SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/5/2021 1215037 Bruins are benefiting at both ends from Taylor Hall’s 1215066 Shoulder surgery to sideline Blue Jackets' Domi for start of excellent two-way play next season 1215038 Brandon Carlo ‘feels good,’ says , but his 1215067 Five for Five: Five prospects the Blue Jackets may get fifth status for Game 4 is uncertain overall, plus three more 1215039 Bruins Notebook: Brandon Carlo ‘day-to-day,’ said Bruce 1215068 Blue Jackets lose Max Domi for 5-6 months to shoulder Cassidy injury, making push at center an absolute must 1215040 McAvoy gives MVP-like performance in Bruins' Game 3 win 1215041 Game 3 takeaways: Bruins' blue line depth a major 1215069 Detroit Red Wings have No. 6 pick in 2021 NHL draft. concern despite win These six players make the most sense 1215042 Boston Bruins Carlo ‘Day-To-Day’, Hasn’t Been Ruled Out 1215070 Red Wings looking for power-play 'tactician' in assistant For Game 4 coach search 1215043 Marchand Proving To Be Ultimate Boston Bruins Playoff Weapon Oilers 1215044 BHN Daily: Boston Bruins Blue Line Running Thin; 1215071 YOU BE THE BOSS RESULTS: Annual survey shows Scheifele Reaction Oilers fans mostly content with team's direction 1215045 Murphy: Old School Coaches Like Cassidy Can Still Change The Game 1215046 Bruins’ confidence is soaring after Brad Marchand’s OT 1215072 Kings sign defenseman Helge Grans to three-year, winner gives them series lead entry-level contract Minnesota Wild 1215047 Erik Brady: Ex-Sabre 's hex remains on 1215073 Wild GM Bill Guerin: Zach Parise still fits with team but Maple Leafs 'we're here to win hockey games' 1215048 How are Sabres approaching No. 1 pick? ‘There are a 1215074 Why this time feels different: ‘This isn’t your old Minnesota number of players that could be discussed’ Wild team’ 1215075 With NHL expansion draft next month, Wild’s Matt Dumba considering trip to Bahamas, not Seattle 1215049 Now locked in at centre, Lindholm selected as Flames’ MVP for 2021 1215076 Jets’ Mark Scheifele says his family was bullied after his Carolina Hurricanes suspension for hit on Canadiens’ Jake Evans 1215050 Hurricanes’ top line accepts the challenge against 1215077 Behind the scenes of the stunning, mournful O Canada at Lightning in NHL playoff series the Jets-Canadiens playoff game 1215051 Jordan Staal’s knack for game-winners is no accident. 1215078 In the Habs' Room: Price's 30-save shutout shovels Jets There’s an art to it. in 2-0 series hole 1215052 With Warren Foegele’s injury, the Canes are running out 1215079 Carey Price perfect as Canadiens win Game 2 against of forwards heading into Game 4 Jets 1215053 Hurricanes’ ‘big man at the hoop’ delivers big playoff 1215080 Cowan: Let's not forget that Canadiens' Jake Evans was victory over Lightning the victim 1215081 Hickey on hockey: Too much focus on predators, not their prey, in NHL 1215054 Vegas’ best players the difference as Knights storm back 1215082 By the numbers: Canadiens' Kotkaniemi, Suzuki rising to late for 3-2 win over Avalanche the occasion 1215055 score twice late to defeat 1215083 Canadiens Game Day: Habs extend playoff winning streak Avalanche 3-2 in Game 3 to five games 1215056 Avalanche-Knights Game 3 Quick Hits: Two deflections 1215084 What the Puck: Canadiens defying the odds give Vegas 3-2 win 1215085 The Canadiens have taken a nonlinear route, but they are 1215057 Avalanche Game 3 : Improve to 7-0 in the postseason finally starting to look like a team by playing with the lead 1215086 ‘It’s fun’ for Carey Price as Canadiens take 2-0 advantage 1215058 Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 3: Three keys over Jets: Playoffs plus/minus for Colorado 1215059 Avalanche coach wants more from his team after Game 3 loss: ‘It’s not close’ 1215087 For Nashville Predators, two high-dollar deals remain an 1215060 Avalanche thoughts: Can Vegas slow Colorado’s top line insurmountable hurdle | Estes again? Will there be changes down the lineup? 1215088 Rinne named a finalist for King Clancy Trophy, an award 1215061 Deen’s List: Coach Jared Bednar shreds his team after tailor made for him Avalanche’s Game 3 loss at Vegas 1215062 Rantanen scores OT winner, Avs up 2-0 in series vs. Knights 1215063 Wasted Chance; Vegas swipes victory with late goals, Dominate Avs in 3-2 Win 1215064 Dater column: Avs were due for bad game, but this was horrendous 1215065 Avalanche lines and D pairs for Game 3 against Vegas; fourth-line shakeup New York Islanders 1215089 Islanders find selves in familiar situation amid ‘new’ 1215139 Canucks: Vancouver isn't alone in trying to keep up with challenge the Avalanche 1215090 Islanders can’t ignore ‘dangerous’ Bruins second line 1215140 How do the Canucks stack up with the Cup contenders? 1215091 Islanders remain confident despite 2-1 deficit entering Identifying offseason needs Game 4 vs. Bruins 1215092 leaning toward same Isles lineup for Game 4 Vegas Golden Knights 1215093 The Islanders appreciate the fun of Game 3 despite the 1215119 Avalanche’s Jared Bednar rips team after loss to Golden loss Knights 1215094 Mathew Barzal starting to get 'dangerous' in 1215120 Home is where heart is as Golden Knights down Islanders-Bruins series Avalanche 1215095 The Islanders face an urgent Game 4 vs. the Bruins. 1215121 Golden Knights-Colorado Avalanche recap Here’s how they can rebound 1215122 Golden Knights rally for win over Avs, cut deficit to 2-1 1215096 Game 3 Loss Gives Islanders Slim Margin For Error 1215123 Golden Knights emphasize discipline against Avalanche Against Bruins 1215124 Daughter’s encouraging note greets Fleury on return 1215097 NYHN Daily: Islanders Lose Game 3 in Overtime & More home 1215125 Golden Knights kept composure to change circumstances New York Rangers of Avalanche series 1215098 Eight lessons Rangers GM Chris Drury can learn from the 1215126 Blog: Golden Knights rally to down Avalanche in Game 3 NHL’s final eight contenders 1215127 Max Pacioretty wins it for Golden Knights to cap a special performance in Game 3 Ottawa Senators 1215128 Golden Knights’ Two Late Goals Deliver 3-2 Comeback 1215099 GARRIOCH: Former Oilers' forward Taylor Hall has Win Over Colorado Before 17,504 At T-Mobile Arena contributed at both ends of the ice for the Boston Bruins in Friday; 1215100 GARRIOCH: What's usually a busy time on the NHL's 1215129 Vegas Golden Knights Erase Deficit in 45 Seconds, Win off-season schedule is quiet with GM's waiting on changes Game Three 1215130 Game 3 Battle: Golden Knights Lines, Notes & What to Watch vs. COL 1215101 Flyers sign Swedish goalie prospect to ELC Washington Capitals 1215131 Caps players believe window remains open 1215102 Minor league report: Nailers fall to Fuel, name Derek Army for Washington 1215132 A Caps Fans' Guide to the rest of the '21 Stanley Cup 1215103 Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin undergoes knee surgery Playoffs 1215104 Evgeni Malkin undergoes right knee surgery, expected to 1215133 A position-by-position breakdown of the Washington miss start of training camp Capitals’ depth chart, and how it could change this offseas 1215105 Malkin Undergoes Knee Surgery; Will Miss Training Camp, too Websites 1215106 Expansion Draft: Can Penguins Gamble w/ Carter? 1215141 The Athletic / NHL power rankings: Our fresh 1-8 rankings, Projected Protected List plus letters to the losers and a new team way, way 1215107 Dan’s Daily: Trade Rumors Swirl in TO, Penguins on Right 1215142 The Athletic / Junior showcase attracts NHL scouts after 4 Track players turn idea into realit 1215143 The Athletic / ‘We’re all hurting, we need answers’: Why former pro athletes are leading the ‘psychedelic revo 1215108 Kurtis Gabriel’s LGBTQ activism makes him first Sharks 1215144 The Athletic / NHL Draft prospect Cole Sillinger is done player named finalist for humanitarian award keeping up with his family. Now it’s about surpassing 1215109 Sharks' draft possibilities wide open with No. 7 pick 1215145 The Athletic / From Switzerland and back: The unique 1215110 Chris Peters Talks Sharks & Wide-Open 2021 hockey story of 2021 NHL Draft prospect Mason McTavish DraftPublished 10 hours ago on June 4, 2021 1215146 Sportsnet.ca / United Canadiens have found winning recipe to advance through playoffs 1215147 Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights’ comeback vs. Avalanche 1215111 Kraken GM Ron Francis on the coaching search, the brings out best of NHL Playoffs secrecy of it all and Rod Brind’Amour: Q&A 1215148 Sportsnet.ca / Depleted Jets unable to generate offence in Game 2 vs. stingy Canadiens St Louis Blues 1215149 Sportsnet.ca / Avalanche charting path to Cup Final with 1215112 NHL's busy summer marketplace offers opportunity for deadly, unpredictable power play Blues 1215150 Sportsnet.ca / Jets dealt another hammer blow with Scheifele suspension Tampa Bay Lightning 1215151 USA TODAY / Jets' Mark Scheifele says family members 1215113 Lightning-Hurricanes Game 3 report card: Leaving their received hateful messages after hit on Canadiens' Jake marks Ev 1215114 ‘Rested’ Petr Mrazek outlasts Lightning in Game 3 1215115 Hurricanes hold off Lightning in overtime to get back into series 1215134 Canadiens clamp down hard on Jets in Game 2, take 2-0 1215116 Lightning notes: What’s behind Victor Hedman’s lead back to Montreal resurgence? honors a friend 1215135 Jets coach says NHL set precedent with ‘excessive’ Scheifele suspension 1215136 Jets' Scheifele shocked at ban, says he did nothing wrong 1215117 Maple Leafs report card for 2020-21: Lots of A’s despite 1215137 Jets need Pierre-Luc Dubois to step up with Mark disappointing end to the season Scheifele out — or promote a centre who will 1215118 Keeping Zach Hyman a seemingly insurmountable 1215138 Mark Scheifele has accepted his fate, now it’s on the challenge for Leafs Winnipeg Jets to overcome theirs SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1215037 Boston Bruins series with the Capitals. Before a grinning Belichick waved the pregame fan banner for Game 2 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, he arrived early and spent time with Cassidy, discussing the art of motivation and player Bruins are benefiting at both ends from Taylor Hall’s excellent two-way focus. play “I think it’s great that the teams are rooting for each other,” Cassidy said Friday. “I think it’s good competition for each team to have good playoff runs. I think it forces the other organizations to continue to excel. By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated June 4, 2021, 4:08 p.m. Obviously the Patriots have been the team that’s had the most success, and we want to follow in their footsteps and raise some banners as well.

“I really enjoy [Belichick’s] company. Nice of him to take time out and UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Taylor Hall calls the offensive end of the rink “the salute the Bruins. We appreciate it. Hopefully we can keep him happy.” fun zone.” Based on how he has played in his brief Bruins career, he seems to be enjoying life anywhere his skates take him. Officially speaking

In Game 3 of this second-round series against the Islanders Thursday, Cassidy cast a wary eye at an inquisitor who suggested the officials have Hall was everywhere, again. His assist on Craig Smith’s opening goal called a good series, given the amount of physical play. came after he swiped the puck from the Islanders’ most dangerous player, Mathew Barzal, in the neutral zone. When he was on the ice at “Are you setting me up?” Cassidy joked. five-on-five, the Bruins racked up 15 shots on goal, and allowed zero, He did see it that way, however. according to Natural Stat Trick. “I think the Islanders play a clean, hard game. I’d put us in that category,” “I didn’t know that, but that’s great,” Hall said. “That’s something that has Cassidy said. “There’s always an incident here and there … but I think in to continue. When we’re out there, we don’t want to play in our zone. We general we’re known as an honest team, the Islanders are known as an want to exit as soon as possible.” honest team, and that’s what you’re getting.”

For the entire postseason, the Hall-David Krejci-Craig Smith line is Of course, any coach will have his issues with the stripes. Cassidy wasn’t outshooting opponents, 52-28, with a 24-7 edge in high-danger attempts. pleased to see Marchand and Pastrnak, “two of our elite players, [called Their dominance as a second line has eased the burden on the first trio, for] retaliatory stick fouls, when it’s not too hard to watch [Jean-Gabriel] and led to boatloads of offense. Pageau cross-check and slash Marshy coming to the bench, the exact Per NST, seven of the top 12 players in on-ice expected goals are same .” He also would like to see two players, not one, called Bruins, with Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk, David Pastrnak, and Krejci after jousting in a scrum. rounding out the top four. Brad Marchand (eighth), Hall (ninth), and None of the Bruins’ top six forwards have drawn a penalty from an Patrice Bergeron (12th) are right behind them. Islander. The Bruins’ leaders are Nick Ritchie (three), Charlie Coyle The Islanders, Hall said, want to “go low to high, get a point shot, look for (two), and Charlie McAvoy and Connor Clifton (one each). Seven tips and rebounds.” As a winger, the onus is on him to keep them to the Islanders have drawn one, led by Travis Zajac (two). outside. He wants to make sure that part of his game is consistent, in With regard to physicality, said Cassidy, “I do think the officials are doing case the offense dries up. a nice job in this series for the most part. But I also think the hits have “I think early on I didn’t realize he’s a 200-foot player in terms of his been aboveboard and clean.” backchecking, willingness to break up a play,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. Boston Globe LOADED: 06.05.2021 “He’s done that a number of times for us. He can really cover ice. He’s been excellent at that, not quitting on plays, coming back into our end to help keep the puck out of our net.

“When you watch a player on another team, especially a high-end guy, you’re usually looking at what he’s doing with the puck, not without it, so that part has been great for us. I don’t know if ‘surprised’ is the right word. I’m pleased.”

Hall said he didn’t always have the right answers defensively in Edmonton, but he took on defensive responsibility in New Jersey.

“That was how we had to play as a team,” he said. “Being one of the better players on the team, that was my way of leading, was to play a 200-foot game.

“It’s never going to be perfect, but I have a pretty good skill set to do that at the other end of the rink. I can chase guys down in the neutral zone and make their life hard. In the D-zone, I can close quick on my D-man and make good plays on the wall. That’s all I really try to do.

“Since I’ve gotten here, our team plays a really good defensive style and I’ve just had to adapt to that.”

Cross-promotion

In Foxborough, Patriots coach Bill Belichick met the media for his post- practice Zoom Friday wearing a Bruins hat, wishing Cassidy & Co. well after their OT win.

“Big congratulations to the Bruins and Coach Cassidy’s great win last night,” Belichick said. “Heck of a game, and it seems like they’ve all been. We’re behind them, and go B’s. They have a lot of big games coming up and we wish them well.

“Coach Cassidy has done a great job there and they have a lot of great players. I love their style of play. Just want to show our support.”

This is not a new friendship. Cassidy keeps in touch with Belichick, Red Sox manager Alex Cora, and Celtics coach-turned-GM Brad Stevens, all of whom offered kudos after the Bruins advanced from their first-round 1215038 Boston Bruins “The good thing about Mike is he doesn’t overextend shifts very often,” Cassidy said. “He doesn’t put himself in bad spots where he’s going to be at a disadvantage. I think he’s a smart hockey player in that regard.”

Brandon Carlo ‘feels good,’ says Bruce Cassidy, but his status for Game After Game 3, netminder Tuukka Rask couldn’t fight off the urge to replay 4 is uncertain the hit on Carlo, which came at 6:06 of the third period. He believes he might have prevented it had he come out of the net to gather the deep pass Matt Martin sent up the ice, instead of chasing it along the boards.

By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated June 4, 2021, 8:53 a.m. “It was one of those 50/50 pucks that I possibly could have gone there and played it,” Rask said. “But it was going so slow that I decided not to

— and then he gets hurt. UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Brandon Carlo remained in good spirits Friday, the As Carlo went to recover the puck, Clutterbuck delivered a clean but morning after a head knock against the glass sent him woozily out of crushing hit against the boards that sent Carlo reeling. Carlo staggered to Game 3 of the Bruins’ second-round playoff series against the Islanders. the ice, then tried to get up, only to fall again. He was able to get to his There is a chance, coach Bruce Cassidy said, that the big defenseman knees, dazed and shaking his head, as medical staff came to tend to could play in Game 4 on Saturday. him.

“He feels good this morning, better,” Cassidy said in a Zoom call. “It was tough to see,” Rask said. “Obviously got hit hard last night. I’ll give you an update tomorrow Carlo has had two prior concussions in his career. The most recent was morning whether he’s in or out. He’ll be day-to-day and we’ll go from March 5, via a head shot from Washington’s Tom Wilson. there.” “He’s a very valuable D-man for us,” Rask said. “He plays hard. He The force of the hit from Cal Clutterbuck, Carlo’s wobbly-legged reaction, skates well, moves well, moves the puck well, blocks a ton of shots, and his history of concussions made it seem as if Carlo could be out a plays a hard game. It’s tough to see him go down again.” while. A swift return would be a surprise. After the game, Cassidy tried to remain optimistic. Brandon Carlo, who has a history of concussions, slams his head on the glass after this hit from Cal Clutterbuck. “It never looks good when you leave like that,” Cassidy said. “But at the end of the day, he was here talking to his teammates, so maybe he’ll be If Carlo cannot play, Kevan Miller will not replace him, though Cassidy fine.” shared the good news that Miller skated in Boston. Miller, who has not played since a hit by Washington’s Dmitry Orlov sent him to the hospital Boston Globe LOADED: 06.05.2021 during Game 4 of the first-round series, would be an easy swap for Carlo, as both are right-shooting defensemen who defend well and kill penalties.

The possible Carlo substitutes are Jarred Tinordi, Urho Vaakanainen, and Jakub Zboril, all of whom participated in an optional practice Friday at Nassau Coliseum. Zboril, dealing with an upper-body injury of late, appears ready to go. All three are left shots who have played a bit on the right side. Cassidy said he could use Jeremy Lauzon, a lefty, on his off side.

Carlo’s absence would mean more minutes for right-siders Connor Clifton, who played 16:10 in Game 3, and more so, Charlie McAvoy (29:11). The latter worked double time after Carlo was hurt, skating eight shifts with an average length of 1:15 (and a long of 2:01). Those 30-60 extra seconds of burning fuel, even against an Islanders team bent on grinding him down, were nothing for McAvoy.

“He’s going to play and try to drive the game no matter what, whether a guy’s hurt or not, how many minutes he plays,” said Cassidy of McAvoy, who set up Brad Marchand’s overtime winner at the end of a shift that lasted 1:25. “That’s just who he is.

“He impacted the game in many ways last night, offensively on the last goal, carrying the mail through the neutral zone, making a good play physically with a hit on [Jean-Gabriel] Pageau after they had hit Pasta [David Pastrnak] hard, so he responded well there. Big blocked shots on the PK. There’s a number of different ways, all facets in the game.

“Good for Charlie. Teams that advance tend to have that type of D that can log those minutes, play in every situation, and we certainly have one.”

The Islanders will be expected to step up their aggressive forecheck in hopes of exploiting what they’ll perceive as the Bruins’ increasing backline weakness.

Tinordi, brought aboard in February as a waiver acquisition from Nashville, seems likeliest to draw into the back six. He has size (6 feet 6 inches) and heft (205 pounds), and should be able to withstand the physical pressure. He also can serve as enforcer if the heat rises.

Assuming Matt Grzelcyk and McAvoy remain the No. 1 pairing, that would mean partnering Mike Reilly with Clifton and Tinordi with Lauzon.

Reilly had a strong Game 3, landing five of seven shot attempts in 22:29. Cassidy noted how Reilly typically looks to pass, but saw, and took, shooting opportunities. He also used his size and skating to escape trouble and start the rush. 1215039 Boston Bruins he’s directly impacted because it’s going to mean more minutes from him and probably (Connor) Clifton as well. And then it’s for the forwards to make sure you’re supporting the D more and not putting them in spots where they have to extend shifts. I thought we did a good job in picking Bruins Notebook: Brandon Carlo ‘day-to-day,’ said Bruce Cassidy the D up because we’re a little bit limited. But (McAvoy) is going to play and try to drive the game no matter what, whether a guy’s hurt or not, no

matter how many minutes he plays. It’s just who he is. He impacted the By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: June 4, 2021 at 4:17 p.m. | game in many ways (Thursday) night, offensively on the last goal, UPDATED: June 4, 2021 at 6:17 p.m. carrying the mail through the neutral, physically with the hit on (Jean- Gabriel) Pageau after they’d hit (David Pastrnak) hard, so he responded well there big blocked shots on the PK. There’s a number of different ways, and good for Charlie. Teams that advance have that kind of D that There was plenty to like in the Bruins 2-1 overtime win over the Islanders can log those minutes and play in every situation and we certainly have in Game 3 on Thursday. one in him.” The B’s unflinchingly faced a hostile, full house for the first time since the And the B’s may need every tool in McAvoy’s arsenal — including those pandemic began, outplayed their hosts for the most part (the notable extra large lungs of his — if the B’s want to take a 3-1 stranglehold on exception being about 3:35 of the 3:36-long overtime) and regained their this series Saturday night. home-ice advantage. Kevan Miller progressing But make no mistake. The B’s are still very much in the deep woods of this best-of-seven series and their compass may not be so easy to find. Kevan Miller is also not available for Saturday — he did not make the trip — but he continued to skate on Friday back in Boston. That air of uncertainty was brought on by Islander Cal Clutterbuck‘s hard but legal check on Brandon Carlo that resulted in the defenseman’s head “So that’s good news on that,” said Cassidy. banging off the glass early in the third period of Game 3. After a fogged- up Carlo, who was concussed earlier this year by an illegal Tom Wilson Whether that means Miller could be ready for Monday’s Game 5 remains hit, struggled to regain his footing, he left the game and did not return. to be seen. His right stick would certainly be welcome, especially with Carlo’s uncertain status. The main underlying concern is the well-liked Carlo’s health in general. That’s a point from where coach Bruce Cassidy seemed to be coming Miller has not played since he was knocked out of the lineup on a high hit when he gave a generally positive report on Carlo after the game. Those from Dmitry Orlov on May 21. good vibes continued on Friday morning. Cassidy praises officials … to a point “He feels good this morning, better. Obviously, he got hit pretty hard Cassidy acknowledged that the on-ice officials have done a good job in (Thursday) night,” said Cassidy. handling the physicality of this series. But he was not wild about the two But whether Carlo is well enough to go right back into a highly physical stick infractions called on Marchand (a high stick that’s pretty much series for Saturday’s Game 4 is another question entirely. Officially, automatic) and Pastrnak (a slash that was ticky-tack in the overall Cassidy listed Carlo as day-to-day and deferred a determination on his scheme of things). Game 4 availability until Saturday morning. But judging from the hit he “I guess I took a little bit of an issue with them singling out Pasta and took, along with his history of head injuries — he also suffered a Marchie, two of our elite players on retaliatory stick fouls when it’s not too concussion at the end of his rookie season that kept him out of the hard to watch Pageau cross-check and slash Marchie when he’s coming playoffs — it would hardly be a shock if he had to sit for at last another to the bench on the exact same penalty that Pasta got called for and game. Marchie got called for, so you’d like to see consistency in that area of the If so, then what next? The three available candidates to replace the right- game. I’m going to have a hard time believing they missed that. handed Carlo are veteran journeyman Jarred Tinordi and rookies Jakub Everyone saw. That’s the only problem I’ll have. If you’re going to take Zboril and Urho Vaakanainen, all lefties. Cassidy was not ready to name one team, take the other,” said Cassidy. the next man up until he knows if Carlo can play or not. The guess here Boston Herald LOADED: 06.05.2021 is that Tinordi’s size and experience makes him the favorite. He stepped into the clinching Game 5 against Washington and did the job admirably.

But what would a potential Carlo absence do to the defense corps as a whole? Would someone on the bottom pair simply move over to the right or would it cause a more substantial re-jiggering?

“That’s a decision we’ll have to make,” said Cassidy. “(Jeremy Lauzon) may have to go his off-side. I know (Matt Grzelcyk) has played it, but that’s a road we don’t want to go down. One of those guys will have to find a comfort level if that’s what we have to do and take Brandon out. Or we may have to be creative in-game, obviously, with playing four left sticks and two righties and giving the righties a lot of ice time. I’m not saying they’d play half the game but a little more than usual and try to minimize a guy going to his off-side. So there are some different things you can do obviously and we’ll sort those things.”

The B’s, of course, have a young right-handed D-man who seems to relish all the ice time he gets. Charlie McAvoy was a horse all night in Game 3, but even more so when Carlo went down. He played 10:56 in the third period and 2:14 in OT, where he set up Brad Marchand‘s mail slot goal. He logged 29:11 in all with three shots on net, six hits, five blocks and a hand in the winner. It was the kind of game that would make a good item on a Norris Trophy candidate’s resume

“Obviously he’s becoming an elite player in this league and the playoffs don’t bother him. Some guys get nervous or shy away from the moment. He’s not one of those guys. It’s probably what makes him a great player at this time of year,” said Cassidy. “And obviously when a guy goes down, I think the message resonated with everyone. I think it was (Patrice Bergeron) who said it. It was, ‘Hey, we play for one another, we pick each other up.’ And Brandon’s a very popular teammate and that (message) was directed basically at everybody. And in Charlie’s case, 1215040 Boston Bruins Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.05.2021

McAvoy gives MVP-like performance in Bruins' Game 3 win

BY NICK GOSS

It's getting harder and harder to make a case for someone other than Charlie McAvoy as the Boston Bruins' MVP through eight games of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The B's top defenseman gave another stellar performance in his team's 2-1 overtime win against the New York Islanders in Thursday night's Game 3 at Nassau Coliseum. The B's lead the second-round playoff series 2-1 as a result.

McAvoy logged a team-high 29:10 of ice time, which was nearly seven minutes more than the next-highest player for Boston. He didn't get any rest on special teams, either. McAvoy played 3:24 on the power play and 2:58 on the penalty kill -- no player on either team logged more special teams ice time.

Tuukka Rask carried Bruins to pivotal Game 3 win

The 23-year-old defenseman also played a ton after Brandon Carlo left the game 6:06 into the third period with an apparent head injury. The B's were down to five defensemen after Carlo's exit and McAvoy was forced to shoulder a lot of the burden.

McAvoy’s shifts after Carlo was hurt:

0:49

1:21

2:01

1:34

0:44

1:20

0:49

1:25 (on which he fed Marchand for OT GWG and changed off)— Matt Porter (@mattyports) June 4, 2021

McAvoy's final shift in overtime helped pave the way for Boston's winning goal.

After the B's regained puck possession in their own end, McAvoy carried it all the way into the attacking zone, executing a successful zone entry before feeding Marchand. The Bruins left winger scored from a tight angle as McAvoy was coming off the ice for a much-needed break.

The Bruins controlled the majority of play whenever McAvoy was on the ice. They held a 39-25 edge in shot attempts, a 20-14 lead in shots on net, a 24-14 advantage in scoring chances, a 6-3 margin in high-danger chances and a 1-0 goal differential during his nearly 30 minutes of action. Boston also accounted for more than 50 percent of all shot attempts, shots on net, scoring chances and goals with McAvoy on the ice at 5-on- 5.

McAvoy also impacted the game physically, dishing out six hits (including a massive one on Jean-Gabriel Pageau) and blocking five shots.

The Bruins will need a lot more of these excellent performances from McAvoy if they're going to win this series and make a deep playoff run.

The team's blue line depth is being tested quite a bit right now with Carlo, Kevan Miller and Jakub Zboril all dealing with some kind of issue. Miller hasn't played since Game 4 of the first round and already has been ruled out of Game 4 against the Islanders after not traveling to New York. Zboril is day-to-day with an upper body injury. Carlo's status for Saturday night is unknown right now.

Playing close to 30 minutes could easily become the norm here for McAvoy, even in games that don't require overtime. That's how important he is to the Bruins' success in all three zones. He is the one player the Bruins absolutely cannot afford to lose based on his Norris Trophy- caliber two-way talent and the state of the team's blue line. 1215041 Boston Bruins The chances of Jake DeBrusk capitalizing on that scoring chance in the first period would have been much lower. Smith is a better scorer and puts a lot more pucks on net. The second line is more aggressive offensively and wins more puck battles when Smith is in that right wing Game 3 takeaways: Bruins' blue line depth a major concern despite win spot as opposed to DeBrusk or Karson Kuhlman.

Hall also did a tremendous job in the buildup to Smith's goal by stealing the puck from Islanders center Mathew Barzal with a brilliant backcheck. BY NICK GOSS Hall got the puck back on the ensuing rush up the ice and picked up the primary assist on Smith's tally with a pretty pass.

The Boston Bruins took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series Overall, the ice was tilted pretty heavily in Boston's favor when its No. 2 against the New York Islanders with a 2-1 overtime win Thursday night in line was on the ice. The Bruins held a 13-5 advantage in shot attempts, a Game 3 at Nassau Coliseum. 10-0 lead in shots and a 6-4 edge in scoring chances (3-0 in high danger chances) during the second line's 12:15 of 5-on-5 ice time. The B's were the better team for the third consecutive game and held the advantage in shot attempts, shots on net and scoring chances at 5-on-5. On a night where the Bruins' red-hot first line of Brad Marchand, Patrice The only reason why the score was 1-0 B's for most of regulation was the Bergeron and David Pastrnak was pretty quiet offensively in regulation, it impressive play of Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov, who made a was Boston's second line that picked up the slack and provided enough game-high 39 saves. offense to help secure a pivotal Game 3 win.

The Islanders forced overtime with Mathew Barzal's third-period goal -- 3) Both goalies played great his first tally of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Brad Marchand secured Tuukka Rask gave one of his best performances of the playoffs in Game the victory for Boston with a goal just 3:36 into the overtime period. It was 3, and it came at the perfect time because Islanders goalie Semyon his second overtime goal of the postseason. Varlamov was just as good until the overtime period. Bruins star Pastrnak gifts stick to young Islanders fan in cool moment Rask made 28 saves on 29 shots, including two fantastic stops in a Here are three takeaways from Game 3. manner of seconds early in OT that kept the B's in the game.

1) Blue line depth a huge concern for B's The only goal Rask gave up came with 5:26 left in the third period when Barzal took three whacks at the puck before finally pushing it over the The Bruins' badly needed an early overtime goal Thursday because their goal line. Bruins defensemen were nowhere to be found. depth on the blue line is once again a major concern. Semyon Varlamov made some tremendous saves, too, including It was already an issue entering Game 3, and the situation became even excellent stops on both David Krejci and Nick Ritchie late in the second worse for Boston in the third period when Brandon Carlo took a hard (but period with the Islanders trailing 1-0. clean) hit from Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck along the end boards. The goal Varlamov gave up in overtime to Brad Marchand was pretty Carlo looked a bit dazed after the hit and took a knee on the ice for a weak, though. He has to make a save on this shot attempt: short while before eventually getting to the bench. He has suffered multiple concussions in his five-year career, including one in February on The Bruins had 33 scoring chances and nine high-danger chances during a high hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson. 5-on-5 action and Varlamov thwarted all but two of them. Varlamov has played pretty well since getting his job back from Ilya Sorokin after Game Carlo didn't return to Game 3, which left the B's with just five defensemen 1, and he proved in Game 3 that New York's net should be his alone for most of the third period and all of overtime. Charlie McAvoy unless an injury prevents him from playing. He gives the Islanders the shouldered a lot of the burden with some lengthy shifts, including one in best chance to win this series. overtime when he assisted on Marchand's game-winner. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.05.2021 Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said after the win that Carlo told him he was "feeling pretty good." Cassidy didn't have a further update beyond that and wouldn't give a definitive answer on the veteran defenseman's status for Game 4 on Saturday night.

If Carlo misses any further time in this series, it would be a very bad development for the Bruins. Carlo is one of the team's best shutdown defenseman and plays a key role on the penalty kill. Mike Reilly and Carlo have formed an excellent second pairing for Boston since the April 12 NHL trade deadline.

The Bruins already are without veteran defenseman Kevan Miller, who hasn't played since taking a high hit from Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov in Game 4 of the first round. Miller is skating again but didn't travel to New York and won't play in Game 4 against the Islanders.

If Carlo can't play Saturday night, the next man up for the Bruins probably would be Jarred Tinordi. Jakub Zboril is battling an upper body injury and rookie Urho Vaakanainen is not yet ready for a playoff environment. Tinordi played in Game 5 of the first round after Miller's injury, and then he came out of the lineup when Lauzon returned for Round 2.

It goes without saying that having Connor Clifton, Jeremy Lauzon and Tinordi as half of your blue line would be far from ideal at this stage of the season. Unfortunately for the Bruins, it might be a reality depending on Carlo's status over the next few days.

2) Bruins' second line shines

The Bruins' second line of Taylor Hall, David Krejci and Craig Smith was whole again in Game 3, and it didn't take long for this trio to make an impact offensively.

Smith left Game 1 of the series with a lower body injury and missed Game 2 as a result. He returned to the lineup Thursday and opened the scoring with a goal 5:52 into the first period. 1215042 Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins Carlo ‘Day-To-Day’, Hasn’t Been Ruled Out For Game 4

Published 14 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Joe Haggerty

The worst was feared for Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo (upper body) when he looked dazed and needed help getting off the ice in Game 3 after a heavy hit from Cal Clutterbuck along the end boards.

Carlo exited the game midway through the third period and looked rubber-legged after his head violently smashed off the glass prior to Boston pulling out the 2-1 overtime victory at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday night.

Afterward, Bruce Cassidy said Carlo was walking and talking normally and was “feeling pretty good” and the Boston Bruins shutdown defenseman still seemed to be doing okay on Friday morning.

The Boston Bruins head coach still termed the 25-year-old defenseman “day-to-day” at this point but didn’t rule him out from potentially playing in Saturday night’s Game 4 against the Islanders with the B’s up 2-to-1 in the series.

“We’ll list him as day-to-day. He’s feeling good this morning, better. Obviously, he took a hard hit last night,” said Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, who is averaging 22:30 of ice time in eight playoff games this postseason and has teamed with Mike Reilly as a solid middle ‘D’ pairing. “I’ll give you an update on whether he’s going to play tomorrow morning, but he’ll be day-to-day, and we’ll go from there. Kevan Miller skated today. He’s not going to join us, but that’s obviously good news on that front as well.

“We have [Urho] Vaakanainen, [Jakub] Zboril and [Jarred] Tinordi and all have played a little bit on the right, but they’re obviously left sticks. So that’s something we’ll need to talk about. [Lauzon] might have to go to his offside. One of those guys will have to get a comfort level on their off-side if we have to take Brandon out [due to injury].”

Clearly the Bruins haven’t ruled Carlo out for this weekend, but they also need to tread lightly with a player that missed months this season after suffering a concussion following a dirty head shot from Tom Wilson. Carlo suffered some significant post-concussion symptoms following that previous head injury this season, so that’s part of the medical calculation with a 24-year-old player that’s now had several concussions during his NHL career.

Either way with Miller and perhaps Carlo now missing with injuries after absorbing big hits, the defensive depth is getting very thin on the right side for the Black and Gold.

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Marchand Proving To Be Ultimate Boston Bruins Playoff Weapon

Published 18 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Joe Haggerty

It might have been a one in a thousand chance of scoring a goal for the Boston Bruins. Heck, it might have been a one in a million chance of scoring the goal for the Boston Bruins.

But whatever the odds, Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand beat them with a bad angle snipe in overtime from outside the faceoff circle that beat a surprised Semyon Varlamov and clinched a key 2-1 OT win over the Islanders in Game 3 at Nassau Coliseum.

It was the second overtime game-winner for the Boston Bruins left winger as he continues to build up a possible Conn Smythe resume with five goals and seven points in eight playoff games, but this game-winner was one to remember given the amazingly small window Marchand had to hit in order to go top corner.

It doesn’t even get to that point if Charlie McAvoy doesn’t do a masterful job of slowing things down after a long shift defending, and then wait for his gassed teammates to change before hitting Marchand on the move headed into the offensive zone. Marchand then had to get the shot through Ryan Pulock, past Varlamov flailing with his glove and then catch the angle just right inside the post and under the bar, and he did exactly that to the stunned amazement of the Islanders players.

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BHN Daily: Boston Bruins Blue Line Running Thin; Scheifele Reaction

Published 18 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Jimmy Murphy

The Boston Bruins blue line could have a Providence Bruins feel for Game 4 of the East Division Final against the New York Islanders and those who scoffed at Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney targeting defense on the NHL trade and free-agent markets in recent years will learn once again that the old adage of ‘You can never have enough defensemen in the playoffs’ still holds true.

During the last NHL offseason and again heading into the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline, the Boston Bruins were linked to numerous defensemen on the NHL Trade market and in NHL Free agency. Given their ongoing need for a top 6 winger, many Boston Bruins fans and media covering the team criticized Sweeney. Well, how’s that Mike Reilly trade looking right now? The Jarred Tinordi waiver claim too?

Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy told the media that defenseman Brandon Carlo seemed to be OK after a Cal Clutterbuck hit left him dazed and out for the game just over six minutes into the third period of his team’s 2-1 overtime win over the Islanders in Game 3. However, given Carlo’s recent concussion history, it wouldn’t be surprising if he rests for a game. If that happens, then Tinordi would draw in again since he and Urho Vaakanainen are currently the only healthy defensemen the Bruins have left to come in.

With Kevan Miller, Jakub Zboril, Steven Kampfer, and John Moore all unavailable, the Boston Bruins blue is running thin and some defensive prospects could be getting their first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs a bit earlier than planned.

Now on to the rest of your BHN Daily Links:

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand scored his second overtime winner of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs and goalie Tuukka Rask was sensational in a 2-1 Game 3 win over the New York Islanders. My partner-in-crime Joe Haggerty has got your BHN Talking Points! (BHN)

Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy saw no ‘maliciousness’ in the Mark Scheifele hit on Jake Evans but if he and other old school coaches start to adapt to the new NHL more can they help keep players safe? (BHN)

Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak may just be the most fan-friendly player in the NHL! (BHN)

New York Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov almost stole Game 3 for the Isles but then let in a strange goal to Brad Marchand in overtime. (NYI Hockey Now)

Prior to Game 3 Thursday night, Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield said he had no ill will towards Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk for the cross-check DeBrusk laid on the back of his head in Game 2. (NYI Hockey Now)

Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri will get another chance to appeal his eight-game suspension Friday. (Colorado Hockey Now)

How will the former bitter rivals of the Avalanche improve their roster this offseason? Kevin Allen examines and tries to predict what promises to be a busy offseason for the Detroit Red Wings. (Detroit Hockey Now)

The Florida Panthers finally have players that are proud to wear their crest. (Florida Hockey Now)

Will the four-game suspension for Mark Scheifele deter NHLers from doing the same thing he did and show more respect for each other? (Sportsnet)

The captain got his team back into the series as Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal scored in overtime to give the Canes their first win of the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. (TSN)

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Murphy: Old School Coaches Like Cassidy Can Still Change The Game

Published 19 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Jimmy Murphy

Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy did an amazing job reinventing himself into a winner. However, if the NHL and NHLPA truly want to eliminate head shots, old school folks like Cassidy need to reinvent the way they view dangerous and unnecessary hits like the one Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele laid on Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans in Game 1 of the North Division Final this past Wednesday night.

“Wow. That was a play you don’t see very often in hockey, where a guy comes out the other side, especially with the empty net. I guarantee you Evans did not expect to get hit in that circumstance,” Bruce Cassidy replied Thursday when asked to give his assessment of the controversial hit that had the hockey world bickering for the better part of Thursday.

“Five-on-five play, when you come around the net on a wraparound, I think the puck-carrier usually is anticipating some level of confrontation, but I don’t think he expected it at all. I don’t know — I watched replays, but I haven’t seen it down to the frame if he went through his head first or his shoulder. That’s the part that I’m sure they’ll look at.

I know he traveled distance, so that’s gonna be brought up. I don’t think, it looked like to me, there was any maliciousness intended in the hit. It just sort of developed, and it was there and he took it. But boy, it was a tough one to take. I hope first and foremost — I have not heard a report medically if their player is doing well. I hope he is. Obviously, that’s the first thing you think of. It’ll be an interesting one because you don’t see that particular play a lot, how the NHL’s going to handle that.”

Since Cassidy provided his take on the hit, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Scheifele had been suspended for four games. The old school folks continued to clamor that the hit was simply a hockey play and that four games was excessive. The guess here is that Cassidy will be in that crowd as well and if given the chance, I’ll ask him if he is when he holds his daily Zoom call with the media.

Cassidy’s first coaching stint in the NHL as head coach of the Washington Capitals from 2002-2004 did not go as planned but he used it as a learning experience, stayed in and around the game, adapted to the new age player and has led the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his 4.5 seasons behind the Bruins bench. The Boston Bruins are not up 2-1 in the East Division Final with the New York Islanders without Cassidy’s leadership. Bruce Cassidy has proven he can adapt and lead and has also proven to be one of the most media-friendly coaches in the NHL. He speaks to reporters with respect and gives answers that make the media’s job easier.

This is why his take on the Scheifele hit was so baffling to this puck scribe. While Bruce Cassidy makes no qualms about being old school, he’s also proven to have the capability to be a Renaissance Man too. With these, in the opinion of this scribe, cheap shots becoming all too prevalent again in the NHL and the game faster than ever, the next player to take a hit like Scheifele’s may not get up. …or God Forbid, die. Yes, that sounds drastic but drastic is what this league and culture need right now and it’s going to take smart, eloquent, and old school leaders like Cassidy speaking out against those hits not just when it’s one of his players on the receiving end.

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215046 Boston Bruins outside the face-off circle to the right of Varlamov that made its way into the top right-hand corner, stunning that lively Nassau crowd.

“Obviously not a great one, but any shot, especially in overtime, has a Bruins’ confidence is soaring after Brad Marchand’s OT winner gives chance to go,” Marchand said. “That’s something that I think every team them series lead talks about going into overtime. You can’t pass up a shot, and that’s another example of it.”

But did he feed off the noise? By Steve Buckley Jun 4, 2021 You bet he did.

“They were loud, they were loud tonight, I’ll give them credit,” he said. Thanks to some kind of mixup — a loose wire, maybe, or an “on” switch “Our building was loud too. But it’s just fun to be in front of people again that was accidentally switched to “off” — Boston Bruins coach Bruce … we’ve been through a lot in the past year and we’re excited to get Cassidy’s postgame video press conference got off to a rocky start back to normalcy. It’s amazing having the crowd back into it. It’s really Thursday night. what makes the playoffs the playoffs.”

He had positioned himself in front of the camera to talk about the Bruins’ Marchand did make the point about “the momentum swings you get thrilling 2-1 overtime victory against the New York Islanders at Nassau when you’re home,” and “that’s why home ice matters so much.” But he Coliseum in Game 3 of this second-round Stanley Cup playoff series. A cited Stanley Cup games being played last summer in the NHL’s bubble couple of questions were asked. Cassidy couldn’t hear them. Things in Canada, saying, “Home ice doesn’t matter when you don’t have fans in finally got fixed, whereupon the coach said, “We’re on the same page. the crowd. It’s exciting to be in a building when it is that loud.” Let’s get it up and running here.” I’m betting the novelty of just being happy to play in front of loud fans — And so he was asked, at last, what he said to his players going into any loud fans — will wear off soon. When that happens, look for the old overtime. norms to return.

In a weird way, he had already answered the question. For the time being, unless you want to get technical about line changes and the size of the dressing rooms, every game is a home game for “We’re on the same page. Let’s get it up and running here.” these teams. The Islanders had a blast playing Games 1 and 2 at a For there is no doubt the Bruins were on the same page all right, from packed Garden. The Bruins had a blast playing Thursday night at Tuukka Rask’s brilliant goaltending throughout the night to Brad Nassau Coliseum. Marchand’s almost casual, just-get-the-puck-on-net-and-maybe-create- As the Islanders prepare to make the move next season to the new UBS something kind of shot that eluded Islanders goaltender Semyon Arena in Elmont, keep in mind that Game 3 marked the 24th time they Varlamov for the game-winner. have played an overtime Stanley Cup game at Nassau Coliseum. If you want to nitpick — such as Sean Kuraly taking a bad cross-checking However their season turns out, bet on there being more of them. Bet on penalty with 2:15 remaining in regulation, or the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal Isles fans getting crazy. Bet on the opposing team, any opposing team, stuffing home a loose puck for the game-tying goal on a play that even being OK with that. Rask said he wished he’d handled a little differently — go right ahead and do that. But as Cassidy pointed out, and this is part of the message The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 he delivered to his players going into overtime, “I thought we were clearly the better team. We’re going into overtime, we have to have that attitude.”

OK, but clearly the Islanders had the momentum, having tied the game when Barzal kept clubbing away at a loose puck that was peeking out between Rask’s right skate and the goal post. To compound matters, the Bruins were down to five defensemen after Brandon Carlo went awkwardly into the glass directly behind Rask — face first — as a result of a legit check from Cal Clutterbuck.

Plus, the Islanders had the crowd, right? Islanders fans, like Bruins fans, like all hockey fans, like all sports fans, have been waiting, seemingly forever, to fill the buildings and holler for their hometown team. The Bruins crowd had its chance during Games 1 and 2 at TD Garden. Now Islanders fans were getting their chance. For added emotions, as if any are needed, this is the last season the Islanders will be playing at Nassau Coliseum, the much-loved but much-outdated building where Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Billy Smith & Co. won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s.

But don’t be surprised if home-ice advantage, which traditionally is solid gold during the Stanley Cup playoffs, turns out to be less important in this year’s tourney than in years past. The players, on both teams, are just happy to hear the noise, any kind of noise, and because of that they don’t particularly care who’s making it.

Marchand, he of the game-winning goal, made this point very clear during his own video presser, which happily went off without any technical glitches.

“I just think that everybody right now, on both teams, we’re excited to have fans back in the building,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or if you’re on the road. It’s an exciting time to be playing.”

Circumstances being what they are, they don’t care who’s cheering. To borrow from famous Long Island native Billy Joel, they’ll take you just the way you are.

It’s not as though Marchand was so fired up by the zany Islanders crowd that it inspired him to return to the ice for overtime and score the prettiest goal you’re ever going to see. No. What he did was float a shot from 1215047 Buffalo Sabres And guess who traded for him. None other than Imlach, his old nemesis, who wanted Hillman to provide veteran leadership for the young Sabres. The four-man trade – Doug Barrie and Mike Keeler for Hillman and Mike Byers – came on Dec. 16, 1971. It'll soon be 50 years ago. Erik Brady: Ex-Sabre Larry Hillman's hex remains on Maple Leafs Reigstad is a long-time Buffalo baseball fan. And he has the receipts to prove it – in the form of ticket stubs and game programs and newspaper clippings all lovingly saved in manila folders. Erik Brady Jun 4, 2021 “I was out in Los Angeles, and Punch brought me back to the Niagara

peninsula, where I owned property,” Hillman says. “I was at the end of Larry Hillman is a member of a club of just 11 players who skated for my career, but he knew what I could do on the ice. I was very happy to both the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bisons. That alone should make come to Buffalo. It was ideal for me. My brother Wayne was playing with him a fan favorite hereabouts. But there’s even more to love about him. the New York Rangers at the time, and he had a place in Fort Erie if I didn’t want to go all the way back to Vineland.” Let us count the ways: Hillman played 43 games for the Sabres in the 1971-72 season and 78 in • Hillman, 84, is the youngest ever to have his name etched on the the 1972-73 season, then left for the Crusaders of the World Stanley Cup. He was two months past his 18th birthday when he won his Hockey Association, where he played with his brother Wayne. Next came first Cup with the Detroit Red Wings, in 1955. (It's a record that can’t be the Winnipeg Jets, where he won the Avco World Trophy – the WHA’s broken, because today’s players must be 18 by Sept. 15 in order to play Stanley Cup knockoff – as a player in 1976 and as head coach in 1978. in the NHL.) “I had a contract dispute with Winnipeg as a player,” Hillman says. “Then • He once had a golden retriever named Sabre, a gift from his friend Paul they turned around and said if I dropped my lawsuit they would hire me Wieland, the Sabres’ erstwhile public relations director. as the coach. But that’s a long story, too.”

• And he put the Hillman Hex on the Toronto Maple Leafs after their 1967 He rooted for the Leafs against the Canadiens in the first round of these Stanley Cup triumph. You might have noticed they haven’t won one playoffs. Why not? The hex is off, and he won four Stanley Cups in since. Toronto and just one in Montreal. Now he is rooting for the Jets against the Canadiens in the second round. It’s nothing against Montreal, mind Mark Twain had thoughts about thunder. you. That’s 54 years, and counting. Hillman lifted his hex after 50 years, but “When I won the Stanley Cup there, I was the first player to win Cups the Leafs still haven’t lifted the Cup. This was supposed to be the year, of with three different organizations: Detroit, Toronto and Montreal,” Hillman course, but this week they lost Game 7 of their first-round series to the says. “So I made some history. I had an interesting career.” Montreal Canadiens. Including his season-and-a-half with the Sabres. Punch Imlach was the general manager who led the Leafs to four Stanley Cups in the 1960s – and who, in 1970, became the original GM and “I enjoyed my time in Buffalo. The only reason I left was because the coach of the Sabres. The Hillman Hex came after an epic contract WHA was doubling my salary.” standoff between Hillman and Imlach following the Leafs’ 1967 Cup title. Hillman, a defenseman, paired with future Sabres coach Marcel And Punch Imlach, well, he was not about to do that. Pronovost in those playoffs, and in 12 playoff games the two were on the Buffalo News LOADED: 06.05.2021 ice for one even-strength goal.

Hillman thought that earned him the right to a raise. He was making $15,000 (about $120,000 in today’s dollars) and wanted $20,000. Imlach offered $19,000. Hillman said no. Imlach raised the offer at the 11th hour to $19,500. Hillman still said no. And what happened next is Toronto legend.

Imlach fined Hillman $100 a day. He rejoined the team after 24 days – and would later proclaim that until the Leafs repaid his $2,400 fine, they would never win another Stanley Cup.

“Someone asked me after 35 years, ‘Isn’t that long enough?’ ” Hillman says. “And I said, ‘No, 50 years sounds like a nice round figure.’ And I took it off at 50.”

Canisius High School won its first Georgetown Cup 50 years ago today.

Brendan Shanahan was named president of the Leafs in 2014. He set about repairing rifts with some of the Leafs of the 1960s – notably Hall of Famer Dave Keon – when the team celebrated the 50th anniversary of its last Stanley Cup. That’s when Shanahan had the Leafs cut a check for Hillman: $2,400 – plus interest.

How much did a half-century of interest come to? Hillman would rather not say.

“I used the money to put in a 40-foot dock, with a ladder and the works, on the lake at our summer cottage,” he says. “I’ll leave it at that.”

Hillman lives in northern Ontario, an hour or so from where he was born, at Kirkland Lake. He and his wife Liz live in a townhouse on Lake Timiskaming and also have that cottage with the dock 20 minutes away on a tiny spring-fed lake. And his daughter lives in a home he bought in the mid-1960s on nine acres in Vineland, Ont., 10 miles from St. Catharines. He got it when he was playing for the Leafs and shuttling between Toronto and the farm club in Rochester.

Hillman left the Leafs for the expansion after that bitter 1967-68 season, won his sixth Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1969, then played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings before coming to Buffalo. 1215048 Buffalo Sabres more realistic their chance of contributing to the Sabres during the next two seasons.

Linus Weissbach How are Sabres approaching No. 1 pick? ‘There are a number of players Oskari Laaksonen that could be discussed’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Matej Pekar By John Vogl Jun 4, 2021 Mattias Samuelsson

Erik Portillo As Kevyn Adams dug into his first draft last fall, there was uncertainty. The Sabres held the No. 8 slot, so the general manager wasn’t sure Aaron Huglen which of his favorite prospects would be around. Linus Cronholm “You’re trying to wonder what the board’s going to look like and you’re guessing to some extent who could be there at your pick,” Adams Filip Cederqvist recalled. Miska Kukkonen

His second draft won’t have that dilemma. With the No. 1 selection, Lukas Rousek Adams and the Sabres will have their choice of anyone and everyone. Still, deciding which player to choose on July 23 will involve numerous William Worge-Kreu debates and a different kind of uncertainty. Jack Quinn “What does make this draft unique in terms of the top of the draft is there are a number of players that could be discussed,” Adams said. “There’s Ryan Johnson often drafts where maybe — maybe — there’s two or three that are kind J-J Peterka of at the top of the list. Maybe the one is (a little higher) and then there’s this mix of the next tier. Matteo Costantini

“But I think in this draft there’s a number of players to have discussions AHL about. That’s something I’m really looking forward to.” Albert Lyckasen The chats have started. Adams and new associate GM Jason Karmanos watched the Under-18 World Championship together in April and May, NCAA getting a good look at some of the top prospects, including forwards Jakub Konecny Dylan Guenther and Mason McTavish and defenseman Brandt Clarke. The Sabres’ nine-person scouting staff has amassed video highlights and Europe lowlights of Owen Power, Matthew Beniers, Kent Johnson, William Mattias Samuelsson skated in 12 games this season. Oskari Laaksonen Eklund and others as well. is in line for a recall next year while Ryan Johnson could see games in The challenge is to find the correct pick in a year without a consensus 2022-23. Up front, Jack Quinn should make his debut next season. J-J No. 1, though Power certainly has the most backers. Peterka may arrive in 2022-23. Linus Weissbach, Lukas Rousek and Matej Pekar hope to show they’re ready during the next two years, but “It’s really important to have debate, understand different thoughts from that’s no given. different people,” Adams said. “What I mean by debate is healthy questioning of each other and not being afraid to be able to back up The Sabres need more forwards, which is why Adams is sure to field opinions that scouts have and then to challenge them on that and then trade calls from teams who are hot for Power at No. 1. The top pick they push back. I think that’s really a good thing. hasn’t been dealt since 2003, when the Penguins moved up from the third spot to draft Marc-Andre Fleury. “I really enjoyed the amateur process last year. I really enjoyed going through that, learning about the different players and projecting. These “I would assume that my phone is going to be pretty busy,” said Adams, are 18-year-olds and you’re not just looking at next year. You’re who wouldn’t want to drop far in the order but could get a playmaker in projecting what you think they can turn into three, four, five years down the top five. “Every team is different when it comes to a player they the road. That’s certainly a challenging part of this job.” absolutely just think is the guy.”

The GM has more help than last year. Karmanos, who arrived in April The Sabres are going to spend the seven weeks finding their guy. They after two decades with Carolina and Pittsburgh, is overseeing the don’t have to worry about anyone stealing him. scouting staff. Adams has installed Jerry Forton as director of amateur “The (scouts) have a lot of viewings in through video and reports,” Adams scouting. Jason Nightingale is still assistant director of scouting/director said. “Bringing in Jason with his experience, his expertise overseeing of analytics while Kevin Devine, Austin Dunne, Frank Musil and Graham scouting departments before, is a great add for us. He and I have talked Beamish remain as scouts. The Sabres have also added Swedish scout a lot in the last couple months about this draft. Anders Forsberg and scout Tristan Musser, who worked as an assistant GM in the United States Hockey League after leaving Harborcenter’s “I love asking questions. I love debating with the scouts. I love Academy of Hockey. challenging them in a good way, in a healthy way, all with the intention of how do we find the best player? That’s an exciting process to go They’ll be relying on limited video since there were fewer games this through.” season, including none in the Ontario Hockey League. The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 “It’s challenging, but I equate it to bad ice for a hockey game: Everyone’s playing under the same conditions,” Karmanos said. “Fortunately, the draft’s a little later this year (than the typical June date). Everybody’s tackling as much video as they can. We’re no different.

“Obviously, it’s not the same as usual, but that doesn’t mean it’s something that can’t be overcome. We’re just approaching it as a different kind of challenge, and we’re going to be prepared and ready to go.”

Adams made it clear he’s going with the best player available. That’s probably Power. Still, it’s worth noting the Sabres’ pipeline is stronger on the blue line than up front. Here are top prospects from the past four drafts, including where they’re playing. The darker the color shade, the 1215049 Calgary Flames That debate has been settled, definitively. “It’s nice now to get set at centre,” Lindholm acknowledged. “I think I had

maybe a couple shifts or maybe one game at right wing, but it was mostly Now locked in at centre, Lindholm selected as Flames’ MVP for 2021 centre. It’s just nice to know and to know your position. It’s all good. I’m excited to hopefully be playing centre for a lot more years to come.”

Lindholm’s nod as MVP wraps a week of trophy announcements from the Wes Gilbertson Flames.

Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 7 hours ago Gaudreau was saluted as the inaugural winner of the Daryl ‘Doc’ Seaman Award, earmarked for the team scoring leader, while Mark

Giordano’s name will be the first to be engraved on the Clayton H. Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm won’t have to worry about Riddell Award after he was selected by club brass as the best blue-liner. fielding this familiar question when he reports for training camp in the fall. Chris Tanev capped his first season at the Saddledome with the J.R. Centre or right wing? That has been sorted. ‘Bud’ McCaig Award — the other recipient was executive chef Brian Armstrong — and Mikael Backlund claimed the Ralph & Sonia Scurfield Lindholm was not just a middle-of-the-ice staple this past season. Humanitarian Award for the second time in his career.

The 26-year-old was Calgary’s most consistent, most reliable and most All of the honours are named for longtime members of the Flames’ productive pivot and was feted Friday as the inaugural winner of the ownership group. Harley N. Hotchkiss Award, an in-house nod — named for a legendary business and community leader who helped bring the franchise north Hotchkiss, a generous philanthropist and inductee to both the Hockey from Atlanta — to the Flames’ most valuable player. Hall of Fame and the Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame, passed away in 2011. “As soon as they called me, I was kind of in shock and just honoured and proud,” Lindholm said. “It’s a big, big thing for me and just a lot of people “Since I was notified of winning this award, I’ve come to learn that the to thank. It’s just very fun to be named for the prize. true MVP of the Flames was Mr. Hotchkiss,” Lindholm said in a press release. “Thank you to the Flames’ ownership group for the support they “I want to be a key player for this team and be reliable over the ice. Every provide us to be successful and thank you to the Hotchkiss family.” time I step on the ice, I try to give my best. And obviously, it’s very nice when you get the recognition to be the most valuable. So I was kind of in ICE CHIPS: It’s guaranteed that one Flames player will be going for gold shock. And after I hung up, just very happy. It was a really proud moment at the 2021 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Latvia, but that means for me.” another will be bummed out as they re-focus on bronze. Andrew Mangiapane was Canada’s overtime hero in the quarterfinals and leads Both his current boss and his previous skipper should be among those his country into Saturday’s semifinal showdown against Connor Mackey on his list of thank-yous. and the Americans. The early-risers can catch that clash at 5 a.m. MT on TSN … Flames puck-stopping prospect Dustin Wolf was saluted as both Geoff Ward deserves credit for realizing that Lindholm — despite his eye- player-of-the-year and top goaltender in the ’s popping offensive numbers as a first-line flanker — could be even more U.S. Division. The Everett Silvertips stalwart posted an 18-3 record with a impactful at centre, his position on his ascent to the pros. 1.80 GAA and .940 save percentage in what will be his final campaign in After that mid-season, late-night coaching change, left him the junior ranks. Wolf, 20, needed two more shutouts to equal the WHL’s there. all-time mark … Joakim Nordstrom, who logged 44 appearances this season as a depth forward and penalty-kill specialist for the Flames, has Sutter is a firm believer that contenders are built between the dots, so signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. Lindholm’s switch to pivot should be permanent. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 06.05.2021 The talented right-hander notched 19 goals during the shortened season — tied for tops on the team with Johnny Gaudreau — and was second among locals with 47 points in 56 games.

Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm is shown here celebrating a goal with teammate Matthew Tkachuk during a game against the Winnipeg Jets.

His plus-10 rating was the best among Flames’ forwards, especially impressive since he is so often asked to shut down the opposing aces, and it’s hardly a surprise he logged more shifts and ice-time and won more total faceoffs than any of Calgary’s other middle-men.

While there could be major changes this summer after the Saddledome- dwellers missed the playoffs in the North Division, No. 28 should be on the shortlist of untouchables. (When you consider all that he offers, his annual cap-hit of US$4.85 million looks like a sweetheart of a deal for the Flames. He is locked in at that salary for three more winters.)

“Obviously, I would have been more satisfied if we would have been playing right now, but it was a tough one for the whole team,” said Lindholm, refusing to put a positive spin on his individual performance after his squad sputtered to a 26-27-3 record in a season that had started with such lofty expectations. “We didn’t find a rhythm at all, until the very end. But before we all left, I think everyone was pretty excited about the summer and to get better and work hard and come back stronger next year.

“We have a good group, good players, and I think we have what it takes to be playing right now. And if you’re playing right now, anything can happen.”

Anything, we suppose, could happen before the stars return to the Saddledome in the fall, but this much seems oh-so-certain … When the Flames hit the ice for 2021-22, Lindholm will be slotted as a centre. 1215050 Carolina Hurricanes Aho finished the game with a goal and two assists, Teravainen had two assists and Svechnikov an assist. Their five-on-five metrics were solid, the top line finishing with more scoring chances for versus scoring chances against in the game, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. Hurricanes’ top line accepts the challenge against Lightning in NHL playoff series The Canes likely will need more of the same from that line in Game 4. Brind’Amour said Friday he is not sure if either injured forwards Warren Foegele or Vincent Trocheck will be be able to play, although he said both will “try.” Forward Nino Niederreiter did not make the trip. BY CHIP ALEXANDER Point scored on a second-period power play and Kucherov had two JUNE 04, 2021 06:07 PM, assists, both on power plays, as the Point line combined for 15 of the Lightning’s 37 shots. But Kucherov also was called for holding the stick in overtime, leading to the Staal winner. For those who wondered how Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper would choose to match up with the Carolina Hurricanes at home in the “It’s just the matchup,” Aho said Thursday after the game. “We’ve been playoffs, an answer came quickly Thursday. playing their line against my line all three games. We see each other a lot out there every game. When Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour sent out his top line of center Sebastian Aho and wingers Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov, “It’s playoff hockey. It’s nothing more than that.” Cooper would counter with his top line of center Brayden Point and News Observer LOADED: 06.05.2021 wingers Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov.

So it went Thursday in Game 3 at Amalie Arena. It often was best against best on the ice as the Canes emerged with a critical 3-2 overtime victory after losing the first two game of the second-round playoff series in Raleigh.

“We’re still here,” Brind’Amour said Friday.

If it was a challenge by Cooper, who has the last change at home, it was accepted by the Canes. And it should be the same Saturday in Game 4 as the Canes look to even the series and the Lightning try to go up 3-1.

“I enjoy playing against that top line,” Teravainen said Friday. “They’re really good players and it has been a battle against them and there’s a lot of skill and good pace.”

Brind’Amour decided to put the so-called “SAT” line back together for Game 3. Good call. In the second period, Aho pushed the puck into the Tampa Bay zone and passed cross ice to Svecnhnikov, who dropped off a pass to defenseman Brett Pesce at the top of the right circle.

Pesce rifled a shot that beat goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy high to the blocker side. Just like that the Canes had scored the first goal of the game — a rarity for Carolina in the playoffs.

Later in the second period came a play that left the Canes with a 2-0 lead and would be in every NHL highlights package.

Defenseman Jaccob Slavin made a stretch pass to Teravainen in the neutral zone near the red line. With Aho skating behind him and Kucherov more or less caught flat-footed, Teravainen made a between- the-legs touch pass to Aho, who streaked in to score on Vasilevskiy.

“Heck of a play they made to tip that right on the tape,” Cooper said after the game. “I don’t know how many times he’s going to do that. So give them credit for making one heck of a play under pressure.”

Canes captain Jordan Staal had a different description of it, especially after seeing replays.

“I almost lost my mind,” Staal said. “That was obviously high-end skill. There’s not a lot of guys who can pop a backhand, tip, sauce, through the middle, through his legs to a breaking player.

“Obviously, those two have got great chemistry and vision. And ‘Svechy’ is just a workhorse and they’re very talented. There’s a reason they’re as good as they are.”

Oddly, it was the first time Teravainen had assisted on an Aho goal this season; the winger having missed a big chunk of games because of COVID-19 and a concussion.

“We’ve played together so many years and so many games that we kind of know where we are,” Teravainen said Friday. “Those little plays come so quickly that you’ve got to sometimes just kind of think he’s going to be there. A lot of times, he’s going to.”

Teravainen nearly had another primary assist to Aho in overtime, with the Canes on a power play. He made a slick pass to Aho in a tight spot in the slot for a shot and an apparent goal, although it was soon credited to Staal, who was crowding Vasilevskiy and had the puck glance off him for the winner. 1215051 Carolina Hurricanes but he has made himself impossible to ignore in the postseason, at either end of the ice.

What Staal has done, and continues to do, is far from easy. His goal Jordan Staal’s knack for game-winners is no accident. There’s an art to Thursday may have looked like a happy accident, but it was the result of it. a big body and a big hockey brain working together to twist fate in the proper direction.

News Observer LOADED: 06.05.2021 BY LUKE DECOCK

JUNE 04, 2021 04:59 PM

No one in the hockey world really wants to admit it, perhaps because it taps into emotions and inadequacies they would not like to confront, but there’s an art to scoring goals like Jordan Staal’s overtime game-winner Thursday night.

In a game of abundant speed and skill and creativity and hand-eye coordination, sometimes the best play is just as simple as merely getting in the way, being the right body in the right place at the right time.

Where the art comes into it is knowing where the right place is and when is the right time, and that’s where the hockey IQ, vision, savvy and nous of a veteran like Staal, the Carolina Hurricanes’ captain and two-way workhorse center, comes into play.

The ability to read the game, to sense where the play is going and get to a place where your presence alone can change the course of a game or even a playoff series is not something that can be trained or taught. You’re either born with it -- and Jordan isn’t the only Staal brother who was -- or you’re not.

That’s only half of it. There’s also the fearlessness to take the punishment associated with being in that place, which most often is close enough to smell the goalie’s breath. That means being beaten repeatedly in the small of the back or across the arm with a composite stick, and requires the acceptance of choosing to remain in an uncomfortable position when it would be easier to move away.

