are some benefits to living in the cocoon that is a team’s traveling party during an important time of year.
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“Yeah, we have a good trip planned,” Tortorella said. “We’re going to take off to go to an area up there to practice. I think it’s a good time for our team to get off and get away … quite honestly and just concentrate on each and every game. We’re looking forward to it.”
10. Open-ended life
The injuries keep coming. Nathan Gerbe is expected to miss one to two weeks with a groin strain. Ryan MacInnis was called up from Cleveland in his stead. … MacInnis played 9:16, had one shot, one hit and went 3-for-9 in faceoffs. … Black Girl Hockey Club held its Columbus meetup at the Vancouver game. … The penalty kill went 2-for-3 against the third-best power play in the league. … As we reported Saturday, Merzlikins has a concussion, but has been doing on-ice work with goaltending coach Manny Legace. … While Nick Foligno didn’t make the score sheet, son Landon was sure to pick up the slack:
An analytical view
Insights into the Blue Jackets’ win:
• The Blue Jackets didn’t play all too terribly well for 52:39 and then scored four goals in 7:21 to win. In five-on-five adjusted play, Columbus had 40.15 percent of all shot attempts and 38.51 percent of all expected goals. Its strongest period offensively was actually the first as it had a solid advantage over Vancouver, something it didn’t do the balance of the game. The expected goal total in all situations was 4.24 to 1.88 in favor of the Canucks. Money Puck’s “deserve to win o’meter” had the Blue Jackets winning 31.6 percent of the time.
• How crazy were those final seven-ish minutes? Going into the third period, the Blue Jackets had a 9.42 percent likelihood of winning. Nash’s goal pushed that to 13.11 percent. Werenski’s tying goal took the Jackets to 51.88 percent, and Bemstrom’s winner solidified things at a 97.13 percent likelihood of a victory.
• Korpisalo was strong in the face of the Canucks’ offensive attack. His save percentage was just .37 percent below league average given the shot quality he faced, equating to .19 more goals allowed than expected.
• The line Tortorella put together of Wennberg, Dubois and Bemstrom played 11:40, the most of any Columbus line, was plus-5 in shot attempts and earned 59.71 percent of all expected goals.
• The top Blue Jackets skaters according to Game Score: Stenlund (2.90); Nash (1.86); Werenski (1.73); Eric Robinson (1.62); Vladislav Gavrikov (.80).
• The top Canucks skaters according to the same measure: Elias Pettersson (4.09); J.T. Miller (3.64); Tyler Myers (3.05); Troy Stecher (2.09); Alexander Edler (2.02).
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The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ Josh Anderson has shoulder surgery, is out four to six months
By Staff – March 2, 2020
Right wing Josh Anderson underwent surgery Monday to repair a labral tear of his left shoulder, the Blue Jackets said in a news release.
Anderson is expected to make a full recovery in four to six months, Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said.
Anderson was injured during a game against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 14.
"When Josh suffered the injury, the options were to have it surgically repaired and miss the rest of the season, or rest and rehabilitate, with a chance to return to the lineup," Kekalainen said. "Unfortunately, the injury has not responded as any of us had hoped to the latter, and the decision was made to have the surgery now so that Josh will be fully healthy and ready to go next season."
Anderson, 25, had one goal and three assists in 26 games this season.
Last season, he set career highs for goals (27), assists (20) and points (47).
Anderson is a pending restricted free agent and had been reported to be on the trading block before the NHL’s Feb. 24 trade deadline. He was not traded, but his contentious history in contract negotiations with the Blue Jackets makes his return to the team anything but a sure thing.
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The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 3 | The 3-2-1 breakdown
By Brian Hedger – March 1, 2020
There was a reason that coach John Tortorella was nearly speechless and Ryan Murray just started giggling during postgame interviews.
Neither could fully believe what they’d just been part of Sunday night at Nationwide Arena, when the Blue Jackets pulled off a stunning 5-3 come-from-behind victory against the Vancouver Canucks, and they weren’t alone.
Anybody who watched the game probably had similar feelings, because the Canucks were in complete control with just under eight minutes to play. They’d lulled Blue Jackets fans to sleep, the home team was headed for its third straight loss and it was because of another inexplicable, listless effort for most of the game.
That would’ve been another tough one to take, with players and Tortorella left uttering the same old answers to the same old questions afterward.
Instead, in a little less than eight minutes, the Jackets turned this game into a hockey version of that Moped scene in the comedy "Dumb and Dumber."
Just when it looked like things couldn’t possibly get any worse for the injury-plagued Blue Jackets, who’ve looked like an exhausted team lately, they went and did something like this … and totally redeemed themselves.
Back-to-back goals by Riley Nash and Zach Werenski, scored 2:17 apart in the later stages of the third period, turned a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 tie, the second one capping a power play on Werenski’s team- leading 20th goal.
Another power-play goal 3:17 later pushed them ahead, 4-3, when rookie Emil Bemstrom capitalized on the tripping penalty he’d drawn in the neutral zone with his ninth goal of the year.
The arena went crazy, completing a transformation that started on Nash’s goal. It went from a satellite campus of the Columbus Library into a satellite campus of the Columbus Zoo in just a matter of minutes and the Jackets weren’t done.
Gustav Nyquist, the grim reaper of empty-net goals, scored his sixth of the season into an empty cage with 11 seconds left and assured a victory after teammates Vladislav Gavrikov and David Savard sacrificed their bodies to block three shots with the Canucks pressing during 6-on-5 in the final minute.
It also assured the Blue Jackets would stay in the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot for at least one more day, moving them to 78 points after 67 games with a 32-21-14 record. Still chasing them, each with games-in-hand, are the Carolina Hurricanes (75 points, 64 games), New York Rangers (74 points, 65 games) and Florida Panthers (73 points, 66 games).
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"It was pretty special at the end," said Murray, who assisted on the goals by Nash and Bemstrom in his return from a back injury that kept him out since Dec. 14 in Ottawa (33 games). "In a flash, the momentum was just all on our side and the ice started tilting. It was a huge game to finish."
It was one to remember, too, and review.
