Today’s News Clips March 25, 2019

ChicagoBlackhawks.com RECAP: Blackhawks 2, Avalanche 1 OT

By Chris Wescott March 24, 2019

RAPID REACTION: Duncan Keith scored the overtime winner to lift Chicago to a much-needed 2-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche, putting an end to the Blackhawks three-game skid.

The Blackhawks doubled up the Avalanche in shots through the first 20 minutes of play, 14-7. Unfortunately for the home team, however, troubles allowed Colorado to gain the first lead of the game.

Like they did in the first game of this back-to-back series, the Avalanche capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play opportunity. Alexander Kerfoot's power-play at 15:26 of the second put the visitors up 1-0.

Chicago was outshooting Colorado 25-17 after two periods but had yet to find a way to break Philipp Grubauer.

Artem Anisimov tipped 's shot in on a power play early in the third to even things up at 1-1. The goal was Anisimov's 14th of the year.

Chicago dominated the shot count 40-20 in regulation but Grubauer was outstanding stopping all but one to send it to overtime.

Keith went coast-to-coast and drove the net, burying his sixth goal of the season at 1:23 of the OT period for the win.

TALKING POINTS: "It's the biggest game of the year. Every game you could say, probably, biggest game of the year from here on out. We've been saying that for a while and that showed, I think, in our desperation, our management with the puck and guys competing." - Duncan Keith on the feeling in the locker room after defeating Colorado

"It feels good. We got our two points and we just need to get ready for the next one. One game at a time...We played as a team today, four lines going. Everybody played the right way." - Artem Anisimov on Chicago's play against the Avalanche

WHAT'S NEXT: The Blackhawks hit the road for three games, beginning Tuesday night in Arizona against the Coyotes. The game, at 9 p.m. CT, can be seen on WGN-TV or heard on WGN 720.

ChicagoBlackhawks.com MAILBAG: Burish on equipment, Kane and Toews

By Adam Burish March 25, 2019

On select Mondays throughout the 2018-19 season, blackhawks.com will have answers to some fan-submitted questions. This week, Stanley Cup champion turned broadcaster Adam Burish answers questions on pickiness with equipment and more.

1. Who was the most obsessed with their equipment or most picky? Did you have any preferred equipment brands? - Dylan from California

Duncan Keith, no question about it!

In his defense, during my time in the league, it was always the best players that were the most obsessive with their sticks and/or skates. I probably should have paid more attention to my skates and sticks and maybe I would have scored more goals... Duncan is always tweaking his sticks, and loves super stiff skates. I think one time we counted 12 pairs of skates under his stall in the locker room and he would keep wearing all the different pairs because some were "not right."

He would always be at the rink early working on his sticks getting them just right. I still have no idea what he was dong with his sticks but whatever it was, it worked! Brent Seabrook always had the exact same knob on his sticks. If his stick broke in a game, he would make sure they got the knob out of his stick before they threw it away. always had special custom grips on his sticks. Patrick Sharp was pretty detailed with his sticks also. And Marian Hossa took a lot of his time with sticks.

But to answer your question, Duncan Keith wins the prize for most obsessive about his skates and sticks!

2. What age did you realize your passion for hockey and after you did how often did you practice? - Tara from Wisconsin

Tara from Wisconsin... I have to pick your question since you are from Wisconsin! I always loved playing hockey. My sister Nikki loved it also, so we played together all the time and that was probably the biggest reason I was so into it.

Because my sister loved it also, I always had someone to play with growing up. But I played every other sport growing up also. I didn't decide I wanted to play hockey seriously until the last couple years of high school and I set a goal for myself that I wanted to play college hockey at Wisconsin.

3. What's your favorite food? - Melody from Illinois

I could eat steak and hash browns every day of the week! I have three steakhouses called Rare Steakhouse in Madison, Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Washington, DC. If you are ever there let me know and I'll buy you a steak, Melody!

4. I love watching you as a commentator and hope you continue for years to come! You're so smart, witty and hilarious! My question: I'm curious, how are you guys able to rattle off stat history about players so quickly after they add to their stats during the game? - Carolyn from Illinois

Thanks, Carolyn.

I have a lot of fun doing it! It's a treat for me to get to talk about the Blackhawks and my buddies that are still playing here! It's fun to work with Sharp and Jamal and Steve, but Pat Boyle is the one that really makes it easy for us. He's a pro. We'd be lost without him! We have all the stats in front of us at the desk from the pre-scout work that we do before the games and the Blackhawks public relations staff gets us all the information we need beforehand. It gets a little tough when Kane goes off and scores five points in a night and keeps putting up such big numbers, but my math is just good enough that I can add those numbers up and sound smart on TV. Trust me, if I can do it, you could do it!

5. As fans, we only get to see a little bit of the personal side of players. Jonathan Toews is portrayed as a serious leader figure 100% of the time, however my question is who has a more serious personality, Kane or Toews? - Toby from Australia

They are both equally very serious when it comes to hockey. I always judged or compared superstars in the league by how they were when nobody was watching. That's the stuff people don't get to see. In my 10 years of professional hockey, and all the superstars I was lucky enough to play with, I don't think I ever saw them have a terrible practice. They are both fun guys. I love hanging out with them away from the rink, but once the helmet goes on and a game or practice starts, they lock in at a different level than I saw from other guys around the league.

That's probably why they have achieved so much more than all the other guys I played with. It's not normal. Most guys have some practices where they just don't have it, or don't want to turn it on that day. I never saw that from those two guys.

If you ever want to get away from the beach and sunshine in Australia sometime and come to Chicago, go watch a Blackhawks practice. I can guarantee you Kane or Toews will be the best players on the ice any day you show up at practice… just like when you go to a game under the bright lights or watch on TV. They really are incredible players, teammates and leaders.

6. If you were in an overtime game, which two players would you want on the ice with you? (Past or present) - Carlos from Illinois

Wow, that's tough, Carlos.

From the recent teams, I'd say any combination of Kane, Toews, Keith, Seabrook, DeBrincat, Gustafsson, Sharp (don't tell him I said that), Hossa, and Burish… I'd make sure to have Burish out there right away for some excitement. It's 3 on 3... don't you want some unpredictability? Who knows what would happen!?

From the past, I'd say Savard, Hull or Chelios.

NBCSportsChicago.com Four takeaways: Blackhawks keep playoff hopes alive with overtime win over Avalanche

By Charlie Roumeliotis March 24, 2019

Here are four takeaways from the Blackhawks' 2-1 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche at the United Center on Sunday:

1. Duncan Keith saves the day

The Blackhawks needed this. After losing three in a row, anything less than a win on Sunday would've been the nail in the coffin on the team's playoff hopes with seven games remaining.