So Staal can make a deprecating quip about being in the right place in overtime Thursday -- yet again! -- that Sebastian Aho’s flash-and-dazzle spin move would graze Staal’s left shin on its way past the nigh- impregnable Andrei Vasilevskiy to cut the Tampa Bay Lightning’s series lead to 2-1, but there’s a lot of truth buried in that humor.

“My left leg’s hot,” Staal said Friday. “Hopefully it’ll stay hot.”

It’s no joke. Staal has a history of scoring big goals in the postseason, and not just this spring, where he won Game 5 of the first-round series against the Nashville Predators by swatting a rebound out of midair, again within shoving distance of the goalie.

Thursday gave him his third career overtime winner, tying him with the Secret Weapon, Niclas Wallin, for the franchise record. Only five active NHL players have scored more overtime playoff goals than Staal: Corey Perry (five), Patrick Kane (five), Patrice Bergeron (four), Nicklas Backstrom (four) and Hurricanes legend Patrick Marleau (four).

At a certain point, that stops being a coincidence. It’s no accident.

There’s value in that beyond what Staal delivers elsewhere on the ice or in the dressing room. It’s just another way to lead by example.

“I’ve been telling the group we’ve got to get to the net,” Staal said. “That’s where the puck always seems to be going, obviously. The way we play, the more often we’re there, we’re going to get some bounces.”

Meanwhile, as other Hurricanes forwards have fallen by the wayside in the past week -- first Nino Niederreiter, then Vincent Trocheck, now Warren Foegele -- Staal’s role continues to expand and his workload continues to increase.

“When you have a guy who plays in all situations and you rely on him so much, the value of this guy is off the charts,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Then he’s your leader, too.”

Staal now has five goals in nine games this postseason, two in overtime, the continuing extension of a renaissance season that saw him score at a 30-goal pace for the first time in his career at the ripe age of 32. He’s a long-shot Selke Trophy candidate as the NHL’s best defensive forward -- finalists will be announced Sunday -- who will likely be overlooked again, 1215052 Carolina Hurricanes Dineen. He trails only Eric Staal, Ron Francis and Brind’Amour. … Teravainen’s assist on Aho’s goal was his first on any Aho goal this season. “I guess that’s good,” Teravainen said. “Hopefully there’s more coming.” With Warren Foegele’s injury, the Canes are running out of forwards heading into Game 4 News Observer LOADED: 06.05.2021

BY LUKE DECOCK

JUNE 04, 2021 01:32 PM,

With Nino Niederreiter, Vincent Trocheck and now Warren Foegele potentially out of the lineup, the Carolina Hurricanes could be without 47 regular-season goals for Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Foegele took a blind-side hit to the left shoulder late in Thursday’s second period and lasted just one shift in the third before leaving for good, the latest Hurricanes forward to exit.

Niederreiter didn’t make the trip after being injured in practice last weekend and Trocheck was supposed to give it a try in warmups Thursday but never took the ice; he hurt his right leg in an ankle-to-ankle collision with Foegele in Game 2.

“I think both those guys will try (Saturday) and we’ll see,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Friday. “But no medical update.”

Morgan Geekie made his postseason debut this season in Game 3. Max McCormick, who made the trip with the team as an extra forward, would draw into the lineup next if Foegele and Trocheck are both out for Game 4. Brind’Amour said he was not inclined to dress seven defensemen instead.

The Hurricanes have said “next man up” all season but they’re running out of next men, so could (or would) the Hurricanes could call up 2020 first-round pick Seth Jarvis, who had 11 points in nine games during his time with Chicago (AHL) this season, as they run low on skilled forwards? Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“As a group, we always want to play the same way,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “The guys who have come in have played really well. They’re preparing as pros. (Geekie) had a great game, a bunch of chances. We’re going to have other guys come in and out. That’s the playoffs. That’s the unfortunate part of it. We’re not going to get through a playoff run without injuries. Hopefully the depth our group has can get us through.”

‘IT’S PLAYOFF HOCKEY’

Brett Pesce wasn’t thrilled with the neutral-zone hit by Nikita Kucherov late in the first period that bloodied his lip and led to him being pulled by the NHL for concussion testing. Pesce came back to start the second and scored the game’s first goal with a shot from the point five minutes into the period.

“I thought it was maybe a little dirty,” Pesce said, “but it’s playoff hockey.”

KEEPING IT CLOSE

One thing that hasn’t changed from the first-round series against the Nashville Predators: The tiny margin for error. The Hurricanes briefly took a two-goal lead Thursday, but the vast majority of their entire playoff run has been played without that kind of cushion.

Over 620:10 of postseason hockey, the Hurricanes have had a two-goal lead for 8:53 and the opposition for 17:43. The rest has been played tied or within a goal. The seven consecutive one-goal finishes are the longest run by any NHL team since the Ottawa Senators played eight straight in 2017.

Thursday was also the Hurricanes’ fifth overtime game this postseason (3-2), the most in franchise history through the first nine playoff games, but still with some way to go overall. The Hurricanes played nine OT games in 2002 (7-2), seven in 2006 (4-3), four in 2009 (3-1) and three in 2019 (2-1).

TAILWINDS

With a goal and two assists Thursday, Sebastian Aho took sole possession of fourth place in franchise playoff scoring, passing Kevin 1215053 Carolina Hurricanes Aho, playing with competitive fire, jostled at times by the Lightning, responded with a goal and two assists. Teravainen had two assists and Svechnikov assisted on the first goal of the game -- the blast by Pesce, who stepped into the shot at the top of the right circle after a nice drop Hurricanes’ ‘big man at the hoop’ delivers big playoff victory over pass from Svechnikov. Lightning Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (22) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) during the second period in Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup BY CHIP ALEXANDER second-round playoff series Thursday, June 3, 2021, in Tampa. Chris JUNE 04, 2021 07:30 AM, O'Meara AP

It was a test of wills in the overtime. The Canes had to kill off the final 52 seconds of a Dougie Hamilton tripping penalty to begin the OT and did as It was the kind of win that championship teams can be built on and draw Staal had a good shorthanded chance. Kucherov then was called for from, even if not this season. holding Martin Necas’ stick at 4:16 and Staal ended it at 5:57 of overtime.

On the road. Down 2-0 in a playoff series. Facing the reigning Stanley CAROLINA WINS WHEN IT NEEDED TO Cup champions, on their ice. Down three forwards after losing one to injury in Game 3. Game 4 is Saturday and the Lightning will be ready. But so will the Canes, who now have assured themselves of having another home The Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning went into overtime game at PNC Arena with the kind of victory that can resonate this year Thursday at Amalie Arena. Losing the game in sudden death would not and in future seasons. have meant the end of the season for the Hurricanes but it would have pushed them to the brink of elimination. “As I’ve said all year I’m always proud of the group,” Brind’Amour said. “Whatever happens to them they seem to find a way to focus on their So who did they turn to? Sebastian Aho called him the “big man at the game and go do their job, That’s what happened tonight. hoop.” “Just some big, big play by the whole group. Everybody just dug in. We Maybe “hoop” is some Finnish hockey jargon for net but Jordan Staal is a got, I think, a win that we deserved. I don’t know if tonight we were the big man. At 6-4 and listed at 220 pounds, he could be a power forward better team. That’s debatable. But overall we got something that we on some basketball teams and a problem to contain around the hoop. He deserved -- to be back in the series, to be back.” is in hockey around the net. News Observer LOADED: 06.05.2021 Needing a goal for the Canes to get back into the series, Aho and Staal supplied it on an overtime power play. Aho took a pass from Teuvo Teravainen and whistled a shot toward the net and the “Big Cat,” Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. The puck glanced off Staal for his fifth goal of the playoffs and the 3-2 victory.

“What I love about it is everybody is getting to see what he’s all about this year,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Staal, his captain. “He was great again tonight. The value of this guy is off the charts, and he’s your leader, too.”

Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) watches the game-winning shot get past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) for a goal during overtime in Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Thursday, June 3, 2021, in Tampa. Chris O'Meara AP

Where does that rank on the scale of gutsy wins?

“It’s at the top, right?” defenseman Brett Pesce said. “I’m so proud of everyone on our team. We get punched in the face over and over, tough bounces, and we just stick with it.”

CANES FORWARDS INJURED

Pesce wasn’t punched in the face but was blindsided on a hit by Nikita Kucherov in the first period and left to enter the concussion protocol. But he was back for the second, back to blast a shot past Vasilevskiy that gave the Canes a 1-0 lead for only the second time in nine games in the playoffs.

Forward Warren Foegele wasn’t as fortunate. Foegele injured a shoulder after a hit from Erik Cernak in the second, tried to play in the third but could not.

Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) celebrates the game winning goal against Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during overtime in Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second- round playoff series Thursday, June 3, 2021, in Tampa. Chris O'Meara AP

The Canes’ attrition at forward continued as Foegele joined center Vincent Trocheck and winger Nino Niederreiter on the injury list. Brind’Amour did not have an update on Foegele immediately after the game, saying, “I’m not sure how that’s going to shake out.”

After the Canes lost the first two games of the series at home, Brind’Amour made some changes. The biggest was having goalie Petr Mrazek make his first start of the playoffs and Mrazek came up big with 35 saves. Another was putting back together a top line of Aho centering Teravainen and Svechnikov. 1215054 Colorado Avalanche The Knights’ best game made this a series. Down 2-0 for the first time in franchise history, they created tons of offense and fed off their home crowd.

Vegas’ best players the difference as Knights storm back late for 3-2 win “We just stuck with it,” DeBoer said. “We kept our belief in our game, over Avalanche which I think has been in a good place if you throw out Game 1. Even back to the last game of the season when we played (the Avs) here for first place overall (and lost), we’ve played some pretty good periods of hockey against them. By RYAN O’HALLORAN | June 5, 2021 at 12:23 a.m. “The crowd was so awesome. The full building was so great. It was so

nice to be back in that type of atmosphere again and they were huge in On one Zoom video conference late Friday night, Avalanche coach Jared the third period for us, sticking with us and keeping the energy levels up.” Bednar was taking his roster in general and top players in particular to Denver Post: LOADED: 06.05.2021 task for their lack of want-to.

On the other Zoom video conference, Vegas coach Pete DeBoer was complimenting his entire lineup in general and top players in particular for their play in the Knights’ 3-2 win in Game 3.

And, yes, the comments echo just how obvious the disparity was as the Knights stormed back into the teams’ second-round playoff series.

The Knights’ top two forward lines combined for three goals and three assists, including second-line winger Jonathan Marchessault’s tying marker with 5:08 remaining and first-line winger Max Pacioretty’s tip-in winner 45 seconds later.

“I thought all our big guys were great,” DeBoer said. “Our whole team was great. Your best players have to be your best players and we had everybody pulling in the right direction.”

Marchessault’s tying goal came when he banked a shot off the back of Avs goalie Philipp Grubauer. Pacioretty’s winner came when he deflected a point shot by defenseman Nick Holden.

“(The tying) goal really got us going and you just have a feeling the next one is going to come and so when that floater comes in from (Holden), you have more confidence you’re going to tip it and that’s how it played out,” Pacioretty said.

Pacioretty missed the first six games of the Minnesota series with an injury, but has steadily regained his form in the Colorado series. He had eight shots on goal on Friday.

“That’s as normal as Patch has looked,” DeBoer said. “He came back for Game 7 of the Minnesota series with very little practice time and I thought he played on adrenaline and gave us a really good boost that night. Tonight was the first night I thought he started to look like his old self again. He was big, he was heavy, he was attacking, he had some good looks and obviously, (he scored) a huge goal at the end.”

The Knights outshot the Avalanche 41-25 in Game 2 (Avs overtime win) and 43-20 in Game 3. That steady offense has helped the Knights bottle up the Avs’ top unit of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog. In 5-on-5 play the last two games, the line has no goals and no assists.

“You don’t want to say we’re defending them; we want to make them defend and it’s no secret that’s the way to play against the top guys in the league,” Pacioretty said. “MacKinnon is probably the fastest guy in the league and if you let him wind up his speed coming back from his end, he’s going to make you pay so we want to play down in their end and have them waste energy.”

Captain Mark Stone credited Chandler Stephenson, who centers the Knights’ top line of Stone and Pacioretty, with being the defensive catalyst.

“You’re not going to completely eliminate them,” Stone said. “They’re going to get their chances. They’re one of the best lines in the league for a reason, but we see us as one of the best lines as well. Chandler’s speed has been key for that. He skates the middle of the ice as well as anybody in this league and we’re trying to create O-zone time and force them to (play) 200 feet. You turn the puck over to MacKinnon, he’s gone and it puts a ton of pressure on your d-man.”

Bednar shuffled all four forward lines in the third period looking for an offensive pulse. The Knights, meanwhile, rolled four lines in the third period; their fourth line had six shifts.

“We’re not a real match-up team,” DeBoer said. “We want to get into that four-line rhythm and that’s always when we play our best.” 1215055 Colorado Avalanche They also came out slow in the second period and Vegas took a 1-0 lead 4:38 into it. Forward William Karlsson was a crease-front presence and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo put a shot on net that led to a rebound in front. Karlsson kicked the puck to his backhand and slid it in behind Vegas Golden Knights score twice late to defeat Avalanche 3-2 in Game Grubauer. 3 Colorado tied it less than two minutes later, getting a goal from the fourth line at 6:07. Winger Kiefer Sherwood, who was making his debut in the series and replacing rookie Sampo Ranta, led a 3-on-2 rush and dished it By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: June 4, 2021 at 11:04 p.m. | to his left to center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who used a hard low slap UPDATED: June 5, 2021 at 12:02 a.m. shot to create a rebound off Fleury’s leg pad. And from the right wing, Carl Soderberg banged it home to quiet the crowd.

LAS VEGAS — Avalanche coach Jared Bednar doesn’t usually point Soderberg also made his debut in the series, replacing rookie Alex fingers at his players. Newhook as the Avs chose to put a veteran winger with Bellemare and scratching the two rookies who played college hockey in March. But he threw darts at his top guys Friday night after the Vegas Golden Knights got the result they deserved by scoring two goals within 45 Footnotes. Avs forward Brandon Saad saw his career-high five-game seconds late in the third period at T-Mobile Arena. goal streak end. It was the third-longest in club playoff history behind (seven in 1996) and Claude Lemieux (seven in 1997). … Vegas The Knights outplayed the Avalanche for much of Game 3 of their fourth-line winger Ryan Reaves served the second game of his two- second-round playoff series and got two late goals from Jonathan game suspension for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct against Avs Marchessault and Max Pacioretty to defeat Colorado 3-2 and close their defenseman Ryan Graves in Game 1. Reaves’ actions were in retaliation series deficit to 2-1. from Graves’ hit on winger Mattias Janmark, who suffered an upper-body injury and has not played since. … Avalanche depth forward Jayson “I think we’re kidding ourselves if we think that’s the competitiveness we Megna and Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb remain the need to beat the team that tied us for first in the league,” Bednar said. only players on the NHL’s COVID protocol absence list. The Avs, who dominated Game 1 and squeaked out a 3-2 overtime Denver Post: LOADED: 06.05.2021 victory in Game 2 despite being outshot 31-12 in the final 40 minutes of regulation, were outshot 42-20 on Friday while in a position to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Game 4 is here on Sunday.

“For five periods straight now they’ve been far more competitive than we have and to dissect the game any further than that is a waste of time,” Bednar said. “I look at that game and I look at us going in the offensive (end) and watch their guys close it down. I look at them coming into our offensive zone and we don’t close anybody down. If we won the race they came out with the puck and 50 percent of the time or more they won the race, they came out with the puck.”

Goalie Philipp Grubauer was Colorado’s best player. Again. And on Friday that wasn’t enough.

Marchessault, from behind the goal line, used a bank shot off Grubauer to tie it 2-2 with 5:18 left in regulation. And with 4:33 remaining, Pacioretty’s redirection off a blast from the point from former Avalanche defenseman Nick Holden gave Vegas the winner.

Avs captain and first-line left wing Gabe Landeskog failed to produce a shot and was minus-1, along with center and alternate captain Nathan MacKinnon, who was pointless. Bednar pointed to his top players as the problem.

“Go ahead and check the numbers on our top guys tonight and see what they did compared to their top guys. It’s not close,” he said. “The hardest working player we have right now is Philipp Grubauer.”

Grubauer, who made a breakaway save on Pacioretty late in the second period to keep it 1-1 through 40 minutes, fell to 6-1 in these playoffs. Grubauer had won 10 consecutive playoff games dating to last season.

The Avs were looking to become just the third team in the last 30 years to begin the playoffs 7-0, and just the 12th team overall. The 1994 Rangers and 2008 Penguins both began 7-0 and went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Right winger Mikko Rantanen, the Game 2 hero with the overtime goal, gave the Avs a 2-1 lead early in the third period. On the power play, Rantanen crushed a slap shot past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, extending his playoff points streak to 17 games dating to last year.

“We got some jump in our legs and we were creating some chances for a 3-1 lead (but) we knew they were going to come in the last 10 minutes and that’s what they did,” Rantanen said. “Just a couple mistakes we made it’s going to cost you against a good team like Vegas. There’s no moment where you can fall asleep. Grubi played amazing again but you can’t rely on him making 50 saves every night.”

The Avalanche started slow and was outshot 15-3 in the first period, surviving two Vegas power plays to keep it 0-0. But the Avs were in a slump, having been outshot by the Knights 47-17 from the second period of Game 2. 1215056 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche-Knights Game 3 Quick Hits: Two deflections give Vegas 3-2 win

By RYAN O’HALLORAN | PUBLISHED: June 4, 2021 at 10:56 p.m. | UPDATED: June 4, 2021 at 11:09 p.m.

1. First-period survival

Playing with desperation (down 2-0 in series) and in front of a full building (18,000-plus), Vegas was expected to be strong off the hop and it was, but Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer kept it a scoreless game. The Knights outshot the Avs 14-3; the three shots was its single period low in the playoffs and it had only one shot in the first 10 minutes. After the first period, Vegas had a 46-17 shots-on-goal advantage since the start of the second period in Game 2. A key in the opening 20 minutes, which kept the Avalanche from gaining possession, was face-offs — Vegas was 14- 7 at the dot. In addition to Grubauer, key work was done on the penalty kill (the Knights were 0 of 2).

2. Fourth-line statement

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar opted for a brawnier fourth line, inserting wingers Carl Soderberg (third playoff game of year) and Kiefer Sherwood (NHL playoff debut) and scratching rookies Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta. We get the rationale — Bednar was probably counting on a heavy-possession game by Vegas, which required checking in the Avs zone, but it didn’t look good early. The sledding was difficult as the fourth line, still centered by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, was hemmed in the defensive zone on their first two shifts. But then an equalizing lightning strike just 1:29 after Vegas took a 1-0 lead. Bellemare’s slap shot couldn’t be gloved by goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and Soderberg slammed home the rebound.

3. Deflections = Vegas win

The only way to get a puck (or two pucks) past Grubauer? Deflections. Down 2-1 with under six minutes remaining, Vegas struck twice in a span of 45 seconds to re-take the lead. On the tying goal, Jonathan Marchessault was behind the goal-line when he saw Grubauer slightly out of position and not hugging the post. Marchessault fired a shot that bounced off Grubauer and into the net. On the go-ahead goal, defenseman Nick Holden’s slap shot from the point was deflected in by winger Max Pacioretty with 4:33 remaining. Before those two goals, Grubauer had stopped 96 of the first 100 Knights shots in the series.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215057 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche Game 3 goal: Improve to 7-0 in the postseason by playing with the lead

By MIKE CHAMBERS | June 4, 2021 at 4:35 p.m.

LAS VEGAS — A victory in Game 3 on Friday night at T-Mobile Arena would land the Avalanche in NHL playoff lore.

Only 11 teams have begun a postseason with seven consecutive victories, and none since 2008 when the Pittsburgh Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup. The last team to do it before that, the New York Rangers in 1994, also won the Cup.

Colorado is 6-0 this year after sweeping the St. Louis Blues in the first round and winning Games 1 and 2 of the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights at .

Friday’s challenge is to win in front of a hostile sellout crowd, with no capacity restraints in place. The Avs haven’t played in front of a sellout crowd since March 11, 2020, when they defeated the Rangers in overtime in Denver before the league suspended play because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“After a year with no fans, the crowd is awesome — it doesn’t matter if you’re playing at home,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after Friday’s morning skate. “Obviously, we love playing at home in front of our group. If you’re playing on the road with a hostile environment where they’re cheering and screaming and rooting against you, I think it’s equally as fun.

“It’s part of the competition and why the players love to play. The fans make it a fun game, an entertaining game.”

Bednar is preaching the need for a fast start against the Knights, who won 21 times at T-Mobile Arena during the regular season — the third- most home wins behind to the Avalanche and Penguins, both of whom had 22.

“We’re coming in here, the start is important, no question,” Bednar said. “We’ve been pretty good here in the first period in the last two games and we got to have to find a way to pull a full 60 (minutes) together. The start is definitely something that we’ll key on because catch-up hockey is losing hockey. It’s important for us to come out and establish our game right away — especially after the way we played in the last 40 minutes (in Game 2).”

The Avs, who were outshot 31-12 in the final 40 minutes of regulation on Wednesday, squeaked out a 3-2 overtime victory when Mikko Rantanen scored a power-play goal.

It was the closest any opponent has come to defeating the Avs in the postseason.

Footnotes. Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who led the Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup, is expected to start for the second straight game in this series. … The Avs are expected to go with the same lineup from Games 1 and 2. … Vegas forward Alex Tuch did not participate in the morning skate and is a game-time decision. … Avs winger Logan O’Connor, who was limited to 22 games in the regular season because of a surgically repaired lower-body injury, again skated Friday morning and is closing in a return.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215058 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 3: Three keys for Colorado

By MIKE CHAMBERS | June 4, 2021 at 6:00 a.m.

The Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights meet for Game 3 of their second-round playoff series on Friday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Three keys for Colorado, which leads 2-0:

1. Weather the storm. T-Mobile Arena — aka The Fortress — is one of the NHL’s wildest venues, and it will be at full capacity Friday for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. The arena sits just off the Strip and has 17,367 seats for hockey, but standing-room-only tickets can bring capacity up to around 18,000. Fans vaccinated for the coronavirus are not required to wear masks. The Avs have not played before a crowd this large on the road in more than a year and they’ll have to quickly get used to it in order to not chase the game from a deficit. An early lead will be important — particularly to allow goalie Philipp Grubauer to settle in.

2. Get the top line going. In Game 2, center Nathan MacKinnon and wingers Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen were held pointless with “just” nine shots in regulation. They got it done in overtime, with Rantanen burying a wrist shot off a circle-to-circle pass from MacKinnon, but they weren’t nearly as dominating as accustomed. In Game 1, they combined for five goals, eight points and 14 shots. With these guys scoring, this team is awful tough to beat. They each have at least 10 points in the playoffs, making it the first line with that many points through six games in a playoff year since Ottawa in 2006 (Martin Havlat, Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza). MacKinnon has team-highs in goals (eight) and points (13), making him the first player with those numbers through the first six games of a postseason since Edmonton teammates Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier in 1983.

3. Tighten up on turnovers. The Avs turned pucks over eight times in Game 2, opposed to just three for Vegas, which is a big reason the Golden Knights controlled play for large stretches. Colorado is a typically excellent team in all three zones and it leads all playoff teams in goals- per-game (5.00) and goals-against average (1.67). The Avs need to get back to that, and it begins with fluid play up ice and not turning pucks over in the middle to feed Vegas’ dangerous transition game. A heavy forecheck was also missing in Game 2, preventing the Avs from spending enough time in the offensive zone and creating second and third chances on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215059 Colorado Avalanche Tyson Jost-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Joonas Donskoi “There was nothing going on offensively the whole night. Zero,” Bednar

said. “Are you going to leave it the same? No.” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar wants more from his team after Game 3 Initially, the tweaks appeared to be working. Sherwood, making his loss: ‘It’s not close’ postseason debut, drew a hooking penalty coming through the slot while looking for a Saad pass, and Rantanen capitalized on the power play, sending a one-timer past Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Saad nearly By Peter Baugh Jun 5, 2021 gave the Avalanche a two-goal lead on a two-on-one rush with Compher, but his shot hit iron.

That momentum quickly faded. Vegas finished with a 43-20 advantage in Jared Bednar is normally mild-mannered in his postgame news shots. conferences. Thoughtful. Composed. Honest but fair. “The video doesn’t lie,” Bednar said. “They were more competitive from On Friday, he was angry. And he didn’t hide it. start to finish than we were.” “We’re kidding ourselves if we think that’s the competitiveness we need The coach called Grubauer the team’s hardest-working player, and he to beat the team that tied us for first in the league,” he said after the was exceptional again in Game 3, stopping 40 shots. Vegas’ goals came Avalanche’s 3-2 loss to Vegas in Game 3. on a William Karlsson rebound, Marchessault’s bank shot and a “We’re going to have to compete harder than that in order to beat them,” Pacioretty tip. Grubauer, meanwhile, halted a Pacioretty breakaway at he added later. “We haven’t (realized that) already, and we’re late to the one point and continually bailed out his teammates after defensive party.” breakdowns and turnovers.

After stealing Game 2 on the back of 39 saves from goaltender Philipp Clearly, the Golden Knights made the changes they needed to after their Grubauer, the Avalanche had a chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead in flop in Game 1. Now, if the Avalanche want to regain control of the the best-of-seven series. And for a while in the third period, it looked like series, they have to show they are capable of doing the same. they were on their way, going up 2-1 with 15 minutes left. “The adjustment for us now is to make sure we outwork our opponent But in a swift 45 seconds, that all changed. With 5:18 left, Jonathan and that we execute,” Bednar said. “And if we do that, then we give Marchessault banked a shot off Grubauer’s back and into the Avalanche ourselves a good chance to win the hockey game. net. Moments later, Max Pacioretty tipped in a shot, and Vegas went up “(Vegas is) a competitive group, and now we have to crank that up. for good. A sold-out T-Mobile Arena erupted in response, leaving Vegas Because (Game 3) was not close.” captain Mark Stone’s ears ringing. The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 “We knew they were going to come in the last 10 minutes,” Mikko Rantanen said. “That’s what they did. We made a couple mistakes, and that’s going to cost you against a good team like Vegas. There’s no moment you can fall asleep.”

But it was more than a couple of mistakes. In the past two games, Vegas leads the Avalanche 72-28 in five-on-five shots.

Bednar’s solution isn’t complicated.

“For five periods straight now, they’ve been far more competitive than we have,” he said. “To dissect the game any further than that is a waste of time.

“I look at that game, and I look at us going into the offensive zone and watch their guys close it down. I look at them coming into our offensive zone, and we didn’t close any plays down. If we won the race, they came out with the puck. And 50 percent of the time or more, they won the race and they came out with the puck.”

Colorado’s top line of , Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen thrashed Vegas in Game 1, a 7-1 Avalanche win. Since, only Rantanen has put pucks in the net, collecting the overtime winner in Game 2 and another goal Friday. MacKinnon has 13 points in seven playoff games, but only one has come in the past two contests.

“I haven’t seen the stats, but go ahead and check the numbers on our top guys tonight and see what they did compared to their top guys,” Bednar said. “It’s not close.”

“If you look at how we played in Game 1, we didn’t turn any pucks over in the neutral zone,” Rantanen said. “That’s what we basically did the full period in the second period (Friday). We were trading chances, and that’s not winning hockey.”

The numbers indeed back up what the coach saw on the ice. The top line created only 10 chances in Game 3, to 14 for Vegas, according to Natural Stat Trick. Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen had only a 41.67 Corsi For percentage, showing they weren’t controlling in shot attempts while on the ice together.

Bednar was so frustrated with the team’s showing that he shuffled the entire lineup in the third period, recasting the lines this way:

Andre Burakovsky-Nathan MacKinnon-Mikko Rantanen

Gabriel Landeskog-Carl Soderberg-Valeri Nichushkin

Brandon Saad-J.T. Compher-Kiefer Sherwood 1215060 Colorado Avalanche by just fine without him scoring, but if he can find his scoring touch, it could make a scary team even more formidable.

The line’s struggles haven’t been helped by the absence of Nazem Kadri, Avalanche thoughts: Can Vegas slow Colorado’s top line again? Will who is four games into his eight-game suspension for a hit to Justin there be changes down the lineup? Faulk’s head in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Blues. Kadri would likely be playing middle-six minutes if he were eligible, which would probably move Compher to the fourth line and bolster that unit.

By Peter Baugh Jun 4, 2021 Could a fourth-line shakeup be in order?

Deadline acquisition Carl Soderberg played Games 3 and 4 against the Blues after the Kadri suspension, but Bednar rolled with the 20-year-old The Golden Knights didn’t shut down the Avalanche’s top line of Gabriel Ranta in his place on the fourth line the first two games of the Golden Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, but they came as Knights series. Ranta lined up with veteran Pierre-Edouard Bellemare close as anyone has this postseason Wednesday. And still, the and fellow 20-year-old Alex Newhook. Avalanche won Game 2, beating Vegas 3-2 to take a 2-o series lead. Now heading to Vegas, where the Knights will have the last change, The three Colorado stars didn’t notch a point in regulation, and Vegas’ Bednar might consider tinkering with the fourth line, which struggled defense prevented them from slicing through the neutral zone as easily compared with Vegas’ (Patrick Brown-William Carrier-Keegan Kolesar) in as they did in a dominant Game 1 win. Game 2. As The Athletic’s Jesse Granger pointed out in his takeaways “I think they outworked us in the second and third periods,” coach Jared from the game, that fourth-line combo did well for Vegas, creating more Bednar said Thursday. “They won races to the puck and they were more even-strength shot attempts (7-3), shots on goal (4-1) and high-danger competitive at the point of the puck was the main thing. On our breakouts chances (1-0) than their Avalanche opponents while on the ice. and neutral zones, we weren’t skating onto the puck, we were too spread Bednar could choose to stick with the same lineup in Game 3. After all, out.” the Avalanche did win each of the first two games. But if he does shake it Though Colorado’s top line still created the bulk of scoring chances when up, Soderberg is the most likely to enter the lineup, likely in place of they were on the ice, they got outshot 12-5, per Natural Stat Trick, and Ranta or Newhook. Kiefer Sherwood could also be an option after none of the three stars logged a point until Rantanen roofed an overtime splitting time between the Avalanche and AHL this winner. season. Logan O’Connor, who established himself as a regular the first half of the season, would also make sense, but his availability depends The Avalanche dominated in Game 1, and the Golden Knights on his recovery from a lower-body injury. Bednar recently said O’Connor responded accordingly, working on neutral-zone drills at a team practice is ahead of schedule and could be an option at some point in these Tuesday. Bednar also noted that the Knights were winning races to the playoffs. The forward made the trip to Vegas. puck Wednesday. Breaking down the overtime penalty “We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy series,” Rantanen said. “We couldn’t really create that much offense, but we have to be responsible in Vegas coach Pete DeBoer didn’t like the slashing call on Reilly Smith the D-zone. We gave up some chances and (Grubauer) bailed us out a early in the overtime period, calling it “soft” and saying the Avalanche couple times. … If we are not feeling it offensively, we have to bear down embellished throughout the game. defensively.” Let’s look at the play: Now it’s up to Colorado to both adjust to Vegas’ defensive tweaks and Smith makes contact with Rantanen’s stick, which comes flying out of the find ways to fight for pucks, skate hard and cut through the neutral zone Avalanche forward’s grasp. Rantanen immediately lifted his arms, calling more like they did in Game 1. for a penalty. Needing more from the third line Here’s the official definition of slashing from the NHL rulebook: “Any Playing on the second line with Tyson Jost and Valeri Nichushkin, forceful or powerful chop with the stick on an opponent’s body, the Brandon Saad has been everything the Avalanche could’ve hoped for opponent’s stick, or on or near the opponent’s hands that, in the these playoffs. He has scored goals in five consecutive games and has judgment of the Referee, is not an attempt to play the puck, shall be emerged as one of Colorado’s top depth scoring options. penalized as slashing.”

But after the top two lines, the Avalanche’s bottom-six forwards have yet Rantanen said after the game that the play was “a pretty hard slash” and to make much scoring impact against Vegas. For the fourth line (Sampo he would never purposely drop his stick in the defensive zone. That, of Ranta-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Alex Newhook), that’s less noteworthy, course, could lead to a Vegas scoring chance. especially considering Ranta and Newhook are rookies playing in their “It’s an easy one to call for me,” Bednar said. “If (Rantanen) doesn’t have first postseason. (his stick), it could end up in the net because he’s going out without a The third line, though, has scoring potential that could be a big boost for stick against a skilled D man. It’s going to create a chance coming that the Avalanche if Joonas Donskoi, J.T. Compher and Andre Burakovsky way.” get going. Vegas captain Mark Stone said he frequently gets in stick battles on The Donskoi-Compher-Burakovsky trio had a 33.33 percent Corsi For faceoffs and gets slashed but doesn’t drop his stick. percentage in Game 1, per Natural Stat Trick, showing Vegas had more “It’s a tough call, especially in overtime,” he said. “There has to be a little scoring chances while they were on the ice. In Game 2, they were at bit of onus on the guy holding his stick. It’s a stick battle. Both trying to 41.67 percent. Compher has yet to score in the series, and Donskoi and fight for the puck and clear space.” Burakovsky have only one assist each, neither of which came while their line was on the ice together. Rantanen, of course, proceeded to score the overtime winner and send the Avalanche to Vegas with the series lead. There’s nothing either team “Especially our line, we haven’t created much,” Donskoi said going into can do to change the Game 2 outcome, but the question remains of Game 2. whether DeBoer’s complaints will resonate with the officials heading into They showed flashes but not consistency in Game 2. Their best the rest of the series. opportunity came when Donskoi moved the puck to Burakovsky in front The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 of the net in the second period, but Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury slid across his crease to rob the forward.

When Burakovsky is on his game, he is one of the top goal scorers on the team. He had seven goals and 10 assists in 15 playoff games last season, and he had the highest points-per-game average of his career this season (0.83), giving the Avalanche 19 goals and 25 assists in 53 games played. The Avalanche, who are 6-0 in the playoffs, have gotten 1215061 Colorado Avalanche “The hardest working player we have right now is Philipp Grubauer.” ‘Nuff said.

milehighsports.com LOADED: 06.05.2021 Deen’s List: Coach Jared Bednar shreds his team after Avalanche’s Game 3 loss at Vegas

By Aarif Deen - June 5, 2021

The Avalanche got what they deserved on Friday and coach Jared Bednar trashed his team for it.

After being outplayed for five periods spanning two games, Colorado, which had started the postseason 6-0, finally suffered a playoff defeat at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Knights got late goals from Jonathan Marchessault and Max Pacioretty 45 seconds apart to erase a one-goal deficit and defeat the Avs 3-2 in front of a raucous sold-out T-Mobile Arena crowd.

We often see a more reserved and diplomatic Bednar in postgame availabilities. But he did not hold back any punches after the Avalanche blew an opportunity to gain a stranglehold 3-0 series lead over Vegas — instead, leading 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Sunday.

For this edition of Deen’s List, we’re going to look at five of Bednar’s comments after the loss.

The Deen’s List

“I think we’re kidding ourselves if we think that’s the competitiveness we need to beat the team that tied us for first in the league.”

He’s spot on. Colorado was outshot 43-20 in Game 3 after barely scraping out a victory in overtime in Game 2. The Avs have struggled to keep pace with the Golden Knights and spent even more of Friday’s game chasing the play than they did on Wednesday at Ball Arena.

The Golden Knights are certainly doing their part to control play. But the Avalanche are not making it easy on themselves. And it starts with their willingness to compete.

“For five periods straight now they’ve been far more competitive than we have and to dissect the game any further than that is a waste of time.”

But you know what isn’t a waste of time? Showing up for a game. On- time.

And taking advantage of an opportunity to go up 3-0 against a team that can flip a series on a dime if they gain any bit of momentum. Like, say, by scoring twice in 45 seconds in front of its first soldout crowd in nearly 15 months with an opportunity to tie the series at 2-2 on Sunday.

Oh, wait…

“Go ahead and check the numbers on our top guys tonight and see what they did compared to their top guys. It’s not close.”

We know the Avalanche’s top guys. It’s superstar center Nathan MacKinnon and wingers Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen along with stud defenseman Cale Makar.

Neither of them was especially great in Friday’s loss. Sure, it’s nice to see Rantanen extend his playoff point streak to 17 games. But the Golden Knights’ top guys were feeling it. They seemingly were generating chances every time they were on the ice.

But don’t take my word for it. Here’s Knights coach Peter DeBoer on his top players: “I thought all our big guys were great. Your best players have to be your best players and we had everybody pulling in the right direction.”

“The adjustment for us now is to outwork our opponent.”

And it starts with that leadership group Bednar called out. Expecting to cruise into Game 4 without adjustments and come out with a victory after the way Vegas has dominated the past two games would be a colossal failure.

The Avalanche have been outshot 72-28 at 5-on-5 over these last two games. A far cry from the dominating 7-1 victory in the series opener Sunday. 1215062 Colorado Avalanche Rantanen now has at least a point in his last 16 playoff games dating to last season.

Colorado remains tough to beat at home, winning its 13th straight at Ball Rantanen scores OT winner, Avs up 2-0 in series vs. Knights Arena dating to the regular season.

Smith tied the game at 2-all when he broke free and lifted a backhanded shot past Grubauer. By PAT GRAHAM Jost gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead in the first with a power-play goal. His The Associated Press Jun 3, 2021 score was after Vegas tied the game on a power-play score from Martinez. It marked the first time in this postseason the Avs have

surrendered a goal in the opening period. DENVER – Mikko Rantanen found himself in the middle of an on-ice Saad started the scoring at 3:39 of the first when he barely got anything swarm from teammates after scoring the winner. on a wide-open shot but the slow roller caught Fleury by surprise and the Wonderful and all, but he wanted to make sure the real star of the show puck trickled between the veteran goaltender's pads. received his fair share of the credit, too – goaltender Philipp Grubauer. Saad extended his goal streak to five games, which is tied for the third- Rantanen scored a power-play goal 2:07 into overtime, Grubauer longest string in Avalanche history for a playoff year. The record is seven outdueled fellow Vezina Trophy finalist Marc-Andre Fleury and the straight by Claude Lemieux (1997) and Joe Sakic ('96). Colorado Avalanche beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Wednesday “Even though we didn’t play our best, it’s a great character win,” Saad night to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series. said. “Grubi bailed us out today. He had a really, really good game,” Rantanen AROUND THE RINK said. “He's basically the reason why we got to OT.” Colorado is 14-1 in a best-of-seven playoff series when winning the first Rantanen was the reason it ended in quick fashion. He took a cross-ice two games since relocating to Denver in 1995-96. ... Avs D Samuel pass from Nathan MacKinnon and sent a liner over the shoulder of Fleury Girard had two assists. ... Vegas D Shea Theodore had two assists. to set off a celebration in front of a boisterous crowd. The goal came with Reilly Smith in the penalty box for slashing Rantanen. LOADED: 06.05.2021 “Not our best game, but still found a way,” Rantanen said. "That’s what we’ve been doing the whole year. Sometimes we haven’t been feeling it and Grubi’s been awesome and stealing some wins for us — like today. That’s what you need if you want to win the Cup.”

It was Rantanen’s second career overtime winner in the playoffs. The first came in a Game 5 victory over Calgary on April 17, 2019, in a first- round series.

The Golden Knights weren't pleased with the slashing call.

“Just a soft call,” Vegas coach Pete DeBoer said. “I can’t even blame the refs. Because they’re fighting the embellishment of grabbing your face, or falling down, or dropping your stick every period. I can’t even blame the referee on it. They fooled them on it.”

Brandon Saad and Tyson Jost also scored for the Avalanche, who’ve won six in a row to start the postseason, tying the franchise mark set in 1987 when the team was based in Quebec.

Grubauer had 39 saves in becoming the first goaltender in franchise history to pick up six straight victories to start a postseason.

“It’s really important,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of having a goaltending who can steal games in the playoffs. “I thought his performance was exceptional.”

Alec Martinez and Smith had goals for the Golden Knights, who controlled large portions of the action after two full days off following a 7- 1 loss in Game 1. A fresh Fleury provided a big boost. He didn’t play in the series opener after a grueling seven-game series with Minnesota. Fleury stopped 22 shots.

The best-of-seven series heads to Vegas for Game 3 on Friday.

This was more like the tight series that everyone was expecting. The Avs and Golden Knights split the eight games in the regular season and finished tied for the most points in the league. The Avalanche earned the Presidents’ Trophy — along with home ice throughout the postseason -- on a tiebreaker.

Vegas vowed to bounce back from the penalty-filled first game, with William Karlsson commenting after the morning skate: “The sun is shining today.”

The Golden Knights clanged three shots off the post in the third period.

“If we keep playing the way we did tonight, we all have confidence in our team that we can come back in the series,” Fleury said.

Colorado finished 2 for 6 on the power play and was outshot by a 41-25 margin. The top line of MacKinnon, captain Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen was held in check — until overtime. The trio combined for five goals and three assists in Game 1. 1215063 Colorado Avalanche MacKinnon and Rantanen. Landeskog dropped to the second line with Valeri Nichushkin.

We didn’t have to type Nichushkin’s name, but we figured we should at Wasted Chance; Vegas swipes victory with late goals, Dominate Avs in least try at some point in the series. 3-2 Win The Avalanche finally found part of their stride again after the Rantanen goal. The game opened up. The Avs looked like themselves for a few minutes after Rantanen’s goal. The misfiring passes began to connect. Published 4 hours ago on June 5, 2021By Dan Kingerski Their speed advantage was again noticeable as the teams began trading chances.

But it washed away in 45 seconds. VEGAS — For a moment there, it looked like the Colorado Avalanche would have a chance to sweep the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. Vegas outshot the Avalanche 43-20. Grubauer stopped 40 of 43. Marc- Despite being beaten like Rocky Balboa before an epic rematch, the Andre Fleury only had to make 18 saves in the Game 3 win. Avalanche had a 2-1 lead with less than six minutes to go. The 17,504 capacity crowd was relentless, but Avs goalie Philipp Grubauer was Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.05.2021 spectacular.

Then 45 seconds in the waning minutes of the third period ripped victory from the Avs and extended the series to at least five, if not beyond. Vegas scored pair of goals late in the third period for a 3-2 win in Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena.

With six minutes remaining and trailing 2-1, Vegas winger Jonathan Marchessault got behind the Avalanche defense for a breakaway after Cale Makar mishandled the puck at the offensive blue line.

Marchessault couldn’t beat Grubauer on the front side, so he banked his second attempt off Grubauer from the backside, which sent the Vegas 100% capacity crowd into a tizzy.

Before the 17,504 fans calmed down, Max Pacioretty deflected Nic Holden’s shot past a surprised Gurbauer. Victory to defeat. A 3-0 series lead to a 2-1 lead with all momentum to Vegas.

The Avalanche 11 game winning streak came to a crashing end. Vegas badly outplayed the Colorado Avalanche again, but this time the Avs could not reclaim an improbable win as they did with their Game 2 OT win.

Game 4 is Sunday afternoon. The Avalanche may want to show up.

The first period was not kind to the Avalanche unless you consider the scoreboard. Despite being outshot 14-3, and being dominated far worse than the shot clock would indicate, the Avalanche and Vegas were scoreless after the first period.

A good chunk of the Vegas goose egg was Vezina trophy finalist Philipp Grubauer, who was a brick wall in the first period. Grubauer helped the Avs weather a pair of first-period Vegas power plays.

And here’s the jaw-dropper stat: Including the first period, Vegas outshot the Colorado Avalanche 45-15 over the last four regulation period. The highlight of the period for Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was dishing a few whacks with the paddle. He was otherwise unchallenged.

It looked like Vegas was ready to run away and hide inside the fortress, but the Avs quick-strike capability kept them in the game.

Grubauer’s Hoover-sized dam let some water spill five minutes into the second period. Alec Martinez’s shot was blocked by both Vegas forward William Karlsson and Avs defenseman Sam Girard. Karlsson grabbed the loose puck out of traffic, spun around Girard and Grubauer, and deposited it into a yawning cage. 1-0.

However, 89 seconds later, the Avalanche fourth line evened the game. Head coach Jared Bednar inserted Carl Soderberg, a healthy scratch in Games 1 and 2, back into the lineup. Soderberg was on the wrong end of the puck in the first period until the Avalanche fourth line created offense from defense. A quick three-on-two led to a big Fleury rebound, and Soderberg happily cleaned up the trash. 1-1.

Despite Vegas’ domination, the Avs again kept the game even. The goal by Soderberg stabilized the game, but Colorado still lacked any momentum or push in the first 40 minutes. Nathan MacKinnon led the Avs with three shots, but two were their only power play.

Max Pacioretty had five shots in the first 40 minutes, including a clean breakaway from the red line, but Grubauer stuffed him, too.

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar blendered the lines to start the third period. Andre Burakovsky assumed a spot on the top line with 1215064 Colorado Avalanche Guys such as Sam Girard need to be better too. La Tornade is a key part of the Avs’ transition game, and right now he’s not creating much time and space for himself with the puck like normal. Patrik Nemeth and Conor Timmins were scary with the puck much of the time, and not in a Dater column: Avs were due for bad game, but this was horrendous good way. Is it time for Bo Byram to parachute into the series? (I don’t really think so, though. He hasn’t played in a long time. I fear too much

rust). Published 4 hours ago on June 5, 2021By Adrian Dater This was a game in which the absence of Nazem Kadri was keenly felt. Kadri is great on faceoffs, which the Avs aren’t winning much of right now. J.T. Compher has been invisible the last two games in his spot. LAS VEGAS – If there was any game the Vegas Golden Knights were Rantanen salvaged an otherwise bad night with a clutch go-ahead goal in likely to win, it was this one. A Friday night on the Strip, which was the third. But that was about his only good play of the night. poppin’ all day, full of maskless let-out-of-their-houses-for-the-first-time- since-last-March revelers, rooting on a desperate team in need of a win. Every team deserves a bad game now and then. Vegas had theirs in They got it, 3-2 over the Avs in a Game 3 that was not nearly as close as Game 1 and have been much better since. Game 3 was the Avs’ stinker. that score would indicate. Will they respond Sunday with a showing we’re more used to seeing? The Avs still have a 2-1 series lead, but this series is taking an ominous Puck drop is 5:30 mountain. turn. Basically, the Avs have been outplayed for the last five periods by Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.05.2021 the Golden Knights, and pretty badly too. The Avs still have a series lead, but Vegas has lots of momentum building, or so it seems. The Avs were outshot 42-20 in this game. In Game 2, Vegas outshot Colorado 41-25.

For those keeping score, that’s 83-45 in the last two games.

Say what you want about Vegas coach Pete DeBoer, but he’s a very good coach who knows how to make adjustments. Since the second period of Game 2, it feels like the Avs can’t get the puck much anymore. If they do, they’re under relentless checking pressure and giving it right back. DeBoer seems to have made the right defensive adjustments that have taken away all the time and space of Avs players. The Avs dominated their opposition most of the season with puck-possession play, but right now they’re watching Vegas play with the puck all the time and leaving it all up to Philipp Grubauer, who was tremendous again – until the final minutes when Vegas got a lucky bounce on him, then Grubi finally looked human on the winning goal with 5:18 left.

It’s up to Jared Bednar now to make some adjustments, to counteract the defensive scheme DeBoer has devised. If the Avs don’t make some adjustments, this will be a tied series after Sunday night.

Bednar, by the way, was pissed at his team afterward:

“The adjustment we have to make is to outwork them,” Bednar said, before snapping at a question about why he changed up his lines in the third period (“Did you see anything happening out there?” he said in response).

“For five straight periods, they’ve been way more competitive than us. It’s as simple as that. Looking at it any other way is a waste of time,” Bednar said.

He’s right. The Avs looked like they thought they could just throw their sticks out there and Vegas might fold, down 2-0 in the series.

“We’re kidding ourselves,” Bednar said, if that’s the case.

Look, you can’t totally overreact to one bad game. The Avs had won 11 in a row, and as awful as they were in this one, it was still a 1-1 game heading to the third period and they had a 2-1 lead with 5:18 left in the game. But to me, this game never felt close. And neither did the last two periods of Game 2. The fact is, the Avs’ only really good game of the three in this series was against a tired Vegas team in Game 1, on home ice. Vegas has looked like the better – and, to Bednar, this is the cardinal sin – harder-working team since.

The Avs got a no-show performance from the top line, with Nathan MacKinnon rarely touching the puck. Bednar said Vegas’ “top guys were way better” than his team’s top guys.

The third line, centered by Tyson Jost? Well, Jost wasn’t any good, but Valeri Nichushkin was strong on the puck all night and seemed to care, at least. The only line that produced a goal was the fourth line, a rebound score by Carl Soderberg in the second.

I think the Avs need to go to more of a trap defensive system that DeBoer is using. He may have to sacrifice some of the freelancing the top skaters like to do with the puck, but the purpose of anything now is to win the game no matter how ugly. It felt like the Avs were in regular- season mode for this game, not the down-in-the-gutters mentality you need to win this time of year. 1215065 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche lines and D pairs for Game 3 against Vegas; fourth-line shakeup

Published 14 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Adrian Dater

LAS VEGAS – Hello from Lost Wages, where I just flew into this morning (and, boy, are my arms tired). The Avalanche are wrapping up their morning skate below as I type this. There weren’t really any line rushes during the skate, so these lines and D pairs are my best estimates – based on who is still on the ice when others have left for the room:

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen

Burakovsky-Compher-Donskoi

Saad-Jost-Nichushkin

Soderberg-Bellemare-Sherwood

D

Toews-Makar

Graves-Girard

Nemeth-Timmins

Grubauer

NOTEBOOK: Jared Bednar is going to shake up his fourth line for this one, as you can see. Now, mind you, nothing is official until the lineup sheet comes out, but here’s the deal from the morning skate: Carl and Kiefer Sherwood left the ice early, with the other “regulars” and Sampo Ranta and Alex Newhook stayed on well after the others left. That’s pretty much a sure sign that Carl and Sherwood will join P.E. Bellemare on the fourth line. While Bednar would not address the lineup specifically, he did say that he wasn’t happy with the fourth line in Game 2. … While Logan O’Connor participated in the skate, Bednar said he isn’t ready to return yet. … Nazem Kadri had his second appeal with neutral discipline arbitrator Shyam Das this morning, via Zoom. I don’t think we’ll get a decision until Monday morning. … There is some question as to whether Vegas will have Alex Tuch or Alec Martinez available for this game. Neither participated in the morning skate and coach Pete DeBoer said anyone who wasn’t at the morning skate would be a “game-time decision.” … Mark Stone: “You can’t stress too much until you lose at home, so we need to take care of business in Vegas.” … Brayden McNabb remains on the NHL’s Covid list, as does Colorado’s Jayson Megna. … The Avs are -108 favorites to win outright tonight at SuperBook Colorado, and there are several odds boosts to choose from.

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215066 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 06.05.2021

Shoulder surgery to sideline Blue Jackets' Domi for start of next season

Brian Hedger

The hits keep coming for the Blue Jackets.

In the wake of news about star defenseman Seth Jones not wanting to stay in Columbus, the team announced Friday that forward Max Domi underwent shoulder surgery Thursday that will sideline him an estimated five to six months.

Domi, 26, had a labral tear in his right shoulder repaired by Dr. Peter Millett at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., effectively eliminating him from the start of next season.

“Max had been experiencing some discomfort in his shoulder, which he brought to our attention last week and a subsequent examination revealed a labral tear,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a press release. “It was determined that surgery was the best course of action and we look forward to Max’s return early next season.”

If the surgeon’s name and the clinic sound familiar, there’s a reason.

Millett is the same surgeon and The Steadman Clinic is the same place where former Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson — Domi's close friend — had a labral tear in his left shoulder repaired Mar. 2, 2020, prior to the pair being traded for each other last October in a deal that sent Anderson to the Montreal Canadiens.

Anderson, who struggled in 2019-20 before sustaining the injury in December 2019, had a strong rebound season for the Canadiens, who are in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Domi struggled for much of his first season with the Blue Jackets before showing significant improvement in the final month, finishing with nine goals, six assists and 15 points in 54 games.

The team did not release when or how the injury occurred. Domi missed two of the Jackets’ 56 games, but those were the first two healthy scratches of his NHL career —following a pair of misconduct penalties that forced him to miss the bulk of two third periods and agitated former coach .

Domi, whom the Arizona Coyotes selected 12th overall in 2013, is soon to be a pending restricted free agent (July 28) and has one year left on his current contract. He has a career scoring line of 90-185-275 in 429 games split between the Coyotes, Canadiens and Blue Jackets.

Domi's surgery makes it three seasons in a row the Blue Jackets have dealt with a player needing shoulder repairs. Anderson was first in 2020, Domi is the most recent and forward Gustav Nyquist missed the past season a procedure last November to repair a left labral tear. Nyquist's surgery was performed by Dr. Anthony Miniaci at the Cleveland Clinic. He is expected to be ready from the start of training camp in the fall.

Cannon Fodder

Staffing updates within the Blue Jackets’ coaching and hockey operations ranks include:

— Nelson Ayotte, the team’s director of player performance, has decided to retire from coaching. Ayotte, who joined the Blue Jackets in 2016 in an advisory role, is a decorated strength and conditioning coach who has previously worked with athletes from all major professional sports in North America and has helped both U.S. Olympic Track and Field and Canadian national teams.

— Assistant coach Kenny McCudden, the Jackets’ top skill development coach, will be retained in that role for a coaching staff that is currently without a head coach. McCudden, a long-time skills coach, joined the Blue Jackets in 2015 after spending the previous 16 seasons in the same capacity with the Chicago Wolves of the .

— The Blue Jackets have retained pro scouts Rich Sutter and Bob Halkidis, whose contracts were set to expire this summer. The team is also bringing European scouting director Josef Boumedienne to Columbus in a pro scouting capacity. 1215067 Columbus Blue Jackets Michael Arace:If it's the dawn of a new Blue Jackets era, then ignite the flight

Scouting reports suggest Edvinsson could use at least one more Five for Five: Five prospects the Blue Jackets may get fifth overall, plus developmental year before he’s physically ready for the NHL, but his raw three more tools are impressive. Many tall defensemen have skating issues, but not this one. Edvinsson can skate like players who are smaller and his hands are elite. The biggest area of improvement is thought to be his shot, but the rest of Edvinsson's talents are high end. Brian Hedger William Eklund, LW, Djurgardens, SHL

The Blue Jackets already have skill on the wings, but Kekalainen and his Don’t expect another Blue Jackets surprise at the 2021 NHL Draft. staff won’t let that affect their rankings. Eklund has limited experience At least, not with the fifth overall pick they were assigned Wednesday at playing center, so that might be a possibility, but he's a dynamic young the NHL’s draft lottery. That’s the first of three first-round picks forward regardless of position. The Blue Jackets, one of the worst Columbus owns going into the draft — which will be held remotely July offensive teams in the league the past two years, could stand to add a 23-24 — and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is expected a player high-caliber scorer. that draft gurus will recognize. He’s not expected to go “off the board,” Report:Seth Jones unwilling to negotiate with Blue Jackets on contract like last year, when the Jackets used the 21st overall pick to select extension Russian winger Yegor Chinakhov — who’d been passed over in 2019 and wasn’t expected to go nearly that soon. Eklund, who stands just under 5-10 and 176 pounds, is NHL Central Scouting’s No. 1 international skate. He impressed in Sweden’s top 'A little bit disappointed':Blue Jackets stay put in NHL draft lottery, will circuit (SHL) for Djurgardens and finished with a scoring line this past pick fifth season of 11-12-23 in 40 games. That out-paced both Lucas Raymond “I think the top of the draft is a little more predictable,” said Kekalainen, (Red Wings) and Alexander Holtz (Devils), who were each picked in the who grinned into a TV camera as draft experts in television studios top 10 last year. scrambled last year. “I don’t think anybody’s wondering anymore about Luke Hughes, D, U.S. NTDP Chinakhov. Everybody was shocked back then because they didn’t know him and we did.” Make way for the next and last Hughes brother, who’s expected follow in the footsteps of older brothers Quinn (No. 7 overall in 2018) and Jack Indeed, Chinakhov is well on his way to becoming a good pick for the (No. 1 overall in 2019) as top-10 picks. Luke isn't quite the skater his Blue Jackets. brothers are, but he's not far off and has size that neither of them The 20-year old forward helped Avangard Omsk win a championship in possess. the Kontinental Hockey League this past season and had a breakout This Hughes is a defenseman, like Quinn, and is listed at 6-2, 184 rookie season that made him a finalist for top rookie honors in Russia’s pounds by NHL Central Scouting — which ranks him fourth among North highest pro circuit. He also signed with the Blue Jackets after the season, American Skaters. He skates fast, plays fast and has a frame that can which ended with Omsk hoisting the KHL’s Gagarin Cup. handle additional bulk as he matures. “We had him (ranked) high and we liked him a lot, and when we had a Hughes was nearly a point-a-game player as a defenseman for the U.S. chance to draft him where we drafted him, we were all over it because National Team Development program this past season, logging 6-28-34 we feel that he has a huge upside,” Kekalainen said. “We watched him a in 38 games, and could also take some sting out of losing Jones. lot, got to know him really well and time will tell whether we’re right or wrong.” Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough, OHL

A look back:Blue Jackets eager for NHL's draft lottery, which could boost The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) did not play this year because of the retooling effort pandemic, so a number of OHL players were granted releases to join professional leagues on loan agreements. It will be different this year with the Jackets' first pick. This one will have less mystery about it and more spotlight. Most draft experts have News:Blue Jackets' hunt for next coach has produced crop of early Michigan’s Owen Power going first to the Buffalo Sabres and his college candidates teammate, center Matt Beniers, going second to the expansion Seattle Kraken — but this is a draft where the top prospects are thought to be McTavish, who was born in Zurich and maintains a Canadian citizenship, somewhat interchangeable. was one them. He skated for Olten in the Swiss League, Switzerland’s second-tier pro circuit, and impressed with 9-2-11 in 13 games. He also Here’s a snapshot of five players who might be available for the Blue stood out with 5-6-11 in seven games for Canada at the U18 world Jackets at five plus three more to note: championships, helping his country win the gold medal.

Matt Beniers, C, Michigan McTavish, whose father Dale had a cup of coffee in the NHL and played a long time in Switzerland, has great size at 6-2, 207 pounds and could The likelihood Beniers falls to the fifth spot is low, according to most be just what a team like the Blue Jackets need down the middle of the mock drafts. The Blue Jackets might be thrilled if it happens. Kekalainen ice. Scouts love his character and impressive shot, which helped him doesn’t draft by positional need on his NHL roster, but picking this high vault to second in NHL Central Scouting’s North American skater might actually yield a player who’s ready to contribute soon. If that’s the rankings. case with Beniers, it would be a boon for a team that is again hunting for top-six center options. Others in the mix

Beniers, who’s listed at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, had 10 goals, 14 assists Along with those five, here are three more “top five” possibilities: and 24 points in 24 games for the Wolverines as a freshman this year and is currently playing for the U.S. at the men’s world championship in — RW Dylan Guenther, Edmonton, WHL Riga, Latvia. He’s a two-way pivot, not a dynamic goal-scorer, but has all A sharpshooting winger with a booming shot, who put up a whopping 12- the tools necessary to succeed as a “top six” NHL center. 12-24 in just 12 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings. You want goals? Call Simon Edvinsson, D, Vasteras, Allsvenskan Guenther … Dylan Guenther.

The Blue Jackets may also have a glaring hole atop their defensive — C/F Kent Johnson, Michigan pairings soon after the recent news that star Seth Jones does not want to Michigan apparently has the market cornered on high-end talent, even stay in Columbus beyond next season. Edvinsson is a mobile 6-4 though the Wolverines haven’t won an NCAA title since 1998. Johnson defenseman who split this season between multiple levels in Sweden doesn’t get as much attention as Power and Beniers, but his offensive and could soften the blow. skills are better. He plays center at Michigan, but some foresee him playing wing in the NHL. — D Brandt Clarke, Barrie, OHL

Like McTavish, Clarke played overseas on a loan agreement. He excelled in Slovakia for HC Nove Zamky, posting 5-10-15 in 26 games and put up 2-5-7 in seven games for Canada during the U18 triumph. Clarke is 6-2, 190 pounds and has a right-hand shot, which may bump him higher on draft lists.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215068 Columbus Blue Jackets The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021

Blue Jackets lose Max Domi for 5-6 months to shoulder injury, making push at center an absolute must

By Aaron Portzline Jun 4, 2021

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Eighteen months ago, it was Josh Anderson. One year ago, it was Gustav Nyquist. This summer it’s Max Domi’s turn.

Domi, 26, underwent surgery on his right shoulder Thursday to repair a labral tear, the Blue Jackets announced. He’s expected to miss five to six months, which means he’ll miss at least the first month of the 2021-22 season.

“Max had been experiencing some discomfort in his shoulder, which he brought to our attention last week, and a subsequent examination revealed a labral tear,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement.

“It was determined that surgery was the best course of action and we look forward to Max’s return early next season.”

If this sounds familiar, you’re a Blue Jackets fan. The Jackets have had a spate of shoulder surgeries to some of their top forwards in recent seasons.

Anderson suffered a shoulder injury, he said, in a Dec. 14, 2019, fight with Ottawa’s Mark Borowiecki. But it wasn’t until after the Feb. 24 trade deadline that he opted to have surgery after months of rest and rehabilitation failed to heal it.

He never played for the Blue Jackets again, though he would have returned to play in the Toronto “bubble,” he said, if Columbus had beaten Tampa Bay to advance to the second round. The Blue Jackets traded him to Montreal on Oct. 6 for Domi and a third-round draft pick.

Less than a month later, on Nov. 4, Nyquist had surgery to remove a cyst and repair a labral tear in his left shoulder. He, too, hoped that rest and rehab would allow the shoulder to heal, but the developing cyst made the surgery more urgent.

Nyquist was close to a return late last season, and if the games held any meaning he likely would have dressed. But he was held out as a precaution, missing the entire season.

Now it’s Domi, who had the surgery Thursday in Vail, Colo. If he returns in five months (the earliest date in his return window), that would be early November, or about one month into the 2021-22 season. Six months would be early December.

Domi did not reply to messages seeking comment.

It was a difficult first season in Columbus for Domi. He was benched by coach John Tortorella in his first game with the franchise, quickly moved from center to wing because of defensive concerns, and later made a healthy scratch in consecutive games later in the season.

But he was much more effective late in the season once he moved back to the middle, tallying four goals, eight assists and 12 points in his final 17 games. He finished with nine goals, 15 assists and 24 points in 54 games, a 0.44 points-per-game average that was the worst of his six- year NHL career.

“It was a tough year, obviously,” Domi said in his exit interview after the season. “I started out really struggling and it was hard to get out of that. I just kind of went with the mindset that, no matter what, you’re going to finish strong. By the time I got going it was almost too little, too late.”

The Blue Jackets are still in the process of hiring a coach to replace Tortorella, so it’s impossible to know whether Domi would have opened the season at center or on left wing.

Kekalainen already said one of his offseason priorities was to shore up the Blue Jackets down the middle. Now it’s an absolute must.

With Domi out, Jack Roslovic, Alexandre Texier and Kevin Stenlund would appear to be the Blue Jackets’ top three centers. Roslovic and Texier learned the position last season with varying degrees of success, and Stenlund appears more tailored for the bottom six. 1215069 Detroit Red Wings Vasteras, Sweden. He’s nimble on his skates, and plays with a calm beyond his 18 years. He posted a 2.23 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 22 games with Lulea in the .

Detroit Red Wings have No. 6 pick in 2021 NHL draft. These six players Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.05.2021 make the most sense

HELENE ST. JAMES

Now that they know where they pick, the Detroit Red Wings can narrow their list of which top prospects they most covet to boost the rebuild.

The short answer is the best player available when general manager Steve Yzerman announces the sixth selection at the NHL draft, which will be held virtually July 23-24. The Wings’ position held steady in this week’s draft lottery, which makes a change from a four-year streak of being pushed back.

In his first two years as GM, Yzerman chose defenseman Moritz Seider with the sixth pick in 2019, and forward Lucas Raymond with the fourth pick in 2020. The Wings are not, Yzerman reiterated this week, in a position to draft specific to a position because “we need help in every area.”

While it has been challenging to scout over the past year because the pandemic wreaked havoc on leagues everywhere, Yzerman has confidence the Wings are ready.

“Wherever there was hockey being played, we tried to have people there,” he said. “Or have access to Watch video. Every team is in the same boat. We have to try to find some players based on what we’ve seen. At this stage we are as prepared as we can be.

“I’ve seen most of the kids that are in the top 10, that we think are in the top 10. You’re going to get a pretty good prospect. We’ll go from there.”

Here are six picks that make sense at sixth:

F William Eklund

Eklund (5 foot 10, 176 pounds) had 11 goals and 12 assists in 40 games with Djurgarden, and was named rookie of the year in the Swedish Hockey League. He’s equal parts speed and skill, and sees the ice well. An injury during an exhibition prevented him from playing for Sweden at the World Championship.

F Dylan Guenther

Guenther (6-1, 175) scored 12 goals, six of them on power plays, among 24 points for the Edmonton Oil Kings (Western Hockey League). He’s an agile scorer who likes to shoot the puck and has a knack for stepping up at key moments.

D Luke Hughes

He’s the third and, sadly, last of the Hughes brothers. (The Wings passed on Quinn in 2018, and missed out on Jack in 2019). He’s 6-2, 184 pounds, and recorded 34 points in 38 games with the NTDP U-18. He’s committed to play at Michigan, which is the same path Quinn took after being selected at No. 7 by the Canucks. He’s a good skater who plays a smart, well-rounded game.

F Kent Johnson

The Wings need a No. 1 center, and Johnson could fit that bill. He’s 6-f1, 184 pounds, and while he played left wing this season at Michigan, he’s a natural middleman. Johnson recorded nine goals and 18 assists in 26 games, and led the team with three power play goals. He’s a good skater with a high hockey IQ, a creative sniper who makes his linemates better.

F Mason McTavish

McTavish (6-1, 207 pounds) is a powerful skater and solid two-way player who scored nine goals and two assists in 13 games while on loan to EHC Olten in the Swiss League, adding seven points in four playoff games. He filled in as captain for Canada at the World Juniors, where he produced five goals and six assists in seven games.