Here’s a 3-2-1 postgame breakdown from Nationwide Arena … three takeaways, two questions and one more thing:
Three Takeaways
1) Zach attack
The comeback started with a play by Werenski that initially made Tortorella utter some choice words on the Jackets’ bench.
The young star defenseman couldn’t hold the puck in the Canucks’ zone just inside the blue line, watching it squirt away into the neutral zone, but he recovered quickly. Werenski regathered it, sharply turned back toward the offensive zone and then fed a perfect pass to Murray on the left wing, between the sticks of two retreating Canucks.
Murray then sent a tape-to-tape pass across the ice to Nash, whose fifth goal came off a quick wrist shot that beat goalie Louis Domingue over the shoulder. The puck went into the net through a small window at the top right corner and became the goal that sparked a memorable comeback.
"It’s just a great play by (Werenski) at the blue line," Tortorella said. "I can’t tell you what I was saying when he didn’t keep the puck in, and then the play he makes to enter the zone, and gives it to (Murray) … not many players can do that. Great shot by Nasher and that gives a team some juice, a team that didn’t have juice."
2) Power up
If there’s a single word that could adequately describe the Blue Jackets’ power play for most of this season and, honestly, most of the previous two, it would be "maligned."
They had an impressive two weeks back in November, when it seemed like every puck they shot during power plays went in, but that came to a screeching halt in December. The Blue Jackets had scored on just 12 of their previous 98 power-plays going back to Dec. 1, which was a 12.2 percent success rate that ranked dead last among the NHL’s 31 teams in that span.
Going 2-for-2 against the Canucks moved them up to 14 percent since the start of December (14-for- 100) and, more importantly, won them a game that seemed destined for another sour finish.
Werenski’s goal was off a one-timer from the high slot, beating Domingue after a nice pass by rookie Kevin Stenlund (goal and assist). Bemstrom’s came after a cross-ice pass by Savard, with the puck deflecting off defenseman Oscar Fantenberg on its way into the net.
Still playing without eight injured regulars, which now includes forward Nathan Gerbe (groin), the Blue Jackets must get their power play cranked up for the season’s final month. Offense isn’t exactly easy to create now, with guys like Oliver Bjorkstrand, Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones out, but scoring with a man- advantage would certainly help compensate.
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3) Another bad start
The sight of the Blue Jackets allowing goals after the opening puck-drop is getting to be way too familiar. It happened in both losses to the Minnesota Wild last week, leading into this game, and happened again Sunday.
The Canucks took a 1-0 lead just 1:00 into the game on a power-play goal by Bo Horvat, with Nash sitting in the penalty box for slashing, and then Vancouver went ahead 2-0 at 7:08 on Elias Pettersson’s 26th goal of the season. Pettersson had the primary assist on the first goal, sending a pass to that Horvat redirected, and he also set up J.T. Miller’s goal 1:12 into the second for a 3-1 lead and his third point of the game.
Horvat’s goal was the result of Nash’s penalty during a Vancouver odd-man rush and Pettersson’s capped a long shift in the Blue Jackets’ zone, which was a common sight all game until the crazy finish.
This was the seventh time in the past 11 games the opponent has taken a 1-0 lead on Columbus, with all seven scored within the first 10 minutes of the game.
"We still have some struggles, as far as our energy level, as far as just our coverages and all that, but to win a game before we go on a trip, in the way we did it, hopefully that will give us some energy," Tortorella said, referring to a three-game road trip this week in Western Canada. "It’s a concern of mine, the team, with lack of energy. It’s a concern of mine, but to score a few goals and come back the way we did here, (it’s) big for us tonight."
Two Questions
1) Was Tortorella thinking about replacing Korpisalo?
The short answer is that, yes, he was.
The Blue Jackets’ coach didn’t like the goal that got past his goalie off Miller’s one-timer from the slot to start the second period and briefly toyed with the idea of sending rookie backup Matiss Kivlenieks into the game again.
Joonas Korpisalo was pulled Friday after allowing four of the Minnesota Wild’s five goals in the Jackets’ 5-0 loss, with Tortorella saying it was partly due to his play, but this time the coach was rewarded for letting his starter finish it out.
Korpisalo didn’t allow another goal on the Canucks’ final 24 shots, making several difficult saves in the second and third periods to keep the Blue Jackets within striking distance. Tortorella said Miller’s goal turned out to be a pivotal moment.
"A big point in the game was when they score the third one, I’m not crazy about the goal quite honestly," he said. "I’m not sure what I’m going to do with Korpi at that point, but I thought he battled the second half of that game to keep it 3-1. We chased the play a lot. They had the puck a lot. Korpi made some big saves to keep it there. I think that’s probably the most important note of the game, was just keeping it 3-1."
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This was just the third appearance and second start since Korpisalo returned from a torn meniscus Dec. 29 against Chicago. It usually takes goalies a while to get their timing, positioning and puck-tracking back after they’ve been out for long stretches, Korpisalo’s rustiness isn’t a surprise.
Turning things around after Miller’s goal, however, could turn out to be a big step in his effort to re- establish his All-Star form prior to the injury.
"As the game went on, I got settled in a little bit more," Korpisalo said. "There (were) maybe a couple goals I could take back, but it was certainly better than last time."
2) How concerning is the Blue Jackets’ recent lack of energy?
The hope is for this stunning comeback to recharge their batteries, mentally if not physically, but the concern meter should be at a high level for Tortorella and the coaching staff.
The Jackets were listless for much of this game, unable to establish much of anything offensively and, again, unable to extricate the puck from their own end for long stretches of time.
It has caused Tortorella to rifle through different combinations with his forward lines and defense pairings the past couple weeks, including the somewhat drastic measure of putting centers Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alexander Wennberg on the same line mid-game against the Canucks.
The Blue Jackets aren’t exactly teeming with high-end centers and those two are their top offensive options, but the coaching staff is looking for scoring answers up front with Bjorkstrand, Atkinson, Josh Anderson and rookie Alexandre Texier all shelved with longer-term injuries.
Wennberg and Dubois skated with Bemstrom as the top line in the third period, while Tortorella mixed and matched with his other three groups up front.