But Keith's overtime heroics saved the day for the Blackhawks, who live to fight another day. It was the third goal in nine games for Keith, who has six goals on the season. He had two goals in 82 games last season. Surely this offensive hot streak — by defensemen standards — feels good.

"I don't score too many overtime goals," Keith said. "[Nathan] MacKinnon was coming down and I'm just trying not to get embarrassed there because he's a pretty good player. And he kind of fell and I had the jump on him, and I was thinking he might try to poke it on my backhand. But I saw that he wasn't going to have enough room, so I just tried to slam it at the net as hard as I could. It hit the net and luckily it went in."

2. Blackhawks keep playoff hopes alive (barely)

Saturday's regulation loss to the Avalanche was a gut punch. Allowing the Avalanche to pick up a point in this one wasn't ideal. But the Blackhawks need to take care of their own business first, and earning two points was the ultimate goal.

The projected playoff cut is roughly 87 points. The Blackhawks have 76 with seven games left. They need 11 out of a possible 14 points in their final seven games to hit that mark. Their odds are bleak. But they're hanging on by a thread.

"This is huge," Keith said. "I think it was pretty much a must-win game. Especially after losing the last one against these guys. I thought we played a really good game tonight as a team. Obviously nothing's perfect but finding a way to get those two points. We're taking it one game at a time. We'll enjoy it, move on and know we still got our work cut out for us. Our theme of taking it one game at a time is a good way to approach it."

3. Loading up 12-19-88

Entering Sunday's game, the Blackhawks had scored only seven goals in their past four games. It's been their toughest stretch of the second half in the goal scoring department after it came so easy to them for months. The lack of power play is one of the main reasons for that.

To help change things up, Jeremy Colliton loaded up the top line with Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and tried to exploit some matchups by having the last change at home. And why not? They've accounted for 45.5 percent of the team's goals this season, and that strategy worked so well for Colorado earlier in the year. They didn't score, but they were very effective together.

In 16:19 of even-strength time, the trio controlled 65.9 percent of the shot attempts, 80 percent of the scoring chances and 80 percent of the high-danger chances, according to naturalstattrick.com.

"Those are the three guys that put the puck in the net the most," Colliton said. "We've been having trouble, so I think throw them together and that's probably the best opportunity to create some offense. I realize they didn't score, but they were really good."

4. Staying optimistic

The Blackhawks know it's an uphill battle to make the playoffs. But until the math says they're officially out of contention, they're going to continue fighting and clawing for that final wildcard spot.

There's still some optimism inside the locker room that they can make a run because they've shown in the past that they can do it. A big game against Arizona on Tuesday is a chance to strengthen it.

"We have a big belief in our group," Artem Anisimov said. "We just need to get it done."

Said Keith: "We know it's tough. We look at the standings and stuff, but at the same time I think our focus has to be in the moment. The standings are what they are, our focus needs to be one game at a time and just control that. So good game tonight and good that we got the two points, but we need to go into Arizona and play just as good as a game, if not better, to beat those guys."

Chicago Tribune Duncan Keith's overtime goal gives Blackhawks 2-1 win over Avalanche to keep playoff hopes alive

By Jimmy Greenfield March 24, 2019

If you’re missing a kitchen sink, might want to check the United Center ice.

The Blackhawks threw everything they could at the Avalanche on Sunday night, from starting Corey Crawford in net in back-to-back games to loading up Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat on the same line to coming out with an urgency that wasn’t always there during a crushing three-game losing streak.

The result? The Hawks will live to see another day.

Duncan Keith raced from end to end to score in overtime, allowing the Hawks to beat the Avalanche 2-1 and stay within five points of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Keith shoved the puck into the net before crashing into Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer, who stopped 40 shots in the loss. The Hawks outshot the Avs 42-20.

“I don’t score too many overtime goals, but I think (Nathan) MacKinnon was coming in and I was just trying to not get embarrassed there because he’s a pretty good player,” Keith said. “He kind of fell and I had the jump on him and I was thinking maybe try to pull it to my backhand. But I saw that I wasn’t going to have enough room, so I just tried to slam it at the net as hard as I could.”

The Hawks tried their best to win in regulation and deny the Avalanche a point in the standings, outshooting them 15-3 and scoring the third period’s only goal.

With as much desperation as the Hawks showed, the Avalanche’s playoff chances are far more realistic after their 4-2 victory over the Blackhawks in Denver on Saturday gave them the lead for the final wild-card spot.

“This is huge,” Keith said. “It was pretty much a must-win game, especially after losing the last one against these guys. I thought we had a really good game tonight as a team. Obviously, nothing’s perfect, but finding a way to get those two points and taking it one game at a time we’ll enjoy it but move on knowing we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

For the second straight day, the Hawks did themselves in by committing two quick penalties to give the Avalanche a long five-on-three power play during a tie game. And for the second straight game, the Avalanche converted.

Thirty-one seconds after Marcus Kruger was called for holding, Toews was sent to the box for hooking Tyson Barrie.

The Hawks almost had the five-on-three killed off, but with 16 seconds remaining, Alexander Kerfoot unleashed a slap shot that Crawford never saw to make it 1-0.

Crawford has started plenty of back-to-back games during his career, including earlier this season, but this was the first time he has done it since returning from a concussion last month.

The Avalanche didn’t have many chances in the first period, but on their best one Crawford made a beautiful glove save after giving up a rebound to stop Northbrook native J.T. Compher from scoring his fourth goal in five games this season against the Hawks.

The Hawks offense has struggled mightily since scoring four goals in the first period against the Maple Leafs last week. They had only seven goals in their previous 10 periods entering Sunday’s game, and stretched that to 12 periods after a scoreless first and second.

Artem Ansimov broke through for the Hawks early in the third, deflecting in a Brent Seabrook shot from the point to score his first power-play goal of the season with one second left on the man advantage to make it 1-1.

“We have a big belief in our group,” Anisimov said. “And we just need to get it done.”

Chicago Tribune Dominik Kahun's body of work has the Blackhawks excited for what he can bring to the future

By Jimmy Greenfield March 24, 2019

The final games of Dominik Kahun’s first NHL season are winding down and his body is hanging tough.

It’s no surprise that a 23-year-old with no injury history could handle the rigors of an 82-game season, but that doesn’t mean it hasn't taken its toll.

“I can feel it for sure that there’s something different,” Kahun said. “On my off days and when I’ve got time free I just try to recover and be ready for the next day. But for sure I can feel the difference between Europe (where) we got only 50 games and here we’ve got 82. That’s a big difference.”

Another difference for Kahun, who signed with the Hawks as a free agent last April, is that this very likely will be the first season he won't participate in any playoff games for the first time as a professional, dating to his 19-year-old rookie season in Germany’s top league.