G Jesper Wallstedt

The Wings don’t have a high-end super-promising goaltending prospect, and Wallstedt could change that. He’s 6-3, 214 pounds, and hails from 1215070 Detroit Red Wings Yzerman acknowledged the Wings need to improve and strengthen their roster, which in turns helps the power play.

It’s no surprise that Stanley Cup contenders such as Tampa, Boston, Red Wings looking for power-play 'tactician' in assistant coach search Colorado, Vegas and Carolina all have skilled, talented lineups that are extremely dangerous on the power play.

The Wings aren’t there yet. TED KULFAN “We need to add to our personnel to get the right fit so our power play has a chance to be more successful,” Yzerman said. "We have to do something different with our power play, for sure. Our power play is 31st, Detroit — The Red Wings are bringing back head coach . collectively. It struggled the last few years. But there will, nonetheless, be changes within the coaching staff, which "We need to add to our personnel to get the right fit, so our power play was probably to be expected given the Wings' record the last several has a chance to be more successful and we need to do things a little bit seasons. differently than we have done. The spots players are put in and the way During the announcement last month of Blashill’s return, GM Steve we bring the puck up the ice, it needs to be addressed. Yzerman said assistant coach Dan Bylsma was not coming back, the "Who will be in charge of that? Who will we bring in to help it? We have biggest change in the staff. to go to work and find that person." "Dan was the head coach of a Stanley Cup champion in Pittsburgh Blysma, 50, is a native of Grand Haven. (2009) and he's been a coach in Buffalo," Yzerman said, announcing the coaching decisions last month. "In his mind, he's still an NHL head Detroit News LOADED: 06.05.2021 coach. He had his reasons for wanting to come on board here, but ultimately he's a head coach at heart and he wants to do that."

Bylsma was in charge of the Wings' power play in his three seasons, and it never became a formidable unit.

While Doug Houda was in charge of the defense and improved penalty kill and Jeff Salajko the goaltending (both Houda and Salajko are expected to return), Bylsma oversaw a power play that struggled.

The power play ranked 30th out of 31 team this season (11.4%), and rarely put together stretches of looking dangerous.

The struggling power play was a continuous, nagging issue in Bylsma's three years. It was 29th during the Wings' disastrous 2019-20 season (14.9%), and 19th in 2018-19 (18.1%), making Bylsma's exit expected.

Yzerman and Blashill are going to work in tandem to find Bylsma’s successor, both using their extensive list of contacts to identify candidates.

Though the list of the candidates is likely to be lengthy, there are specifics the Wings will be looking for.

"We will work together in that process,” Yzerman said. “We are just getting started, see who maybe is interested, who our candidates are, who is a good fit. Doug Houda basically working with the defense and with Blashill and the other coaches heading up the penalty killing unit, I kind of expect Blash will keep Doug's duties the same.

“We will probably look for someone to work with our forwards, more involved with the power play. We will kind of see. Jeff and I will really work together to figure out who is the right person for that role."

The Wings will be looking for a someone who can reinvigorate a power- play unit that at times appeared to lose confidence.

Much of the success or failure goes to the personnel on the unit, which needs to execute to make the power play succeed.

There are only so many formations and concepts to try and use. But there might be a coach out there who can better utilize the personnel, in whatever ways, possibly tweak the attack to make it more respectable.

“The power play is an area that needs to be better, and that’s not, certainly, on any one particular coach or any one particular person,” Blashill said, during his end-of-season media Zoom call. “The guys that are on the ice have to do a better job, and we’ve got to do as good a job as possible at preparing them and giving them a plan that works.”

Blashill used the word “tactician," a coach with “different offensive ideas” to describe what characteristics he and Yzerman are looking for in the assistant coach.

“Especially a guy with an offensive kind of mindset, somebody that brings some different, potentially unique, ideas,” Blashill said. “It’s hard to come up with things that are real different or unique in the game, and that’s not necessarily how you win.

“But ultimately is there some fresh ideas or unique ideas or different thought processes?” 1215071 proficient on the defensive side of things, did lead all defencemen in the NHL this year in point production.

Forty-two percent were good with seeing him go. YOU BE THE BOSS RESULTS: Annual survey shows Oilers fans mostly Oilers fans were also split on the future of Zack Kassian here (55.8 per content with team's direction cent said keep him, 44.2 per cent said get rid of him.)

Other interesting results were that 79 per cent of respondents believe Terry Jones Edmonton needs to find another winger to play with Connor McDavid and that 58.3 per cent fingered a lack of scoring depth as the primary reason Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 15 hours ago • the Oilers made their early exit from the playoffs.

Fans were also asked to identify the Oilers top roster need in the off- season and were split on whether it was forward scoring depth (30.9 per I’m not sure if Edmonton Oilers’ general manager Ken Holland got this cent) and top-line winger (29.6 per cent) kind of help during the quarter-century he ran the Detroit Red Wings, but the educated Edmonton hockey fan has provided him with his off-season Anyway, here you go Ken. game plan. In greater detail, here are your marching orders. Considering the way the season ended and the still-open wounds involved, fans from another city like — oh, I don’t know … Toronto, Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 06.05.2021 perhaps? — may be surprised by the overwhelming support for both Holland as GM and as head coach plus their staffs going forward.

Your instructions to Holland are clearly to keep the core members of the team and proceed to re-up free agents Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson and Mike Smith sooner than later.

It was the annual ‘You Be The Boss’ end-of-season survey, and a healthy total of 2,216 responses following the Oilers’ second straight massively disappointing departure in the playoffs following a second consecutive successful regular season were telling.

In the first season under the GM/head coach combination of Holland and Tippett, the Oilers had a record of 37-25-9 when the coronavirus pandemic pause hit.

Returning to play in the Hub City bubble in their own building, Edmonton won only a single game in the best-of-five Stanley Cup qualifying series against the Chicago Blackhawks.

This season, the Oilers rolled to a 35-19-2 record for second place in the specially created Canadian Division season and then lost all four first- round playoff games, albeit the last three in overtime and the last one in triple overtime, the third-longest game in Oilers history.

Despite their post-season Oilers records of 1-7 so far in Edmonton, Holland in our survey has an approval percentage of 90.2 percent and Tippett 88.8.

Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, Jesse Puljujarvi, Ryan McLeod, Larsson and Mike Smith all topped 90 per cent in satisfaction ratings. And despite the penalty and accompanying one- game suspension to Josh Archibald that played a big part in the colossal collapse in Game 3, the gargantuan giveaway that cost the Oilers a late lead in Game 4 by Ethan Bear and the unproductive playoffs of Kailer Yamamoto, all three were forgiven.

A total of 88 per cent of fans want to see Archibald return, 87.2 per cent want to see Yamamoto back and 85.2 percent want Bear to return to the blue line.

Not that it was a total love-in.

No less than 88.1 per cent advised Holland to find a different goaltender to partner with Mike Smith instead of Mikko Koskinen, the six-foot-seven Finn with the habit of allowing goals on the first shot of the game and obvious weakness high glove side. Koskinen has one year remaining on his US$4.5-million contract.

And Koskinen was not alone.

James Neal (90.1 per cent), Kyle Turris (86.4), Patrick Russell (78.3), Joakim Nygard (72.4), Tyler Ennis (59.4) and Dmitry Kulikov (51.7) were players the majority wanted out of here next season.

Neal was actually ranked ahead of Koskinen as the No. 1 candidate for a buyout, 47.2 percent to 41.9 percent.

I don’t think there was a surprise in any of that, but there were a couple of results to this year’s survey that I found interesting.

The first involved Tyson Barrie, the defenceman Holland acquired on an exceptional reasonable one-year contract that, while not particularly 1215072 Los Angeles Kings we know he can be, so as to develop into a player in the world’s best hockey league in any season.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.05.2021 Kings sign defenseman Helge Grans to three-year, entry-level contract

By Zach Dooley16 hours ago

The LA Kings announced this afternoon that they have signed defenseman Helge Grans to a three-year, entry-level contract. The contract carries an average annual value (AAV) of $925,000 at the NHL level.

Grans, a 6-2 defenseman, was selected in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft back in October and spent the 2020-21 season with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks in the top professional league in Sweden.

The 19-year-old blueliner tallied 12 points (3-9-12) from 43 games played with Malmo, as the team advanced into the play-in round of the postseason. The 2020-21 season was the first full campaign for Grans at the senior level, after he split the 2019-20 season between the Malmo senior team and the U-20 level. Grans originally made his SHL debut during the 2018-19 season, with five senior games played, as well as two in the Champions Hockey League.

Internationally, Grans represented Sweden at the 2019 , but was unable to play in the U-18 World Championships, due to the event being cancelled in 2020. He was selected to Team Sweden’s World Juniors training camp this past season, but did not make the final roster. Grans is eligible to play in the World Juniors in 2021, and is, at this point, likely to make that team.

Prior to the 2020 NHL Draft, Grans was lauded for his puck-moving abilities, with many draft analysts lauding his passing abilities. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman noted that Grans makes strong passes at both ends of the ice, while Chris Peters said that Grans makes “good reads and smart, accurate passes.”

In January, the Ljungby, Sweden native signed a contract extension with Malmo, which keeps him as an SHL player with the Redhawks through the end of the 2021-22 season. The NHL/SHL Transfer agreement does not preclude Grans from playing in North America next season, but his contract extension ensures that if he does play in Sweden, he would play with Malmo.

The Kings have previously taken a variety of different development paths with their young, European prospects. Tobias Bjornfot played in North America in his age-18 season, Rasmus Kupari in his age-19 season and Samuel Fagemo in his age-20 season. Defenseman Jacob Moverare recently finished his first campaign in North America during his age-22 season. Every development curve is different, and now having Grans under contract gives the organization, and the player, flexibility to do what’s best for his personal growth and development.

Grans is the second member of the Kings 2020 Draft Class to sign an entry-level contract, following second-overall selection Quinton Byfield.

Mark Yannetti on Helge Grans

He has an excellent sense, in a transitional term, of moving the puck up the ice. He’s got excellent straight-line skating, powerful stride, he really sees the ice well, processes well and sorts it out well. On the offensive blueline, his vision is excellent. I think he has the offensive tools to be a first power-play type player. His defensive game needs a little bit of work, but his competitive nature is there, which is good.

Helge Grans on his game

I see myself as an offensive, two-way defenseman who is playing good with the puck, having a good passing game and can shoot the puck as well….When I get up to speed, I can skate pretty well, but I need to work more on my first strides and being a little bit quicker….I improved my defensive side, more and more, in the SHL, and I felt better after every game. I felt stronger and more comfortable in the SHL.

Malmo General Manager Patrick Sylvegard on Grans (via malmoredhawks.com)

First and foremost, we are happy and proud to have Helge with us. He has the potential to be very good and we see him as a top defender with us over the coming season. Our goal is to help him become as good as 1215073 Minnesota Wild

Wild GM Bill Guerin: Zach Parise still fits with team but 'we're here to win hockey games'

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune JUNE 4, 2021 — 7:28AM

Zach Parise spent most of the season on the fringe of the Wild's depth chart, a change for the veteran forward after being at the forefront of the team's offense for years.

The shuffle cast doubt on Parise's standing with the organization, but General Manager Bill Guerin said Parise still fits with the Wild.

"Zach proved that he's still a guy that can play, and he did great for us in the playoffs," Guerin said. "It's definitely a different role for Zach, but he's been great all year. We've talked to him a number of times and he understands."

Parise began the season in the top-six forward group but eventually slipped to the fourth line and had his minutes scaled back before he was a healthy scratch for three of the last four regular-season games. He was also idle for the start of the playoffs, not appearing until Game 4 when injury forced coach and Wild brass to adjust the lineup vs. the Golden Knights.

"This is business," Guerin said. "This is not personal. This is not meant to be a soap opera. Dean and I, we don't subscribe to that stuff. … This is all about winning hockey games, and we're making difficult decisions every day.

"Not everybody is going to be happy with them, but we're not here to make everyone happy. We're here to win hockey games."

Parise finished the series with two goals and an assist. He had seven goals and 11 assists in 45 regular-season games.

Since the season ended, Parise mentioned the "sideshow" — but Guerin felt Parise, who turns 37 in July, handled the season professionally and wasn't a distraction.

Guerin said the team had numerous talks with Parise, including a chat before the playoffs — telling him to be patient and that he would "score a big goal" for the team down the road.

"When Zach got back in the lineup, we fully wanted him to try to prove us wrong," Guerin said, "and he did to some extent, and he came back improved. You think we were mad about that? We were happy. He scored the goals, and I was in my box watching the games clapping. We were happy for him.

"So these aren't personal decisions. They're not easy ones. But they're ones that we have to make, and they're not going to be popular all the time. So that's just the way it is."

Earlier this week, Parise said he plans to be in training camp. He has four seasons remaining on a 13-year, $98 million contract, and it's not a given that he stays on the fourth line.

"Zach put himself in a really good position at the end of the year," Guerin said. "We'll never say never. You can't pigeonhole guys. You can't say, 'You're going to be here, and that's it,' and not budge. Why would we do that? We're only going to hurt the team. So you have to be open-minded, and you have to be flexible."

Star Tribune LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215074 Minnesota Wild “Just being happy for each other and supporting each other is a big thing,” Spurgeon said. “Everyone was happy for each other, whether they were scoring goals, making plays or getting that recognition. I think that’s huge.” Why this time feels different: ‘This isn’t your old Minnesota Wild team’ Added Fiala: “I feel that our team is like a family. There’s something special in this team. Everybody wants to win and wants to do everything for each other. We had some up and downs all season, but we always By DANE MIZUTANI | June 4, 2021 at 12:10 p.m. stuck together. That’s why I love this team.”

What’s the next step for the Wild? In a perfect world for the Wild, they would be battling the Colorado “We just need to continue to grow,” Evason said. “We’ve seen the Avalanche in the second round of the NHL playoffs right now, not talking individual growth in so many players. That just has to continue to get about this season in the past tense. better and better. The way we played as a group and as a team on a After a round of exit interviews earlier this week, Wild players and nightly basis, with a team-first mentality, was very exciting to us as a coaches have gone their separate ways with their offseason in full swing coaching staff and as a franchise. We just want to continue to build on much sooner than they expected. that.”

Perhaps coach Dean Evason put it best. While the Wild should feel a lot As for Guerin, while he admitted the Wild are maybe a little further along of pride in what they accomplished this season, they should also be than he expected at this point, he isn’t satisfied with where they are. feeling immense disappointment that they are watching the rest of the “It’s going in the right direction,” Guerin said. “Can I say we’re ahead of playoffs from the discomfort of their couch. schedule? Not really, because we got knocked out in the first round, and After finishing 35-16-5 in the regular season, third in the West division, that’s not good enough. There are some signs from this team that I’m the Wild lost in seven games to Vegas in the opening round of the extremely happy with. We made some really good steps this year.” playoffs. Pioneer Press LOADED: 06.05.2021 “Every season when we go in, our goal is to win the Stanley Cup, so in that sense, it was a failure,” Evason said. “But we had a good regular season and we can build on that. We are looking forward to that next season.”

If it feels different heading into this offseason from a fan’s perspective, just know the Wild are feeling that, too. There’s an overarching sense of optimism surrounding this core and its potential to become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the future.

With rstar rookie Kirill Kaprizov leading the way, and other highly skilled players taking the next step, the Wild established themselves among the most exciting teams in the league this season. Let’s just say the high- octane offense is nothing like the Jacques Lemaire-coached teams of the past that used to win by lulling opponents to sleep.

“It’s felt different,” defenseman Matt Dumba said. “’This isn’t your old Minnesota Wild team.”

That has to be music to the ears of general manager Bill Guerin. He has been trying to change the culture of the franchise ever since he took over 22 months ago, and he finally started to see the fruits of his labor this season.

Just look at the way the Wild battled tooth and nail with the Golden Knights in the playoffs. After falling behind 3-1 in the series, the Wild battled back to tie the series with back-to-back victories before ultimately running out of gas in Game 7.

“If we’re going to go out, that’s the way to go out,” Guerin said. “I’m proud of our players and I’m proud of our coaching staff. I feel like there’s a lot of buzz in the market for our team, and for good reason.”

Though the Wild would have loved to make a deeper run at the Stanley Cup this season, that seemed like a long shot. This was always going to be a transitional year for the Wild, and they exceeded expectations every step of the way.

Whether it was Kaprizov taking the league by storm, dynamic winger Kevin Fiala continuing his ascension, two-way center Joel Eriksson Ek taking a gigantic leap, or various other players stepping up, the Wild have a lot to feel good about moving forward.

“I think the steps that our players took as individuals and the steps that we took as a team were big,” Guerin said. “The process that we’re going through to try to build a championship team is good. I really do feel that we took steps in the regular season. And in the playoffs. It was disappointing to go out in the first round, but the signs I see in my seat as a general manager were positive.”

Maybe the biggest step forward for the Wild came off the ice. There was a close-knit vibe in the locker room this season with captain Jared Spurgeon in charge. While playing in the middle of a pandemic could have pulled the team apart, Spurgeon made sure it brought the team together. 1215075 Minnesota Wild

With NHL expansion draft next month, Wild’s Matt Dumba considering trip to Bahamas, not Seattle

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: June 4, 2021 at 9:55 a.m. | UPDATED: June 4, 2021 at 10:19 a.m.

Star defenseman Matt Dumba has been a part of trade rumors in some way, shape or form seemingly since the Wild drafted him in 2012.

He was widely reported to be a bargaining chip last offseason with general manager Bill Guerin trying to nab a No. 1 center. And with the Seattle Kraken coming into the NHL this offseason, many think the Wild might be forced to expose the 26-year-old defenseman in the July 21 expansion draft.

Luckily for Dumba, he has experience blocking out the noise. Asked how he plans to do that over the next six weeks, Dumba smiled and replied, “I’m thinking of going to the Bahamas and just leaving my phone.”

It’s no secret that Dumba wants to stay with the Wild. He made that clear in his exit meeting with Guerin earlier this week.

“I emphasized to him that this is home for me,” Dumba said. “This is where I want to be. I love it here.”

This isn’t the first time Dumba has been at the epicenter of the expansion draft.

When the Vegas Golden Knights came into the league in 2017, Dumba seemed like the natural choice. Instead, former general manager Chuck Fletcher opted to trade top prospect Alex Tuch in a side deal that ensured the Golden Knights selected Erik Haula.

That kept Dumba safe at the time — and it might take a similar move to keep him safe again this offseason. It’s likely that the Wild decide to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender as opposed to the other option that allows them to protect eight skaters and one goalie.

The only problem with the first plan is the Wild have to protect defensemen Jared Spurgeon, Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin because of their no-movement clauses. That would leave Dumba exposed, thus highlighting the need for a potential side deal.

“They have always found a way to make it work in the past,” Dumba said. “My name’s in trade speculation every year. I’ve become accustomed to it. It is what it is. I’ve expressed my feelings about where I want to be and where my heart is. At the end of the day, that’s all I can do.”

For the Wild, there’s definitely a benefit in keeping Dumba around. He’s an extremely dynamic player on the blue line, and maybe more importantly, he’s developed into the unquestioned leader in the locker room. Frankly, when Dumba isn’t around, it’s noticeable both on and off the ice.

With the expansion draft scheduled for July 21, Dumba will only have to wait six weeks to learn his fate. In the meantime, he plans to enjoy his summer as best he can.

“This next month I’m not going be focused on that,” he said. “Just have a good summer here and enjoy it with some friends and family.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215076 Montreal Canadiens Maurice said it was “unfortunate” that the team was losing arguably its best forward for four “critical” playoff games.

“We’re paying a huge price, he’s paying a huge price, so that part hurts,” Jets’ Mark Scheifele says his family was bullied after his suspension for he said. “Knowing Mark he’ll be on the ice every day getting better, trying hit on Canadiens’ Jake Evans to get better and get ready for his next playoff game.”

Winnipeg could get another key piece back for Game 2, however.

THE CANADIAN PRESS Veteran centre Paul Stastny was on the ice for an optional pre-game skate on Friday after missing Wednesday’s game with an undisclosed PUBLISHED JUNE 4, 2021 injury. Maurice said whether he’ll play is a game-time decision.

UPDATED 15 HOURS AGO A number of different players on Winnipeg’s roster have the ability to step up and fill holes, Scheifele said.

“We have tremendous character, we have tremendous everything on this Mark Schiefele’s voice caught in his throat Friday as he talked about the team,” he said. “It’s a pretty special team and I have full faith in my team hate directed toward his loved ones this week in the aftermath of a that I will be able to play a game again this year.” controversial hockey play. Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.05.2021 The Winnipeg Jets star said he’s willing to accept punishment for a crushing blow that injured Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans in Game 1 of the North Division final on Wednesday, but called what’s happened to his family unacceptable.

“The bullying that they’ve gotten, online, phone calls. It’s pretty gross to see,” a visibly emotional Schiefele said on a video call. “My parents are the salt of the earth. For my parents to get hate like that, and my brother and sister, it’s awful.

“I can handle it, I’m a grown man. I’ve accepted that and I can be held accountable for that. But for my family to get that, it hurts me a lot.”

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety handed Scheifele a four-game suspension for the heavy hit that left Evans sprawled on the ice in the final minute of Montreal’s 5-3 win.

Scheifele called the sanction “excessive,” but said he won’t appeal the decision.

“I don’t want to be a distraction any more. This has lingered on long enough,” he said before the Jets hosted the Canadiens in Game 2 on Friday.

“The stakes are so high at this point. I just want to be there cheering on my teammates. It’s a big game tonight. From this point on, it’s all about the Winnipeg Jets. It’s not about me, it’s not about anything like that. It’s about the Winnipeg Jets and the guys in that room who are going to be battling for our team.”

Jets coach Paul Maurice said he was expecting Scheifele to be suspended for two games.

“I think four is excessive,” he said. “The Department of Player Safety has every right, and they’re needed in their role, to set precedent for hits, especially when there’s an injury involved. So they have that right. I don’t agree with it, but it’s set now and that’s where the game goes going forward. And we’ll learn from it and move on.”

Scheifele’s hit came as Evans wrapped a shot into the empty Winnipeg net with 57 seconds left on the game clock. The six-foot-three, 207- pound Scheifele levelled Evans at the goal-line and the Canadiens forward flew through the air, striking his head on the ice. He lay still for several moments while trainers and medical staff came to his aid, and was eventually taken away on a stretcher.

Evans was not hospitalized but Montreal’s interim coach Dominique Ducharme has said he has a concussion.

Scheifele was handed a charging major and a game misconduct for the play.

On Friday, he described the hit as the result of trying to stop Evans from scoring.

“My intention on that play is to try to negate a goal. There’s no intent, there’s no malice there. I don’t go in with a frame of mind of injuring a hockey player,” Scheifele said. “Obviously the result sucks that he’s hurt. But I just hope he’s OK. I hope for a speedy recovery and I’m praying for him.”

Losing Scheifele creates a big hole in the Jets’ lineup. The 28-year-old from Kitchener, Ont., was Winnipeg’s leading scorer in the regular season with 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists) and has five more (two goals, three assists) in five playoff appearances this year. 1215077 Montreal Canadiens Wednesday night’s Winnipeg Jet’s opening ceremony, honouring the children of the Kamloops Residential School.

SPORTSNET Behind the scenes of the stunning, mournful O Canada at the Jets- “I just said to myself, this is for those children in the ground and the many Canadiens playoff game others that we don’t know of, and this is for those here with me now, those residential-school survivors and those in this country. And I really wanted to dedicate it to them, because I do feel like, as a nation, there SIMON HOUPT are some things to be proud of but there’s also a lot of things that we need to sort through, and that was heavy on my heart when I sang,” he PUBLISHED JUNE 4, 2021 said. UPDATED JUNE 4, 2021 “And I wanted it to be mournful. I wanted it to be something where people would lean in a little more going: ‘Yeah, really, what do these lines actually mean?’ And I knew if I said [the lyrics] slow and patient and Don Amero wasn’t even sure he wanted to sing O Canada. really allowed people to kind of digest them, you know – that was really my goal.” Last Sunday evening, the Winnipeg country and folk singer-songwriter got a call from his friend, Mark Chipman, the executive chairman of True He wanted, he said, to “create unity around the question of what is North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Winnipeg Jets, asking Canada. Because I feel like I’ve heard an overwhelming response of whether he would be willing to sing the national anthem at game one of people who have, for lack of a better term, have been shaken, who’ve the second round of the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens on kind of awoken to the realities of our history.” Wednesday. The Jets have led the National Hockey League in a number of Only days before, the country had learned of the discovery, announced reconciliation initiatives since landing back in Winnipeg in 2011. In 2015, by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, of the remains of 215 the team banned costume headdresses at their home games after a children on the grounds of the former Kamloops residential school. The Chicago Blackhawks fan wore one to Bell MTS Place. A year later, the Jets intended to begin their opening ceremonies with a moment of Jets became the first team in the league to include a land silence for the children. acknowledgement in the opening of every home game. Last year, the team played host to the Strong Warrior Girls Anishinaabe Singers from a But would an anthem celebrating Canada even be appropriate after that? local primary school, who performed O Canada in Ojibwe. The Kamloops residential school’s unmarked graves: What we know The @NHLJets and @CanadiensMTL held a moment of silence ahead of about the children’s remains, and Canada’s reaction so far Game 1 to honour the memory of the 215 children whose remains were “The Jets organization were struggling with, what’s the proper move discovered at an Indigenous residential school in Kamloops. here?” said Mr. Amero, recalling his conversations with Mr. Chipman. pic.twitter.com/I0mdIFdbNV “We wrestled with the idea of having just the moment of silence and — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 2, 2021 saying, ‘Tonight’s not the night for the anthem.’ Because there are so many questions Canadians are asking themselves right now: What is Around the same time, the team also brought on Kevin Chief, a former Canada?” MLA and the co-founder of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre, as the senior adviser of community development for True North. For two days, he went back and forth on whether he could perform the anthem. “George Stroumboulopoulos pointed it out the other night,” Mr. Chief, who is Anishinaabe and Métis, was instrumental in helping to explained Mr. Amero, during a phone interview with The Globe and Mail devise the moment of reflection on Wednesday night, in which the arena on Thursday afternoon. glowed with Indigenous orange, and the designs of numerous Inuit and Métis and First Nations women artists flickered on the overhead screen. “How do you have a moment of silence, and then moments later sing He also invited two elders to flank Mr. Amero during the anthem. ‘God keep our land,’ knowing full well that the atrocities in this country were at the hands of people who claimed to be in the name of God?” “I didn’t want Don to feel that he had to carry that alone,” said Mr. Chief, in a separate phone interview. Elder Wally Swain carried tobacco and an But after mulling it over, Mr. Amero, who is of Cree and Métis heritage on eagle feather, while his wife, Karen, cradled a pair of baby moccasins. his mother’s side and European descent on his father’s side, concluded that, “I don’t believe, and I think many Canadians don’t believe, that this “For them to stand there, with the tobacco that represents the teaching of was at the hands of God. This was at the hands of people who had gratitude and an eagle feather, which represents love, and then the hatred in their heart for a people. And I don’t believe that God did this. So moccasins that represent [the campaign to] Bring our Children Home, to I can peacefully sing that line and know that it wasn’t Him or the creator. stand there with Don and to be able to do that for us collectively, I So, I was at peace with that.” thought was quite powerful.”

Still, he knew he couldn’t perform the conventional chest-thumping On Thursday, Mr. Amero was gratified to hear of the effect his rendition of O Canada, of the sort that he’d done at three previous Jets performance seemed to have had on Canadians. Still, he said, “to be games over the years. “I thought of altering lyrics. I thought of leaving honest, I’m not sure if I can go back into that kind of space to sing the lyrics out. I thought, what if I did the Colin Kaepernick thing and take a anthem. I think the way I sang it yesterday is the lament in my heart. And knee? And none of that felt right to me.” I think until we can at least find the psyche of the Canadian people changing and shifting, that to me is the anthem that sits in my heart On Tuesday, still uncertain of how to proceed, he drove his wife and today.” three young children up to the family’s cabin, got them settled in, then returned to Winnipeg. By the time he arrived home, it was about 1:30 in Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.05.2021 the morning; there were only 17 hours until game time. “And that’s when I thought of the idea of, like, a sombre, melancholy, almost dark music note.” At 2:30 a.m., he made a rough recording of his idea and sent it off to Mr. Chipman, who quickly gave him the green light.

And so on Wednesday night, as about three million Canadians watched on Sportsnet, CBC and TVA, a slow progression of moody, unsettling bass notes thrummed through Bell MTS Place, Mr. Amero brought the microphone unsteadily to his mouth, lifted his eyes to the camera, and delivered a mournful anti-anthem that seemed perfectly calibrated to the present, uncertain moment.

Don Amero delivers an extraordinary, mournful rendition of O Canada with more than 3-million Canadians tuned in from coast to coast during 1215078 Montreal Canadiens

In the Habs' Room: Price's 30-save shutout shovels Jets in 2-0 series hole

Pat Hickey • Publishing date:Jun 05, 2021 • 5 hours ago

“It’s fun.”

That’s the way Carey Price described the experience of protecting a razor-thin lead Friday night as the Canadiens shut out the Jets 1-0 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.

Price made 30 saves to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead in the best-of- seven North Division final with the series moving to the Bell Centre for games Sunday and Monday.

Price had a relatively easy time for most of Friday’s game. While his teammates didn’t supply him with goals, they did block shots and limited Winnipeg’s scoring chances. That changed in the final 3:20 of the game as the Jets fired eight shots on goal and Price had to be at his best.

“They put the pressure on,” Price said. “They were playing desperate hockey towards the end of the game and they were throwing pucks toward the net. You battle and compete and sometimes pucks just hit you.”

“He’s solid,” said Phil Danault. “He’s really in the zone and he wants to win. He gives a chance to win every game. He gives us wings.”

The Jets played with an extra attacker for most of the late push and that did provide a chance for an empty-net goal. But, on a night when the Canadiens’ offence was non-existent, they couldn’t even find the empty net. They had one opportunity go awry when Tyler Toffoli hit a post and Danault’s attempt off the rebound was stopped by Winnipeg defenceman Neal Pionk.

The victory extended Montreal’s season-longest winning streak, which is even more impressive because the Canadiens have never trailed in that run.

Danault said season-long adversity allowed the Canadiens to turn things around after falling behind 3-1 in the opening series against Toronto.

“Everything we’ve been through, the injuries, having to play every two days,” Danault said. “We have a tight group and we’ve really bought into what (the coaching staff) has given us as structure. Everyone does his job and that’s how we got rewarded.”

Coach Dominique Ducharme also said the difficulties encountered in the regular season made his team stronger.

“Our game is like a puzzle,” he said. “It’s not one thing, everything had to come together.”

“We’re consistent,” Ducharme said. “Back when the playoffs started against the Maple Leafs, we found ways to get ourselves in trouble. We’ve improved. The confidence is growing. Everybody is on the same page. I like our execution and the way we’re playing defensively. With confidence comes patience. We’re confident that by playing our style of game, the results will come. Our decisions with the puck are good and we’re being rewarded.

“We’ve been playing very well defensively,” Ducharme added. “We’re improving night after night. That’s what we want to do. We want to keep doing that in Montreal and be even better.”

It was defence that provided the game’s only goal as Toffoli scored shorthanded early in the second period. The Canadiens had nine shorthanded goals in the regular season and Toffoli’s was the second in the playoffs.

“We’re playing good defensively so they try to force some plays and sometimes we can capitalize on that,” Danault said. “Toff scored on a helluva shot.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215079 Montreal Canadiens

Carey Price perfect as Canadiens win Game 2 against Jets

Pat Hickey • Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 6 hours ago

The anticipated goaltending duel between Vézina Trophy winners Carey Price and Connor Hellebuyck materialized Friday as the Canadiens defeated the Winnipeg Jets 1-0 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven North Division final.

Price, who won the Vézina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender in 2015, made 30 saves for his eighth playoff shutout. It was the fifth consecutive win for Price and the Canadiens.

Hellebuyck, who won the Vézina last season, made 23 saves, losing his shutout when Tyler Toffoli scored a shorthanded goal in the second period.

The series moves to Montreal for back-to-back games at the Bell Centre on Sunday and Monday.

Toffoli’s goal came on a 2-on-1 break with Artturi Lehkonen, who started the sequence when he blocked a shot by Kyle Connor. Shea Weber sent Toffoli off on the rush and Lehkonen went to the net and distracted Hellebuyck as Toffoli wound up from 25 feet out.

It was the second shorthanded goal for the Canadiens, who have scored first in each of their six road games in this year’s playoffs.

Scoring chances were scarce as the defences dominated the first period.

Corey Perry had the best scoring chance for the Canadiens midway through the period when Joel Armia set him up in front of the net, but Hellebuyck made two saves.

The Jets had a 2-on-1 break late in the period with Connor and Pierre- Luc Dubois, but when Connor tried to create some room with a toe drag, Ben Chiarot broke up the play with a sprawling poke check.

Each team had to make a lineup change in the wake of Mark Scheifele’s hit on Jake Evans in Game 1. Evans is out indefinitely with a concussion and his place on the Canadiens’ shutdown line was filled by Lehkonen, who had missed five games with an undisclosed injury.

Scheifele was serving the first game of a four-game suspension and his absence opened an opportunity for Jansen Harkins. It also gave Dubois a chance to play centre on the Jets’ top line with Connor and Blake Wheeler.

Scheifele spoke for the first time since the incident Friday morning and said he didn’t agree with the length of the suspension, but he had no plans to appeal the ruling.

He defended his actions and insisted he was trying to prevent Evans from scoring, even though the puck was in the net when he ran over the Montreal rookie.

“Having a guy hurt is what no one wants in this league, no one wants in this world,” Scheifele said. “Obviously, the league made their decision, I don’t agree with it.

“I keep on going back to my record,” Scheifele added. “I think I’ve had 12 penalty minutes this year. I’ve had one boarding penalty in my entire 600- game career, I haven’t had a charging penalty. I don’t think I’ve had more than 20 frickin’ hits a year. So my intention is not to injure or to make a hit, but to prevent a goal.”

The Jets also called on former Canadien Jordie Benn on defence. He replaced Dylan DeMelo, who suffered a lower-body injury on his first shift in Game 1. The Jets said DeMelo is expected to be out for a week.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215080 Montreal Canadiens the hearing, the Department of Player Safety, the player’s general manager and his agent and/or legal counsel, and NHLPA counsel. Walsh added the NHLPA’s role is to ensure the hearing is conducted in accordance with the CBA and the NHLPA counsel’s comments are for Cowan: Let's not forget that Canadiens' Jake Evans was the victim the most part procedural.

So, who speaks up for the victim?

Stu Cowan Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 8 hours ago • The NHLPA’s role sounds similar to having the same lawyer in a court case representing the mugger and the victim.

“As far as the union’s involved, both players are part of the union,” said Mark Scheifele knows what the immediate future holds in store for him. Paul Byron, who is the Canadiens’ player rep with the NHLPA. “They The Winnipeg Jets forward will serve a four-game suspension for his want to protect Jake, they want to protect future players like Jake. We vicious hit on Jake Evans in the final minute of Game 1 of the North don’t want to see guys hurt and laying on the ice. It’s part of their job, too, Division final Wednesday night that knocked the Canadiens forward out to represent Mark. He’s up against the Department of Player Safety and and left him laying face-down on the ice. If this series goes to a Game 6, the NHL side, so it’s tough being in the middle. But I think the union does Scheifele will return to the Jets lineup. On Friday, Scheifele was a good job of representing both.” permitted to take part in his team’s morning skate ahead of Game 2 Really? Friday night in Winnipeg. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.05.2021 Meanwhile, Evans remained at the Canadiens’ hotel under the care of two team doctors and coach Dominique Ducharme wasn’t sure if the 25- year-old forward would be able to attend Game 2 in person.

“He’s going a little bit better,” Ducharme said after the Canadiens’ morning skate when asked about Evans’s condition. “How much better? It’s hard for me to give you an exact number or percentage. But he’s doing a little bit better and we’ll see.”

Evans has a history of concussions and Game 1 against the Jets marked the second time he has been taken off the ice on a stretcher after suffering one. The first time was during a Rookie Showdown game in 2018 in Laval, when Evans was knocked out by a high hit from Ottawa Senators defenceman Jonathan Aspirot. Evans also suffered a concussion during last year’s postseason when he was checked hard into the boards by the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Brandon Tanev. A stretcher wasn’t needed that time, but Evans had to be helped off the ice by the Canadiens’ medical staff with a bloody forehead.

At this point, Evans’s future isn’t as certain as Scheifele’s. Evans is out indefinitely.

What unfortunately happens in the NHL when a player like Scheifele gets suspended for injuring another player is that almost all the attention goes to the attacker instead of the victim.

On Friday, Scheifele said he was “pretty shocked” by his four-game suspension and that it was “pretty excessive” for knocking Evans out cold with what the Department of Player Safety correctly described as a “predatory” hit.

“My intention on that play is to try to negate a goal,” Scheifele said. “There’s no intent, there’s no malice there. I don’t go in with a frame of mind of injuring a hockey player. My record precedes itself. I think I’ve had not one charging penalty in 600 games. … Obviously, the result sucks that he’s hurt. I just hope he’s OK. I hope for a speedy recovery and I’m praying for him.”

Scheifele added he reached out to Evans’s teammates after the game and was glad to hear he wasn’t hospitalized.

Scheifele got emotional when he spoke about how his parents and family members have been getting harassed online. That’s terrible and shouldn’t happen. But while listening to Scheifele talk about his parents, I couldn’t help thinking about Evans’s parents, who had to watch their son get knocked out cold and carried off the ice on a stretcher because of Scheifele. They must be wondering not only about Evans’s future in the NHL, but also how this latest concussion might impact him later in life.

Scheifele still insists he didn’t do anything wrong, but the Department of Player Safety disagreed and the video evidence spoke for itself. Jets coach Paul Maurice said Thursday it was a “heavy, heavy hit,” but it was clean and didn’t even deserve a penalty. Maurice said it with a straight face.

Of course, the coach wouldn’t have been saying the same thing if it had been a Jets player laying face-down and out cold on the ice after a similar hit.

Too often in the NHL the attacker is protected instead of the victim. It’s also the case when a player has a phone hearing with the Department of Player Safety, like Scheifele did on Thursday. Player agent Allan Walsh pointed out on Twitter those type of hearings include the player subject to 1215081 Montreal Canadiens a 4-2 Montreal lead, Scheifele left his team shorthanded when took an unnecessary roughing penalty.

The coach who is defending him should realize Scheifele’s frustration Hickey on hockey: Too much focus on predators, not their prey, in NHL resulted in a selfish act that leaves his team with a gaping hole in its lineup.

Junior coach Poulin honoured: Pier-Alexandre Poulin of the Condors du Pat Hickey • Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 11 hours ago CEGEP Beauce-Appalaches won the 2020-21 CJHL Coach of the Year award, presented by the National Hockey League Coaches’ Association.

This honour is presented in memory of Humboldt Broncos head coach I shudder every time I hear that an athlete has a history of concussions. Darcy Haugan and assistant Mark Cross, who were among those who The phrase was used this week to describe Canadiens forward Jake lost their lives when their team bus was struck by a truck on April 6, Evans, who sustained a concussion when he was run over by Winnipeg’s 2018. Mark Scheifele after he scored an empty-net goal at the end of the Because of the circumstances of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, opening game of the North Division final Wednesday in Winnipeg. which resulted in various levels of play across the CJHL this season, the The NHL department of player safety hit Scheifele with a four-game format for the 2020-21 award was altered to reflect that. suspension. I’m sure that decision didn’t go over well in Winnipeg, where With stringent COVID-19 public health guidelines in place, Poulin showed head coach Paul Maurice insisted that it was a clean hit, while there are creativity and initiative at a preseason camp where he divided invited folks who will think it was too lenient. players into small bubbles while making his drills compatible with Sadly, there’s not enough focus on what the NHL described as a imposed sanitary restrictions. predatory hit means for Evans, who has suffered at least three Player development was also key as he solicited third-party instructors to concussions since Oct. 2018. further help boost his program and he used multiple coaching and Concussions are unlike other injuries. If an athlete breaks a bone, there’s development tools, including the use of an outdoor rink, so his players a timeline for his return. It’s the same with knee surgery, sports hernias could practise safely. or torn shoulder ligaments. Poulin is the brother of women’s hockey superstar Marie-Philip Poulin, a But concussions are a mystery. Some players experience mild symptoms two-time Olympic gold medallist. and return to action quickly. Other players, such as Andrew Shaw or The honour includes a $5,000 grant to the Cougars on behalf of the Marc Savard, have seen their careers cut short by concussions. NHLCA, as well as $5,000 worth of equipment from Bauer Hockey. Doctors know that the damage caused by concussions is cumulative and Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.05.2021 the long-term effects can be devastating. There have been countless stories of former athletes committing suicide or experiencing dementia as they grow older.

I was a witness to one of those tragic stories. I spent a year sharing an apartment in Toronto with Gerry (Soupy) Campbell whose play as a hard- hitting middle linebacker earned him a place in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Over the years, I witnessed his cognitive decline and when he died four years ago, his wife Kim donated his brain to researchers studying the detrimental effects of all those hits he took on the football field.

After years of denial about the danger of hits to the head, the NHL was reluctantly dragged into the 21st century and has implemented rule changes designed to eliminate such hits, but the Scheifele incident shows there is still work to be done.

In the aftermath of the hit, we were told Scheifele wasn’t that type of guy and he said on Friday he didn’t want to hurt Evans and was “pretty shocked” by the four-game ban.

But the reality is that he did hurt someone with a totally unnecessary hit.

In the video explanation of the penalty levied for charging, the NHL player safety folks said Scheifele was “moving with excessive momentum gained from travelling a considerable distance, finishes his check violently and with unwarranted force into Evans, making significant head contact in the process and causing an injury.”

Canadiens centre Jake Evans (71) is followed to the board by Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews (34) during Game 6 playoff action in Montreal on Saturday, May 29, 2021.

The league noted that Scheifele made no attempt to play the puck and the result was a “high, predatory hit” after the outcome of both the play and the game had already been decided.

Maurice rejected a suggestion that Scheifele acted out of frustration. He said Scheifele was having a good game, but the statistics told a different story. Scheifele, who was in the top 10 in scoring during the regular season, was on the ice for nearly 25 minutes and managed only two shots on goal and two other shots were blocked. He was rendered irrelevant by the Canadiens’ shutdown line, which had Evans on the left wing.

The hit on Evans wasn’t Scheifele’s only irrational act. With seven minutes remaining in the game and the Jets desperately trying to cut into 1215082 Montreal Canadiens below-average finishing makes sense. Though we can see from his playoff performances that there’s loads of potential for him to grow and change that narrative.

By the numbers: Canadiens' Kotkaniemi, Suzuki rising to the occasion The truth for the two Habs is very likely in the middle of their regular- season and playoff goal scoring, which is still good news for the Canadiens in the long term.

Andrew Berkshire • Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 12 hours ago • Before you get upset about the shooting numbers not bearing out a big uptick in play for these two in the playoffs, there is another factor to

consider. During these playoffs, at 5-vs-5 the Canadiens are getting high- For the second straight season, the Montreal Canadiens have surprised danger scoring chances at a rate 22.9-per-cent lower than they did a heavily favoured opponent and won a playoff round. And for the second during the regular season, and they’re getting scoring chances at a rate straight season, one of the keys to their victory has been the exemplary that is 19.9-per-cent lower as well. play of young centres Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. So, while the increases in Suzuki and Kotkaniemi’s shooting overall Kotkaniemi, 20, especially has built himself a quasi-legendary status as a doesn’t justify the scoring increases, relative to the rest of the roster, they playoff performer in just 17 career games, scoring nearly half a goal per have absolutely stepped up in significant ways. Context like that can’t be game, and finding the net immediately after starting these playoffs as an ignored in the big picture. undeserving healthy scratch for Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.05.2021 Leafs.

Suzuki had a slow start to the playoffs, but has since found his game and registered a point in four straight games, arguably the most important four games of the Canadiens’ season.

Suzuki, 21, quietly had a bit of an offensive breakout during regular season, matching his production from last season in 15 fewer games. Over an 82-game schedule, Suzuki was on pace for 60 points, which would have been just the second time a Canadiens centre hit that mark since Tomas Plekanec in 2014-15, and Max Domi hit 72 points two seasons ago.

Suzuki also built himself a reputation for scoring big goals as the season dragged on, breaking power-play slumps for the team late in the season, scoring game-tying goals that sent games to overtime while the Canadiens were desperate for points, and more.

Heading into Game 2 against the Jets on Friday, Suzuki’s point production is slightly down, but he’s scoring goals about 50 per cent more often than he did during the regular season.

To top things off for both players, they scored back-to-back overtime winners while the Canadiens were facing elimination in Games 5 and 6 against the Maple Leafs. The legend grows.

But the question is, are these two players truly stepping their game up to a ridiculous degree from a shooting perspective? Are they doing things they don’t do during the regular season? Let’s take a look at their 5-vs-5 shooting habits from the last two seasons, splitting the regular season from the post-season.

For Suzuki, his goal-scoring rate at 5-vs-5 has skyrocketed 254 per cent during the playoffs compared with the regular season, while Kotkaniemi has seen an astronomical 404-per-cent increase in goal-scoring during the post-season.

Looking at where the two players are shooting from, we can see that Suzuki is shooting slightly more often, and shooting from closer in. Kotkaniemi is shooting just a hair more often but, while he gets a little more from the high danger area, he’s getting fewer scoring chances overall

For both players, the rise in conversion rates on their shots is not justified. It’s important to keep in mind that we are talking about 18 and 17 playoff games for each, respectively, and wild swings in percentages can occur for players in those sample sizes without a big change in actual performance.

That isn’t to say that Suzuki and Kotkaniemi haven’t earned their goals, but that level of goal scoring shouldn’t be the expected norm for either going forward.

Even during the last two regular seasons, the sample size is relatively small to make definitive judgments about the two Canadiens centres’ finishing skills. During the regular season, Suzuki has scored on only 8.66 per cent of his shots on net at 5-vs-5, while Kotkaniemi has converted at a slightly better 9.31-per-cent clip. However, the NHL average for forwards during the last two seasons at 5-vs-5 is 10.1 per cent.

Suzuki, to my eye, has an above-league-average shot, so I wouldn’t expect him to continue to shoot at a below-league-average clip, either. Kotkaniemi has a very heavy shot, but his release is a little slow, so his 1215083 Montreal Canadiens De-fence! De-fence! The Canadiens have allowed only nine goals in the last five games.

“I think we’re really playing together,” defenceman Ben Chiarot said. Canadiens Game Day: Habs extend playoff winning streak to five games “Everyone’s supporting the puck, coming back in the D zone. There’s easy outs all over the place. They have an aggressive forecheck, we’re doing a good job of supporting each other and defending well in our own Stu Cowan • Publishing date:Jun 05, 2021 • 4 hours ago zone. I think it’s a big key to why we’re having success.

“Guys are defending hard,” Chiarot added. “Carey’s doing what he does. He’s been outstanding for us. Guys are playing hard in front of him, D are Canadiens players congratulate goalie Carey Price after he made 30 boxing out, forwards are giving us outs when we get a chance to move saves in 1-0 win over the Jets in Game 2 of North Division final Friday the puck and doing a good job.” night in Winnipeg. Chiarot added that there’s a common theme with the eight teams What happened to the guys who were skating around wearing the remaining in the playoffs. Canadiens jerseys for the first four games of that first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs? “They all defend hard, they all play a hard game,” he said. “Islanders, Boston, Vegas, they all play a hard style. It’s fast, it doesn’t give you This can’t possibly be the same team, can it? much time with the puck. It’s defending hard and I think that’s what we’re After falling behind 3-1 in their best-of-seven series against the Leafs, the doing. I think that’s been a big reason why we’re having success.” Canadiens have now won five straight games — including Friday night’s Moving on 1-0 win in Winnipeg — and hold a 2-0 lead over the Jets in the North Division final. The Canadiens have moved on from what happened in the final minute of Game 1 against Winnipeg when the Jets’ Mark Scheifele put a vicious Game 3 will be Sunday night at the Bell Centre (6 p.m., SN, TVA Sports, hit on Jake Evans that knocked him out and resulted in him being taken TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). off the ice on a stretcher. This is a Canadiens team that never won more than three consecutive The NHL Department of Player Safety decided on Thursday to suspend games during the regular season and scored a total of four goals in their Scheifele for four games, while Evans is out indefinitely with a first four playoff games against Toronto before winning Games 5 and 6 in concussion. overtime and then eliminating the Leafs in Game 7. “We’re done talking about the hit,” Canadiens captain Shea Weber said Now they’re up 2-0 in this second-round series against the Jets and were after the team’s morning skate Friday. “We’re missing a player, they’re flying back to Montreal after Friday’s shutout victory. missing a player and on to Game 2 here and getting going tonight.” What was it that turned this team around? When Ducharme was asked about Scheifele’s suspension following the “We said we had a good group and we also said that what we went morning skate, he said: “We’re moving on. We said it … the league is through with the regular season and being in a tough situation with the going to take care of it. They got the sentence out and for us we’re schedule, injuries, so on, that it would make our team stronger going preparing for tonight and that’s it … that’s behind us.” through difficult times,” head coach Dominique Ducharme said after Toffoli said basically the same thing. Friday’s win. “Well, it was a difficult time. It was a challenge for us being down 1-3 (to Toronto). But we believed with what we went through we “We lost a player in Jake, who’s been playing really good hockey … had what we needed to make a push to come back in that round. probably his best hockey of the season,” Toffoli said. “It’s tough losing him, but I don’t really want to talk too much about it. I think the team’s “Having everyone engaging and stepping up their game and doing it kind of said we’re moving past it. What happened, happened. It sucks. together, too,” the coach added. “At the same time, we’re learning to win We lost a player in Jake who’s playing probably his best hockey of the as a group. There was some great guys, great acquisitions coming in. season. So we got to move forward and focus on tonight.” But it’s still, I’d say, a young group playing together. Those guys have not been playing together for five, seven years. As a group, right now we’re Artturi Lehkonen, who missed the previous five games with an just figuring out things and learning how to win together.” undisclosed injury, took Evans’s spot in the lineup for Game 2 on a line with Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. Phillip Danault said it was also a case of the Canadiens players simply not wanting their season to end when they were down 3-1 against the That was the only lineup change Ducharme made. Leafs and facing elimination. Ducharme said Evans, who has remained with the team in Winnipeg, “When we had our back against the wall I think we all looked at ourselves was doing “a little bit better” on Friday morning. in the mirror and I think we all saw that we had much better … this couldn’t be it,” Danault said. “It couldn’t be like that … our year, we’ve “He’s always a part of the team,” Weber said about Evans. “It doesn’t been through a lot. We got a tight group, good energy in the locker room. matter if guys get hurt … everyone knows that. It’s tough when you are (Carey) Price has been really hot every game and giving us a chance, so hurt. You might feel separated, but he’s still here with us and he’s going we had to step up and we all did it all together at the same time.” to continue to be a huge part of our team.”

Price was really hot again Friday night, stopping all 30 shots he faced for Some stats the shutout. Price now has a 6-3-0 record with a 2.08 goals-against The Jets outshot the Canadiens 30-24, won 55 per cent of the faceoffs average and a .935 save percentage in the playoffs this year. It was and outhit Montreal 49-20. The Canadiens went 0-for-1 on the power Price’s eighth career playoff shutout. play, while the Jets went 0-for-2. Tyler Toffoli scored the only goal the Canadiens would need short- Weber led the Canadiens in ice time with 25:12, followed by Chiarot with handed at 1:41 of the second period. 25:05, Jeff Petry with 24:26 and Joel Edmundson with 23:36. Danault led “We’re just playing well on both sides of the puck,” Price said. “We’re just the forwards with 19:13, followed by Nick Suzuki with 17:04 and Joel kind of making smart decisions and backing each other up all over the Armia with 16:29. ice. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Cole Caufield tied for the team lead with five “The guys did a great job in front,” Price added. “It’s a pretty complete shots each. Weber had four hits, while Danault and Armia had three team effort tonight.” each.

It certainly was. Kotkaniemi went 3-1 on faceoffs (75 per cent), Danault went 14-12 (54 per cent), Suzuki went 5-6 (45 per cent) and Eric Staal went 3-11 (21 per This really isn’t the same team we saw in the first four game against cent). Toronto — even if it’s the same players. Mark Scheifele speaks to the media following the announcement of his four-game suspension.

Scheifele believes he did nothing wrong

Scheifele spoke with the media on Friday and said he thought his four- game suspension was “pretty excessive” and insisted he did nothing wrong when he hit Evans in Game 1.

“My intention on that play is to try to negate a goal,” he said. “There’s no intent, there’s no malice there. I don’t go in with a frame of mind of injuring a hockey player. My record precedes itself. I think I’ve had not one charging penalty in 600 games.

“Obviously, the result sucks that he’s hurt,” Scheifele added. “I just hope he’s OK. I hope for a speedy recovery and I’m praying for him.”

Scheifele added that he won’t appeal his suspension, not wanting the situation to become a distraction to the Jets. He can return to the Jets lineup if the series goes to a Game 6.

“No one knows what was going through my mind except for myself and I tried to portray that to the league,” Scheifele said about his hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Thursday. “I keep on going back to my record. I think I’ve had 12 penalty minutes this year. I’ve had one boarding penalty in my entire 600-game career. I haven’t had a charging penalty. I don’t think I’ve had more than 20 fricking hits a year. So my intention is not to injure or to make a hit, but to prevent a goal.”

Jets coach Paul Maurice also thought the four-game suspension for Scheifele was too much.

“Yesterday I was probably resigned to the fact, whether I liked it or not, that he was going to get two games,” Maurice said. “I’d mentally got myself to that. I think four is excessive. The Department of Player Safety has every right, and they’re needed in their role, to set precedent for hits, especially when there’s an injury involved. So they have that right. I don’t agree with it, but it’s set now and that’s where the National Hockey League game goes going forward. And we’ll learn from it and move on.”

Jake Evans #71 of the Montreal Canadiens lies on the ice injured from a hard check by Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets after Evans's third- period empty-net goal in Game 1 of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on June 2, 2021 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.

Stu Cowan: Mark Scheifele suspension a step in right direction for NHL

Canadiens centre Jake Evans (71) is followed to the board by Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews (34) during Game 6 playoff action in Montreal on Saturday, May 29, 2021.

Canadiens' Jake Evans beat the odds to make it to the NHL

The schedule

Here’s the rest of the schedule for the North Division final between the Canadiens and Jets:

Game 3: Sunday, June 6: at Montreal, 6 p.m.

Game 4: Monday, June 7: at Montreal, 8 p.m. x-Game 5: Wednesday, June 9: at Winnipeg, TBD x-Game 6: Friday, June 11: at Montreal, TBD x-Game 7: Sunday, June 13: at Winnipeg, TBD x-if necessary

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215084 Montreal Canadiens But the best news of the past couple of weeks is the play of the youngsters. Did you see Suzuki’s goal Wednesday? That was unreal. He pulled off an astonishing move on Vézina Trophy finalist Connor Hellebuyck. Caufield also made it clear he’s more than ready to make an What the Puck: Canadiens defying the odds impact in this league.

The biggest surprise though is Kotkaniemi. When I wrote near the end of the season that he was a big disappointment after three seasons, I was Brendan Kelly • Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 14 hours ago crucified on social media. In fact, he has yet to have a good season. But it turns out he’s a playoff beast. He has four goals so far this playoff and has eight goals in 17 playoff games with the Habs. Amazing. What a difference a week makes. In short, it’s an inspirational story and heaven knows we could all use a Let’s start with the last week or so. On May 25, the Toronto Maple Leafs little inspiration after the year we’ve had. beat the Canadiens 4-0 in an embarrassing game for the good guys at the Bell Centre, to give the Leafs a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead in Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.05.2021 the series. I emphasize the word “seemingly”.

We all thought the Habs were dead in the water. They’d been pretty awful in those first four games. Even that first game, which Montreal won, hardly showcased a dominant Montreal team. Then came two games of overtime magic. First it was the Nick Suzuki/Cole Caufield show resulting in that huge Game 5 win. The kids-are-alright theme continued in Game 6 with the Leafs completely dominating the OT, only to see Jesperi Kotkaniemi beat Jack Campbell to force Game 7.

Five minutes into Game 7, I was convinced Toronto wasn’t going to win the game just because the players looked like they didn’t believe they could win it. Clearly, the curse of the first round was simply too much to bear. Strange and strangely wonderful, if you’re a Montreal fan.

All of a sudden, against all odds, the CH was set to begin Round 2, part of the exclusive club of eight National Hockey League teams still playing. How cool is that? Most of us figured the Winnipeg Jets would be a more formidable opponent than the Leafs because the Jets feel much more like a team built for the playoffs. That does beg the question of why Leafs management has never given much thought to building a playoff-ready team. But that’s their problem.

Then came that crazy first game in Winnipeg. Just over five minutes into the match, it was 2-0 for Montreal, on goals from playoff heroes Kotkaniemi and Eric Staal, both beauties. Of course, all of the chatter since Wednesday has been about the vicious Mark Scheifele hit on Jake Evans in the dying seconds of the game after Evans had scored the insurance goal into an empty net.

I was actually surprised Scheifele was suspended for four games. I figured the league would act in its usual Mickey Mouse fashion and give him one game. Four is pretty significant because it removes him from the majority of the rest of the series.

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Montreal Canadiens' Jake Evans (71) is taken off the ice on a stretcher after getting hit by Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) during third period NHL Stanley Cup hockey action in Winnipeg, Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

The Montreal Bell Centre hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens with limited fan capacity in Game 6 of the first-round NHL playoff series in Montreal on May 29, 2021.

But who would’ve thought the Canadiens would be here today, up 1-0 in Round 2? This is a team that, after that amazing 10-game start to the season, looked lost most nights. But somehow it’s all come together in the playoffs.

Painful as it is for me to say it, you have to give Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin some credit. It really does look like a team built for the playoffs. The defence was suspect, at best, all season but so far in the post- season, the Big Four of Shea Weber, Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry and Joel Edmundson have looked amazing.

During the regular season, the big talking point was the lack of mobility on the blue line, but they’ve succeeded in playing a crunching shutdown game in the playoffs. How strange is this new world order? Man Mountain ended up on a breakaway Wednesday in Winnipeg, which led to Brendan Gallagher’s goal.

Staal did nothing during the regular season once he came over from Buffalo but in the post-season, he’s been playing like it’s 2006 and he looks like a genius pick-up on the part of Bergevin. Same with Corey Perry, who has picked up where he left off with Dallas in last year’s playoffs, providing clutch goals and plays and irritating the heck out of the opposition. 1215085 Montreal Canadiens The belief in Ducharme’s system players expressed all that time is finally showing, and it is happening at the best possible time.

“Everyone’s doing his job, there’s no weak link,” Phillip Danault said after The Canadiens have taken a nonlinear route, but they are finally starting Game 2 in Winnipeg. “Everyone’s on board, everyone’s buying the plan to look like a team from Dom, (Alexandre Burrows) and Luke (Richardson). Everyone wants to win.”

One way team play is easy to spot on the ice is by watching how difficult By Arpon Basu Jun 5, 2021 it is for the opposing team to execute, to take the puck up ice using the routes they want to use, as opposed to the ones that are being left for

them to take. It is easily identifiable, in other words, through disruption. Teams often talk about the need to find their identity, and it’s always And what the Canadiens have done in Game 7 against the Toronto sounded like the wrong word. Maple Leafs and the first two games against the Jets is be disruptive through a sustained forecheck but, more importantly, through excellent What they are often referring to is the way they want to play, how that positioning. style can best mesh with the personnel on hand and how that personnel can mesh together to form a team. Once that happens, that’s when The first 40 minutes of the game Friday, the contrast in how the teams generally say they have found their identity. Canadiens were breaking out of their own end and how the Jets were doing the same was striking. The Canadiens looked as smooth as they But what it really means is they have become a team. have in weeks, and while those breakouts resulted in no goals at five-on- five, they did result in offensive zone time. Meanwhile, the Jets had to Throughout Marc Bergevin’s time as general manager of the Canadiens, navigate a minefield to cleanly reach the offensive zone, with passes there has been an obvious disconnect between the quality of his being broken up or deflected, routes being cut off and plans being individual moves and the quality of the teams those moves combined to shifted. The Canadiens just seemed to be where the Jets wanted to go. create. The individual moves always looked good in a vacuum, but they never seemed to fit together. Both aspects were reflective of something these Canadiens have not shown very often this season. For breakouts to be efficient and opposing This season was no different. Bergevin got near-universal praise for his breakouts to be disrupted, a team requires confidence not only in offseason moves. They created excitement and expectations, especially themselves but in each other that everyone will do his job properly, that after a very hot start to the season. But, yet again, it seemed like the there is no reason to cheat, that they can simply trust the system. individual pieces simply didn’t fit well together, that the good moves did not result in a good team. It has taken months, but the Canadiens appear to have that for the first time since Ducharme took over. When that team stumbled, Bergevin turned to Dominique Ducharme to fix it, and the process he went through was fascinating to watch. He used “We’re consistent in what we do,” Ducharme said. “We can see the every practice, every morning skate to add layers to how he wanted the confidence growing, everyone’s on the same page, I like our execution, Canadiens to play. He would stop practice and have everyone take a the way we’re playing defensively. With confidence, comes patience. knee and watch him run routes on the ice. Everything he wanted from his We’re confident that if we stick with our way of playing, the result will fall players was based on specific situations on the ice, because different on our side.” situations called for different solutions. He emphasized giving his players options on the ice, but it took those players a long time to recognize This perfectly describes how the Canadiens played in Game 2. They those options, to execute what he was asking of them, because created enough chances to win the game, but none of them went in. It Ducharme was asking a lot and those on-ice sessions were always didn’t matter because they were not allowing chances for the Jets until interrupted by a game. they were pushing for the tie in the third period, and that’s when their best player, the goalie, made the difference. The Canadiens have now won five consecutive playoff games after beating the Winnipeg Jets 1-0 in Game 2 of their second-round series Ducharme, after months of tinkering, has found forward lines that provide Friday night. They now head home to Montreal for Games 3 and 4 up 2-0 what the Canadiens have always wanted. They provide balance, and that in the best-of-seven series. And what has been most striking of the way balance is most evident when you look at the even-strength ice time for the Canadiens have played for the past three games, in particular, is how the team’s four centres in Game 2. much they have looked like a team, how all those pieces have seemingly Even strength ice time in Game 2 come together to form a team. Phillip Danault From the moment Ducharme took over as coach, even though things were not going well, every player who was asked to explain why 15:57 mentioned how they were not executing the system, how if they did that, they would have success. It was a sign that Ducharme had respect in the Nick Suzuki room, but it could also have been a sign that his system was too difficult 15:12 to execute, or it wasn’t well suited to this group of players, because the results simply were not there. Eric Staal

When losses pile up, considering the mitigating factors become more 13:15 difficult to do. The lack of practice time, how new this particular group of players was, how many layers were being added to their system. Jesperi Kotkaniemi Ducharme was always convinced all the losses would make the 12:16 Canadiens stronger, all the games packed into a brutally short number of days, all the injuries, everything. On defence, Ducharme has found a formula that works. It’s not ideal because you have to figure at some point leaning so heavily on your top What’s now become evident is that this group needed time. Ducharme four could cause them to crumble, but for now, they are giving opponents benefited from eight days between the end of the regular season and the everything they can handle. start of the playoffs, and then he benefited from a desperate situation facing a 3-1 series deficit against the Toronto Maple Leafs that created a But what is most important is that the two groups are working together. In sense of urgency that is sometimes difficult to manufacture. fact, that word — together — is the one Ben Chiarot turned to first when asked to describe how the Canadiens have played over their first five- But ever since that point, the one thing that can be said about the game winning streak since 2017. Canadiens is they are playing a team that is leaning heavily on its best player, like most teams do in the playoffs. It just happens their best “I think we’re really playing together,” he said. “Everyone’s supporting the player is a goalie. But aside from the consistent excellence of Carey puck, coming back in the d-zone, there’s easy outs all over the place.” Price in these playoffs so far, it is the cohesion of the play in front of him for five games in a row that is so strikingly different from what this team That togetherness is what has been lacking from the Canadiens for a showed over the second half of the season. long time, but they have it now. Every player has a role and appears to have embraced it, and that is perhaps most true of Eric Staal in the middle of a fourth line with Corey Perry and Joel Armia that has been a handful for the Jets, spending entire shifts in the offensive zone and giving the Canadiens momentum.

“Really, it’s having everyone engaging and stepping up their game and doing it together,” Ducharme said. “At the same time, we’re learning to win as a group. There were some great guys, some great acquisitions coming in, but it’s still a young group playing together.

“Those guys have not been playing together for five, seven years. As a group right now, we’re just figuring out things and learning how to win together.”

The Canadiens have not accomplished what they set out to accomplish yet, and that is where those acquisitions come in, as well. Perry and Staal were brought here, in part, because they’ve won the Stanley Cup, but they’ve also not won the Stanley Cup for many, many years. They know what it means to be close in a series and not be able to close it out. In fact, Staal’s first time in the playoffs came against the Canadiens and those Carolina Hurricanes came to Montreal down 0-2 in the series — just like these Jets will do — and Game 3 went to overtime and Staal scored the winning goal. The Hurricanes won the series and eventually the Cup, so if there is one person on the Canadiens who knows that this series is not over, it’s probably Staal. And that’s a big part of the reason he is here. It is part of his role, and he will surely remind his teammates of that prior to Game 3.

That is part of what forms a team. Everyone has something to contribute, and the Canadiens are getting those contributions from just about everyone in their own way.

“It’s like a puzzle, right? You cannot be great in one thing and bad at the other thing, usually. It all comes together,” Ducharme said. “So defensively, the way we react helps us to retrieve the puck, and when we retrieve the puck we have options, we execute. I find that we have good poise and confidence right now, we’re executing well, but it also comes with the defensive part. I think the confidence is growing for sure, I like the mindset of our team.

“But again, we’re not satisfied with that. We’ll find a way to get better.”

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word identity thusly: “The fact of being who or what a person or thing is.”

Maybe the word identity actually isn’t the wrong word after all.

The Canadiens have figured out who they are, and they are comfortable and confident with it.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215086 Montreal Canadiens with Montreal, scoring in key situations as he did Friday night when his neat toe drag led to a short-handed marker and opened the scoring.