"We’re spread thin," he said afterward. "We’re missing a lot of offensive players … so, I’m trying to get at least a couple of lines that I think will at least create some offense. We have to find some way to create some more offense and take some pressure off our (defensemen) and have the puck more."
One More Thing
According to stats provided by the Blue Jackets, this was just the fourth time in team history they overcame a multi-goal deficit with less than eight minutes remaining in the third period of a game.
It was also the fourth time they’ve won in regulation while overcoming a multi-goal deficit to start the third period. The Blue Jackets’ most recent win after overcoming multiple goals in the third was April 3, 2018, when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 in overtime after trailing by two goals in the third period.
"It has been frustrating a little bit," Tortorella said of a losing skid that reached 1-5-5 in 11 games prior to the win Sunday. "You can just see it wearing on the guys. We talked about it between periods, that we just have to keep plugging away. So, hopefully that will just give ’em a rise."
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The Athletic: The Athletic’s NHL Power Rankings: New leader emerges for March to the playoffs
By Scott Burnside – March 1, 2020
We have reached the stretch run.
Rosters are set. Every game holds even more importance as teams try to make the most of their trade deadline acquisitions – and others start to count how many draft picks they will have in June.
This month’s Power Ranking brought a new – and close – battle for first place, recognition for the hot teams in Vegas, Philadelphia and New York, and a familiar face holding steady at the bottom of the list.
The rankings are a compilation of voting by The Athletic’s NHL team and will be done at the beginning of every month of the regular season.
Previous rankings: Preseason | November | December | January | February
1. Boston Bruins (14 first-place votes)
Record: 41-13-12
Previous Ranking: No. 3
The Bruins are on a collision course with a Presidents’ Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. But are they on a collision course with their first championship since 2011?
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (10 first-place votes)
Record: 41-19-5
Previous Ranking: No. 4
The Bolts are in the midst of a curious post-deadline slide that has raised some red flags.
3. St. Louis Blues (three first-place votes)
Record: 39-17-10
Previous Ranking: No. 2
Thinking good thoughts for Jay Bouwmeester as the Blues right the ship and surge ahead once again in the Central.
4. Washington Capitals
Record: 39-19-6
Previous Ranking: No. 1
The Caps are still not quite right but continue to own more road wins than any other NHL team. That’s something, right?
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5. Colorado Avalanche
Record: 39-18-7
Previous Ranking: No. 6
The Avs are still dealing with injuries to key personnel while piling up points. Their plus-48 goal differential tops in the league.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins (one first-place vote)
Record: 37-21-6
Previous Ranking: No. 5
Like the Caps, the Pens haven’t quite got all the deadline pieces working together. Are we looking at a Battle of Pennsylvania in the first round?
7. Dallas Stars
Record: 37-21-7
Previous Ranking: No. 8
Quiet at the deadline, the Stars are hoping the answer to a long playoff run is within. They might be right.
8. Vegas Golden Knights
Record: 36-22-8
Previous Ranking: No. 15
Alec Martinez is already making his presence known on the Golden Knights’ blue line, but what kind of presence will surprise addition Robin Lehner prove to be between the pipes for one of the hottest teams in the league?
9. Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 37-20-7
Previous Ranking: No. 14
One of the surprise teams of the second half, the surging Flyers are shockingly putting heat on the Pens and Caps atop the Metro.
10. New York Islanders
Record: 35-21-8
Previous Ranking: No. 7
Once considered a playoff lock, the Isles have slid into the murky wild-card mess in the Eastern Conference. That does not bode well.
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11. Carolina Hurricanes
Record:35-24-5
Previous Ranking: No. 10
Wacky times for the Canes, but in the end it comes down to this: Do they have a goaltender who can get them back into the playoffs?
12. Vancouver Canucks
Record: 34-24-6
Previous Ranking: No. 13
How serious is the injury to Jacob Markstrom? The answer to this will likely be the answer to whether the Canucks can hang onto a postseason berth.
13. Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 31-21-14
Previous Ranking: No. 11
There is no way to explain the almost nightly injuries to one of the hardest-working teams in the league.
14. Edmonton Oilers
Record: 34-23-8
Previous Ranking: No. 17
Newly acquired Mike Green is already lost for most of March with a knee injury. Shocking. But the real issue is whether Tyler Ennis and Andreas Athanasiou provide enough depth scoring to propel the Oil into the postseason.
Record: 35-23-8
Previous Ranking: No. 12
Huge road wins over Tampa and Florida helped to erase the stain of losing to Zamboni king David Ayres.
16. New York Rangers
Record: 35-25-4
Previous Ranking: No. 25
The smoking hot Rangers are definitely in play for a postseason spot, but the loss of newly inked Chris Kreider to a fractured foot is a crushing loss.
17. Calgary Flames
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Record: 33-26-7
Previous Ranking: No. 18
The Flames are hanging tough in the playoff hunt in spite of failing to address offensive woes at the deadline.
18. Florida Panthers
Record: 33-25-7
Previous Ranking: No. 9
The Panthers are a horrific mess in their own zone and that’s likely going to cost them a playoff spot.
19. Nashville Predators
Record: 32-24-8
Previous Ranking: No. 19
Don’t look now but the Preds are right back in the playoff hunt and thinking about their run to the Cup final in 2017.
20. Winnipeg Jets
Record: 33-28-6
Previous Ranking: No. 20
If the Jets are going to shoulder their way into the playoffs, Connor Hellebuyck is going to have to put on his Vezina cape down the stretch.
21. Arizona Coyotes
Record: 32-27-8
Previous Ranking: No. 16
Is Darcy Kuemper’s return to action too little too late for the Coyotes, who are suddenly outside the playoff bubble looking in? Short answer: yes.
22. Minnesota Wild
Record: 32-25-7
Previous Ranking: No. 22
Love the plucky attitude of the Wild who keep hanging around the playoff picture in spite of deadline deals, almost deals and the firing of Bruce Boudreau.
Record: 30-28-9
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Previous Ranking: No. 23
The Canadiens are coming apart at the seams as they play out the string once again.
24. Buffalo Sabres
Record: 29-28-8
Previous Ranking: No. 24
Sort of buyers, sort of sellers at the deadline, the Sabres aren’t fooling anyone as they’re headed for a playoff miss for the ninth straight season.