The Hawks entered Sunday’s game against the Avalanche trailing them by six points for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Even with a victory, time is running out for the Hawks, who are far from alone in their pursuit of the Avs. To capture the final spot, the Hawks also would have to surpass the Coyotes and Wild. In addition, their 74 points had them tied with the Oilers and Canucks before the start of play Sunday.

Kahun is one of four Hawks to have played in all of their games this season — Alex DeBrincat, Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews are the others — and he’s the only rookie who came into the season with no prior NHL experience to finish the season with the team. Henri Jokiharju and Luke Johnson are the other rookies who made the opening-day roster but both are now with the Rockford IceHogs.

Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton first saw Kahun during the Traverse City prospect tournament when Kahun still was getting acclimated to the smaller North American rinks and was not a sure thing to make the Hawks.

“I had no clue what we were getting,” said Colliton, who was then coaching the IceHogs. “His work ethic was like he had professional habits. To me that was a really good sign of his opportunity to play this year. I didn’t expect him to have as big an impact as he’s had. We’ve been able to play him on every line.

“He’s been on the power play, a little bit of (penalty kill), he’s been out in the last minute. Really happy with his first year here and hopefully he’s going to continue to get better.”

Kahun, who has 12 goals and 22 assists, hasn’t experienced falling into disfavor with Colliton or, before he was fired, with Joel Quenneville. He has been what the Hawks were hoping for from the beginning, starting with that first time he stepped on the ice in Traverse City.

“I like that the coach trusts me in those situations,” Kahun said. “I know I can play whatever position he needs me. I can play left, right, center. I just try to work hard as possible and try to earn my spot.”

Chicago Sun Times Defenseman Duncan Keith the Blackhawks’ unlikely hero in OT win over Avs

By Madeline Kenney March 24, 2019

Duncan Keith turned out to be the Blackhawks’ unlikely hero Sunday in overtime.

Keith carried the puck from his own end, beating Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon in the process, and lifted the Hawks to a 2-1 victory against Colorado at the United Center to keep their playoff hopes alive.

After falling onto his side, the 35-year-old defenseman jumped back onto his skates and celebrated by raising his arms above his head and screaming with his eyes wide open.

“I don’t score too many overtime goals, but MacKinnon was coming down, and I’m just trying to not get embarrassed there,” said Keith, who has scored only 17 game-winning goals in 14 seasons. “I just tried to slam it at the net as hard as I could. It hit the net, and luckily it went in.”

The Hawks knew how vital this weekend was for their playoff aspirations. So with the score tied in the third period, they were firing on all cylinders and outshot the Avalanche 15-3.

“I’m sure everyone knows that we would like them to not get any more points, but overall we just wanted to win the game,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “I really liked how we responded.

‘‘We found a different level, a lot of pressure on the puck, held the puck, forced them to play D-zone, defended really well, so a good performance.”

Goalie Corey Crawford, who was in net Saturday in Denver, had another outstanding game, stopping 19 of 20 shots.

“[Crawford has] always been one of our best players, if not our best player,” Keith said. “When Corey’s in net, we know there’s a chance we’re going to win. We know he’s going to make those big saves. He made them last night, and he made them again tonight.

‘‘There’s not too many easy ones that ever go in throughout the course of the season on him, so he was big for us tonight.”

The Avs’ lone goal by Alexander Kerfoot came when they had a two-man advantage in the second period. But forward Artem Anisimov made up for that goal with a power-play goal of his own.

Anisimov’s goal was a sigh of relief for the Hawks’ sputtering power play. After producing at a 40 percent clip for several weeks in December and January, the Hawks were 1-for-25 in the previous 11 games before his goal in the third period.

With the victory, the Hawks trail the Avalanche by five points for the second Western Conference wild-card spot. The Hawks are also three points behind the Coyotes and Wild with a game in hand.

Colliton admitted that it’s hard not to follow the standings when the race is this close.

“We’re aware, obviously,” Colliton said of the standings. “Everyone looks at the scores. But we’re in the position where we just have to focus on right here, right now. Focus on [the next] game, win one game, and the other stuff will take care of itself. We’ll at least give ourselves a chance.”

The Hawks have only seven games left over the next week and a half. They’re embarking on another trip out west and play the Coyotes on Tuesday in Arizona. Once they return, they have a brutal final leg to close out the season against the Jets, Blues, Stars and Predators.

“We’ve done a good job of winning some hockey games to have the privilege of playing in big games as we are now,” Colliton said. “We have to win a few more to stay in it.”

Chicago Sun Times Blackhawks D Erik Gustafsson thinks it’s ‘kind of insane’ he’s scored 16 goals

By Madeline Kenney March 24, 2019

Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson viewed his two-year contract extension, which he signed last March, as his “last shot” at making it in the NHL. With the weight of his $1.2 million cap hit on his shoulder this season, Gustafsson wanted to show fans and himself that he deserved it.

“Of course, I want to prove [I earned it this season],” Gustafsson said. “I also wanted to prove to myself that I can play in this league and I can play for this team here … You see what people are saying, but it just goes in and out very quickly in my head. So it’s nothing I care about, but I wanted to prove to myself that I can play in this league.”

And so far, he’s done just that.

Entering Sunday’s high-stakes game against the Colorado Avalanche at the United Center, Gustafsson is tied for second among NHL defensemen in goals (16) with Flames’ Mark Giordano and Penguins’ Kristopher Letang. They trail only Maple Leafs blue liner Morgan Rielly, who has scored 20 goals.

If you would’ve told him a year ago he’d be where he is now, Gustafsson wouldn’t have believed it.

“Not goals. In points, maybe,” said Gustafsson, who is riding a career-high three-game goal streak. “But not goals. I haven’t score many goals in my career … Last year, I scored five goals. It was the most in my career, and that was pretty big for me, but now 16 is kind of insane.”

And Gustafsson isn’t done.

“I think I have more in me,” he said.

Which is exactly what coach Jeremy Colliton wants to hear as the Hawks embark on the last two weeks of their season.

“He’s playing well, coming through for us offensively” Colliton said. “He’s one of those guys who can transition outside the D-zone and create those rush chances we kind of thrive off of, so hopefully it continues.”

With 53 points and counting this season, Gustafsson — who only had 30 points over part of two seasons before this season — leads Hawks defensemen in points and goals by a long shot. The next highest-scoring blue liners are Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who each have five goals this season. Keith is second among defenseman in points with 36.

Gustafsson feels more confident since the

“I just felt like I’ve played more consistently and been better with the puck,” said Gustafsson, who was the 93rd overall pick in the 2012 draft. “I can still be better in my own zone but I feel more confident in my own zone lately.”

Gustafsson said he hasn’t changed his game-day routine or done anything that would point to his recent uptick in scoring. Honestly, he can’t explain it.

“I don’t know what it is but I haven’t changed anything,” Gustafsson said. “I just try to shoot as much as I can. … It’s just kind of assists have been there, but not goals. I don’t know what happened this year but not complaining. I’ll take that.”