Cole Caufield: He’s shooting the puck more. He had three shots on goal ‘It’s fun’ for Carey Price as Canadiens take 2-0 advantage over Jets: through his last three games. Friday night, he matched that output in the Playoffs plus/minus first period and ended the game with five shots on goal. It’s the most he’s had in a game in the playoffs. He’s also trying to help out in other areas.

One play that stood out to me was on the defensive side late in the first By Julian McKenzie Jun 5, 2021 period. Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey was trying to shoot the puck on net in the final minute of play. Nick Suzuki was in front of Morrissey, but

Caufield’s stick kept Morrissey from letting the puck go towards the net. Some goalies might be pressed at the prospect of playing in the playoffs. When the defenceman eventually recouped the puck, Caufield and Now, imagine playing with a 1-0 lead in a tightly contested affair in which Toffoli closed in on the rearguard, who had no choice but to send the one mistake could, at worst, deflate your team’s positive momentum and puck behind the Canadiens net. open the floodgates for a team desperate to claw back into a series. He’s bound to score at some point. But it’s encouraging to see him shoot So what does Carey Price, a Hart Trophy, Vezina, Olympic gold medal- and do other little things well. winning goaltender think of playing in these situations? The Joel Armia-Eric Staal-Corey Perry line: The fourth line was a big part “It’s fun,” Price said, concisely. of the Canadiens’ forechecking efforts while helping the Canadiens’ bottom-six forwards outplay the Jets’ bottom six on the night. If there’s Price fields questions the same way he stops pucks. There aren’t many one player on that line you have to single out, it might be Armia. Some rebounds. Some media members may not like that he doesn’t expand may gripe about his lack of offensive production, but Armia has shown more, but I feel this particular quote says so much while saying so little. his value this postseason for what he’s able to do defensively, on the penalty kill, and playing alongside two longtime NHLers in Eric Staal and Game 3 on Sunday will be Price’s 80th career playoff game. Only 28 Corey Perry. goalies in the history of the NHL have appeared in more postseason contests. Friday’s performance resulted in his eighth career playoff “Joel’s an outstanding player for us. It’s so undercover how good he is,” shutout. Chiarot said. “His hands, how strong he is on the puck. He’s a huge part of our team and creates so much time for the guys on his line. That line is “Probably every game he’s solid and he’s really in his zone. He wants to big, they hang on to pucks. They’re heavy in the offensive zone.” win. He gives us a chance to win every game. Always has a save that has us like, ‘oh, come on.’ He gives us wings,” Canadiens centre Phillip Ben Chiarot: The Canadiens defence deserves a plus for their work Danault said. Friday for shutting out the Jets. Chiarot, arguably, made the best defensive play of the night with his work on a Jets two-on-one. It might be fun for Price, who made 14 of his 30 saves in the third period as Winnipeg sought an equalizer, but Canadiens fans probably would’ve Carey Price: “It’s fun.” felt more at ease if their team scored more goals. The minuses You almost couldn’t have served up more of an opportunity to win a playoff game than the parameters set for the Canadiens ahead of Game The offence: After Game 1, Perry mentioned his team could do better 2. The bleu-blanc-rouge had already won Game 1, they were playing with generating traffic in front of Connor Hellebuyck. Even if Danault felt against a Winnipeg Jets team without top centre Mark Scheifele, they were a “little better” at generating traffic in Game 2, it didn’t exactly because of suspension, and both Dylan DeMelo and Paul Stastny, who lead to a ton of great chances. were out because of injury. The short-handed Jets might have held their A proposed name for the Armia-Staal-Perry line: HabsLaughs is a good breath as Josh Morrissey, Andrew Copp and Blake Wheeler each had follow for Canadiens fans, but this nickname proposal is a no for me. brief injury scares during the game. Winnipeg cannot afford to lose any more bodies. Entertainment value: It wasn’t the most entertaining game. Not too many shots from either side, defence-first play from both teams, one goal. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t entertaining. But the slow, grinding defensive Casual hockey fans could’ve skipped this game and gone straight to style employed by both teams in Game 2 worked better for the Game 3 between Vegas and Colorado if we’re being honest. Canadiens on Friday night, even if they escaped by the skin of their teeth. Corey Perry’s acting skills: He, uh, definitely drew this penalty. I won’t have him on my ballot for the next Oscars, and I’ll leave it at that. “I think we’re really playing together,” defenceman Ben Chiarot said. “Everyone’s supporting the puck, coming back in the D-zone … The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 “They have an aggressive forecheck. We’re doing a good job of supporting each other and defending while we’re in our zone, and I think it’s a big key to why we’re having success.”

In another game, with a slightly different outcome, this piece probably focuses on the Canadiens’ offensive abilities drying up. But Montreal’s forecheck — whether from its fourth line, Arturri Lehkonen or Paul Byron — was effective and stymied the Jets, making it hard for Winnipeg to gain traction offensively.

It worked against the Maple Leafs when Montreal needed to get out of a 3-1 series deficit and it’s working against a Jets team that now finds itself down 2-0. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are on a five-game winning streak, their longest of the season.

“We’re sticking to what’s working,” Price said. “Hockey’s kind of a funny thing that way. You never know when you heat up at the right time. But, obviously, we have a lot of work to do.”

Now, it’s time for the fun part: the pluses and the minuses.

The pluses

Tyler Toffoli: I still don’t know why the Vancouver Canucks didn’t re-sign him when they had the chance. Sorry to any Canucks fans reading this who didn’t expect to get hit in the gut in a Canadiens-centred column. The one-time Cup champion now has three goals in nine playoff games 1215087 Nashville Predators Translation: It’s not talent. It’s effort. Contrast that with how Hynes sang Granlund’s praises Thursday: “You

need to have guys like that to win. He maximizes what his potential is, For Nashville Predators, two high-dollar deals remain an insurmountable and he maximizes his talent level and his potential because of his hurdle | Estes durability, his competitiveness. He’s a highly skilled player, but he doesn’t rely on skill. He relies on his work ethic.”

Kind of solves the mystery of why Granlund’s ice time increased 1 minute Gentry Estes and 40 seconds per game this past season to 19:28 and Duchene’s dropped more than a minute to 15:50.

Julio Jones isn't just a good fit for Titans. He'd be a perfect fit. A week after the end of another Nashville Predators season and I’m starting to ask myself: Am I the only one who isn’t all that jazzed about All goes back to that identity. It’s clear what Hynes wants, and while he is where things stand? getting buy-in from much of the team, it’s unclear how much he has received from his two highest-paid forwards. Because it seems like the Preds are. The team is exuding an all’s-well- that-ends-well optimism on the heels of their first-round playoff exit. It's a cautionary tale about the risk of awarding inescapable long-term Players have described being closer – to each other and to success. GM contracts. That was the mistake initially made by Poile, and now, the David Poile said he was proud and encouraged. He praised the impact of Preds have no choice but to wish for more from those players and hope it younger players and the heroics of Juuse Saros. happens.

He spoke at length about the Preds having established an identity under They need Johansen and Duchene to become the star forwards they , one that didn’t exist prior to this past season. were signed to be. Not saying it can't happen, but until it does, it’s difficult to see the Preds becoming more than a plucky underdog that fights hard “We competed harder,” Poile said Thursday. “We had urgency in our against a better team in the playoffs and still loses. game. We became a tough team to play against. We played the way it was necessary to win.” Tennessean LOADED: 06.05.2021 Here’s where I might say pro athletes playing hard isn’t special. It’s standard.

Poile wasn’t wrong, though. The Preds weren’t going hard enough.

When they did, they were rewarded for the effort and started winning a lot. They salvaged a shortened season and provided hope that success in the immediate future won’t require obliterating the roster and building back with defeats and high draft picks.

Positive things, to be sure.

But there’s something else Poile said in his season-wrap media call, and I can't get past it. Neither can the Preds.

“We’re not going anywhere without our top players being our top players,” Poile said.

He means his top-line forwards: , Ryan Johansen, players like that. “They need to be more productive. It’s going to be hard to play 2-1 hockey (games).”

By now, there's little reason to expect that to improve.

And there’s basically nothing Poile can do when it doesn’t.

Poile helplessly fielded question after question from reporters Thursday about Duchene and Johansen, but what could he really say? There is no answer other than hope. Johansen and Duchene underperforming their salaries of $8 million a year, this has become an insurmountable obstacle for Poile and the Preds.

Their contracts have four and five years remaining on them, respectively, leaving Poile without many options. Maybe he could coerce Seattle to take one of the two players in the expansion draft. But otherwise, neither has much trade value with such a price tag. Certainly not with the NHL enduring a flat salary cap – which will make their presence even more costly for the Preds.

It will hinder Poile’s ability to make needed improvements during an offseason in which he’s got to worry about re-signing Saros and a host of youngsters and underrated players like Mikael Granlund, who has outperformed his expensive teammates.

Granlund scored 30 goals over the past two regular seasons. More than Viktor Arvidsson (25), Johansen (21) and Duchene (19).

While Arvidsson was sidelined by an injury, Johansen and Duchene did step up in the playoffs (Johansen, in particular, played well). But each was also benched from the team’s struggling power-play unit during the Carolina series.

As alarming as that should have been, it wasn’t surprising. At least not after Hynes said this about the decision: “It all comes down to the commitment level that we need them to play with, and when they play with that commitment level, they are very good players.” 1215088 Nashville Predators

Rinne named a finalist for King Clancy Trophy, an award tailor made for him

MICHAEL GALLAGHER JUN 4, 2021

The National Hockey League announced its finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy on Friday, and Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne was among the three players chosen.

The King Clancy award is given annually to the player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” If ever there were an award seemingly tailor made for Rinne, it would be this one.

"He's just been such an incredible person on and off the ice, especially off the ice," Predators’ defenseman Mattias Ekholm said on Wednesday. "He just conducts himself to the game in a way that's just pure class. I don't have enough good things to say about him. He's been a leader in the city, in this community, and he's going to go down as one of, if not the greatest Predator to ever put this uniform on… There's probably not another player I have more respect for than him."

The winner of the award will be chosen by a selection committee spearheaded by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. The criteria include the following: clear and measurable positive impact on the community; investment of time and resources; commitment to a particular cause or community; commitment to the League’s community initiatives; creativity of programming; use of influence, and engagement of others.

Since joining the team in 2005, Rinne has been a lead-by-example player. The 38-year-old has been a catalyst in the community through several initiatives, including the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, the Best Buddies program, the Make-A-Wish foundation and the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson’s.

Through the 365 Fund, more than $3 million has been donated to the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to support cancer research. His work with the Best Buddies program helps advocate for individuals that suffer from intellectual and developmental disabilities.

"Peks has been such a huge part of this franchise," captain Roman Josi said. "Peks was great this year, and he's probably the most respected guy on our team. When he says something, everybody listens.”

The NHL will announce the winner of the King Clancy Award, along with the rest of the 2021 NHL Awards, during the Stanley Cup Semifinals and Stanley Cup Final. Specific dates and times will be announced soon.

The King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner will receive a $25,000 donation to benefit a charity or charities of his choice. The two runners-up each will receive a $5,000 donation to benefit a charity or charities of their choice.

While he’s still mulling over a possible retirement with his family, becoming the first Predator in franchise history to win a King Clancy Memorial Trophy could be the prefect bow on a storied career.

Nashville Post LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215089 New York Islanders

Islanders find selves in familiar situation amid ‘new’ challenge

By Mollie WalkerJune 4, 2021 | 9:51PM

The Islanders have seen this film before, and they liked the ending.

Just over two weeks ago, the Islanders were in the same exact position they find themselves in now: trailing 2-1 in a nail-biting playoff series. Their opponent then? The Penguins. Their opponent now? The Bruins.

Taking a 4-3 win in overtime in Game 1 of the first round before losing two in a row by one-goal margins, the Islanders won three straight to advance, outscoring Pittsburgh 12-6.

The Islanders preached a shift-by-shift, game-by-game mentality then, and they’ve carried that mindset into the second round.

“Obviously, it’s a new challenge, they’re different teams, they play a different style,” Jordan Eberle said Friday as the Islanders prepared for Game 4 at the Coliseum on Saturday night. “As far as the situation, series down 2-1, I can only talk about our team and I know we responded last series. We’ve always been a group that has responded.

“Our mindsets kind of shifted to the next game. That’s all you can do. It’s short memory in the playoffs. There’s always gonna be highs and lows, we just continue to move forward.”

Splitting both home-and-home sets, as they did in Round 1 against the Penguins, will be vital for the Islanders. A 3-1 series deficit would be a lofty task, one they couldn’t overcome in the conference finals last season against the Lightning, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

The Bruins play a much more detail-oriented game than the Penguins, according to several Islanders, which makes open opportunities harder to come by. The Islanders have had to hustle for every inch of ice, and even when they create a chance, Boston goalie Tuukka Rask has been a brick wall at times.

Rask has turned aside 83 of the 90 shots he has faced against the Islanders for a .924 save percentage.

“He’s been in the league for a long time,” defenseman Nick Leddy said of Rask, who is 6-2 this postseason. “He’s been amazing for them for a long time. I think, for us, just keep creating those opportunities and chances on him, trying to get shots through from the point. Obviously, he’s a top echelon goalie and obviously a great challenge.”

No two opponents are the same, but situational experience is something the Islanders rely on. In the last three postseasons, the Islanders have swept, been swept, had a Game 7 forced on them and fell short of the Stanley Cup Final by two games.

The Islanders know how to draw from their past experience, and the situation they’re in right now happened just two weeks ago. What it feels like, what it’ll take and what needs to happen is fresh in their minds.

Coach Barry Trotz assured there was no panic coming out of the Islanders’ dressing room following Thursday’s 2-1 overtime loss in Game 3. He added that this is a team that looks forward, not back.

“We’ve been in this situation before,” Trotz said Friday. “It’s not the end of the world, it’s one game, we focus on [Saturday]. If we get the job done [Saturday], then it’s the best-of- three and that’s what it was against Pittsburgh.”

And we know what happened then.

New York Post LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215090 New York Islanders

Islanders can’t ignore ‘dangerous’ Bruins second line

By Mollie WalkerJune 4, 2021 | 7:07pm | Updated

The Bruins’ top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak has been difficult for the Islanders to contain through the first three games of the second-round series, but Boston packs a one-two punch with its revamped second unit.

Since acquiring Taylor Hall from the Sabres on the eve of the trade deadline this season, the Bruins have forged a lethal top six. In addition to the Perfection Line, Hall, David Krejci and Craig Smith are a dynamic trio who are continuously developing chemistry.

“That Krejci-Hall line is dangerous, too,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said Thursday before his team’s 2-1 overtime loss in Game 3. “The line that’s been getting us the most is the Bergeron line. So we’ve been talking about them a little bit more. But ever since Taylor Hall, Smith and Krejci have been together, on some teams they would be a number one line.”

After scoring just two goals in 37 games with Buffalo this season, Hall has come alive with Boston, recording eight goals in 16 contests. In eight playoff games, Hall has three goals and two assists — including a power- play goal on an empty Islanders net in Game 1.

The Bruins’ 1B line was broken up for Game 2 when Smith was held out with a lower-body injury. But the right winger returned Thursday night and made his presence known. Taking a sharp pass from Hall in the first period, Smith sent a swift shot that beat Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov high glove to make it 1-0, a score that held up until the last 5 ½ minutes of regulation when Mathew Barzal tied it up to force overtime.

In Game 3, Hall, Krejci and Smith combined for a goal, an assist and 10 shots on goal.

“They have a lot of poise, I mean, especially through the middle,” Jordan Eberle said Friday. “Krejci is a poised player, makes a lot of plays. And then they obviously have a lot of speed and the work ethic on the outside. Definitely a line you have to key on, they create a lot of their offense as well and we have to be able to shut those guys down.”

J.G. Pageau and the Islanders can’t overlook David Krejci and the Bruins’ second line.

Trotz expects to deploy the same lineup in Game 4 on Saturday as he has since Oliver Wahlstrom was knocked out of Game 5 in the first-round series against the Penguins.

Wahlstrom, who has missed four straight games with a lower-body injury, is still considered day-to-day.

Varlamov has allowed a goal on one of the first three shots he has faced in all four of his playoff starts, but Trotz thought the Russian netminder was “outstanding” for a majority of the overtime loss in Game 3 Thursday.

“Obviously, the last goal he would want back but he kept us in it,” Trotz said of Marchand’s game-winner. “I don’t have any problem with his game.”

Semyon Varlamov

Corey Sipkin

Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, who was out for over a month this season with a concussion, was shaken up behind Boston’s net in the third period after taking a hard hit from Cal Clutterbuck. His head snapped against the boards and he had to be helped off the ice to the locker room.

Bruce Cassidy said Friday that Carlo is “day-to-day,” but feeling better. The Boston coach didn’t rule Carlo out for Game 4, but if the second-pair defenseman is unavailable, either Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril or Jarred Tinordi would take his place.

New York Post LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215091 New York Islanders catalyst of that. He has the puck quite a bit. When he’s skating and moving the puck and attacking and being dangerous, we’re a dangerous squad."

Islanders remain confident despite 2-1 deficit entering Game 4 vs. Bruins Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.05.2021

By Andrew Gross

June 4, 2021 5:52 PM

It’s facetious to suggest the Islanders have the Bruins right where they want them after rallying from a 2-1 series deficit in the first round against the Penguins. But it is correct to say trailing this second-round series by that margin does not daunt them one bit.

"In my opinion, we’re a very resilient team," defenseman Nick Leddy said on Friday as the Islanders conducted an optional practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. "Nobody likes losing but your next game is a huge game and [coach Barry] Trotz has always talked about that. So, we try to take a little extra pride and focus on that. Tomorrow’s game is huge."

Game 4 is Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum after the Bruins won Game 3, 2-1, in overtime on Thursday night before an electric crowd of 12,000.

The Islanders need a win to guarantee at least one more playoff game at the venerable barn, which will be succeeded as their home rink next season by UBS Arena at Belmont Park.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Island Ice Ep. 94: Isles vs. Bruins Game 3 analysis

The guys discuss the goaltending, Mathew Barzal's first playoff goal and more from the Isles' Game 3 loss to the Bruins in their playoff series.

Against the Penguins, the Islanders won three straight to win in six games.

"It’s a new challenge," Jordan Eberle said. "They’re a different team. They play a different style. I know we responded last series. We’ve always been a group that has responded and our mindset has shifted to the next game. That’s all you can do. It’s short memories in the playoffs. That’s our mindset right now is we have a huge game tomorrow and we need to be ready."

The Islanders also faced a 2-1 series deficit — after losing the first two games — to the Lightning in last season’s Eastern Conference finals before bowing in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

Trotz’s Capitals faced a 2-1 deficit in the first round against the Blue Jackets after losing the first two games en route to that franchise’s lone Cup in 2018.

"Just sticking with it," Trotz said Friday when asked the key to rallying in the playoffs. "We knew it was going to be a hard out. You have to just keep continually buying into what you’re doing. Staying to the process and letting your game slowly, hopefully, take over.

"We’ve been in this situation before. It’s not the end of the world. It’s one game. We focus on tomorrow. If we get the job done tomorrow, then it’s a best-of-three and that’s what it was against Pittsburgh."

To even the series, the Islanders must continue to do some things they did in Game 3. And they must improve in other areas.

The Islanders were 0-for-3 on the power play in Game 3 with five shots, including a chance to end it in regulation after Sean Kuraly was called for cross checking at 17:45 of the third period. The Islanders also must get more shots on goalie Tuukka Rask and more traffic to the Bruins’ crease after he had 29 saves in Game 3 and was particularly good in stopping five overtime shots.

But top-line center Mathew Barzal is trending upward. He had four shots and six chances and finally scored his first goal of the playoffs in Game 3. He also had four shots, six chances and an assist in the Islanders’ 4-3 overtime win in Monday’s Game 2 in Boston.

"We have to be a threat on ice and create some momentum for us," Eberle said of the top line, which also includes Leo Komarov. "Barzy is a 1215092 New York Islanders

Barry Trotz leaning toward same Isles lineup for Game 4

By Andrew Gross

Updated June 4, 2021 5:32 PM

Barry Trotz indicated he was planning to stick with the same lineup for Saturday night’s Game 4 against the Bruins at Nassau Coliseum, meaning rookie sharpshooter Oliver Wahlstrom is likely to miss his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury.

"Right now, I am," Trotz said Friday as the Islanders held an optional practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.

That very well may include goalie Semyon Varlamov, who made 39 saves in both Thursday night’s 2-1 overtime loss and Monday night’s 4-3 overtime win in Game 2 at TD Garden.

Varlamov kept the Islanders within one in Game 3 after allowing Craig Smith’s goal on the Bruins’ second shot. Brad Marchand scored the overtime winner on a sharp-angle shot from the left past Varlamov’s glove.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Island Ice Ep. 94: Isles vs. Bruins Game 3 analysis

The guys discuss the goaltending, Mathew Barzal's first playoff goal and more from the Isles' Game 3 loss to the Bruins in their playoff series.

"I thought he was outstanding," Trotz said. "Obviously, the last goal you want back but when it was 1-0, he kept us in it. I didn’t have any problem with his game."

Rookie Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves in the Bruins’ 5-2 win in Game 1 and won four games in the first round against the Penguins.

Still at 12,000

The Coliseum’s attendance capacity will stay at 12,000 for Game 4 with six sections remaining for non-vaccinated fans after it was expanded to that figure for Game 3. The Islanders hosted 9,000 fans for their series- clinching Game 6 win over the Penguins.

The Coliseum’s full capacity for hockey is 13,913.

Bruins’ news

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy termed Brandon Carlo day-to-day after the defenseman appeared woozy following a hard but clean forecheck from Cal Clutterbuck in the third period of Gane 3. Carlo’s status for Game 4 will not be determined until Saturday.

Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller (undisclosed), who has yet to play in this series, skated on Friday but was ruled out for Game 4.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215093 New York Islanders It is not even clear who will be in goal for the Islanders on Saturday, as Trotz continues to deploy both Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin. (The vote here is to stick with Varlamov for Game 4, but I don’t have a vote.)

The Islanders appreciate the fun of Game 3 despite the loss Beating the Bruins three times in four games will be a challenge, to put it gently.

But one can anticipate the message Trotz will have for his players before Updated June 4, 2021 5:32 PM By Neil Best they take the ice to another raucous ovation on Saturday night: Have fun.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.05.2021 Of course, winning matters. We all were taught that many years ago by famed sports prophet Herman Edwards. And that goes triple in the playoffs.

But as the Islanders sought to put Game 3 of their second-round playoff series against the Bruins in perspective – and prepare for Game 4 on Saturday night – they took a moment on Friday to stop and smell the ice shavings.

"If I wasn’t coaching in it, I’d be glued to the TV every night, because this is a hell of a series right now," coach Barry Trotz said. "It’s a physical, determined series by both teams.

"So I’m excited: Saturday night crowd in the Coliseum, Boston Bruins- New York Islanders. Doesn’t get much better than that."

Winning Game 4 would make it better than that, because it would even the series and ensure the Islanders at least one more game at the Old Barn.

But Trotz’s point is well-taken and could be part of his team’s coping mechanism to move past a 2-1 overtime loss on Thursday. If it was an enjoyable experience despite the disappointing finish, it could not have been that bad. Right?

"It was a good game," Nick Leddy said on Friday. "It was definitely a fun game to be a part of, but obviously we didn’t come out on top, which is unfortunate."

Immediately after the game, Mathew Barzal struck a similar tone, saying, "It was a good game . . . It was an exciting game. Our group battled hard, and so did they. It’s been like that the last three games."

To no one’s surprise, the crowd of 12,000 – the largest at the Coliseum in about 15 months – was on its game, delivering an energizing soundtrack to a night full of big hits and big saves.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Island Ice Ep. 94: Isles vs. Bruins Game 3 analysis

The guys discuss the goaltending, Mathew Barzal's first playoff goal and more from the Isles' Game 3 loss to the Bruins in their playoff series.

There was a buzz before and during the game befitting the first second- round playoff game at the Coliseum in 28 years, with concessions stands finally alive and even long lines back for the restrooms. (One of the many reasons the time has come for a new arena.)

It was the kind of backdrop national television craves, and it seemed to inspire the players from both teams. Add to that the subplot regarding the Islanders’ imminent departure, and the event more than delivered as showbiz.

Easy for me to say, though. What for neutral observers is entertainment can be torture for avid fans, and it does not get any more torturous than one of the league’s most notorious agitators, Brad Marchand, scoring the game-winner from an absurd angle. Yuck.

That was what made the Islanders’ take interesting. They want to win as much as any fan could want them to, but they were able to appreciate being a part of something special.

Again: It could be a coping mechanism, or spin for media consumption. But hockey people skew heavily toward chronic sincerity, and this came off as genuine.

The task facing the Islanders is great. The Bruins have more firepower among their forwards than the Islanders do, a steady goaltender, two more games at home if needed and now a 2-1 series lead. 1215094 New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal starting to get 'dangerous' in Islanders-Bruins series

By Colin Stephenson

June 4, 2021 11:16 AM

In the aftermath of Thursday’s overtime loss in Game 3 against the Boston Bruins, Mathew Barzal promised the Islanders wouldn’t spend too much time wallowing in despair about the 2-1 hole they had fallen into in the best-of-seven series, but would be back Saturday, raring to go for Game 4.

"It's tough for about 10 minutes, and then it's the playoffs, so you turn the page,’’ he said. "And we know there's a lot of good things tonight to build off… We’ve been in the situation before, against Pitt, so, we're just gonna grind.’’

One of the good things the Isles will hope to build off is that Barzal scored his first postseason goal in Game 3, which, at the time, tied the score, 1-1, at 14:34 of the third period. Barzal also had several other excellent scoring chances, including one in overtime on the rebound of a Jordan Eberle shot that could have ended the game about a minute-and- a-half before Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins.

For Barzal, the strong performance -- four shots on goal and another shot from the goalmouth that went inches wide -- comes on the heels of another stout showing by him in Game 2. The back-to-back good games could be a signal that the Isles’ 24-year-old star is finally starting to heat up in the playoffs.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Island Ice Ep. 94: Isles vs. Bruins Game 3 analysis

The guys discuss the goaltending, Mathew Barzal's first playoff goal and more from the Isles' Game 3 loss to the Bruins in their playoff series.

"I thought he had lots of ‘jump’ in his game,’’ Islanders coach Barry Trotz said of Barzal in Game 3. "I mean he was, he was dangerous all night.’’

The Islanders need all hands on deck if they are to somehow find a way to penetrate Tuukka Rask and get back in the series, and they especially need Barzal, their leading scorer in the regular season (17 goals, 28 assists, 45 points, in 55 games) to produce more than he has so far in the postseason. Through nine playoff games, he has just the one goal and four assists. Those five points tie Barzal with linemate Jordan Eberle for sixth on the team.

Barzal did seem more determined in Game 3, though. He was around the front of the net all night, and his goal against Rask came on his third attempt to stuff the puck in from the left goalpost.

It probably helped that he happened to be on ice against the Bruins’ fourth line and third defense pair on the goal, which would seem to almost be an insult, given the fact that Barzal is supposed to be the Isles’ No. 1 center.

Opposing coaches scout these things, though, and clearly, Boston’s Bruce Cassidy would rather use his top two lines and defense pairs against Brock Nelson’s line and Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s line, as those are the two lines who have been playing the best for the Islanders in the postseason. So that means Cassidy is going to leave the task of handling Barzal, Eberle and Leo Komarov to his third and fourth lines.

And if that is the case, then Barzal is going to have to make Cassidy and the Bruins pay.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215095 New York Islanders and one for Barzal in OT — that could have flipped the game to the Islanders.

Tuukka Rask was as good as Varlamov when needed on Thursday, and The Islanders face an urgent Game 4 vs. the Bruins. Here’s how they the Islanders need Barzal’s creativity and the Josh Bailey-Brock Nelson- can rebound Beauvillier line to stretch the offensive zone east to west better to get Rask off his marks a bit.

More of the same from Pelech-Pulock By Arthur Staple Jun 4, 2021 Adam Pelech is showing for the third straight postseason how much value he has in Trotz’s system. Pelech was out with Ryan Pulock against Bergeron all night but also mixed in some shifts with Scott Mayfield to There wasn’t much to say after Game 3 — unless you can find the spread his effectiveness — the only dangerous chance while Pelech was Russian translation of “s—- happens.” The Islanders got to their game on the ice was from Pastrnak in the second, and that came from Barzal early despite falling behind, scrapped back even in the third and lost on a missing the puck off Varlamov’s pad. one-time-out-of-a-hundred shot. The David Krejci line made a lot of noise against the other two Islanders Game 4 feels a lot more urgent, of course, since a 3-1 series deficit defense pairs, but there was hardly anything on the interior of the heading back to Boston would be a difficult climb. Islanders’ defensive structure. Taylor Hall’s speed was impressive, and Let’s look at a few ways the Islanders can bounce back on Saturday. that line had the puck plenty, but Varlamov saw everything they threw on net and the Islanders defensemen kept the rebound lanes clear. No change in net Andy Greene and Noah Dobson spent too much time in the D-zone You can focus on Brad Marchand’s OT winner, and yes, it’s a bad goal despite all that, and Nick Leddy coughed up a couple of first passes, — a very low-danger shot that probably has less than a 1 percent chance which has unfortunately become a regular occurrence with him. Overall of going in, according to shot data. That it was the overtime winner though, this was a good night at even strength and needs to continue. leaves a bad taste about Semyon Varlamov’s night, but Barry Trotz seemed a bit incredulous at being asked if he’s considering a change for Maybe an in-game shuffle? Game 4. It can’t be overlooked that Barzal’s goal came with Palmieri on for a shift “I thought he was outstanding,” the coach said. And he was — the in place of Leo Komarov. It was Komarov who forced a turnover that led Islanders wouldn’t have gotten to the back half of the third period down to Barzal’s chance in OT, but Barzal was doing some seriously heavy just a goal without him, especially the way he played on the Bruins’ two lifting with his line in Game 3 — Eberle struggled with the Bruins’ power plays in the third. The Bruins’ other goal, from Craig Smith in the physicality, and Komarov just doesn’t have the legs to keep up at times. first, is probably considered high danger because the Taylor Hall setup Trotz might be better served by slotting in Palmieri, Beauvillier or Pageau went across the slot line, but it only went in because it was a bit of a for Komarov throughout Game 4 and beyond the way the Penguins sub changeup from Smith and Jordan Eberle was reaching after losing body in wingers with Sidney Crosby: on offensive-zone draws and late in position on Smith. periods. Just to mix it up and give Barzal some fresher, more skilled legs. Varlamov has given up five goals in two games back in the Islanders net. The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 He gets some blame for the Charlie Coyle goal to open Game 2, but the other three before Marchand’s featured mistakes in front of him. He has saved plenty of his teammates’ mistakes in those two games as well, especially in Game 3.

Ilya Sorokin may find his way back into this series, but it won’t be Saturday.

No change to the bottom six

By ice time in Game 3, the Kyle Palmieri-J-G Pageau-Travis Zajac line was the Isles’ No. 1 line, not the third line as we kind of designate it. They were out against the Patrice Bergeron line whenever possible and neutralized it well — Marchand and David Pastrnak each took retaliatory penalties, and there was maybe one dangerous look for that line all night, coming in the second when Pastrnak found a rebound off Varlamov’s pad and missed the net.

Oliver Wahlstrom doesn’t appear to be an option for Game 4, with the injury he suffered in Game 5 against the Penguins 11 days ago hampering him a bit more than was initially believed. There’s a small possibility Wahlstrom isn’t so badly injured and Trotz is simply more comfortable with his current 12 forwards, but that’s remote.

Zajac has been solid, though not a real scoring threat. Palmieri has been excellent, a real pain around the Bruins net, perhaps the Islander most willing to dig around the blue paint. And Pageau continues to make an impact in different ways each game.

The Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck trio had another solid night in Game 3. Clutterbuck’s big hit on Brandon Carlo knocked the Bruins defenseman from the game in the third; Carlo is day to day with a possible concussion. That’s not an outcome anybody wants, but the Bruins, already missing Kevan Miller, would be seriously hampered on defense without their other big, shutdown defenseman in Carlo.

Top six needs to finish

Mathew Barzal scored one of the uglier goals of his career to tie it in Game 3, and that sort of puck-hunting is a good complement to his game. He and Anthony Beauvillier had three wide-open chances — two for Beauvillier on breakaways (one just after Barzal’s third-period goal) 1215096 New York Islanders estate. There is no panic. We look forward, we don’t look back.” said Trotz.

The Islanders’ perfect look forward would be a dominant Game 4 win. If Game 3 Loss Gives Islanders Slim Margin For Error Against Bruins they look back, this series gets away from them and quickly.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021

Published 12 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Andy Graziano

The New York Islanders are down in their Second-Round series versus the Boston Bruins, two games to one, but hardly out. It’s just that the margin of error has become much narrower than when they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in round one.

The Bruins are a much different team than what the Islanders conquered earlier in the playoffs, but hardly unbeatable. While many analysts think they are Stanley Cup-bound, New York defeated them with a gutsy effort in game two and had game three last night on their sticks.

Anthony Beauvillier passed up an open net prior to the tying goal by Mathew Barzal earlier in the third period. The Islanders’ power play showed crisp puck movement but failed to get enough pucks to the net. With the game winding down, Brock Nelson missed wide on a point-blank effort from the slot.

In overtime, Tuuka Rask, who we wrote last week would not be Tristian Jarry, stopped Jordan Eberle, then gobbled up the rebound of Barzal, who found himself all alone with game three on his stick. It was almost immediately afterward that Semyon Varlamov, brilliant over the past two games, would choose the worst time for his seemingly nightly, soft goal.

“His temperament (Varlamov) is fine. That’s a seeing-eye puck that hits an almost one-inch hole. That’s a shot he’ll want back, but he will let it go, and no different than he’s done many, many times before” head coach Barry Trotz said post-game.

That seems to indicate that Trotz will send Varlamov right back at it in Game Four, with a chance at redemption. It appears the right message at this time of year. You don’t pick this moment to start ‘sending a message’ for mistakes on the ice.

New York got two forwards caught low along the left-wing boards on the winning goal, allowing Charlie McEvoy a clean skating lane from his defensive zone all the way to the Islanders’ blue line. He laid a soft pass off to Brad Marchand, who was correctly pinned to the right-wing wall. All he could do was throw a hopeful prayer towards the net Varlamov whiffed on.

While Barry Trotz has said all season he prefers quality to quantity, when a team plays such a sound defensive system, and possesses the best defensive forward in the game, there can be some question if that is the proper mindset, at least for this series. As Marchand proved last night, throw the puck at the net and anything can happen.

“Trust me, you have to get in the interior. They are doing a good job against that, but we are going to have to get a little greasier, a little harder on him (Rask). Both teams are trying to do it, it’s not as easy as it sometimes looks.” Trotz would surmise.

For Boston, they simply need to continue doing what they’re doing. For the Islanders, it’s all about fine-tuning their radars and throwing more pucks at Rask. As talented as Boston is, as sound up and down the lineup they are, this series is proving that the Islanders can and do match up with them.

UNIONDALE, NY - JUNE 03: New York Islanders Right Wing Josh Bailey (12) and Boston Bruins Defenceman Charlie McAvoy (73) battle for the puck during the third period of Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders on June 3, 2021, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. (JpgGregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)

However, tomorrow is about a must-win as you get this time of year in a non-elimination game. The Islanders are going to have to flip the script and bail out their goaltender(s), who have done it many times over the course of this season when the New York offense has sputtered.

“Right now, these are two teams that are fairly evenly matched. We are playing nose-to-nose, blue-collar hockey. The hard way is going to be the only way in this series. You have to fight and claw for every inch of real 1215097 New York Islanders After re-signing coach Jeff Blashill, the Red Wings still have a few details to iron out this summer. Here are Kevin Allen’s predictions about how those issues will shake out. (Detroit Hockey Now)

NYHN Daily: Islanders Lose Game 3 in Overtime & More The Colorado Avalance have won their first six straight playoff games. Their most recent one wasn’t pretty—and they probably shouldn’t have won it. But their netminder Phillip Grubauer found a way. (Colorado Hockey Now) Published 20 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Stefen Rosner Should the San Jose Sharks trade back in this upcoming NHL Draft. The

Locked On Sharks discussed this possibility and more in their latest The New York Islanders came up short in Game 3 as they now trail the episode. (San Jose Hockey Now) Boston Bruins three games to one. Islanders Semyon Varlamov was Jordan Staal scored at 5:57 of overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a strong all game but a gaffe in overtime erased all that. These stories and 3-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup more in today’s daily links! Second Round at Amalie Arena on Thursday. With Carolina on a power Brad Marchand scored 3:36 into the overtime period to lead the Boston play, Sebastian Aho curled into the high slot for a one-timer that Bruins to a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders in Game 3 at Nassau deflected in short side off Staal, who was providing the screen. (NHL) Coliseum. It capped a wild affair that saw the Islanders rally to tie the Mark Scheifele has been suspended four games by the NHL Department game late in the third to force the extra period. The Islanders now trail the of Player Safety. The Winnipeg Jets center was disciplined Thursday for best-of-seven-series 2-1 with Thursday’s loss. It’s the second time this charging Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans in a 5-3 loss in Game postseason that the Islanders have trailed a series 2-1 after the first three 1 of the Stanley Cup Second Round at Winnipeg on Wednesday. (NHL) games. (NYI Hockey Now) Jake Evans is out indefinitely for the Montreal Canadiens because of a Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov played pretty well in Game 3. But concussion. Evans was injured with 57 seconds remaining in a 5-3 win in overtime, he fell victim to a shot he has to stop. This is not the first or against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Second Round second time he has allowed a weak goal this postseason. Here are the on Wednesday when he was checked by Jets center Mark Scheifele after takeaways from the loss. (NYI Hockey Now) wrapping the puck into an empty net. (NHL) There were no hard feels from Scott Mayfield towards Jake DeBrusk for Petr Mrazek said he didn’t feel any pressure in Game 3 of the Stanley his cross-check in Game 2 between the New York Islanders and Boston Cup Second Round, his first start of the playoffs. The Carolina Bruins. DeBrusk was given a $5,000 fine by the NHL on Wednesday for Hurricanes goalie showed his cool throughout, making 35 saves in a 3-2 the third-period play, which had not resulted in a penalty at the time. The overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Boston forward ended up cross-checking Mayfield in the head while the Thursday. (NHL) two were fighting for position in front of the Islanders net. (NYI Hockey Now) Kirill Kaprizov has had contract talks with the Minnesota Wild, who are hoping to sign the forward to a long-term deal, general manager Bill Semyon Varlamov made save after save after save against the Bruins to Guerin said Thursday. “We love Kirill, I don’t think there’s any secret give both the Islanders a chance and the amped-up crowd at Nassau there, and what he’s brought to our team,” Guerin said. “We will do what Coliseum, expanded to a season-high 12,000 on Thursday night, more we can to get a fair deal. (NHL) reasons to cheer. But now the Islanders’ path to the NHL semifinals has become significantly harder as Tuukka Rask upstaged Varlamov in Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice came to the defense of forward overtime. (Newsday) Mark Scheifele on Thursday, saying the center’s hit on Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans was “heavy,” but “clean.” “For me, the Playoff hockey always is about goalies, and this was no exception. On a feet are on the ice, the arms are tucked in and it’s a body contact,” he night when Semyon Varlamov started and ended shaky but was brilliant explained to reporters in the team’s off-day Zoom call. “That’s the way I in between, the Bruins got an even cleaner performance out of Tuukka see it.” (TSN) Rask. (Newsday) From Auston Matthews down, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ core consistently Brad Marchand scored at 3:36 of overtime, and the Boston Bruins underwhelms in the playoffs. The lack of scoring – perhaps more so in defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Toronto than anywhere else – erodes a massive competitive advantage, Second Round at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday. Marchand took a pass and greatly reduces the team’s margin for error. (TSN) from Charlie McAvoy and scored with a wrist shot from a sharp angle close to the left boards to give the Bruins the lead in the best-of-7 series. The New York Rangers and Swedish defenseman Nils Lundkvist have (NHL) agreed to terms on an entry-level contract. Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury announced the deal with the 20-year-old Brad Marchand played hero in the Bruins Game 3 win with his overtime first-round pick Thursday. (TSN) dagger. The defense and Tuukka Rask allowed for the team’s success. Here are the takeaways. (Boston Hockey Now) NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021 It probably shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been around or watched the Pittsburgh Penguins since Mario Lemieux’s playing days. The big guy has a Midas touch. Things seem to work out for Lemieux, and he seems to have an innate feel for hockey, whether it was a puck on his stick or a GM to hire.It appears Lemieux got it right, again. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

The ping pong balls didn’t fall the Philadelphia Flyers’ way during Wednesday night’s NHL Draft Lottery. The Flyers didn’t move up or down, leaving them in the 14th slot. They’ll have the 13th overall pick due to the Arizona Coyotes being stripped of their first- and second-round picks this year. The Flyers have never selected a player with the 13th overall pick in franchise history. They could make franchise history (in a way) by using the pick. However, if that happens, Chuck Fletcher will have failed. (Philly Hockey Now)

Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito embarks on his second season on the job in Sunrise with seemingly less work to do than he did when he first got here in September. One of his first projects upon taking over was trying to fix the ongoing problem of the team’s culture. Based on what we saw during the 2021 season, the Panthers took giant steps in rectifying that — and a number of players Zito brought in helped. (Florida Hockey Now) 1215098 New York Rangers Since so many players on this roster were drafted and developed by Tampa, they had the assets to acquire players to address their needs instead of constantly spending and subsequently having to replenish what’s been lost. Eight lessons Rangers GM Chris Drury can learn from the NHL’s final eight contenders 3. Load up on skill

The Avalanche are a dominant force in the NHL because they’re loaded with skill. Not only is Colorado one of the best teams this year, but they By Shayna Goldman Jun 4, 2021 legitimately stack up to the average Cup champion.

Opponents anticipate the Gabriel Landeskog–Nathan MacKinnon–Mikko Rantanen line dominating puck possession; they may not expect it from Trends form in the NHL every season based on which teams are farther down the lineup, where for example Colorado can roll out a third winning. General managers and coaches study what the most successful line of Joonas Donskoi, Tyson Jost and Valeri Nichushkin, who when teams are doing, and they try to reproduce it. It’s a copycat league, and they were together this season rocked a 70.7 percent expected goals while the playoffs help pinpoint which teams to try to copy, the task is rate. While they may not have the finishing talent of the first-liners, they figuring out which aspects of the playoff teams to replicate. limited their opponents in the defensive end, frequently forced turnovers For a franchise like the New York Rangers — a young team on the rise, and drove play into the offensive zone. Similar could be said in Tampa with hopes of building into a playoff team and Cup contender for years to with the third line of Goodrow, Gourde and Coleman. come — there are valuable lessons to be absorbed from the teams left in Via HockeyViz this season’s playoffs. As much as teams might want to add grit, toughness and character, skill We recently looked at how the final eight NHL teams stack up against the has to be at the core of every decision. That’s going to be key for the last decade of champions, and where their strengths and weaknesses Rangers to keep in mind this offseason. In Colorado, there’s skill up and are. What can the Rangers and new general manager Chris Drury learn down the lineup, at every position, and the depth complements the top- by stacking themselves up against the remaining contenders? Here are tier players to make them one of the toughest opponents in the league. eight things: 4. Bet on top-tier talent 1. Focus on upside and player development If a team’s going to make a splash with a signing or trade, ideally it’s for a Rebuilding teams collect future assets in the hope that they will top-tier player. Too often, general managers find themselves bidding or eventually help them contend for the Stanley Cup. Acquiring picks is one overspending for depth pieces. While the Golden Knights have added part of the challenge; it’s all about how teams maximize those assets. depth over the last few seasons, they also haven’t been shy in their short The Lightning are a prime example of that. Like the Rangers, they existence to figure out a way to add the top players on the market. benefitted from having a few picks right at the top of drafts, picking Vegas has bet on game-changing deals, from acquiring Mark Stone and Steven Stamkos first overall in 2008 and Victor Hedman second overall a Max Pacioretty via trade to signing as Alex Pietrangelo in free agency. year later. But they also added foundational pieces of the current team They were also in on Erik Karlsson before Ottawa finally traded him to later in the draft. San Jose. There were 57 opportunities for teams to draft Nikita Kucherov in 2011 To their credit, and benefit, some of the deals haven’t even been too before the Lightning selected him 58th. Despite his 5-foot-11 frame, their costly. They didn’t even have to move a first-rounder to bring in an elite scouting department saw skill that made him a worthwhile addition. two-way forward in Stone. The Pacioretty deal was also cost-effective. Brayden Point was drafted even later. A player picked 79th generally can Both trades have clearly paid dividends as the wingers have been be expected to add 1.7 wins in his first five seasons, according to The outstanding so far with the club; they’ve pushed them much closer to Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn’s model. Point, the No. 79 pick in 2014, has matching up to those championship rosters of the last decade. already added 13.9 wins. Clearly, he’s an outlier for that draft slot and the Pietrangelo, while expensive on the free agent market, didn’t cost any Lightning may not have even foreseen him becoming the elite player he assets other than cap space. is today. But drafting him was a low-risk decision that’s had an extremely high reward. Viz by Dom Luszczyszyn

The Lightning are also a prime example of finding talent outside the draft. There’s an inherent risk to any move — especially one that sends multiple assets for a single player. But for a high-caliber player, it can be Size often matters too much to teams, as it did for many contemplating a bet worth taking, as the Golden Knights have shown. whether or not to draft Adam Fox, who is already playing Norris-caliber hockey in his second NHL season. It more than likely contributed to both 5. Build an environment players want to be in Tyler Johnson (5-foot-8) and Yanni Gourde (5-9) going undrafted. But the Lightning looked past that, focusing on their upside. Years later, each The NHL emphasizes intangibles, character and culture, yet certain has a Stanley Cup ring with the team and is on the hunt for another. bench bosses with controversial tactics somehow remain on the coaching carousel. Not only did Tampa Bay acquire players with potential, but they helped them develop into the players they are today. They invested in their What management should be watching in New York as it contemplates minor league systems and provided resources to address players’ who to make the next coach of the Rangers is how some players fully weaknesses, like turning to Barb Underhill to help improve Point’s then- commit to their coach’s leadership. average skating. The Islanders generally are the prime example of that. Since the Barry 2. Supplement the core with depth additions Trotz era began, the team has fully embraced his defensive style of play (although their shot-suppression numbers haven’t been at their best on a A look at the Lightning’s lineup brings up another key lesson: building a consistent basis so far this postseason). Even the most offensively core and supplementing it with depth. inclined players, like Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee, have bought in and adapted their games to the system. While Trotz and his strategies aren’t Tampa Bay relied on the draft (and undrafted free agent signings) to without flaws, the team’s growth is undeniable, and it’s put on display build its forward group. Just three of 12 forwards were acquired outside every time they lock in and shutdown a game. of that. Neither of the Lightning’s 2020 “deadline” acquisitions, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, were pending free agents, either — The Hurricanes are another team to watch. Most general managers each had another full season on their contracts at the time of the trades. would jump at the chance to have Rod Brind’Amour behind the bench for their team. And most players in Carolina would run through a brick wall Much of their defense was acquired via trade, outside of Hedman. But for their coach. He relates to the players and has built an environment two of the players, Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak, were added early that has woven the locker room together. in their careers, with just four games of combined NHL experience at the time of their respective trades. That’s the culture the Rangers should be striving for as expectations, and, subsequently, tensions, rise over the next few years. 6. Maintain cap flexibility Instead, spot the fingerprints of Arik Parnass and Dawson Sprigings on Colorado’s team-building that helped the Avalanche get to this point. And Cap space is an asset, especially in the current environment with a flat look at the work of now-assistant general manager Eric Tulsky with the cap. Hurricanes to truly grasp how data-driven analysis can help transform a Teams like the Boston Bruins show it’s possible to have elite players team’s decision-making process. signed to reasonable contracts. Their top line collectively costs less than The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 $20 million in cap space annually, between Patrice Bergeron ($6.875 million), David Pastrnak ($6.667 million) and Brad Marchand ($6.125 million). That’s as good as it gets.

With 20 contracts signed, the Bruins are projected to have about $28 million in cap space to work with this offseason, according to CapFriendly.

Another team’s cap situation to learn from is the Hurricanes. Their projected cap hit for next season is projected to be about $53 million between 27 signed contracts, leaving them with almost $28 million in space.

The Sebastian Aho contract was essentially decided for them when Montreal sent the center an offer sheet. But the contracts of Teuvo Teravainen, Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce are key examples of savvy management; each deal is cost-effective and pays for present and future performance through their primes — not for past play.

Not only do the Hurricanes have one of the lowest collective cap hits in the league, but their books are fairly open in the future, adding to their flexibility. That, paired with the ages of their players, should keep their playoff window open for years to come.

The Rangers’ cap situation will likely become quite limiting in the near future, so this is a key area to be as smart as possible.

7. Take advantage of entry-level years

Speaking of cap flexibility helping teams keep their windows of contention open, take a look at the Jets. A few seasons back, Winnipeg appeared to be on a path filled with potential. But once their entry-level contracts started to expire, costs rose quickly, limiting their ability to improve the roster around their core.

Winnipeg had Nikolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor signed to entry-level deals, plus Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck on bridge deals. And in a short span of time, every single player received a significant raise.

Entry-level contracts expiring and costs rising is inevitable in the NHL. But it stresses the need to make the most of those years. The Rangers’ cap situation is going to look a lot different when Fox’s next contract starts, and when players like Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafrenière, and K’Andre Miller sign their second and third contracts. Teams have to do their best to take advantage of those years to maximize the talent and cap flexibility of their roster.

8. Use data-driven analysis in decision making

Hockey analysis is evolving to feature more data-driven analysis. Expanded data better informs decisions, but it requires buy-in at all levels. It also necessitates analysts who can parse the information and translate it to the more traditional-minded organizations. Without either, it’s essentially useless.

Most teams have invested in data-driven analysis at some level, as the chart below reflects. It covers a wide spectrum of “analytics” and only features publicly available information.

While some may point to the expanded staff in Toronto and to the Maple Leafs’ postseason failures as reasons to stay away from integrating analytics into the process, that ignores the teams that have invested and are thriving.

Just ask Sam Ventura and his Stanley Cup ring in Pittsburgh or Michael Peterson in Tampa Bay.

Look to some of the skaters who made a difference in Round 1 with Florida, and currently with Vegas. Cam Lawrence and Josh Weissbock influenced Florida’s drafting over the years and helped find market inefficiencies that led to the signings of Carter Verhaeghe this offseason and Jonathan Marchessault in 2016.

So while it may be easy to dunk on the Maple Leafs’ shortcomings, they aren’t the team to focus on. 1215099 Ottawa Senators The Islanders will have to do something different against Hall and the Bruins if they’re going to tie up this series.

Brad Marchand’s winner at 3:36 of OT gave the Bruins the series lead. GARRIOCH: Former Oilers' forward Taylor Hall has contributed at both Boston goalie Tuukka Rask made 29 saves while Isles’ goalie Semyon ends of the ice for the Boston Bruins in these playoffs Varlamov was busy making 39 stops. The Islanders know it wouldn’t be ideal to go back to Boston for Game 5 trailing 3-1 in this series so a victory in Game 4 is paramount to avoid that situation.

Bruce Garrioch But, New York coach Barry Trotz noted his club has been in this situation in these playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1 and the key Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 10 hours ago is just to move on from the last loss. He doesn’t anticipate making any changes and won’t spend a lot of time with the Isles’ players recounting the disappointing result. Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall controls the puck past Washington Capitals defenceman Justin Schultz during the second period in game “Let it go, whatever happened (Thursday) night. We’d love to have won in four of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. overtime because this place would have erupted but we didn’t,” said Trotz. “It’s no different than us going into Boston and getting the overtime Taylor Hall has made himself at home in his new home. winner there. You just put it in the rearview mirror and you focus on (Saturday). The Boston Bruins were hopeful the 29-year-old winger would be the right fit when they made deal to acquire him along forward Curtis Lazar “This is a hell of a series. If I wasn’t coaching in it I’d be glued to the TV from the Buffalo Sabres at the deadline in exchange for forward Anders every night because it’s a physical, determined series by both teams. I’m Bjork and second-round pick in 2021. excited, a Saturday night crowd at the Coliseum, Boston Bruins vs New York Islanders, it doesn’t get much better than that.” Though, Hall has made his presence felt with three goals and five points in eight playoff games this spring, he’s also been strong defensively Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.05.2021 playing on a line with David Krejci and Craig Smith. In the club’s 2-1 overtime victory over the New York Islanders in Game 3 of the series Thursday night on the road, the trio held the opponent to only shot against.

Selected No. 1 overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010, Hall has never been known as a defensive dynamo, but through the years his game has matured and he’s playing at both ends of the ice. With the Bruins up 2-1 in the series with Game 4 set for Saturday at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Hall’s defensive effort has been welcomed by coach Bruce Cassidy.

“Early on I didn’t realize he’s a 200-foot player in terms of willingness to back check to break up plays,” Cassidy said Friday. “There’s been a number of times where he’s really covered the ice and he’s been excellent at not quitting on plays and coming back into our end to help keep the puck out of our net.

“When you watch a player on another team, especially a high-end guy, usually what you’re looking at what he’s doing with the puck and not without it. That part has been great for us. I don’t know if surprised is the right to word (to describe his play) I just think I’ve been pleased. (Thursday) night I thought they were dominant in the offensive opportunities they created versus what they gave up. I thought they defended well.”

Hall said when he was dealt to the New Jersey Devils for defenceman Adam Larsson in 2016, he knew had to improve his defensive game.

“I’ve always tried to play like this,” Hall said. “Probably in my early days in Edmonton I didn’t have the knowledge of the 200-foot game. When I got to New Jersey that was how we had to play as a team. Being one of the better players, that was my way of leading, it was to play a 200 foot game.

“It’s never going to be perfect but I have a pretty good skill set to do that at the other end of the rink. I can chase down guys in the neutral zone and make their life hard. In the defensive zone, I can close quick and make good plays on the wall. That’s all I’ve tried to do. Since I’ve got here, our team plays a really good defensive style and I’ve just tried to adapt to that. I’ve always tried to play well defensive and I’m not sure that’s been my reputation.

“I always come into games, and no one wants to be on the ice for goals against, and everyone wants to play in the offensive zone and the best way to do that is to eliminate plays in the defensive zone and get out of there quickly.”

Across the hall, Isles’ forward Jordan Eberle, who spent a lot of years with Hall in Edmonton, has been the difference in his game and has noticed it in this series.

“As you get older you learn to play the right way and a winning mentality,” Eberle said. “You learn how to play defence and it’s a skill I had to really pick up. When you’re with a team that strives towards playing detailed hockey and you have to do things on both sides of the puck you start instil it in your game. I’m sure it’s no different for him.” 1215100 Ottawa Senators That may change but it’s difficult to make plans and quarantine would interrupt the training regimen. It’s hard to say if teams will be able to hold rookie tournaments but if the Canadian clubs in the East wanted to hold one, Laval is possible because the restrictions in Quebec are starting to GARRIOCH: What's usually a busy time on the NHL's off-season loosen up more than Ontario because the province is ahead in its schedule is quiet with GM's waiting on changes vaccination targets.

“I don’t see development camps because of the cross-border travel restrictions for players coming in from Europe and the United States Bruce Garrioch coming into Canada,” said Scott. “Players from Canada going to the Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 10 hours ago • United States, would (have to quarantine) when they return. In Ontario, a good portion of our client base, with the restrictions in terms of ice time and on-ice training, we’re looking at sending a lot of players to Minnesota for the summer to get a proper off-season training regimen. The order of the first round of the NHL draft has been settled and now it’s back to the off-season to do list for the teams on the outside of the “A lot of this stuff you really have to think outside the box.” playoffs. Scott does anticipate teams will make moves before the expansion draft Normally, there’s a lot of business done in June on the NHL calendar, but because there will be clubs with issues protecting players. with the shortened 56-game schedule wrapped up and the Stanley Cup not handed out until next month, that means the moves we see at this “As we get closer to get the Seattle and NHL drafts, you’re going to see a time of year will be put on hold. lot activity in anticipation of that no doubt,” said Scott.

The Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets are the only two teams Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.05.2021 playing from the seven-team North Division. That means fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks are waiting to see what kind of changes their teams will make heading into training camp in September.

All those teams, especially the ones that missed the post-season, are trying to identify and address their needs going into next season and the summer months are when it has to happen. By the time you get to camp. your roster is usually set and once the puck is dropped in October it’s difficult to make any major changes.

Under the usual circumstances, which we expect will return in 2022, the draft is held the third week of June, the talking period with restricted and unrestricted free agents starts the week after and then the market opens at noon July 1. Due to the pandemic, expansion and the playoffs, everything has been pushed back.

If the Cup final goes seven games, the last possible date for the coveted chalice to be handed out is July 9. Teams have to submit their protected lists for the expansion draft into the NHL’s head office by 5 p.m. EDT on July 17 and the Seattle Kraken will make their selections on July 21 at 8 p.m.

While the NHL draft is scheduled to be held virtually on July 23-24, free agency won’t open until July 28 at noon. If you’re expecting to see a blockbuster trade or deals happen then you’re going to have to practice patience because teams usually wait until the playoffs are nearing the finish line or over before getting serious about making moves.

“You have a critical dates calendar and they’ve all been pushed back, whether it’s free agency or the draft, from June to July,” said Ottawa- based lawyer Andy Scott, an agent with Octagon Hockey, Friday. “You’re going to have two drafts, with the expansion and NHL, plus the commencement of free agency at the end of July.

“You’re going to have a really busy August. Now, August was already a busy month because you had players whose contracts expired on June 30th and now they expire July 28th. August is going to be a frantic month and even into September for some of the guys that you don’t have deals for. It’s going to be a crazy summer for sure.”

If you think about it, this will be a short summer for the NHL.

The intention is for the players to report to training camp Sept. 22 with a Oct. 12 puck drop on the 2021-22 regular season. Scott, who represents likes of Columbus’ Patrik Laine and Calvin de Haan of the Chicago Blackhawks, noted players arriving back in their home cities at this point don’t have a lot of time for rest.

“Normally, they’d come back, put up their feet a little bit and recover and take care of their bodies,” Scott said. “Now, you’re right into a summer program and even that’s a difference. The season and the playoffs being pushed back is all having an impact from a standpoint of the players as well.”

After the draft, teams like to hold development camps for prospects, but Scott doesn’t anticipate that will be the case because there’s no sign free movement between Europe, the United States and Canada border will take place any time soon. People coming to Canada from the U.S. or Europe have to self-isolate for 14 days. 1215101 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers sign Swedish goalie prospect to ELC

BY JORDAN HALL

The Flyers on Thursday signed goalie prospect Samuel Ersson to his three-year entry-level contract.

Ersson is a 21-year-old who has played the past two seasons for Brynäs IF in the SHL, Sweden's top pro league. Brynäs IF had a rough 2020-21 campaign, finishing second to last in the regular season and allowing the league's most goals (176 in 52 games).

Ersson, however, put up respectable numbers with a 2.96 goals-against average and .911 save percentage through 42 games. The Flyers' 2018 fifth-round draft pick recorded three shutouts and made the SHL's third- most saves with 1,183. In the SHL relegation round, he went 4-1-0 with a 1.30 goals-against average and .949 save percentage.

"We're excited to get Samuel under contract with the Flyers," assistant general manager Brent Flahr said in a statement released by the team. "He's steadily progressed since his draft year and has had success in junior, the SHL and at the international level. We look forward to watching his continued development as he makes the transition to North America."

Ersson should have the chance to eventually vie to be Carter Hart's future backup. He possesses good size at 6-foot-2, 176 pounds, and has more than held his own competing against men at the pro ranks over the last two seasons.

This offseason, the Flyers have a decision to make for their backup netminder spot and will peruse the free-agent market in doing so. Brian Elliott and Alex Lyon are both pending unrestricted free agents. Felix Sandstrom is a pending restricted free agent. More long term, the club also has prospects Kirill Ustimenko (signed 2017 third-round pick), Ivan Fedotov (unsigned 2015 seventh-round pick) and Matej Tomek (unsigned 2015 third-round pick) in the system.

The Flyers watch and evaluate Sweden heavily, led by European amateur scout Joakim Grundberg. Along with Ersson and Sandstrom, Oskar Lindblom, Robert Hagg, Linus Sandin (pending RFA), Olle Lycksell, Linus Hogberg, Adam Ginning, Emil Andrae and Marcus Westfalt are all Swedish products in the Flyers' organization.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215102 Pittsburgh Penguins

Minor league report: Nailers fall to Fuel, name Derek Army head coach

SETH RORABAUGH | Friday, June 4, 2021 11:11 p.m.

Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 25 saves on 27 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 3-1 home loss to the Indy Fuel at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Friday.

Forward Patrick Watling scored the only goal for Wheeling (21-39-6-1).

The Nailers’ season finale is a home contest against the Fuel on Saturday, 7:10 p.m.

Earlier in the day, the Nailers named as their full-time head coach.

Army had served as the interim head coach since April 21 following the resignation of former head coach Mark French for family reasons.

Previously an assistant coach under French, Army has directed Wheeling to a 4-16-1-0 record since taking over.

Army, 30, spent parts of two seasons as a forward for the Nailers in 2016-17 and 2017-18. He is the franchise’s 20th head coach since it moved to Wheeling in 1992.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215103 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin undergoes knee surgery

SETH RORABAUGH | Friday, June 4, 2021 7:53 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin underwent surgery on his right knee.

The team announced his surgery Friday evening but did not specify when the surgery took place or the nature of his injury.

According to a release from the team, Malkin is not expected to be available for the start of the Penguins’ training camp in mid-September. A more definitive time frame for his return to action is expected to be revealed at that time.

Malkin initially was injured during a 2-1 home loss to the Boston Bruins on March 16 at PPG Paints Arena. Chasing after a puck, he was checked by Bruins defenseman Mark Tinordi near the boards. During the collision, the players’ right knees collided.

The injury forced Malkin to miss the next 23 games. He was able to dress for the final four games of the regular season but was injured again in the season finale, a 1-0 home win against the Buffalo Sabres on May 8. During the final stages of that contest, Sabres forward Dylan Cozens hit Malkin, with Malkin’s right knee absorbing most of the contact.

Malkin was absent from the Penguins’ first two games of the postseason but was able to play in their final four games of their first-round series against the New York Islanders. Despite being “not 100%” according to coach Mike Sullivan, Malkin was able to collect five points (one goal, four assists) during the series.

In February of 2011, Malkin injured his right knee and underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL at that time.

The 34-year-old is entering the final year of an eight-year contract with a salary cap hit of $9.5 million. During this past regular season, he appeared in 33 games and scored 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists).

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215104 Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin undergoes right knee surgery, expected to miss start of training camp

MIKE DEFABO

JUN 4, 2021 8:17 PM

The injury that sidelined Evgeni Malkin for 23 games in the regular season and two in the playoffs has required the star center to go under the knife.

Malkin underwent successful right knee surgery, the club announced on Friday. The team does not have a specific timeframe for a return. However, they said they anticipate the injury will prevent Malkin from joining the team in training camp.

Malkin, who will turn 35 in July, was initially injured on March 16, when he collided knee-to-knee with Boston’s rugged defenseman Jarred Tinordi. The Penguins’ center missed more than six weeks before returning for the final four games of the regular season. In the 56th and final game, he didn’t take a shift for the final 8-plus minutes. Coach Mike Sullivan initially called that a precaution, however, Malkin’s participation remained mixed at practice over the next several weeks.

The Penguins were forced to play the first two games of the first-round series against the New York Islanders without their regular second-line center. When Malkin eventually made his postseason debut, it was fairly obvious that he was not his usual self. Still, he recorded a goal and four assists in his four postseason games.

“He fought really hard to get back into our lineup,” Sullivan said in his postseason press conference. “He was not 100%. I think I’m probably stating the obvious when I say that."

In 33 regular-season games, Malkin recorded eight goals and 20 assists. After a slow start to the season, he had begun to form real chemistry with Kasperi Kapanen, as both players helped the Penguins surge in the standings.

Then came the collision, which cast a massive question mark over the second half of the season. Those questions will continue to linger now.

At 35, how will Malkin’s body respond to surgery and the ensuing rehab? Over the last several seasons, the center has shown different versions of himself. Sometimes he’s looked every bit like that play-making superstar. Other times? His lapses of concentration and discipline overshadow the elite offensive player that he is. When he does return, what will he look like now that he’s closer to 40 than he is 30 after a procedure that will in some way disrupt his offseason training?

Malkin has one year remaining on a deal that carries a team-high $9.5 million average annual value. When Ron Hextall was asked if the Penguins plan to engage in contract negotiations surrounding an extension, the new general manager didn’t directly answer that portion of the question.

However, Hextall did say he plans to keep Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang together.

“We see a future with this core,” Hextall said. “These guys have been here a long time. “We had a good year. It certainly didn’t give me pause to think about what we should do with this core. … I expect to have these guys back next year, for sure.”

Now, the question is: When?

Post Gazette LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215105 Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin Undergoes Knee Surgery; Will Miss Training Camp, too

Published 9 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Dan Kingerski

Evgeni Malkin was more seriously injured than we knew.

The Pittsburgh Penguins center who missed the final six weeks of the regular season, but returned for Games 3 through 6 against the New York Islanders underwent successful surgery on his right knee, according to a relase from the Penguins Friday afternoon.

You can see video and the original story from Malkin’s collision with Boston Bruins defenseman Jared Tinordi on March 16, here.

After struggling to get into game shape at the start of the season, Malkin was on fire until his knee injury. Malkin finished with 28 points (8-20-28) in 34 games. At the time of his injury, he and Kasperi Kapanen began to click. Malkin was on an eight-game scoring streak with 12 points (4-8-12) in those eight games.

From the Pittsburgh Penguins release:

The procedure was performed by head team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas and Freddie H Fu of UPMC Sports Medicine, at UPMC Montefiore Hospital.

Evgeni Malkin was injured after a collision during the game on March 16 versus the Boston Bruins. He was sidelined for the final six weeks of the regular season, as well as Games 1 and 2 of Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Malkin is expected to be unavailable for training camp in September. The team expects to have a more definitive time frame for his return at that time.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215106 Pittsburgh Penguins the Penguins acquired him from Florida in 2018-19. Since, he’s put up consecutive 14-goal seasons, though he popped 14 in 43 games this season.

Expansion Draft: Can Penguins Gamble w/ Carter? Projected Protected The Penguins would have a much easier time replacing Pettersson or List Zucker than either Carter or McCann.