Record: 29-28-8
Previous Ranking: No. 21
Dominik Kubalik is playing his way onto the Calder Trophy final ballot and into the hearts of disgruntled Blackhawk fans.
26. Anaheim Ducks
Record: 26-30-8
Previous Ranking: No. 27
Lots of new pieces for Dallas Eakins to integrate. Sonny Milano’s bravura introduction to the West Coast bodes well for the future.
27. San Jose Sharks
Record: 28-33-4
Previous Ranking: No. 26
In a perfect hockey world Joe Thornton is wearing some other jersey right now.
Record: 25-27-12
Previous Ranking: No. 30
The Devils have turned into a good spoiler, playing some of their best hockey of the season.
29. Ottawa Senators
Record: 23-31-12
Previous Ranking: No. 28
Likewise, there’s no tank in this Senators’ team. Kudos to rookie coach D.J. Smith for keeping this team battling every night.
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30. Los Angeles Kings
Record: 24-35-6
Previous Ranking: No. 29
Good to see Gabriel Vilardi starting to fulfill his promise after dealing with long-term back issues.
31. Detroit Red Wings
Record: 15-47-5
Previous Ranking: No. 31
Finding new ways to embarrass themselves on a nightly basis.
Burnside’s Thoughts
• I thought it was interesting in my friend Pierre LeBrun’s column examining a couple of potential big name defenders who could hit the market in July: Torey Krug in Boston and Alex Pietrangelo in St. Louis. The two faced off against each other in last year’s Stanley Cup final and it’s certainly possible they could do so once again this June. Given the way Boston GM Don Sweeney has deftly maneuvered his deep, talented team through the salary cap minefield, it’s difficult to envision he won’t find a way to keep Krug in the fold. Maybe Pietrangelo ends up staying with the only NHL team he’s known, as well. Still, it was interesting to see Florida and Toronto mentioned as two teams that might be looking for a franchise- style, right-hand shot defender, a la Pietrangelo, in the offseason. It brought to mind a number of conversations I had in St. Louis over All-Star weekend that suggested it might be wise to look at Las Vegas as a possible landing spot for Pietrangelo if he goes to market on July 1. Former teammate Paul Stastny is there (he has one more year left on his current deal) and there are lots of appealing aspects to playing in Nevada, including no state income tax. Does the arrival of Alec Martinez at the deadline change the dynamic for the Golden Knights? Martinez has one more year left on his deal, as well, at a manageable $4 million and the team could still use some help on the right side long-term. Food for thought.
• With Nashville, Winnipeg and, yes, Minnesota, surging up the standings in the Western Conference, the notion of five Pacific Division teams making the playoffs seems less and less likely every day. The team that now seems most likely to be on the outside looking in is Arizona as it has played 67 games, tied for the most in the conference, with two teams to jump to get back into a wild-card spot. The two- month absence of starting netminder Darcy Kuemper was crushing, although the offense has been an issue for the Coyotes, too, as they are 23rd in goals per game and had the 19th ranked power play through Saturday’s games. Too little margin for error for the Coyotes who during Kuemper’s absence fell from first place in the Pacific to below the playoff bubble. Makes you wonder about the future of former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, who was acquired by the Coyotes in December. “He’s been just OK, average,” one longtime scout familiar with Hall’s play said. “He’s not a great finisher. He works but he’s not physical and he doesn’t drive the play.” Hall has 25 points in 32 games with the Coyotes but just nine goals, and he has just five points in his last eight games. For a long time the narrative seemed to be would the Coyotes be able to entice Hall, on an expiring contract, to sign on long-term? Now management has to be looking at his production and asking does he fit long-term? He’s certainly not in the Artemi Panarin zip code – Panarin signed a seven-year deal with an $11.6 million annual cap hit last
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summer with the Rangers – but what is Hall’s value either with the Coyotes or on the open market? Suffice it to say, his value isn’t where most anticipated it would be at the start of this season.
• Hall of Fame collegiate coach Jerry York doesn’t want much after former player Chris Kreider signed a seven-year contract extension with the Rangers worth $45.5 million. Maybe a box of golf balls would be nice, York joked when we spoke a few days after the deal was announced and shortly before Kreider suffered a fractured foot blocking a shot on Friday night against Philadelphia. And while current Rangers coach David Quinn was the head coach at arch-rival Boston University before getting his first NHL head coaching gig in New York, York joked that he’s still pleased for both the organization and for Kreider to have found what appears to be a perfect match that may keep Kreider in Ranger blue for his entire career. York said he has always been impressed with Kreider’s capacity to improve. It happened over the course of his three years at Boston College and it has happened since Kreider turned pro. And it’s not just the physical attributes, York said. Kreider, an explosive skater, has always been fast and durable. “But his hockey sense kept improving,” York said. Kreider’s defensive zone coverage, breakout skills and passing, have all improved, he added. “He just grinds it out and digs in, that’s what makes him a valuable resource to the Rangers,” York said. There is no timetable for Kreider’s return, and whether or not he can help the Rangers in their surprise bid for a playoff berth, in the big picture this deal should pay huge dividends for years to come. Now, about those golf balls.
• Back in September, I spent a few days at the Philadelphia Flyers training camp, including time with three new members of the coaching staff: head coach Alain Vigneault and assistants Michel Therrien and Mike Yeo. No one was quite sure how it would all fit together, but in spite of a variety of injuries to key pieces, including Oskar Lindblom’s diagnosis with Ewing’s sarcoma and the loss of 2017 No. 2 overall pick Nolan Patrick for the entire season, the Flyers emerged from the trade deadline as one of the hottest teams in the NHL and looking like a lock to make the playoffs. Kudos to GM Chuck Fletcher for finding important fits on the blue line, like Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun, in the offseason. Center Kevin Hayes, who signed a whopper seven-year deal with a $7.14 million AAV, has been full value for a contract that was originally met with much skepticism. Hard to imagine that Vigneault doesn’t get some Jack Adams love as a coach of the year nominee. But dig a little deeper, suggested one former Flyer, and some praise should also go to Scott Gordon, who took over as interim coach last season when Dave Hakstol was fired. Gordon didn’t have the roster that Vigneault has had, but Gordon helped a number of young players learn to play at the NHL level and was, to Vigneault’s credit, a big part of this season’s training camp plans to help with the transition. Even with a banner crop of experienced head coaches on the market this summer, Gordon’s work with the Flyers shouldn’t go unnoticed.
