SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/20/2021 Arizona Coyotes New York Islanders 1216083 UK Hockey: F Liam Kirk gets entry-level deal with Coyotes 1216105 Ryan Pulock saves Islanders in Game 4 win over Lightning Boston Bruins 1216106 Islanders’ second-period dominance continues 1216084 The Kraken are coming, and here are some players who 1216107 Matt Martin delivers for Islanders while missing Esiason could be available in the expansion draft wedding 1216085 Patrice Bergeron's Selke Trophy voting results are a bit 1216108 There’s never been anything like Ryan Pulock’s puzzling miraculous Islanders stop 1216086 BHN Daily: Bruins Captain Bergeron Robbed Of Another 1216109 Islanders even series thanks to Ryan Pulock’s unreal save Selke Trophy 1216110 ‘Really dangerous’ Brayden Point causing Islanders problems Buffalo Sabres 1216111 Islanders-Lightning Game 4 recap: Key stat, turning point, 1216087 Sabres send prayers for a full recovery for legend Rene three stars, more Robert 1216112 Islanders turn back furious Lightning push in Game 4 to even series at 2-2 Carolina Hurricanes 1216113 Matt Martin was the Islanders' best man in Game 4 win at 1216088 Canes defenseman Jaccob Slavin has won the NHL’s the Coliseum Lady Byng Memorial Trophy 1216114 Why Islanders and Nets hosting big playoff games on same night is historically significant Chicago Blackhawks 1216115 Islanders play-by-play voice Brendan Burke to call Game 1216089 Blackhawks’ Riley Stillman following father Cory’s advice 5 for NBCSN in place of Kenny Albert while carving his own NHL path 1216116 Brock Nelson's line could be key as Islanders enter Game 1216090 Allegations over Blackhawks’ handling of sex-abuse 4 against Lightning complaints could forever tarnish the team’s golden age 1216117 Pully the goalie saves Islanders in Game 4 against Lightning Colorado Avalanche 1216118 Rapid Reaction: Islanders Zap Lightning in Game 4 Win to 1216091 Avalanche priority is re-signing Cale Makar. Cap space Even Series at 2 will shrink when that happens 1216119 Wahlstrom Remains out of Islanders Lineup in Game 4 1216092 What should Philipp Grubauer get on his next contract? Showdown with Tampa 1216120 Who Comes Out of the Islanders Lineup as Trotz Mulls Columbus Blue Jackets Changes? 1216093 Trading for Jack Eichel would include list of pluses, 1216121 ‘We’ve Had Success Being in This Position,’ Islanders Still minuses for Blue Jackets Confident Despite Trailing in Series Edmonton Oilers New York Rangers 1216094 Lowetide: Caleb Jones, Oilers reach crossroads that could 1216122 Blackhawks enter the Jack Eichel trade sweepstakes land Jones in Seattle Ottawa Senators Florida Panthers 1216123 GARRIOCH: Habs' Luke Richardson and family keep late 1216095 Hyde: Their most important trait? One question for Jaelan daughter Daron close to their hearts Phillips, Bill Zito, Butch Davis and others 1216124 GARRIOCH SUNDAY: Senators have options for 1216096 Panthers Should Not Attempt to Bring in Patrik Laine improving up the middle 1216097 Panthers 2020-21 Report Card: MacKenzie Weegar Pittsburgh Penguins Los Angeles Kings 1216125 Penguins defenseman Zach Trotman retires 1216098 On Juneteenth, Blake Bolden talks progress of Kings 1216126 Penguins A to Z: Alex D'Orio took a big step forward in inclusion initiatives 2020-21 1216127 Penguins Zach Trotman Retires, ‘Cheers to the Game and Montreal Canadiens Thank You’ 1216099 Richardson does it for Daron after making head coaching 1216128 NHL Scouts Critique Zajac, Stepan, and Two Former debut Penguins Centers | PHN+ 1216100 Golden Knights at Canadiens: Five things you should 1216129 Dan’s Daily: Major Fleury Gaffe, Bruin Crashes Vancouver know w/ Beer Chug 1216101 About Last Night: Habs do it for Dom, defeat Vegas 3-2 in Game 3 1216102 Crashing net, firing pucks key for Canadiens' Anderson | HI/O Bonus 1216103 Canadiens Game Day: Miracle at Bell Centre as Habs win Game 3 in OT 1216104 Canadiens playoff notebook: Holding stars in check, the PK is a weapon and Cole Caufield’s learning ability Tampa Bay Lightning 1216130 Lightning’s Erik Cernak leaves in third period after hit into boards 1216131 For the first time in two years, the Lightning have a fight on their hands 1216132 Lightning rally, but Islanders end up pulling even in semifinals 1216133 Lightning-Islanders Game 4 report card: Giving it away 1216134 Stanley Cup semifinal: Lightning-Islanders Game 4 live updates 1216135 Jon Cooper: Lightning need to be better offensively in Game 4 1216136 Lightning center Anthony Cirelli’s growth not measured by numbers alone 1216137 ‘We got what we deserved:’ What we learned from wild Lightning Game 4 loss Toronto Maple Leafs 1216138 The message from some high-profile Leafs fans after another lost season? Keep the faith 1216139 Maple Leafs sniper Matthews misses out on Lady Byng Vegas Golden Knights 1216140 Keegan Kolesar draws inspiration from late stepfather 1216141 Spotlight shines on Fleury following Game 3 gaffe 1216142 Golden Knights experiment at center with Stephenson out 1216143 Golden Knights’ power-play struggles ‘costing us this series’ 1216144 Former Broadway Performer Transitions To Sports Entertainment As Las Vegas Market Grows Its Sports Options 1216145 Vegas Golden Knights Wasted Chances Put Them Behind in Series Washington Capitals 1216146 Capitals re-sign Shane Gersich to one-year, two-way contract 1216147 Laviolette gets no love in Coach of the Year voting 1216148 What a good offseason would look like for the Capitals Websites 1216149 The Athletic / With NHL helmet advertisements here to stay, teams shift eye to jerseys 1216150 The Athletic / Wheeler: A guide to scouting and evaluating NHL draft prospects (2021 update)

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1216083 Arizona Coyotes

UK Hockey: F Liam Kirk gets entry-level deal with Coyotes

Staff Report

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

JUNE 18, 2021 AT 11:00 AM

The Arizona Coyotes and British forward Liam Kirk have agreed to terms on an entry-level contract three years after he became the first player born and trained in England to be drafted, his agent and Ice Hockey UK said Friday.

The 21-year-old Kirk was the joint top goalscorer at the recent world championship in Latvia, where he had seven goals in as many games for Britain.

“It has always been my dream to play in the NHL so to get this deal with the Coyotes is fantastic,” Kirk said in governing body Ice Hockey UK’s announcement. “I am a step closer to that dream and I will continue to push myself to reach the elite level.”

Kirk’s agent, Dan Milstein, tweeted that Kirk agreed to terms on a three- year entry-level deal. The Coyotes have yet to announce it.

The Coyotes selected the 6-foot left winger in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL draft, taking him with the 189th overall pick.

Kirk had 21 goals and 29 assists in 47 regular-season games for the Peterborough Petes in 2019-20. The OHL canceled the 2020-21 season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Kirk played briefly in Sweden and England this past season to prepare for the worlds.

Kirk, who attended the Coyotes’ rookie and training camps in 2019, began his career with the Sheffield Steelers of Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216084 Boston Bruins nosed defensemen Will Borgen and hard-shooting Colin Miller (The Bruins’ contribution to Vegas’s Class of ’17), or forward Rasmus Asplund.

CALGARY The Kraken are coming, and here are some players who could be available in the expansion draft Interesting call here, assuming the Flames lock down Chris Tanev along with Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson: would Seattle bite on captain Mark Giordano, about to turn 38 with one year left at $6.75 million? Oliver By Matt Porter Globe Staff Kylington (24, RFA, sub-$800K hit) could be a better financial take for the Kraken. Updated June 19, 2021, 11:17 p.m. CAROLINA

Seems the Kraken could get a nice depth piece here, be it forwards While a tight-checking, tense final four takes center stage, the rest of the Morgan Geekie or Warren Foegele or defenseman Jake Bean (all RFAs). league bides its time. That’s if GM Ron Francis doesn’t fancy a reunion with UFA Dougie Hamilton, the biggest fish on the free agent market. “We’re just sitting here waiting to find out about expansion,” said Wellesley-based agent Matt Keator, who reps a range of clients from CHICAGO Zdeno Chara to Oliver Wahlstrom. “Everything’s on hold. The whole market resets itself after the expansion draft. All of a sudden, rosters Hard to believe the Blackhawks will let a high-potential prospect like have changed, teams that lose a defenseman, it changes everything.” Henrik Borgström go after trading for him. If he takes up a forward slot, potential Seattle picks include Northeastern product Adam Gaudette, Teams are deciding who to protect from Seattle, which reveals its picks David Kampf, defenseman Calvin de Haan (despite his $4.45 million cap July 21. There should be plenty of player movement, as teams try to hold hit), or netminder Malcolm Subban. onto players they’ll have no choice but to expose. However, general managers likely have learned their lessons from the 2017 Vegas draft, COLORADO where Golden Knights GM George McPhee was able to score Shea Some strong options from a loaded Avalanche roster, including big Theodore, Alex Tuch, and Reilly Smith — key pieces of a year-one defenseman Ryan Graves, who has a Brandon Carlo-like game and cap Stanley Cup finalist — with side deals before the expansion draft. hit (with two years left at $3.17 million). Then there’s perennially “People are going to be less fooled,” Keator said. “More accepting of just underrated winger Joonas Donskoi, who would bring a lot of transition losing a player as part of the deal.” game and secondary power-play production for the next two years at $3.9 million. Expect a flurry of free agent activity after the draft, since teams do not have to protect their unrestricted free agents. If signed, they could take COLUMBUS up a protection slot. The Capitals, in theory, could risk losing Alex No star power here, but third-pair defenseman Dean Kukan, who has one Ovechkin to Seattle. But it’s far, far more likely they re-sign him before year left at $1.65 milllion, and fourth-liner Eric Robinson are solid pieces. July 28, when free agency opens leaguewide. DALLAS After sorting through the players teams must protect (anyone with a no- movement clause), will likely protect, and those who are exempt (for If the Kraken haven’t snatched a goalie, why not bring Anton Khudobin simplicity’s sake: most rookies and prospects), we assess the Kraken’s “home” (hey, Siberia is a little closer to the Pacific Northwest than North potential options from each of the 30 rosters (Vegas is exempt). Texas). If they have no need, perhaps forward Jason Dickinson would shine in an elevated role. This assumes the Stars have protected Radek A quick expansion primer: Faksa and Denis Gurianov.

Teams must submit their protected lists — seven forwards, three DETROIT defensemen, and a goalie, or eight skaters and a goalie — by July 17. Seattle will have rights to negotiate with unrestricted free agents from Two expiring veteran contracts Francis could flip at next year’s deadline: July 18-21. If they sign a UFA, that becomes their pick from the player’s puck-moving defenseman Troy Stecher ($1.7 million), who had an former team. excellent turn at the World Championships for Canada, or winger Vlad Namestnikov ($2 million). ANAHEIM EDMONTON The Ducks watched Theodore develop into a No. 1-caliber guy in Vegas, after dealing him in 2017 to keep the Knights from taking Josh Manson or Depending on how Francis has filled out his D, 24-year-old Caleb Jones Sami Vatanen (now with Dallas). Would GM Bob Murray leave Manson might be primed for a bounce-back season. If there’s money available unprotected this time around? Solid defender, Manson, but one with a and Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is healthy, would that be too much of a $4.1 million ticket, advancing age (29), and recent injury history. If risk? available, Sam Steel is a solid choice. FLORIDA ARIZONA Chris Dreidger (UFA) is arguably the best netminder on the free agent Unless Christian Fischer or another goalie excites them, an obvious play market. Speedy forward Anthony Duclair could drop right into the top six. would be to grab RFA netminder Adin Hill, 25. Their main expansion A lot of teams would have time for grinder Ryan Lomberg, who opened concern is Seattle booting them to the Central, which will make them eyes in the playoffs. strangers to four teams (Vegas, Anaheim, LA, San Jose) that are geographically nearer than their closest Central rival (Colorado). Dallas LOS ANGELES no longer has the worst travel in the league. Not a lot to offer here, though Dustin Brown ($5.875 million AAV), soon to BOSTON be 37, would fill the leadership void and give Seattle a potential rental trade chip next season. Austin Wagner, who flies around without None of the forwards — Nick Ritchie (RFA) and Trent Frederic potentially finishing, is redundant in a lineup with Andreas Athanasiou. Or, tweener among them — would be a more appealing option than third-pair D-man Kale Clague could be the value pick. defensemen Connor Clifton (right shot, mobile, two years left at $1 million per) or Jeremy Lauzon (physical penalty killer on an entry-level deal). MINNESOTA Jakub Zboril, if Seattle is looking for low-cost offense from the back end, The Wild have to protect three D with no-move clauses (Jared Spurgeon, could be worth a swing. Jonas Brodin and Ryan Suter). If Matt Dumba is available, this is a layup; BUFFALO he instantly becomes the No. 1 D, and face of the franchise. However, goalie Cam Talbot, who has two years left on a $3.66 million cap hit, had Assuming Kevyn Adams doesn’t trade Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and a formidable season. Rasmus Ristolainen, the Sabres’ unprotected lot could include hard- MONTREAL Would a fresh start do Jonathan Drouin good? The bet here is yes. Gritty WINNIPEG forward Paul Byron or defenseman Ben Chiarot would likely be exposed. Jake Allen could be had if goaltending is a need. Power forward Mason Appleton brings a lot for a player making $900,000. Or, should the Jets protect Dylan DeMelo as their third NASHVILLE defenseman, the Kraken could grab 6-foot-7-inch defenseman Logan Stanley, who found his goal-scoring touch in the playoffs. Energetic forwards Viktor Arvidsson, Calle Jarnkrok, and Yakov Trenin are annoying to play against and would likely be open for business. Jack for all trades? Always thinking big, GM David Poile could add a first-rounder to convince Francis to take one of his $8 million men (Matt Duchene and Ryan Best fit for Eichel seems to be Rangers Johansen). Jack Eichel remains a Sabre for now, with the Rangers remaining the NEW JERSEY best apparent fit (prospects galore, a dire need for a star center, a team that’s close to contending). There are other contenders, though. Five off- The Kraken surely could get P.K. Subban if the Devils retained some of Broadway fits for an Eichel deal: his $9 million cap hit. Fellow blueliner Ryan Murray, also diminished by injury, still has game. Francis might bet on the potential of 2016 first- Minnesota: Bill Guerin’s roster needs a No. 1 C, but it’s hard to see him rounder (12th overall) Michael McLeod, who scored nine even-strength willfully parting ways with RFA Joel Eriksson Ek. Matt Dumba and goals in a depth role. prospect Matthew Boldy would have to be part of the mix here, as well as the Wild’s two first-rounders (21st, 25th). Not sure the Wild have enough NEW YORK ISLANDERS on the main roster to get it done.