Perhaps Hextall will reverse course and find a way to entice Francis to make Pettersson or Zucker part of the inaugural Seattle Kraken. Francis Published 17 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Dan Kingerski should like Zucker, whose speed and gritty game would fit well with the type of team Francis built in Carolina. However, Zucker’s $5.5 million

salary combined with a salary cap that will be flat for years to come You can say one thing. Believe that thing. But when it gets tested, realize makes Zucker’s middling offensive production more expensive than it’s a different course of action is preferable. Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron worth. Hextall may soon find himself in that situation when he has to submit his For a small asset, the Penguins could eat some of Zucker’s salary for the protected list to the NHL ahead of the 2021 Seattle Kraken Expansion next two seasons. If Seattle sent the Penguins a late-round pick, the Draft on July 21. Penguins could keep $1 million. We won’t know what type of team the Seattle Kraken will be until we see And have $4.5 million left to replace him if Seattle was amendable, of the type of players GM Ron Francis puts together or the type of coach he course. hires. We can guess from his Carolina Hurricanes roster construction and from the players the Pittsburgh Penguins will make available, who will be McCann is clearly on the rise. His offensive game has grown and been in the great northwest next season. increasingly consistent, too. Presumably, he’ll take the final steps as the Penguins complete his transformation from fourth-line center to sniper. Or the Penguins can gamble to change the equation. Unfortunately, McCann hasn’t hit the water from the boat in the playoffs. The Penguins can take a chance and expose 36-year-old Jeff Carter, In 11 games, he has three assists and was mostly invisible again during hoping Seattle does not need an aged veteran with one more year on his the Penguins’ six-game loss to New York. contract. Despite that knock, Seattle would jump at McCann. The more I sat with that idea, the less appealing and dangerous it became, but it may also be the only choice. Put a pin in that, and we’ll And they very well could take Carter. circle back. If the Penguins are in “win-now” mode, as Hextall confirmed, Hextall Teams can protect either eight skaters or seven forwards and three should reverse his course and spend an asset to keep one of those defensemen. First and second-year players are exempt, so the Penguins players. will not have to protect John Marino. Everyone else is fair game. Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021 The Penguins should re-sign defenseman Cody Ceci, but not until about one second after the expansion draft.

Teams got wise to former Vegas GM George McPhee’s scam to fleece teams for additional picks to select players. In some cases, it worked well (Alex Tuch), and in other cases, it worked extremely well (Marc-Andre Fleury). When Francis spoke to PHN last summer, even he admitted that he wouldn’t be able to recreate that con-game.

More GMs will take Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall’s approach and not give up the extra tribute.

“My approach is that we’re going to probably lose a pretty good player and rather than give up a couple of assets to try to try to keep (players),” Ron Hextall said on Wednesday. “I think we’ll probably lose a pretty good player. I’m speculating there, obviously, who knows what will come along, but right at this point, I’d say we’ll just lose a player.”

PHN’s Projected Penguins Protected List

Protected Forwards: Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin, Kasperi Kapanen, Jared McCann, and Brandon Tanev.

Exposed: Jeff Carter, Jason Zucker, Zach Aston-Reese, Teddy Blueger.

Protected Defensemen: Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Mike Matheson.

Exposed: Marcus Pettersson.

Who Goes & Why

The Penguins big choice is between Jared McCann and Jeff Carter. Neither can be easily replaced. The more the idea of gambling on Carter sat, the greater the thought that a veteran who can still play, who brings leadership into the room, and personality, is the very type of player that Francis should want.

Remember how important Deryk Engelland was to the original Vegas Golden Knights?

Carter is almost a necessity for the Penguins. Their hunt for a third-line center was in its fourth season. Teddy Blueger’s crew did a bang-up job when they were cast as third liners. All three put up career numbers (Blueger and Tanev in points per game, Aston-Reese in total goals).

The Penguins lineup was dynamic with Carter, but they can’t lose a 26- year McCann who is on his way to establishing himself as a 20-goal scorer. During his trade campaign, McCann had a 19-goal season when 1215107 Pittsburgh Penguins That’s it for today. Though one point for the myriad of broadcasters who keep calling the Montreal-Winnipeg series “surprising” because Edmonton and Toronto lost… Stop it! Montreal and Winnipeg were clearly the two teams with goaltending and defense. Until the NHL adopts Dan’s Daily: Trade Rumors Swirl in TO, Penguins on Right Track an NBA model (please don’t) to coddle stars or at least starts calling obstruction penalties in the playoffs (please do), Toronto and Edmonton

are ill-equipped to win. Published 21 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Dan Kingerski In the words of Ron Hextall, the standard is different in the playoffs, “you can’t ignore that.”

LAS VEGAS — Despite trying to shut down the NHL trade rumor frenzy Or perhaps the league’s biggest stars, who also play in Canada, being that exploded around the Toronto Maple Leafs after they threw away a 3- sent home will cause some discussion about obstruction. 1 series lead and lost to the Montreal Canadiens, GM Kyle Dubas can’t Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021 quell the roar. The NHL suspended Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele for four games after he trucked Montreal’s Jake Evans on Wednesday night. And why the Pittsburgh Penguins offseason plan is headed in the right direction.

Seriously, only four games for the ugliest hit made by a player not named Tom Wilson in years?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Mario got the GM hire right. Knocked it out of the park. Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall is on the right path, writes some idiot named Dan Kingerski. After the seat-of-your-pants moves of Jim Rutherford on the NHL trade market, Hextall’s temperate approach paid big dividends this season (Jeff Carter), and his methodical plans are in the right direction.

I’m in Vegas for Games 3 and 4 of the Western Division Final, but I thought I’d take a day to enjoy my old happy place. Nope. Aria and City Center have indeed sucked the life out of the strip as a whole. But I did have an awesome motorcycle ride to Area 51 and the Little A’le’ Inn (which turned very dangerous in 115-degree heat. Never again). I also got some New York, New York pizza and won a $9 at video roulette before going to bed before 10 p.m. local time. There’s my travel blog. Glamorous, eh?

Oh, and as I crawled to the hotel baggage claim, still dehydrated, barely able to breathe and looking like a man who was very nearly beaten by the desert, a “lovely” women (barely) dressed to the nines strode past and proclaimed “You need to take your nasty ass home.” That’s a compliment, right?

NHL and National Hockey Now:

Sportsnet: Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele received a four-game suspension Thursday night after he absolutely plastered Montreal’s Jake Evans in Game 1. It was the scariest hit I’ve seen at it was a 35mph collision. Evans was stretchered off but was able to join his team at the hotel later Wednesday night. Here’s the full story and analysis.

Boston: The Bruins delivered some of the New York Islanders’ medicine in a Game 3 OT win. Our network has this series fully covered. The Boston turning point, heroes and black eyes.

NYI: The Islanders need a save. A lonely, easy save. And they didn’t get it. But at least Mathew Barzal cracked the scoring sheet (FINALLY)

Toronto Sun: NHL trade rumors alert–Sure, GM Kyle Dubas said NO trade for Marner, but that won’t stop GMs from calling, and Michael Traikos asserts that shouldn’t stop Dubas from listening–or making a move.

Colorado: The Avalanche has a 2-0 series lead. Game 2–they were badly outplayed, but Philipp Grubauer found a way.

Having covered Game 2 live, Graubauer’s rebound control was…umm, not good. If Vegas can establish more net-front presence before the shot (instead of after), they’re going to put up a few in Game 3.

Detroit: Are you watching these pros Kevin Allen and Bob Duff absolutely raise the game of Detroit Red Wings coverage? Detroit is a fun team to follow because their offseason isn’t drama. It’s desperation. They have a lot of loose ends, and Kevin Allen examines how they can find conclusions.

Philly: More NHL trade talk. Ryan Gilbert writes–Chuck Fletcher, trade the first pick for an impact player. Say, Seth Jones?

Florida: GM Bill Zito pushed back on Florida’s organizational reputation. He said players “are proud to be Florida Panthers.” 1215108 San Jose Sharks

Kurtis Gabriel’s LGBTQ activism makes him first Sharks player named finalist for humanitarian award

By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: June 4, 2021 at 10:08 a.m. | UPDATED: June 4, 2021 at 10:37 a.m.

Kurtis Gabriel on Friday became the first San Jose Sharks player to be named a finalist for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, an NHL award presented “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne and New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban are the other finalists.

Among NHL players, Gabriel, 28, is perhaps the most visible advocate for the LGBTQ community, using his social media accounts to amplify messaging and educate fans and fellow players.

This year, Gabriel supported the local San Jose nonprofit, the LGBTQ Youth Space, by donating a custom, game-worn skate to be auctioned by the Sharks Foundation. Featuring the colors of the Pride flag and the message “Love is Love,” the item raised $1,600 in support of the nonprofit.

Reflecting his interest in raising awareness for racial and social justice, Gabriel’s second skate in the custom set, which features the messages “BLM” & “Hope, Empathy, Change,” will be auctioned by the Sharks Foundation during its Juneteenth auction this summer, with proceeds going to a diversity-focused nonprofit.

“The more visible I can make these issues, the more conversations that will be sparked = more change. Simple as that,” Gabriel wrote on his Instagram page in January when the skates were unveiled. “These issues do not sit well with me. Love is love in any form. ANY FORM.

“Science tells us (you know, on that thing called the internet, that is accessible to a lot of this planet) that a large portion of the population of earth is on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Also, you can be who you want to be, and shouldn’t have to fear for negative repercussions for being just that.”

Gabriel has been an ongoing advocate for You Can Play, a nonprofit working to ensure the safety and inclusion of all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches, and fans. He also has supported the African American Community Service Agency, Las Lomitas Education Foundation, Housing Industry Foundation, San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation, Girls on the Run Silicon Valley, and the Sharks Foundation.

On June 22, Gabriel will be a part of the 2021 49ers PRIDE LGBTQ+ Activism in Sports Panel about LGBTQ+ activism in sports.

Gabriel was signed by the Sharks to a one-year contract in November. As the team’s lone true enforcer, Gabriel played in 11 games and had 55 penalty minutes.

Each NHL team nominated a player from their organization for the award. A committee of senior NHL executives, led by commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly, chose the three finalists and the winner.

This year’s NHL Awards winners will be announced at some point during the Stanley Cup semifinals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates, format, and times to be announced.

The winner of the King Clancy Trophy will receive a $25,000 donation to benefit a charity or charities of his choice. The two runners-up each will receive a $5,000 donation to benefit a charity or charities of their choice.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215109 San Jose Sharks The Sharks should be blessed with options on the blue line and up front once they ultimately pick, even though they didn't benefit from any lottery luck. Any of the aforementioned players contributing in the NHL this season would be a bonus, but San Jose still has a real opportunity to Sharks' draft possibilities wide open with No. 7 pick pick a player who, ultimately, can be the face of what the elder Wilson has termed the franchise's "reset."

If the Sharks nail the pick at No. 7, chances like this might not come BY MARCUS WHITE around very often.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.05.2021 Unlike the last time the Sharks had a lottery pick, the top of the 2021 NHL Draft is very uncertain. While there are a handful of top prospects, there's no Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel standing a cut above the rest.

Take Michigan defenseman Owen Power, the No. 1 North American prospect according to NHL Central Scouting. Ten NHL scouts TSN's Bob McKenzie surveyed in April have Power as the top prospect overall, McKeen's Hockey in April ranked Power at No. 3 and Elite Prospects had Power a spot higher last month.

After a season in which most prospects, at minimum, played fewer games than they normally would as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 NHL Draft is as wide open as any in recent memory.

That's a great place for the Sharks to be heading into next month, giving San Jose a chance to inject some much-needed dynamism into its prospect pool with the No. 7 overall selection.

While the player general manager Doug Wilson and Co. ultimately select would -- in all likelihood -- be a long shot to make the roster out of training camp, the Sharks have a chance to add someone who can contribute in the NHL sooner rather than later.

A year after selecting no defensemen, the Sharks -- if they so choose -- could be in position to draft a player primed to eventually take the reins from Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. It's conceivable that one of Brandt Clarke, Simon Edvinsson and Luke Hughes is available by the time San Jose's brass steps to the proverbial podium on July 23.

Clarke turned 18 in February, and impressed in Slovakia's top league (15 points in 26 games) playing against men. Some mock drafts have him as the second blueliner off the board behind Power, but considering Central Scouting ranked Hughes higher in their final rankings, that's not necessarily a lock.

Still, one of Hughes (No. 4 in Elite Prospects' consolidated rankings) and Edvinsson (No. 6) seems likelier to be available for the Sharks at No. 7. Both are left-handed shots, allowing San Jose to envision a long-term 1- 2-3 punch of Hughes or Edvinsson, Mario Ferraro and Nikolai Knhyzov down the left side.

Hughes has high offensive upside and NHL pedigree with two brothers (Quinn and Jack) in the league. Edivnsson, meanwhile, has the size -- 6- foot-5, 207 pounds -- and skills that reminded his general manager at Frolunda of Tampa Bay Lightning star Victor Hedman.

Although Ryan Merkley struggled in his first professional season with the AHL Barracuda this year, he now has professional experience under his belt. Ferraro and Knyzhov are established on the Sharks' blue line, so the time is right to add a high-upside defensive prospect.

Of course, the Sharks' ability to do so will come down to the six teams ahead of them. The Buffalo Sabres could easily take Power to pair with -- or play behind -- Rasmus Dahlin, and the expansion Seattle Kraken have the blankest of canvases to work with. The Anaheim Ducks, picking No. 3 overall, have built out from the blue line before and Bob Murray's still the general manager, so picking Jamie Drysdale last year doesn't mean they'll pass on a defenseman this year.

The New Jersey Devils (No. 4), Columbus Blue Jackets (No. 5) and Detroit Red Wings (No. 6) can all credibly say they need a young defender to build around, so it's very possible -- if not likely -- the Sharks draft another forward.

Considering the players available, there's not much downside to that possibility.

William Eklund, Central Scouting's top European skater, seems like the kind of undersized (5-foot-10, 172 pounds), skilled play-maker Sharks director of scouting Doug Wilson Jr. has prioritized in recent drafts. Michigan center Kent Johnson (No. 7 in Elite Prospects' consolidated rankings) starred on the same team as San Jose prospect Thomas Bordeleau last season, and he has the two-way smarts the Sharks value. 1215110 San Jose Sharks There’s a decent gap between Power and those guys, then those guys and the next group. I think we’ll see a little bit of an earlier run on defensemen. That could leave Guenther or Eklund there.

Chris Peters Talks Sharks & Wide-Open 2021 DraftPublished 10 hours You’re gonna be real happy if either are there. But then, you might also ago on June 4, 2021 have the advantage of the second-best center in the draft being there and that’s McTavish.

He’s a super-competitive player, good two-way skills, good playmaker. By Sheng Peng He is not one of the high-end skaters, that’s a big separating factor between him and Beniers. Beniers is a far better skater. But you have a

little bit of nastiness, a little bit of griminess to his game, that’s what I love There aren’t a lot of reporters who have been as focused on prospects about McTavish. But then he also has good soft touch skills. for as long as Chris Peters. Peters, on who else raised his stock in the recent U-18’s in Frisco: Over the last decade, from United States of Hockey to ESPN to his Isak Rosén, who’s kind of a later first-round kind of player, he scored recent launch of Hockey Sense, Peters is, you might say, one of the OGs seven goals in the tournament. It’s the most goals a Swedish player has of the now-exploding NHL Draft and prospects scouting scene. You’re ever scored in that tournament. Pretty much every big Swedish player not going to find a lot of reporters as in tune or as connected with what’s that you’ve heard of, played in that tournament, with the exception of I going on as Chris. think Landeskog. So when it was confirmed that the San Jose Sharks would pick seventh He’s a really speedy skater, good two-way ability, hood physical profile. in the 2021 NHL Draft, he’s the first guy that I went to for a sense of He played pro some this year, and did really well, didn’t have huge where the Sharks could go with their first top-10 selection since the 2015 numbers, but he held his own. Draft. I’ve seen Chris’s most recent mock draft, it was a surprise where he had San Jose going. A second or third-round kind of guy, Olen Zellweger, he actually ended up replacing Clarke on the first power play for Canada. Chris Peters, on how wide-open the 2021 Draft is after Owen Power: Pretty good skater, liked his puck-moving abilities. Power is probably the closest thing we have to a consensus No. 1. Then you have a tier that would include Matty Beniers, William Eklund, Luke Sean Behrens from USA, he had kind of an up-and-down tournament, Hughes, Simon Edvinsson, Dylan Guenther, Brandt Clarke, Kent but I think he proved that he can play along with the elite players. He’s Johnson. There’s probably that group of [skaters] all in the mix for two very aggressive, good puck-moving ability, not a big guy, but he played through whatever. physical. He got really engaged, I liked the way that he defended for his size. He has a full understanding of what he needs to do to be more solid Then you have Mason McTavish, really popped at the World Under-18’s. defensively. He’s kind of entered the fray. I think he’s a little higher — [the Central Scouting Bureau] has him No. 2 in North America [skaters]. That’s a little Fedor Svechkov is another one from Team Russia, he’s a mid-first guy too rich for my blood, just in terms of his his overall skill-set. But he looks for me. I liked him a lot. like a top-10 talent now, which you couldn’t have said, going into the season or at midseason. That’s a guy who has really popped and has San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021 improved his stock.

Then you throw in the two goalies, Jesper Wallstedt and Sebastian Kossa, both of which could be top-10 picks.

Peters, on who could fall to the San Jose Sharks at No. 7:

The one that I’m pretty certain won’t drop is Beniers. I think it’d be pretty unlikely to see Luke Hughes there. After that, your guess is as good as mine.

Guenther even, he didn’t have a great U-18’s. He had a lot of points, but it wasn’t like he blew anybody away. He would be an amazing pull [at No. 7] if he’s there.

Peters, on why picking a goalie in the top-10 might be attractive in this Draft as opposed to past years:

For one, the class as a whole is not super-strong, where you say, okay, well, how much are we leaving on the table if we don’t take a forward or a defenseman? This year, I think you don’t worry about that as much.

There’s certainly a chance [that Cossa is drafted ahead of Wallstedt].

If I’m looking at pure upside, I think there’s more with Cossa. If I’m looking at likelihood to reach his ceiling, I’m looking more at Wallstedt.

He’s a little bit more in control. He played professionally at a young age. He was playing the SHL this year, played more games than any goalie at that age group.

Kossa is a little bit more of an erratic goalie, he’s super quick. Sometimes he maybe overplays it a little bit, things like that. Those are things that can be cleaned up too, but I think Wallstedt is a little bit more technically skilled and sound. That gives you a little more comfort with a player like him.

Peters, on who he thinks the San Jose Sharks will pick at No. 7:

Any of the defensemen, Hughes, Edvinsson, Clarke. There’s a chance that none of them are there. I think that there could be a run on defense early because it’s a pretty good draft for defensemen. 1215111 Seattle Kraken that it be kept quiet. Sometimes, you have conversations with the people you are talking to and you tell them that this is something you’d like to keep quiet. I’ve never been one to do all of our business in the public, and this is no different from that. Kraken GM Ron Francis on the coaching search, the secrecy of it all and Rod Brind’Amour: Q&A How much does that privacy element come up in conversations with candidates?

You have that conversation and let them know how you feel and what By Ryan S. Clark Jun 4, 2021 you would like to see happen. In a lot of ways, it’s a test, too, right? If it gets out? You’re wondering how certain things got out.

You’ve said end of second quarter is when you want to make a hire. How It is at this point when Ron Francis has reached the final stage of his far along in the process are you? media tour. He’s answered questions about what the Seattle Kraken will do with the second pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. We’re certainly on the back nine and we’re late in the second quarter and onto June now. We’re certainly well into the process at this point. Of course, he is also asked about the team’s coaching search. The Kraken general manager has an answer. It’s the same answer he has Are you at three candidates? Five candidates? Where do you stand with practically given every reporter when asked: The goal is to make a hire that? by the end of the second quarter of the 2021 calendar. Such a response might sound more CEO than GM. An argument could be made they are (Laughs) I like the question! But I am not going to answer that one at this one and the same. They’re both businesses. It’s just that Francis’ answer point! is a bit more jarring compared to what one of his counterparts around the Certain names keep coming up. Rod Brind’Amour is one of them for league would say. several reasons. How do you handle a situation like that where you’re Francis and the Kraken are going to hire a coach at some point. There trying to hire a coach but you also want to be respectful? are rumors floating around about who will receive the job. All anyone I mean, that’s easy. He’s employed by another team and I cannot have really knows at this stage is that former Arizona Coyotes coach Rick comments on any of that stuff. That’s tampering. We know which Tocchet will have a second interview this week. Even then? Francis coaches going into the season were up at the end of the year, and we would not confirm if that is happening or how many people they have just watch those from afar. (Laughs) We’re not allowed to do anything already interviewed to this point. else. The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark spoke with Francis this week to ask about What would you say has been the most bizarre rumor you’ve seen about the coaching search, what makes Francis so secretive about the process this coaching search? and the constant discussion surrounding why Rod Brind’Amour’s name will not go away. I don’t know. There are a lot of rumors and speculation. We don’t really pay a lot of attention to that and we know how the process is going and How are the logistics of your coaching search working? Especially when that is what we are focusing on. all of you are still trying to scout through the playoffs? The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 I think you start with your list and sort of vet through who is worthy of that. Then, you use all means possible to have the questions you need to have answered.

Are you interviewing with candidates through Zoom? Are these in-person discussions?

We use all the tools we possibly can to make sure we get the things done! Whether it is phone, Zoom or in-person. You look at all those options and whichever one works best, is the one you go with.

You’ve only done this once before with hiring a head coach. What did you learn from the last time you were in this position?

I think you’re kind of raw the first time and have never done it before. Fortunately, I have a lot of friends in the game. A lot of them are coaches, so, you pick people’s brains in making sure that what we’re thinking about asking is the right line of questioning that will get you to the answers you want to get to and then you go through that process that way. We hired one in Carolina. But we did hire a couple in Charlotte (the Hurricanes’ former AHL affiliate) as well.

What was the biggest piece of advice you did get from friends in the league?

I think it is to get a fit. There are a lot of things you can ask whether you want to get technical. Whether you want to get philosophical. You can talk about the present, the future. There are a lot of areas you can cover. At the end of the day, it’s your sense of being comfortable in regards to what the answers are in all of those areas and with the individual themselves.

What are those priorities and qualities you are seeking from candidates in an interview?

I don’t like putting stuff out there and then when I get into the interviews, certain guys would take what they’ve read and address that! We cover a lot of things and we have the areas that we think are priorities.

Fair enough. That said, how have you gone about keeping this such a secret?

I think it is part of the process. Sometimes, if you are asking for permission to speak to someone from another team, the team would ask 1215112 St Louis Blues This offseason could yield all sorts of opportunity. The Pittsburgh Penguins fell to the New York Islanders in the first round,

so the new executive team of Brian Burke and Ron Hextall could NHL's busy summer marketplace offers opportunity for Blues activate. Sidney Crosby isn’t going anywhere, but cohorts Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang aren’t as secure.

Malkin has put up big numbers between his many injuries, especially 9 hrs ago when Crosby has been out of the lineup. Geno might have another run or two left in his legs. Jeffrey T. Barnes The Toronto Maple Leafs also lost in the first round, blowing a 3-1 series Jeff Gordon lead over their arch-rival Montreal Canadiens. That put the Brendan Shanahan-Kyle Dubas management team is firmly on the spot.

At first blush, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong doesn’t anticipate The Maple Leafs must balance their roster. Their top four forwards making big changes despite his team’s quick playoff exit. consume half of the team’s $81.5 million cap allocation.

But the potential for blockbuster NHL trades is as high this summer and Upon further review, wooing No. 1 center John Tavares when the team Armstrong will be as engaged as ever. already had No. 1 center Auston Matthews was stupid. Spending to keep William Nylander while Mitch Marner was also nearly as dumb. “This will be an active year, not only in St. Louis but around the league,” Armstrong said. “Any time you have expansion you have teams do Now the team is handcuffed with gritty winger Zach Hyman headed what’s best for them, whether it’s not exposing players to Seattle or toward a bigger payday in unrestricted free agency. making trades where they feel they’re in a better spot than just giving While the Blues could use another winger willing to play in the tough Seattle a list of players.” areas, Hyman carries overpayment risk. He scored at a 28-goal pace Each team must confront flat salary cap years to come. And several within Toronto’s highly-skilled attack, but sustaining that pace elsewhere teams are plotting a roster makeover. would be difficult.

“I think it’s going to be an interesting summer,” Armstrong said. Toronto’s logical move would be trading Nylander and his $6.9 million cap hit. He offers dazzling speed and skill, but the Blues hope they have The Buffalo Sabres are nearing the breaking point with star center Jack the same potential with Jordan Kyrou. Eichel. Like Ryan O’Reilly before him, Eichel has grown weary of losing. Now, if the Maple Leafs shop defenseman Morgan Rielly, that’s different. Imagine what a 1-2 punch of him and O’Reilly would look like here. Rielly could be a nice rent-to-buy option in his last contract year.

The Sabres won the NHL Draft Lottery this week, but the 2021 class Imagine him teaming with Colton Parayko to do heavy lifting while the doesn’t feature an elite center at the top. So if Buffalo moves Eichel, the Torey Krug-Justin Faulk tandem gained more offensive deployment. team will need significant offense in return. This market features many such possibilities to ponder. And maybe, just The New York Rangers seem best positioned to make that play. Under maybe, it will yield an interesting surprise or two for Blues fans. their new management, they are motivated shoppers. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 06.05.2021 The Calgary Flames need jostling after a most disappointing campaign. Blues fans are on high alert for trade rumors involving Our Town’s Matthew Tkachuk.

That young villain’s robust playing style would fit nicely here. But the Flames would rather move Sean Monahan or even Johnny Gaudreau if they overhaul the roster.

With cornerstone defenseman Seth Jones vowing to bail on Columbus in free agency, the Blue Jackets must deal him first. John Davidson is back at their helm after exiting the Rangers and he will oversee the bidding.

Jones would make the Blues’ back end much sturdier. But the trade cost would be high, as would a potential contract extension.

So there are more likely destinations for Jones, starting with Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida and Toronto.

The ever-resourceful Armstrong isn’t afraid to shop the high end of the market, though, and the expiring contracts of Jaden Schwartz, Mike Hoffman, Tyler Bozak, Alexander Steen and Carl Gunnarsson give him flexibility.

Also, restricted free agents Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev and Vince Dunn could exit via the expansion draft or a trade.

Vladimir Tarasenko’s $7.5 million cap hit, multiple shoulder surgeries and declining production make him the top trade chip for Blues fans as they propose make-believe trades.

In the real world, we’re guessing Tarasenko has limited appeal to other general managers. Only a moron would pay a premium for him while assuming his injury risk and cap hit.

But Armstrong got the Philadelphia Flyers to take The Ghost of Jori Lehtera in the Brayden Schenn trade, so you never know.

More realistically, Armstrong’s chips could include Dunn, Sanford, Barbashev, Robert Thomas, Jake Walman, Scott Perunovich and Klim Kostin — who boosted his stock during the KHL playoffs.

Armstrong would be willing to part with premium draft picks, too, while trying to get his talented nucleus back into the Stanley Cup chase. 1215113 Tampa Bay Lightning later, Aho scored after Jaccob Slavin hit him with a stretch pass from the Hurricanes’ zone.

But Aho quickly went from hero to goat (before later returning to hero), as Lightning-Hurricanes Game 3 report card: Leaving their marks he was penalized just 21 seconds later for cross-checking Palat in front of the Tampa Bay net. Less than a minute after that, Point scored on the power play to cut Carolina’s lead in half.

By Frank Pastor It was the most exhilarating four minutes of a series that could use a few more thrills. Published Yesterday Grade: A Updated Yesterday Back in business

So, that Lightning power play that seemingly couldn’t get set up in the The Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho are two Hurricanes zone, let alone get a shot on net in the first two games? of the most dynamic players in the NHL, singular talents with the skill to take over a game or a series at any time. Fuhgettaboutit.

But with both teams playing tight-checking games, Kucherov and Aho After going 1 for 5 and managing a grand total of one shot on goal in the found little space to maneuver or create in the first two games of the first two games, Tampa Bay scored on two of its three chances with the second-round series. man advantage in Game 3. With plenty of time to spare.

That changed in Game 3, as the game opened up and the stars left their Point’s goal came 56 seconds after Aho’s penalty, and Killorn scored the marks on the series, for better or worse. tying goal just 26 seconds after Brady Skjei went off for cross-checking Blake Coleman. They were involved — literally — from the start, coming together during a first-period scrum in front of the Tampa Bay net. Kucherov got an arm Even on the unsuccessful chance that started late in the third period and around Aho’s neck, pulling him away from Brayden Point, and the two carried into overtime, Tampa Bay created three quality chances — a jawed as they skated into the end boards. backhander from Point and wrist shots from Kucherov and Killorn — before Stamkos fired wide of the net shortly after the penalty expired. They also made prominent appearances on the penalty sheet, Kucherov for interfering with Brett Pesce in the first period and holding Martin The Lightning had good entries, were crisp with their passes and made Necas’ stick in overtime, Aho for cross-checking Ondrej Palat in the smart reads. They finished with seven power-play shots and won four of second. five faceoffs with the man advantage, significant improvements over the first two games and promising signs as the series moves forward. There were plenty of offensive highlights, too. Grade: A-minus An overtime goal by Hurricanes Jordan Staal pushes the Tampa Bay Lightning to focus on a win for Game 4 Saturday. Tampa leads the series Holding their own 2-1. The Lightning penalty kill completely shut down the Hurricanes on a first- Aho picked up a secondary assist on Pesce’s opening goal in the second period power play and nearly escaped a second shorthanded situation period, then gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead by putting the puck between before allowing the winning goal in overtime. Andrei Vasilevskiy’s skates on a breakaway, getting behind Kucherov after being sprung on a stretch pass. After Kucherov was penalized for interfering with Pesce, Dougie Hamilton shot wide of the net and Hedman cleared the puck out of the Tampa Bay Not to be outdone, Kucherov set up both of the Lightning’s power-play zone. Erik Cernak cleared the puck, then ran into Warren Foegele before goals as they rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the game before the the Lightning again sent the puck out of the zone. period was over. Blake Coleman forced a turnover in the neutral zone and got the puck The plays were classic Kucherov. On the first, Victor Hedman kept the deep into the Carolina zone. And by the time Hedman hammered the puck in the offensive zone and got it to Brayden Point, who left it for puck around the boards from behind the Tampa Bay net, sending it to the Kucherov in the right circle. Kucherov passed across the ice to Steven other end of the ice, time had expired in the penalty. Stamkos, who returned the pass, and Kucherov set up Point in front of the net. In overtime, the Lightning were about 20 seconds from killing off Kucherov’s second penalty, as Cernak blocked a Teuvo Teravainen shot Later in the period, Kucherov skated with speed into the Carolina zone, and cleared the zone, and Anthony Cirelli had a shorthanded scoring put a shot on net, then retrieved his own rebound and one-timed a pass opportunity go off Hamilton, before Staal netted the game-winner on a into the slot for Alex Killorn, who whipped a shot past Petr Mrazek. deflection.

It was only fitting that the two players figured into the deciding goal, The penalty-killers deserved better for their efforts. Kucherov’s unnecessary penalty in the offensive zone creating the opportunity for Aho’s game-winning assist and third point of the game, a Grade: B shot from inside the left circle that went off Jordan Staal into the net. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.05.2021 With stars such as Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Auston Matthews already eliminated from the playoffs, it was fun to see Aho and Kucherov as involved as they were, even if it wasn’t always for the right reasons.

Grades: A for Aho, B for Kucherov

Here’s how we ranked the rest of the Lightning’s performance in their 3-2 loss in Game 3:

Bursting the dam

After the Lightning and Hurricanes combined for just six goals in the first two games and failed to find the back of the net in the first period, the teams erupted for three goals in a three-minute, 42-second stretch of a four-goal second.

Pesce gave Carolina its first lead of the series and scored the first 5-on-5 goal on Vasilevskiy in 228:20 (dating to Game 5 of the first round) from just above the right circle 5:15 into the period. Less than 2-1/2 minutes 1215114 Tampa Bay Lightning

‘Rested’ Petr Mrazek outlasts Lightning in Game 3

By Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

TAMPA — Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour didn’t know what to expect when he started goalie Petr Mrazek in Game 3 against the Lightning on Thursday in place of Calder Trophy finalist Alex Nedeljkovic.

The change had less to do with Nedeljkovic’s performance in the first two games of the second-round playoff series, both Carolina losses, than with giving the rookie some rest after he had started the Hurricanes’ first eight playoff games.

The adjustment paid off in a 3-2 overtime win that cut the Lightning’s series lead to 2-1.

“I just tried to read the play, read the game well,” Mrazek said. “That was the key.”

Mrazek, who hadn’t played since May 10 in Nashville, was the fifth goaltender the Lightning faced this postseason after facing seeing three against the Panthers in the opening round.

Mrazek had 35 saves, including 14 in the third period and overtime. He did not allow a goal while facing 10 shots in a scoreless first period. The two he allowed came on power plays in the second.

Despite making his first start in nearly a month, Mrazek — in his ninth NHL season and a veteran of 27 playoff starts — said he didn’t feel pressured.

“It’s fun to play, especially in the playoffs,” Mrazek said. “Those moments are forever.”

Brind’Amour was pleased with Mrazek’s play.

“He had no chance on those (power-play) goals at all,” he said. “(The Lightning) aren’t going to miss those. But he was good. He’s a battler.”

Mrazek improved his record against the Lightning this season to 2-0-0, also winning Jan. 28 in Raleigh. The win boosted the 29-year-old’s career postseason record to 12-14.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said the goalie change didn’t faze his team.

“We’ve seen Mrazek for years,” Cooper said. “He’s very familiar with this building, playing us in the playoffs from his days in Detroit (the Red Wings lost to the Lightning in the first round in 2015 and 2016 ), and so we’ve got a good book on him. He was rested, so he had a pretty good game.”

Savard back at practice

Lightning defenseman David Savard skated in Friday’s optional practice. Savard hasn’t played since the first-round series finale against Florida on May 26 and missed the first three games of the Carolina series with an upper-body injury. Cooper said Savard was “getting closer” to returning to the lineup.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215115 Tampa Bay Lightning play. “That’s what was clicking for us (Thursday), and it was a huge momentum shift for us in the game being down 2-0.”

Carolina scored two goals in 2:25 in the second period, by defenseman Hurricanes hold off Lightning in overtime to get back into series Brett Pesce and Aho.

In overtime, the Lightning had their opportunities, especially given that they were on a power play for the first 53 seconds after Carolina By Eduardo A. Encina defenseman Dougie Hamilton was called for tripping late in regulation. The Lightning had four of their five overtime shots on goal in the first Published Yesterday 1:25. Updated Yesterday “You want to see growth in your team,” Cooper said. “We played well. We didn’t win, but a lot of good things happened, we got our chances, we can’t complain. TAMPA — Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal’s overtime goal Thursday night not only silenced the largest crowd to watch a game at Amalie “It’s what makes best-of-seven series fun. They rarely are sweeps. … Arena in more than 15 months, it also pumped life into his team. And we did pretty much everything we wanted to do except for getting one more goal than them.” The Lightning may have played their best game of the second-round playoff series against the Hurricanes — they controlled the puck, Hurricanes 0-2-0-1—3 manufactured scoring chances and revived their power play — but Game Lightning 0-2-0-0—2 3 ended with a 3-2 loss in front of an announced crowd of 13,544. First Period—None. Penalties—Kucherov, TB (Interference), 17:11. The Lightning could have put the Hurricanes’ season on the ropes with a win. Instead, Carolina got its first victory of the series, cutting its deficit to Second Period—1, Carolina, Pesce 2 (Svechnikov, Aho), 5:15. 2, 2-1. Carolina, Aho 6 (Slavin, Teravainen), 7:40. 3, Tampa Bay, Point 6 (Stamkos, Kucherov), 8:57 (pp). 4, Tampa Bay, Killorn 6 (Point, “I think our team has gotten better every single game, and that’s what Kucherov), 16:18 (pp). Penalties—Aho, CAR (Cross Checking), 8:01; I’ve liked,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’ve just got to keep Skjei, CAR (Hooking), 15:52. going. You can hang your head on these (kinds of losses). You’ve just got to turn the page and go to the next one. Third Period—None. Penalties—Hamilton, CAR (Tripping), 18:52.

“The playoffs are a big damn roller coaster, and you can’t get too excited Overtime—5, Carolina, Staal 5 (Teravainen, Aho), 5:57 (pp). Penalties— when you’re high, can’t get too low when it’s low, and you’ve just got to Kucherov, TB (Holding Stick), 4:16. keep trusting in your process.” Shots on Goal—Carolina 9-9-5-4_27. Tampa Bay 10-13-9-5_37. Staal’s goal came on a power play 5:57 into overtime after Nikita Kucherov was called for a holding-the-stick penalty. Forward Martin Power-play opportunities—Carolina 1 of 2; Tampa Bay 2 of 3. Necas flicked a pass from the boards between a triangle of Lightning Goalies—Carolina, Mrazek 1-0-0 (37 shots-35 saves). Tampa Bay, defenders to forward Sebastian Aho, whose one-timer from the left circle Vasilevskiy 6-3-0 (27-24). was deflected by Staal past Andrei Vasilevskiy. A—13,544 (19,092). T—2:55. The shape of Round 2 now takes a much different turn. It puts more importance on a win for the Lightning in Saturday’s Game 4 at Amalie Referees—Gord Dwyer, Dan O’Rourke. Arena to prevent sending the series back to Raleigh, N.C., tied. Linesmen—Michel Cormier, Jonny Murray. The Lightning faced the same scenario in the first round, taking a 2-0 series lead on the Panthers before dropping Game 3 at home in Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.05.2021 overtime, but they won the next two to advance.

“We’ve been in spots like this before,” said center Brayden Point, who scored the Lightning’s first of two power-play goals and also assisted on the other. “I think it might be different if we felt like we didn’t play a good game and they won. But I think for the most part, we’re pretty happy with the way we played.

“Obviously there’s things you can clean up, things you can watch and hopefully do better next time, but for the most part, I liked our game. Give Carolina credit; they played hard as well.”

The Lightning’s power play, which had just one shot on goal in the first two games of the series, re-emerged with two big second-period goals to tie the score after falling behind 2-0.

Alex Killorn’s sixth postseason goal tied it at 2 with 3:42 left in the second period and was made possible by Kucherov’s relentlessness in front of the net.

Kucherov swept in and put a shot on net that Carolina goaltender Petr Mrazek stopped, but Kucherov corralled the rebound to the left of the net and sent a pass to Killorn in the high slot that he buried in the back.

The Lightning cut the Carolina lead to one on Point’s power-play goal 8:57 into the second period.

Point’s score was surgical, with Steven Stamkos drawing attention at the left circle, then sending a cross-ice pass to Kucherov at the right circle. Kucherov quickly sent a tough pass as Point approached the net, and Point buried a one-timer past Mrazek, who started his first postseason game this year.

“We got set up, and we put together some passing plays and were able to find some soft spots,” defenseman Victor Hedman said of the power 1215116 Tampa Bay Lightning “I think Coop has said it a couple times, ‘As Heddy goes, the team goes,'” Paquette said. “I think it’s true. When he’s on his game, nothing is sweating him. He’s playing so good, and the team is relying on him a lot. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, and the guys look up for that. He’s Lightning notes: What’s behind Victor Hedman’s resurgence? Jon just such a big part of the group.” Cooper honors a friend Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point have been the primary scorers on the power play, but there are many small, subtle plays Hedman makes to help that unit click. If you watch the Point goal in Thursday’s game, By Joe Smith Jun 4, 2021 Hedman makes a terrific play to not only keep the puck in the zone at the blue line but also start the tic-tac-toe array of passing.

Spoiler alert: Our Shayna Goldman did a story breaking down Cup contenders and noted that during the regular season, Hedman had a 2.8 GSVA, which is The Norris Trophy finalists will be announced Wednesday, and when all based on Game Score and uses traditional box score statistics and of the Professional Hockey Writers Association ballots are eventually advanced analytical metrics to come up with one number to measure a revealed, you’ll see Victor Hedman very high on mine. player’s value in terms of wins added. Before the March 30 injury, Hedman was a three-win defenseman. During the Cup run, he was It may not please the analytics crowd, especially after the admitted “lull” closer to 4.5, showing how he can elevate his game when it matters the in Hedman’s play down the stretch, which was no doubt affected by an most. injury. “Honestly, he’s one of the best in the league for a reason,” said Canes But if you watch the Lightning every day like I do, you appreciate just how defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who is also in the elite category. “He’s much Hedman does and how much he drives the Cup champions. athletic, he moves really well, and with his big body, he can cover so Thursday was a prime example. much of the ice. His offensive abilities are one of the best, and his defensive side of the game, he’s really solid. You have an all-around The Lightning were getting dominated early in the game, pinned in their really good defenseman and one of the best.” zone. Hedman got their first shot on goal around five minutes in. Around midway through the period, Hedman jumped into the rush and nearly We don’t know how much an injury is affecting Hedman — he certainly converted a two-on-one opportunity with Barclay Goodrow. Tampa Bay won’t talk about it. But Hedman’s play in the playoffs, especially was a different and more aggressive team after that. It’s no coincidence Thursday, has to be very encouraging for the Lightning as they try for a Hedman’s seven shot attempts, one more than he had in the first two historic repeat. games of the series, is a reason. During Thursday’s game, I checked in with someone who knows “He was the best player on the ice,” said Lightning color analyst Brian Hedman well. Engblom, a two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman. “It might have “It doesn’t look like he needs surgery the way he’s playing tonight,” he been his best game of the playoffs.” said. Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season as playoff MVP, with Cooper honors Kim Cannon’s memory the 6-foot-6 Swede a force at both ends, including 10 goals on 82 shots on goal. When Hedman wasn’t nearly as aggressive up the ice in the I’ll never forget the first time I spoke with Kim Cannon. final month of the season, and during the first-round series against the Panthers, you wondered whether it might be because of a lower-body It was April 2015 and I was working on a story on Cooper’s journey, injury suffered March 30 that reportedly may require offseason surgery. specifically his formative time with the Texarkana Bandits of the North American Hockey League. The former lawyer had moved to Texas in But Hedman, who has played more than 26 minutes in each of the first 2003 in a fork-in-the-road moment, the first big break in his coaching three games of this series, has shown no signs of a player laboring career. This was my first year on the Lightning beat, and I wanted to write through anything. He said it’s more of the case of feeling out what the an extensive profile on the head coach. opposing team is giving him. I asked Cooper whom I should talk to about Texarkana and St. Louis, “You’ve got to make those reads, and I had opportunities (Thursday),” where he won two Robertson Cups. Hedman said. “You’d like to go back in time and do a little bit better on those chances. I had good legs (Thursday), I felt like, and there were “You’ve got to call Kim,” Cooper told me. “Kim Cannon. some opportunities.” “She’s the best.” As much as Hedman’s skating ability and skills are brought up, he’s still Like most people in the hockey world, I had never heard of Kim. But I very strong in his own zone. He may not get the toughest matchups would soon find out what a tremendous impact she had on not only during the season or playoffs, with Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak in Cooper but also Pat Maroon, who called her “like another sister,” and the shutdown pair, but it was Hedman who was on the ice to close out several other NHLers. Cannon was one of those people who are the Game 1, a contest in which he racked up eight blocked shots. lifeblood of the sport, specifically in the NAHL, a junior league that was “He’s known probably more for the offensive side of things,” Lightning still adjusting to its growth. coach Jon Cooper said. “He runs the power play. He gets up the ice and Cooper may have coached the Bandits, but Cannon did pretty much is such a dynamic skater. He doesn’t get enough credit for the defensive everything else. They painted the lines on the ice together and sold side of things. When the game is on the line, Heddy is a warrior. If you tickets. The Bandits played in a rodeo barn in Texarkana, so it was pretty watch the last five minutes of (Game 1), he’s shot-blocking and winning much like the Wild West. Cannon joined the team as a wide-eyed 19- one-on-ones. His battles and clears, those are huge defensive plays that year-old working in the merchandise tent. Growing her title of “director of usually don’t go noticed because of the offensive plays he brings to the hockey operations” didn’t fully cover what she did. As Cooper would say, table. But he’s a pretty complete defenseman.” he couldn’t live without her in those years, moving with the team from Hedman still has 10 assists in these playoffs, including setting up Texarkana to St. Louis. Anthony Cirelli on a slick stretch pass for the winner in Game 2. He’s “I did whatever from game day ops to making sure the kids had good been helping to quarterback the potent power play. But Thursday was the grades in school,” Cannon told me in 2015. most active we’ve seen Hedman in the offensive zone in these playoffs. She said with a laugh, “And making sure they didn’t party too hard on the “He knows when to play against different kinds of teams — up the ice weekend. I did everything for (Cooper).” when needed, back on the blue line with others,” Engblom said. “He can change the tempo and momentum when he needs to. Very few players So when Cannon died Sept. 9, 2020, tragically in a car accident in rural can grab the game the way he can.” Louisiana, the same night the Lightning won Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, Cooper was devastated. One of Cooper’s first calls Cedric Paquette has seen it many times, including in last year’s Cup run. was to Mark Frankenfeld, the NAHL commissioner. Though Paquette is now with the Hurricanes, he played with Hedman from entering the NHL in 2013 through 2019-20. “He was floored,” Frankenfeld said. “The impact of her being part of “It happens to both teams,” McDonagh said. “When it happens to the everything was so powerful. He was trying to figure out if there was opponent, you try to take advantage. When it happens to you, they try to something we could do to honor her and propel this horrible loss into take advantage. You play the percentages and pass the stick down the something possible.” line. You’ve just got to handle the adversity in the right way and see where it goes.” Cooper and the NAHL announced Wednesday a plan for an internship in Cannon’s name, which both the Lightning coach and the league will help The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 fund. The idea is to help the future Kim Cannons, the behind-the-scenes people who make teams run. And help is sorely needed for an eight- person office that oversees 200 teams in leagues spanning from youth to junior. When the NAHL’s director of communications Alex Kyrias called Cannon’s mother, Kaye, on Tuesday to let her know about the internship, she started to cry.

“She was sobbing with pride,” Kyrias said. “She was over the moon appreciative.”

Cooper appreciated everything Cannon did with the Bandits, all those unforgettable moments like the all-night process of painting and freezing the ice, spraying it with water every hour. Putting up dasher boards. The countless calls and texts from players’ parents, including Maroon’s mom, Patti, making sure he was OK. The 2 1/2-hour drives to Shreveport for some practices in a sleeper van, with Cooper recalling getting Taco Bell on the way back.

The, um, atmosphere at the 3,500-seat Four State Fairgrounds where they played. One side was for drinking, the other side was for family and kids.

“There were cats, mice, and when it rained like crazy, there would be a torrential downpour on the hockey game,” she recalled a few years back. “There was literally water falling from the ceiling during play.”

Cannon also tried to work on a Bandits reunion, to get the group back together.

When Cannon died, Maroon said he was “crushed.”

“She was like a second sister to me,” Maroon said in September. “She took really good care of me. That smile was contagious. Every time she walked into a room, everyone paid attention to her. We know she’s looking down on us.”

Cooper said Cannon would be the first one to drink out of the Stanley Cup, had she been given the chance.

When I shared my 2018 story on Cooper and Maroon’s Texarkana connection, she wrote back:

“Two of my favorite people. So happy for where they are today. Definitely brings back a million memories.”

Cannon may be gone, but for Cooper and Maroon, those memories will always remain. And so will the internship in her name.

Quick hits

• With the Lightning winning the Stanley Cup in the bubble with no fans, returning to a packed building in the playoffs — including 16,000-plus in Carolina — has been an adjustment. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde said it’s something they addressed with the team, with sports psychologist Ryan Hamilton offering insight.

“It’s going to be different, but as tough as a mental grind as the bubble was,” Lalonde said. “There’s a reality of managing your emotions in a packed house.”

Hamilton has spent time with Tampa Bay during the playoffs, and if you want to learn more about his impact and Tampa Bay’s approach to mental health, check out our story from a month ago.

• David Savard, the Lightning’s main deadline acquisition, has yet to play in this series but is “getting closer,” Cooper said. Savard participated in the optional practice Friday and looked good overall, though it’s hard to tell how his recovery from an upper-body injury is going. Cooper said he fully expects Savard to play during this series.

• Cooper noted how there’s been an uncanny amount of broken sticks during this series, including three by the Lightning in the first 10 minutes of Thursday’s Game 3. You’ve seen several heads-up moments like when Cirelli gave his stick to Mikhail Sergachev in Game 2 on a penalty kill, or others on the bench quickly hooking teammates up with them. Cirelli said it’s more important for defensemen to have a stick in the defensive zone in front of the net, so they try to help them out in those situations. 1215117 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs report card for 2020-21: Lots of A’s despite disappointing end to the season

By Kevin McGran

Fri., June 4, 2021 updated 16 hrs ago

Okay, breathe.

Things don’t always work out the way you expect and this Maple Leafs season that ended again too early is no exception.

Hey, remember when Mikko Lehtonen was going to be not just a Calder candidate but in the Norris conversation? Remember Jimmy Vesey was going to find his game in Toronto?

Things go sideways. Or get blown out of proportion.

Basically, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have yet to reach their playoff potential, John Tavares got hurt, and so this is where we are.

But based on the players who should return, you can pencil this team in for the playoffs again in 2021-22. They are regular-season good.

And with that in mind, let’s look back at the entire season — not just the playoffs — to grade the Maple Leafs individually.

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215118 Toronto Maple Leafs In total, Robertson had one assist in six games with the Leafs and 21 points in 16 games with the Toronto Marlies.

“It was frustrating overall with the injuries, but I thought I got a whole lot Keeping Zach Hyman a seemingly insurmountable challenge for Leafs better,” Robertson said. “It was an eye-opener on how physical everything was in the AHL.

“I would rather have a season like this, dealing with the mental grinds of Terry Koshan injuries, turning fully pro and being away from home in Toronto than going back to the OHL (which did not have a season). I’m happy I got the Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 10 hours ago chance to play in the AHL and some games in the NHL.”

Robertson will head home to California on Saturday for some rest and If you enjoy watching Zach Hyman working on the forecheck and will return to Michigan in July to train in earnest and return to the ice. retrieving the puck for his linemates, envision him doing it in a uniform “My lower body, my core strength,” Robertson said of his off-season other than the Maple Leafs’ blue and white next season and beyond. focus. “I want that to be one of my strong points and make my body Hyman is heading for the open market as an unrestricted free agent and more, for lack of a better term, withstandable of injuries.” the Leafs don’t have the money to re-sign him. Robertson, who turns 20 in September, isn’t the kind of player who needs That’s what the situation with the work-first, ask-questions-later winger any extra motivation. simply boils down to. Hyman would like to remain with his hometown He will get some, in a positive manner, from his brother Jason, whose team — with the caveat, as he said on Wednesday, “if something made excellent year with the has resulted in a nomination for the sense” — and the Leafs would like him to stay. Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. The expectation is that Hyman will be entertaining long-term offers “He gives me hope, not that there is any doubt, but he gives you that ‘If between $5 million and $6 million US once free agency opens on July 28. he can do it, I can do it’ feeling,” Robertson said. “He gives me inspiration The Leafs, strapped as they are under the $81.5-million salary cap, have to be where he is at, or even better. He has had a remarkable season.” other holes to fill throughout the lineup, and don’t have that kind of cash to give to Hyman. HOLMBERG SIGNS

Even if the Leafs create space by trading a player such as Alex Kerfoot, The Leafs signed forward Pontus Holmberg to a two-year entry-level who has a cap hit of $3.5 million, they’re still going to have to come up contract. with inventive ways to keep Hyman and make satisfactory gains in other areas of the roster. Holmberg, 22, had 23 points in 45 games for Vaxjo of the Swedish Hockey League this past season and was named the SHL playoffs MVP “This is his big opportunity in his career (to get paid), and he knows that,” after recording 14 points in 17 games, on the way to a league title. a source said of Hyman. “There’s going to be no shortage of interest in him.” Holmberg was the Leafs’ sixth-round pick, 156th overall, in 2018.

Hyman’s agent, Todd Reynolds, shot down a rumour circulating on He will return to Vaxjo next season, the Leafs said. Friday that the Leafs already had offered Hyman a contract with an Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.05.2021 annual average value of $5 million.

“That’s not accurate,” Reynolds said. “There’s nothing to it.”

Hyman, who turns 29 on June 9, has been an exemplary player and person for the Leafs since his rights were acquired from the Florida Panthers in June 2015. In 345 games with Toronto, Hyman has 86 goals and 99 assists. He is finishing a four-year, $9-million contract with a cap hit of $2.25-million.

Hyman’s time has come to explore the open market, as is his earned right.

Our hunch as it stands today? Your Leafs sweater with Hyman’s name on the back is going to become a collector’s item.

NICK MOTIVATED

Nick Robertson planned to earn a full-time spot on the Leafs’ roster this past season.

Once the Leafs re-convene in Toronto in September for training camp, Robertson has sights on seeing that through.

“It’s expected of myself to grab one of those spots,” Robertson said on Friday in an interview with the Toronto Sun. “It’s definitely my goal to not only to make the team, but to make a difference.

“I know exactly what I want to work on and carry on to camp and the rest of the season. I want to be an impactful player.”

The prospect of Robertson playing for the Leafs on a regular basis in 2020-21 was bright following the team’s bubble play last August, as Robertson demonstrated in the qualifying round against the Columbus Blue Jackets that he was capable.

The Leafs’ second-round pick in 2019 didn’t get the chance to prove it this season. In his first game, on Jan. 16 in Ottawa, the energetic winger suffered a knee injury. A lingering groin/abdominal issue would later become a factor, and he also suffered a concussion.

Robertson indicated he was close to being cleared to join the Leafs taxi squad when the team lost in Game 7 against Montreal on Monday. 1215119 Vegas Golden Knights Forward Carl Soderberg, who had the first goal for Colorado, knows it’s a chance they might regret squandering.

“Maybe we stepped back too much in the third,” he said. “We gave them Avalanche’s Jared Bednar rips team after loss to Golden Knights a lot of opportunities. We were almost there.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.05.2021

By Adam Hill

June 4, 2021 - 10:44 PM

Updated June 4, 2021 - 11:37 PM

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar doesn’t have to break down much film to diagnose what has gone wrong in the past two games.

He believes it comes down to one key factor that never will be seen on a stat sheet.

“The easy answer is for five periods straight they’ve been far more competitive than we have,” Bednar said after a 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights on Friday night at T-Mobile Arena. “To dissect the game any more than that is a waste of time.”

Colorado still leads the best-of-seven West Division final 2-1, but Bednar doesn’t want his team to take any false sense of security out of that narrow advantage.

He believes his team won Game 2 despite getting outplayed for the final 40 minutes and then got the outcome it deserved for being outplayed Friday.

Bednar thought his team gave away a chance to put a “stranglehold” on the series.

“We’re kidding ourselves if we think that’s the competitiveness we need to beat a team that tied us for first in the league,” he said. “We had a good night and caught them on an off night in Game 1. We gave them life in Game 2 and were able to come out with a win because of special teams and our goalie. We’re going to have to compete way harder than that in order to beat them. If we haven’t already realized that, we’re late to the party.

The Avalanche almost stole another one in Game 3, largely because of goaltender Philipp Grubauer. The top netminder in the playoffs so far made stop after stop to keep the game tied until Mikko Rantanen gave the Avalanche a lead on the man advantage with 14:56 to play.

Colorado then allowed two late goals in 45 seconds to turn a 3-0 series lead into a 2-1 advantage with Game 4 on Sunday at T-Mobile.

“The hardest-working player we have right now is Philipp Grubauer,” Bednar said.

Bednar’s top line looked pretty good in a dominant Game 1 victory, too, but has been largely neutralized since.

Rantanen’s overtime game-winner on the power play in Game 2 was their only real impact, and Bednar broke up the group of Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog in the third period Friday looking for a spark.

“It starts there,” Bednar said of who needs to step up to change the complexion of the series. “I haven’t seen the stats, but check the numbers on our top guys and see what they did against their top guys. It’s not close.

“Did you see anything going on? What would you do? There’s nothing going on the whole night. Should we just leave it the same?”

While Bednar called out his top line, Rantanen’s goal marked the 17th straight postseason game in which he has recorded a point, the eighth- longest streak in NHL history.

Rantanen thought his group still created opportunities but needs to be more responsible on the defensive end.

“We were trading chances, and that’s not winning hockey,” he said. “Everybody knows that. It’s the defense that wins you championships.”

The Avalanche allowed 43 shots on goal and created 20. Still, they had a chance to go up 3-0 in the series with a lead in the final minutes. 1215120 Vegas Golden Knights Limiting chances Stat of the night?

Colorado was held to 20 shots on goal. It averaged nearly 35 in both the Home is where heart is as Golden Knights down Avalanche regular season and playoffs.

This after the Knights limited the Avalanche to 25 shots in Game 2. By Ed Graney They just aren’t giving Colorado much of anything right now. June 4, 2021 - 10:30 PM So things shift to Sunday, the Knights with an opportunity to tie things up and Colorado a chance to win and return home for what would be a series-clinching victory should things fall its way. Long way from that. The heart beats. But it’s going back to Denver regardless. T-Mobile Arena is back rocking. Do you hear that? It’s a series again. The heart beats. The Knights are again in this. The Golden Knights on Friday night sought and earned a rebirth against Colorado in a best-of-seven West Division final, beating the Avalanche 3- What a difference home makes. 2 before a delirious 17,504. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.05.2021 Colorado now leads the series 2-1 with Game 4 here on Sunday.

This is how you get back in things.

It would take two third-period goals 45 seconds apart to catch and then pass Colorado on an evening when the Knights — as in Denver for Game 2 — controlled much of everything.

This time, they were rewarded with victory as one of the league’s most passionate fan bases returned to its happy place.

Soaking in moment

The pregame warmups had ended and one figure remained on ice. Marc- Andre Fleury always does.

But this time, the Knights goalie slowly skated to one side and stopped, looking up at a scene and hearing a sound no Knight had enjoyed in what seemed like forever. The cheers grew louder as he soaked in the moment.

He then tossed a puck into the stands and slowly exited.

Hockey in Las Vegas as thousands came to know and embrace the past four years was back to its usual fever-pitch level, the first time this building has opened its doors to a full house since March 3, 2020.

“We had some fans at the beginning of the playoffs, but tonight was something else,” Fleury said. “You’re able to make a big save and people cheer like that … it gives you goose bumps. I’m getting some now. It gives you a great feeling.”

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr started things out by cranking the pregame siren, and two things stood out: If he plays this season with the same level of intensity as he turned that wheel, the offense will be even better than last year. That, and had Jon Gruden seen Carr’s arm flailing wildly away like that, the Raiders coach might have needed medical attention.

There is no question the sea of white towels and a pregame entertainment show that included a fire stick melting an avalanche — nice touch with that one — took care of an atmosphere advantage for the Knights. They have always enjoyed one but desperately needed it down 2-0 in the series.

And they played like it.

Where had we seen this before: The Knights forechecking with abandon, plugging things up so as to negate Colorado’s speed. They couldn’t have asked for a better effort 5-on-5 from a top line of Chandler Stephenson, Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty when matched against Colorado stars Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen.

Locked them up is right.

“It’s not going to be perfect every night,” said Pacioretty, whose game- winning goal at 15:27 of the third came off a redirect via a Nick Holden shot. “You don’t want to say we’re defending them. You want them to defend. That’s the way to play against top guys in the league.

“MacKinnon is the fastest guy in the league, and if you let him come out of his end, he’s going to make you pay. You want to keep them in their end and have them waste some energy.” 1215121 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights-Colorado Avalanche recap

By Ben Gotz

June 4, 2021 - 10:21 PM

Series schedule

Game 1 — Avalanche 7, Knights 1

Game 2 — Avalanche 3, Knights 2 (OT)

Game 3 — Knights 3, Avalanche 2

Game 4 — 5:30 p.m. Sunday, T-Mobile Arena, NBCSN

Game 5 — 6 p.m. Tuesday, Denver, NBCSN

Game 6 — TBD Thursday, T-Mobile Arena*

Game 7 — TBD June 12, Denver*

* – If necessary

RJ’s three stars

3. Knights center William Karlsson — He scored his second goal of the series, and it was a thing of beauty. He kicked a rebound to his stick in front of the net and tucked the puck in.

2. Knights left wing Max Pacioretty — He scored his second goal of the playoffs to put his team in front with 4:33 remaining. He has two goals and two assists in four playoff games.

1. Knights left wing Jonathan Marchessault — He has two goals in the postseason, and both were sorely needed. He answered the Minnesota Wild’s opening tally in Game 2 of the first round and tied Game 3 against Colorado with 5:18 left.

Key play

Marchessault’s goal.

The Knights were desperately pushing to tie the game after right wing Mikko Rantanen put Colorado ahead 2-1 with 14:56 to play. It seemed as if nothing was going to get past goaltender Philipp Grubauer.

That included a Marchessault chance when he couldn’t get a shot on Grubauer in front. But he spun and fired from behind the goal line to bank the puck off Grubauer’s back and score an equalizer.

The Knights took the lead 45 seconds later.

Key stat

17,504 — The announced attendance at T-Mobile Arena.

It was the first full-capacity crowd in the NHL this season. The fans were loud and noticeable throughout the game, but especially when the Knights made their comeback push in the third period.

Knights quotable

“A huge goal. Time will tell how much huge it’s going to be.” — Karlsson, on Marchessault’s goal.

Avs quotable

“The easy answer is for five periods straight they’ve been far more competitive than we have. To dissect the game any more than that is a waste of time.” — Colorado coach Jared Bednar.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215122 Vegas Golden Knights The Avalanche finished with three shots on goal in the period, but the Knights were unable to cash in on their two chances with the power play and allowed Colorado to stay close.

Golden Knights rally for win over Avs, cut deficit to 2-1 Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez were turned away by Grubauer at the end of the Knights’ first man advantage, which had a difficult time entering the offensive zone.

By David Schoen Grubauer slid to his left to deny Reilly Smith’s one-timer in the final minute for the last of his 14 first-period stops. June 4, 2021 - 9:50 PM The Knights finally took their first lead of the series 4:38 into the second Updated June 5, 2021 - 12:15 am period. Alex Pietrangelo’s shot from the right point was blocked, but William Karlsson shook free and kicked the loose puck onto his backhand before flicking in his third goal of the postseason. Mark Stone skated in a large circle around center ice Friday, raising his stick in the air as a salute to the capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena. The lead lasted 1:29, as Colorado’s revamped fourth line found room through the neutral zone on the rush and tied the score 1-1. Before he headed off, the captain flashed a thumbs-up to the announced gathering of 17,504 signaling the Golden Knights have life in the West Former Golden Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare launched a Division final. shot from the left wing that Fleury couldn’t handle, and Carl Soderberg cleaned up the rebound for his first goal of the postseason. Max Pacioretty’s deflection with 4:33 remaining capped a thrilling third- period comeback, and the Knights climbed back in the best-of-seven “Even when we’re down, I still think we have that faith of we believe in series with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3. ourselves that we can turn things around,” Karlsson said. “Obviously you’d rather want to play with the lead. But that’s what I like about this Game 4 is at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at T-Mobile Arena. team, that we never give up.”

The Knights trail 2-1 in the series, but have outplayed the Presidents’ LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.05.2021 Trophy winner in the past two games.

“Once we were able to break through, you use that momentum that (the crowd) gives us,” Pacioretty said. “The place was electric. You probably see and feel it up top, in the stands, through the TV. This is the best place to play, and especially in the playoffs it’s a lot of fun.”

Colorado received another outstanding effort from goalie Philipp Grubauer and nearly stole a victory despite being outshot 43-20.

Mikko Rantanen capitalized on a power play to put the Avalanche ahead 2-1 at 5:04 of the third period and extend his playoff scoring streak to 17 games dating to last season.

But the Knights rallied with two goals 45 seconds apart to stay alive in the series.

“We just stuck with it,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “We just kept our belief in our game, which I think has been in a good place if you throw out Game 1. … We played some pretty good periods of hockey against them, so it’s just a matter of sticking with it.”

Jonathan Marchessault got loose in the offensive zone, and his first attempt was stopped, but he recovered and banked the puck off Grubauer’s back from behind the goal line to tie the score 2-2 with 5:18 to play.

“I think last game we played a great game, and we should have had a better outcome, but we stuck with it tonight,” Marchessault said. “Obviously, we were down 2-1, but we were the better team out there tonight and we got some lucky bounce there.”

With the crowd still roaring, Pacioretty deflected Nick Holden’s shot from the point past Grubauer with 4:33 remaining.

“It’s tough to believe when you miss so many chances,” Pacioretty said. “You get that first goal, you just have a feeling the next one’s going to come. So when that floater comes in from (Holden), you just have a little bit more confidence that you’re going to tip it, and that’s how it played out.”

Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 18 saves, including a stop on Rantanen in the final minute to preserve the one-goal lead.

“After that big third goal we had, to be able to make a save and have people cheering me like that, it gives you goosebumps,” Fleury said. “I still get some now. It’s a lot of fun. Gives you a great feeling. It’s the reason why playing this game can be so much fun.”

The Knights struggled throughout the postseason in the first period, including the opening two games against the Avalanche, but got off to a fast start after Raiders quarterback Derek Carr cranked the rally siren.

Their forechecking pressure and play in the neutral zone that worked so well in the second and third periods of Game 2 pinned Colorado in its own zone for extended stretches. 1215123 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights emphasize discipline against Avalanche

By David Schoen

June 4, 2021 - 7:03 PM

Updated June 4, 2021 - 8:54 PM

Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer avoided a fine for his comments about the officiating after Game 2 of the West Division final.

But discipline was a point of emphasis for the Golden Knights entering Game 3 on Friday after they matched their penalty total from the entire first round during the first two games against Colorado.

“Their speed obviously puts you sometimes in some vulnerable places to take some penalties where some other teams don’t have that,” DeBoer said. “You’ve got to keep your stick on the ice, check with your legs.”

The Knights were one of the least penalized teams during the regular season, ranking 25th in minors taken and 22nd in total penalties. They took 16 penalties in seven games during the first-round series win over Minnesota, the same number they had at Colorado.

The Avalanche drew more penalties than any team except Florida in the regular season and are a league-leading plus-nine in net penalties during the postseason (30-21).