• Couple of things on EBUGs. Love the acronym by the way. Let’s not confuse the great story that was David Ayres with what could have turned out to be an absolute travesty. Not in the way that the Maple Leafs not taking advantage of Ayres is a travesty (which it was but that’s a travesty of their own making) but in the way it would have made a mockery of the game had Ayres been lit up for eight goals on 10 shots, which looked like it might happen when he gave up goals on the first two shots on net. Credit to the Hurricanes and to Ayres that it didn’t turn out that way. But the very nature of EBUGs is a threat to the sanctity of competitive balance, which is critical to the integrity of any pro sports league. So why shouldn’t the NHL take a look at this? I love how people immediately assume that it might come up at next week’s GMs meetings only because it involved the Leafs. Really? And how this is about ruining a good story. Hogwash. The Ayres story will almost certainly never be replicated. Its goodness will live forever. Ayres’ stick is going into the Hockey Hall of Fame. So looking at the issue to figure out ways to
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maintain the competitive spirit of the game while having a plan in place for those extremely rare moments like the one that unfolded last Saturday isn’t a bad thing. It’s called due diligence.
• And finally, another reminder of the way that hockey can teach us things about the greater world around us, how the game can transcend stats and wins and losses. It was heartwarming to see Bobby Ryan first be so open about his fight with alcoholism and then see his warm reception as he returned to the Ottawa lineup this week. That he scored three times in his homecoming, of course, was icing on the cake. But it has been his candor about the process of asking for and getting help that should be applauded. So, kudos to fans not just in Ottawa but everywhere who understood that this was way more than a hockey moment. And here’s to Ryan and taking it one day at a time.
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The Athletic: How the spreading coronavirus is impacting the NHL
By Craig Custance – March 2, 2020
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Around the time the IIHF announced it canceled four men’s U18 tournaments and two women’s world championship tournaments in March because of the spreading coronavirus (COVID- 19), NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly updated the league’s general managers about the issue on Monday.
The league is closely monitoring the situation by reviewing daily updates from the Center for Disease Control and Health Canada. The league is also in contact with medical experts and shares its findings with all 31 NHL teams.
In a statement given to The Athletic, the NHL stated that regular communication with clubs monitoring coronavirus goes back to January “to ensure that they have latest information from the medical experts and that all necessary precautionary steps are being taken. The health and safety of our players, staff and fans are our highest priorities, and we will implement all necessary safety measures as required.”
The league also planned on conducting a conference call with the NFL, NBA and MLB on Monday to share information.
Right now, extreme precautions tend to be theoretical. Will games be canceled? Will international travel be completely banned? Will games be played without fans?
According to a memo sent by the NHL to its GMs and Board of Governors on Feb. 28, NHL events weren’t in danger of being canceled based on information provided by the CDC, stating: “There is no indication that there is any need to consider canceling or postponing any NHL events based on the coronavirus.” The memo did, however, say that the CDC suggests communities begin consideration on how to prepare for “various interventions and disruptions,” should they occur.
But one area where it’s not too early to see an impact is in international scouting. And it is happening at a crucial time in the amateur scouting schedule.
The IIHF canceled four U18 men’s tournaments: World Championships Division II Group A (in Estonia), and Group B (in Bulgaria) along with Division III Group A (in Turkey) and Group B (Luxembourg). It canceled two women’s tournaments: World Championship Division 1 Group B (in Poland) and World Championship Division II Group A (in Spain).
The most impactful men’s tournament left on the schedule, in terms of amateur draft evaluation, is the U18 World Championship. Right now, it’s still scheduled to take place, but according to a source, USA Hockey was made aware that it might be in jeopardy of being canceled.
That event, to be held April 16-26 in Plymouth and Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a crucial one in the amateur draft evaluation calendar. Removing that would remove a large chunk of draft prep just a couple months before the 2020 NHL Draft.
“The U18s in Plymouth would be the event that is by far the most valuable on the scouting calendar of the games that remain,” Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said. “From a hockey standpoint, we’re
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hopeful that that tournament can remain in place. But that will be a decision made for all the right reasons and that takes priority.”
McCrimmon explained it this way: A final draft list is compiled based on an entire body of work. Nobody should be drafting a kid based on what he does in one tournament. But it can certainly drive home the progression a player has made over the course of their career.
“I’ve likened the (U18) world championships to final exams,” McCrimmon said. “They’re maybe worth 30 percent of your final grade, they’re not worth your entire grade.”
It’s especially important for prospects who might get an expanded role on their national teams compared to what they get in normal league games.
“Some of those kids maybe play in the men’s league that don’t get a lot of ice time,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said. “You’re kind of trying to judge them, kind of hoping this tournament you see them play against their own age group and firm up your opinion of them.”
The potential of losing that opportunity is going to mean an adjustment in approach. Already, because of the spread of coronavirus, multiple NHL scouts confirmed they are curtailing international travel individually. According to an NHL source, the league has not formally recommended a complete international travel ban for scouting, instead leaving that decision up to individual clubs at this point.
And individual front offices are having those conversations. No general managers interviewed on Monday by The Athletic said they were currently banning international travel across the board but planned on monitoring the process and leaning on the league for recommendations.
“We’re probably going to talk about it. We haven’t done anything like (a total ban) yet,” Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said. “I think in the last week or so it seems like things in the world are ramping up as far as concerns about it. We’re going to have to have that conversation.”
Added Yzerman: “We’ll take the (NHL’s) advice. The NHL does a good job of looking out for us. We’ll heed their advice and their instruction on anything. Right now, to my knowledge, Italy is the only country in Europe that they’re advising or instructing us to stay away – ban is too strong a word. That’s the only one I’m aware of and we don’t need to go to Italy right now.”
If more tournaments are wiped out and scouting travel is seriously curtailed, it’s going to shift how the 2020 draft class is evaluated. One GM suggested an approach heavy on video and going back to review previous tournaments more closely.