Rather than negotiate with a veteran UFA — the line of Matt Martin- Philadelphia: Sean Couturier would be the starting point. The Sabres Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck, or Kyle Palmieri — a prospect like Kieffer would also ask for a top prospect (defenseman Cam York or center Bellows or Otto Koivula could be the move. Nick Leddy, though Morgan Frost), a roster player (RFA Travis Sanheim, perhaps), and the expensive (one year left at $5.5 million) would boost the back end. 13th overall pick. Philly likely would want to part with the two years and $14 million left on James van Riemsdyk’s deal. NEW YORK RANGERS Los Angeles: The No. 8 pick and Quinton Byfield would be a strong Bet on an inexpensive, useful forward from Eastern Mass. heading west. foundation to a prospect-heavy deal. Forwards Alex Turcotte, Arthur Canton’s Kevin Rooney or North Andover’s Colin Blackwell. Kaliyev, or Tyler Madden could sweeten the pot. Alex Iafallo, from the OTTAWA Buffalo suburbs, could be heading home if these teams connected.

The Kraken should take Chris Tierney, who can play just about any Columbus: If Seth Jones (one year left at $5.4 million) doesn’t want to middle-six role and costs $3.5 million. Seattle would get more goals out stay long term, the big blueliner, the No. 5 pick, and a forward (Jack of Evgenii Dadonov, if they don’t mind that his $5 million cap hit carries a Roslovic or Emil Bemstrom, or maybe Patrik Laine if the new Sabres $6.5 million salary. coaching staff believes in him) would be an enticing haul, depending on how GM Kevyn Adams wants to reshape his blueline. Not a lot in the PHILADELPHIA CBJ farm system, though.

Some name recognition, with James van Riemsdyk, Jakub Voracek, and Anaheim: They could accelerate their rebuild to keep up with their Shayne Gostisbehere potentially available. Justin Braun or Robert Hägg neighbors to the north if they built a package around the No. 3 overall would strengthen the back end. pick and one of their rookie standouts (forward Trevor Zegras, defenseman Jamie Drysdale). Would Buffalo bite if the roster player PITTSBURGH coming back was Rickard Rakell? Maybe. They likely would if it was Looks like Seattle will take a valuable forward; either Teddy Blueger, Maxime Comtois, the RFA center who led the Ducks in scoring (16-17— pesky Brandon Tanev, or Jason Zucker. The Penguins would love it if 33 in 55 games). Or maybe a rangy, high-upside defenseman like Haydn Seattle took defenders Mike Matheson or Marcus Pettersson (on the Fleury would satisfy them. books for a combined $9 million), but that seems unlikely. Loose pucks ST. LOUIS Nothing new on Matt Keator’s biggest client. Zdeno Chara, 44, is still Vince Dunn (RFA) would be a quality puck-moving pickup. Defender weighing a 24th NHL season. No talks yet with any team, and no rush to Marco Scandella or forwards Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev, or Sammy have them. Noteworthy: Chara, a proud son of Slovakia, doesn’t have an Blais would not be off-the-board choices. interest in playing in Europe … Providence Bruins coach Jay Leach interviewed for the Arizona job vacated by Rick Tocchet, according to SAN JOSE Craig Morgan of AZCoyotesInsider.com. Leach spent part of the 2003-04 season with ECHL Trenton playing for now-Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong. Ryan Donato (RFA) has bounced around, but Seattle might give him the The latter, a hulking defenseman like Leach, finished his playing career power-play time he didn’t get in San Jose. — and began his career behind the bench — with Providence in 1998-99 TAMPA BAY … Bruins country was well represented in the USHL this year. Mason Lohrei, Boston’s second-round pick (58th overall) in 2020, finished as the If the Lightning protect their top four defensemen, some attractive top-scoring defenseman (19-40—59 in 48 games). He’ll head to Ohio forwards would be exposed: Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn, Yanni Gourde. State this summer. His teammate, 2019 Bruins seventh-rounder Jake Ross Colton’s emergence puts him on the Kraken’s radar. Schmaltz, was 11th in USHL scoring (19-34—53 in 51 games). The most electric player in the league might have been Hopkinton’s Sean Farrell, a TORONTO Montreal fourth-rounder in 2020 (29-72—101 in 53 games). His Chicago Travis Dermott (RFA) looks like a sure Kraken, unless Francis and Co. Steel won a Clark Cup title with a major lift from Concord-raised think there’s more in Alex Kerfoot’s game to match his $3.5 million hit (or defenseman Ian Moore, who’ll head to Harvard with Farrell … Geoff want to bring a Vancouver product closer to home). Ward, the former Bruins assistant let go by Calgary, joined Dallas Eakins’s staff in Anaheim … Before the Rangers hired Gerard Gallant, VANCOUVER Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported the club was “monitoring the Rivalry pick alert. Goaltender Braden Holtby, anyone? Two years of sub- situation” with Bruce Cassidy, among multiple other coaches. Cassidy, .900 save percentages won’t work in his favor. Maybe Seattle becomes second in playoff wins (33) among Bruins coaches behind Claude Julien the team that unlocks forward Jake Virtanen. More likely: depth forward (57), is believed to have at least one year left on a multiyear extension he Zack MacEwen or defensemen Madison Bowey. signed in Sept. 2019. He is reportedly paid $3 million annually … Short- time Bruin Rick Nash became Columbus’s director of player WASHINGTON development, in the same week the club made assistant Brad Larsen coach. Larsen, 44, is the fourth-youngest coach in the league, behind The comfort level would be high with rugged blueliner Brenden Dillon (a Jeremy Colliton (36), Sheldon Keefe (40), and D.J. Smith (also 44) … No WHL Seattle alum), but forwards Daniel Sprong, Nic Dowd, or Melrose’s issue with Rod Brind’Amour running away with the broadcasters’ vote for Conor Sheary could be left open. Jack Adams, but what’s up with Barry Trotz earning just one third-place vote? Even since-deposed David Quinn got a second ... Another star of recent vintage, Florida Man Roberto Luongo, won a World Championship as Team Canada’s GM. He has seemingly been off Twitter recently (a wise man) so we didn’t get a killer one-liner about the 10th anniversary of the Boston-Vancouver Cup Final … Salute to Weymouth’s Paul Carey, who signed a one-year deal with Djurgårdens of the Swedish league. The two-year P-Bruins captain scored 48 goals in 102 games and helped lead a young group … The NHL’s tireless research team, after combing through 13 expansion drafts over the last 54 years, found that 39 players have been selected twice. If you’d like to stump anyone with this trivia, notables include Pat Quinn, Terry Crisp (drafted by two expansion teams, and later coached one), and Lightning assistant GM Jamie Pushor … Happy Father’s Day, Pops. Since the days of pushing milk crates around the ice, my favorite coach.

Boston Globe LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216085 Boston Bruins

Patrice Bergeron's Selke Trophy voting results are a bit puzzling

BY DARREN HARTWELL

BRUINS

Patrice Bergeron is widely regarded as one of the best two-way forwards in hockey. Just not by everyone.

The Boston Bruins center finished second in voting Friday for the 2021 Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's best defensive forward. Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov won the award with 62 first-place votes on 100 total ballots, while Bergeron received the most second-place votes with 30.

Here's a breakdown of the voting distribution, with Bergeron receiving 15 first-place, 30 second-place, 24 third-place, 11 fourth-place and nine fifth- place votes:

Aleksander Barkov is the first @FlaPanthers player to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy, finishing ahead of second-place Patrice Bergeron, a Selke finalist for an unprecedented 10th straight year and with a record-tying four Selke wins. #NHLStats: https://t.co/21yLjJXIrZ #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/iVKem4Nt8R— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 19, 2021

But if you add those votes up, you only get 89 -- which means 11 voters left Bergeron off their Selke ballots completely.

To be fair, even Barkov didn't receive a vote on eight ballots despite winning the award. But it's hard to imagine how any of the 100 voters don't view Bergeron as one of the game's top five defensive forwards.

Will the Bruins run it back with the same core? Cam Neely weighs in

After all, Bergeron has been a top-three Selke Trophy finalist in 10 consecutive seasons and has won the award four times. He played in 54 of Boston's 56 games this season and was a team-best plus-27 while ranking third in the NHL in Corsi-for percentage at even strength (62.5%).

Simply put, Bergeron has been a top-five defensive forward at minimum for most of his NHL career. So, if the Bruins captain can't land on 100% of Selke Trophy ballots, it's hard to envision any other forward earning that distinction.

Bergeron's Bruins teammate, Brad Marchand, finished ninth in Selke Trophy voting and received two first-place votes.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216086 Boston Bruins With the NHL returning to its normal conference and division format next season, it’s not too early to start looking at what the Atlantic Division will look like. (Detroit Hockey Now)

BHN Daily: Bruins Captain Bergeron Robbed Of Another Selke Trophy What do the San Jose Sharks see in Jonathan Dahlin that the rest of the NHL can’t seem to? (San Jose Hockey Now)

Published 14 hours ago on June 19, 2021 NHL

By Jimmy Murphy The NHL Trade market continues to feature Jack Eichel rumors and it appears the Chicago Blakchawks are the latest team to enter the sweepstakes for the disgruntled Buffalo Sabres captain. (NY Post)

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron was robbed of what would’ve Are the Toronto Maple Leafs about to make a push to acquire former been a record fifth Selke Trophy. To say otherwise is to simply be as out Boston bruins defenseman Dougie Hamilton? (Sportsnet) of touch as the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association that somehow voted Aleksander Barkov ahead of the four-time winner, Former Boston Bruins defenseman Zach Trotman announced his Bergeron. retirement on Friday night at the age of 30. In a heartfelt and grateful Instagram post, Trotman admitted that the injuries sustained over 91 Despite Bergeron leading fellow Selke finalists Mark Stone and NHL games and 267 in the American Hockey League had taken their toll. Aleksander Barkov in five of the eight categories used for voting, it was Trotman was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the seventh round (207th Barkov who was addressing the media Friday night after winning his first- overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. ever Selke Trophy. Did the Professional Hockey Writers Association simply want another first-time winner for the Selke Trophy? Obviously, Trotman made his NHL debut with the Bruins when he played two games stats and the eyeball test that Bergeron once again aced did not matter, during the 2013-14 season. He would go onto play 67 games with the and have this PHWA member wondering how much some of my union Bruins and 150 for the Providence Bruins before leaving for the brothers and sisters actually watch teams and players that they don’t Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. Good luck Zach! (Pittsburgh Hockey Now) cover?

Barkov is now the third straight first-time winner after Philadelphia Flyers Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.20.2021 center Sean Couturier won it in 2020 and St. Louis Blues center Ryan O’Reilly took the hardware home in 2019. In the five seasons prior, no one not named Patrice Bergeron or Anze Kopitar was awarded the Selke. Bergeron won back-to-back Selke Awards in 2014 and 2015, and also won in 2017. Kopitar won in 2016 and 2018.

In the eyes of this puck scribe, Bergeron’s longtime linemate and teammate Brad Marchand got the Rodney Dangerfield treatment again as well. Speaking to numerous NHL scouts, management and insiders, throughout the season, there was hope that the voting bias against wingers being awarded the Selke Trophy would start to dwindle but even though Marchand actually got two first-place votes he finished ninth in voting. That means former NHLer Jere Lehtinen is still the last winger to win the award, back in 2003.

Here’s the final voting:

Pts. (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th)

Aleksander Barkov, FLA 780 (62-16-7-3-4)

Patrice Bergeron, BOS 522 (15-30-24-11-9)

Mark Stone, VGK 463 (11-26-23-16-8)

Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN 193 (4-6-12-10-21)

Ryan O’Reilly, STL 175 (2-8-12-10-9)

Phillip Danault, MTL 138 (1-5-4-20-13)

Joe Pavelski, DAL 59 (0-4-3-4-4)

Jordan Staal, CAR 43 (1-0-4-3-4)

Brad Marchand, BOS 39 (2-0-1-3-5)

Mitchell Marner, TOR 33 (0-0-3-4-6)

Now onto the rest of your BHN Daily Links:

This past week was full of memories and stories from the 2011 Stanley Cup Final as this past Tuesday marked ten years since the Boston Bruins hoisted their sixth Stanley Cup. Even though Calgary Flames winger Milan Lucic doesn’t play for the Boston Bruins anymore, he made sure his brothers from that magical run know that they are forever in his heart. (BHN)

Stanley Cup Semifinals

As colleague Tom Callahan wrote, Marc-Andre Fleury’s epic gaffe wasn’t the sole reason the Knights won’t be entering Game 4 against the Montreal Canadiens up 2-1. (Vegas Hockey Now)

In case you missed it, or like this veteran reporter that’s seen his fair share of weird and crazy plays, still can’t believe what happened at the Bell Centre in the Habs’ improbable 3-2 overtime win, here you go: 1216087 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres send prayers for a full recovery for legend Rene Robert

Jun 19, 2021 Updated 10 hrs ago

Mike Harrington

Rene Robert, the right winger on the Buffalo Sabres' famed "French Connection" line of the 1970s, remains in critical but stable condition in a hospital in Port Charlotte on Florida's west coast after suffering a massive heart attack Tuesday.