Colorado took advantage of the opportunities with the man advantage by going 4-for-11 against the Knights in the two games in Denver. Mikko Rantanen scored the winner in overtime of Game 2 for the Avalanche with Reilly Smith off for slashing, a penalty DeBoer said was a “soft call.”

“Obviously, I think discipline has been one of our strengths all year. I thought it was through the Minnesota series, too,” DeBoer said. “At the same time, there’s been some unfortunate ones, too. Pucks over the glass and the overtime one the other night, stuff that you’re not counting on being penalties. But we’ve got to deal with it better.”

‘Best goly’

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury shouldered a share of the blame after Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime loss at Colorado and needed cheering up.

His 5-year-old daughter, Scarlett, had a letter of encouragement waiting for Fleury when he arrived home Thursday.

Fleury’s wife, Veronique Larosee Fleury, posted the letter on Instagram.

“Last nite you made me happy Dad,” she wrote. “You stop pucks and that made me proud Dad. I love you! Keep stopping the pucks. In my hart you are the best goly.”

Fleury, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, was back between the pipes for the Knights in Game 3.

McNabb update

Defenseman Brayden McNabb remains in NHL COVID protocol, but is nearing a return provided he’s recovered after a positive test.

McNabb was first included on the list of COVID protocol-related absences May 26, and the protocol states that a player can end his isolation period after 10 days or two negative tests.

Players who remain asymptomatic and test negative after isolating can be cleared by the team physician to start “low grade exercise” before the end of the 14 days. To return to games, McNabb must be cleared by a cardiologist and team physician, according to the protocol.

“There’s pretty extensive parameters on what he’s allowed to do and not allowed to do,” DeBoer said. “Every day that goes by he gets closer to coming back.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215124 Vegas Golden Knights

Daughter’s encouraging note greets Fleury on return home

By Mark Anderson

June 4, 2021 - 11:27 am

Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury returned to Las Vegas after Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime loss at Colorado to find a timely letter of encouragement from his 5-year-old daughter, Scarlett.

“Last nite you made me happy Dad,” she wrote to him. “You stop pucks and that made me proud Dad. I love you! Keep stopping the pucks. In my hart you are the best goly.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Veronique Larosee Fleury (@vlaroseefleury)

Fleury’s wife, Veronique Larosee Fleury, posted the letter on Instagram.

The loss to the Avalanche put the Knights in a 2-0 hole of the best-of- seven West Division final. The teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215125 Vegas Golden Knights When Pacioretty deflected a shot from Nick Holden less than a minute later, he said he knew it was going in even before it found the net. Marchessault’s spark provided such confidence, according to Pacioretty.

Golden Knights kept composure to change circumstances of Avalanche Make that a mixture of Marchessault’s spark and the largest home crowd series in 15 months. The advantage of having a capacity crowd of 17,504 fans for the first time since the pandemic wasn’t lost on the Golden Knights.

“We’ve talked about so often how they’ve helped us take over a game,” By Case Keefer (contact) Pacioretty said. “They’ve stayed positive with us right to the very end and once we’re able to break through we use that momentum they are able to Saturday, June 5, 2021 | 2 a.m. give us … This is the best place to play and — especially in the playoffs The Golden Knights Beat Colorado, 3-2 — it’s pretty fun.”

There’s still a lot more work to do. Mental toughness has its limits. It can only take a team so far against an opponent like Colorado, which is Max Pacioretty nearly decked Philipp Grubauer when he celebrated his rightfully still considered a big favorite to ultimately advance in the game-winning goal with a straight right Friday night at T-Mobile Arena. playoffs.

Connecting with what looked like it could have been a knockout punch But Vegas has a chance if it continues to play like it has in the last two would have been purely unintentional, of course, but also appropriate in a games, and given the team’s mindset, it has no doubt it can continue to way. The Avalanche’s goalie has done more than enough to frustrate play like it has in the last two games. most opponents with the way he’s played through the first three games of his team’s second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series. The Golden Knights aren’t going to beat themselves because they refuse to get down on themselves. Just not the Golden Knights. “That’s what I like about this team, we never give up,” Karlsson said. “We Vegas took all of Grubauer’s, and his posts’, stops in stride over the last try to contain the emotion.” two games, not to mention Colorado also seemingly getting everything else to fall its way. The Golden Knights could have “folded the tents,” in LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.05.2021 captain Mark Stone’s words, when staring at a one-goal deficit and potential 3-0 series hole late in Game 3 on Friday.

Instead, they stayed levelheaded, kept attacking and changed their fortune with a two-goals-in-45-seconds third-period stretch for the ages to win 3-2 and cut the Avalanche’ series lead down to 2-1.

“Perseverance,” Vegas coach Pete DeBoer cited as the reason for Friday night’s victory. “We just stuck with it and kept our belief in our game.”

That may come off as simple or straight out of Team Sports for Dummies. But it’s not.

Not when it comes to this particular set of circumstances. Encountering a hot goalie and ending up on the wrong side of puck luck is entrenched as a part of hockey, but it must be demoralizing when it’s a historically efficient team, President’s Trophy-winning team catching all the additional breaks.

It’s not like Colorado needs the extra help. By any metric beyond goals, Vegas had spent the last six periods of the series as the superior team but had little to show for it as Game 3 wound down.

Somehow that didn’t bother them.

“We have a lot of hockey to play,” forward Jonathan Marchessault said. “I think last game we played a great game and should have had a better outcome. Tonight, we stuck with it. Obviously we’re down 2-1, but tonight, we were the better team.”

After the Golden Knights manufactured a first period full of prime opportunities but saw Grubauer turn them all away, Marchessault gave the traditional radio interview during intermission. He stressed that the Golden Knights couldn’t be taken out of their game and needed to stay positive.

It’s easier said than done, but Marchessault did both.

He lived up to his words as his line, with Reilly Smith and William Karlsson, was the one to drive the Golden Knights by generating constant chances in the final two periods. They were rewarded too as the first goal of the game came when Karlsson poked in a putback past Grubauer.

Then, with Vegas trailing 2-1 with six minutes to play, Marchessault scored in a fashion that would end up looking like a microcosm of the Golden Knights’ night. Grubauer blocked his initial shot, but Marchessault kept at it and got to the rebound behind the net where he fired the puck in off of the goaltender’s back.

“That goal obviously gave us the energy to finish it off,” Pacioretty said. “Going down 3-0, that’s really hard, so that goal was huge.” 1215126 Vegas Golden Knights man pass set Pacioretty up for a breakaway, but he couldn't beat Philipp Grubauer on the one-on-one look.

Shots were even 9-9 in the second, giving Vegas a 23-12 edge for the Blog: Golden Knights rally to down Avalanche in Game 3 game.

Golden Knights start hot but don't score in first vs. Avalanche

By Justin Emerson (contact) The Golden Knights played their best period of the series to start Friday's Game 3 but couldn't come out of it with the lead. Published Friday, June 4, 2021 | 3 p.m. Vegas dominated possession and held Colorado to just three shots on Updated Friday, June 4, 2021 | 9:52 p.m. goal, but two power plays and the rest of the period came up empty as the teams headed to the first intermission in a 0-0 tie at T-Mobile Arena.

The Golden Knights picked up right where they left off after the second The Golden Knights are alive and well in this series. and third periods of Game 2, forechecking Colorado hard and not After the Avalanche scored to quiet the crowd and give Colorado a lead allowing the Avalanche to exit the zone with control. Colorado didn't in the third period, Jonathan Marchessault tied the game with 5:18 to go record its first shot until 7:05 into the game, and Vegas even had the first and Max Pacioretty tipped in the game winner 45 seconds later as the power play — a slow-developing one with two good looks at the end. Golden Knights rallied to take down the Colorado Avalanche and win Colorado only had two shots on goal in the final 13 minutes of the period, Game 3 by a 3-2 final score at T-Mobile Arena on Friday. and one was an attempted pass that went on goal and the other was a Vegas picked up its first win of the series and trails 2-1. Game 4 is set for shot from the neutral zone. Vegas bottled up Colorado in the first in a 5:30 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. way few teams have this season.

For the second game in a row Rantanen netted a power-play goal to give The Avalanche had one good look in the frame and it came from their top Colorado a late lead. The Game 2 goal came in overtime, so the Golden line, which has been a menace this series. Nathan MacKinnon stormed Knights didn't get a comeback chance like tonight. This one came just into the zone and found a streaking Mikko Rantanen across the ice. seven seconds after Nicolas Roy was called for hooking, and Rantanen Rantanen had the open net to shoot at, but his deflection batted scored his third goal in three games this series. harmlessly off the outside of the post.

Vegas was ready this time. Marchessault tied the game by whiffing on his Vegas led in shots on goal 14-3 for the period, and had six high-danger initial try when he went in alone on Philipp Grubauer, but recovered in chances to Colorado's zero, according to stats site Natural Stat Trick. time to bank the shot off Colorado's goalie and into the net for the game- Golden Knights looking to slow Avalanche power play in Game 3 tying goal. The Colorado Avalanche, with their stable of offensive talent, naturally Then Pacioretty scored the winner. He got enough of his stick on Nick have a pretty good power play. The Golden Knights have seen what that Holden's point shot to redirect it by Grubaer and send the crowd into a unit can do far too often in this series. frenzy. Vegas held the Avalanche to just one power-play goal in 21 opportunities It was the first game this season with a capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena in the regular season but have already given up four goals on 11 with an announced attendance of 17,504. chances in the first two games of the series. The Golden Knights' penalty The Golden Knights had their best period of the series in the first, kill, the top-rated unit in the league in the regular season, has had its outshooting Colorado 14-3, but were unable to find the net. They work cut out of it so far in the second round, and the Golden Knights will grabbed their first lead of the series on a William Karlsson rebound 4:38 look to limit the Avalanche power play in Game 3 at 7 p.m. today at T- into the second, but Carl Soderberg answered 1:29 later for Colorado. Mobile Arena.

Golden Knights, Avalanche trade goals in second period "Their power play is really good for them. They got two goals for them last game, a couple the game before that," Vegas forward Keegan The Golden Knights finally grabbed a lead over the Colorado Avalanche Kolesar said. "They have a very dangerous power play, so we've got to and it lasted fewer than 90 seconds. do everything we can to stay out of the box."

Vegas scored, Colorado answered and Game 3 of their second-round Part of allowing the four power-play goals is having an extra man in the series will head to the third period in a 1-1 tie at T-Mobile Arena on box 11 times, an uncharacteristic number for Vegas. Friday. The Golden Knights were one of the least penalized teams in the league After a period-plus of dominating the game, the Golden Knights finally in the regular season, going short-handed an average of 2.57 times per broke through at the 4:38 mark of the second. Alex Pietrangelo had the game, fourth-least in the league. It was even better in the first round initial shot, and William Karlsson was in the right spot to back-hand home against the Wild, as the Golden Knights were short-handed just 11 times the rebound for his third goal of the playoffs and second of the series. in seven games, or 1.57 times per game.

In the first round against Minnesota, the Golden Knights did a good job of The 11 power-play chances Vegas has given the Avalanche is the most turning on the jets whenever they coughed up a goal. The Avalanche by any team in the second round. Putting Colorado on the power play at clearly didn't like falling behind for the first time in the series, and scored least five times a game is a recipe for disaster, even with a regular 1:29 after Karlsson did. season penalty-killing unit that was successful at a league-best 86.8% clip. Vegas dominated the Avalanche fourth line in Game 2 so they responded by inserting veterans Carl Soderberg and Kiefer Sherwood into the "We've got to do a better job," coach Pete DeBoer said. "Our PK depth lineup, both of whom played a role in Colorado's first goal. Former has been tested with (Tomas) Nosek and (Mattias) Janmark out of the Golden Knight Pierre-Edouard Bellemare fired a blast off Marc-Andre lineup, and the guys that are getting some of those minutes in place of Fleury's pads, and Soderberg crashed the net and put home the rebound those guys have got to get the job done for us when they get in there." at 6:07. Sherwood had the secondary assist. The Golden Knights are expecting the same lineup as Game 2, with one The Golden Knights had an unlucky break with 5:19 remaining in the possible exception. Alex Tuch did not take the ice for morning skate, period as the Avalanche were attacking on a rush. Shea Theodore batted putting his status for tonight into question. DeBoer said Tuch and away a centering pass but because it went over the glass and into the everyone else not on the ice for practice are game-time decisions. netting, it was ruled delay of game and the Avalanche picked up their first power play. It didn't hurt the Golden Knights as they killed it off with If Tuch can't go, the Golden Knights will turn to Cody Glass, who skated relative ease. in his spot at practice. Glass made his postseason debut in Game 6 against the Wild, and if he skates on the third line with Dylan Sikura and Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty produced Vegas' best chance to grab the Nicolas Roy, that will form a line with 31 combined games of postseason lead again with about two minutes left in the period after Stone's head- experience. Roy has provided 29 of those. Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to start after saving 22 of 25 shots in Game 2. The Vezina Trophy finalist started all seven games of the first round but did not play Game 1 when Vegas allowed a franchise-high seven playoff goals.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2

Series: Avalanche lead 2-0

TV: NBC Sports Network (DirecTV 220, Cox 38, CenturyLink 640)

Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM

Betting line: Golden Knights minus-115, Avalanche minus-105; over/under: 5.5 (minus-105, minus-115)

Golden Knights (4-5, West Division No. 2 seed)

Coach: Pete DeBoer (second season)

Points leader: Mattias Janmark (6)

Goals leader: Mark Stone (4)

Assists leader: Chandler Stephenson (5)

Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (1.86 GAA, .924 save percentage)

Avalanche (6-0, West Division No. 1 seed)

Coach: Jared Bednar (fifth season)

Points leader: Nathan MacKinnon (13)

Goals leader: Nathan MacKinnon (8)

Assists leaders: Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen (7)

Expected goalie: Philipp Grubauer (1.66 GAA, .943 save percentage)

Golden Knights projected lineup

Forwards

Max Pacioretty—Chandler Stephenson—Mark Stone

Jonathan Marchessault—William Karlsson—Reilly Smith

Dylan Sikura—Nicolas Roy—Alex Tuch

William Carrier—Patrick Brown—Keegan Kolesar

Defensemen

Alec Martinez—Alex Pietrangelo

Nick Holden—Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague—Zach Whitecloud

Goalies

Marc-Andre Fleury, Robin Lehner

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215127 Vegas Golden Knights little practice time. And I thought he played on adrenaline and gave us a real good boost that night, but that catches up to you. Tonight was the first night I thought he’s really looked like his old self again.”

Max Pacioretty wins it for Golden Knights to cap a special performance in Pacioretty led all players with eight shots in the game. No other player Game 3 had more than five. He also led all skaters with eight individual scoring chances and had the same number of high danger scoring chances as the Avalanche as a team (5-5).

By Jesse Granger Jun 5, 2021 “I don’t even know how many opportunities he had tonight,” Holden said of Pacioretty. “It just shows how good he was playing. It’s just great to

see a guy who missed a little bit of time here, came back and since he’s Colorado goalie Philipp Grubauer stood tall and extended his blocker to come back, he’s been strong.” stop Nick Holden’s high shot from the point. But inches in front of his For the first 55 minutes of the game, Pacioretty had nothing to show for face, Max Pacioretty of the Golden Knights created room for himself, his effort as Grubauer — a finalist for the Vezina Trophy — turned each lifted his stick and perfectly deflected the puck underneath Grubauer for of his chances away. But he wouldn’t be denied, scoring with 4:33 to play the game-winning goal. to send T-Mobile Arena into a deafening frenzy. Pacioretty was mobbed behind the net by teammates Mark Stone and “When you get that first goal, you just have a feeling the next one is Chandler Stephenson, and the roar from the capacity crowd of 17,504 going to come,” Pacioretty said. “So when that floater comes in from was so loud, it shook the glass of the gleaming disco balls hanging above Holden, you just have a little more confidence that you’re going to tap it the rink as Vegas won Game 3 of the series, 3-2, on Friday. in.” “When Stone turned back and laid the puck in front of me, I just made Perhaps most impressive about the performance by Pacioretty and sure I hit it hard and obviously Patch got a great tip on it,” Holden said. linemates Stone and Stephenson was that it came against Colorado’s “The building was already loud from when (Jonathan) Marchessault had vaunted top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Rantanen and Gabriel scored (to tie the game), and it got much, much louder.” Landeskog. They played more than 10 minutes against that line, limiting It was the first full-capacity crowd in the NHL this season, and they were the Avalanche to only three shots, no high danger scoring chances and treated to an absolute gem of a hockey game. The Golden Knights and no goals. Avalanche traded goals throughout, swinging the momentum back and “You don’t want to say we’re defending them,” Pacioretty said. “We want forth like a pendulum until Pacioretty put Vegas on top for good in the to make them defend. It’s no secret that’s the way to play against top waning moments. guys in the league. MacKinnon is probably the fastest guy in the league The game had everything playoff hockey should. It featured the teams and if you let him wind up with speed coming back in his end, he’s going with the two best records in the entire NHL. Both sides got huge goals to make you pay. So we want to try to play down in their end, have them from their biggest stars. The Avalanche found a way to take a late 2-1 waste some energy.” lead, despite being outshot and out-chanced, on a skillful goal by Mikko The Golden Knights possessed the puck for large stretches of the game, Rantanen, who extended his playoff scoring streak to 17 games. keeping it out of the hands of Colorado’s dangerous weapons. The top Colorado was minutes away from taking a commanding 3-0 lead when line struggled so much for the Avalanche that coach Jared Bednar Marchessault finally broke through for the Golden Knights. And it ended moved Landeskog down the lineup in the third period, searching for with a spectacular save by Marc-Andre Fleury, and against Rantanen, answers. the player who beat him in overtime two nights ago, no less. “Go ahead and check the numbers on our top guys tonight,” Bednar said. It was the second straight game of exhilarating action, where every goal “See what they did compared to their top guys. It’s not close.” feels like the end of a game, a series, a season, the world? And, to cap it off, Pacioretty’s skillful deflection with 4 minutes, 33 seconds remaining It was a strong effort from a desperate Golden Knights squad that knew it was the exclamation point on his best performance of the postseason. couldn’t fall behind in the series 3-0. After suffering their first loss of the postseason, the Avalanche will likely bring more energy in Game 4. If the “I thought all our big guys were great,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. past two games are any indication, the result is likely to be (at least) 60 “Our whole team was great, but your best players have to be your best more minutes of incredibly entertaining hockey. players.” The hockey world has waited for this series since the puck dropped in Pacioretty missed the first six games of the playoffs with an injury that January, and the Golden Knights and Avalanche have not disappointed. occurred late in the regular season. He was a last-minute addition to the lineup for Game 7 of the first-round series against Minnesota and scored “Truthfully, I really did enjoy it, and I’m not just saying because we came the game-winning goal in that one, as well. out on top,” Pacioretty said. “It’s just so much fun to play in front of fans, especially our fans. We’ve talked about it so often, how they’re able to “He’s been a big addition to our lineup since Game 7,” Stone said. “He’s help us take over a game, and they stayed positive with us right to the our most dynamic forward. He can score from all over the ice. Just a very end there. name that the other team has to circle and key on that opens space for the rest of us. He’s been getting his chances, making those subtle little “The place was electric. You could probably see and feel it up top, in the plays on the power play and, like I said, he’s just a huge get in our lineup stands, though the TV.” for our depth.” The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 Pacioretty’s shining moment was obviously the game-winning goal, but he was exceptional on each of his 27 shifts. The 6-foot-2, 206-pound power forward threw his weight around with five total hits on the night. He used his size and strength to lean on Colorado’s defenders and force his way to the dangerous areas of the ice. Once there, he used his skill to create chance after chance.

“He was big, he was heavy, he was hard, he was attacking,” DeBoer said of Pacioretty’s performance. “He had some real good looks and, obviously, a huge goal at the end.”

In Pacioretty’s 15:48 of even strength ice time Vegas held massive advantages in unblocked shots (17-8), shots on goal (10-6) and scoring chances (16-6), according to Natural Stat Trick. He was the driver of the offense Vegas needed him to be in the biggest moment.

“You know what, that’s as normal as Pacioretty has looked,” DeBoer said. “He came back for Game 7 in the Minnesota series really with very 1215128 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Two Late Goals Deliver 3-2 Comeback Win Over Colorado Before 17,504 At T-Mobile Arena Friday; Avs Lead Series, 2-1, With Game 4 In Vegas Sunday

June 4, 2021 Alan Snel

The Vegas Golden Knights were a mere 5:18 away from going down 3-0 in games in this high-powered Best-of-7 series with the Colorado Avalanche.

But then Knights snipers Jonathan Marchessault and Max Pacioretty scored unorthodox goals less than a minute apart on Colorado goaltender Philipp Grubauer and Vegas came away with a comeback 3-2 win before 17,504 insane and loud fans at T-Mobile Arena Friday evening.

The Golden Knights outplayed the Avalanche for most of the night as VGK outshot Colorado, 43-20.

Marchessault banked in a shot off Grubauer with 5:18 left in the final period and Pacioretty scored the game-winner with only 4:33 left in regulation by deflecting in a shot from defenseman Nick Holden.

“Now it’s all about next game,” Marchessault said after the game. “We can’t get too high or too low after games. Doesn’t matter if we lose 7-1 or win 3-2.”

Marchessault linemate William Karlsson explained the meaning of Marchy’s game-tying goal: “Time will tell how huge it’s going to be.”

The Avalanche had won six in a row in the postseason, with a sweep of St. Louis in round one and the first two games against the Knights at Bell Arena in Denver.

“We just stuck with it,” VGK coach Pete DeBoer said. “The crowd was so awesome . . . keeping the energy levels up.”

It was an electric atmosphere in a building that began with zero fans in the seats watching the season’s first games in January.

We kept our belief in our game which I think has been in a good place if you throw out Game 1. — VGK coach Pete DeBoer

The first fans attended Knights home games at T-Mobile Arena March 1 before the VGK got the green light for full capacity for Games 3 and 4 tonight and Sunday.

They were treated to a gritty effort by the Golden Knights and an emotional late-game rally that has made this VGK-COL showdown a competitive series with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday at 5:30PM Vegas time.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr cranked the siren to get the game off and running. He tweeted after the game: “Vegas… if our Raiders games are anything like the intensity we just witnessed here at the Fortress it’s going to be a fun year!!! Go Knights Go!”

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215129 Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas Golden Knights Erase Deficit in 45 Seconds, Win Game Three

Published 4 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Tom Callahan

A packed house at T-Mobile Arena witnessed one of the fastest momentum shifts of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Vegas Golden Knights scored twice in 45 seconds for a 3-2 win in Game Three of the Honda West Division final.

The Colorado Avalanche still leads the series two games to one.

Trailing 2-1 in the third period, Jonathan Marchessault banked a puck in off the back of Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer to tie the game. Just 45 seconds later Max Pacioretty tipped a puck through the legs of Grubauer to give the Golden Knights a lead they would not relinquish and the team’s first win in the best-of-seven series.

Max Pacioretty tip goal Vegas Golden Knights

Marc-Andre Fleury was once again solid, yielding just two goals on 20 shots. Grubauer was pelted with 43 shots from the Golden Knights and finished with 40 saves.

The Takeaways:

Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t have a ton of work, but he was able to make some huge saves in the third period. The AValanche may not have had the number of chances the Golden Knights did, but they had quality. Fleury gave the VGK the saves they needed when they needed them, especially late.

Max Pacioretty now has a four-game point streak in progress and his goal was the game-winner for Vegas tonight, tipping home a Nick Holden point shot and lighting the crowd on fire.

The Vegas Golden Knights look better as the series goes on, and they’ll need to. The Avs are still a scary team and were it not for Fleury could have tied the game late.

T-Mobile Arena was sold out – 17,504 – and they were rewarded with a tremendous playoff game. It’s the first full crowd since March of 2020.

The loss was the Avs and Grubauer’s first of the playoffs.

Vegas kept Nathan MacKinnon off the scoresheet and saddled him with a minus-1 rating.

Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215130 Vegas Golden Knights Vegas needs to stay on the attack and be physically aggressive. If Colorado’s top line gets momentum and confidence, it could be a long night. MacKinnon was off in Game 2. Vegas needs to chip and irritate him to keep him that way. Game 3 Battle: Golden Knights Lines, Notes & What to Watch vs. COL Game time is 7:07 p.m. or thereabouts with television coverage.

Vegas Golden Knights Game Notes Published 9 hours ago on June 4, 2021By Dan Kingerski *The Vegas Golden Knights & Colorado Avalanche have met 16 times during the regular season since 2017 & Vegas has a 7-8-1 record against Colorado in the regular season. This season, Vegas went 4-4-0 against The hockey gods punished the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday in Colorado & were led by Max Pacioretty, who finished with eight points Game 2 at the Ball Arena. The Golden Knights outshot, outhit, and (6G, 2A) in seven games. outplayed the Colorado Avalanche for two periods, but four posts and a dubious slashing penalty in overtime delivered Game 2 to the Avalanche. *The Vegas Golden Knights are the fourth franchise in NHL history to make the playoffs in each of its first four seasons, following the Colorado won 3-2 in OT when Mikko Rantanen scored a power-play goal Edmonton Oilers (13; 1980–1992), New York Rangers (9; 1927–1935) after Reilly Smith’s penalty. &St. Louis Blues (6; 1968–1973). The Golden Knights outshot Colorado 31-12 over the final 40 minutes of *The Vegas roster includes four Stanley Cup champions: Marc-Andre regulation but hit four posts behind Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer. Fleury (2009 PIT, 2016 PIT, 2017 PIT), Alec Martinez (2012 LAK, 2014 FOUR. LAK), Alex Pietrangelo (2019 STL) & Chandler Stephenson (2018 WSH). Grubauer has not yet shown his Vezina credentials in the series. Despite Fleury is one of eight active NHL players – & the only active goaltender – stopping 30 of the 31 shots over the final two periods, Grubauer left juicy with his name on the Cup at least three times; rebounds tantalizingly close for VGK attackers. Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 06.05.2021 Colorado leads the series 2-0. Game 3 isn’t technically a must-win, but it figuratively is. Only three teams in the last 46 years have overcome a 3-0 deficit.

Yes, Friday night is for all of the marbles.

Vegas will keep Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Fleury didn’t have much work after the first period on Wednesday but still managed a couple of spectacular saves.

Fleury’s Vezina competition, Grubauer, will be in net for Colorado.

Ryan Reaves will serve the second of his two-game suspension in Game 3. Colorado’s Nazem Kadri is currently serving an eight-game suspension for a hit in Round One.

Vegas Golden Knights Lines:

Pacioretty-Stevenson-Stone

Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith

Sikora-Roy-Tuch

Carrier-Brown-Colesary

Martinez-Pietrangelo

Hague-Whitecloud

Avalanche Lines

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen

Saad-Jost-Nichuskin

Burakovsky-Compher-Donskoi

Ranta-Bellemare-Newhook

Toews-Makar

Graves-Girard

Nemeth-Timmins

What to WATCH:

Speed and loose pucks. Game 1 was decided as Colorado got to the edges on the Vegas Golden Knights defensemen. VGK never got to the forecheck in Game 1, and a few softies by Robin Lehner turned the imbalance to a laugher.

However, Game 2 was a role reversal. Vegas created turnovers and chances from in-your-face pressure on Avalanche puck carriers in the neutral zone. The Avs top line and defensemen had difficulty completing passes.

Colorado never got to their speed game.

Can the Golden Knights not only create those rebounds off of Grubauer inside the fortress but can they put them back on Colorado’s net? 1215131 Washington Capitals "I think everybody said that too after 2017 when we lost some players, high-profile players, that are important in our lineup," Eller said. "The next year, we go in and surprise everybody and go all the way. If you can make the playoffs, you really have a chance to win. I expect us to be able Caps players believe Stanley Cup window remains open for Washington to compete for a playoff spot again next year.”

There is no question that the clock is ticking for this core to remain competitive for the Cup, but it is also too dismissive to lump each of the BY J.J. REGAN past three seasons together as evidence that they are done.

Coaching was the main issue that faced the team in the 2019 and 2020 To many, the 2021 postseason was a referendum on the Capitals and postseasons. The Caps showed improvement under in the direction the team is going. With an aging core, seeing the team his first year as coach in 2021, but ran out of gas as injuries in the suffer its third consecutive first-round defeat is proof enough that the compressed season took their toll. championship window is closed in Washington. In that sense, you can see why the team may feel like it can rebound in The players, however, do not see it that way. 2021-22.

With a flat salary cap, a tight cap situation and the expansion draft all The clock is certainly ticking for the current era of the Capitals, but belief looming, the Caps are going to see changes in the offseason. The remains high among the players that they are not done just yet. players just want to make sure those changes go towards helping the "If you knew these guys like I did, I don't know it matters how old this team win a Stanley Cup now because they believe the window is still core gets," Oshie said. "We're going to be right there, we're going to be open. battling, we're going to be contending and we have a real shot. I think as "I think we have a great chance to win," John Carlson said at the team's long as this core's here, we have real shot to win the Cup." final media availability of the season. "I think we have top-tier caliber Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.05.2021 players up and down our lineup. Obviously, we underperformed and didn't even reach close to anyone's expectations. But with that said, I think we have the horses in there to win again."

"I think we still have a good team," Alex Ovechkin said. "I think we're still able to win the Cup. The team what we had, we're pretty solid."

Since winning the Cup in 2018, the Caps have won only five playoff games and zero playoff series. They have done well in the regular season, winning two division titles and finishing second in the East Division in 2021, but fizzling out in the first round has opened up questions as to whether this team can still be a contender, especially given its age.

Ovechkin will turn 36 in September, T.J. Oshie is 34, Nicklas Backstrom is 33, Lars Eller is 32 and Carlson is 31.

It is fair to wonder how a team whose core is largely on the wrong side of 30 and has lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons will suddenly be able to challenge for the Cup this year.

And yet, the belief among the players is that they absolutely can.

"I really don’t think the age of the players are that much of a factor," Eller said. "I think you shouldn’t put too much into that, but more that you look at the way they’re still capable of playing and the numbers they can put up."

"When you see Alex Ovechkin the goal scorer, you don’t see Alex Ovechkin, the guy who’s working hard," Brenden Dillon said. "When you see John Carlson up for the Norris last year, you don’t see how hard he works and how bad he wants it. These are the things that as teammates you get to see, the work ethic that goes into it from these guys every day and the leadership and the culture that those guys have built, that the expectation is winning. It’s not just going to the second round, the third round, we genuinely feel a Stanley Cup is what we expect here in Washington."

Where does that belief come from? Because they have done it before.

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When the Caps won the Cup in 2018, it came at a time when the team had been written off from ever being able to get over the hump. To that point, the team had not progressed past the second round in the Ovechkin era and had been eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in each of the past two seasons. Then, in the 2017 offseason, the team lost Nate Schmidt in the Vegas expansion draft, saw Karl Alzner and Justin Williams leave in free agency and traded away Marcus Johansson.

Yet, just when everyone had counted them out, that's when the Caps were able to shock the league.

It's that same defiance that seems to drive them now in the wake of their playoff loss to the Boston Bruins.

“If that doesn’t fuel guys’ fires this summer, to think that some people think [the championship window is] closed, then I don’t know what else can be said," Dillon said. 1215132 Washington Capitals Vegas Golden Knights – Chandler Stephenson Stephenson, 27, was also part of the 2018 Stanley Cup winning team. He

was selected by the Caps in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft. He A Caps Fans' Guide to the rest of the '21 Stanley Cup Playoffs made his NHL debut in 2015 and scored his first goal in 2017. His best season with the Caps came in 2017-18 when he recorded 18 points in 67 regular season games and seven points during their run to the Stanley Cup. BY MAE WHITESIDES On his day with the Stanley Cup, Stephenson went to the intersection in

Saskatchewan where the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team bus The Capitals ended another season with a disappointing first-round exit, crashed on April 6, 2018, and met with some of the survivors. He is a but that doesn’t mean all playoff enjoyment is lost: These players once native. rocked the red and they are still in the running to win the Stanley Cup! Washington traded Stephenson to the team they beat for the Cup in Here's a look at some former D.C. fan favorites – most of them were, December, 2019. That Vegas trade gave the Caps much-needed salary anyway, with one notable exception – whose teams are still alive and cap relief and Stephenson a fresh start after recording just four points in well in the postseason. 24 games early that year. He has thrived in the desert heat.

Colorado Avalanche – Andre Burakovsky, Philipp Grubauer With the Caps, Stephenson was a bottom-six forward averaging less than 13 minutes of ice time. This season, he’s on pace to set career Former Capitals teammates and current Colorado Avalanche teammates, highs in every major offensive category and is the team’s top line center Andre Burakovsky and Philipp Grubauer, were both part of the 2018 between leading scorers Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. Stanley Cup winning team and will always have a special place in DC fans’ hearts. Now they have a chance to win another Cup. New York Islanders – Semyon Varlamov

Burakovsky, 26, was selected by the Capitals 23rd overall in the 2013 Varlamov, 33, was drafted 23rd overall by the Capitals in the 2006 NHL NHL Draft. He scored his first NHL goal in his debut in October 2014 Draft. He came to North America from Russia in 2008 and played becoming the first Caps player to do so since Alex Ovechkin. primarily with the Hershey Bears before taking over the backup goalie position behind Jose Theodore in February 2009. Burakovsky quickly found his place on the team, with Nicklas Backstrom calling him, ‘my baby boy.” Caps fans loved his bromance with Tom Varlamov made his playoff debut in the first round against the New York Wilson and Michael Latta. Rangers in 2009, recording two shutouts to help the Caps reach the second round for the first time since the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. He underwent surgery on his thumb after injuring it in a game in October Despite Varlamov making what pundits at the time called “the save of the 2017, missing 20 games. He then missed an additional 10 playoff games playoffs” on Sidney Crosby in Game 1 (reminiscent of a different Caps that season after getting injured again during the Caps’ first round series goalie’s “The Save” nine years later), the Caps fell in Game 7 and the with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Penguins went on to win the Cup.

Burakovsky struggled with injuries, point production and – after getting In 2011, Varlamov was traded to the Avalanche as a restricted free agent scratched in Game 5 of the conference final in the 2018 playoffs – self- for a 2012 first-round draft pick and a second-round pick in either 2012 or doubt. He redeemed himself by scoring the second and third goals in the 2013. He held the No. 1 goalie position for the Avs on and off for the next Caps’ 4-0 win in Game 7 against Tampa, to send them to the Stanley eight years before signing with the Islanders as a free agent in 2019. Cup Finals for the first time since 1998. He had three assists in five games against Vegas to help the Caps win their first Stanley Cup. Varlamov was a brick wall against his original team in the first round of the 2020 playoffs, allowing only eight goals through all five games and After the Caps’ first-round exit in 2019, Burakovsky was traded to the shutting out the Caps in Game 5 to advance to the second round. The Avalanche that June. He has played a key role on a young Avs team that Islanders made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before being knocked looks so far like the best team in the playoffs. He has almost doubled his out by the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning. point production compared to his last two seasons with the Caps despite playing fewer games. This season, after missing the Islanders’ playoff opener due to injury, Varlamov lost Game 2 and 3 against the Penguins before being replaced Burakovsky ended the 2020-21 regular season on a hot streak, scoring by rookie Ilya Sorokin. The Islanders toppled the Penguins in six games. five goals and seven assists in the last eight games, but he has only After New York lost Game 1 against the Bruins with Sorokin in goal, recorded two assists so far in the playoffs. Varlamov took over for Game 2 and tied the series with a 4-3 overtime victory. Philipp Grubauer, 29, was drafted by the Caps in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, starting out as a goalie with the Caps’ ECHL affiliate South Winnipeg Jets – Mathieu Perreault Carolina Stingrays in 2011 before moving up to Hershey when Braden Holtby was promoted to the Caps full-time for the 2012-13 season. Mathieu Perreault, 33, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2006 NHL Grubauer played parts of the next two seasons with the Caps, making his Draft by the Capitals and won the 2009 with Hershey. He first NHL start in March 2013, and officially claimed the backup role made the Caps opening night roster for the 2011-12 season and due to behind Holtby for the 2015-16 season. team injuries moved up to center the first line with Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. A particularly memorable and painful moment that Grubauer was an important part of Washington's 2017-18 season leading season was when Perreault scored a goal on the Ottawa Senators with up to their Stanley Cup run, delivering strong performances in net when his face. Holtby struggled late in the season. Grubauer started the team’s first two playoff games against the Columbus Blue Jackets before Holtby took At the start of the 2013-14 season, he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks over. to make cap space for Tom Wilson and Michael Latta. Anaheim was then being coached by Bruce Boudreau, whom Perreault had played under Grubauer was traded along with veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik to the with the Capitals. Perreault finished the season in Anaheim before Avalanche before the 2018 draft, giving him an opportunity to be a signing with the Jets as a free agent. starting goaltender. He split time with Semyon Varlamov, another former Caps goalie, in his first season with the Avs, but was named the starter Perreault was placed on waivers at the end of training camp for the 2020- for the 2019 playoffs. After Varlamov signed with the New York Islanders 21 season due to salary cap issues. Several days later, he was called up in the offseason, Grubauer assumed the starting role until injuries from the taxi squad and played in all 56 games. His contract expires at derailed his season. the end of this season, when he will be an unrestricted free agent.

He has turned in the best performance of his career during the shortened Boston Bruins – Jaroslav Halak 2020-21 season, starting 39 of 56 games, winning 30 of them and Halak, 36, arrived in DC at the trade deadline in 2014 after being dealt by ironically tying Varlamov for the league lead in shutouts (7). Thanks in the Buffalo Sabres along with a third-round draft pick for Michal Neuvirth large part to Grubauer, the Avalanche won the Central Division as well as and Rostislav Klesla. Halak was in the goal for 12 games with the Caps the Presidents’ Trophy for the NHL’s best regular season record. that year, posting a 5-4-3 record with a 0.933 save percentage. However, the Caps failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07, and traded Halak, a pending unrestricted free agent, to the New York Islanders for a fourth-round draft pick in May 2014. It was always jarring to see him in red anyway after the term 'Halaked' became a thing in 2010 when Halak and the Montreal Canadiens handed Washington one of its most painful playoff series losses in the first round that year. The Capitals' 3-1 series lead and Presidents' Trophy-winning regular season all went up in smoke thanks to Halak.

After signing a two-year contract with the Boston Bruins as a free agent in 2018, Halak and fellow goalie Tuukka Rask won the 2019-20 William M. Jennings Trophy, given to the goalie tandem that allows the fewest goals during the regular season.

When Rask left the NHL's Eastern Conference bubble in Toronto last summer, Halak started his first playoff game with the Bruins and led them to a 4-1 series win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Boston then proceeded to lose in five games to Tampa Bay in the second round.

He signed a one-year extension to back up Rask for the 2020-21 season, starting 17 games in the regular season and winning nine of them, including two against the Capitals. He has not yet seen the ice in the playoffs as Rask is playing well for the Bruins.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215133 Washington Capitals to remember he was part of that (Covid-19) protocol (issue) at the beginning of the year, as well. New coach, new system, you don’t get the training camp…Sometimes the veteran players have a way about their business through the summer and into training camp. All of that was A position-by-position breakdown of the Washington Capitals’ depth shaken up a little bit. Coming back next year, he’ll get right back into his chart, and how it could change this offseason routine of what he’s used to and come back and be a productive player for us on the ice.”

The Caps gave up a lot to get Anthony Mantha, who scored in each of By Tarik El-Bashir Jun 4, 2021 his first four games after being acquired from Detroit at the deadline. He did not tally again. That’s not to say he played poorly. He had some strong games and clutch assists, including a couple in the playoffs. But The Washington Capitals were eliminated in the first round for the third production is ultimately how a top-six forward gets measured and the season in a row. They finished the year with the league’s oldest roster. Caps can’t afford to have a key winger go 15 games without a goal. Like the other 31 clubs, they’re going to lose a player to Seattle in the Washington needs Mantha to fulfill his potential and, internally, there’s July expansion draft. Team captain Alex Ovechkin needs a new contract. hope that he will after a full training camp in D.C. General Manager Brian MacLellan says he intends to retool the club’s star-laden roster, not rebuild it. Conor Sheary maximized the opportunity he was afforded after signing a one-year deal late last offseason. The versatile winger finished fourth on Add that all together and you’ve got the potential for one heck of an the team in goals with 14 and earned some security along the way, interesting summer in D.C. as MacLellan attempts to position Ovechkin agreeing to a two-year extension in April. Sheary’s offense dried up in the and Co. to win next season and beyond while navigating a tight salary postseason, however, as he finished with just a point, a goal in Game 5. cap situation. Carl Hagelin didn’t contribute a ton in the way of offense (six goals, 10 To get a sense of where things stand about eight weeks before the assists) but at this stage of his career, that’s not his primary role. He’s the opening of free agency, here’s a position-by-position breakdown of Caps’ top penalty killing forward and he helped anchor the NHL’s fifth- Washington’s organizational depth chart: ranked unit.

Depth chart key Michael Raffl was brought as a trade deadline rental to provide some grit and position flexibility. He finished with one goal in 14 regular season and Players under contract postseason games and was a scratch with the season on the line. Daniel Pending unrestricted free agents Carr, meanwhile, spent most of the season on the taxi squad, though he got into one playoff game. Pending restricted free agents The big question: What’s up with Ovi? As you may have heard, Left wings Ovechkin’s 13-year, $124 million contract expires next month. As you Alex Ovechkin also may have heard, owner Ted Leonsis, MacLellan and Ovechkin all say they’re confident an extension gets done. So, assuming there are no UFA hiccups, it sounds as though it’s less about the “if” and the “when” and more about the “for how much” which will determine how much 35 MacLellan will be able to allocate elsewhere.

Anthony Mantha Right wings

$5.7 million AAV T.J. Oshie

26 $5.75 million AAV

Conor Sheary 34

$1.5 million AAV Tom Wilson

28 $5.17 million AAV

Carl Hagelin 27

$2.75 million AAV Daniel Sprong

32 $725,000 AAV

Michael Raffl 24

UFA Garnet Hathaway

32 $1.5 million AAV

Daniel Carr 29

UFA MacLellan appeared to put the Oshie-to-Seattle speculation to rest when 29 he said last week, “It would hurt our team and our organization if we lost him in the expansion draft.” That’s good news for Oshie, who says he’d Despite an injury plagued season that also included a stint on the Covid- prefer to stay in D.C., as well as a locker room that feeds off his energy 19 absences list, Alex Ovechkin remains one of the NHL’s most and a fan base that adores his leave-it-all-on-the-ice style of play. productive players at his position. Skating in just 45 games, his goal total (24) was tied for fifth among left wingers and his point total (42) was 20th. Tom Wilson had a good season, accumulating 13 goals and 33 points in In fact, he was on pace for a 43-goal season over 82 games. 47 games. But there was controversy, too. He served a seven-game suspension for concussing Boston’s Brandon Carlo and was fined $5,000 Sure, Ovechkin will turn 36 in September and his goals don’t end up on for rouging the New York Rangers’ Pavel Buchnevich, which brings up the highlight shows quite as often as they once did. And there’s always the age-old question when it comes to Wilson: can he play on the edge the lingering concern about Father Time and when it’ll finally catch up to without crossing the line? The concern internally is that the next No. 8. But Coach Peter Laviolette said recently he’s confident Ovechkin questionable hit could lead to a lengthy ban. will be primed for a productive 2021-22 season following a normal summer. Sprong can play on both wings, but as things stand now, he’s probably best suited as the right wing on Lars Eller’s line. Sprong finished tied for “If he’d have played in all the games, he was still on-pace to put in a lot of fifth on the Caps in goals (13) despite seeing the ice less than any other goals,” Laviolette said recently. “It came a little bit slowly, too. You’ve got regular in the lineup (11:40 per game). He had stretches where he was hot, like his scintillating six goals in six games stretch late in the regular his past been the difference maker for a winning team. It will be a big season. But there were also times when he found himself sidelined due summer for him to train and come into camp in great shape and to try to Laviolette’s lack of trust in his defensive play. and move forward with a better season.”

Garnet Hathaway is a third of the only line that stayed together all season Eller’s production, meanwhile, was hurt a bit by shoulder and groin long. He also scored two goals in five playoff games, which tied him for muscle injuries but he’s still one of the best third line centers in the game. the team lead with Ovechkin and linemate Nic Dowd. Dowd’s role grew significantly in Laviolette’s first season behind the The big question: Can Sprong take the next step? Internally, the Caps bench. As the Caps’ faceoff specialist, his ice time jumped from 10:50 see some parallels between Sprong and Brett Connolly. Like Connolly, per game in 2019-20 to 14:22 this season. He also scored a career-high Sprong has a lethal shot, which gives him the ability to go crossbar down 11 goals in the regular season and recorded two goals in the playoffs, from just about anywhere. But also like Connolly, he’s got some stuff to including an overtime winner in Game 1. figure out in the defensive end, like making sure the puck exits the zone. Brian Pinho, McMichael and Garrett Pilon all saw spot duty but it’s hard Centers to imagine a full-time role for them in Washington next season. Of note, Pinho’s contract next season is a one-way deal worth $725,000. All three Nicklas Backstrom can also play wing if necessary.

$9.2 million AAV The big question: Is Kuznetsov on his way out? Although there’s a 33 concern for Backstrom’s health — his production plummeted as he battled a hip injury late in the season and in the playoffs — everything at Evgeny Kuznetsov this position centers on Kuznetsov’s future and whether he’s dealt this summer or not. $7.8 million AAV Left defense 29 Dmitry Orlov Lars Eller $5.1 million AAV $3.5 million AAV 29 32 Brenden Dillon Nic Dowd $3.9 million AAV $750,000 AAV 30 31 Zdeno Chara Connor McMichael UFA $894,167 AAV* 44 20 Michal Kempny Brian Pinho $2.5 million AAV $725,000 AAV 30 26 Martin Fehervary Garrett Pilon $791,667 AAV* RFA 21 23 Alex Alexeyev *Entry-level contract $863,333 AAV* When the Caps go Nicklas Backstrom – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Lars Eller – Nic Dowd down the middle, they’re one of the league’s deepest teams at 21 one of the game’s most important positions. But what is Kuznetsov’s future in Washington? There’s speculation that the Caps could look to Bobby Nardella trade the first line center this summer. Management is irritated with RFA (arb rights) Kuznetsov after a season that included two extended stints on the Covid- 19 absences list, missing a game for disciplinary reasons and 25 inconsistent production on the ice. *Entry-level contract If the Caps do want to move on, here are a few things for fans to keep in mind as they dream up trade scenarios: Dmitry Orlov rebounded from a rough start and was arguably one of the Caps’ best players in the second half. Meantime, Brenden Dillon played Kuznetsov has a 15-team no-trade list his best hockey during the stretch run, while Zdeno Chara, who turned 44 in March, is contemplating his future. His $7.8 million cap hit for the next four years will make it difficult to find a partner If Chara does not return or retires, Washington will have at least one opening to fill. I say “at least one” because there could be two depending The Caps need a top-six center coming back to D.C. because there isn’t on the outcome of the Seattle expansion draft. Assuming the Caps an option on the roster or in the system to fill the void. (Eller has been employ the seven forwards, three defensemen, one goaltender protection able to step in for Kuznetsov in a pinch but is not a long-term solution, strategy, that means one of their top-4 blueliners will be left unprotected. and top prospect Connor McMichael, at 20 years old, probably isn’t ready If John Carlson and Orlov occupy two spots, that leaves either Justin to assume top line duty, even after a strong season in Hershey.) Schultz or Dillon getting the third. If Schultz is protected, the Kraken If Kuznetsov is not moved, the Caps need more from No. 92, who could take a long hard look at Dillon. And if Dillon is protected, why finished with 29 points in 41 regular season games and no points in three wouldn’t the Kraken consider Schultz, a right shot puck-moving blueliner playoff contests. who can play on the power play?

“The season for Evgeny was inconsistent,” Laviolette said, noting that That’s a lot of “coulds” and “ifs” but it’s the reality of roster building in an two lengthy stints on the Covid-19 absences list hurt the center’s expansion year. performance. “You are talking about a top center, somebody who has in However that pans out, MacLellan says Martin Fehervary is ready for a Pheonix Copley full-time role. $1.1 million AAV The big question: Could Michal Kempny rejoin the conversation? Yes, I’m told. Kempny was not a factor in 2021, as he spent the entire campaign 29 on long-term injured reserve while working his way back from a torn Zach Fucale Achilles’ tendon, his second major leg injury in about two years. He also suffered a freak injury in Hershey while on a rehab stint when he was $750,000 AAV* accidentally run into by a snow shoveler during a timeout. There are lots 26 of balls in the air on D and Kempny’s future is one of them. *Two-way contract Right defense The Caps would love it if Ilya Samsonov devotes his offseason to getting John Carlson healthy and into the best physical condition of his career and comes into $8 million AAV camp next year and seizes the No. 1 role. He’s got the skill to do it. What’s not known is whether the 24-year-old is mature enough for the job 31 after a year in which he suffered injuries falling from an ATV, twice ended Justin Schultz up on the Covid-19 absences list and got scratched for disciplinary reasons. $4 million AAV Vitek Vanecek led all rookies with 21 wins and did a solid job for a player 30 with no prior NHL experience and, before Henrik Lundqvist bowed out for health reasons, was pegged as the organization’s No. 3 goalie. Nick Jensen MacLellan says the Caps could roll with a Samsonov-Vanecek tandem $2.5 million AAV again next season and Laviolette echoed those sentiments.

30 “There is no question that this year will help be a building year for them,” Trevor van Riemsdyk Laviolette said. “At points and in pockets they both played terrifically. They are young goaltenders and there is going to be ups and downs $950,000 AAV throughout the course of the year. Vitek, up until the end with the injury, his path was a little more consistent and didn’t have the rocky road that 29 Samsonov did. So both of them throughout the course of the year had Paul LaDue their moments…It’s about growth. It’s about getting better.”

UFA The X-factor in this equation? The expansion draft. The Caps can only protect one of their two young goalies. Assuming it’s Samsonov, would 28 Seattle consider swiping an improving 25-year-old goalie with a $716,667 cap hit? Perhaps. Carlson finished tied for fifth in points by a defenseman with 44 (10 goals, 34 assists) but he was dogged by an injury late in the season. For the The big question: Even if Seattle does not select one of the Caps’ Caps’ No. 1 defenseman, it was a knee issue and the impact it had on goalies, is it really a sure thing that it’ll be Samsonov and Vanecek next his game was apparent, particularly in the playoffs. season? It’s hard to believe the Caps won’t at least kick some tires on the trade market or take a peek in free agency. Goalie is the most Schultz was banged up on and off all season, too, but he still managed to important position on the ice and last season Washington wasn’t produce 27 points (3 goals, 24 assists) despite missing 10 regular consistent enough between the pipes. In fact, among goalies who made season games. at least 18 starts, Vanecek and Samsonov ranked 26th and 36th in save Steadied by playing alongside Chara, Nick Jensen had his best season percentage at .908 and .902, respectively. since coming to Washington at the trade deadline in 2019. He’s signed The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 for two more years at a cap hit of $2.5 million. There was speculation last offseason that he could be the odd man out, and that chatter isn’t going away. Why? Chara could be moving on and Trevor van Riemsdyk, who showed well in limited action, just inked a two-year extension that will average $950,000 per, which is more in line with a third-pairing defenseman on a team that’s pressed up against the cap.

The big question: Who’ll be the third-pair defenseman on the right side next season — Jensen or van Riemsdyk? What if one of them ends up being taken by the Kraken? Again, much uncertainty on the backend.

Goalies

Ilya Samsonov

RFA (arb rights)

24

Vitek Vanecek

$716,667 AAV

25

Craig Anderson

UFA

40

Henrik Lundqvist

UFA

39 1215134 Winnipeg Jets The Jets needed someone to step up in Scheifele’s absence and Pierre- Luc Dubois was the player given the chance to fill in at centre on the top line. But Dubois looked no better than he has all season and was generally not a factor. Canadiens clamp down hard on Jets in Game 2, take 2-0 lead back to Montreal Still, the Jets did make a strong push for the equalizer in the third period. They outshot the Canadiens 14-7 and had some chances to tie the game with the puck in Montreal’s zone for most of the final 20 minutes.

Ted Wyman “We’re doing a lot of the right things in the offensive zone, defensively we were quicker,” Jets winger Andrew Copp said. “We’re just kind of keeping Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 6 hours ago • 5 minute read • on keeping on. They just went through a seven-game series and we’ve Join the got a back-to-back coming up. Those top four D of theirs are logging an awful lot of minutes, they’re big boys, they’re physical, so we’re just trying to wear them down over the course of a seven-game series. Obviously, Having three key players out of the lineup didn’t help, but the biggest tonight we didn’t get the result we wanted but we thought tonight was a problem the Winnipeg Jets have right now is the Montreal Canadiens. good template for us moving forward.”

The Jets were unable to get their game together once again in Game 2 of Though the players and Maurice thought they played well, the new-look the North Division final and fell 1-0 to the Canadiens at Bell MTS Place Jets looked disjointed overall, out of sync at times, and unable to Friday night. complete even simple passes because Montreal defenders were closing on them so quickly. The Jets were better than they were in Game 1, when they lost 5-3, but the Canadiens were simply the stronger team. The Canadiens got a Winnipeg’s top power-play unit — missing Scheifele and Stastny — tremendous, 30-save shutout from all-world goalie Carey Price as they wasn’t sharp, with Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrew Copp filling in. The Jets won their fifth straight game since falling behind 3-1 in their first-round went 0-for-2 with the man advantage and gave up a goal. series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toffoli scored at 1:41 of the second period, with Paul Byron in the penalty “I thought it was a great step in the right direction,” Jets captain Blake box for high sticking Adam Lowry of the Jets. Wheeler said. “I thought we played a great game. We got off to a way better start and had quite a few looks to tie the game up and it was just a That was the only goal Connor Hellebuyck allowed all night, but his 23 matter of being unable to get that bounce to go our way.” saves were not enough to get the Jets in the win column. Hellebuyck kept the Jets in the game when the team was pressing for the tie, which Montreal continued to use a stifling checking style, quick sticks and allowed for some odd-man rushes by the Canadiens. speed to disrupt any hopes the Jets had of establishing their offensive game plan. Maurice was hopeful a practice on Saturday, before the team flies to Montreal, will give the Jets a chance to work on getting their power play The Canadiens got a short-handed goal from Tyler Toffoli in the second organized. period and that’s all they needed as Price made things look easy at the other end, even when the Jets were getting decent looks at the net. “It’s a challenge, especially losing those two key pieces on that,” Maurice said. “So we’ll get a chance to look at it (Saturday) and with more time “We gave up one goal,” Wheeler said. “I thought defensively we were we’ll get a better understanding of where (Stastny) is at, so we’ll be able great. In our D zone we were pretty clean and in the third period we had to shift some things around.” chances. It’s one of those things where you’ve just got to keep banging away at the tree and one of these games it’s gonna fall over.” The Jets had their share of misfortune on this night as well.

The series now shifts to Montreal for Games 3 and 4 on Sunday and On one sequence in the third period defenceman Derek Forbort ripped a Monday and the Jets — who swept the Edmonton Oilers out of the point shot that hit Copp and knocked him to the ice. The rebound came playoffs — are now in jeopardy of getting swept themselves if they can’t right to Vesalainen in the slot, but his slapper also hit Copp, drilling him in start putting things together. the back. Later, the Jets took back-to-back point shots, with the first one hitting Winnipeg Dubois and the second hitting Wheeler. The Jets were in a similar situation two years ago when they lost the first two games at home to the St. Louis Blues before winning the next two on “When you’re trying to get traffic in front of (Price’s) eyes … you take a the road. They’re surely trying to draw on that experience as they head to couple when you’re trying to get net front,” Copp said. Montreal on Saturday. “That was part of our offensive plan, to get in his eyes as much as “Yup, 100%,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “We feel we’ve got to make possible and create chaos around the net. It was a good part of our the same kind of improvement in Game 3, and that’s the big one. Going game, actually.” into a back-to-back, if we can make the same kind of improvement game Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.05.2021 over game, we’ve got a real good chance.”

The Jets were playing for the first time since centre and leading scorer Mark Scheifele received a four-game suspension for his charge on Montreal’s Jake Evans in Game 1, a hit which knocked the Montreal winger unconscious and left him with a concussion.

And Winnipeg’s roster woes didn’t end there.

Not only did they not have top-line centre Scheifele in the lineup, but they also played a second straight game without veteran second-line middleman Paul Stastny, who is out with an undisclosed injury. On the blue-line, the Jets did not have defenceman Dylan DeMelo, who is out at least a week after getting hurt on his first shift of Game 1.

“It’s a challenge, for sure,” Maurice said of going to Montreal with a depleted lineup. “We’ve been a better road team than we’ve been a home team all year. We’ve got some confidence going into the other team’s building and there’s a chance we might get Paul (Stastny) back, which will probably help our group up front.”

There were three line-up changes for Winnipeg in Game 2, with rookie Kristian Vesalainen coming in for Scheifele, speedy winger Jansen Harkins coming in for Dominic Toninato and veteran blue-liner Jordie Benn coming in for DeMelo. 1215135 Winnipeg Jets Having Dubois is one of the reasons the Jets believe they are more capable of handling the absence of players like Scheifele and Stastny than they were last year.

Jets coach Paul Maurice says NHL set precedent with ‘excessive’ Scheifele was knocked out of the playoffs in Game 1 against Calgary last Scheifele suspension summer in the Edmonton bubble because of an Achilles tendon injury.

The Jets were not able to recover from that and lost the play-in series 3- 1. Ted Wyman “We have tons of depth on our team this year,” Scheifele said Friday. Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 10 hours ago • “We have so many guys on this team that can step up. We have tremendous character, we have tremendous everything on this team. It’s

a pretty special team and I have full faith in my team that I will be able to A day after saying he thought Mark Scheifele delivered a clean hit when play a game again this year. I’ll be cheering loud and proud tonight. I’ll be he knocked out Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans, Winnipeg Jets cheering every single night. Obviously I just want to play a game again head coach Paul Maurice said the four-game suspension his player here this year.” received was excessive and precedent-setting. Scheifele, who will not appeal his suspension, will be out until at least “I think yesterday I was probably resigned to the fact, whether I liked it or Game 6 of this series, if it goes that far. not, that he was going to get two games,” Maurice said Friday ahead of DEMELO OUT A WEEK Game 2 of the North Division final between the Jets and Canadiens at Bell MTS Place. The Jets played without veteran defenceman Dylan DeMelo, who was injured on his first shift of Game 1. “I think I’d mentally got myself to that. I think four is excessive. The Department of Player Safety has every right, and they’re needed in their Maurice said he has a soft-tissue injury and will be out at least a week. role, to set precedent for hits, especially when there’s an injury involved. So they have that right. I don’t agree with it, but it’s set now and that’s He was replaced in the lineup by veteran blue-liner Jordie Benn, who has where the National Hockey League game goes going forward. And we’ll not yet played in these playoffs but has 20 games of post-season learn from it and move on.” experience in the NHL.

In case you somehow missed the hit that everyone in hockey is talking HOT TEMPERS? about, it occurred in Game 1 of the second-round playoff series on The Scheifele hit on Evans had social media super-charged in both Wednesday night. Winnipeg and Quebec, but members of the Jets and Canadiens were Evans had just scored an empty-net goal to seal a 5-3 win for the taking a measured approach to Game 2. Canadiens when Scheifele, who had skated hard all the way from his The common theme on both sides was that it was time to move on from own end to try to stop Evans from scoring, hit him with such force that it the incident. flipped him and caused him to land partially on his head on the ice. He was prone for several minutes and was eventually taken off on a Canadiens players refused to even talk about it in their pre-game stretcher. He was not taken to the hospital and was walking around the availability on Friday. next day but has been diagnosed with a concussion and is out indefinitely. “We’re done talking about the hit,” Habs captain Shea Weber said. “We’re missing a player, they’re missing a player and we’re on to Game 2 The Department of Player Safety came down hard on Scheifele, the Jets tonight.” leading scorer, on Thursday, giving him a four-game suspension for charging. The ban for four playoff games is essentially the equivalent of a Maurice was not expecting there to be any kind of fireworks in Game 2 10-game suspension during a normal, 82-game, regular season. as both teams realized how important it is to the eventual outcome of the series. The Jets’ coach defended Scheifele for his action, which he believed was a legal hit, and his character. “I think (the Canadiens) will look at that as a suspension — ah, I shouldn’t speak for them, I don’t know how they look at that suspension “He loves this game so much,” Maurice said. “His first concern, — but a price has been paid,” Maurice said. “There’s too much on the genuinely, was for Jake Evans. Nobody likes to see that. Mark’s got an line here for both teams to run around. I mean, will it be physical? Sure. entire career at the opposite end of that spectrum. I think they had him But nobody’s taking penalties to exact revenge. I think you’re probably for three hits in the Edmonton series and it was a hard-fought series. I going to see a really, really cleanly played game that’s played real fast.” don’t know how many penalty minutes he had this year but it wouldn’t be 20. So it’s opposite of who he is as a player.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.05.2021

Scheifele, 28, has played eight NHL seasons and has averaged less than 30 penalty minutes per year. He had 12 minutes this year. He had never been suspended before for an illegal hit.

“I also think he’s an aware guy,” Maurice said. “He’s not a guy that runs around the ice and bad things happen. So it’s unfortunate that we’re going to lose our arguably best forward for four critical playoff games. We’re paying a huge price, he’s paying a huge price, so that part hurts.”

STASTNY STILL OUT

The Scheifele hit and suspension has dominated the sports news cycle in Manitoba and Quebec over the last couple of days but there is still a series to play and it resumed Friday night.

The Jets were looking to even things up without their leading scorer in the lineup — and had very large hole Sto fill.

Veteran centre Paul Stastny also missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury,.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, acquired from Columbus in a blockbuster trade in January, took over for Scheifele on the Jets top line, alongside Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. 1215136 Winnipeg Jets The Jets’ associate captain and leading scorer was involved in several scrums in Game 1, even taking an uncharacteristic roughing penalty in the third period, with the Jets down.

Jets' Scheifele shocked at ban, says he did nothing wrong It seemed he’d lost his cool.

But he says he was having a blast in the heat of a playoff battle.

Paul Friesen “They’re a team that will get into scrums and stuff like that. It’s excitement to be back in the playoffs. We had eight days off. I’m a guy who loves the Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 11 hours ago • game probably more than any of us. And it’s pure excitement. It’s Round 2 of the playoffs. I’m jacked up, I’m excited to play hockey. My mood was

pure joy that entire game.” Mark Scheifele swears he’s innocent. Aside from sitting out the next several games, one thing he’s not the least Well, he doesn’t actually swear. The Winnipeg Jets’ No. 55 never lets a bit happy about is how his family has been dragged into the controversy. cuss word enter his mind, let alone slip from his lips. “I can handle the punishment, I can accept the accountability,” he said. But he frigging insists his devastating hit on Montreal’s Jake Evans the “That’s what you sign up for, being in the NHL. But the hate that my other night was without malice and within the rules, regardless of what family has gotten, the bullying that they’ve gotten, online, phone calls, it’s anybody says. A lily-white product of his will to win. pretty gross to see.

“My intention on that play is to try to negate a goal,” Scheifele said from “In a society where you can hide behind a keyboard, that is the problem. I the Jets Zoom Room on Friday morning. “There’s no intent, there’s no can handle the criticism. I got suspended four games. I got held malice there. I don’t go in with a frame of mind of injuring a hockey accountable. But there’s no right to go after my parents, to go after my player. My record precedes itself. I think I’ve had not one charging loved ones. That’s completely unacceptable. But that’s our society penalty in 600 games. nowadays.”

“Obviously the result sucks that he’s hurt. I just hope he’s OK. I hope for Isn’t that the sad truth. a speedy recovery and I’m praying for him.” No athlete or their family deserves that. Fans, you can do much better. Scheifele says he was actually in shock at the result. It’s only a game.

He pointed out he didn’t leave his feet, he kept his elbows in, stayed All Scheifele can do now is hope his team prolongs the series enough to compact. allow him to play another one.

Those things are all true. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.05.2021

But at the speed he was going, putting a shoulder into the chest of a vulnerable Evans, who was attempting a wrap-around into an empty net, was going to blow up the smaller forward. And he should have known it.

The NHL player safety department agreed, slapping Scheifele with a four-game suspension, late Thursday.

Harsh, perhaps, when you consider his squeaky-clean resume.

But when you look at the damage done – Evans was hit so hard and so high he was out cold, and is out indefinitely while his brain recovers – the gang that seems to throw at a dartboard to come up with suspensions hit the bull’s-eye on this one.

Whether the Jets see it or not.

“It was pretty excessive,” Scheifele argued. “I wasn’t expecting that. I was pretty shocked.”

Scheifele says he won’t bother appealing, though, given the long odds of having the suspension reduced.

Because it’s less than six games, he can only appeal it to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, not to an independent arbitrator.

He also doesn’t want the distraction for his teammates.

“It really wouldn’t have done anything anyway… I don’t have much faith in that,” he said. “This has lingered on long enough. The stakes are so high at this point. I just want to be there cheering on my teammates. From this point on, it’s all about the Winnipeg Jets.”

Scheifele’s very appearance in the Zoom Room was a bit of a surprise. The Jets obviously wanted to get it over with and felt he was up for it.

Not once, though, did he acknowledge he made a mistake or did anything wrong, which probably didn’t play well with the people deciding his suspension.

“No one knows what was going through my mind except for myself, and I tried to portray that to the league,” he said. “I keep on going back to my record. I’ve had 12 penalty minutes this year. I’ve had one boarding penalty in my entire 600-game career. I haven’t had a charging penalty. I don’t think I’ve had more than 20 fricking hits a year. So my intention is not to injure or to make a hit, but to prevent a goal.”

Scheifele says he reached out to Evans’ teammates after the game and was glad to hear he wouldn’t be hospitalized. 1215137 Winnipeg Jets to enough Ehlers zone entries and it becomes clear that the duo’s seasonlong excellence when paired together is no coincidence.