That would put an extra emphasis on a tournament like February’s 2020 U18 Five Nations Tournament held in the Czech Republic. Good news if you’re a player like Team USA’s Jake Sanderson, who led the tournament in points as a defenseman. Not great, if you’re a player like talented Russian goalie Yaroslav Askarov, who was pretty mediocre in that tournament. Askarov was outstanding in last spring’s U18s, a tournament in which he firmly established himself as a potential top-10 pick.
It’s becoming possible he doesn’t get a chance at a repeat performance.
“The more times you see the guy, the more recently you’ve seen them, the fresher in your mind they are and the more certain you are of what you think they are,” Yzerman said. “It’s out of our control.
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There’s no sense worrying about it. There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s why it’s important to watch them all year long.”
– The Athletic’s Corey Pronman contributed to this report
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The Athletic: DGB weekend power rankings: Sorting through trades, streaks and one major injury
By Sean McIndoe – March 2, 2020
We’re not going to waste any time with a long preamble on this week’s rankings, because this is one of my favorite weeks of the year.
Most seasons, things start to stabilize around December and January, and by February, it’s mostly the same teams that keep showing up in roughly the same spots and there isn’t always all that much new to say. But then the trade deadline arrives and things get shaken up. We’ve had about 30 trades since the last set of rankings, and while they weren’t all blockbusters, that should be enough action to move the needle.
So we’d expect to see some changes in this week’s rankings. But even without the trades, this has been a wild week. We’ve got some teams surging, including the top of the Central. We’ve got some teams flatlining, including the top of the Metro. And on Saturday, we found out about a big injury that could have implications for the rest of the regular season and beyond.
There’s a lot to get to, and we might need to work in a few more teams than usual. So let’s skip the usual intro essay and head straight to the rankings.
Road to the Cup
The five teams that look like they’re headed towards a summer of keg stands and fountain pool parties.
The March edition of The Athletic’s collective power rankings came out over the weekend, and you can find them here. As a reminder, in the case of any discrepancy between my rankings and everyone else’s, you should assume that mine are right.
5. Colorado Avalanche (39-18-7, +49 true goals differential*) – They just keep rolling along, even if they’re not gaining any ground on the Blues or all that much on the Stars. The difference between finishing second in the division and facing Dallas or finishing first and playing somebody like Calgary or Winnipeg feels huge, so there may not be room for two Central teams down the stretch. But for now, we can make it work.
I’m still surprised that the Avs had such a quiet deadline given all their cap space, and I’m on board with the theory that Joe Sakic was eying Chris Kreider and didn’t have time to work a significant Plan B when the Rangers decided not to move him. This is one of those situations where the right answer only becomes apparent in hindsight, so we’ll see if Sakic deserves criticism for not being more aggressive or applause for not disrupting a winning room.
4. Vegas Golden Knights (36-23-8, +13) – Well, that didn’t take long. One week after they were getting close, the Knights kick the door down on the top five by running their win streak to eight while making what may have been the biggest addition of the deadline.
The streak ended last night at the hands of the Kings, but it means that Vegas has opened up a little bit of breathing room on top of the Pacific. It’s only a little, and they’ve still got a ways to go to close this
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out, but with the Canucks and Oilers battling injuries and inconsistency, this now feels very much like the Knights’ division to lose. Which is what we all figured it would be if they could ever get their entire lineup clicking the way it should; they’re pretty much there now.
I liked the Robin Lehner trade, although I’m not as ready to call it a home run as some are. That’s not a knock on Lehner, who’s been excellent for a few years now. Rather, I’m not sure that this will play out as easily as others seem to think. To hear some of the reactions, the Knights will either see Fleury snap back to his previous Cup-caliber form, or they switch over to Lehner and don’t miss a beat. I’m not sure it’s that simple, and we’ve seen teams turn this kind of thing into a Buridan’s ass scenario. But it’s still better to have a tough choice than no choice at all, so the Knights are in better shape this week than last. And that’s enough to move them back onto our list for the first time since the third week of the season.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-19-5, +45) – When we said we wanted them to get into playoff mode, losing four straight wasn’t what we meant.
It was an ugly week, one that included giving up seven to the Coyotes, and then coming home to lose to the Central’s last-place team and one that can’t beat a Zamboni driver. They snapped the losing streak on Saturday by holding on to beat the Flames, but it was still a bad day thanks to the announcement that Steven Stamkos miss six to eight weeks after having surgery today. Everyone immediately did the same math: even six weeks would mean he could miss the start of the playoffs. And while it’s become routine for NHL stars to come back before their announced timelines, this doesn’t sound like the sort of injury you necessarily just shake off and move on from. If he’s 100 percent in time for the first round, great. That doesn’t sound like a likely outcome right now.
I still think the Lightning will be fine in the long run, and more importantly, I still think they’ll have a long run. But a big chunk of that invulnerability sheen from a few weeks ago has worn off. And that makes room for a new No. 1.
2. St. Louis Blues (39-17-10, +30) – They’ve won seven straight. They’ve also won seven of their last twelve. They’re streaky these days, is what I’m trying to say.
They’re also holding down the top spot in the Central, which is the more important part. Letting the Stars off the mat in the final seconds to get a point on Saturday wasn’t ideal, but otherwise, the Blues are rolling, even as they’re having to constantly check their rear-view mirror for the Avalanche. Furthermore, they’ve got a good chance to keep that momentum going, playing their next seven games against teams that are currently outside of a playoff spot.
1. Boston Bruins (41-13-12, +58) – They finished the week strong, getting regulation wins over good teams in the Stars and Islanders and looking like their old selves after the unpleasantness of last weekend. With Tampa struggling, the Bruins once again look like they’ve got a clear path to the Atlantic crown, and probably the Presidents’ Trophy and home-ice through the postseason.
This week will be interesting since it includes a pair of games against the Lightning with the Panthers dropped in between. That could bring the race back to life, or it could end it for good. Either way here’s something worth remembering for anyone thinking about catching the Bruins down the stretch: they have a five-game swing in late March that sees them play the three California teams, the Wings and the
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Senators all in a row. That’s a lot of points they should be able to bank fairly easily, so they’re in even better shape than you might think.