Robert's family members, including his two children, are at his side.

“Our thoughts are with Sabres legend Rene Robert, who is recovering in Florida after suffering a heart attack,” the Sabres organization said in a statement Saturday. “Rene has been a fixture in our community since his days playing with the French Connection – a true legend on and off the ice. The entire organization is behind Rene and his family and we pray for a full recovery.”

Robert was acquired from Pittsburgh in a nondescript trade for Eddie Shack on March 4, 1972, and was eventually placed on a line with center Gilbert Perreault and left wing Rick Martin. They became the focal point of Buffalo's unlikely 1973 playoff team and the 1975 Stanley Cup finalists, and were the NHL's dominant line throughout the '70s.

Robert played eight of his 12 NHL seasons in Buffalo, collecting 222 goals, 330 assists and 552 points. He currently is ninth in franchise history in goals, fifth in assists and sixth in points.

Buffalo News LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216088 Carolina Hurricanes Slavin and Spurgeon are the first two defensemen to be named finalists since Brian Campbell, then with the Florida Panthers, won in 2011-12. Campbell was the first defenseman to win the award since Detroit’s Red Canes defenseman Jaccob Slavin has won the NHL’s Lady Byng Kelly in 1954, and just the fourth defenseman overall. Memorial Trophy “Hopefully some more defensemen start winning it in the future,” Slavin said.

BY CHIP ALEXANDER Brind’Amour has called Slavin “as valuable as any defenseman in the league.” When Slavin missed a few games in this year’s playoffs with a JUNE 19, 2021 07:54 PM lower-body issue, Brind’Amour was quick to note his absence was a “big deal.”

Slavin was awarded the 2020 Rod Langway Award by the PHWA for the The Hurricanes have another major NHL award winner in 2021. defenseman who “best excels in the defensive aspect of the game,” Canes defenseman Jaccob Slavin was named the Lady Byng Memorial beating out Victor Hedman of Tampa Bay and Roman Josi of Nashville. Trophy winner Saturday during Game 4 of the Tampa Bay-New York Langway twice won the Norris Trophy, a Stanley Cup with Montreal and Islanders Stanley Cup playoff series. is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Lady Byng is presented each year to the NHL player who best The Lady Byng has been awarded since 1925. Frank Nighbor of the combines sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard Ottawa Senators won it the first two years. More recently, former Detroit of playing ability. star Pavel Datsyuk won four straight years (2006-2009), and former Tampa Bay forward Martin St. Louis won three out of four seasons. Slavin was a finalist with forward Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Jared Spurgeon of the Minnesota Wild in balloting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association — and the News Observer LOADED: 06.20.2021 voting wasn’t even close. Slavin received 73 of the 100 available first- place votes and totaled 827 points. Spurgeon was a distant second with 223 total points and just one first-place vote. Matthews was third with 188 points, and eight first-place votes.

Of note, Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, who just won the Selke Trophy for the best defensive forward this week and has previously won the Lady Byng, was fourth in voting this year, and garnered four first- place votes.

Slavin became the second Hurricanes player in franchise history to receive the Lady Byng, following former Canes captain Ron Francis — later the team’s general manager — who won in 2001-02.

Francis presented Slavin with the award Saturday.

“I think (Slavin) represents this award to a ‘T,’” Francis said in a prerecorded presentation.

“It’s exciting,” Slavin said. “It’s an awesome honor to be awarded this award.”

Slavin addressed Francis directly during the announcement.

“I have you to thank,” Slavin said. “You brought me into this league, so thanks to you, thanks to my management, coaching staff and Hurricanes organization now.”

Slavin’s selection came two days after the Canes’ Rod Brind’Amour received the Jack Adams Award as the league’s coach of the year. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic also is a finalist for the Calder Trophy given the NHL’s rookie of the year.

Slavin, 27, has been a fixture in the Canes’ top defensive pairing, with or without Dougie Hamilton, the past three years, and serves as an alternate captain. He has represented the Canes at the All-Star Weekend, filling in for an injured Hamilton in 2020 in St. Louis and winning the accuracy shooting contest during the NHL All-Star Skills Competition.

Slavin’s style of play is hard and clean. He had just two penalty minutes — a delay-of-game minor for a puck over the glass — in 52 games played. Slavin’s 0:02 PIM per game in 2020-21 was a career low, and his 60 career penalty minutes are the fewest penalty minutes of any defenseman playing at least 350 games since 2015-16, his rookie season.

A former fourth-round draft pick by Carolina, Slavin averaged a team- high 22:59 in ice time in the 2020-21 season. A positionally sound and savvy D-man, he led the Canes with 87 blocked shots and was second with 24 takeaways.

A man of strong faith, Slavin’s sportsmanship on the ice is unwavering. He does not use profanity. He does not trash-talk opposing players and rarely complains to the game officials.

“My wife and daughter have played a huge role in how I conduct myself on and off the ice,” Slavin said. “They’re around me, they’re my first line of support.” 1216089 Chicago Blackhawks The Stillmans moved home to Peterborough, Ontario, after Cory’s retirement. Missing the Calgary pond experience, Cory built a backyard rink for his sons that became a nightly hub of activity.

Blackhawks’ Riley Stillman following father Cory’s advice while carving And as Riley’s own career began taking off, Cory passed on the lessons his own NHL path learned during his 16 years in the league.

‘‘Work hard [and] be seen, not heard,’’ he told his son. ‘‘But you’re being By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST watched all the time. How do you carry yourself? How do you present yourself? Do you work in the gym? Do you work hard in practice? [Those Jun 19, 2021, 6:30am CDT habits are] carried on.’’

Riley had shifted from forward to defenseman at age 12, when his spring tournament team suffered the common problem of a surplus of the Cory Stillman, by winning the 2004 and 2006 Stanley Cups with the former and a lack of the latter. Lightning and Hurricanes, became the sixth player in NHL history to win consecutive Cups with different teams. ‘‘I was like, ‘Yeah, sure. More ice? No problem!’ ’’ Riley recalled.

Riley Stillman, all of 6 and 8 years old at the time, thus became one of The temporary position change became permanent and allowed him to the first dozen or so kids to watch their fathers win consecutive Cups. follow his dad’s advice while carving his own path toward the NHL.

Now 23 and well into his own NHL career, the Blackhawks defenseman Flashbacks to Cory’s career proved inescapable, though. Riley’s draft can appreciate the memories even more. day and first 43 NHL games came with the Panthers, where Cory spent most of his final three seasons. Riley’s first NHL goal, on May 6 with the ‘‘That’s something you took for granted as a little kid,’’ he said. ‘‘As my Hawks, came against the Hurricanes in Raleigh — on the ice where Riley career has progressed on and moved forward, from a young kid to the stood when Cory won his second Cup. position I’m in now, [I’m] realizing how hard it is to win one, let alone two. It was a massive influence to be around the rink and watch Dad grow as And Riley chose to wear No. 61 — Cory’s number — with the Panthers, he got older.’’ then keep it with the Hawks.

Riley hasn’t enjoyed a Cup run of his own yet, but he’s relishing his first ‘‘Not only am I wearing the Blackhawks logo on the front of my jersey, but months of career stability. As personable and easy-going off the ice as to be able to wear my dad’s number on a daily basis is something I take he is aggressive and intimidating on it, he appeared in 13 of the Hawks’ a lot of pride in,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a family number.’’ last 14 games after being acquired in a trade April 8 with the Panthers and signed a three-year contract extension before the end of the season. Chase wears No. 61, too. There is some concern about what would happen if the brothers ever have to compete for it. With younger brother Chase projected as a second- or third-round pick in the NHL Draft next month, 2021 quickly is becoming a momentous year ‘‘We always said, ‘You can wear whatever number you want,’ ’’ Cory said. in the Stillman family. Cory, who retired in 2011 after more than 1,000 ‘‘Both of them have now gone to 61. There would be a fight, I guess, if career games, soon will be able to celebrate having two sons affiliated Chase was drafted by Chicago about who was going to wear it. I don’t with NHL franchises. know how they would work that one out, but it’d be pretty interesting.’’

Yet it doesn’t feel long ago that Cory was in his mid-20s, starting to The Stillmans missed Riley’s NHL debut in February 2019 because of establish himself as a significant contributor with the Flames — his first of late notice and Cory’s coaching duties. (He spent three years as the six NHL teams — and taking Riley out to skate for the first time. head coach of the Sudbury Wolves, a Canadian junior team, until joining the Coyotes’ staff this past season.) But they’re committed to find a way Shortly after Riley’s birth in March 1998, the Stillman family moved into to attend Riley and Chase’s first game together. former Flames forward James Patrick’s house, which conveniently bordered a lake that froze in the winter. ‘‘It’ll be even more special when they play against each other — or with each other,’’ Cory said. ‘‘That first game that they both skate on the ice ‘‘He skated around age 2,’’ Cory said. ‘‘Up in Canada, it’s cold. The best together will be a special moment that we will definitely be there for.’’ place for kids to be is outside on ponds and backyard rinks. We have a picture of him and I out there — him with his helmet on, skating. . . . It’s a After all, the family might not have gotten even one son to the NHL if not memory I’ll never forget.’’ for Cory’s influence.

Riley’s acclimation to hockey soon transitioned from Canadian lakes to ‘‘As a kid playing hockey, you want to be in the NHL; that’s every kid’s NHL rinks. Cory moved on to St. Louis, then Tampa, then Carolina, and dream,’’ Riley said. ‘‘But to see your dad doing it right in front of your Riley spent more and more time tagging along to practices and games. eyes is something incredible.’’

Riley remembers only ‘‘bits and pieces’’ of the Lightning’s title run, but he was old enough to fully admire the Hurricanes’ championship after the Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.20.2021 lockout. He made it to every playoff home game (and Game 6 in Edmonton), watching his dad score two postseason overtime game- winners and hoist the Cup after Game 7. He was hooked.

‘‘There’s a big difference between age 6 and 8, going to the rink,’’ Cory said. ‘‘At that time was probably when he started to really think he wanted to be a hockey player because he could see the excitement, the fun that we had winning.’’

‘‘If I didn’t have sports or school, I was at the rink for [Dad’s] practice, whether it was folding towels with the trainers or hanging out with the guys,’’ Riley said. ‘‘The guys my dad played with all took really good care of me and had a lot of fun with me.’’

Riley often would be allowed to join the post-practice antics, shoot on one of the goalies or replicate some of the drills he saw taking place minutes before. And he developed friendships with a star-studded list of Cory’s teammates: Martin St. Louis with the Lightning, Eric Staal with the Hurricanes and Nathan Horton with the Panthers later in Cory’s career.

‘‘That was a really cool experience for me,’’ Riley said. ‘‘You don’t realize how big of superstars they are. Guys like Eric Staal or Martin St. Louis, as a kid, it’s just ‘Eric’ or ‘Martin.’ ’’ 1216090 Chicago Blackhawks plaintiff, an unnamed former Blackhawks player, when he accused Aldrich of sexual assault. “John Doe” said he was also aware of another player being sexually assaulted by Aldrich. It also claims Gary “convinced Allegations over Blackhawks’ handling of sex-abuse complaints could Plaintiff that the sexual assault was his fault, that he was culpable for forever tarnish the team’s golden age what happened, made mistakes during his encounter with the perpetrator and permitted the sexual assault to occur.” In the second complaint filed last month, the Blackhawks are accused by “John Doe 2” — a former high school hockey player who alleges Aldrich sexually assaulted him By Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers when he was 16 years old — of providing Aldrich positive references to Jun 19, 2021 future employers and did not report prior allegations of sexual assault against Aldrich.

Aldrich was sentenced in 2014 to nine months of jail time and five years Few teams in sports thrive on nostalgia as well as the Blackhawks. The of probation after pleading guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct three Stanley Cups of the modern era were just yesterday in historic with a student while a volunteer high school coach in Michigan. Aldrich is terms, but as glory years fade and banners start to yellow, it becomes a registered sex offender in Michigan. more enjoyable to talk about legacies than rebuilds, about past triumphs rather than current struggles. The Blackhawks did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Athletic. And so, the Blackhawks bring out recently retired players in full uniform for “One More Shift” before a game. Pregame montages and the McDonough was fired as team president in April 2020. Bowman, hallways of the United Center are littered with callbacks to the 2010, MacIsaac and Gary are still team employees. Bowman was promoted to 2013 and 2015 championships. Fans have heated debates over which president of hockey operations last year and remains the team’s general players from the golden age of Blackhawks hockey will have their manager. MacIsaac is still senior VP of hockey operations and has been numbers retired and which ones will be immortalized in statue form. with the organization for 21 seasons. Gary remains a mental-skills coach Hossa or Seabrook? Crawford or Hjalmarsson? Toews and Kane, of on staff. McDonough, Bowman and MacIsaac all had their names course. engraved on the Stanley Cup three times since that meeting.

But legacies take time. They evolve. They change as history marches on, That was their legacy, forever etched in silver on hockey’s most hallowed as new light is shed on old memories. And what if the modern prize. A permanent reminder of a team’s ineffable glory, of a city’s Blackhawks legacy isn’t reviving a dormant hockey town, capturing the delirious joy, of a fan base reborn. hearts of millions of new fans, becoming a global brand and minting Hall The question we all have to grapple with now is — regardless of how of Famers? many banners are raised, jerseys retired and statues erected — will it still What if the legacy is five men in a room, one laying out disturbing be the franchise’s legacy when the final story of the 2010s Blackhawks is allegations of sexual abuse against a video coach, and the other four written? choosing to bury those allegations rather than take them to the police?