Daily Herald rally to stay close to Colorado

By John Dietz March 24, 2019

Duncan Keith clearly doesn't want this season to end.

Nor does Jonathan Toews. inRead invented by Teads

Nor does Corey Crawford, Patrick Kane or Brent Seabrook.

All five Blackhawks veterans proved as much by coming through with some fine performances during an intense, hold- your-breath affair against Colorado on Sunday night at the United Center.

"It was fun to stand behind all those guys tonight," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "They really played hard."

Keith ended up in the hero's role when he stripped Nathan MacKinnon of the puck in the defensive zone then raced about 160 feet the other way and pounded a shot that went through Philipp Grubauer's legs 83 seconds into overtime. The 2-1 victory moved the Hawks to 33-32-10 and 5 points behind Colorado (34-29-13) in the race for the second wild- card spot in the Western Conference.

Keith scored just 2 goals in 2018-19, but he has 6 this season -- all of them coming in the last 32 games.

"I was just trying not to get embarrassed there because (MacKinnon is) a pretty good player," Keith said of the Avs forward who has 37 goals and 55 assists. "He kind of fell and I had the jump on him.

"(On the goal,) I was thinking (of) maybe trying to pull it to my backhand and I saw I wasn't going to have enough room. Just tried to slam it at the net as hard as I could."

Artem Anisimov tied the game at 1-1 when he tipped in a Seabrook blast 1:44 into the third period.

The Hawks know every standings point is critical and they pushed hard down the stretch to try to get this victory in regulation. Grubauer was up to the task, however, as he made 39 saves overall and 14 in the final 20 minutes.

"That would have been really big to try and get a late one there and get 2 on them," Crawford said. "But we'll take the extra one and keep going.

"We're playing well. The third period was great. Didn't give them anything. … That was great hockey. We've got to bring that into next game."

Toews played like a man possessed. He jawed with officials on questionable calls or when he was thrown out of the faceoff circle. He pushed and shoved opponents all night. He also finished with 6 shots on goal, 2 takeaways and 3 blocked shots.

Kane (7 SOG, 12 total attempts) was re-energized as well and looked for new linemate Alex DeBrincat over and over again.

Seabrook, meanwhile, may have played his best game of the season. His rocket from the point helped get the Hawks on the board, and he also racked up 5 hits and blocked 5 shots.

And let's not forget Crawford, who made 19 saves and played on back-to-back nights for the first time since Nov. 4-5, 2017.

Now we'll see if everybody can bring this effort in Arizona on Tuesday in another must-win affair.

If they do, that flicker of playoff hope may grow just a little bit brighter.

"Enjoy (this), but move on and know we've still got our work cut out for us," Keith said. "Taking it one game at a time is a good way to approach it."

Daily Herald Back-to-back starts no big deal for Chicago Blackhawks' Crawford

By John Dietz March 24, 2019

With the Blackhawks needing to win almost all of their remaining games, nobody can take a night off.

And that includes Corey Crawford, who played Saturday afternoon in a 4-2 loss at Colorado and then again Sunday night in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Avs at the United Center.

It was the first time Crawford played in back-to-back games since Nov. 4-5, 2017.

Goalies don't normally play on consecutive days, but Crawford made it seem like it was no big deal afterward.

"We recover pretty quickly," he said. "We're used to traveling and playing again. It was fine."

The only goal Crawford allowed came when Colorado had a two-man advantage in the second period.

"He's always been one of our best -- if not our best -- player," said defenseman Duncan Keith, who scored the game- winner 1:23 into overtime.

"He gives everybody confidence. When Corey's in the net we know that we're going to have a chance to win. He's going to make those big saves. He made them last night and he made them again tonight.

"There's not too many easy ones that ever go in through the course of the season on him."

Philipp Grubauer also started both games for Colorado. He stopped 40 shots Sunday and has allowed just 8 goals in his last seven games.

Hayden sits again: John Hayden sat out an eighth straight game as a healthy scratch in the Hawks' 2-1 OT win over Colorado on Sunday.

"We've found a group we're pretty comfortable with," said coach Jeremy Colliton. "It's a decision you make every day. What's the best lineup to help us win?"

For now, Colliton believes that lineup includes a fourth line that consists of 39-year-old veteran Chris Kunitz, Marcus Kruger and David Kampf. Hayden (3 goals in 50 games) could replace Kunitz (3 goals in 50 games), but Colliton hasn't seen enough to make that move.

"He's made progress this year," Colliton said. "It's just right now we rate the other guys ahead of him."

A path to Hayden's return will only get more difficult if Drake Caggiula returns from a concussion that has cost him 11 games. Colliton said Caggiula may see if he can pass the concussion test today.

Slap shots: Brent Seabrook recorded the 250th assist of his career on Artem Anisimov's third-period goal Sunday against Colorado. … Anisimov's goal was his 14th of the season and first on the power play. He is the third Hawks player to score at even strength, on the power play and short-handed this season (, Jonathan Toews.)

The Athletic With the team in a desperate spot, Blackhawks’ core proves it can turn up the intensity

By Scott Powers March 24, 2019

Jonathan Toews got into it with the Colorado Avalanche’s Erik Johnson.

He got into it with J.T. Compher.

He got into with the officials.

He got into it with himself after taking a penalty.

Toews was feisty. He was fired up about this and that and everything else. He wasn’t going to let anyone stand in his way. The Blackhawks’ season was on the line, and he was out to do anything he could to save it. He certainly wasn’t going out peacefully.

Ultimately, Sunday’s 2-1 overtime win might not mean anything for the Blackhawks’ playoff hopes. A weekend sweep over the Avalanche would have put them in the mix. A split wasn’t ideal, but it might have kept the door slightly open. But allowing the Avalanche three points out of the two games probably seals the deal. The Blackhawks now trail the Avalanche by five points with seven games to go.

Even if Sunday’s win is for naught when it’s all said and done, it seemed important to see Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford play as they did. They all left everything out on the ice to get that win. Those five players are still the backbone of that team, and they all stepped up in a game they believed was vital. It’s fair to question whether some of them have lost a step a two as age and wear and tear have added up, but there’s no doubt they still care a whole lot about winning and losing. They proved that Sunday.

Let’s start with Toews. He didn’t end up with a goal or an assist, but he filled every other stat column. He also was shut out from a point mainly because Philipp Grubauer is pretty much unbeatable right now. Grubauer hasn’t allowed more than two goals in his last nine starts and has a .960 save percentage in March.

But back to Toews. He led the Blackhawks’ forwards with 22:38 of ice time. He had nine shot attempts. He had six shots on goal. He had two takeaways. He blocked three shots. He had a 65.85 Corsi percentage and was on the ice for 27 shot attempts for and 14 against in 5-on-5 play. He won 16-of-29 faceoffs.