*Goals differential without counting shootout decisions like the NHL does for some reason.
Not ranked: Philadelphia Flyers – It would be wrong to suggest that the Flyers have snuck up on anyone, or that their playoff run has come out of nowhere. They’ve been churning out points pretty much all season long, never getting really hot or cold (other than a brief wobble after the holiday break) but consistently winning more than they lost. Until this current six-game stretch, they haven’t had that monster win streak that makes everyone pay attention. They’ve just spent most of the year always seeming to be 6-3-1 in their last ten.
The thing about 6-3-1 is that it’s more than enough to get you into the playoffs, and that’s where the Flyers are headed. They’re basically a lock after sweeping a home-and-home with the Blue Jackets last week and taking out the Rangers this weekend. They’ve blown past the Penguins for home ice. And now, they might make a push for the division if the Caps can’t get back on track.
This weekend’s home-and-home with the Rangers was a fascinating matchup between the only two Metro teams that are any good right now. It was a chance for the Rangers to cap off a great February by pushing into an unlikely wild-card spot. It had a playoff feel. And the Flyers swept it in regulation while scoring ten goals. Message delivered.
Up next: The Caps, followed by the Hurricanes, which feels like a chance to stake a claim as the Metro’s best team. The week after that, they get the Bruins and Lightning, and a chance to do the same for the conference. One model already has them as the Cup favorites. That seems extreme to me, but it’s fair to say that by now, everyone is paying attention.
Also not ranked: The Penguins or Capitals – By the middle of the week, it was becoming clear that there wouldn’t be room for two Metro teams in the top five anymore, and I spent a lot of time going back and forth on who to drop. By the end of the weekend, my consultant had weighed in. Yeah, we’re giving the entire division a timeout.
The Penguins are the easier call of the two, having lost six straight in regulation. That would have seemed unfathomable a few weeks ago when they were rolling without Sidney Crosby and seemed set to dominate once he returned. They did for a bit, but now they’re a mess, despite an aggressive deadline from Jim Rutherford. Getting blown out of the water by the Sharks does indeed seem like rock bottom, and while there’s plenty of time to sort it out before the playoffs, those playoffs aren’t exactly a sure thing anymore.
The Caps were a tougher call; despite a 4-6-1 stretch, they’re still holding down the top spot in the Metro, however tenuously. They’re certainly not the same sort of disaster area that the Penguins look like right now. And somebody has to win this division, and unless you’re all-in on the Flyers then you have to figure the Caps have a solid chance. But right now, solid doesn’t get you in the top five, so the Caps vacate a spot for the first time since the end of October.
And yeah, the Caps get the Flyers on Wednesday night. That should be fun.
Also not ranked: Toronto Maple Leafs – It’s going to be a long time before the Leafs are back in the circle of trust after, you know, that game. But credit where it’s due, they’ve won three straight since
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then, including a huge game in Florida. Now they’re off to California for three games against bad teams, which is the sort of swing that could put six more points in the bank. It’s also the sort of swing that could give this team another reason to pat themselves on the back and take their foot off the gas. That’s been their pattern for much of the year, but maybe losing to a Zamboni driver drove the message home. We’ll see.
Also not ranked: Carolina Hurricanes – Hey, speaking of Zamboni goalies … uh, is he still available? The David Ayres story was fun, but it happened because Carolina lost both goalies to injury, and they haven’t won since. The combination of Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg hasn’t been awful, but it hasn’t been good, allowing 11 goals in three games, and the Hurricanes are outside of the playoff picture in a year where they really can’t afford to be.
A lot of us liked the Hurricanes deadline a lot, both for now and down the road. But not getting a goalie for the short-term was curious, and it could be costing them.
Also not ranked: Edmonton Oilers – This section got a little East-heavy, but it’s worth pointing out that the Oilers remain in very good shape in the Pacific. Saturday night’s win over the Jets was far from their best game of the year, or even an especially good one, but it was one they needed after losing four of five. That sets up a crucial game tonight in Nashville, where a win would all but eliminate the Predators as a threat to catch them.
Also, I think Leon Draisaitl is going to be the MVP even though he isn’t the best player on his own team, and I feel like I’m OK with this.
Also not ranked: Your team – They were sixth.
The bottom five
The five teams that are headed towards the best lottery odds and lots of Alexis Lafreniere junior highlight reels.
There isn’t anywhere near as much churn in the bottom of the rankings as we saw in the top, so we’ll breeze through this relatively quickly. But since this is the loser section, please enjoy your regularly scheduled reminder that the loser point is a disgrace and the NHL is lying to you about why it exists.
5. Anaheim Ducks (26-31-8, -41) – Honestly, I just penciled in whichever team lost last night’s Devils/Ducks game. I didn’t watch, but if you did then congratulations on being related to one of the players.
4. San Jose Sharks (28-33-4, -41) – Well, at least we can all cheer on Patrick Marleau’s quest to become this year’s feel-good OGWAC story.
(The Sharks absolutely destroy the Penguins.)
You are doing it wrong.
3. Ottawa Senators (23-31-12, -42) – It’s a rebuilding year and the trade deadline just passed, and we all know what that means for a team like Ottawa that is just riding out the stretch run. Still, this stat from Thursday night was pretty jaw-dropping:
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You can take Bobby Ryan off that list after his emotional hat trick, which was one of the year’s best moments.
2. Los Angeles Kings (25-35-6, -39) – After winning in Vegas, they’re home for their next nine against an eclectic mix that includes the very good (Bruins, Avs), the very bad (Sens, Ducks) and more than a few teams that will be desperately looking to bank points towards a wild-card spot. The Kings won’t be in the playoff race, but they’re definitely going to have an impact on it.
1. Detroit Red Wings (15-47-5, -120) – The Wings’ goals differential continues to be a thing of beauty. Since they just got marginally worse at the deadline and have literally nothing to play for because the NHL doesn’t use the Gold Plan to make the stretch run meaningful for everyone, you wonder how low it can go. Is -150 in range? Probably not, but there’s a more impressive milestone that they might hit: Being 82 goals below the league’s 30th worst team. That would mean that the Red Wings would be a full goal-per-game worse than any other team. In the parity era, that would be amazing, and if it happens I think we should force Detroit to hang a banner for it. Preferably right behind their own net.