This is the uncomfortable question Chicagoans and Blackhawks fans The Athletic LOADED: 06.20.2021 around the world are grappling with following a TSN report that, in 2010, then-president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and sports psychologist James Gary refused to file a report with the Chicago Police Department after mental-skills coach Paul Vincent shared with them two players’ allegations of sexual assault by then-video coach Brad Aldrich.

Vincent declined to discuss the matter further due to ongoing litigation, but he confirmed TSN reporter Rick Westhead’s reporting about the meeting to The Athletic on Friday. If the allegations prove true, it’ll be impossible to separate the Blackhawks’ on-ice success from an unconscionable off-ice failure.

Even if the truth remains ultimately murky in the long run, a protracted legal process would inevitably stain the Blackhawks’ legacy. Per TSN’s report, Blackhawks lawyer John Stiglich filed a statement of defense on June 14 saying the case should be dismissed because the statute of limitations has passed. That’s not a denial, it’s a dodge.

Yes, there’s also the financial element to all this. The Blackhawks may lose money in one or both of the pending lawsuits against them alleging they protected a sexual predator coach. They also might not. The statute of limitations and the interpretation of those limitations in these cases will be at the heart of what is ultimately ruled in court.

But regardless of the financial outcome of the civil suits, what comes out of these cases is about so much more than money. What truly matters here is the truth. And if these allegations are indeed true, any consequence the Blackhawks suffer, be it in terms of money or reputation, will be nothing compared with the devastating and potentially life-altering impact on two young men’s lives. The players who have made these allegations have chosen to remain anonymous, as is their absolute right, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the human side of these distressing allegations.

Ultimately, the truth will be what determines jobs, careers and legacies. What the Blackhawks knew and what individuals did and did not do will decide how the organization is thought of in what has been considered the highest point in franchise history. Will that continue, or will a dark cloud be placed over the period of their three recent Stanley Cups?

The lawsuits themselves were already damning for the Blackhawks if true. The first filed last month accused the Blackhawks of ignoring the 1216091 Colorado Avalanche Bottom line: Makar and Jost are shoo-ins to remain with the Avs. But Colorado might have just one spot to choose between Landeskog, Grubauer and Saad.

Avalanche priority is re-signing Cale Makar. Cap space will shrink when that happens Denver Post: LOADED: 06.20.2021

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post

June 19, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.

The time has come for the Avalanche to tighten its belt, and when looking at the team’s 2021-22 salary structure, the decisions will be difficult — outside the obvious one.

Star defenseman Cale Makar is a restricted free agent who must get paid. His expiring three-year, entry-level contract earned him approximately $1.94 million, according to CapFriendly.com, and the 22- year-old will quadruple that amount next season alone if he’s truly considered among the best at what he does.

The comparisons: San Jose’s Erik Karlsson, who leads all NHL defensemen with an $11.5 million annual cap hit, followed by Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty ($11 million), Nashville’s Roman Josi ($9.1 million), New Jersey’s P.K. Subban ($9 million) and Vegas’ Alex Pietrangelo ($8.8 million).

Four of those five guys are right-shot, two-way players like Makar, and if I had to pick one of them to build a team around, I’d choose Makar because of his age and Bobby Orr ability. If the Avs think the same (and I believe they do), erase at least half of Colorado’s $19 million projected available cap space (not including the player they will lose to the expansion Seattle Kraken) and decide from there.

Lock up Makar and then go see if you can afford to re-sign left wing Gabe Landeskog and goalie Philipp Grubauer, both unrestricted free agents, plus RFA forward Tyson Jost and make a handful of modest signings to round out the roster. Colorado’s cap space will become more clear after the July 21 expansion draft — one week before free agency opens — when the Kraken selects one player from the Avs.

Landeskog, who just finished his ninth year as the Avs’ captain, would be a good fit at $6 million annually over a long-term deal. But if Landeskog wants $8 million a year, the Avs probably won’t make the deal and turn their focus to signing Grubauer and/or UFA forward Brandon Saad.

Landeskog and Saad are both 28. Both shoot left and prefer to play on their strong side. But the Avs can’t re-sign both if they don’t make other moves to dump salary. And 2019 first-round draft pick Alex Newhook, 20, is destined to play left wing or center in a top-six role at a $908,333 cap hit next season.

So it’s probably either Landeskog or Saad who will stay, and given the cap constraints, Saad is more likely to take less to stay, while Landeskog is more likely to test the market and get his $8 million annual long-term deal.

The Seattle Kraken needs a captain. Can you think of another player other than Landeskog they would want as their first captain?

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Grading the Week: All hail Ethan Horvath, restorer of sanity to Empower Field and USMNT soccer

So that’s why Gabe could be gone. I believe the Avs want him to take less to stay, but he could get much more and there could be a highly attractive landing spot in Seattle.

As for Jost, whom the Avs tried to move ahead of the 2020 trade deadline, he will get a hefty raise from the $874,125 cap hit he had last season. He now plays the game the way general manager Joe Sakic and coach Jared Bednar demand. Jost, 23, is rock solid away from the puck — forechecking, backchecking, penalty killing — and if he can find the offensive game that made him the 10th overall pick of the 2016 draft, his value will continue to rise.

So Jost might take another bridge deal with an RFA tag at the end of it, another prove-it deal that could fetch him more money in the long run. 1216092 Colorado Avalanche This will be up to Sakic and the Kroenkes. It should be interesting to see what happens.

What should Philipp Grubauer get on his next contract? Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.20.2021

Published 10 hours ago on June 19, 2021

By Adrian Dater

Philipp Grubauer is a Vezina Trophy finalist. He also allowed eight goals on the final 47 shots he saw in the playoffs and his team lost the final two games of the second round. He was probably the Colorado Avalanche’s best player in the first 62 games of their season, playoffs included. He had respective saves percentages of .857, .880 and .773 in the final three games of the Avs’ season, all losses.

So, what is Philipp Grubauer worth on his next contract, in which he enters as a potential unrestricted free agent?

Grubauer, 29, had a cap hit of $3,333,333 on his soon-to-expire deal. Starting July 28, he can be a UFA. What’s he worth?

It’s going to be tricky, but I’d say he would command about $6 million per on a new deal on the open market. Keep in mind, I’m saying on the open market. The first rule about the NHL is that there will ALWAYS be a team that overpays for a player on the open market. I don’t think the Avs want to even think about anything above $6 million on a new deal for Grubauer. But could they go that high to keep him? I think they probably would.

The Avs have done nothing, media-wise, since the abrupt end to their season 10 days ago. So, we have no fresh quotes from Joe Sakic about any of this thoughts/plans for the off-season, spending-wise. We know that the Avs have about $23 million in cap space, and need to give new contracts to two pretty big-name guys (Gabe Landeskog and Cale Makar). Grubauer is, unquestionably, the other big-name guy on Sakic’s to-sign list.

Assuming Landeskog and Makar are going to eat up at least $15 million of that $23 million, there is still room for Grubauer, but the Avs can’t go any higher than $6 million per probably. And, at that price, you have to seriously ask: is he worth it?

I gotta be honest, I was a bit stunned at how bad Grubauer looked in those final three games, after such a really fine season otherwise. That said, it wasn’t all his fault those last few games. He was good enough to have stolen Game 3 in Vegas, but his teammates couldn’t give him that one extra goal. But, starting with the third period of Game 5, let’s face it: he didn’t get the job done, either. He doesn’t get a free pass just because a couple guys turned the puck over at times.

It had seemed like Grubauer was a man really dialed in, that he was in the midst of a really special season. And then it just…fell apart.

So, what do you do if you’re the Avs? Do you invest in him longer-term? Or, do you say, “We’ll roll the dice with Pavel Francouz next year and another backup and let Grubauer walk if he wants something huge like $6-7 million per.” That Vezina Trophy finalist designation definitely helped his market value. Some desperate team out there would say, “Hey, we can add a Vezina finalist to our roster for nothing off our skin except some money.”

Then again, those last three games likely also hurt Grubauer’s market value. Yeah, the regular-season numbers were great, but a lot of hockey people are going to think, ‘Yeah, but can he win the really big ones? Hasn’t quite looked it so far. That was a really good team in front of him this year. A lot of goalies would have posted strong numbers.”

Three of the NHL’s top-five best-paid goalies are still playing right now, which says something about their worth. They are: Carey Price ($10.5 million), Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million) and Marc-Andre Fleury ($7 million). Then again, some other guys in the top 10 (Sergei Bobrovsky, $10 million), Jakob Markstrom ($6 million) are goalies that are albatrosses to their teams right now, cap-wise, performance-wise.

I think the Avs should, and will, make a very competitive offer to Philipp Grubauer to stay. That’s pretty much all they can do. If they want to overpay, well, there are risks involved. Just as there are great risks in letting him walk for nothing. 1216093 Columbus Blue Jackets Other than need at center ice, the Blue Jackets’ stockpile of desirable assets is a big reason some have connected them to possible deals for Eichel. The Jackets are looking to trade one of their top two goaltenders, Trading for Jack Eichel would include list of pluses, minuses for Blue Joonas Korpisalo or Elvis Merzlikins, and have three picks in the first Jackets round of this year’s draft, including fifth overall.

Would the fifth overall pick, an additional first-round selection in the 20s plus an NHL goaltender, which Buffalo needs, be enough to acquire Brian Hedger Eichel?

The Columbus Dispatch It would be surprising to see the Blue Jackets part with their first-round pick in either of the next two drafts, even for Eichel, and that might be

true for other teams. The Blue Jackets have a glaring need for a No. 1 center, and Buffalo The Jackets also have their own star who wants out in Seth Jones, who Sabres star Jack Eichel wants a new NHL home. is also likely to be traded. Jones has one year left on his contract and Could it really be that easy? probably wouldn’t discuss an extension with Buffalo, but he could become a trade chip for the Sabres to spin off elsewhere. The short answer is maybe. A more complicated answer involves unknowns and variables that could kill any potential blockbuster deal. The haul of picks and prospects they could potentially land by trading Here’s an overview of an Eichel-to-Columbus trade, from why Eichel Eichel and Jones could speed up the latest “rebuild” in Buffalo, and wants out of Buffalo to pluses and minuses to what it might cost the Blue adding Eichel in Columbus could do the same for the Blue Jackets, Jackets: assuming he will return to full health.

Why Eichel wants out Will it happen?

It boils down to two main things. That's still an unknown, but the foundation is there for another Blue Jackets blockbuster. The Sabres haven’t sniffed the playoffs since 2010-11, four years before drafting Eichel second overall in 2015, and the sides are now at odds about a herniated disk in the center's neck. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 06.20.2021 The injury, which occurred March 7, caused Eichel to miss the final 33 games of this season and threatens to keep him out for the start of next season. Eichel wants surgery to replace the disk with an artificial one, a procedure that has never been performed on an NHL player, while the Sabres prefer rest and rehab.

They suggested a 12-week window for that process, but that closed June 7, and Eichel still prefers the surgery. The Sabres haven’t backtracked on their opposition to surgery, and recent reports suggest a deal is getting closer to happening.

Could Eichel's new team be the Blue Jackets?

Pluses and minuses

Any neck injury is frightening. Adding a somewhat experimental surgery into the mix, which has been performed only on MMA fighters in the sports realm, takes it to another level. Eichel still has $50 million left on the eight-year, $80 million deal he signed Oct. 3, 2017, and that’s a huge number when juxtaposed against his injury.

That risk is the biggest drawback for any team kicking the tires on a trade pitch for Eichel, but especially the Blue Jackets, who were burned by Nathan Horton’s career-ending back injury in 2014, just 36 games into a seven-year contract. They can’t afford to take another hit like that one.

Completing a deal for Eichel will also have a high cost in return value sent to Buffalo, so taking a long look at the medical situation will be required for any interested teams.

The pluses of acquiring Eichel, assuming he returns to full health, might be worth it.

He’s only 24, has elite skills as a No. 1 center and he has five years of cost certainty attached to his contract. Eichel finished this season with two goals, 16 assists and 18 points in 21 games, a down year by his standards, but the Sabres haven’t surrounded him with a great team.

They have the lowest points percentage (.444) of any NHL team since drafting Eichel, and he has already played for four different head coaches and three GMs in his first six NHL seasons. It’s easy to see why he might want a change of scenery.

Eichel has a career scoring line of 139-216-355 in 375 games, had 82 and 78 points in two seasons prior to this one and his face-off numbers have improved as he has aged. It’s not difficult imagining Eichel’s production rebounding while centering a first line with Patrik Laine and either Oliver Bjorkstrand or Cam Atkinson on the wings, but making that scenario happen will sting.

The cost 1216094 Edmonton Oilers The sample is too small to make sweeping decisions on a young player, but the Seattle Kraken expansion draft is just weeks away.

How did Jones-Larsson compare to other tandems with Larsson as the Lowetide: Caleb Jones, Oilers reach crossroads that could land Jones in veteran in 2020-21? Seattle If you’re a Jones fan, this isn’t encouraging. Although he managed to help deliver the second-best shot share, all of Dmitry Kulikov, Patrick By Allan Mitchell Russell and Lagesson enjoyed better goal shares. What’s more, the time-on-ice distribution suggests that Tippett didn’t see Jones as a big Jun 19, 2021 part of the solution after slotting him second pair to start the season.

Reading these numbers, despite the small sample and what happened in the playoffs, it’s a good guess the coach came away from the season Watch the NHL for any length of time and it becomes obvious that young more convinced of Kulikov than the rest of the pack. defencemen can break your heart. Injuries, defensive lapses, development that often looks stalled, it’s a painful process for all Is setting Jones free wise? involved. Often when an organization steps away from a promising talent (Jones is That process becomes even more complicated when one defender is impressive in several areas), there’s a collective frown from the fan base. struggling to establish himself in the NHL while his team has developed Oilers fans will call up the names (there are dozens, to be fair) of players multiple options who are pushing up from the bottom of the organization’s who had success after leaving the organization and place Jones depth chart. alongside in anticipation of impending doom.