Patrick Kane also didn’t end up on the scoresheet, but it also wasn’t for a lack of trying. Kane attempted 12 shots. He put seven of them on net. He was on the ice for 30 shot attempts for and 15 against. He played just six seconds fewer than Toews.

Seabrook’s underlying numbers weren’t as spectacular. He was one of four Blackhawks who were on the ice for more shot attempts against than for. But in some of the biggest moments of Sunday’s game, Seabrook was clutch. It was his shot Artem Anisimov redirected for the Blackhawks’ first goal. When Gustav Forsling committed an unforced turnover coming out of the defensive zone late in the third period, it was Seabrook who tied up Matt Calvert’s stick from behind and denied a golden opportunity from the slot. Seabrook also put his body in the way of even more shots. He recorded a team-high five blocked shots.

Keith wasn’t far behind that number. He was second on the Blackhawks with four blocked shots. Keith played the second-most minutes among the team’s defensemen and finished at 21:44. He was on the ice for 23 shot attempts for and 13 against. In the overtime, it was Keith who was the difference. He first halted Nathan MacKinnon as MacKinnon came into the defensive zone with speed during the 3-on-3 session, and Keith flipped the switch the other way, carried the puck fast and hard to the net and jammed it past Grubauer.

“I don’t score too many overtime goals, but MacKinnon was coming down and I’m just trying to not get embarrassed there, because he’s a pretty good player, and he kind of fell and I had the jump on him,” Keith said. “And I was thinking he might try to poke it in my back end, but I saw that he wasn’t going to have enough room, so I just tried to slam at the net it as hard as I could. It hit the net and luckily it went in.”

And last but not least, there was Crawford. A day after keeping the Blackhawks in the game in Colorado, he returned home, got back into the net and held the Avalanche to one goal on 20 shots. That lone goal was from a 5-on-3 power play too. Crawford might not have faced a lot of shots Sunday, but the Avalanche had some quality ones. He snatched a Compher rebound attempt at point-blank range. He denied all four of MacKinnon’s shots on net.

It was par for the course as of late for Crawford. He’s stopped 178-of-185 shots for a .962 save percentage in 5-on-5 play over the past eight games. In that span, he also has a .946 overall save percentage.

“All of them were good I thought, and it sets a tone for the team,” Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said of the team’s veterans. “We’re in a spot where we’re desperate and you can respond in different ways to that and I really liked how we responded tonight. Whatever happens, it bodes well going forward that this is how we reacted to being in this spot.”

There were others who contributed to Sunday’s win. Anisimov scored a goal and won 9-of-12 faceoffs. Erik Gustafsson led the Blackhawks in ice time and had a 72.22 Corsi percentage. David Kampf was bumped up to the third line and played some tough minutes late. Connor Murphy went up against the Avalanche’s top players and contained them. Alex DeBrincat helped Kane and Toews create. All those players were key, especially in the third period when the Blackhawks dominated the game and had a 28-5 edge in shot attempts in 5-on-5 play.

But as good as they all were, it was the core that drove the Blackhawks’ win Sunday. They reminded you of the days when they could just out-will teams. It was that type of effort that pushed them past the in 2015, the Detroit Red Wings in 2013 and the in 2010 in grueling series. It was what they did against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning to win Stanley Cups. This team isn’t those teams, but the core’s determination was on point Sunday just as it was in the past.

“This is huge,” Keith said. “I think it was pretty much a must-win game. Especially after losing the last one against these guys. I thought we played a really good game tonight as a team and obviously, nothing’s perfect but finding a way to get those two points, we’re taking it one game at a time and enjoy it, move on and know we still have our work cut out for us. And taking that theme where we’re taking it one game at a time is a good way to approach it.” Whether the Blackhawks get a chance at the playoffs this season, that’s beside the point. Let Sunday stand alone. Because on Sunday, Toews and company brought it on a night where they needed to bring it. That’s still something.

ArizonaCoyotes.com Recap: Coyotes End Trip with Shutout Loss to Islanders

By Dave Vest March 24, 2019

The Coyotes ended a four-game trip vs. Eastern Conference teams with a 2-0 loss to the on Sunday afternoon at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Arizona outshot the Islanders, 31-26, but New York goalie Robin Lehner was solid in net and led his team to its NHL- leading 10th shutout of the season.

"This hurts," Head Coach Rick Tocchet said. "That was a tough one. We played hard. I thought we played a good game today, we're just having a tough time scoring right now ... I think we pressed a few times."

With the loss, Arizona finished the trip with an 0-3-1 record and failed to gain ground on Colorado in the race for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference standings. Colorado led the Coyotes by one point before playing at Chicago on Sunday night.

Darcy Kuemper, playing his third game in four days, stopped 24 of 26 shots.

Jordan Eberle gave New York a 1-0 lead when he swatted a rebound past Kuemper at 4:37 of the first period. Brock Nelson scored a wrap-around insurance goal with just 3:14 left in the third period.

Trailing 1-0, Michael Grabner tried to score his seventh shorthanded goal of the season on a breakaway midway through the third, but Lehner foiled the bid by knocking Grabner's wrist shot off course with his glove.

"I thought we played our hearts out in this game," Jason Demers said. "We battled. Obviously back-to-back (games) on the road is always tough, but I thought we weathered the storm in the first, and I thought in the second and the third we kind of took over the game. Their goalie made some big saves … but our guys didn't quit until the end. That's what we've got to take from that game. We've just got to dust ourselves off and get back at it."

• The Coyotes scored just four goals on the four-game trip, which started in Tampa Bay with stops at Florida and New Jersey. The shutout on Sunday was Arizona's seventh zero-goal game this season.

"I thought we had good possession, we had some good chances, but then there were some times when we had some opportunities I think we just rushed a couple of things," Tocchet said of the trip finale. "I thought we could have got to the middle on the point a few times and we just rushed our shot when there was plenty of time to get to the middle and then shoot. I think we just rushed it. I think that's what happens when you don't score, you rush things."

• Brad Richardson led the Coyotes with five shots on goal, and won 10 of 13 face-offs.

"I thought our first (period) was OK," Richardson said. "We were right there, we were down one, but I thought after that we got real good and we had a ton of chances. We just couldn't score in the third. I thought we should have had a couple. Their goalie played good, but we've got to find a way to get some pucks in."

• Lawson Crouse, who ranks second in the NHL in hits, tallied four more to bring his season total to 265.

• Ilya Lyubushkin played for the first time since March 14. He skated 15:29 and delivered four hits, including a highlight- reel blow on Islanders forward Mathew Barzal.

The Arizona Republic fall to New York Islanders for fifth consecutive loss

By Associated Press March 24, 2019

The New York Islanders used a smothering defense and some timely scoring to move closer to a playoff berth.

Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson scored to back Robin Leh ner’s fifth shutout of the season as the Islanders beat the Arizona Coyotes 2-0 Sunday.

Lehner stopped 31 shots to help the Islanders win for the second time in two days and keep pace with first place Washington in the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals, who beat Philadelphia 3-1 earlier Sunday, lead New York by one point with six games remaining for both teams, including a matchup at Washington in the season finale on April 6.

“Those are dangerous hockey games. We had chances to pull away and they hung around,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “We got it done.”

New York can clinch a spot in the postseason with a Columbus loss in regulation later Sunday and if the Islanders beat the Blue Jackets on the road Tuesday night.

Starting for the second straight day, Lehner had nine saves in the first period, and 11 each in the second and third to improve to 22-12-5 this season. The Islanders, who beat the Flyers 4-2 on Saturday, improved to 11-1-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The Islanders also lead the NHL with 10 shutouts. Lehner’s counterpart also has five shutouts this season.

“I feel like the majority of games we’ve won, we’ve gone into the third period 1-0, 2-1, low scores,” said Lehner, who signed with the Islanders as free agent last summer. “When we are playing our game, we have confidence. We play hard, wait for them to make mistakes and try to capitalize on it.”

With New York leading 1-0, defenseman Johnny Boychuk was called for slashing at 6:42 of the third but the Islanders completely smothered the Coyotes on the ensuing power play. At 8:47, the Islanders had their chance with the man advantage when Arizona defenseman Jason Demers was called for hooking.

Lehner then stopped former Islander Michael Grabner – who has a league-best six short-handed goals this season – on a breakaway.

“He’s good on breakaways. It happens pretty quick,” Lehner said. “It was nice that it hit my arm and they didn’t score.”

Nelson made it 2-0 with 3:14 remaining with his 24th of the season. It was initially waved off by the officials but the call was overturned after a video review

“Big goal by Nelly,” Trotz said. “It feels right the way we play. You don’t really worry about the score. We can frustrate teams. And the results sort of come.”

Eberle put the Islanders ahead 4:37 into the game when he tapped a rebound of Nick Leddy’s shot past Darcy Kuemper. It was Eberle’s 15th of the season, but just his second since Feb. 9.

“Any time you get an early lead, especially on a back-to-back, it’s huge,” Eberle said. “You have to match team’s desperation. I like the way that we played.”

Kuemper finished with 24 saves as the Coyotes lost their fifth straight (0-3-2), and finished 0-3-1 on a four-game trip. Arizona hasn’t won since March 14 against Anaheim at home, where there will play four of their last six games as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

Kuemper kept the Coyotes in the game with a series of excellent saves in the second period.

“That was a good defensive game. I thought we had good possession,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. “We are just having a tough time scoring right now.”

The Athletic Coyotes PK guru Scott Allen has more than earned his stripes

By Craig Morgan March 23, 2019

It was late on March 15, 1996, when Scott Allen’s phone rang in northeast Texas. Allen was three weeks away from turning 30, and he was just completing his 10th pro season as a player – this one with the Fort Worth Fire of the Central Hockey League.

The guy on the other end of the phone had a proposal.

“Scawttie Allen!” the voice said in a thick, Boston-area accent.

“Toby O’Brien!” Allen responded with equal inflection. “Head coach and general manager of the Granite State Staahs (translation: Stars)!”

It had been at least six years since the boyhood friends had spoken; eight years since they had been teammates with the of the All-. O’Brien had an update.

“Toby O’Brien, the former general manager and coach of the Granite State Stars and the new general manager of the Johnstown (Pennsylvania) Chiefs,” he said.

“I said, ‘Here’s the deal, Scottie. I went to college and you didn’t so let’s pretend I’m smarter than you. Congratulations on playing 10 years of pro hockey, but Scottie, the NHL dream is gone. You ain’t gonna get there. We always talked about you being a coach. I need help and you’re the guy. I want you to coach here as an assistant at the start and we’ll see where it goes from there.’”

Johnstown was O’Brien’s first pro job and the ECHL’s Chiefs were alarmingly similar to the fictitious Chiefs from the movie “Slapshot,” which was filmed in Johnstown.

“I had done a lot of background research but as soon as I got there I looked around and I said, ‘Oh, dear God. This place is a disaster. I need help,’” O’Brien said. “No lie. It was everything you see in the movie ‘Slapshot.’ That is my claim to fame. I lived the movie.”

Allen was in a pickle. He had just promised his wife, Traci, that the nomadic couple would remain in Fort Worth for the summer, rather than returning to Massachusetts. “She’s going to kill me,” he thought, so he turned O’Brien down.

“He came at me pretty hard,” Allen said. “He said, ‘Are you crazy? Do you understand the opportunity I am giving you here?’ He was right and I knew I was going to coach. I just didn’t think it was then.”

O’Brien gave Allen a week to decide if he was ready to don a whistle.

“That was Friday night,” O’Brien said. “He called me Sunday morning and said, ‘Hey, I’ll be there Wednesday, but let’s talk about that $2,500 moving allowance. If I rent a U-Haul and move myself, can I keep the difference?’

“I said, ‘We’ve got a deal’ and he drove straight through because he didn’t want to pay for a hotel. Three days later, at 1 a.m., Scottie Allen came driving into town in a big, old orange U-Haul to begin his pro hockey coaching career.”

It’s no surprise to anyone who has followed Allen’s coaching career that the Coyotes penalty-killing unit is elite. In 2015- 16, his (AHL) PK unit set a franchise record for shorthanded goals. It took just one season with the New York Islanders to turn one of the league’s worst units into one that produced a league-high 15 shorthanded goals in 2010-11 — led by Frans Nielsen’s seven and current Coyote Michael Grabner’s six. In his only season as an assistant with the (2016-17), Allen’s penalty killing unit ranked second in the league with an 85.3 percent success rate.

This season, entering Saturday, the Coyotes penalty-killing unit ranks second in the NHL with an 85.1 percent success rate, and second in shorthanded goals with 16, despite playing long stretches without three members of their first-unit personnel: Grabner (41 games missed), Brad Richardson (16 games) and Jason Demers (48 games).

“He just has a simple system that when executed the right way — his way — it works,” said Demers, who also played for Allen in Florida. “He is literally detailed down to the degree where he will see if your stick position is one inch off where it should be. He’ll show you that if you moved it this much it can make a difference; it can break up a play. He is a drill sergeant on that stuff, but in a good way in that he’s very calm in the way he explains it. He’s always prepared so we know we’re getting his best every night and he expects the same from us.”

Coyotes center Derek Stepan is a hockey junkie – a guy who watches a ton of games, a guy who can break down plays and a guy would make a terrific broadcast analyst if he ever chose that path. That affinity for analysis gives Stepan a deep appreciation for what Allen brings to the PK meetings.