Not ranked: Arizona Coyotes – They flirted with absolute disaster on Saturday night, falling behind 2-0 to the Sabres before storming back for a 5-2 win. That was a crucial two points for a team that absolutely can’t be throwing away easy wins down the stretch. The Western wild-card race is ridiculously tight, with five teams within three points of each other (and the Flames and Oilers still not out of harm’s way).
That means that three teams are going to end up on the outside looking in, and nobody wants that fate. But it’s hard to imagine any team would be more devastated by a playoff miss than the Coyotes, who went big on Phil Kessel and Taylor Hall to signal that it was time to break through after seven consecutive years on the outside. Yes, they’ve had injuries, including in net. But if they miss yet again after making the year’s biggest trade and while playing in the worst division … man. There’d be no sugar- coating that kind of disaster.
Also not ranked: Vancouver Canucks – I still think they make the playoffs, but … is this good? It doesn’t seem good.
One of those regulation wins came when they scored nine goals against the best team in the league nine days ago. I don’t understand this league sometimes.
Also not ranked: Florida Panthers – Speaking of playoff droughts, the Panthers haven’t been in since 2016 and haven’t won a round since the original Jets were in the league. (No, really.) They spent big on a coach and goalie this summer, and seemed to have finally drawn their line in the beach sand – they were making their run.
It was not a good week for that line. On Monday, they had a perplexing deadline that saw them get worse in the short-term, but at least finished that day two points back of the spiraling Leafs and holding a game in hand. A week later they’ve lost three of four, used up that game in hand, dropped to five points back and lost that high-priced goalie to an injury of undetermined severity. A furious race to the finish suddenly seems like it’s in danger of ending early. There’s still time, and a head-to-head matchup with the Leafs left. But they’d better start winning soon, and a schedule that serves up the Bruins and Blues this week isn’t helping.
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Also not ranked: Chicago Blackhawks – They may be six points back with four teams to pass, but they’re not quitting, they have character and they believe to a man that they’re still in this thing. (Narrator voice: They were not still in this thing.)
Also not ranked: Buffalo Sabres – Hey, that “we’re not sellers, we’re actually going for it” mentality was fun for the few days it lasted, right? The team’s star players probably appreciated the vote of confidence. You’re having fun, right Jack Eichel?
Yeah, he sounds like he’s having fun.
Also not ranked: Your team – They were somehow also sixth.
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Sportsnet: 'The process works': NHL opts not to crush EBUG dreams at GM meetings
By Eric Francis – March 2, 2020
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Coming to an NHL city near you – NHL tryouts.
Don’t be surprised if sometime next fall there are open auditions for amateur goaltenders to be added to the list of emergency backups dreaming of becoming the next David Ayres.
Call it Canadian Idol – EBUG edition:
No messy draft process or contract negotiations necessary – just get the go-ahead to show up with your gear and a dream.
The opening day of the NHL’s general manager meetings wrapped up Monday with word that after extensive discussion on the league’s emergency backup goalie system, there is still a very real chance the best story of the NHL season could be told again.
The EBUG procedures will not be changed.
“Every team now has got people that are available to perform and do well, so I don’t think there’s any need,” said Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon, whose club stood to lose ground on Toronto had the Maple Leafs lit up Ayres and come back to win.
“We were nervous, very nervous, but it turned out that it didn’t affect anything. The better team won that game in reality. It happened to us three years ago, and the (two) times it’s happened in 50 years, do you change the whole thing? I think we’ve addressed it in the last few years having goaltenders ready in the building, whereas before we had to find somebody or put your goaltending coach in. I think we did a good job fixing it and it turned out for the better.”
The league made changes to the EBUG protocol in 2015 after Roberto Luongo took a puck in the head and left for a scan at the hospital, only to return to action for backup Al Montoya, who was injured in relief. As Panthers goalie coach Robb Tallas dressed to play, Luongo returned despite being banged up, prompting the league to find better alternatives.
Anyone with pro experience, or employees of teams, were then prohibited from filling in, opening the door for a system in which one amateur goalie is to be made available for either team at every game.
Teams must register those goalies with the league based on whatever criteria they choose. There are currently 136 EBUGs registered, as some teams have more than others.
“Some places have tryouts,” said Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.
“I think in L.A. they had lots of applicants and whittled it down to 30 and had actual tryouts. Fortunately, in a market like Winnipeg, we have a lot of former college and university players. It’s come a long way and has served its purpose. The general feel is we’ve come a long way from where we were a couple of years ago when we didn’t have anyone in the room or the building.”
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Ayres, a 42-year-old rink manager and Leafs practice goalie, gained international attention on Feb. 22 when he filled in for both of the Carolina Hurricanes’ injured netminder midway through the second period of a Hockey Night in Canada game against the Leafs. The kidney transplant recipient allowed two goals on his first three shots, allowing the Leafs to tie it 3-3, before settling down in the third period to stop all eight shots in a 6-3 win.
“I called (Hurricanes GM) Don Waddell in the second intermission and said, ‘can’t one of those two guys please come back?’” said NHL vice-president Colin Campbell with a laugh.
“As it turned out, it was a good human interest story and it worked out. I think the process works.”
Campbell said the league immediately contacted game officials that night to remind them that if Ayres was injured and couldn’t continue the only options left were for a team to dress one of its players as a goalie, or simply play with six skaters.
Ayres signed an amateur tryout contract before entering the game and wasn’t paid for his efforts. He was allowed to keep his jersey. He spent the next week doing the TV and radio talk show circuit around North America and had his stick put in the Hockey Hall of Fame as the oldest player ever to win his NHL debut.
His moment in the spotlight came on the 40th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.
“I think everyone recognized it was a great story for the league,” said NHL executive vice-president of communications Gary Meagher.
“I know there has been some coverage that we were going to take the fun out, and there was never any discussion of that. Everyone recognized the coverage and how positive it was. It’s also happened just twice.”
The only other EBUG appearance came in 2018 when the Chicago Blackhawks Scott Foster also became a household name.
The GM meetings continue Tuesday and Wednesday.
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