Such is the dilemma for the Edmonton Oilers and general manager Ken Jones didn’t grab the job after he was first-man up at the beginning of the Holland in regard to young defenceman Caleb Jones. season. Edmonton needs a rock-solid solution on the second pair if Klefbom can’t play, and if he can, the third-pairing lefty will likely be The Oilers badly needed Jones to step forward last season, to slide into charged with mentoring Evan Bouchard in the early months of the the role that was supposed to be occupied by Oscar Klefbom. The season. veteran’s injury, thought to be a year-long and maybe longer, was a fantastic opportunity for all LH defencemen in Oilers camp (only Darnell Is that Jones? Did he make any progress year over year? Nurse was assured of a spot on left defence) leading into the 2020-21 season. Jones is a third-pair option for most of his NHL career so far, displaying excellent shot-differential numbers and a career goal differential of 49-62, What happened? 44 percent.

Jones began the season on a pairing with veteran Adam Larsson, and The numbers don’t shine across all categories, but there are good things. the duo (1-4 five-on-five goal differential in the first three games) and Jones is solid in shot share, and he can move the puck (fine passer, can team (0-3-0 in the first three) struggled badly. Coach Dave Tippett moved transport using his impressive speed). He should have a long and up William Lagesson and Jones sat for four games. productive NHL career.

When he returned, Jones was back with Larsson but moved down to the The question is: Does it happen in Edmonton? third pairing for much of the season, his most common partner being Ethan Bear. That pairing played 229 minutes together five-on-five, The future posting a goal differential of 3-9 despite a shot differential of 47 percent Based on usage over two seasons (third pair), the fact Jones didn’t see and an expected goal percentage of 46.7 percent. the ice during the playoffs, and the preference for a veteran to play left By the beginning of April, Jones had played in 17 games and had strange side on the second pair, it’s safe to say Tippett sees Jones as a third- on-ice numbers. His five-on-five shot differential (57 percent) was wildly pairing option at five-on-five. The young defender averaged 36 seconds a out of line with his actual goal differential (40 percent) in the discipline. game on the penalty kill this season, No. 7 on the team. He barely appeared on the power play. Even more baffling was rookie Lagesson, who was posting the opposite results (36 percent shot share, 53 percent goal share). At the time, I If there’s no pre-expansion trade, it’s a good bet Jones is a top candidate suggested it was luck and used that old line about single-game events for the Seattle Kraken on July 21. having tremendous importance, while also being single events. Edmonton would have Nurse, Russell and Lagesson under contract, top As things turned out, Jones and Lagesson’s numbers stayed true all prospects Dmitri Samorukov and Philip Broberg ready to push for NHL season, with Lagesson’s goal differential miles past his shot share, and time and some interesting options in free agency. Jones experiencing a major falloff in goal differential. I would protect Jones. His foot speed should make him effective on Looking at all of the lefty defencemen (Nurse aside) who spent time offence and defence, and his passing is good to great. He has a low cap playing for Edmonton during 2020-21, I believe Jones will have the hit, is durable and at just 93 NHL games, there’s still a justifiable learning brightest future based on his speed and two-way skills. curve.

Based on the season past, it’s likely Edmonton’s management doesn’t There are players who arrive at the five-year mark of their playing see it that way. careers with five years of experience, and there are players who arrive at the same point with one year of experience five times. The Oilers are going to have added urgency that will arrive with the higher expectations of famous acquisitions. As Holland heads into free It’s my belief Jones is the former. His shot differential indicates he played agency with $23 million in cap room (via PuckPedia), the Oilers will make in some bad luck last season, and his 2019-20 numbers ring true across some noise as fresh, promising names sign contracts with the team. the board.

It would have been a fantastic outcome if Jones had been able to grab a I expect the Oilers will set him free if the Kraken come calling at the job on the second pair and played well all season alongside Larsson. He expansion draft. I expect it will be a mistake. might never get a clearer shot at a feature role in the NHL.

His passing and transporting ability would seem to be a perfect match The Athletic LOADED: 06.20.2021 with the veteran Larsson, so why didn’t the numbers shine?

Turns out, the numbers are good with Larsson. At five-on-five, the two played 141 minutes and owned a shot share of 54.6 percent and an expected goal share of 54.4 percent. The Jones-Larsson goal differential was just 5-7, 41.7 percent, but luck clearly would have been a factor with just 141 minutes together. 1216095 Florida Panthers keeping them in position sometimes. I spent a lot of time talking to police departments getting players out of trouble. I can tell about players with all sorts of problems — domestic, financial — and getting that straight is part Hyde: Their most important trait? One question for Jaelan Phillips, Bill of coaching. The best players win. The best coaches know that.” Zito, Butch Davis and others Butch Davis, Florida International football coach: “At times, I think it’s picking people. I’ve coached and recruited 35 players who were first- round draft picks and over 140 that made it to the NFL — as well as five By DAVE HYDE assistant coaches who became head NFL coaches. Trust me, you can’t have success without great staffs. I learned that from Jimmy [Johnson] SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL and Coach [Frank Broyles]. At times, I think being able to have the big JUN 19, 2021 AT 11:52 AM picture of building a program. It’s culture. It’s respect from the outside. Changing the culture and success at Miami after the major sanctions of losing 31 scholarships to a program that went 32-2? And at UNC where they’d had five losing seasons and we won against Notre Dame, FSU, What do you think is your most important trait — mental or physical — Virginia Tech, Miami three times? Taking the Cleveland Browns to the that’s allowed you to succeed? only playoffs in 25 years and FIU to three bowl games after five losing One simple question brings a multitude of answers. seasons? In short, it’s choosing people that help build the program.”

Victoria Azarenka, pro tennis player: “It all comes down to weapons. Brevin Jordan, Houston Texans and former University of Miami tight end: Developing them. Using them. Some players are more talented “I’m a playmaker. Michael Irvin is the original playmaker at the U. I’m physically. Some have more grit or hustle to make wins possible. For me, Playmaker Jr. I’m a tight end who can line up all over the field. You put I feel I’ve been blessed with a tennis game, but I have to put together the me in the backfield. You put me in the slot. You put me outside. I’m a big mental and physical together to make it work. It’s a combination. The dude. I’m a stockier guy, 247, 248 — I’m 250 in my mind. But you’ve most difficult part is balancing that mental and physical to make your seen me. I line up all over the field and am a consistent playmaker. … My weapons work in the right way. That takes time — it took me time. That offensive coordinators at Miami loved me. Dan Enos, my sophomore balancing everything.” year, lined me up at fullback. I ran flat routes at fullback, I was lead blocking at fullback. You can literally line me up wherever you want and Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins and former University of Miami defensive I’ll make plays for you.” end: “My perseverance and tenacity. I don’t stop. Especially on the field, I’ve got that motor — I’m a high-motor guy. I’m going to chase plays down, make plays from across the field. So that and my versatility. I can Sun Sentinel LOADED: 06.20.2021 do a lot of things.”

Bill Zito, Florida Panthers general manager: “What’s the definition of ‘temerity?’ Is it steadfastness and refusal to quit? Boldness of conviction? Maybe that’s the right word. When I was a little kid my parents said if you work hard and believe in yourself you can do anything. I believed that. I was told I couldn’t play hockey and played in college. I was told I couldn’t get into an Ivy League college. I not only went to one, I went to two — I went to Harvard for a week before going to Yale. That’s how it’s been all along for me. So if temerity is the right word …”

Mike Westhoff, former Dolphins and NFL special-teams coach: “Having an ability to spot talent and always willing to learn. Here’s a story. I’d gone on vacation in 1978. Driving back, I said, ‘Let’s go to Tuscaloosa,’ I wanted to visit Alabama. So I go there, find the field house that’s got to be 100 years old. It’s late. I go in, it’s dark, I see one light on. There’s [coach] Bear Bryant sitting at a desk by himself. He said, “Excuse me, can I help you?” I introduce myself, he says come here, sit down and that if the coaches were here, we’d talk football. He said, “You want to take a look around?” He puts on his houndstooth hat and showed me around campus. He says, ‘I’m getting old, I don’t do as much.’ But what he said is, ‘I’m really proud of what we did to the university. See the law school? We did that? See that addition to the library? We put that one.’ He said, ‘Do you mind if we sit down a minute. He sat down on curb in shade.’ He said, ‘I’m going to give you two things to remember as a coach. First of all, don’t ever be afraid of change. Always be aware you need to make changes — don’t be afraid to change week to week to make that plan fit the players. Secondly, when you have good players — they want to do it the right way. They might act like they don’t. You damn make sure you do it right so they do. You might be the most popular guy.’ There’s two things right there — my whole career I kept those in mind.”

Nik Needham, Dolphins cornerback: “I think just having an understanding of the game a lot. Just growing up with my dad, he’s a big football guy — so just being around it at a young age. He’s a quarterbacks coach, so I just get in the mind of an offensive player and he’s always breaking down film with offensive guys, so I’d just always look at that. I think throughout the years, I’ve developed more and more and become more instinctive.”

Bud Grant, NFL Hall of Fame coach with Minnesota Vikings: “First of all, coaching is over-rated. Maybe believing that is my answer. If you look at any coaches in any league, today or any year, we’re all different. Different styles. Different lifestyles. Some get up at 5 a.m., some at noon. You win because you have the best players. Coaches are a dime a dozen. There were coaches much smarter than I was. Some of the best observations, I would make a coach was high-school football. I’d see things at high-school level and say we could do that. But anyone who thinks it’s about out-coaching doesn’t last long. You’ve got to have the talent. The job is evaluating players and putting them in position to win — 1216096 Florida Panthers great to reunite him with his best friend in Barkov. However, his attitude history and how much salary he may demand should warrant the Panthers to look elsewhere in free agency and focus on bringing in more Panthers Should Not Attempt to Bring in Patrik Laine of what they need. In addition, bringing Laine in would simply be a luxury piece to assist on the power play when the team already has lethal pieces to get that machine running.

June 19, 2021 Speaking of depth, Florida is already loaded with up-and-coming wingers throughout their current roster in Owen Tippett and Aleksi Heponiemi. by Joey Ganzi Ultimately, the Panthers should skip this free agency sweepstakes. The team will lose more than it will gain from it, and the wrong move could steer the franchise back into the wrong direction after Zito molded it into The Florida Panthers ended their season in disappointment after being a winning squad. eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the first round. Naturally, the team would look to improve so that history does not repeat itself. In addition, the moves will be handled by general manager Bill Zito, Florida Hockey NowLOADED: 06.20.2021 a nominee for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. Even before the start of free agency, rumors are already coming Zito’s way.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Florida has shown a massive interest in acquiring star forward Patrik Laine. He is currently a restricted free agent, as his rights are with the Columbus Blue Jackets. This comes after a weird year for Laine that involved him getting dealt to the Blue Jackets from the Winnipeg Jets and being benched on multiple nights by former head coach John Tortorella.

Either way, Florida should not take a chance on Laine and should shift their focus.

As talented as Laine is, bringing him in would make things very awkward for Florida’s current cap situation. He would come into South Florida expecting some sort of new deal, as he is currently a free agent. Furthermore, he made $6.75 million on his most recent contract and is going to expect some sort of raise. Here’s the issue – while Florida has about $8.8 million to work with right now, they need to re-sign some of their key players, such as Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett. Barkov is due for a new deal at the end of next season and Bennett is currently a restricted free agent.

Additionally, assuming they shed a decent amount of cap space, Florida should set their sights on bringing in a veteran defenseman to help bolster their bottom-two pairings, as they were mostly revolving doors on most nights, including the postseason. During the regular season and playoffs, defense was a huge problem that led to many defeats and ultimately their elimination. Florida is not that far away from Cup contention, and a cap casualty could potentially set them back.

He May Still Have Attitude Problems

Even before he was traded, Laine has had a history of not getting along with coaches and playing with a lack of effort on some nights. As a result, he’s been shuffled in lineups, put in bottom-nine situations, and, as talked about previously, full-on benched.

Patrik Laine Columbus Blue Jackets

Laine’s time in Columbus was no different. Granted, his former head coach in Tortorella has a bit of a short fuse. However, Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville isn’t normally one that will put up with a lot of tomfoolery, either. If a situation ever arises where the head coach and a player are butting heads, it could mean Laine’s time as a Panther could quickly become a hassle or come to an abrupt end. Although his relationship with Barkov could steer him in the right direction, it could also create massive division in the Florida locker room.

Laine has always been a power-play specialist. It’s easy to see that, as he’s posted 56 career power-play goals and 91 career power-play points through 351 games played. Last season, he was tied for first on the Blue Jackets in power-play goals with four. With Florida’s power play struggling near the end of the season, this could be seen as a match made in heaven.

However, Florida already has a triggerman on the power play in defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who was third on the team in power-play goals with six. His injury in March of the regular season caused the power play to sink over time. Additionally, Florida also has a net-front presence in forward Patric Hornqvist, who led the team in power-play goals with eight. Laine could bring some help to the man-advantage, but ultimately, it seems unnecessary.

Laine is an extremely talented forward overall, as he has great shooting ability and can be a helpful hand on the power play. It would also be 1216097 Florida Panthers With the exponential amount of improvement Weegar made to his game in 2020-21, he blew every expectation he had out of the water with his performance. There is absolutely no reason to give Weegar anything Panthers 2020-21 Report Card: MacKenzie Weegar other than an A+.

June 19, 2021 Florida Hockey NowLOADED: 06.20.2021 by Colby Guy

During the 2020-21 season, MacKenzie Weegar proved exactly why he was worth a lot more than the three-year, $3.25 million average annual value (AAV) contract he signed in November. The 27-year-old blueliner had a breakout season, ranking 13th in points out of all defensemen in the NHL with 36.