“He goes over a lot of stuff so you can understand when a player likes to make a certain play so you can sit on it and make him do something he’s not comfortable with,” Stepan said. “For example, on the power play, (Toronto’s Mitch) Marner likes to show like he’s going to take a slapper and then he kind of slap-passes it to (Auston) Matthews.

“In the game (a 4-2 win in Toronto on Jan. 20), we were just sitting on it so he couldn’t do it. That’s the kind of stuff Scottie sees and prepares us for. He has tons of details just like that.”

In spite of the volume of information, Allen has a way of distilling the data to their simplest form.

“I’ve been on teams where they give you like 10 options that somebody’s power play is doing and you kind of get your mind in a pretzel thinking, ‘OK, what’s coming next?’” Grabner said. “He doesn’t try to overcomplicate things. We try to keep it the same. Obviously, we try to adjust to certain situations or players, but we try to play to our strengths and that’s what he keeps emphasizing.”

Allen didn’t have the advantages that some hockey lifers enjoy. He never had the size, he never had the pedigree, he never had the connections, and he never had the money, growing up in Acushnet, Massachusetts, just north of New Bedford.

“He’d say they were the street kids,” O’Brien said, laughing. “I grew up on Cape Cod and went to Tabor Academy so he called me a cake eater.”

Allen’s dad, George, was a union construction worker who “hustled” on the weekends to pick up freelance jobs and make extra money. His mom, Janice, was a pediatrics receptionist who knew everybody in town and was charged with taking Scott to all his practices and games.

Initially, that meant one house league practice and one house league game per week at Moby Dick Arena in New Bedford, a rink with a whale logo at center ice to commemorate the town where Herman Melville’s famous protagonist, Ishmael, begins his whaling adventure. In 1976, the arena changed names to Stephen Hetland Memorial Skating Rink to honor a local, 12-year-old boy who was killed when hit by a car while sledding. At the time, Hetland was the goalie for the Fairhaven Savings Bank team.

“It happened on Christmas Eve,” Allen said solemnly. “He had a brand new pair of goalie skates waiting for him under the tree.”

Allen was always small for his age, so he relied on other assets to tip the scales in his favor; assets that New Bedford High coach John Rolli noticed immediately.

“He was on the varsity from the time he came as a sophomore – a big-time player right from the get-go,” Rolli said. “Left-shot center, wore No. 7 and just a scrappy son of a gun.

“He was Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron put together. He played from end board to end board. He was one of those guys when you needed to win a face-off it was, ‘Scottie, get on the ice.’ You needed a key penalty kill, he was already over the boards once the ref put his arm up. If we needed a power-play goal, he might not have scored it but he would have an assist. He worked his ass off and he just knew how to play the game.”

While O’Brien went off to college, Allen went to play junior hockey in Seattle. That decision sparked a 35-year playing and coaching odyssey. Allen played for 12 junior or pro teams, and he has coached with 11. He spent his last junior season (1985-86) with the Waterloo (Iowa) Black Hawks, where he met Traci.

In 28 years of marriage, Scott has had 24 addresses; Traci has had 20.

“I have had guys come up to me over the years and say, ‘Hey, I want to coach. What should I do?’ I’ll say something like, ‘OK, there’s a job opening in Muskegon,’” Allen said. “They’ll say, ‘Oh no, I don’t want to go to Muskegon,’ and I’ll say, ‘Let me get this straight. You want to coach but you want to coach on your terms?’

“If you want to coach and get to the highest level, you’re probably going to move. That’s the cold, harsh reality of this business for most guys. I moved three times in five years in the organization because they moved their AHL franchise three times. It’s just something you have to accept.”

As Allen noted, however, it was something Traci also had to accept or it never would have worked.

“I’m fairly laid back but there were times I found myself not liking him too much,” Traci said, laughing. “It was during the times of packing, deciding where we were going to go, flying to look for a house and then after we had kids, it was even worse. As the years have gone on, he has learned that when moving time comes, he should tread lightly.”

In all those moves, Scott never openly shared his NHL dream with Traci.

“Maybe he kept it to himself as a pipe dream but I don’t think we ever discussed if this could someday lead us to the NHL,” she said. “We have always been fairly content with what we had. Even when he was in the lower leagues, we were fine with that. We have never had even close to that expectation as a couple.”

Throughout his 17 years as a minor-league coach with Johnstown, the (AHL), the Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL), the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (AHL), the Quad City Flames (AHL), the Peoria Rivermen (AHL), the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and Portland, Allen earned a reputation as a voracious consumer of video, a tireless worker and a guy who always put his players before himself.

One of those players was Jody Shelley, who played two seasons for Allen in Johnstown, before working his way to the AHL and then a 627-game NHL career with Columbus, San Jose, the and Philadelphia.

“I was part of a team in Johnstown that had second-round picks and guys that should not have been down at that level but I was the guy that was never going to make it to the NHL from where I was,” Shelley said. “I just wanted to make it to the American Hockey League, but this guy would spend hours with me or whoever else, working after practice.

“He’s not the biggest guy but he’s got a presence and an honesty about him that is so rare. When he would look me in the eye and tell me something from his heart, it really resonated with me. He would say, ‘You do have a chance. Don’t think you’re that far away. They ask about you.’ And when he said it, I knew he meant it. It wasn’t the typical lip service of professional sports.

“He helped me in more ways than I probably even know by working on my skill set, my skating, my shooting, my passing, putting me in good situations but also showing me the fire and the pride that I needed to be a pro.”

Shelley said that self-sacrificing approach extended to every person with whom Allen came in contact.

“I’m in the back of the bus on one of our trips (from Johnstown to Peoria, Ill.), the bus is moving and all of the sudden, the bus driver is standing in front of me and he is going into the bathroom. I said, ‘Frank! What are you doing back here?’ He said, ‘I’m taking a break. Scottie is driving the bus.’

“Sure enough, I go up front and there’s Scott driving the bus. I’m in the East Coast Hockey League, a million miles away from the and this guy cares so much about doing something for everybody. It was infectious how much he cared and how he handled himself. He showed us how it was supposed to be done and there were times where I honestly thought, ‘Where do you go from here? How can it get better?’”

When Johnstown opted to part ways with then-coach before Allen’s second season with the club, O’Brien offered Allen the job and was stunned to hear him hesitate.

“He wouldn’t accept the job,” said O’Brien, still incredulous 23 years later. “He’s this unbelievably loyal and honorable guy. They just don’t make ’em like him. He had to meet with Nick over lunch first and if Nick didn’t say it was OK, you need to do this, he wasn’t going to take the job. I was getting ready to coach the team!”

Fortunately for O’Brien, Fotiu signed off on the decision.