But even they couldn’t beat Price on Friday night. Jets need Pierre-Luc Dubois to step up with Mark Scheifele out — or Meanwhile, Connor — whose first-period forechecking efforts were promote a centre who will dialed-in — made a mistake defending Tyler Toffoli’s short-handed rush, Toffoli made a perfect shot, and the game seemed to be decided in an instant. By Murat Ates Jun 5, 2021 In the clip above, you can see Morrissey set up to defend a two-on-one rush before Connor comes in to help. Morrissey backs off of Toffoli, Connor swings his stick and Toffoli beats both Jets skaters plus their Pierre-Luc Dubois’ playoff reputation preceded him. goalie. Dubois was the Leaf-killer — the man who scored the Game 3 hat trick, “If Kyle’s going over (to Toffoli) he’s got to come up with that puck,” including the overtime game winner, and turned Columbus’ series Maurice said in his postgame media availability. against Toronto on its head. Had the Jets equalized Toffoli’s short-handed goal with a power-play He was the Blue Jackets’ star player against Tampa Bay — the Blue strike on either of their two tries, Connor’s mistake might not have been Jackets points leader with six in five games — and a play driver who much of a story. controlled the flow of play. Instead, it became something of an inflection point on which the game He was Winnipeg’s blockbuster acquisition, acquired along with a third- turned. round draft pick for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. Winnipeg spent the next few minutes failing to re-establish the Put all of that together and sprinkle in Dubois’ francophone roots and it forechecking energy it had early in the game. The Jets looked disjointed, makes sense that, outside of obvious stars like Blake Wheeler, Mark unable to create quality chances, stymied by Montreal’s neutral-zone Scheifele, and Connor Hellebuyck, Dubois is one of the few Jets players pressure. Though Winnipeg began the third period within a goal and whose game is talked about outside of local media. outshot the Canadiens 14-7 in the final frame, Montreal’s counter-attack Dubois’ transition to Winnipeg continues to be a difficult one, and the proved at least as dangerous as the Jets’ offensive pressure. Game 2 loss to Montreal was a clear example. A minute into the third period, Hellebuyck stopped Jesperi Kotkaniemi on There’s no denying that Dubois’ two weeks of quarantine, early-season a partial breakaway following a turnover by Connor in a packed neutral injury and late-season injury have all played a role in his career-low zone. production rate of 21 points in 40 games as a Jet this season. Thirteen minutes into the third period, a pass from Wheeler bounced over There’s also no denying that, without either of Scheifele and Paul Stastny Josh Morrissey’s stick at the Canadiens blue line, and Hellebuyck in the lineup, the stage couldn’t have been set better for Dubois to play stopped Paul Byron on a rush chance from the slot. the best game of his Jets career. Fourteen minutes into the third period, a pass from Ehlers went through Scheifele’s suspension and Stastny’s injury opened up all kinds of Forbort at the Montreal line, and Hellebuyck stopped Nick Suzuki on a opportunity on Winnipeg’s top line. rush chance from the slot.

Lined up between Wheeler and Kyle Connor, Dubois was the Jets’ de The Jets did string together a few good opportunities of their own but facto No. 1 centre in Game 2 against Montreal, playing over 20 minutes nothing quite as dangerous as the sum of these three dangerous rush for just the second time all year. (Dubois played 24 minutes in Winnipeg’s chances. triple-overtime game against Edmonton.) The more tightly Winnipeg tried to squeeze, the more often Montreal’s He generated just one shot on goal — an early third-period rush counterattack seemed to slip through its fingers. opportunity that Carey Price turned easily aside. Despite all of this, the Jets were staunch in their positive accounting of Of course, Price stopped all 30 shots he faced on Friday. The issue is Game 2. that it was Dubois’ only shot attempt in 20:09 of play. “I thought it was a great step in the right direction,” said Wheeler. “I And while I believe that Dubois has a lot to offer the Jets organization thought we played a great game, and unfortunately it was one of those over the duration of his contract — he has already found tremendous games where whoever scores first is going to win. I thought we got off to success controlling games with size, speed, and power in his NHL career a way better start and had quite a few looks to tie the game up and — his best attributes were MIA in Winnipeg’s biggest game of the year. unfortunately it was just a matter of being unable to get that bounce to go The Jets don’t have until 2021-22 to come back against the Canadiens. our way.” Down 2-0 heading into Montreal for Game 3, Winnipeg needs Dubois’ “I think we can take a lot of positives out of this game, kind of like Blake’s best game now. been saying,” echoed Copp. “We’re doing a lot of the right things in the Given that the Jets have only one five-on-five goal this series, that same offensive zone; defensively we were quicker. We’re just kind of keeping statement could be made about a lot of players. on keeping on.”

Derek Forbort is a tough customer and a gritty player, but if he is Paul Maurice was more measured in his praise, citing the volume of rush responsible for 100 percent of your five-on-five goals in a playoff series, chances Winnipeg gave up in Game 1 before calling Game 2 a decided you’re probably not going to win. improvement.

The Jets have a shorthanded goal from Adam Lowry — a heart-and-soul “I still think we can improve in a few areas in terms of how we move the player if there ever was one — and a power-play blast from Connor. puck,” Maurice said. “But in terms of not cheating the play, they had three breakaways and four two-on-ones in Game 1. We had a couple of Not even Connor Hellebuyck can win games with that kind of run bobbled pucks at the line that weren’t bobbling for us, but other than that, support. we were much better.”

Winnipeg’s best line on Friday night was that of Andrew Copp, Nikolaj It may be that the Jets particularly loathed their Wednesday night Ehlers and Mathieu Perreault until line shuffling turned it into Copp, performance. Ehlers and Kristian Vesalainen. It may be that the Jets are staying positive because they know that Part of that is impacted by matchups — Dubois’ line had more of Phillip staying positive is what a team down 2-0 needs to do to come back in a Danault to deal with than Copp did — but part of it is also the impact of series. Winnipeg’s best two-way forward being paired with its best play driver. Watch enough clever area passes from Copp to Ehlers and pay attention But consider Wheeler’s answer when asked what he liked about Friday’s game. “We gave up one goal,” Wheeler began. Then he started to add to his list of positives before changing his mind.

“They didn’t have a lot of … actually, I take that back — they had a handful of odd-man rushes, so that’s an area we can still clean up. But outside of the big chances, whether it be a partial breakaway or a couple two-on-ones, I mean, I thought defensively we were great.”

This praise is not exactly emphatic.

But then you have Maurice echoing what his players said about Game 2 being a positive step.

“Big improvement for us on Game 1,” he reiterated later in his availability. “Neither team scores an even-strength goal. Hard-to-come-by opportunities at either end of the ice. But much, much better than our Game 1.”

What a low bar to clear, no? Which team is supposed to have been well- prepared and well-rested?

Of course, a more fair editorialization on my part would be to reflect on the fact that it was a 50/50 series and then Stastny got hurt, Dylan DeMelo got hurt, and Scheifele got suspended.

DeMelo is out for a week or more with a “soft tissue injury” after twisting his leg on Game 1’s opening shift. Scheifele will miss three more games due to the suspension he received for his hit on Jake Evans.

Maurice told reporters on Friday that Stastny might return in time for Game 3 on Sunday.

“We’ve got some confidence going into the other team’s building and there’s a chance we might get Paul (Stastny) back, which will probably help our group up front.”

The emphasis is mine because three qualifiers like that imply that Stastny, if he is healthy, might not become the game changer that Dubois was meant to be in Game 2.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215138 Winnipeg Jets The last time the Jets were forced to play without Scheifele, they lost three of four games on their way to an early postseason exit.

His four-game suspension, then, is a chance for Winnipeg to rewrite Mark Scheifele has accepted his fate, now it’s on the Winnipeg Jets to history. overcome theirs There’s no way around how difficult the revision will be: Winnipeg needs to win at least two of its games without Scheifele, its leading scorer, lest its season end right here in Round 2. Their second-line centre, Paul By Murat Ates Jun 4, 2021 Stastny, missed Game 1 to an undisclosed injury, and Dylan DeMelo — the man with whom Josh Morrissey’s results soar — is out for “about a

week” with a soft-tissue injury, as per Paul Maurice. The first question Mark Scheifele was asked Friday morning was about Stastny participated in Friday’s highly optional pregame skate but left the the length of his four-game suspension. ice early. His first answer was about Jake Evans’ well-being. If he plays, it seems unlikely Stastny will be at 100 percent. Without him, “I think first and foremost before we talk about anything, the No. 1 thing is Pierre-Luc Dubois is Winnipeg’s top centre — barring a substantial Jake Evans’ health,” Scheifele said when asked about his suspension. rearrangement of the lines (or perhaps even Blake Wheeler being moved “First and foremost is his health and how he’s doing. I pray for a quick into the middle.) and speedy recovery for him and that he’s OK.” Let’s start with a presumption of Stastny’s health and a commitment to They were the first words in what became a 16-minute call — extremely the Maurice principle of “keep as many pre-existing partnerships as long by Scheifele standards but appropriate for the moment. possible.”

Scheifele explained his mindset in making the hit that injured Evans, Projected lines (with Stastny) expressed concern for Evans’ health, spoke to his state of shock after Connor causing an injury, and stressed that he never meant to do anything but stop the goal. Stastny

“My thought process there is to cut him off at that post,” Scheifele said. Wheeler “When he gets behind the net, I don’t know if he’s going to cut back, so I stop moving my feet in case he does a cutback behind the net and I can Perreault reroute, go to the other side and cut him off at the other post. He might Dubois shallow out in the corner, and then I have to gear down and try to angle him off into the corner … I’m backchecking, and my thought process the Ehlers entire way is: ‘There’s a minute left in the game; we just scored. It’s a one-goal game.’ My only thought in my mind is to negate a goal and Copp prevent a goal.” Lowry

Scheifele spoke to the things he did to try to make a clean hit — keeping Appleton his elbows in, not vaulting into the hit and not leaving his feet. Toninato He referenced his faith, saying multiple times he is praying for Evans’ full, speedy recovery. He emphatically referenced his track record. Thompson

“I think I’ve had 12 penalty minutes this year. I’ve had one boarding Lewis penalty in my entire 600-game career. I haven’t had a charging penalty. I don’t think I’ve had more than 20 frickin’ hits a year.” LD

Scheifele also spoke to some of the ugliest sides of being at the centre of RD such a controversial hit. Asked about the vitriol that he and members of Morrissey his family have received, Scheifele responded with concern for his loved ones. Poolman

“I can handle the punishment. I can accept the accountability,” Scheifele Forbort said. “That’s what you sign up for, being in the NHL. But the hate that my family has gotten. The bullying that they’ve gotten — online, phone calls. Pionk It’s pretty gross to see. My parents are the salt of the earth. For my Stanley parents to get hate like that, and my brother and sister, it’s awful. I can handle it; I’m a grown man. I’ve accepted that and I can be held Benn accountable for that. But for my family to get that, it hurts me a lot.” G Scheifele’s emotion was evident — his voice nearly broke at “brother and Hellebuyck sister” — but in the end, he returned to his own accountability. Stastny and Wheeler played 334 minutes together this season, earning He won’t be appealing his four-game suspension, saying he doesn’t want 45 percent of shot attempts and 45 percent of expected goals while to be a distraction from the series and adding that he doesn’t have a lot trailing 19-13 in real goals scored. Some of those minutes will have come of faith that an appeal would reduce his sentence. (Of note: Suspensions during Wheeler’s rib injury, perhaps underselling their ability, but the raw of fewer than six games can be appealed to the league commissioner, numbers are not inspiring. while suspensions of six games or more can be appealed first to the commissioner and then to an independent arbitrator. Scheifele’s four- Dubois and Nikolaj Ehlers played 246 minutes together this season, game suspension does not give him that second option.) earning 53 percent of shot attempts and 54 percent of expected goals while leading 10-7 in real goals scored. They’ve yet to catch fire during “From this point on, it’s all about the Winnipeg Jets. It’s not about me; it’s the playoffs but have a solid regular-season track record — most of it not about anything like that. It’s about the Winnipeg Jets and the guys in with Kyle Connor as their third forward. that room who are going to be battling for our team.” Andrew Copp, Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton are a known quantity, This means that for the first time since the 2020 qualification round and Winnipeg’s fourth line in this scenario is familiar from this year’s against Calgary, Winnipeg will play without its top centre in the lineup. playoffs. Mark Scheifele alongside Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. (James Carey Meanwhile, the defence pairings are easier to predict. Jordie Benn draws Lauder / USA Today) into the lineup, Tucker Poolman has played a ton of minutes with Morrissey, and the Minnesota connection of Derek Forbort-Neal Pionk Hellebuyck hasn’t been broken up since the day they met. Copp, Stastny and Ehlers were Winnipeg’s most dominant line of the On paper, it’s underwhelming. And let’s be honest: The Jets didn’t play season, outscoring opponents 7-1 (while getting bounces) on 56 percent particularly well with Scheifele in their lineup in Game 1. They gave up of shot attempts and 63 percent of expected goals. No other line comes two early goals and too many rush opportunities against a well-structured close to that goal dominance or that control over the flow of play. Canadiens team with a heavy forecheck, punishing defencemen and great goaltending. Connor, Dubois and Wheeler would be a new entity, although Connor and Wheeler have shared the ice quite a bit in recent years. They have But no series was ever won in a single game. not, in fact, been analytical darlings so far this season, although much of their time came when Wheeler was hurt early in the year. Montreal doesn’t start Friday evening’s rematch up 5-3 just because Scheifele is out. The third line is kept mostly intact, while Jansen Harkins takes Dominic Toninato’s job on the fourth line with veterans Nate Thompson and Connor Hellebuyck doesn’t magically lose his ability to steal games. Trevor Lewis. If Stastny, a game-time decision, can’t play, expect Connor doesn’t suddenly lose his killer instinct around the net. Ehlers, Toninato to draw back into the lineup and a chaotic game of musical who immediately becomes Winnipeg’s undisputed best forward, doesn’t chairs to ensue. forget how to blaze a trail through the neutral zone. Stastny’s health may be in question, and Dubois has played with Winnipeg for most of the There is no Kristian Vesalainen (or, worlds less likely, Cole Perfetti) season without taking over a game, but his time is quite clearly now. And appearing in these proposed lines, but Maurice has used Vesalainen Appleton doesn’t forget how to drive the lane, Lowry doesn’t lose his before. brilliance on the penalty kill and Copp is still a stalwart 200-foot player. And Ville Heinola would be a strong choice, but it’s tough to ask a player Copp also remains a great quote: “We’ve got to find a way to win the next already on the losing end of the possession battle during an on-again, game. I think that’s all we’re worried about right now. We’re not worried off-again taxi-squad season to jump into the playoff fray. about any targets or whatever they’re saying in the media. I think we’re worried about going on and winning Game 2. It’s a big fucking game for In the end, the only certainty is that Scheifele’s fate is sealed. us.” Winnipeg’s isn’t.

Adversity is opportunity. All the Jets can do now is give themselves the best opportunity to see Some of the forwards listed above might play their best game of the year Scheifele back on the ice, whether it’s in Game 6 against Montreal or — on Friday, helping to erase the agony of a Game 1 loss and the hit that somehow — in Game 1 against Denver. overshadowed it. The odds are stacked heavily against the Jets, but odds don’t win hockey A tied series heading into Montreal would be an entirely winnable starting games — players do. point for a best of five if Winnipeg can make it so. The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 But what if Maurice veers away from the “change as few things as possible” formula?

Perhaps Copp becomes Winnipeg’s top centre between Connor and Wheeler.

Perhaps Wheeler moves into the middle or Dubois gets a massive opportunity on the top line.

Or what if the Jets go the analytical darlings route?

Copp

Stastny

Ehlers

Connor

Dubois

Wheeler

Perreault

Lowry

Appleton

Harkins

Thompson

Lewis

LD

RD

Morrissey

Poolman

Forbort

Pionk

Stanley

Benn

G 1215139 Vancouver Canucks “The Kings perch atop our leaguewide ranking is a testament to sheer volume of blue chip prospects that they’ve assembled in just three or so years of rebuilding in earnest,” J.D. Burke, editor-in-chief of EP Rinkside, a hockey website operated by eliteprospects.com, told Postmedia. Canucks: Vancouver isn't alone in trying to keep up with the Avalanche Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale passes the puck during the third period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

Patrick Johnston Anaheim Ducks

Publishing date:Jun 04, 2021 • 9 hours ago • In the minds of prospects-watchers, the Ducks aren’t far behind.

Led by Trevor Zegras, who may be the best prospect between the two Southern California teams, Anaheim’s crop has Jamie Drysdale, Blake Centre Quinton Byfield is considered the top prospect of the Los Angeles McLaughlin, Ian Moore, Sam Colangelo, Lukas Dostal, and Jackson Kings, a team that may have the best stable of prospects in the NHL at LaCombe. They also have Brayden Tracey, Jacob Perreault, Bryce the moment. Kindopp, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Maxim Golod. It’s doesn’t take a PhD to know that the Vancouver Canucks are not the Recent graduates already in the NHL include Max Jones, Sam Steel and only National Hockey League team trying to build a Stanley Cup Maxime Comtois. contender. The Ducks still have some aging players with big contracts on their For the Canucks, not only must one consider the teams they’re chasing roster, so they’re a little behind the eight ball in terms of the salary cap. but the ones trying to get into the race. But like the Kings, if they hit their marks with their prospects, they’re Yesterday, we looked at the Colorado Avalanche, a team that is seen as going to be a very exciting young team very quickly. a model contender, a team that’s primed itself to chase for the Stanley “The Ducks may not boast the volume of the Kings, but in Zegras, Dostal Cup this season and for a few seasons to come. and Drysdale they boast perhaps the three best individual prospects at Today, we look some regional competitors that hold the same ambitions the sport’s three most important positions,” Burke said. “The foundation is as the Canucks, the desire to become a contender in a season or two. in place and their scouting staff has a record that strongly indicates they’ll mine value to fill out the margins of their roster elsewhere. Frankly, they’d Seattle Kraken rank much, much higher in our rankings if not for the Calder eligibility requirements. They’re the victim of so many recent graduates.” First of all, there are the nascent rivals down the I-5. They’ve been quietly building out a forward-thinking front office, prepping their tools to build a Edmonton Oilers team they hope will be as competitive right out of the game as the Vegas Golden Knights were in 2017-18. Which brings us to the final questions in the division.

It’s unlikely Seattle will be able to take advantage of managerial stupidity The Edmonton Oilers have flopped, badly, in the playoffs for two years like the Golden Knights did with ex-Florida GM Dale Tallon’s flight of folly running. That’s not the fault of their captain, who has done everything he in dumping both Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault so he could can to win his team games when he’s on the ice. keep a depth defenceman. But there will still be some interesting faces The problem remains what the Oilers do when he’s not on the ice. Can made available for them to choose from. Oilers management finally right the ship in coming seasons? If they ever They’ll surely find a solid goalie like Jake Allen, a defenceman like Matt do solidify the lineup around the game’s greatest player, watch out. Dumba and a centre like Jared McCann. Vegas Golden Knights Those are clearly not front-line players, but they’re handy players you’d The other question hanging over the division is how the Golden Knights like to have in your lineup. manage life as an established NHL team. They are very locked into the And with the flat cap, Seattle’s blank slate of salary budget will put them top end of their lineup. Mark Stone, for example, who just turned 29, is in a position to make strong offers in free agency. signed to a contract that runs until he’s 35.

Like the Canucks, Seattle needs to draft smartly and build out their But they are exempt from this summer’s expansion draft, so they don’t prospect list while navigating around the edge of their roster. They’ll need have to worry about who might stay or go. And their prospect list, led by a proper No. 1 centre and a proper No. 1 defenceman — two things the Peyton Krebs and Brendan Brisson, is solid. Canucks clearly have. It’s a nice mix that should keep them competitive for years to come. Los Angeles Kings Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.05.2021 In the Pacific Division’s prospects display case, the Kings are considered the jewel in the crown.

Their list of prospects, players who range from likely stars to simply useful depth, is solid and long. It includes Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Rasmus Kupari, Tyler Madden, Helge Grans, Brock Faber, Aidan Dudas, Kale Clague, Kasper Simontaival, Arthur Kaliyev, Samuel Fagemo and Akil Thomas.

Not every one of those faces is going to make it, of course, but most observers see the Kings as very much on the right track.

Their list of recent graduates — prospects who played regular NHL minutes this season — include Gabe Vilardi, Michael Anderson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan.

The Kings do need the likes of Byfield and Turcotte to become the kinds of players that elder statesmen Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown — who are still on the roster and contributing — have been for them for so long. They have good bets in Kaliyev and Fagemo too, two young forwards who have scored at every level.

It could all fall apart for the Kings, but if they hit their marks, they’ll field a formidable lineup in a season or two. 1215140 Vancouver Canucks Vancouver’s results didn’t reflect the club’s true talent level this past season.

The good bones of this Canucks team also shine through in this exercise. How do the Canucks stack up with the Cup contenders? Identifying Pettersson’s projection is in line with what the top-line centremen on the offseason needs eight remaining teams contributed this season and so is ’s projection when compared with the average second-line centres from the eight conference semifinalists. GSVA believes in Thatcher Demko as a very good starting goaltender. It’s a bit low on Quinn Hughes following a By Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal Jun 4, 2021 tough defensive season, but GSVA still rates him as a top-pair calibre defender.

Let’s go deep on what the Vancouver Canucks need to evolve into a Interestingly, GSVA projects that Vasili Podkolzin can slot into the middle team capable of contending for the Stanley Cup. six and be a credible contributor in Year 1. The model is a bit low on Nils Höglander, however, rating him as a low-end second-line contributor. It’s difficult because watching juggernaut sides like the Colorado Particularly if he’s able to iron out his play away from the puck, Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning play games in the second round Höglander feels like a relatively safe bet to exceed his GSVA projection of the Stanley Cup playoffs at the moment, it’s hard to fathom how far the next season. Canucks still have to travel. Brock Boeser is projected as a top-line forward for next season, but a Fundamentally though, this Canucks team has good bones. lower-end top-line forward relative to what the final eight teams are typically receiving from their first liners. There’s work to be done, renovations are needed up front, and the blue line may need to be reconstructed entirely, but one doesn’t even need to GSVA won’t distinguish between what J.T. Miller can contribute at centre squint to look beyond the bloated, inefficient depth contracts and see that versus what can be expected from him on the wing, but we’ve plugged the skeletal structure of a top-end team is actually already in place to a him in as a third-line centre in the diagram above. The model rates him large extent. as a top-six piece, not a top-line piece. That’s probably sensible considering that Miller was one of the 15 most valuable forwards in the When you have a young core group that includes a genuine first-line sport in his first Canucks season, but was an average second-line piece centre, an average second-line centre, an additional top-line winger, a this past year. top-pair defenseman and a goaltender with the track record to suggest that he could well be a top-end starter, and all of these players are under Beyond the core, what really stands out is that Vancouver has far more the age of 26, you’re generally on the right track. negative value contributors at the bottom of their lineup — based on our depth chart, the red projections are for Matthew Highmore, Jay Beagle Of course, as we all know, a top-end core group isn’t enough. Feel free and Tyler Myers — and are short a pair of top-four calibre defenders. It’s to say it with me: “It takes an army.” an indication of the work still to be done to give Vancouver’s core group a As the Canucks enter an offseason with limited cap space, a prospect legitimate opportunity to consistently make the Stanley Cup playoffs and pipeline to replenish and significant, crucial extensions to negotiate with advance when they get there. their two most important players; what pieces exactly should the club be Let’s get granular with a look at specifically what the Canucks need to looking to add? add to push themselves to the level of those eight teams that are still To try and get a sense of how the Canucks can close the gap between competing for the Stanley Cup playoffs. To try and distill that, we’ve put their current lineup and those of the teams still competing for the Stanley together a handy graphic: Cup, we asked our colleague Dom Luszczyszyn to help us out. (Note: This graphic is an indicator of what the Canucks need to match Using the game score value added (GSVA) metric, which is the basis of the level of one of the eight conference semifinalists, in terms of player Dom’s projection system that beats the betting markets consistently quality, not a normal depth chart.) season after season, we’ve produced a lineup that reflects what the final By means of illustration, Miller is moved in the below graphic to a eight teams remaining in the playoffs are getting on average from their second-line wing spot. This is because GSVA considers him a second- lineup at various positions. line player, even though we think the club is most likely to open the We’ve also taken our Canucks offseason depth chart and used GSVA to season with him as a third-line centre. project what the club can expect from their various players in 2021-22, at Miller also doesn’t bump up to the first line, even though he’d play there if least based on how we expect them to slot into the Canucks lineup going the Canucks had a better third-line centre option. That’s because he into this offseason. doesn’t project to provide over 2.0 contributions in terms of GSVA. So the As we often note in leaning on GSVA projections, all-in-one metrics are a top-line hole remains in GSVA’s opinion, even if Miller would fill it in blunt instrument tool. practical terms.

GSVA can effectively provide a snapshot of what players are contributing One more elite-level forward to their current team and what can be reasonably expected from various Internal options: Brock Boeser (2 GSVA), J.T. Miller (1.8 GSVA), Nils players in the future, but no team would go about building an entire roster Höglander (0.9 GSVA), Vasili Podkolzin (0.9 GSVA) this way and that’s for good reason. There is some context that’s missed by any one tool and it should go without saying that there are reasons to One of the most striking things in going through this exercise is that bet on certain players outperforming their GSVA projections and visa GSVA projects the Canucks to have only one true elite forward next versa, an exercise we’ve gone through previously. season in Pettersson.

Nonetheless, GSVA is proven as a predictive metric. And in this case, We’ve spent a lot of time focusing on Vancouver’s depth as the area in our goal is simply to get an overview of exactly how Vancouver compares need of improvement and that’s fair, but GSVA would suggest that with the teams in the conference semifinal on a position-by-position Vancouver also still has significant needs at the top end of their roster. basis, so we can pinpoint precisely what spots the club should be targeting for improvement this offseason. This is a task that GSVA is The Canucks have a lot of skill up front, and a lot of relatively young skill. extremely well-suited for. Still, Boeser only projects as a first-line forward next season by GSVA and Miller projects as a really good second-line forward. Neither project With that explanation and those qualifiers noted, here’s how the Canucks to be elite pieces. lineup stacks up against the average lineup of the NHL’s eight conference semifinalists: On average, NHL teams that are still in the mix in the 2021 playoffs have more than one top-line player that GSVA considers elite. Patrice The key takeaway from the above graphic, honestly, is that the Canucks Bergeron has Brad Marchand, Nathan MacKinnon has Mikko Rantanen, look an awful lot better than you’d expect if you just looked at the NHL Nikita Kucherov has Brayden Point. standings for the 2020-21 season. That feels right. With the context of injuries and the COVID-19 outbreak, it seems relatively clear that These are the types of players that are all but impossible to add outside of drafting and developing them yourself. The hope for the Canucks has to be that the club has actually done so In Winnipeg, Appleton stands out as a breakout middle-six power forward already. That one of Höglander or Podkolzin can level up significantly in with above-average defensive numbers — the Jets likely can’t protect the years ahead, enough to make put themselves into that elite him after re-signing Adam Lowry. contributor tier. The Canucks could justify trading a draft pick for one of these forwards. It’s a big ask though, and an especially big ask in the short term. They’d not only make a short-term impact on Vancouver’s second or third line, but they’re in the age range (both are 25 years old) where they could The more realistic in-house options for Canucks forwards that might be potentially be long-term fits in the kind of third-line hole that a Podkolzin able to raise their game and contribute at an elite level in the next season or a Höglander would leave behind in the event that either develops into or two remain Pettersson’s Lotto linemates: Boeser and Miller. a championship-quality top-six piece.

Boeser, for what it’s worth, appears to have put the lingering impact of When you factor in the context that there are some low-salary plays to some devastating injuries behind him. His all-around game and make around the league, this is the specific area where the Canucks playmaking has taken major strides in recent seasons and this past should really be aggressive in targeting players this offseason. season his finishing game returned to the level that he showed as a rookie. In a contract year this upcoming season, perhaps he can add to One more third-line forward his fastball yet and cement himself as that secondary elite piece. Internal options: Nils Höglander (0.9 GSVA), Vasili Podkolzin (0.9 Miller produced a genuine elite season in 2019-20, in his first season with GSVA), Tyler Motte (0.1 GSVA), Matthew Highmore (-0.4 GSVA), Kole Vancouver. So he’s done it before, but he also followed it up with a more Lind (n/a) uneven performance in 2021. Can Miller hit the level he found in his first Canucks campaign again, and sustain it over multiple years? It’s a big Ah, the highly-discussed third-line centre hole. Of course, depending on question and GSVA’s skepticism seems well founded considering Miller’s where Miller slots long-term, it could morph into a need on the wings. priors. In an ideal world, the Canucks would be able to take advantage of the Beyond the internal candidates, elite players very rarely change teams. anticipated buyer’s market in free agency and scoop up Tyler Bozak — a They’re expensive in free agency and on the trade market, prohibitively centreman with proven secondary scoring, penalty killing experience and so considering Vancouver’s available cap space and tradeable assets. a decent two-way profile — on a reasonable one or two-year deal. It’s Even some of the more interesting upside bets that could come from the unlikely, however, that he’d come to Vancouver at this stage of his career expansion process — whether it’s Warren Foegle, Mason Appleton, unless the club overbid for his services. Sonny Milano and the like — don’t have that kind of upside. Third-line centre is a pivotal need to prioritize in the big picture, but it’s This reality underscores that Vancouver still has significant top-end tough to see how the Canucks address it this offseason. UFAs like needs, both up front and, as we’ll detail momentarily, on the back end as Philipp Danault, Alex Wennberg and Nick Bonino will likely price well. It’s another major reason — perhaps the major reason — why the themselves out of what Vancouver would be willing to pay, and after that, club should be exceptionally reluctant to trade the No. 9 selection at the the pickings become slim on the open market. Teams aren’t exactly lining 2021 NHL Draft. up to move third-line calibre centres on the trade market either.

In the search for elite talent, after all, it’s hard to beat a top-10 draft pick Middle-six wingers are easier to acquire than third-line centres, so the as a realistic avenue for acquiring an elite-calibre piece. club could very well go in that direction and then roll into this season with Miller in the 3C role. It’s possible that the club adds one middle-six One more high-end second-line forward winger this offseason, shifts Miller to 3C and then gives, say, Tyler Motte a shot on the third line to construct a Motte-Miller-Podkolzin trio as one Internal options: Nils Höglander (0.9 GSVA), Vasili Podkolzin (0.9 potential scenario. GSVA), Tanner Pearson (0.4 GSVA) If Miller’s shift to the middle becomes permanent, it wouldn’t change the By the time the 2022-23 season rolls around, the Canucks will need one need for adding another third line quality contributor, but it would mean of Höglander or Podkolzin to fill this void. that the Canucks can target a winger rather than a centre. Of course, this Vancouver has other holes, particularly on the back-end, to fill within the equation hinges on Miller being equally impactful at centre as he is on next couple of years and would benefit enormously by not having to the wing and that remains to be seen. devote further trade assets or cap space to find an external solution here. One fourth-line centre

It may not be realistic to expect Höglander or Podkolzin to slot into the Internal options: Jay Beagle (-0.3 GSVA), Marc Michaelis (n/a) “elite-level forward” tier ultimately, but hoping for one of them to check off this high-end second-line calibre forward box in two or three years’ time In finalizing their bottom-six renovation, the Canucks will need to add a is perfectly reasonable. It may seem strange not seeing Höglander more serviceable fourth-line centre. already qualify for this tier, but it’s worth remembering that a high-end second line forward on a Cup winner is the equivalent of a first-line They don’t need anything spectacular here, but they do require an quality forward on an average, league-wide basis — it’s a very high bar. upgrade on the most straightforward options they currently have in Beagle and Brandon Sutter. It seems relatively safe for the Canucks to assume that one of their two prized young forwards will take this crucial step eventually, but it may not Beagle’s been the incumbent 4C but the Canucks have been outscored happen as soon as next season. In the interim, considering the cost of 34-18 during his five-on-five minutes over the last two years. Vancouver high-end second-line forwards in trades and free agency, the club is needs someone who can more capably hold the fort down, especially in likely just going to have to accept that staying in a holding pattern is likely light of his injury uncertainty. their best option. That’s especially true when one considers the long-term Sutter is a candidate to return next season for that reason but he similarly promise of Vancouver’s internal options and how difficult it’d be to isn’t quite up to par. GSVA projects a modest decline for the 32-year-0ld acquire a player of that magnitude this offseason with their limited down to -0.3 wins of value. resources. Vancouver should aim for better than Sutter and Beagle in targeting Of course, if we presume that one of Höglander or Podkolzin eventually another fourth-liner. bumps up to fill this void, the club would eventually need to replace the “third line” spot on this contender depth chart that those two are currently One top pair right-side defender occupying. Internal options: Travis Hamonic (0.2 GSVA), Nate Schmidt (1.0 GSVA), On a true talent basis, that’d mean adding a low-end second-line quality Tyler Myers (-0.5 GSVA) player. This is where the Canucks should look to take advantage of GSVA doesn’t project any current Canucks defenders aside from Hughes teams in crunchy expansion situations. Foegele, for instance, is a to contribute at the level of a top-pair defender next season. Considering speedy, “hard to play against” two-way winger who’s scored at just shy of the lacklustre first Canucks season that Nate Schmidt endured, that a 35-point per 82 games pace over the last two seasons who’d fit the bill. seems about right. He’s a player that the Carolina Hurricanes might not be able to protect. There may be no harder player to acquire in the NHL than an elite right- handed defender capable of playing on a team’s first pair. This is partly why Columbus Blue Jackets defender Seth Jones — who will decline to improve away from the puck in the years ahead to play top-four minutes sign an extension in Ohio, making it more likely than not that he’s traded on an everyday basis. in the next handful of months — is a non-stop topic of conversation in Canucks-focused online communities and Vancouver sports talk radio. Even if that happens, the club would still need the kind of low-end second-pair quality defender that most teams employ on their third pair. Jones, who played for Canucks head coach in Portland for In other words, even if Rathbone hits, the team could ideally use another a Portland Winterhawks team that went to the Memorial Cup Final, does low-end top-four calibre blueliner for the third pair in the long run. fit the bill. He would be precisely the type of player the Canucks require. One would imagine the Canucks would be very interested indeed in Conclusion placing a bid in a perfect world. Led by Pettersson, Hughes, Horvat, Miller, Boeser and Demko and The problem with trading for Jones from a Canucks perspective isn’t tied supported by emerging bright players like Höglander, Podkolzin and to any concerns regarding his iffy performance by the underlying Rathbone, the Canucks clearly have many of the upper-echelon numbers. It’s that he’s going to net the Blue Jackets and absolute haul of ingredients necessary to build a credible contender. assets in a trade and then will get very expensive beyond the 2021-22 And honestly, they’re not too far off from completing the task if they’re campaign when he negotiates his third contract as pending unrestricted calculated and disciplined over the next two years. free agent. We’re talking about locking up Hughes and Pettersson to sensible cap Vancouver isn’t well positioned to bid credibly for Jones’ services on the hits and then ideally finding two high-end top-six forwards, a middle-six trade market. They don’t have enough depth in their prospect system to forward and two high-end top-four defenders over the medium term. withstand the loss of an additional good prospect and the ninth pick. Those aren’t easy pieces to find, but they’ll certainly have the flexibility to They also don’t have enough NHL-level assets with sufficient value to source some of them with how much cap space they’ll have available outbid some of their NHL rivals that could come hard for Jones’ services. next offseason, as well as with this year’s first-round pick. Finally, the club’s cap situation is exceptionally tight as it is. Even fitting in Jones’ relatively affordable $5.4 million cap hit for the 2021-22 campaign The Canucks don’t have a ton of expendable trade assets at the NHL is prohibitive, unless the Blue Jackets were to agree to take money back. level, and because they need to wait until the summer of 2022 to regain financial flexibility, they likely won’t have the capability of addressing their It won’t be easy to add a high-end partner to caddy for Hughes. And biggest long-term needs this offseason. that’s a player that the Canucks will clearly require down the line to take a step from where they are now to durable contender status. That’s regrettable, but it’s just how this club is positioned at the moment. Vancouver should recognize this reality, as general manager Jim Jones shaking loose is a relatively unique opportunity, but the Canucks Benning appeared to back in February, and approach this offseason are not positioned well enough to spend treasure on acquiring a big piece accordingly. likes Jones in a splashy trade this offseason, unfortunately. The club is well positioned to pitch a player like that on joining their club in free A conservative approach to this offseason doesn’t necessarily have to agency in the 2022 offseason, however, considering that the club has a come at the expense of flushing next year down the drain, either. ton of cap commitments expiring following the 2021-22 league year. There are unique opportunities and spots where Vancouver can still And Jones isn’t the only high-end right-handed defender on an expiring afford to be aggressive. They can and should take a run at expansion- ticket poised to hit the market in 2022 either. In addition to Jones, Colton vulnerable teams to pry a piece like Foegele or Appleton loose, but Parayko, John Klingberg, and Ryan Pulock are on deals that expire beyond that, the Canucks should roll the dice on low-cost stopgaps with following next season as well. some upside to preserve their window to begin to meaningfully contend, which should open in 2022-23. One more second-pair quality defender The Canucks’ true talent level is better than what they showed this year Internal options: Olli Juolevi (0.2 GSVA), Jack Rathbone (n/a) and with shrewd, undervalued offseason additions, the club can still Many contending teams boast three top-pair quality defenders. Colorado credibly contend for the playoffs this upcoming season, especially given (Cale Makar, Sam Girard and Devon Toews), Carolina (Jaccob Slavin, that the Pacific Division will be wide open beyond Vegas next year. Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce) and Tampa Bay (Victor Hedman, That would be the best-case scenario: finding diamonds in the rough this Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev) would be the most prominent offseason to help the club make the playoffs, while hoarding assets and examples. preserving maximum flexibility to address their biggest needs down the As of now, the Canucks have Hughes as the only surefire top-pair quality line, beginning in the offseason of 2022. piece with Schmidt potentially giving him company at a fringe level. The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 That’s if he can bounce back.

It’s become abundantly clear that Alex Edler is no longer a first-pair calibre defender at this stage in his career. That leaves the Canucks searching for another high-end blueliner to play on the second pair, in addition to the aforementioned glaring need of a top-pairing right-shot defenceman.

Vancouver could try and address that need by going hard for someone like Jamie Olekskiak, who’s coming off an excellent campaign in Dallas’ top-four, but that would unquestionably come with a big ticket. Investing top dollar into an older left-shot defender probably doesn’t make a lot of sense at this stage, considering the contract Hughes will earn, Schmidt’s expensive deal and the long-term upside of Jack Rathbone.

Unless the Canucks find the kind of young defender that’d be a long-term fit, they’d be better off just rolling with a stopgap. Maybe that’s Edler and they go back with him on the second pair. If they let Edler go, they could target a cheap, steady third-pair right-handed defender like Jani Hakanpaa to play alongside Rathbone and then shift Schmidt to the left side to roll with a Schmidt-Myers second pair next season.

Both of those scenarios are far from ideal but it’d arguably be the best path to go down if the club wants to maximize their flexibility to take an all-in shot in 2022-23.

It’s definitely possible that Rathbone could fill this second-pairing hole in the long run. He’s certainly pacing well to do so, even if he’ll need to 1215141 Websites with a $90 million cap hit that converts on 76 percent of its chances. I’m not Gary Bettman. What do I care?

Dom: I think this Lightning team is a good example of why a luxury The Athletic / NHL power rankings: Our fresh 1-8 rankings, plus letters to tax/soft cap system would be a lot better for the NHL. The best teams are the losers and a new team way, way down the most fun teams and it’s sucked having to see those teams get dismantled in previous seasons because they couldn’t make everything fit. Tampa Bay found the loophole necessary to run it back, and the playoffs have been a lot more fun because of it. Would be great if top By Sean Gentille and Dom Luszczyszyn Jun 4, 2021 teams had the power to go $20 million over the cap or whatever the number is with a luxury tax, but can’t hate the Lightning for making their own. We said we’d never change the intro to The Athletic’s NHL power rankings. We lied. Dom lied, actually. 3. Boston Bruins

Now, tweaks are necessary. You can thank the Stanley Cup playoffs for Last week: 3 that. We ranked the surviving playoff teams from 1-8, based on how good Series Record: Up 2-1 against the New York Islanders we believe their Cup chances to be. If there was a tie, personal bias won out. We’re not sorry. Dom rank: 3

That is it. It’s that simple. First team? Best shot. Eighth team? Worst Sean rank: 3 shot. Seven eliminated teams, in honor of the letter Stella Fleury wrote to her father, got some letters (penned by fake children) to their own Sean: Was the goal Brad Marchand scored to put Boston up 2-1 over the goalies. The eighth eliminated team got … something else. Isles kind of a joke? Sure. Was it also an instance of the hockey universe righting itself? Yep. The Bruins controlled that game, and they control this 1. Colorado Avalanche series. An expected goals percentage of 60? Sheesh. Also, Charlie McAvoy played another 30-minute game and set up Marchand. Also, do Last week: 1 you know who scored Boston’s first goal? Did you catch that? Series Record: Up 2-0 against the Vegas Golden Knights BRAD MARCHAND WINS IT IN OVERTIME, AND OF ALL THE SHOTS, Dom rank: 1 THAT'S NOT THE ONE I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO GO IN. PIC.TWITTER.COM/FU3KH2OS5U Sean rank: 1 — SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) JUNE 4, 2021 Sean: Pete DeBoer might have had the quote of the playoffs so far before his team lost Game 2. He was asked, essentially, why the Avs Dom: Craig Smith, assisted by Taylor Hall and Matt Grzelcyk. That’s the stars have been able to produce so many points despite playing so few stuff dreams are made of. The rest of the league really let Boston sign games. “Well, maybe because there’s seven of them. That might have Smith for nothing despite an abundance of evidence regarding his value something to do with it. You know, you’re not shutting down one guy or and then let Boston trade nothing for Hall despite an abundance of two guys. They literally are that deep in elite offensive players when you evidence regarding his value. It’s playing Be a GM on easy mode, which start including some of their defensemen. There’s a lot to handle there.” is nice for Bruins fans who had to endure Be a GM on expert difficulty during the 2015 draft. Imagine Mathew Barzal on this team. The coolest thing about what they’re doing is that they, unlike the hated Maple Leafs and Oilers, were not built by computers. **taps earpiece** Sean: Not just him — Kyle Connor and Oliver Kylington, too. Ah, well. 4. Carolina Hurricanes Dom: The Avalanche have solved hockey by finding one neat trick that Last week: 4 has bewildered 200 Hockey Men: acquire good players. A truly incredible concept. Devon Toews for two seconds. Man. Must be nice. Series Record: Down 2-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning

Sean: Actually, every other GM knew Devon Toews was an undervalued Dom rank: 5 asset. They just didn’t feel like trading for him. Sean rank: 4 Dom: Do you remember when Douglas Murray was acquired for two second-round picks? How far we’ve come — now two second-round Dom: The Hurricanes have some fight in them and the Game 3 win was picks gets you a guy who played Norris-calibre hockey. gutsy. After their vaunted power kill blew a two-goal lead and Dougie Hamilton took a last minute penalty in a tie game, they still found a way. Sean: Devon “Crankshaft” Toews. Starting Petr Mrazek was the right call and he was spectacular in the game, but I’m not sure if they can really pull off the comeback here with 2. Tampa Bay Lightning all their forwards dropping like flies. First Nino Niederreiter, then Vincent Last week: 2 Trocheck and now Warren Foegele. This team has the depth to match Tampa Bay when healthy, but the road gets harder without those three. Series Record: Up 2-1 against the Carolina Hurricanes Last night’s game was Carolina’s worst from a scoring chance perspective and that may be the norm going forward if Trocheck, Dom rank: 2 Niederreiter and Foegele can’t go. Tough road. Sean rank: 2 Sean: Yeah, I might as well have flipped a coin to decide between them Dom: Tampa Bay has sort of sleep-walked through this post-season so and our No. 5 team. I don’t feel particularly good about either of their far, arrogantly winning games they have no business winning simply chances, but credit to the Canes for pulling that one out. All those because they are the Lightning and the other team is not. Outplayed? forward injuries don’t bode well, and neither does The Cap Unfriendly Out-chanced? Doesn’t matter, baby — they find a way. There’s just too Power Play coming alive in Game 3, but there’s still a lot of work to be much talent on this squad and after winning it all last year it seems the done. team now knows exactly what it takes to win and how much effort it takes Also, Foegele getting hurt on McLovin’s 40th birthday is both poetic and to get there. Sometimes, not much. Of course, they lose one of the better very sad. games they’ve played all playoffs, but after that performance it’s easier to be confident about the group overall. Dom: The fact that everyone on the Canes probably calls him Foegs or Foegsy instead of McLovin is a farce. Sean: A fun thing about the Lightning — any time anybody like us brings up the fact that they’re $17 million over the cap, a certain strain of Tampa 5. Vegas Golden Knights fan takes it as, like, sour grapes or something. I don’t care! It’s funny! It’s fun! There’s nothing better than a team exploiting NHL loopholes. It’s Last week: 6 been yeeeears, and I’m still angry that the league retroactively decided to Series Record: Down 2-0 against the Colorado Avalanche punish back-diving deals. Exploit whatever you can. Build a power-play Dom rank: 4 8. Winnipeg Jets

Sean rank: 5 Last week: 9

Sean: I’m not sure you could’ve drawn up a worse way for Vegas to lose Series Record: Down 1-0 against the Montreal Canadiens Game 2. They beat Colorado in all-chances shots (41-25) and played them even in expected goals, and they still lost. Now, it wasn’t 7-2. Dom rank: 8 “MacKinnon to Rantanen on the power play” has (and will) be a problem Sean rank: 8 for many, many teams. But … this isn’t looking good. It’s a bummer because we all had high expectations for this series, but I’m just not sure Dom: Just for the record: if Carolina lost on Thursday to go down 3-0, I the goals are going to be there for Vegas. Not enough to get them out of still would’ve felt more confident in them winning a Cup over this current a two-game hole, at least. Jets team that is already down 1-0, missing Mark Scheifele for four games, and will then have to get through the Avalanche even if they do Dom: Can’t lose a series until you lose at home and Vegas hasn’t yet, but win this series. Good luck with all that. man that first game was demoralizing and the second one wasn’t much better. It is not often that Colorado gets outshot like that so to lose a Sean: The Avs are targeting them from the red line, some would say. game where the Avalanche are at their worst is not ideal. There won’t be Plus, the Jets had the misfortune of not winning a Game 7 this week. a lot of those games in this series. Game 3 is big and feels like one That’s the sort of It Factor that looms large in the Power Rankings. It is a Vegas can eke a win out of, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the shame for them that Scheifele isn’t a fourth liner, though; they’d miss him team’s only one. This Avalanche team is different. less, and he’d only have been suspended for two games. 6. New York Islanders And now, letters to goalies from fake children. Last week: 8 9. Minnesota Wild Series Record: Down 2-1 against the Boston Bruins Last week: 7 Dom rank: 6 Series Record: Lost 4-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights Sean rank: 6 Dom rank: 9 Dom: I’ve been rewatching “The Good Place” lately and was reminded Sean rank: 9 that our lovable group of four bad humans and a demon called themselves Team Cockroach. No matter how many times you try to Dear Cam Talbot, stomp on them, they find a way to figure it out. The Islanders are Team Cockroach, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. Thank you! My Uncle Dom took me to Chuck E. Cheese and McDonald’s They were getting outshot a million-to-10 on Thursday, something along and said you gave him the money to take me there. You are a very good those lines, and in my heart I knew they would tie it. Was the overtime friend to him. goal by Marchand a dagger? No, because this team doesn’t die and will 10. Florida Panthers probably find a way to tie this series up in Game 4. There’s no quit here and that’s a beautiful thing to watch. Last week: 11

Sean: Tuukka Rask isn’t Tristan Jarry, my boy. Now, was I also pretty Series Record: Lost 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning sure Semyon Varlamov wasn’t Tristan Jarry until Thursday night? Sure. Sure I was. Dom rank: 11

I’m not sure why — it could be because Game 1 was during Game 7 of Sean rank: 11 Habs-Leafs — but this series seems like it’s getting shorted a bit. That Dear Panther goalies, shouldn’t be the case; there are tons of reasons to watch, and the resilience of the Isles might be No. 1. They’re another great reminder that Will all of you come to my birthday party? Mommy says no, because one the playoffs are, at their core, an opportunity to witness stuff that of you is moving to Seattle. He also said that I can be friends with two of shouldn’t happen. If this all followed a script, there’d be no point. Also, I you. One has lots of money and one is a little kid like me. Is that true? stopped watching “The Good Place” after Season 2. “That’s enough,” I said to myself. 11. Pittsburgh Penguins

Dom: You are the worst. Last week: 12

7. Montreal Canadiens Series Record: Lost 4-2 to the New York Islanders

Last week: 10 Dom rank: 12

Series Record: Up 1-0 against the Winnipeg Jets Sean rank: 12

Dom rank: 7 Dear Tristan Jarry,

Sean rank: 7 I am sorry that you are sad. You will be good next year. My friend Scarlett’s dad used to play for the Penguins too and he was much more Sean: I get why you didn’t pick the Maple Leafs to lose — you had two bad than you. Now he is going to the Hall of Fame someday! Do you huge reasons to stick with them, all the way through Game 7, and you know Sidney Crosby? He is my favorite player. Bye. did. Me? No such constraints. If I followed my heart — and the Canadiens’ “Agents of Chaos” track record over the last decade or so — 12. Washington Capitals I’d have looked like a genius. If they lost, I could’ve just played it off as a Last week: 13 joke. Nobody remembers this stuff, anyway. It’s all a big nothing. Series Record: Lost 4-1 to the Washington Capitals Dom: To stick with the “Superbad” references for a second: “People don’t forget.” Check out the comments section for the Blues-Avs preview and Dom rank: 13 it’s full of fans absolutely not forgetting my model had them as big underdogs against the Bruins in the final that year (a season where the Sean rank: 13 winner was also outscored during the series, but alas…) Dear Ilya Samsonov,

Anyways, none of it matters now as I am officially the No. 1 Montreal Mama said you got in trouble for playing with your friends. That is no fun. Canadiens fan on Twitter dot com. (I really need to stop betting on non- Now you can play with them all summer. I am going to camp and to my monetary things because my hit rate on those is like 12 percent). cousins’ house in Indianapolis. I hope you have a good summer.

Sean: That’s why you’re double-tweeting in French. Got it. 13. Nashville Predators Last week: 14 23. San Jose Sharks (21-28-7, 49 points)

Series Record: Lost 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes Made it to a Stanley Cup final with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its Dom rank: 14 streak of playoff futility to 17 years.

Sean rank: 14 24. Los Angeles Kings (21-28-7, 49 points)

Dear Juuse Saros, Won two Stanley Cups in the past decade. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead Hi! My name is Caleb. You are my favorite goalie because you wear to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff futility to 17 yellow. My mom loves yellow. My dad said you got screwed over years. because those other goalies are on better teams. Is that true? Also you 25. Ottawa Senators (23-28-5, 51 points) are my favorite goalie because we are the same height. Won 60 percent of games against Montreal this year which ranked 14. Edmonton Oilers second in the North division this year Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a Last week: 15 team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff futility to 17 years. Series Record: Lost 4-0 to the Winnipeg Jets 26. Vancouver Canucks (23-29-4, 50 points) Dom rank: 15 One year removed from a second round playoff berth, an apparently Sean rank: 16 massive accomplishment in Canada. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of not winning a playoff Dear Mike Smith, series to 17 years. I am glad you are playing for the Oilers next year. My dad says he’d 27. Detroit Red Wings (19-27-10, 48 points) rather have a fifth good forward. I am glad you are a goalie though. Has Steve Yzerman at the helm, meaning future playoff success is likely. 15. St. Louis Blues Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its Last week: 16 streak of playoff futility to 17 years.

Series Record: Lost 4-0 to the Colorado Avalanche 28. New Jersey Devils (19-30-7, 45 points)

Dom rank: 16 Have two former first overall picks to build around, a strong nucleus for the future. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points Sean rank: 15 to extend its streak of not winning a playoff series to 17 years.

Dear Jordan Binnington, 29. Columbus Blue Jackets (18-26-12, 48 points)

My mommy always says that I shouldn’t be a baby when I don’t get what No longer employs John Tortorella. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a I want. I’m not a baby, I’m seven-and-a-half! Sometimes I get really really team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff futility to 17 really mad when I don’t get any fruit roll-ups in my lunchbox, but then I years. remember what my mommy says. Fruit roll-ups make me really happy. You should have some before your games next year, maybe you’ll be 30. Anaheim Ducks (17-30-9, 43 points) happy too! Did not have Sean and Dom say anything mean about them this week. 16. A beige 2012 Ford Taurus (manual transmission, 101K miles) Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff futility to 17 years. A fine car. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of not winning a playoff series to 17 years. 31. Buffalo Sabres (15-34-7, 37 points)

17. Dallas Stars (23-19-14, 60 points) Finally won the draft lottery for the right to select a player who hasn’t yet asked to be traded. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 One year removed from a Stanley Cup final berth. Did not blow a 3-1 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff futility to 17 years. series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff futility to 17 years. 32. Seattle Kraken

18. New York Rangers (27-23-6, 60 points) Have not played an NHL game yet and have therefore not had the opportunity to completely embarrass themselves. Did not blow a 3-1 Has a bright future with a plethora of young talent. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff futility to 17 years. futility to 17 years. 33. The Suez Canal Boat 19. Chicago Blackhawks (25-25-7, 55 points) 34. Pierre McGuire going on another anti-analytics rant Won three Stanley Cups since 2009. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of not winning a playoff 35. Mike Babcock having a role on NBC’s broadcast and using it to stare series to 17 years. just barely off-camera, somewhere into the middle distance.

20. Philadelphia Flyers (25-23-8, 58 points) 36. Stepping on a rake.

Did not lose to Montreal in the playoffs last year. Did not blow a 3-1 37. That time Sean ranked the Predators 27th. series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff 38. Anyone who said anything bad about the Sour Rankings. futility to 17 years. 39. Every single Leafs fan who thought that this time might actually be 21. Arizona Coyotes (24-26-6, 54 points) different. Has not been in the news for random hijinx, shenanigans or scandal in 40. The Leafs fans who spent thousands of dollars for a ticket to Game 6. weeks. That’s progress. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of playoff futility to 17 years. 41. Dom, for betting on the Leafs to win the series and then doubling down for Game 7 despite decades of examples that should’ve informed 22. Calgary Flames (26-27-3, 55 points) him that was a bad decision. Won 67 percent of games against Montreal this season, the best ratio in 42. Sean saying he stopped watching The Good Place after Season 2 the North division. Did not blow a 3-1 series lead to a team with 18 fewer points to extend its streak of not winning a playoff series to 17 years. 43. People whose main method of communication are The Good Place GIFs 44. That time where the Leafs blew a 5-1 lead against Ottawa.

175. Making excuses for years about division difficulty and then choking spectacularly in the one season where you’ll have the easiest Cup final path you’ll ever have, featuring one of the easiest divisions in modern memory.

176. Anyone who has ever appeared on the Instagram page @downbadpatrol

177. This guy specifically.

178. Stepping on several rakes consecutively.

179. Pierre McGuire

180. Toronto Raptors (if they played hockey)

181. Toronto Marlies

182. Marley and Me

411. The thought of trading Mitch Marner after that regular season.

412. The idea of keeping Mitch Marner after that post-season.

754. The Room, starring Tommy Wiseau as Johnny.

755. The room you sit in before the dentist comes and gets you.

756. Lorde fans waiting for a new album.

757. Frank Ocean fans waiting for a new album.

758. Dom, in his feelings about this stupid team, still listening to Melodrama and Blonde like it was 2017.

1001. GM Pierre McGuire

1002. Choosing Nick Foligno over Taylor Hall.

1003. John Tavares choosing Toronto only to see his former team win four series (and maybe more) since he left.

1004. They lost to their own Zamboni driver

1005. Seasons 12-32 of The Simpsons, an era which coincides almost perfectly with the Leafs’ own ineptitude.

1355. It was 4-1.

1967. Toronto Maple Leafs

Last week: 5

Series Record: Lost 4-3 to the Montreal Canadiens

Dom rank: lmao

Sean rank: (ᵔᴥᵔ)

Dom: My parents could’ve lived anywhere else, but they chose this stupid town with this stupid team and here I am 28 or so years later with no real memory of what a playoff win feels like. I was in the sixth grade the last time it happened.

Sean: How do you say that in French?

Dom: Sigh…

Mes parents auraient pu vivre n’importe où ailleurs, mais ils ont choisi cette ville stupide avec cette équipe stupide et me voici environ 28 ans plus tard sans aucun souvenir réel de ce à quoi ressemble une victoire en séries éliminatoires. J’étais en sixième année la dernière fois que c’est arrivé.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215142 Websites In mid-May, that financial ledger looked extremely daunting — so daunting, in fact, that it seemed the showcase might not come to fruition before additional donations came in and sponsorships were secured with entities like InStat and FloHockey, among others. The Athletic / Junior showcase attracts NHL scouts after 4 Ontario Hockey League players turn idea into reality “And that was the boys negotiating and running point on all of that,” said Kelly Perrott, Andrew’s mother. “We found our ways to help and put things together, but most of those sponsorships and things you see are all them taking it into their own hands and getting this done.” By Sean Shapiro Jun 4, 2021 It went from a potential financial disaster to a pleasant surprise for the

players, and new donations have rolled in since the tournament started. For the first time in almost 16 months, Michael Simpson got to make For example, players were originally told they’d be responsible for their saves that mattered again. own food, but with additional donations and sponsorship, lunch and breakfast have been catered. An order was also recently placed to order He battled through screens, dealt with players charging the crease for hoodies for all the players taking part in the event after another rebounds and made a pair of awe-inducing sprawling stops, eliciting considerable donation. crowd reaction and the customary pad taps from teammates for the 18- year-old goalie. And since the tournament became a reality, Kelly Perrott has gone from hockey mom to tournament organizer, handling the day-to-day activities It was a nervous but successful first start for Simpson since the junior of the showcase. She’s checking in scouts when they arrive, handling hockey world shut down because of COVID-19 in March 2020, as “the postgame media requests for players and organizing a bus to drive more butterflies were going” in his stomach. than 50 players to the Canadian border once the showcase is complete.

“Then looking upstairs and you see all the scouts and it’s a little nerve- “Since day one my mom has been my rock,” Andrew Perrott said. “This wracking too,” Simpson said. “And as a goalie, if you make a mistake you actually started a long time ago when she would drive me three times a see it pretty good, where a defenseman makes a mistake you have four week to play for Belle Tire in Michigan from Cleveland. I know she’s the other guys and a goalie to bail you out. You can’t ease into a game, and one person I can always count on in my corner, and when this idea you know they are watching.” became more a reality she really made it happen.”

And NHL teams have been watching and will continue to watch during NHL scouts and executives who spoke to The Athletic were universally the PBHH Invitational, which runs through June 13 in Erie, Pa. So far 27 impressed with the showcase. Many noted how impressive it was that NHL teams have sent at least one scout to the showcase, with all 32 this came together without a larger governing body in hockey running it, teams likely to make an appearance before the conclusion of the while others were quick to point out how uncommon it is for a group of tournament. teenagers to take an idea like this and turn it into a reality.

Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, who runs the team’s draft, “For the love of the game. That’s the most impressive piece about this,” was watching on Thursday. So was Detroit Red Wings director of Draper said. “When we heard the possibility that this was going to start amateur scouting Kris Draper, who plans to make a few more four-hour up and we heard that four young hockey players were putting this on, we round-trip drives from Detroit within the next 10 days. were probably a little skeptical, wondering if it was actually going to happen. So you give credit to all of them. … They had a vision of what “It’s an actual opportunity to see some of these kids live, since many of they wanted to do and they were able to actually come through with it.” them haven’t played,” Flahr said. “We’ve only done video on most of these kids if we even have that, so to get the visual on some of these The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 kids, that’s good.”

That ethos is why this showcase came together. With the Ontario Hockey League shutting down for the 2020-21 season, most junior hockey prospects weren’t able to get on the ice during a time in their life that’s typically crucial for grabbing the attention of NHL teams and potentially climbing up or onto a draft board.

Some players were able to play, some found a spot in Europe, others were still young enough to play AAA hockey, but for the majority of 113 players at the PBHH Invitational like Simpson, this was their first chance to play a game after nearly 16 months.

The PBHH Invitational was the brainchild of four OHL players — Andrew Perrott, Ryan Beck, Ryan Humphrey and Brendan Hoffman — whose last names create the acronym PBHH — and in less than six weeks, it morphed from a fun idea, a joke, really, into a reality with scouts flocking to Erie in early June.

“It’s been amazing,” Perrott said. “I don’t think it really hits until you get here, and then you see what it’s become with all the guys taking ownership of this thing as a group, coming together so we can all actually play games.”

Ideas are great, and getting players on board wasn’t difficult, but actually executing and delivering on the financial logistics of the tournament is the real victory and a testament to the players and hockey parents who worked to create a solution that NHL teams are gladly taking advantage of to build their scouting intel.

Creating a six-team showcase, with nine games per team, isn’t cheap. The total cost of the tournament by the end of the two-week session is going to be close to $200,000. About $85,000 of that was covered by player fees, with each of them paying $750, while the rest was covered by donations and sponsorships.

“The financial aspect of it,” Hoffman said. “Some ludicrous amount of money was what we needed. … That was definitely the biggest hurdle, and we looked at the (budget) like, ‘Oh, shit’ as you are looking over it. It seemed insurmountable.” 1215143 Websites Today, he lists off the cocktail of medications he became hooked on through a life in hockey.

“The Marazipan, Denatoral, Percocet, Vicodin, and Oxycontins,” he says. The Athletic / ‘We’re all hurting, we need answers’: Why former pro “There are five right there that were a regular, daily thing.” athletes are leading the ‘psychedelic revolution’ Throughout his NHL career, Vandenbussche wasn’t concerned by the pills he was handed. Players casually referenced taking their “Perks,” “Vikes” and “Oxies” as though they were part of the pregame routine. The By Dan Robson pills were easy to get, administered by team doctors and trainers whose main mandate was to keep players on the ice — which is usually what

the players wanted, too. Cain Velasquez closed his eyes beneath a canopy of oak trees and felt “The culture of hockey, at least when I played, was drink a lot of beer, do himself melt into the universe. your opioids, get on the ice,” he says. It had been a difficult year for the two-time UFC heavyweight champion, During an NHL season, Vandenbussche took opioids to manage pain. mourning the death of his brother from complications caused by There were times he’d take a couple of Percocets after a pregame meal alcoholism and his mother, who passed away after a long illness. and wash them down with beer. “You feel you can take on the world,” he In that hilly valley of a canyon in an undisclosed location in Northern says. California, Velasquez tried to find them again. But at the end of the night, around 2 a.m., he’d still be wound up — so He was one of more than 30 people taking part in an ayahuasca he’d take some Ambien to sleep. The next day, he’d want to get hyped ceremony — an indigenous ritual that originated in the Amazon Basin up for the game, so he’d pop four to six Sudafed pills to crank up his that involves consuming a drink made from a plant that contains adrenaline. psychoactive ingredients. And so the cycle went, day after day, through an 82-game schedule. It Velasquez has long been intrigued by what he considered natural didn’t worry Vandenbussche during his career. He was one of the medicine — substances made of ingredients found in nature. He was toughest players in the game. The pills allowed him to play. considered a trailblazer for his open use of cannabis to manage pain “I never thought there was an issue with anything I was doing,” he says. during his UFC career. But this was the first time Velasquez had “I was mentally prepared, I was physically prepared. And it was my job.” experienced ayahuasca. But when he retired from the NHL in 2007, Vandenbussche was still It was a cold November morning. The strangers greeted each other dependent on opioids. warmly, exchanging brief hugs and handshakes — gestures Velasquez would later find humorous, given the intimate depths they’d experience in He says he knew of many former players who were suffering the same the hours ahead. way, abusing painkillers after their playing days were over. He believes that drug abuse has led to the early deaths of some of his friends, As the ceremony began, he felt a sense that the people roaming through including his former roommate Bob Probert — who died of heart failure at the oak trees around him were on the same journey. He took off his T- 45 in 2010. shirt and roamed the valley in his jeans. The trees came alive. The grass shimmered green, the hills a rich purple. People around him weeped and Vandenbussche first became interested in non-conventional approaches laughed as they walked the valley together. The guides offered water and to pain management after a friend told him about medicinal cannabis. He more brew. had used cannabis and psilocybin recreationally since he was a teenager but had never considered either a form of therapy. Velasquez found his mother there. He felt her arms around him — just as she’d embraced him when he was young. He turned, hoping to see her. After he started using medicinal cannabis, Vandenbussche says he was But she wasn’t there. Not physically. Still, he felt that warmth — and soon able to break his opioid dependency. he felt the love of the rest of his family too. His brother, who was gone. His father, still alive. His wife. His kids. He felt them all holding him. Their Following Probert’s death, Vandenbussche wanted to share his love stretched on forever — and because of that, nothing could ever be experience with cannabis and psilocybin more widely. truly wrong. All the pain he carried dissolved into joy. He launched a company called New Leaf in 2010, with a focus on That Saturday, from early in the morning until just before sunset, reaching former athletes trying to find alternative ways to manage their Velasquez, once one of the most feared fighters in the world — famously pain. leaving Brock Lesnar a bloodied mess in the octagon — laughed and In 2018, Vandenbussche began looking more directly into research cried for hours. He believes the journey he took between his body, on around psilocybin use, specifically microdosing — the regular earth, and the cosmos of his mind, changed his life. consumption of small quantities of psilocybin. Velasquez is just one of several former pro athletes who have turned to In March, Vandenbussche and his partners launched Psirenity — a psychedelic therapy in recent years hoping to find an alternative to the subsidiary of New Leaf focused on providing psychedelic therapy and kinds of painkillers and anxiety medications that have become holistic wellness for patients suffering from mental health disorders. The ubiquitous. company is based in Jamaica, where psilocybin use is legal. Recent breakthroughs in clinical research — amid a push for Psirenity is scheduled to begin clinical trials with psilocybin in Jamaica in decriminalization — have garnered interest from pro sports leagues and August, after being granted approval by the ethics committee at the governing bodies. University of West Indies. Some are contemplating the possibility that these long-stigmatized drugs Vandenbussche says he’s hopeful more clinical research will lead to an might benefit athletes who suffer from mental health disorders and increased effort for legislation in the United States and Canada, giving neurological issues caused by traumatic brain injuries. former players like himself access to psychedelic therapy. A few athletes are even entering in the nascent industry themselves, as “There are a lot of guys right now that are suffering in silence,” he says. investors pump millions of dollars into new startups hoping to capitalize on loosening regulations against some of these drugs. “You have no idea that they’re hurting.”