When the Florida Panthers lost Aaron Ekblad for the season following his leg fracture on March 28, Weegar was able to step up and fill the void that the Panthers’ franchise defenseman left. With his 2020-21 performance, He proved that he too is a capable top-flight defenseman in the NHL.

What Weegar Brought to the Table

Weegar’s skillset has brought the best in every single player he is partnered with offensively and defensively, as he proved himself as one of the premier two-way defensemen in the NHL. With him being on such a team-friendly deal, the negotiation of his contract has to be one of the biggest wins of the season for general manager Bill Zito.

Weegar led all defensemen in plus/minus this season with a plus-29, which is a testament to how good he really is. Since Ekblad’s injury, who served as Weegar’s top partner and was one of the most dominant defensemen in the league this past season, Weegar led all defensemen in plus/minus with a plus-17 and ranked fifth in points as a defenseman with 17.

According to Dobber Hockey, Weegar spent most of his time after the Ekblad injury alongside Gustav Forsling, with 355 minutes spent with the Swedish defenseman. In the 21 games since Ekblad’s injury, Forsling’s point production nearly tripled, as he increased his point total from five to 17. His plus/minus also rose from a plus-1 to a plus-17 since being paired with Weegar.

Forsling also had his best Corsi For percentage (CF%) and Shots For percentage (SF%) while being paired with Weegar, with the former being 50.1% and the latter being a 52.5%. When paired with any other Panthers defender, both of those numbers dip below 50%, with the exception of a 51.2% SF% when paired with Anton Stralman.

Simply put, Weegar was one of the biggest reasons for the Panthers’ success this season, and he will continue to be a staple on the Florida blue line for years to come. At a $3.25 million cap hit, he will continue to be one of the most underrated and valuable defensemen in the league, and a crucial part of a possible championship team in Sunrise.

What to Look for Next Season

With Ekblad back in the fold next season, look for him and Weegar to continue to gel into one of the best defense pairings in the entire league. Ekblad had arguably the best season of his career while paired with Weegar, scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 35 games.

Weegar may take yet another step up in a full 82-game season and entrench himself in the Norris Trophy voting conversation, especially if his point totals keep rising the way they were in 2020-21. He doubled his previous career-high in points from 18 to 36 despite the shortened season, so if the production continues at that rate and he plays as well defensively, he may take that next step.

Look for Weegar to become one of the league’s household names for seasons to come, especially if the 27-year-old continues to improve.

Key Stats

Regular Season: 6 goals, 30 assists, 36 points in 54 games played

Playoffs: 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points in 6 games played

Fun Fact: Weegar led all NHL defensemen in even-strength points with 31, with no other defenseman in the league having more than 30.

Final Grade: A+ 1216098 Los Angeles Kings Bolden also talked about how the Kings, and their affiliated youth programs, have revamped several aspects of how they operate to help generate more diversity. Learn To Play programs, including ice hockey On Juneteenth, Blake Bolden talks progress of Kings inclusion initiatives and figure skating, are free of charge, with the hope of allowing more individuals the opportunity to participate. Programs such as the Jr. Kings, LA Lions and Jr. Reign have all been involved in the process.

By Zach Dooley “We’re heavily prioritizing this, but all of our other youth hockey stakeholders are involved,” Bolden said. “The Lions, Jr. Kings, Jr. Reign,

all of these stakeholders that have their high-level, AA or AAA clubs, It’s nearly been a full calendar year – 341 days in fact – since the LA they’re all invested in this as well because we’re setting this expectation Kings announced an inclusion initiative, a program designed to contribute of creating inclusivity. It’s an all encompassing mission for us at this to building equity in sports and within the front office, while helping to moment.” eradicate racism in and around the world of hockey. Black Girl Hockey Scholarship On that same day, July 14, 2020, the Kings joined The ALLIANCE: Los If you watched Game 2 between Vegas and Montreal on Wednesday Angeles, along with 10 other professional sports teams in Southern evening, then you’ve at the very least been introduced to Renee Hess. California. Hopefully, it wasn’t the first introduction. In the time since, the Kings organization has listened, learned and begun Hess is the Founder/Executive Director of Black Girl Hockey Club, a non- to educate. In advance of Juneteenth, Blake Bolden took the opportunity profit organization advocating for black women in ice hockey. Bolden and to reflect back on how the organization used time to first learn, before Hess met in San Diego back when the club was first starting up, and beginning the process of educating and bettering their efforts, both Bolden bought in right away. internally and externally. Now, years later, the relationship is more professional. The Kings have “During this year in time, we stopped to listen and I think that gave committed a donation of $5,000 to the Black Girl Hockey Club everybody, not just the Kings, an opportunity to just be silent and soak in scholarship program for each of the next three years. The scholarship, as all the experiences and all the things that have been going on in the Bolden explained, goes towards young hockey players in California. world,” Bolden said. “We stopped to take some time to listen, and from listening we focused on the educational aspect with our staffing, having “It’s been so nice to see the evolution of Black Girl Hockey Club, there those uncomfortable discussions and from the discussions, from the had been nothing like that in the NHL or youth hockey space, where it listening, from the education, we began to formulate a plan to not only was ‘this is the mission, this is what we want to do” and now we’re better ourselves internally, including our players, but the community we actually helping individuals,’ Bolden said. “Not just supporting the fans, serve and welcome into STAPLES Center.” we’re changing the lives of young girls with these scholarships, these mentorships programs. I hope [Renee]’s very proud of herself, with the At the forefront of the Kings organizational efforts has been Bolden, the Get Uncomfortable Campaign, you need leaders like that to make first black player in the history of the NWHL, now an AHL scout on the change. She’s here for a reason and I believe she’s here to stay.” hockey operations side of the front office, and a leader of community outreach and inclusion efforts on the business side. With an official title of It’s easy to talk the talk, but Black Girl Hockey Club, with the backing and AHL Scout / Growth & Inclusion Specialist, Bolden has perhaps one of support of the Kings, is walking the walk in helping female hockey the most unique roles in professional hockey. players of color feel more included within the game of hockey.

With the front office, she’s been a major player in community events and Power Project initiatives centered around growing diversity within hockey. The Kings have committed resources and support to not only growing the game The Kings have also pledged their support to the Power Project, a here in Southern California but also making it more inclusive through a Hawthorne-based program meant to mentor young girls, ages eight to variety of efforts. 14, while also introducing them to the sport of ice hockey.

Youth Hockey The program uses mentorship to build self-esteem, positive life imagery, and the belief that they can accomplish any goal they set and work hard In April, Bolden and the Kings hosted a pair of hockey clinics on the to achieve, with Bolden committed to help with coaching the on-ice outdoor ice sheet at Toyota Sports Performance Center, offered portion of the program when she is in the area. exclusively to girls, with more than 40 attendees. The organization has currently committed $20,000 per year to assist with Later this summer, the Kings are planning to offer two complimentary ice time, equipment and activities for the team. programs to help grow the game, under the We Are All Kings banner. For all that Bolden has done to assist with the organization’s efforts in the “I think [diversity in youth hockey] is something that every franchise has community, it’s amazingly enough just a part of her job with the Kings. A taken into account, something that every franchise has struggled with, large part sure, but Bolden has performed the aforementioned duties because the representation hasn’t been there in our sport to capture the alongside her responsibilities within the scouting department. minds of these young athletes,” Bolden said. “It’s been really important for us to make youth hockey a priority.” Bolden is the Kings AHL scout on the West Coast, scouting minor-league players in the AHL’s Pacific Division ranging from San Diego to Loveland, The We Are All Kings Camp will be a free, annual camp, hosted by Colorado. Bolden through the Kings Care Foundation. Drawing participants from the Power Project – more on that below – and YMCA ball hockey When she first joined the organization, scouting was the bulk of her leagues, the camp will cater to novice players, allowing young ball and focus, prior to the events of last summer. On top of her community-based ice hockey players an opportunity to develop their skills on the ice. efforts, Bolden’s reports are relied upon when looking at players who play for one of eight, soon to be nine, Pacific Division clubs in the AHL. Additionally, the organization is planning the We Are All Kings Learn To Skate program, designed to introduce new skaters to the ice, free of “You’re responsible for [your area], you’re responsible for the teams that charge. This new platform will help to foster diversity and inclusion in the you’re scouting, your prospects and knowledge of them and they’re Learn to Skate Program for both ice hockey and figure skating. trusting you with having that knowledge readily available when needed,” she said. “It’s all about creating the blueprint,” Bolden explained. “I think a lot of times, in a lot of different communities including the black and brown Adding in the additional responsibilities has certainly created some communities, it’s like ‘where do I go to sign up to play hockey?’ The idea additional work, but the opportunity to have her place, and voice, in both is to get a stick and a ball in their hands, get them to play, because areas has been a perfect blend for Bolden. playing is the most important thing, playing because it’s fun, and then “[My job] has definitely shifted – I feel grateful that the Kings have the let’s introduce you to the sport and get you the resources that you trust in me to be a spokesperson for our inclusion initiatives and the need…now there is a blueprint and hopefully that’s exciting for goals that we’d like to achieve over the next 3-5, and hopefully more, everyone.” years,” she said. “It has shifted a lot. I’m still responsible for my Pacific region in the AHL, and I have a lot of support there. On the community relations side, it’s about inspiring that next generation and coming up with ideas on how to do so and now just connecting with them. It’s getting out there with our community partners and showing that level of commitment and passion for the game, so that they see we’re serious about our desire to grow inclusively in our sport. I take a lot of pride in that, as someone who was the first black player to compete professionally in the NWHL and being someone who’s been a lot of firsts because of the color of my skin and I take great pride in that.”

Here on Juneteenth, which was yesterday declared a federal holiday, Bolden discussed the importance of that day for not only herself, but for people of color as a whole.

“Juneteenth is a part of the movement, it’s a part of recognizing our history and how we’re planning to move forward for the betterment of our society, simply put, and that’s good for everyone,” she said.

While today is an important day for many people, it does not represent the end of the line for the changes the Kings organization are trying to make.

When asked what a fan or affiliate of the organization can do, to help in these initiatives, Bolden said that it can be as simple as introducing the game to someone who’s never experienced it, someone from a non- traditional background.

It doesn’t need to be a large, sweeping gesture. Something as small as introducing ice hockey within your local community can make all the difference. And, at the root of it all, that is what everyone is trying to accomplish.

“Being a mentor in your community is important, because you don’t have to be Anze Kopitar,” she said. “Whoever you are, you can make an impact in your community that you’re in, and you can be empowered within that.”

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.20.2021

1216099 Montreal Canadiens

Richardson does it for Daron after making head coaching debut

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 19, 2021

It was a simple gesture, but it meant so much to Luke Richardson.

Richardson made an unexpected debut as an NHL head coach Friday after Dominique Ducharme tested positive for COVID-19 and, moments after the Canadiens posted a 3-2 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights, he touched a pin on his lapel and aimed a kiss to the heavens.

The pin symbolizes the Do It For Daron foundation that Richardson and his wife, Stephanie, established to raise awareness of mental health problems among young people after their 14-year-old daughter Daron took her own life in 2010.

“The hockey game is important,” Richardson said Saturday. “We all thought of Dom, he was with us for part of the evening. We lost our daughter 10 years ago. It might seem like a long way off, but sometimes it feels like it was yesterday. We want to help the foundation and the movement we created DIFD.

“It’s important to have the discussion about youth mental health and suicide. It’s not an easy conversation, but we pride ourselves on helping people. Daron is always in my heart. She is always in the heart of my family. Daron was a good hockey player as well. I thought it was a great time to pay tribute to her since we clearly miss her.”

The Canadiens talk about being a family and Richardson’s thoughts were on his family as he celebrated the win that gave the Canadiens a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal heading into Game 4 on Sunday (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN-690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

He shared a glass of wine with his wife when he returned home after the game and expressed regret his older daughter Morgan couldn’t attend the game. She’s a high school teacher in Boston and was unable to see her father’s head coaching debut because of COVID restrictions.

The team received some remote help from Ducharme between periods and Richardson recognized the contributions from the team’s veteran leadership.

“The veterans were great,” Richardson said. “(Corey) Perry has been around since the start of the year and he’s an incredible leader. He’s a winner and he brings a lot to the team. It’s the same with Shea (Weber), he’s a great captain. They show the way forward and find ways to drag the whole group with them. They are quite vocal and the other players get on board, too.”

Perry made a gesture of his own after Josh Anderson scored the overtime winner. Perry left the game after he took a high stick from Jonathan Marchessault — there was no penalty on the play — during overtime and his face was smeared with blood as he rushed back to the ice to join his teammates in the celebration.

Richardson said the Canadiens are normally a calm team, but he could sense a growing confidence and a change in the players’ personalities.

“There isn’t a single shy guy left,” Richardson said.

There is no timeline for Ducharme’s return and the Canadiens will be extra cautious going forward because the positive test is a reminder being vaccinated is not a guarantee against infection. Ducharme, the players and the other members of the organization received their second dose of vaccine on June 9.

In other news, the Canadiens announced Swedish forward Lukas Vejdemo signed a one-year, two-way contract for next season. Vejdemo, who had seven goals and six assists in 28 games with the Laval Rocket, will make the NHL minimum $750,000 if he sticks with the big club and $175,000 in Laval.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216100 Montreal Canadiens

Golden Knights at Canadiens: Five things you should know

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:Jun 19, 2021

Here are five things you should know about Game 4 of the Canadiens- Golden Knights best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal at the Bell Centre Sunday (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN-690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Defying the odds: The Canadiens were the last team to qualify for the playoffs and they have been a decided underdog in each of their three series. They started out as a 500-1 shot to win the Stanley Cup but they earned more respect after edging the Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime Friday to take a 2-1 lead in the series. The latest odds have the Canadiens at 5-1 to win the Cup although the oddsmakers give Vegas a better chance to win at 9-4, with the Golden Knights being favoured to win Game 4. Tampa Bay remains the favourite to win it all at 11-10.