“I still remember the conversation,” Allen said. “He said, ‘You have to do it. There’s absolutely no way you don’t take this job.’ It was Christmas time and I’m taking this guy’s job from him. You always expect your first coaching job to be a great situation but it didn’t feel like that.”

By Allen’s final season in Johnstown (2001-02), the Chiefs were one of the ECHL’s better teams, going 39-31-2 and falling in the third round of the playoffs. While Allen was building lifelong relationships and building a coaching resume that landed him the job with San Antonio the following year, he was also building and constantly refining his database. He wasn’t the first one to break down video and draw data from it, but he approached it with more gusto than most.

“He takes about seven hours to break a game down,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet chuckled. “That’s up to him. I can’t. He can. I’m glad he’s doing it. He’s all all-in guy.”

Such devotion requires long hours. When Allen coached in Lowell with former Florida Panthers coach and GM , he took that work ethic to the extreme.

“His apartment was the training room at the rink,” Rolli said. “He actually lived at the rink in Lowell.

“I remember talking to him and he said, ‘I always wanted to have a rink in my backyard. Now I have a bedroom in the rink. It’s even better!’”

Allen said not a single season has passed in his 23-year coaching career in which he has not spent nights at the rink – even now with the Coyotes.

“It’s all true,” Rowe said, laughing. “He’d get there early in the morning and stay there later — work 12-, 13-, 14-hour days. I’d be home and Scott would still be there. That’s just the way he did his job and I’m sure he still sleeps at the rink.

“He is an animal when it comes to video. He’ll watch five or six previous games of the team we’re going up against to make sure he sees every little thing they’re doing and then he puts it into the simplest form for his meetings with the players. I would go into those meetings. It was so easy to understand when he gave it to them but I knew it was anything but simple when he started the process. The guy is just incredibly detailed and so good at teaching. He’s got a great reputation in that regard, but he has earned it.”

When Allen landed his first NHL gig as an assistant with the Islanders in 2009, he didn’t tell Traci or his daughters, Mackenzie and Camryn. They were returning to their home in Bettendorf, Iowa (Quad City Flames), after visiting family in Waterloo.

“We came home to the house and each one of us had a rose with a card on it,” Traci said. “Mine said: ‘We made it to the show.’

“I was sick to my stomach with happiness and nervousness. It was such a big step. We just teared up and started to cry.”

The Islanders had named O’Brien their minor league coordinator and a scout in 2006. While he was having lunch with New York coach Scott Gordon and scout Dave Hymovitz before the 2009 NHL Draft in Montreal, Gordon said he was looking for a loyal, hard-working assistant who would stay up late and cut video. O’Brien suggested Allen.

“They flew Scottie into Long Island during development camp in July,” O’Brien said. “My wife and I drove to the airport to pick him up, drove him to Nassau (Coliseum) for the interview with Scott and (GM) Garth Snow. As soon as they interviewed him, it was a done deal.”

When word spread that Allen had landed the gig, the well wishes poured in from every corner of his universe, from the scores of people he had touched. Alan May, a teammate with the Carolina Thunderbirds of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, thought of the time Allen attended May’s first preseason game in the Bruins organization in 1987.

“I spent a long weekend before training camp with him and his family and we played a preseason game in Providence (Rhode Island),” said May, who played 393 NHL games with Boston, Edmonton, Washington, Dallas and Calgary. “He brought all his buddies to the game. I don’t know how many guys got arrested after the game because somebody said something about me, but Scottie didn’t get arrested. He’s always been on the right side of the law. He was just there like a proud brother, kind of living the dream through me because I’m sure he wanted to play for the Bruins his entire life.”

May nicknamed Allen “Pee-Wee” because of his stature and his habit of perpetual motion. Even after the two had parted ways, May would get up at 5 a.m. just to send Allen messages because he knew Allen was already on his mountain bike, riding to the rink in frigid Johnstown to plan the day.

“If you want to make it to the NHL you have to be a little bit delusional and he has always wanted to get a Stanley Cup ring, one way or another,” May said. “He might be mad at me for saying this, but I know he made $18,000 as an assistant coach in Johnstown and that was about three times as much as he ever made as a player. I saw so many people get hired as coaches who I felt were not up to par with him and then weren’t successful, and I wondered, ‘When is this guy going to get his chance?’

“When he finally did it was amazing and it was long overdue because of the amount of work he put in and the network of people he was willing to help. Some guys have done anything they could to get a job but this guy has not backstabbed one guy to get where he is. It has all been done with integrity and loyalty and hard work. A lot of teams screwed up not hiring him. Arizona did themselves a big favor.”

When the Coyotes played the Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., on Thursday, Tocchet joked that it was just another stop on Allen’s nationwide reunion tour.

“Every trip, every team we play, after the game he has to go say hi to somebody,” Tocchet said. “He’ll say, ‘I played with this guy 30 years ago in the East Coast League.’ He knows a lot of people. Every game, he talks to somebody and I don’t know who he’s talking to, whether it’s Darryl Sutter, Glen Gulutzan and all his buddies like that, or it’s some guy that had 700 minutes in Johnstown.”

This four-game road trip for Allen has been special, however, because it includes his other two NHL stops, Florida and the Islanders, whom the Coyotes will play at Nassau Coliseum on Sunday.

“It’s fun to retrace your steps,” Allen said.

O’Brien calls Allen the best and hardest working U.S.-born hockey coach that nobody knows because most of those steps were made in relative obscurity. Tocchet raves about the job Allen has done, both with the PK and the team’s vastly underrated blue line. Allen just calls himself fortunate to have worked so long in the game he loves. His only regret is that his mother never got to see the path his life has taken. She had a brain aneurysm and died on May 8, 2001, while Allen was still coaching in Johnstown, and three days before he was inducted into the New Bedford High School Hall of Fame.

“We laid her to rest that morning, I got inducted that night. That was a tough one,” Allen said, pausing to choke back tears. “My mom was such a giving, compassionate, generous person. We didn’t have much money but she gave of herself and her time.

“Truly the saddest thing in all of this is not that she didn’t get to see me make it to the NHL. She didn’t get to see her granddaughters — my daughters — grow up. She would’ve loved that.”

There may be another step for Allen down the road if somebody wants to take a chance on a head-coaching chance on a guy without NHL-playing pedigree, but when the possibility is posed to Allen, his face stiffens and it feels as if you have insulted him to the very core.

“I concentrate on the job I have to do,” he said. “I have seen so many guys chasing that next job or worrying about that next job. I can honestly say not once have I done that. If you focus on the job you have to do, hopefully you’ll do a good enough job and get rewarded.

“I know the profession I am in. It doesn’t always work that way, but that doesn’t even matter because it’s not about the next pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s about the here and now. I’m extremely happy in the role that I am in. I got hired to do a job here and I love the job I have, love the organization and I love Toc. I want to see this succeed. That’s all that matters.”