At the brink of what some have dubbed a “psychedelic revolution,” will Kerry Rhodes first noticed the fog shortly after his NFL career ended. He pro sports be at the forefront of a shifting medical landscape? was forgetful in ways he hadn’t been before. He felt his memory slipping away. Cain Velasquez. (Joe Camporeale-USA Today) “It was almost like out of sight, out of mind,” Rhodes says. When Ryan Vandenbussche retired from the NHL, he had endured more than a dozen surgeries — and more than two dozen concussions. Rhodes grew anxious that concussions he suffered during his college and pro football careers might have left his brain with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a form of brain degeneration caused by repeated head “Addiction is not a thing with the classic psychedelics like psilocybin or trauma. But that’s a diagnosis that can’t be confirmed until after death, LSD or ayahuasca. They all work by hitting the same basic brain when the brain can be studied. receptor, a subtype of serotonin. They have a whole lot in common. People don’t get hooked on them,” says Johnson. It was more than forgetfulness, though. Rhodes felt an emotional weight transitioning to life beyond the game. Shortly after his retirement in 2012, Much of the stigma that exists around psychedelics is due to the Rhodes began feeling lonely and anxious. impairment that they cause — which, like any intoxicating substance, can be dangerous. “Yeah, the biggest fear is the unknown,” he says. “I had my team, I had everything constructed. I went to practice. I had a schedule, like “One’s perception of reality is altered,” he says. “So you’re not fine tuned everything was in my control. And so I felt safe in that space.” to optimally cross the street — or to take care of your kids.”

Rhodes initially sought out psychedelic therapy in 2017, hoping to The long-standing perception of psychedelics is that they are dangerous. combat what he described as “a deep, dark depression.” He attended an A perception of people walking around tripping on hallucinogens fuels ayahuasca ceremony in the Amazon rainforest, an experience filmed for that perception, Johnson says. But psychedelic therapy involves much a 2019 documentary called “The Medicine.” more than a baggie full of mushrooms and a group of friends looking for a fun time on the weekend. When he returned, Rhodes says he felt a weight lifted. He no longer felt anxious or depressed. He felt at peace — able to express himself in Clinical studies on psychedelic therapy involve screening, monitoring and ways he hadn’t been able to before. He felt that he carried more careful planning, Johnson says. They are careful not to include people compassion, expressed more empathy. who are prone to disorders like schizophrenia, for whom psychedelics could have a destabilizing effect. In such trials, the substances are The simplest way to understand the effect of psychedelics on our brain is administered in a laboratory setting by trained psychotherapists. that they alter the way we view ourselves, says Norman Farb, associate professor and director of the Psychedelic Studies research program at While some people might be more interested in the next session than in the University of Toronto. A person tripping on mushrooms might think a meaningful implementation of self-reflections that might have been they see things that aren’t actually there — a shadow becomes a experienced, Johnson says, the lasting benefit to psychedelic therapy is creature, for example. The same concept happens emotionally. We can in integrating that experience into regular life. experience a different response to the default narrative that has been set in our minds. And while there will always be those who use psychedelics in an irresponsible way, Johnson says that more education and proper “One way to really break yourself out of a deeply entrenched, habitual monitoring can help diminish a long-held stigma around the drugs. narrative about yourself is through psychedelics,” says Farb. “It’s not the only way. But that’s a pretty quick way to get into a really different “This is a powerful tool and there can be dangers,” he says. “And we mindset.” address those in this clinical research.”

After his first experience, Rhodes attended another ayahuasca ceremony Daniel Carcillo spent years searching for another way to treat the in Costa Rica and started using psilocybin regularly. debilitating symptoms of the traumatic brain injuries he suffered during his NHL career. His short-term memory has since improved, he says. He hasn’t experienced the same cloudiness in his mind and he is able to complete In early 2020, I met with the former forward at a restaurant in downtown the circle on his thoughts in ways that he’d struggled to do before. Toronto. We had spoken several times about the role that traumatic brain injuries he sustained during his playing career had affected his life. Since “It changed my life,” Rhodes says. retiring from the NHL in 2015, Carcillo had been a vocal critic of the league’s treatment of players who suffered traumatic brain injuries while Since publicly sharing his experience and view on psychedelic therapy, playing. He was part of a proposed class action from former players Rhodes says he’s had many former players and agents reach out to him against the league. When that case was settled out of court, he launched to learn more. his own lawsuit, which he has since dropped.

“The interest is growing,” he says. That day though, Carcillo seemed at ease. He was almost buoyant — But Rhodes acknowledges there is still a lot of uncertainty around the everything about him, his eyes, his voice, his shoulders seemed use of psychedelics. unburdened by the weight he always appeared to carry.

More research and mainstream buy-in will be required before the Just a year earlier, he said, he sat on his couch thinking about everything longstanding stigma around the use of psychedelics is embraced on a he had to live for. He had financial stability, a wife, three healthy kids. He wider scale. The legal hurdles remain large. knew that he had everything he could need — more than most even.

Rhodes hopes, eventually, that professional sports leagues like the NFL Despite that, Carcillo was making plans to kill himself. will become actively involved in research on psychedelic therapy for the Through a nine-year NHL career, during which he won two Stanley Cups, benefit of its players. Carcillo was diagnosed with seven concussions.

“We’re all hurting, we need answers,” he says. “And if you keep doing the Living with the effects of those traumatic brain injuries left him feeling same thing over and over, and it’s not yielding the results, then you need “pretty hopeless,” he says. “I had three young kids. I just didn’t want them to look somewhere else.” to see me living this way.”

Psychedelics are often referred to by proponents as “medicine.” When a former teammate noticed concerning messages Carcillo had Advocates for this treatment method speak about a substance derived posted online about the state of his mental health, he invited him to an from the earth — a natural remedy. ayahuasca ceremony. Carcillo agreed to go, but almost cancelled.

But beyond the picturesque settings and traditional rituals of ayahuasca He’d already spent around $250,000 on different kinds of treatments to ceremonies, the future of psychedelic therapy exists in research labs manage his traumatic brain injury symptoms. But nothing really worked, funded by deep pockets hoping for a new solution to a growing mental although cannabis was somewhat effective, he says. health crisis. After his first experience with ayahuasca on a farm with his former One of the key benefits often touted for psychedelics is that they are not teammate, however, Carcillo felt like he’d found what he’d been addictive substances, the way that opioids and other pharmaceutical searching for. drugs are. “It saved my life,” he told me. But that doesn’t mean they are a cure all — or that use doesn’t come without risk. Carcillo began researching clinical studies and connecting with experts. He believed he’d come across the best care option available for Dr. Matthew Johnson, professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins traumatic brain injury survivors. Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, has studied the role that psychedelics can play in combating tobacco addictions. Johnson has guided more than 100 psychedelic sessions. Now, nearly two years after his first experience with psychedelic therapy, A hallmark of those disorders — like depression, substance use disorder, Carcillo is the CEO of Wesana Health — a company that he started with and post-traumatic stress disorder — is the atrophy of neurons in the Chad Bronstein, a Chicago-based tech entrepreneur. prefrontal cortex of the brain, Olson says.

The company hopes to provide therapeutic treatment for victims of In cases of those diseases, research suggests that those neurons traumatic brain injuries through a holistic wellness system, of which only basically shrivel up. one component is psilocybin therapy. “If you think of a neuron like a tree, they essentially lose their leaves — Wesana has already generated a lot of interest from the sports which would be the synapses,” Olson says. “And their branches basically community. George Steinbrenner IV — who owns an IndyCar team, get trimmed. So that is problematic. It makes it so that it can’t along with his family’s share of the New York Yankees — is an early communicate effectively with other parts of the brain.” investor and sits on its board of directors. In Olson’s tree analogy, psychedelics cause the regrowth of branches Mike Tyson is another. and the sprouting of new leaves — or synapses.

Tyson has used psilocybin consistently for the past couple of years to Olson’s lab published its first paper suggesting that psychedelics deal with the symptoms of traumatic brain injuries he suffered during his promote structural neural plasticity in 2018. boxing career. “Of course, it’s a lot harder to study this phenomenon in the human “I think it helps me with focus, clarity and patience,” Tyson said, via brain,” Olson says. email. “I feel more connected and one with my thoughts and others.” With his company Delix Therapeutics, Olson is working to develop non- Tyson was a key player in a new partnership between Wesana and the hallucinogenic compounds of psychedelics that still promote World Boxing Council, which will create an opportunity for former boxers neuroplasticity, which have generated a lot of interest in potential use for who have suffered traumatic brain injuries to take part in clinical studies functional recovery after a traumatic brain injury. in psychedelic therapy through Wesana. The World Boxing Council will provide Wesana access to voluntarily released but anonymous data on “We’re in very exciting times right now,” says OIson — while cautioning traumatic brain injuries from current and former boxers. that there is still a long way to go. “This is really new.”

Tyson is critical of the prescription drugs used to treat the symptoms of Other experts are wary of ascribing too much potential benefit for traumatic brain injuries, which he says often come with adverse side psychedelics when it comes to traumatic brain injuries before more effects. research is done to warrant it. Farb, the University of Toronto professor, likens some of the excitement to the boom in stem cell research several “Having the options [sic] of a psychedelic treatment, is going to be a huge years ago. That generated a lot of hope that the technology could lead to asset to the health and well-being of so many chronic sufferers,” Tyson the recovery of function in a damaged brain. said. “For every incredible case … there’s hundreds of trials where they didn’t As clinical research continues to reveal promising findings, it appears to find any of those effects,” says Farb. be only a matter of time before psychedelic therapy enters the mainstream. For more than two decades, Jeff Novitzky was a federal agent working several high-profile cases on the use of illegal substances by high- Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use performance athletes. last year, while cities like Washington, D.C., Denver and Oakland have all decriminalized the drug. (In Canada, the drug is illegal for non-clinical He was the lead investigator in the BALCO scandal, which exposed one use.) of the most infamous performance-enhancing drug cases in history. He was also the lead special agent on the federal perjury trial of Barry Bonds Proponents of psychedelic therapy are optimistic that the Food and Drug — and was part of the team that investigated Lance Armstrong’s Tour de Administration will grant approval for the therapeutic use of psychoactive France teams for doping. Some of the cases he worked involved the compounds, which will open the door for more widespread use. illegal distribution of drugs like psychedelics.

Enthusiasm continues to build after promising findings in a recent study When Novitzky joined the UFC as vice president of athlete health and on the use of MDMA (a popular party drug illicitly sold as molly or performance in 2015, he had no idea that there might be therapeutic ecstasy) combined with therapy brought relief to patients suffering from uses for the drugs. post-traumatic stress disorder. “It first kind of came on my radar as I was fielding questions from some of Another recent study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, our fighters asking about the legality of certain psychedelics, whether it revealed that the use of psilocybin with psychological therapy is as be psilocybin or LSD,” he says. effective in treating depression as current antidepressant medications. But it wasn’t until an HBO special on the topic aired in late 2020 that UFC While there is still need for further research, Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, president Dana White asked Novitzky if psychedelic use was banned for head of the Centre of Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London their competitors. and designer of the study, says that the lack of negative side effects and relative speed in which patients have seen results make psilocybin- It wasn’t. combined therapy a potentially appealing alternative to traditional “We follow, primarily, the world anti-doping agency prohibited list,” methods for treating depression. Novitzky says. “And interestingly, those psychedelics are not prohibited In the simplest terms, psilocybin use helps foster a recalibration of at any time.” perspective from a negative to a positive, if done in a proper setting with Novitzky talked to UFC fighters and heard stories of the potential benefits adequate preparation and the care of a psychotherapist, says Carhart- of psychedelics, but he wanted to learn more. Harris. In the following months, Novitzky learned as much as he could about the But the potential for psychedelics might reach even further than the clinical studies being done on psychedelics — and their potential benefits treatment of mental health disorders. for UFC athletes.

Some clinical work with animals suggests that psychedelics might also During that time, as many as two dozen current and former fighters have the potential to increase neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to reached out to Novitzky expressing interest in psychedelic therapy and create new neural connections. taking part in a clinical study.

Dr. David Olson, a chemical neurologist and professor at the University “There certainly doesn’t appear to be a lack of interest from our fighter of California, researches the possibility for psychedelics to regrow community, whether current or former,” Novitzky says. damaged neurons. In early May, a team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for He’s not surprised by the growing interest in psychedelic therapy. Psychedelic and Consciousness Research flew to UFC headquarters in “I think it’s because we’re desperate,” Olson says. “We do not have good Las Vegas to share the results of research they had conducted over the medicines for treating brain disorders.” past two decades, using psilocybin to treat mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and addiction.

Dr. Johnson was part of the group that met with the staff of the UFC’s Performance Institute and discussed the group’s research in a two-hour presentation to the UFC’s executive team.

Johnson says there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence about the benefits of psilocybin and other psychedelics for athletes dealing with various neurologic and associated behavioural disorders. He’s eager to conduct a clinical study with MMA fighters to better understand the potential benefits for athletes.

“We do know that psilocybin, from early research, is looking extremely promising for disorders that are highly comorbid with some of the brain injuries that occur in athletes,” says Johnson.

After meeting with the team from Johns Hopkins, the UFC is exploring the possibility of funding a study by the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness. It’s not yet clear whether retired or active UFC athletes would participate, though Johnson says he’s hopeful they will. Any potential partnership would require approval from Johns Hopkins University, the FDA and the DEA.

If a UFC study gets off the ground, Johnson hopes that it’s just the beginning for a wide range of potential studies on the effect of psychedelic therapy on athletes.

“This isn’t just mixed martial arts where these injuries occur,” Johnson says. “It happens across sports.”

Velasquez hopes to be part of any future study.

He believes that psychedelic therapy would be a huge benefit to current and former fighters as they recover from the mental strain of competing and the effects of traumatic brain injuries sustained in the octagon. He says he’s not surprised by the interest that other fighters have shown — and he’d like to be a support to others who have questions about what he’s experienced.

The day after Velasquez first tried ayahuasca, he took part in another traditional ceremony called “The Toad” — which involves consuming a psychedelic substance called 5-MeO-DMT, which is derived from the venom of the Bufo alvarius toad.

The trip lasts only about 15 minutes, but it is intense. For that reason, each of the participants sits around a table inside a large tent and takes a turn smoking the substance, instead of consuming it together.

Velasquez took one deep puff from the pipe while a shaman prepared another hit. After he took the second, he closed his eyes and felt instantly transported — as though he was riding a rocket ship through the universe. He says he reached another level of consciousness, with his ego stripped away and filled with an overwhelming sense of love. As he experienced that, he laid on the floor laughing and yelling, as though he was riding a roller coaster. He could see the other people in the tent watching over him. He wanted to give them a thumbs up to let them know he was OK.

“I don’t give a fuck,” he remembers yelling at what he felt was the universe. “Do what you want!”

When the drug’s effects wore off, Velasquez says he felt full of gratitude — happier and more connected to the world around him. In the weeks that followed, he focused on what he’d experienced and felt the weight of his grief and pain lift.

He returned for another ceremony a couple of months later. This time, after his trip on toad venom, Velasquez wandered outside of the tent and looked up to the night sky. He found a face in the constellations. It winked at him, he swears it — just as a shooting star passed by.

“I know this is way out there. And I don’t know how people are going to react. Some people who have been there will be like, ‘Oh, yeah, I know what you’re saying’,” Velasquez says.

“This was one of the best experiences of my life.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 1215144 Websites Things also came more naturally to Cole in the gym than for his brothers. Competitions over missed box jumps replaced fights over a ball or a puck. At Regina’s Level 10 Fitness, under strength and conditioning coach Dan Yaskowitch, Cole and Owen were the loud ones. The Athletic / NHL Draft prospect Cole Sillinger is done keeping up with his family. Now it’s about surpassing them. “They get after each other. It’s fun being in the gym with those guys because they work so hard, but they have a lot of fun,” Yaskowitch said. “And then Mike will pop in for something and he’ll chirp all three of them. It’s a really cool dynamic.” By Scott Wheeler Jun 4, 2021 Cole, who has worked with Yaskowitch since he was 13, has always

made things look easy. Mike Sillinger played for a lot of teams. A record 12 different NHL teams, “He loves it. That’s the easiest way for me to explain it. He loves being in to be exact. But Cole Sillinger, the youngest of three sons, only the gym,” Yaskowitch said. “He was the kid that used to get nervous for remembers his dad playing for one: the New York Islanders. fitness testing. … And then the switch flipped.” Cole was born in May 2003, while his dad finished a season with the His passion for training doesn’t just come from Mike, either. Mike was Columbus Blue Jackets. By his third birthday, his dad had moved from to quick to credit the family’s matriarch, Karla, for Cole’s obsession. Nashville via Phoenix and St. Louis. But it wasn’t until his dad’s fifth and final stop, a three-season stint with the Islanders in the twilight of his “(Karla) works out five-six times a week, she pushes the boys on nutrition career, that Cole’s memories start to come into focus. and she’s always ‘hey, let’s go do this, let’s go do that,'” Mike said. “And Cole’s drive off of the ice is just as important to on the ice. He’s out of the His oldest brother, Owen, is the only one who remembers the rest vividly. bed in the morning by 7-7:30 a.m., he’s in the gym two to three hours, Cole’s earliest childhood memories are of Christmas skates at Nassau and that’s his routine. It’s a habit.” Coliseum, where he’d hold hands with Mike Comrie or Rick DiPietro as Cole Sillinger ( / RJF Productions) he learned to skate. He’ll never forget the full set of goalie gear that DiPietro purchased for him, nor how “goalie crazy” he was because When Cole showed up to training camp with Medicine Hat to begin his DiPietro was his idol and his two big brothers, Owen and Lukas, needed 16-year-old season, those habits paid off when he finished in the Tigers’ someone to play net for them. top five in fitness testing, something the team’s head coach and general manager said was “very unusual for a first-year player.” “Cole being the youngest, he was just dragged along. That’s just the way he was brought up. It was always ‘Come on, Cole, let’s go play. Come After briefly leaving the Tigers to score five goals in six games with Team on, Cole, be the goalie. Come on, Cole,'” Mike said, laughing. “Then he Canada White at the under-17 worlds in the fall of his rookie season, was like ‘I want to be a goalie so bad’ and I was like ‘No you don’t kid, Cole was slotted with veterans Brett Kemp and Ryan Chyzowski atop the you just want to be a hockey player.'” lineup. The combination of that role, one which encouraged him to make plays; and those linemates, who taught him to relax, led to immediate Mike was the 11th pick of the 1989 NHL Draft. Twenty-two years later, success. Cole has a chance to eclipse him. By the time the pandemic abruptly shut down the season in March 2020, In the Sillinger household, Cole had to fight for everything. The puck. The Cole was the fourth-leading scorer on a team that had championship ball. The last morsel of food at the dinner table. The Sillinger boys were aspirations. His 1.1 points per game (53 points in 48 games) also led all too close for real fights, but there wasn’t a day that went by where the of the league’s under-17 players, solidifying him as one of the top youngest wasn’t trying to keep up with his older brothers. prospects for the 2021 NHL Draft. When the Sillingers settled in Regina in Mike’s retirement, hockey was all And though it was Cole’s shot that leaped out most on the ice, it that Cole ever thought about. In elementary school, when teachers would remained who he was, not how he played, that endeared him to his ask him what he wanted to be when he grew up, his answer was always coach. simple. “What I learned about him is really that he’s a great leader. He doesn’t “I’d tell you that I would be a professional hockey player someday,” Cole just bring his game to the table, he changes culture because he’s such a said. “I never really tried to look at any other career or anything I wanted good kid and a hard-working player,” Desjardins said. “It’s his compete. to do. The things I do every day are towards that end goal.” Some guys they just play. For him, when the game’s on the line he Eventually, keeping up turned into equalling, and then surpassing. always plays his best. And that’s something you can’t see from the outside.” Owen and Lukas followed a different path than Cole, playing their midget AAA hockey for the Regina Pat Canadians before pursuing NCAA When he returned home, Cole did what he’d done a summer earlier and commitments to Bemidji State University through the Jr. A BCHL’s got back in the gym. He focussed specifically on his lower body and his Penticton Vees. They were late bloomers and the WHL wasn’t an option quickness, honing in on his first few steps in an effort to develop some of for them (Owen was a 10th-round pick of the Vancouver Giants in 2012, the change of pace that he admires in NHLers like Johnny Gaudreau and Lukas was a sixth-round pick of the Regina Pats in 2015). Nathan MacKinnon.

When it was Cole’s turn to be drafted, he was already 5-foot-10 and 160 As things usually do with Cole, that pursuit then became an obsession. pounds, a full four or five inches and 40-plus pounds more than Owen “He’s very powerful and, in my opinion, he is very quick. But it’s Cole, he and Lukas were at the same age. The Medicine Hat Tigers made him the wants to be quicker, he wants to jump higher, he wants to run faster,” 11th pick of the 2018 bantam draft after he scored 50 goals and 90 points Yaskowtich said. in 33 games with the Okanagan Hockey Academy’s under-15 AAA team. When he couldn’t get into the gym with Yaskowitch in March and April, As a 15-year-old in 2018-19, playing for that same Pats Canadians that training included setting up a full home gym in his garage. under-18 team as his brothers, Cole’s steep development continued when he was named the MVP of Saskatchewan’s top AAA league, “He loves working his legs,” Yaskowitch said, laughing. “He goes ‘Danny, leading it in scoring with 76 points in 39 games. He also played four I could work my legs four days a week.’ There are some times actually regular-season games with the Tigers in the WHL. where I have to put the reins on him a little bit because he loves being in the gym and then he’ll do stuff at his house. Sometimes it’s like ‘let’s just As Cole prepared for his first full season in the WHL in 2019, his family take a step back for a second and rest.’ But he’s your ideal athlete began to realize that he had something special. In previous years, when essentially. When it comes to a strength and conditioning coach, you the Sillingers skated together in the offseason, it was always Owen who don’t have to motivate him.” won the most battles and Lukas who had the best hands. Suddenly, Cole leveled the playing field on both fronts. He also visited Power Edge Pro’s (PEP) development camp in Kelowna for the first time in an effort to put all of that work to the test on the ice. “It doesn’t matter what Cole does, he just seems to be good at everything,” Mike said. “And I think that comes from the demeanor, and PEP skills coach Nick Quinn, who works with dozens of NHL players and the drive and the dedication that he has to this day.” prospects, took away the same first impression that Desjardins had. Quinn was wowed first by Cole’s “wicked release,” and second by how The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 upbeat and focussed he was.

“Cole’s a beauty. He really is a great character. And I think that’s so important for players. That kid’s not going to burn out. He loves being out there,” Quinn said. “And he’s got a lot of talent. His skating is good, he’s got great hands, he’s got size. He’s a good multi-tasker who can move pucks to space at high speed. He can do it all.”

When logistics prevented him from playing in the fall, he joined the USHL’s Sioux Fall Stampede.

“It’s just how I am as a person to be honest. I’m a real competitive, real driven person,” Cole said of the decision.”If you want to play in the NHL, it’s an everyday job. So that was the biggest thing was just that I wanted to play hockey. I believed that I took full advantage of those 10 months off of training and did everything I possibly could in that time and I wanted to go showcase it in a season.”

His work left him with a body fat percentage of six, per Stampede coach Brett Skinner, who actually sat next to Mike in the Islanders’ dressing room for 11 games. Cole said he added 15 new pounds of muscle so that by the time he arrived in Sioux Falls, his six-foot frame weighed a lean 200 pounds.

“He clearly got in the weight room and put the time in. He wants to be a pro and is definitely going to be,” Skinner said. “There wasn’t any guarantee that it was going to work out the way that it did. He just came in and had a great approach and took on the challenge and did really well.”

On the ice, Cole adapted seamlessly to the USHL’s Western Conference, which both he and Skinner insist is harder to score in and plays more of a chip-and-chase style than the WHL. He could also feel the work he’d done paying off in his acceleration, his strength below the circles, and how hard he became to knock off of pucks. As could Skinner.

“His puck skills and his shot are definitely elite,” Skinner said, chuckling to himself as if that’s an understatement. “(And) he has a physical element to his game where he embraces contact. There’s a stat with (NFL running back) Marshawn Lynch where it’s most yards after contact and I don’t know if analytics can keep that stat in hockey but his ability to make contact with someone and maintain possession to create time and space for himself to allow himself to use his hands is … almost off the charts.”

When allowed based on pandemic restrictions, Mike and Karla made more than half a dozen trips to visit Cole in Sioux Falls, where Mike became a regular at practice, helping the team’s centers on faceoffs.

“The thing that everybody talks about is that (Mike) played on so many different teams in the NHL but there’s a reason for that. He was always that deadline acquisition to shore up the third line,” Skinner said. “At this level, if you can get a guy like that around the team, it makes a difference.”

Before long, Cole took over the team’s scoring lead despite having missed their first 17 games, rattling off a 14-game point streak in February and March. By season’s end, he was one of the league’s most proficient players in goals per game, points per game and shots per game.

After solidifying himself as a first-rounder in his rookie season in the WHL, Cole’s rookie season in the USHL made a convincing case for a selection near the top of that round.

“He showed people he’s the real deal. He dominated. He’s a top-10 pick in my eyes,” Quinn said. “You’re not just betting on the player, you’re betting on the person and that’s what I think makes him special. He’s going to bring both to an organization. And that’s so important. I feel like a lot of teams overlook that stuff. He’s going to be great.”

These days, Mike and his two eldest sons know the youngest in the hockey family is primed to become its best. And though they’ve made way for him on the ice, the golf course has become their latest front for competition, with a foursome that usually pits Cole and Owen against Lukas and Mike.

“You can only imagine the battles we have out there,” Cole said.

“Cole always finds a way to score a good number, Owen does everything well, and Lukas has real good hands as a putter,” Mike said, laughing, “which is kind of how they are in hockey.” 1215145 Websites McTavish’s first coach in the area was Pat Malloy of the Peak Centre Academy, a local school with a focus on athletics.

In Atom hockey at age 10, Malloy knew McTavish as the kid who had the The Athletic / From Switzerland and back: The unique hockey story of puck on his stick the whole game. McTavish also grew before his peers, 2021 NHL Draft prospect Mason McTavish carrying himself with the size and weight that his peers lacked.

“He was probably the best player in the city forever,” Malloy said. “Kids like (top 2021 prospect) Brandt Clarke started to come on a little bit but By Scott Wheeler Jun 4, 2021 Mason was one of the best players growing up, all the way through.”

When 11 a.m. practices at the Peak Academy would end 10 minutes before noon to allow for a flood, McTavish would be on the ice shooting It was November and Mason McTavish was standing in line in Montreal’s pucks while the Zamboni circled him. Trudeau International Airport preparing to board a flight to Switzerland. In front of him, staff at the gate were rejecting almost everyone who had “You’d pretty much need to harpoon him to get him off of the ice,” Malloy tickets. said, laughing. “He’d stay on all afternoon if you’d let him. He’s just insatiable in terms of wanting to play.” But he was from there, born 17 years earlier in Zurich, and he was hopeful that his paperwork sufficed and that he wouldn’t have to make When school was done, it was the same story. the three-hour drive back to the Ottawa Valley without a place to play hockey. “I’d look up and it’s dark but you could see the light from the rink at 12:30 at night and I roll the window down and I go ‘That’s weird’ because you When he arrived at the front of the line and handed his passport and can hear pucks smashing against the boards, and the light’s coming from paperwork to the attendant, he was told that he needed a work visa and his street and he’s got his outdoor rink lit up like a Roman candle,” Malloy could not leave. said, of the McTavish’s place a few blocks from Malloy’s home.

Three months earlier, he spent the month of August training in Lugano That extra time spent on the ice gave McTavish his greatest asset: his with its National League (the top rung of pro hockey in Switzerland) team. shot. McTavish credits his dad with the little pointers that shaped it, and The only reason he returned to Canada was for his season with the for putting up with him as he ruined their garage door. OHL’s Peterborough Petes — hockey that never came. Now he was empty-handed and they wouldn’t let him go back. “We shoot the puck the same, or we did, I can’t shoot it like that anymore, unfortunately,” Dale said between chuckles. “He’s different with Worse yet, the airport’s staff told him that he would have to wait until he the way he thinks it though. He’s got better vision out there and just turned 18, a further three months later, to even apply for his permit. understanding the game than I did.”

“It was super disappointing that I didn’t just stay there,” McTavish said. “It Eventually, by major bantam at age 14, when he was already 5-foot-10 was tough.” and 185 pounds, McTavish began to realize that he might be able to make hockey his career, just like his dad. And so on Jan. 30, the day of his birthday, he made a second trip back to Montreal to pick up his work visa. After returning to Ottawa that night, he That year, McTavish rattled off 66 goals and 106 points in 41 games with made a third trip to Montreal on Feb. 1, finally boarding a flight bound his Ottawa Valley Titans under-15 team, and another five points in four back to Switzerland. games playing up with the Pembroke Lumber Kings’ under-18 AAA team.

At the other end was the continuation of his unique draft year, a year not In his OHL draft year, he scored another 54 goals and 98 points unlike his singular hockey story and one-of-kind game. alongside 123 penalty minutes in 49 games with the under-18 team. He also played the maximum allowable five games with the Lumber Kings’ McTavish was born in Zurich, while his dad, Dale, was in his third season Jr. A team, which was by then owned, managed and coached by Dale in the National League (then called the NLA), a little under an hour east (who purchased the team he’d once played for from future Leafs head of the big city in a smaller municipality called Rapperswil-Jona. coach in 2013) and Malloy, who also worked as a skills A few years later his dad wrapped a decade-long career in the country. coach with the Buffalo Sabres. McTavish remembers going into the dressing room (only after wins and “He played on our top two lines in Jr. A as an underaged kid,” Malloy practices) in Zug and seeing how much fun his dad had. He remembers said, scoffing. “He was good enough to play at that level at that young the courtyard road hockey games he’d play outside their apartment with age but to get any status changed to have a player play Jr. A is virtually the children of Waltteri Immonen, the team’s assistant coach, who lived impossible. It was kind of a non-starter is what we were told.” just above them. In his five games with the Lumber Kings, he stamped himself as one of “The net we’d use was literally a fireplace,” McTavish said, “and the province’s best prospects when he posted seven points. someone would go in net and stand in front of it. We’d do that every day for at least a couple of hours.” At the 2019 OHL draft that spring, the Petes gave him a second destination to follow his dad to when they picked him fifth. In Zug, he was also registered on a hockey team for the first time. But back then, he never imagined he’d follow in the footsteps of his dad — His star continued to build in 2019-20, scoring 29 goals (second among almost weirdly so. under-17 players behind sensation Shane Wright) in 59 games before the pandemic shut down his rookie season. Dale arrived in Switzerland by way of an Ottawa Valley upbringing, a season with the Pembroke Lumber Kings’ Jr. A team, four seasons with In the early days of the extended offseason that followed, with rinks the Petes, and a single year split between the NHL and the AHL with the closed, McTavish trained five days a week at home and reviewed his Calgary Flames after winning Canadian university hockey’s MVP award season with Malloy, who now coaches and manages the Jr. A Smith in 1995. Falls Bears and works as a skills coach, training the likes of Erik Karlsson and Claude Giroux. The McTavishes moved back to Canada in 2011 when Mason was 8, following Dale’s final season of pro hockey with SaiPa in Finland’s top In the gym, McTavish honed in on his explosiveness through jumps and pro level. deadlifts. On the ice, he joined Malloy’s pro skates and began putting their development plan into motion. Malloy found McTavish’s game in They settled in Carp, Ont., a small community of 2,000 people half an Peterborough to be a little too linear and reliant on his shot. hour west of Ottawa. There, Dale quickly began to realize that his youngest son (his eldest, Darian, was born in Helsinki) had developed “He just needed to get off of the wall a little bit and create options with his more of a knack for the sport than he realized. movement. If your manners are that you put yourself in foot races all of the time, then you’re always going to be finding guys who are a bit “In Switzerland, it was always kind of ‘just have fun and play’ and he was quicker,” Malloy said. “The whole plan for him was to develop that around the game a lot,” Dale said. “But when we moved back here it was change of pace and that giddy-up. Knowing him like I did, I knew there a lot more serious. Minor hockey’s different here.” was more. To the naked eye, he looked good and he’d scored some goals but at the end of the day, where he aspires to go, he’s being looked “Once he got going, he hit another level. It was ‘here we go,'” Malloy said. at in some pretty high circles.” Throughout, Olten welcomed swaths of NHL scouts and even NL scouts The progress came quickly. As the days blurred together, Dale noticed who were fascinated by both players’ Swiss roots. his son looking more toned as he shed excess weight for muscle. McTavish also began to remind Malloy of one of the players he worked Thommen was blown away first by how focussed McTavish was, and with in sessions with the Senators. then by how physical, tough and talented he was. Olten’s coaching staff took to using McTavish on both the power play and penalty kill. “He’s got sort of a Mark Stone-ness about him, although I think he’s a little bit more scoring. Mason, you just want the puck on his stick if you’re “He doesn’t look like an 18-year-old kid. He plays intense hockey and trying to win a game,” Malloy said. “He might be the best goal scorer in has a very good shot, and I think he reads the game very well. The the draft. He will hurt you to succeed and I’ve always believed you’d coaches were always so happy with him He does what the coach wants rather have to dial a guy down than dial him up. That’s the great X-factor from him and that’s not always what the boys are like,” Thommen said. for him is he’s kind of miserable.” “Some of our players are already fathers and have kids of their own, and that takes time to get used to. But he did great.” In his first full summer with the pro group, that intensity helped McTavish show that he belonged. At one skate, McTavish and Giroux got into it. Though McTavish didn’t finish the year in Switzerland, returning home in advance of the semis to prepare for the under-18 world championships “It was funny to watch because Claude eats that stuff up and it was pretty with Team Canada, he has taken a lot from his experiences in the neat to see that Mason wouldn’t back off. I don’t care who you are, a guy country. like that’s pushing on you and a lot of kids are laying down, and Mason’s just wired a little different like that,” Malloy said. “There were some of “A lot of the guys were older and stronger than I’m used to and I knew I those NHL skates where we’d have upwards of $50 million worth of NHL had to be on my A-Game. It’s their job at the end of the day. It’s not like salary on the ice, and he’s shooting the puck harder than half of those junior where you just go to practice, lace them up and go home. If you guys and leaning on those guys, and at the time he’s 17 years old.” have a bad practice, they’re not hesitant to just throw you in the stands the next game,” McTavish said. “It’s tough but it brings the best out of By the time McTavish returned to Switzerland in early February, it wasn’t everybody and I really enjoyed it. I love Switzerland. It’s a great place to to Lugano, or even to play in the NL as he’d originally planned. Instead, play and live. Once you adjust you learn to appreciate it. It was special McTavish joined EHC Olten in the second-tier Swiss League (SL). going over there.”

When he arrived in Olten, he moved in with the team’s president, Marc He also talks fondly of the focus placed on individual development at all Thommen, and a familiar face in Brennan Othmann, a top 2021 NHL levels in Switzerland, something he says hockey in North America could Draft prospect and dual citizen who’d managed to join the team before use more of. McTavish was turned away in Montreal. He knew Othmann from playing against him in minor hockey and the OHL, but also from playing with him “They really key in on each and every player,” he said. “Everybody’s on Team Ontario at the Canada Winter Games. constantly working at their games individually and doing skills after skates.” Both having Othmann around (the two shared a makeshift room together that wasn’t previously a bedroom) and his familiarity with Switzerland Dale thinks what his son went through not only to get over there but then helped him settle in. to find his footing on a team in the midst of a losing streak will serve him well in his NHL future. “I was a little nervous going into a spot that wasn’t my own home,” McTavish said. “It’s not easy to be comfortable right away.” The entire Olten team will be paying close attention to the NHL Draft to see where their two teammates go. At the rink, he felt more in his element after his month at Lugano’s training camp in August, even if he didn’t have Dale and his brother “They were really so good. It was very hard when we had to say goodbye Darian in tow (Dale’s sister Lisa still lives in Zug but he wasn’t allowed to to them and they had to go back. But we know the rules, and it’s life,” go). Thommen said.

The Olten rink also reminded him of his childhood, right down to the In pre-draft interviews with NHL clubs, McTavish is now more confident in snacks the team laid out on the table in their dressing room. himself and where he’s at than he ever has been.

“It was the same stuff they had that I’d always try to steal when I was “I tell teams I’m a bigger power forward who can get to the net and loves younger,” Mason said, laughing. to score goals. That’s my go-to answer. You don’t have to overcomplicate it,” he said. Mason McTavish averaged over a point per game in the playoffs in Switzerland. (Pascal Muller / EHC Olten) Through it all, Malloy’s certain that’s exactly what his pupil will become.

The Thommen family grew fond of McTavish. Because of the local “If the right organization takes him and puts him with the right people, boy pandemic restrictions, they spent a lot of time at the home gathered oh boy,” Malloy said. around the dinner table talking or playing competitive games of foosball. “He just has such a tenacious hunger to score that you can’t teach. This McTavish also bonded quickly with Thommen’s two sons, ages 19 and guy will break your stick to score a goal. He’s got some of that throwback 21, who are floorball and in-line hockey players themselves (his youngest in him that you don’t see as much. He’s just crossed that way. If there’s a also tracks games for the EHC Olten, so he was around the rink a lot). puck, and there’s you, I feel pretty good that you’re not going to “We tried to focus them on things in life other than hockey to give the overpower him because he’s going to get nasty and he’s going to want boys a balance. We spoke about the situation in Switzerland, how we the puck. It’s going to be exciting to watch.” work, some impressions about our culture, how it works in Canada. It The Athletic LOADED: 06.05.2021 was a great time,” Thommen said.

McTavish made his pro debut on Feb. 2, the day after he landed, playing 8:22 in a 4-1 loss. Though it took him some time to make an impact, registering just one point in his first five games, he eventually took hold of the team, helping them turn around their season in the home stretch.

After losing his first six games, they closed the year 4-1-2, and he scored nine goals and registered 10 points in their final seven games, including a hat trick on Feb. 24. In the league’s playoffs, he rattled off seven points in a four-game sweep of the higher-seeded HC Sierre, playing more than 30 minutes in the 6-5 overtime win that sent Olten to the semifinals.

Once he shook 10-plus months of rust off his game, McTavish felt the results of his offseason work when he was lighter and quicker on the ice.

Malloy, watching from afar, noticed it too. 1215146 Websites “We’ve just got to keep playing the way we’re playing,” said the game’s only goal-scorer, Tyler Toffoli, earlier on Friday. “Executing. Just playing the tight playoff hockey that we’re good at.”

Sportsnet.ca / United Canadiens have found winning recipe to advance It can be infuriating for the opponent, and that’s been evident since the through playoffs Canadiens found their rhythm against Toronto. They smothered and flustered Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and then came to Winnipeg and got under Mark Scheifele’s skin.

Eric Engels June 5, 2021, 12:39 AM Without Scheifele, who was suspended four games for charging—and concussing—Jake Evans with 57 seconds remaining in Montreal’s 5-3

win in Game 1, Winnipeg’s best offensive players were completely This was no Picasso. It wasn’t even a Banksy. flummoxed in Game 2. Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers combined for three high-danger shot attempts No, this was a hockey game made of hockey parlance—an ugly, grind-it- between them—and two of them came in the final minutes of play. out effort with all the cliché markings of a perfect road performance, with the Montreal Canadiens earning a 1-0 lead and hanging onto it until the They could barely squeeze their way to the inside of the ice because final buzzer sounded. They withstood the opening push from the Montreal’s Ben Chiarot, Shea Weber, Jeff Petry and Joel Edmundson Winnipeg Jets, made hard plays out of their zone, got pucks in deep, got bounced them out. the forecheck going, got the cycle going, got traffic, were patient, took *I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time. advantage of their best opportunity, made sure their goalie wasn’t forced to make the second and third stops, and they’re going home to their fans “They’ve got four big bodies back there on the blue line that make it at the Bell Centre with a 2-0 series lead because of it. tough to get to the net,” said Jets coach Paul Maurice, “but that’s the place we’ve got to get to.” Boring stuff, really, but also the stuff this five-game winning streak is made of. Easier said than done.

The Canadiens have found their recipe and improved on it since Game 5 In Game 1, it was Petry and Edmundson who stepped in the way. In of their comeback series win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1, Game 2, Weber skated a team-leading 24:50 while Chiarot skated and it can carry them further than they’ve been in the Stanley Cup through everyone and everything, as he’s been doing since these Playoffs since 2014. playoffs began.

And yes, Carey Price’s magnificence from the start is the biggest reason. Price said the former Jet is “playing some quality minutes for us and He was magnificent in this game, too—especially at the end, in facing playing like a first-pairing D-man.” eight shots in the final 3:20 to lock in the eighth shutout of his post- season career. “He’s a solid man out there and he’s moving the puck well,” he continued. “He’s composed with it, and he lays the boom down.” But he’s one of 19 right now. It wouldn’t be as effective if Phillip Danault wasn’t blanketing every player The Canadiens, a group cobbled together with seven new faces added he’s matched up against in front of the defence, or if Artturi Lehkonen before the beginning of the season and three more coming ahead of the wasn’t capable of picking up exactly where Evans left off despite missing NHL’s April 12 trade deadline, followed by Cole Caufield who debuted on the five games prior with a concussion. April 26, are finally united. They’re talking the same, walking the same, playing the same; connected all over the ice, just like coach Dominique The Canadiens are getting contributions from everywhere—from Toffoli’s Ducharme wants them to be. third of the playoffs coming shorthanded to Eric Staal, Corey Perry and Joel Armia working in perfect harmony as a physical, forechecking, cycle- He’s not satisfied, but there’s no greater satisfaction as a coach than you-to-death fourth line; from Danault dominating one end to youngsters when your players take over. It may not appear beautiful to you or me, Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi coming through at the other. but it’s a true piece of art to Ducharme. Even defencemen Erik Gustafsson and Brett Kulak, who are playing “That’s where you want to bring your group,” he said. “I think we have a limited minutes behind the big four, are doing their part. great group of guys. I’ve said it since Day 1. They’ve bought in in what we want to do since (he took over for Claude Julien as head coach and “Everyone does his job well,” said Danault, “and that’s how we get Alex Burrows replaced Kirk Muller as an associate on Feb. 24.) rewarded.”

“Never doubted that group with their intentions. When you see the Everyone taking the pain that comes with it, and dishing it out, too, are confidence growing like this in the way they’re playing together and among the main ingredients of Montreal’s recipe thus far. playing for each other, it’s huge. When we talk about partnership “I think it’s a common theme with all the teams that are still in the (between the coaching staff and the players), that’s where it shows.” playoffs,” said Chiarot. “They all defend hard, they all play a hard game— It shows on the breakout, where the Canadiens were discombobulated Islanders, Boston, Vegas, Colorado. They all play a hard style. It’s fast, it from February to early May but are now as efficient in that department as doesn’t give you much time with the puck, it’s defending hard, and I think they are in any other. It shows on the penalty kill, which is the best one that’s what we’re doing.” still standing in these playoffs despite being a bottom-tier one all season. The challenge for the Canadiens will be continuing to do it come If the Canadiens haven’t trailed for a single second over their longest Sunday’s Game 3. winning streak of 2021, it’s because it has showed in every single thing “It’s just sticking to what’s working,” said Price. “It’s kind of a funny thing they’ve been doing of late. that way—you heat up at the right time. But obviously, we have a lot of “Our game is like a puzzle,” said Ducharme, “you cannot be great at one work to do still.” thing and bad at the other thing, usually, when it all comes together.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.05.2021 You can force a turnover—the Canadiens pushed the Jets into giving away 12 pucks and they took four right off their sticks in Game 2—but that’s not worth as much if you don’t effectively transition the puck the other way. You can chip a puck past a defenceman, but without a forechecker to race for it, you’re just giving it up.

It’s simple. It’s even mundane.

But it’s also effective hockey that wins at this time of year—especially when everyone on your side is convinced it’s the way to play. 1215147 Websites Meanwhile, the Avalanche weren’t so keen on the storyline. They were outplayed from puck drop in this one, and that had head coach Jared Bednar reminding us that the Golden Knights also dominated the back end of Game 2 as well. Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights’ comeback vs. Avalanche brings out best of NHL Playoffs “It’s too long now. It’s too long,” Bednar said of the run of play. “We can dissect the game in 100 different ways. It’s a waste of time.

“The video doesn’t lie. They were more competitive from start to the Mark Spector June 5, 2021, 2:13 AM finish and they won the hockey game. That’s the adjustment: Make sure we outwork our opponent and execute.

“Now we have to crank that up. Because, that was not close.” It was a sound for waiting ears and a sight for sore eyes, one of the National Hockey League’s best buildings filled to the rafters, and a Colorado got a goal from the fourth line and another power-play marker hockey game so compelling you wished it would never end. from sniper Rantanen. Overall, however, Vegas’ top players outplayed Colorado’s, another fact that did not go unnoticed by Bednar. In front of a capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena off the Vegas strip, the Vegas Golden Knights dominated the Colorado Avalanche all night long. “I starts there (leadership). Go ahead and check the numbers of our top But still, they needed two goals in 45 seconds late in the third period to guys tonight and see what they did compared to their top players. It’s not crawl back into this Round 2 series, beating the Avs in a fabulous Game close. The hardest working player we have right now is Philipp 3 played in an atmosphere that felt as cool to watch on TV as was to Grubauer,” said the coach, who put his lines in the blender in the third attend. period. “There’s nothing going on offensively the whole night. Zero. You’re going to leave it the same? No. We got a little life after we scored “It was probably cooler (to be on the ice),” said Nick Holden, the Vegas the goal and then we still had more breakdowns. defenceman who couldn’t hear a thing when he drifted a shot toward the Avalanche net that Max Pacioretty deflected home for the winner in a “When you’re in a game of this magnitude you need your top guys to be wildly entertaining 3-2 game. “To not have full fans — or full capacity, for top guys. That’s what they’re here for.” us — all year, the building was loud and energetic. We scored those two quick goals in the third period, and I don’t think I’ve played in a louder This series is starting to boil, folks. building. Miss Game 4 on Sunday night at your own peril. “Our fans know how to bring it. They brought it today.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.05.2021 Montreal, Nashville and Vegas.

If you’re contemplating a road trip with your favourite team, those are the three places to start, in no particular order.

Couple that atmosphere with the reality of how much we’ve missed the energy that a full house can bring to a game, and you had a Game 3 that — finally — felt and sounded the way an important NHL playoff game is supposed to feel and sound.

“It’s so fun to play in front of fans — especially our fans,” Pacioretty said. “We’ve talked so often about how they can help us take over a game, and they stayed with us right ‘til the end. The place was electric, you could probably feel it up top, in the stands, through the TV. It’s the best place to play — especially in the playoffs.”

The standings say that Avalanche and the Golden Knights were the two best teams in the National Hockey League this season. Now, the Tampa Bay Lightning may have a thing or two to say about that, but when it comes to back-and-forth, firewagon hockey, even the Stanley Cup champs have nothing on this series.

In a Game 3 that opened up into a delicious brand of wide-open hockey, it was played at a frenetic pace throughout, with Vegas outshooting Colorado 42-20, but needing a late comeback to secure this season- saving win.

Mikko Rantanen scored at 5:04 of the third period to give Colorado an improbable 2-1 lead, as Vegas peppered goalie Philipp Grubauer with pucks, outshooting the Avalanche 24-12 in the opening 40 minutes.

Almost nobody could score on Grubauer from in front of the net, so Jonathan Marchessault banked one in off the goalie’s butt from behind the net to tie the game with 5:18 to play. Then Holden drifted a shot from the point on the very next shift, and Pacioretty deflected his high shot down to the ice and past Grubauer for what would stand as the winner.

It was a perfect example of a role player like Holden, who spent much of the season in the press box, putting on the cape to help seize a must-win game for his club. And if you don’t know much about Holden, a lanky 34- year-old from St. Alberta, Alberta, don’t worry.

He is very much appreciated in the Golden Knights room.

“Nick Holden means the world to this team,” Pacioretty attested. “He was dealt a tough hand, not playing for so long, and every single day he came in he had a smile on his face. He didn’t act any different when he was in the lineup on the top pair, or not in the lineup. That attitude is contagious.

“I think he’s playing the best hockey he’s played since I’ve been here. He’s played a huge, huge part in our success.” 1215148 Websites The Canadiens play a suffocating style of hockey and do a great job of pressuring their opponent at the defensive blue line and keeping the front of the net clear.

Sportsnet.ca / Depleted Jets unable to generate offence in Game 2 vs. Right now, if Price can see the shot, the chances are pretty good he’s stingy Canadiens going to stop it.

Finding a way to create traffic and chaos in front of the net will be essential for the Jets in order to try and claw their way back into this Ken Wiebe June 4, 2021, 11:50 PM series.

“That would be an area that we can improve,” said Maurice. “We’re a little off to the side, but we got better at it as the game went on. That’s going WINNIPEG — The mountain the Winnipeg Jets are attempting to scale is to be a challenge. They’ve got four big bodies back there on the blue line looking steeper and steeper by the day. that make it tough to get to the net, but that’s the place we’ve got to get And with no real sign of a full cavalry coming around the bend anytime to.” soon, the Jets’ internal search for answers is about to hit critical mass. Back in 2019, the Jets dropped the first two games on home ice before Without a suspended Mark Scheifele and with injuries to defenceman going on the road and winning the next two games to even that series Dylan DeMelo and veteran forward Paul Stastny, a depleted Jets roster with the St. Louis Blues. was simply unable to generate much offence against a stingy Canadiens Despite ultimately dropping that series in six games, it’s an experience club that has won five games in a row after this 1-0 victory on Friday this core group will be looking to draw on as they attempt to avoid being night. pushed to the brink of elimination. The Jets are now facing an 0-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series for “You learn every single year and there’s still a lot of guys that are here North Division supremacy and they’ll play the next two games on that played that series,” said Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers. “Everyone in consecutive days, beginning Sunday in Montreal. here knows what it takes and, like I said before, I think we played a really “It’s one of those things where you’ve just got to keep banging away at good game and worked our asses off. So we’ve just got to keep going.” the tree and one of these games it’s going to fall over,” said Jets captain One of the big storylines going into the series revolved around whether Blake Wheeler. “I thought it was a great step in the right direction. We the Jets might be able to take advantage of a tired team, with the played a great game and, unfortunately, it was one of those games Canadiens coming off a seven-game series. where whoever scores first is going to win. I thought we got off to a way better start and had quite a few looks to tie the game up and To this point, that hasn’t been the case, but momentum can shift quickly unfortunately it was just a matter of being unable to get that bounce to go and Friday was the first of three games to be played over a span of four our way.” days.

Zone time was plentiful for the Jets, but the high-danger scoring chances “Those top four D of theirs are logging an awful lot of minutes. They’re were understandably difficult to come by, and despite creating some big boys, they’re physical, so we’re just trying to wear them down,” said good looks in the third period when pushing for the equalizer, the Jets Jets forward Andrew Copp. “Obviously, we didn’t get the result we were unable to solve Carey Price, who finished with 30 saves to record wanted but we thought (it) was a good template for us moving forward.” his first shutout of these playoffs and the eighth of his career. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.05.2021 The lone goal of the contest was a short-handed marker from Tyler Toffoli, who took a smart pass up the middle from Shea Weber and was off to the races on a 2-on-1 rush with Artturi Lehkonen.

Jets left-winger Kyle Connor was the chaser on the play and got caught in between whether to force Toffoli or to try and catch Lehkonen.

In the end, he was unable to check either and Toffoli beat Connor Hellebuyck on a shot that appeared to change direction on the way in.

Not only did the Jets’ power play struggle to get much going while missing Scheifele and Stastny, allowing that short-handed marker was a crushing blow.

“It was the difference in the game so, yeah, that would be the turning point in the game,” said Wheeler. “I don’t think it takes a genius to realize that was the difference.”

While this was an improvement for the Jets compared to the series opener, with the margin of error so thin, there’s another they’ll need to reach quickly.

Scheifele still has three games left to serve on his suspension, DeMelo (soft-tissue injury) isn’t coming back anytime soon and the status of Stastny remains up in the air — even after he skated for the first time in four days Friday morning.

Scoring goals was never going to be easy for the Jets in this series after losing their top point producer, but cheating for offence isn’t an option either.

Remaining Time -1:38

Scheifele's absence reinforced Jets' offensive struggles in Game 2

The Jets have plenty of forwards that can create offence and the depth up front has been applauded all season long, and for good reason — with eight of those players reaching double digits in goals and two more knocking on the door with nine.

Now is the time for those players to try and pick up the offensive slack. 1215149 Websites Even with some regression back to their regular-season power play percentage of close to 23 per cent, it’s a huge strength for this team. Even when the movement isn’t flawless, their elite shooters find ways to get pucks through and in. Sportsnet.ca / Avalanche charting path to Cup Final with deadly, unpredictable power play So that’s key number one for me on why the Avalanche look so unstoppable, but it’s impossible to miss how things are stacking up in their favour here. They’ve moved from “among the favourites” to the the clear, capitalized Favourite. Justin Bourne June 4, 2021, 3:13 PM They’re up 2-0 in their second-round showdown with the team who

narrowly missed out on their President’s Trophy, the Vegas Golden Watching last Thursday night’s games, I was blown away by one very Knights. Some like to say that a playoff series doesn’t start until someone specific thing: just how ridiculous the talent and execution work is on the wins on the road, which is cute but outright wrong in the same way as “a power plays of the league’s best teams. The Tampa Bay Lightning and two-goal lead is the worst lead in hockey.” I get the philosophical point Carolina Hurricanes were among a handful of Cup favourites this season, being made, but no. It’s currently 2-0 for the best team over the 2020-21 and it’s been easy to see why. season. The series has well begun, and I like their odds here.

Last night to get on the board Tampa Bay’s power play did this: Past this round (and we get to look there, because we aren’t players), it doesn’t hurt that in the North, the division champion Leafs were upset by That’s ridiculous player and puck movement, threading needles with the Montreal Canadiens and the second place team (Edmonton) was passes which forces the D to move, then making themselves available in also upset. That means the winner of Avalanche-Golden Knights gets the the seams that are opened up by that movement. three- or four-seed in what was arguably the league’s weakest division in the third round. Seeing how it’s going against Vegas, you have to like Tampa Bay would score another power-play goal to take that one to their odds there, too. overtime, where the Canes would do this: The case for the Avs not being clear front-runners is that the defending A nice play on the half-wall up to the point, which leads to the puck Stanley Cup champion Lightning are still alive and well, but the lead in changing sides, Sebastian Aho popping up into the slot (how high he their series is 2-1 not 2-0, and they’ll play the winner of Bruins-Islanders, comes up is what makes it work), and getting a shot where they still have meaning they have another formidable opponent to go through if they a presence at the net-front. It’s simple, but checks a lot of the basics for a hope to reach the Cup Final. good power play. To just zoom out on the team, too, there’s all the Avs’ regular-season I’m of the belief that a good power play is increasingly important in having numbers — pick a metric (advanced or otherwise) and they were almost post-season success these days. Coaches continue to strangle the life certainly at the top of the league. The gap between their shot attempt out of 5-on-5 play the best they can. Referees are rendered helpless by differential and the second-best team was about the size of the gap players committing what appears to be double the borderline infractions between the second-best team and the league’s 13th best, for context on at even strength each game, which clogs things up further. You just get how much they controlled the run of play. so few openings in the normal run of play that it’s more crucial than ever to create when you’ve got a man advantage. At this point, MoneyPuck, which calculates a team’s odds of winning each game, round, and the Cup, has the Avalanche’s odds of winning the In general, a power play above 20 per cent will have you in the top half of Cup at a staggering 44.3 per cent. The Bruins are given the next highest the league in conversion rate, and below will have you in the bottom half. odds, which are less than half as good at 21.5 per cent. Below are the power play percentages (in the playoffs) of the teams who’ve made it into the Cup Final the past five years. Nothing is promised in the NHL, and there’s a cliché that gets said after upsets that’s relevant here: “That’s why the play the games.” So play the 2020 Final: Tampa 22.7 per cent, Dallas 22.4 per cent games they shall, but after 60-plus hockey games this season, the Avs 2019 Final: St. Louis 16.3 per cent, Boston 32.4 per cent are one of the most dominant teams of the past decade with hope in their series ahead, and a considerable underdog opponent next. 2018 Final: Washington 29.3 per cent, Vegas 18.5 per cent The plan to stop teams like that is usually to grease it up and drag them 2017 Final: Pittsburgh 20.5 per cent, Nashville 16.9 per cent down into the muck, but it’s the first part of this article, that power play, 2016 Final: Pittsburgh 23.4 per cent, San Jose 24 per cent that should nullify anyone’s ability to do that. If that group can keep clicking even half as well as they have in playoffs so far, the Avs are all That’s an average of 22.6 per cent for Cup Final teams the past five but a lock to be playing for the Stanley Cup just a few weeks down the years, with the average the past three years being higher. road.

You don’t have to have the best power play on earth to win the Cup — as Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.05.2021 St. Louis proved — but, in general, to go deep in the playoffs and get it done it helps an awful lot. It’s one of the reasons the Toronto Maple Leafs have found themselves on the outside after one round the past couple years, as they’ve posted percentages of 13 per cent (15th among playoff teams), 15.4 per cent (15th again), and 18.8 per cent (ninth) over the past three seasons.

This leads me to this season, where a few teams have been out of this world on the power play, and weird, also happen to be the Cup favourites.

Early in this post-season, the Boston Bruins are third best at a whopping 32 per cent. The aforementioned Lightning are at 39.3 per cent. This brings us to the Colorado Avalanche, who are currently converting at a 43.5 per cent clip on their power play through six playoff games. (That’s a little juiced thanks to two empty net PP goals, but it’s been amazing with those excluded, as you’ll see.)

You can’t bully a team who can do what they’ve done when up a man. Just look at the way they change places (you’ll see Nathan MacKinnon at the top in one clip and Cale Makar on the wall), move the puck quick, and just generally avoid stagnation. There’s no predictability with where the shot is coming from, with the added bonus that the players in the shooting positions can all hit one-timers. 1215150 Websites As for Scheifele’s ability to deal with the emotional toll and the potential fallout, Maurice dismissed the suggestion his alternate captain was frazzled or frustrated in Game 1.

Sportsnet.ca / Jets dealt another hammer blow with Scheifele suspension “He was playing hard. That was the line that had it going. He wasn’t frustrated. I liked his game. Lots of emotion. Lots of intensity. I thought he was right on,” said Maurice. “He’s a big strong powerful man that can skate. In order to try and cut that play off, he was skating pretty good. He Ken Wiebe June 3, 2021, 9:05 PM wasn’t striding through the hit by any means. It was a hell of a hit. It was hard. Good on Evans, he took the hit to make the play. I didn’t have to bring in Oprah or Dr. Phil to sit down with Mark to see how he’s feeling WINNIPEG – This isn’t a character assassination, nor is it meant to be a this morning.” defence of Mark Scheifele’s actions. The Jets also lost wingers Patrik Laine and Mason Appleton in that Depending on one’s point of view, the debate surrounding the hit opening game against the Flames last August and in an instant, the delivered by the Winnipeg Jets top centre on Montreal Canadiens entire dynamic of the series changed dramatically. forward Jake Evans is going to rage on for days, if not weeks and months. While there are certainly some parallels to be drawn, the Jets don’t believe history will necessarily repeat itself. Whether you stand on the side that Scheifele was simply finishing his check or whether you believe he took advantage of a vulnerable player is “It’s just a completely different situation. We’ve got a season that we’re a moot point. really attached to,” said Maurice. “We’ve lost our first playoff game. We didn’t lose three guys in one game. We won our second one in the Scheifele is not a dirty player, but even someone with a previously bubble, too, so we’ll be alright.” squeaky-clean track record can make a snap decision in real time and be forced to deal with the consequences. Make no mistake, this is a XXL-sized dose of adversity for the Jets to try and meet head on, even if Stastny is able to return to action in Game 2. What’s done is done and now it’s all about watching how things unfold as the North Division final resumes on Friday night in Winnipeg. Scheifele is the Jets top point producer and he’s recorded a point-per- game pace in each of the past five seasons and he’s basically kept up Fortunately, Evans is feeling better after being taken off the ice on a that pace in the Stanley Cup playoffs. stretcher following the empty-net insurance marker of the Jets 5-3 loss on Wednesday night, but he’s out indefinitely with a concussion. “Obviously he’s one of my best friends and I know that he doesn’t play the game in a vicious manner or anything like that. I know that the last While that’s a loss for the Canadiens, the Jets are going to be without thing he’s out there to do is to try to hurt somebody,” said Jets Scheifele for the next four games after the NHL Department of Player defenceman Josh Morrissey. “Those types of things are scary, scary for Safety announced its ruling on Thursday evening. everybody involved and you never want to see a player be in a situation like that. It’s definitely not something you want to see. In the video explanation of the penalty levied for charging, the NHL Department of Player Safety said Scheifele was “moving with excessive “To describe how much (Scheifele) means to our team, obviously he just momentum gained from travelling a considerable distance finishes his had a phenomenal year, he’s a great leader in our room, he produces check violently and with unwarranted force into Evans, making significant offensively for our team and he sort of does it all. This year, he’s taken a head contact in the process and causing an injury.” lot of steps forward in his game and shown that he’s amongst the elite players in our league. He’s a huge part of our team. He’s our best player Because Scheifele didn’t make a play on the puck and instead chose to up front and that’s all I can really say.” focus on delivering the “high, predatory hit” after the outcome of both the play and the game had already been decided, that was a major factor in It’s nearly impossible to replace a No. 1 centreman, but the Jets must the final decision. lean on its depth and versatility up front to help pick up the slack.

No doubt this is a significant statement made by the NHL and the penalty The issue is compounded by the fact the Jets are likely to be without would likely have been more severe had he not previously been fined or DeMelo for at least Game 2 and most likely for a good chunk of the suspended during his career, which includes 575 regular season games series. and 33 more in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Maurice wasn’t about to tip his hand about whether it would be vetean With the Jets trailing the best-of-seven series 1-0, the earliest Scheifele Jordie Benn or rookie Ville Heinola jumping into the Jets lineup. can return is Game 6. Benn brings experience and is an option to move onto the penalty kill, That’s a massive blow to a team that already lost top-pairing defenceman while Heinola would bring mobility and puck-moving ability as a Dylan DeMelo on the opening shift of Game 1 and was already without transporter of the puck. the services of veteran forward Paul Stastny – who sat out with an undisclosed injury. What we know is that the Jets will be doing things by committee on the back end. If this sounds eerily reminiscent of what happened in the series opener against the Calgary Flames last August, it should. “It’s a huge loss for us, especially when you lose him on the first shift of the game,” said Jets defenceman Neal Pionk. “He’s been a big part of That game saw Scheifele knocked out of the contest on his third shift our season and you saw last series, the effect that he has on our D after he was on the receiving end of a hit from Matthew Tkachuk. corps. He’s been really good on the penalty kill all year. So, we’re going to have to come together as a group and move on from there.” Maurice defended his player in that situation, and he did the same thing on Thursday when the topic was still in the process of being sorted out How both teams respond to the emotionally charged atmosphere the prior to the phone hearing. incident in question has created could very well determine which team is able to advance from this North Division final. Maurice made it clear that while the end result was unfortunate, his opinion is that it was not a dirty or vicious hit Scheifele delivered. Canadiens defenceman Joel Edmundson made it clear his team would look to make life miserable for Scheifele as the series moves along, but “You need to do everything you can to stop a goal from being scored. the Jets can’t afford to be tentative or thrown off their game by the threat Hitting is part of the game. It was a heavy, heavy hit for sure, but it was of the opponent possibly seeking some sort of retribution. clean,” Maurice said before the ruling was handed out. “For me the feet are on the ice, the arms are tucked in and it’s a body contact. That’s the “Yeah, you’ve just got to block that stuff out. Everyone has seen way I see it. So it’s part of the game and I don’t even like that phrase but something over the course of their career, someone getting stretchered depending, as you said, what flag is on the car, you have a different off, something bad happening,” said Jets forward Andrew Copp. “It’s opinion on that. But their guy took a hit to make a play. Our guy made a unfortunate, obviously. The health of the player is first and foremost, so hit. It won them the game. Move on.” knowing that he’s okay makes it easier for us to move on as players and I’m sure easier for them to move on. “If we’re missing Mark, you’re missing arguably our best player…and, I think, you saw the effect of that in the bubble. We’re way better equipped now to handle such an injury. So, guys will have to step up in his place. We’ve got to find a way to win the next game. That’s all we’re worried about right now. We’re not worried about any targets or whatever they’re saying in the media. We’re worried about going on and winning Game 2. It’s a big (expletive) game for us.”

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USA TODAY / Jets' Mark Scheifele says family members received hateful messages after hit on Canadiens' Jake Evans

Mike Brehm

Suspended Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele said Friday that his family members received hateful messages after his injury-causing hit on Montreal's Jake Evans on Wednesday.

Scheifele will begin serving his four-game suspension for charging Friday night. He checked Evans hard in Game 1 of the second-round series after the Canadiens forward scored an empty-net goal late in Montreal's 5-3 win. Evans was taken off the ice on a stretcher.

Scheifele said the "bullying that (his parents and siblings have) gotten is completely unacceptable, the online, phone calls, it's pretty gross to see."

"My parents are the salt of the earth and for my parents to get hate like that and my younger brother and sister, it's awful. I can handle it. I'm a grown man. I've accepted that and I can be held accountable for that, but for my family to get that, it hurts me a lot."

Scheifele said he was sorry that Evans was hurt and he has reached out to the forward's Montreal teammates and was hoping for a quick recovery.

He said he was merely trying to stop Evans from scoring on the play. The NHL disagreed and suspended him, the first time Scheifele has received supplemental discipline in his career.

"I don't think I have more than fricking 20 hits a year," Scheifele said. "My intention is not to injure, not to make a hit. It's to prevent a goal. That's what my entire life is. My job is to keep pucks out of the net and score."

He thought the suspension was "excessive" but said he wouldn't appeal.

"I don't want to be a distraction to this team," he said. "It's Game 2 of the playoffs tonight. I'm going to accept the punishment."

The Jets trail the series 1-0, but Scheifele is confident the team is deep enough to overcome the absence of its regular-season scoring leader.

"I have full faith in my team that I'll be able to play a game again this year," he said.

USA TODAY LOADED: 06.05.2021