It’s still Ducharme’s team: Head coach Dominique Ducharme is in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 Friday morning but the Canadiens are winning with his system and he will continue to interact with the players and members of his coaching staff by Zoom. Acting head coach Luke Richardson, who will direct traffic behind the bench, said there will be no changes in the way the Canadiens play although there will be a small change in game-day responsibilities. Richardson normally handles the defence but that task will go to goaltending coach Sean Burke.

Price makes the difference: The Canadiens were able to win Friday because goaltender Carey Price weathered the storm in the first two periods when Montreal was outshot 30-8. Vegas’ only goal in that span came when Eric Staal tried to clear the puck up puck up the middle and put in it on Nicolas Roy’s stick in the slot. Price finished the overtime game with 43 saves and outplayed Marc-André Fleury whose giveaway in the final two minutes allowed Josh Anderson to tie the game. Anderson, who had no points in the last 11 games of the regular season, also scored the winning goal in overtime.

Caufield making his mark: There has been instant chemistry between Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and it was on display Friday as Suzuki sent the rookie off on a breakaway for the Canadiens’ first goal. Caufield is the top rookie scorer in the playoffs with seven points and every one of those points is a bonus because the Canadiens’ original plan was to keep Caufield in Laval to get some experience after his career at the University of Wisconsin ended. Injuries and a desire to jump-start the offence forced Marc Bergevin’s hand and Caufield has claimed a spot as a top-six winger.

Defence to the Max: With the Canadiens at home, Richardson will be able to play the matching game with Phil Danault’s shutdown line playing against the Vegas line of Max Pacioretty, Alex Tuch and Mark Stone. The Canadiens have done a good job of making former captain Pacioretty uncomfortable. He has 12 shots on goal in this series but has yet to score. That’s the case for all of the top-six Vegas forwards. The Golden Knights have relied on their defence which has produced six of their eight goals. Alex Pietrangelo has scored three goals.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216101 Montreal Canadiens The Anderson goal sent the game to overtime. In the extra frame, the Montreal Canadiens appeared rejuvenated. Nick Suzuki fell trying to split the defence, causing the already testy crowd to lash out at the officials. The most egregious miss of the night came when Corey Perry took a About Last Night: Habs do it for Dom, defeat Vegas 3-2 in Game 3 high-stick from Jonathan Marchessault, who was swinging indiscriminately at an airborne puck. Perry’s nose immediately began

gushing blood as the player fell to the ice. Erik Leijon • Special to Montreal Gazette With Perry in the dressing room getting fixed up, Kotkaniemi flipped the Publishing date: Jun 19, 2021 puck over the Vegas defenders and to both Anderson and Paul Byron behind them. Anderson batted down the puck, allowing Byron to carry it before passing back to Anderson, who once again found himself with a potential tap-in. He scored his second of the night and the Habs stunned The Montreal Canadiens are two wins away from the Stanley Cup finals. the Golden Knights to take Game 3 in overtime. Despite being outshot 45-27, the Habs defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime to take Game 3 of their third round series Friday Corey Perry didn’t even have time to wash up before coming back to at the Bell Centre. Josh Anderson ended his goal-scoring drought to pot celebrate with his teammates. two, including the game-winner. Carey Price made 43 saves in the win. You could say Perry’s nose has become the face of the league’s It was a dramatic day for the Canadiens, which began with coach officiating inconsistencies. The Canadiens and Golden Knights will need Dominique Ducharme’s positive COVID test. Luke Richardson took to set aside whatever grievances they may have and start anew on Ducharme’s place, with Alex Burrows and Sean Burke as his assistants. Sunday. The Canadiens have a chance to gain a stranglehold on the It’s the second consecutive playoff where the Habs needed to make an series, while Vegas will seek a split at the Bell Centre. The Liveblog emergency coaching switch: Kirk Muller replaced Claude Julien last commenters were livid about the refereeing. What else is new, you might season. Otherwise, the lineup was unchanged from Game 2. More say? This time, the experts appear to be backing their claims. drama came in the form of last night’s referees: Chris Lee and Dan O’Rourke. Even before puck drop, the Liveblog commenters knew what 3. “On TSN, Craig Button called this the worst officiated game he’s ever to expect (or not expect) in terms of officiating. seen, and talked about how that was a clean hit by Armia, and, that Vegas defencemen Braydon McNab, should of had 4 cross checking Four of the first five penalties in the game were given to the Canadiens, penalties in the game.” -Ryan Katz including two in the first period. The Golden Knights didn’t receive a penalty at all last game, so when the first call of the night went to Jesperi 2. “So, with video review, we should be able to start the next game with a Kotkaniemi, a collective groan came out of downtown Montreal. The four minute man advantage… or at least, change the refs! was this the Habs penalty kill remained razor sharp, killing both first period penalties. same ref who missed Gallagher getting cross checked in the face last They escaped the first period tied 0-0, but were outshot 17-3. The story year?? ” -Haari Meech early, though, was the officiating. Armia got a boarding minor reminiscent 1. “Vegas has got to be like…What has just happened here tonight.” - of an uncalled penalty by Janmark in Game 2. Michael Wered Vegas’ defence continued to be deadly. Shea Theodore caught Artturi

Lehkonen badly with his blueline dancing. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.20.2021 Theodore with the moves, Price with the stop.

Early in the second, Brayden McNabb rocked Nick Suzuki with an open ice hit, who only had his pride wounded in the exchange.

The opening goal early in the second is one veteran Eric Staal would love to have back. Staal was behind the net, and in a momentarily lapse in judgment, passed it cleanly to Nicolas Roy in front, who shot the puck over Price’s glove to give Vegas a 1-0 advantage.

Under a minute later, the Canadiens tied the game when Suzuki sent Cole Caufield alone on a break. Caufield lifted the puck over Marc-André Fleury glove side in-tight to make it 1-1.

The game was tied midway through the contest, but the shot counter didn’t look any more flattering: Vegas was ahead 25-5. Vegas returned to the power play when Kotkaniemi held Max Pacioretty (and got an extra shot in frustration), but the Habs penalty kill continued to shine. In these playoffs, they still have more shorthanded goals (4) than power play goals allowed (3). McNabb got another big hit in, this time on Lehkonen, as the period closed out. The Golden Knights were outshooting the Habs at the end of the second 30-8.

Alex Pietrangelo gave his team a 2-1 lead early in the third. The blueliner received a pass from Pacioretty entering the zone and wired it past Price. It was Pietrangelo’s third goal of the series.

The Habs finally hit double digits in shots, but at the other end Price was keeping his team alive as the Golden Knights continued to dominate. Alex Tuch had a scoring chance off a Pacioretty feed, but Price slid over in time to make the acrobatic pad save.

For the longest time in the third period, it didn’t look like the Canadiens were going to mount a comeback. Time was melting away and they couldn’t even get enough offensive zone pressure to pull the goalie for an extra attacker. Then, with just under two minutes remaining, the Forum ghosts made an appearance. Fleury was playing the dump-in attempt behind the net in the trapezoid. The puck bounced off his skates and kicked out in front to a waiting Anderson, who didn’t miss the wide open net. It was a shocking turn of events in the final moments of a one-sided contest. 1216102 Montreal Canadiens

Crashing net, firing pucks key for Canadiens' Anderson | HI/O Bonus

Staff Report

Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 19, 2021

In this bonus episode, our panelists — Montreal Gazette columnist Stu Cowan, CBC Daybreak Montreal’s Jessica Rusnak and former Canadiens defenceman and NHL assistant coach Rick Green — along with host Julian McKenzie discuss how Habs power forward Josh Anderson has been limited to one goal in the playoffs, up until last nights Game 3.

Oh, how quickly things can change.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216103 Montreal Canadiens Richardson explained that Ducharme and the coaching staff met at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard Friday morning ahead of the team’s morning skate. Graham Rynbend, the Canadiens’ head athletic therapist, then entered the room and informed Ducharme about his positive test Canadiens Game Day: Miracle at Bell Centre as Habs win Game 3 in OT and the head coach was immediately sent home to isolate. Richardson then started preparing with fellow assistant coach Alex Burrows and

Sean Burke, the director of goaltending, who would join them behind the Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette bench for the game and handle the defencemen, while Burrows looked after the forwards. Publishing date:Jun 19, 2021 “Things went fast and maybe that’s better off,” Richardson said. “We didn’t have too much time to think about it and we just were running things the way Dom runs it here and business as usual. Do you believe in miracles? “Dom spoke with the players before the game and quickly after the We might have witnessed one at the Bell Centre Friday night when the game,” Richardson added. “Guys were thrilled for him. I’m sure he’s had Canadiens beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime of Game 3 to lots on his mind over the course of the day. It’s a difficult year for take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal series. everybody and this is supposed to be a special time for Dom. So we The Canadiens had no business winning this game — but they did. were feeling for him for missing it and we know how much he’s put into it at the end of the year. It was great to hear his voice and the players The Canadiens are now 4-0 in overtime in the playoffs this year and are really responded tonight for him and even after we were very excited for two wins away from their first trip to the Stanley Cup final since 1993 him to hear his voice and to share that celebration with him. We kept in when they won their last championship. They won 10 straight OT games contact all day on little details and even in between periods just a few that year. details as we always do and share our ideas together in the coaches’ Friday night’s game never even should have made it to OT. It actually room.” should have been over after the first period when the Canadiens were Richardson was asked if he was concerned he and the other coaches outshot 17-3, but goalie Carey Price kept the score 0-0. The Canadiens might catch COVID from their meeting with Ducharme in the morning. didn’t get their first shot on goal until there was only 8:33 left in the period. “The first time we saw Dom he came in with his mask on and the protocol is pretty tight with our team,” Richardson said. “Graham is I think the It’s not a surprise the Canadiens got off to a slow start since they were head of the (NHL) trainers’ association, so I think we’re one of the without head coach Dominique Ducharme, who found out Friday morning strictest teams in the league, which we should be in these times. So we he had tested positive for COVID-19. Assistant coach Luke Richardson definitely followed protocol. Any time we slip we remind each other. I took over the head-coaching duties and even he probably can’t believe think they did a good job. They got in there before the players were even what happened. in the rink today, Dom was there and gone. So they did a great job of The Golden Knights opened the scoring at 3:16 of the second period reacting to the test results. And now we just have to deal with what when the Canadiens’ Eric Staal made a brutal giveaway from behind the comes at us going forward.” net that looked like a perfect pass to Nicolas Roy, who beat Price. The Ca-rey! Ca-rey! shots were 22-4 at the time. But only 38 seconds later Cole Caufield tied it up with a beautiful breakaway goal on the Canadiens’ fifth shot. The Price improved his playoff record this year to 10-4 with a 2.10 goals- shots were 30-8 after two periods, but the score was 1-1. against average and a .932 save percentage.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. “He’s been great all playoffs and the whole team counts on him a lot,” Richardson said. “I think maybe the first part of the game we counted on Article content him a little too much, but I thought we got better as the game went along Alex Pietrangelo put Vegas up 2-1 at 2:22 of the third period and the and he gives us that stability to do that. As much as we’re playing for score stayed that way as the clock ticked down until there were only two each other, everybody really knows how special of a goaltender and a minutes left. There was little reason to believe the Canadiens would person he is back there behind us. They really play hard in front of him. score. “I know the shot clock was lopsided, but I thought we did a good job of That’s when something unexplainable happened. Vegas goalie Marc- keeping things to the outside and didn’t give up too many Grade A André Fleury went behind his net to play the puck all by himself. For chances,” Richardson added. “When we did Carey was there, like he some reason he tried to pass it backwards through his legs, but the puck always is, and it gave us a chance to build our game. I thought we got hit his one of his skates and went in front of the net, gifting a goal to the better as we went along and our best part of the game was in overtime Canadiens’ Josh Anderson with 1:55 left on the clock. and that’s just the way our team is built, especially with Carey back there it will give us a chance to do that in some games, but we don’t want to Maybe the Forum ghosts really have shown up at the Bell Centre after so make a habit of it.” many years. The Canadiens outshot the Golden Knights 6-5 in overtime. This game was headed to overtime tied 2-2 even though the shots were 40-21. “You guys all saw it tonight,” Anderson said when asked about Price’s performance. “It was incredible. Not only to watch him play like that but The Canadiens actually outshot the Golden Knights 13-10 in the third for the fans, too. He kept us in the game all game and we wouldn’t be period and continued that momentum into overtime with Anderson sitting here talking about this without him. He made some crucial saves scoring the winner at 12:53 on a perfect pass from Paul Byron. The same that really kept us in the game and gave us the opportunity to win Paul Byron who was placed on waivers three times this season. tonight.”

This crazy Canadiens season just keeps getting crazier and now they are So did Fleury. only six wins away from the Stanley Cup. Two-goal night Richardson 1-0 as head coach Anderson scored in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Toronto This wasn’t the way Richardson expected to make his NHL head- Maple Leafs, but had gone 12 games since then without scoring before coaching debut. getting his two goals Friday night.

“I guess I would have thought my first chance running an NHL bench “Obviously, we got a fortunate bounce on the tying goal and then in OT it would be an exhibition game,” he said after the win. “But it happened to looked like we had a lot more energy than them,” Anderson said. “We be in a third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in overtime. So it’s pretty came out hard and found a way to win the hockey game and you could exciting. We’re just hoping to keep this thing going and we get the whole just see the compete level throughout our lineup was right there. We group back together.” found a way tonight in a huge game that we needed to win. “We knew that coming into this game it was going to be crucial to get ahead in the series,” he added. “We didn’t come out the way we wanted to, but we found a way to win and it was a full team effort from everyone tonight.”

Some stats

Vegas outshot Montreal 45-27 and won 51 per cent of the faceoffs, while the Canadiens led 52-36 in hits.

Vegas went 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Canadiens went 0-for-2. The Canadiens have now killed off 25 straight power plays over the last 10 games and have killed off a league-best 92.7 per cent in the playoffs. The Vegas power play is the league’s worst in the playoffs, clicking at only 10.5 per cent.

Shea Weber led the Canadiens in ice time with 31:17 and he was plus-2. Ben Chiarot had 31:08 of ice time, while Jeff Petry logged 30:22 and Joel Edmundson had 27:27. Phillip Danault led the forwards with 23:03, followed by Nick Suzuki with 22:46 and Tyler Toffoli with 22:15.

Suzuki and Anderson tied for the team lead in shots with four, while Byron led the Canadiens with nine hits.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216104 Montreal Canadiens rebounds. There are a lot of things we have to get better at, and it’s costing us the series right now.”

That’s all. Canadiens playoff notebook: Holding stars in check, the PK is a weapon The Golden Knights have their own issues on the power play, but they and Cole Caufield’s learning ability are going up against a penalty-killing unit that is playing better than it has all season. The Canadiens have scored four short-handed goals and allowed three power-play goals since the start of the playoffs. They have By Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin killed off their last 25 short-handed situations over the past 10 games.

Jun 20, 2021 The Canadiens’ penalty kill was in the bottom third of the league for most of the season but had a resurgence down the stretch to finish with an

efficiency of 85.2 percent over their final 11 games. Joel Armia has For everything that has been written and said about the production of the revealed himself as perhaps the team’s best penalty-killing forward, and Golden Knights defencemen, their best forwards have been held in check the up-ice pressure applied by players such as Jake Evans, Nick Suzuki, through the first three games of the series with the Canadiens. Artturi Lehkonen and Armia has delayed breakouts and disrupted opposing teams’ ability to get set up in their zone. Golden Knights forwards have scored two of their eight goals, and their three most productive forwards from the regular season — Mark Stone, For Luke Richardson, who runs the penalty kill on top of being the interim Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Marchessault — have combined for two head coach, this run of success for the unit is the fruit of hard work and assists between them. execution that was not necessarily on point in the regular season.

“They’re battling like everybody else,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. “I thought we were very good up ice (during the regular season), one of “It’s not easy. We were saying the same thing about (Kirill) Kaprizov in the best in the league, and it’s a credit to the players,” Richardson said. the first round and Nathan MacKinnon and his group in the second “In zone, I think we had some times we got scored on on a lot of round. It’s not easy to create offence for top guys in the playoffs. And penalties late when we got to too much time in our D-zone. We weren’t (Connor) McDavid and (Auston) Matthews and (Mitch) Marner, I mean, aggressive enough and didn’t get clears and changes. So it cost us at on and on.” times, and just a little bit of lack of execution here and there.

Obviously, not all offensive superstars have trouble producing in the “Not to make any excuses, but this season, with not a lot of practice time, playoffs; the Tampa Bay Lightning’s big guns are largely why they have a not even a lot of time to just discuss things, where there was so much great chance of repeating as Stanley Cup champions. But there is also a going on and adding a coaching change in there, the penalty kill was reason the saying goes that defence wins championships. trying to work at it as we went. I think we did build confidence by the end of the season, and I think it’s showing now, and it’s really a credit to the The Canadiens have done an excellent job of containing their opponents’ players that are doing the job.” best players. On top of the three Golden Knights forwards mentioned earlier, we decided to isolate the three best regular-season producers for This is probably getting old, but you need to look at who is guarding the the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets (leaving out John Tavares net, too. Price has a .948 save percentage on the penalty kill in this and Mark Scheifele since they each played in only one game) to see how year’s playoffs. Canadiens goaltenders had an .861 save percentage in the Canadiens have been able to contain them at five-on-five. the regular season.

The difference between expected and actual goals says a lot about the Certainly doesn’t hurt when you have that. role Carey Price has played in shutting down these threats through three We have heard Dominique Ducharme say it countless times about Cole rounds. According to Evolving-Hockey, Price is second in this year’s Caufield, how every time he is told to do something, to change a little playoffs in goals saved above average in all situations (behind Andrei something in his game, a tiny detail, he does so. More than the offensive Vasilevskiy) and third in goals saved above expected (behind Vasilevskiy spark Caufield provides — he is riding a five-game point streak after his and Connor Hellebuyck). breakaway goal in Game 3 and has a point in six of his past seven Against the big offensive machines of the Leafs and Jets, Price allowed games — it is this aspect of his approach to the game that stands out to roughly half of what Evolving-Hockey’s expected goal model projected. the coaching staff.

The sample is much smaller against the Golden Knights, and the strong Richardson is no different. goals-per-60 numbers for Pacioretty and Marchessault come from goals “Cole’s been great,” Richardson said Saturday. “He’s energetic, the guys scored by defencemen on which they did not have much of a direct love him; he’s not just an offensive guy that cheats the game. Anything impact. we give him in video on the responsibility away from the puck, But after keeping Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake defensively, he’s implementing it in his game. You can see it every day in Wheeler far away from the slot, the Canadiens are doing the same thing the video, he’s getting better and better, and it’s not taking away from his with Stone and Pacioretty. offence at all.”

Phillip Danault has contributed to the team’s success in this area — he This is an aspect of Caufield that is not new. It is rooted in the Canadiens was on the ice for roughly 50 percent of the five-on-five minutes played taking their time with his development and asking him to return to the by Matthews, Marner, Wheeler, Stone and Pacioretty — but it is worth University of Wisconsin for a second year of college hockey, which mentioning that according to Natural Stat Trick, the nine players in the resulted in winning a gold medal at the World Junior Championship with table above averaged more scoring chances against Danault than they Team USA and the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in men’s NCAA did against his teammates, which can be explained, in part, by all the hockey. defensive-zone faceoffs Danault is asked to take. His coach at Wisconsin, Tony Granato, appeared on the “Ray and Dregs” In 14 playoff games, the Canadiens allowed those nine players to score podcast with Darren Dreger and Granato’s brother-in-law, Ray Ferraro, two goals and 13 assists combined. This is a big part of the reason they on Friday and shared a story of what Caufield did as soon as he got the find themselves in such a good position today. news from Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin that he would be returning to Madison for a second season. We just saw the statistics of the best opposing forwards at even strength against the Canadiens, but the penalty kill is another strong link in that “From that day of that conversation with Montreal, he put a list down of defensive chain. things he thought he needed to improve on,” Granato said. “He asked for my opinion, he asked for Rob Ramage’s opinion, who’s real big on their Just listen to Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith after the Game 3 loss. player development side of things. And I can tell you right now, every day he looked at it and said: ‘Am I doing this? Can I be better at this? Am I “There are a lot of problems (on the power play) — I don’t think you can polishing my game in these areas so when I do leave Wisconsin, I can be pinpoint just one,” Smith said. “Our breakouts have been bad. We’re not ready to play in Montreal?’ doing a good job handling pressure. We’re not releasing the puck very well. And we’re not doing a good job crashing the net and picking up “So I’ve got to tell you, from a coach’s perspective, I admire the kid because the hard conversation he had with (Bergevin) last year … he didn’t pout, he didn’t come back here hanging his head. He came in here on a mission to do exactly what was asked of him.”

One of the items on that list, Granato said, was how to make his teammates better, how to be a better playmaker, and we have seen that repeatedly from Caufield in the playoffs. The best example Granato could think of was the two-on-none break Caufield had with Suzuki in Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs when Suzuki passed it to him and Caufield immediately passed it back for Suzuki to score.

“Last year, 100 out of 100 times he would have shot the puck in the net and the game would have been over,” Granato said.

This is a significant development for the Canadiens because Caufield’s continued improvement in other areas over the playoffs means he will be on the ice more often in more important situations, putting him in a position to make a difference with his best element, which is his ability to score in an instant. That is what we saw in Game 3 against Vegas, just moments after an awful giveaway from Eric Staal allowed the Golden Knights to take the lead when Caufield scored on a breakaway set up by Suzuki.

And when overtime started, Caufield was on the ice.

“He’s a game breaker,” Richardson said. “He’s playing with passion, and that’s what this time of year is all about. He’s a great kid, willing to learn, and he’s fitting in really well with the group.”

It is foolish to blame the outcome of any game on officiating. It rarely has a direct impact on the result and is often a needless distraction.

Having said that, the officiating from Chris Lee and Dan O’Rourke in Game 3 was poor, and it worked both ways. Again, it did not necessarily have an impact on the outcome, but it could have.

When Marchessault swung wildly at a puck in the air in the Canadiens zone and instead of hitting the puck hit Corey Perry in the face, opening a gash on his nose, it went uncalled. Any of the four officials could have called it, but they did not.

There are only two reasons they did not. Either they didn’t see it, and that happens, or they determined that since Marchessault was making a play on the puck, his swing was considered a follow through and therefore not a penalty, which would be ludicrous. Considering the puck was right there and any of the four officials could have blown the whistle, it is difficult to believe none of them saw it — which would leave us with door No. 2.

When you consider that O’Rourke was coming off another officiating fiasco in Game 2 of the other semifinal series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders, it makes you wonder why he was working again so soon. In that game, O’Rourke called star Lightning centre Brayden Point for goaltender interference even though he was clearly pushed into Semyon Varlamov by defenceman Adam Pelech.

Thanks to the NHL’s “Quest for the Stanley Cup” series, we know O’Rourke’s reasoning on the play.

“I know he got pushed … these are two top-end goaltenders, and we want to protect those guys, all right?” O’Rourke tells Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. “And I don’t think that’s a good play.”

That game also featured the Lightning scoring a goal with seven players on the ice, and it wasn’t just any goal but the one that gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead they never relinquished.

Mistakes happen, but at this time of the year, there is supposed to be some effort made to limit them, which is why it was surprising to see O’Rourke back in action so quickly.

And, according to a source, we can expect to see Lee and O’Rourke again in Game 4.

The Canadiens and Golden Knights — and their respective fans — would be best served by listening to Lightning coach Jon Cooper after that penalty call to Point.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216105 New York Islanders Bailey pump-faked and roofed a wrister through traffic off the rush over Andrei Vasilievsky’s glove to open scoring 5:30 into the second. He received a beautiful backhand feed from Brock Nelson coming off a skillful drop pass along the left wall from Anthony Beauvillier. Ryan Pulock saves Islanders in Game 4 win over Lightning Pulock had turned the Lighting over at the Isles’ blue line to jump start the attack.

By PAT LEONARD Barzal made it 2-0 at 13:46 into an open net off a Clutterbuck rebound through a Kyle Palmieri screen that had blinded Lightning goalie Andrei NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Vaselevskiy (27 saves). Then Martin scored on a backhand rebound at JUN 19, 2021 AT 11:06 PM Martin was missing brother-in-law Gunnar Esiason’s wedding on Saturday due to a scheduling conflict, so it was special to make Game 4 count with the goal and a physical, impactful effort. Ryan Pulock and the Islanders refused to wave goodbye to Nassau Coliseum on Saturday night. Instead, Pulock used his hands to make an “My heart is obviously with them, but it’s here, as well,” Martin said with a incredible, game-saving stop in the crease as time expired on a heart- smile. stopping 3-2 Isles Game 4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Point now has scored a goal in an astounding seven straight games for “Everybody’s breath just got taken away,” top center Mathew Barzal said. Tampa, and the ability of the Lightning skill players to flip the switch in “I thought it was going in. Just a remarkable play. Not gonna be forgetting Saturday’s third period was a reminder that nothing about this series will that one.” be easy.

The Lightning already had roared back to within one from a 3-0 deficit at But Barry Trotz was proud that his team showed a “better commitment to second intermission. And in the final seconds, with Tampa shorthanded make it harder for them” than they had in their Game 3 home loss. And and the visitors’ net empty, defenseman Ryan McDonagh spun around a thanks to Pulock, the diminutive bench boss was even able to poke fun at diving Brock Nelson and a lunging Semyon Varlamov to slide a backhand himself and the nervous ending. shot along the ice for the tying goal. “Everybody was standing up on the bench [at the end], and I’m not really The Islanders’ crease was empty. that tall, so I took a peak and… it looked like it was going in the net,” Trotz said. “Your heart sinks there for a second,” said Matt Martin, whose first goal of the playoffs stood as Saturday’s game-winner. “I would say,” the coach added with a wink, “it was never in doubt.”

But Pulock slid across the blue paint with his gloves and stick down, stopped the shot with 2.7 seconds to play, and then guided the bouncing New York Daily News LOADED: 06.20.2021 puck out of harm’s way.

“The net was open,” Pulock said. “I just tried to make myself big and take it away.”

The Coliseum went from loud to deafening. Some hands were on heads, some hands were in the air. Pulock’s teammates mobbed him. All 12,978 fans knew what this meant: this Stanley Cup semifinal series is even at two games apiece, guaranteeing a Game 6 at the old barn on Wednesday.

“I played a little goalie in maybe street hockey, but that’s about it,” Pulock, 26, said of his experience tending the net. “The situation we’re in, how deep we are in the playoffs, how important these games are, there’s probably no situation like this that I’ve had before. It feels good to score goals, but when you can save the game like that and get a win like that, it’s a good feeling.”

Indeed, if the Islanders end up raising the Stanley Cup this spring, Pulock’s save would have its own chapter in the storybook ending of Islander hockey on Hempstead Turnpike.

“That was a special play,” Josh Bailey said.

Barry Trotz’s troops were on their toes and on the puck for 40 minutes. Bailey, Barzal and Martin all scored in a second period eruption, with Cal Clutterbuck and Adam Pelech collecting two assists apiece.

But Lightning forwards Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson both tallied in the first seven minutes of the third period to draw within a goal and put the entire building on edge for the final 13 minutes and change.

This was only secure when Varlamov (28 saves) denied a wide-open Nikita Kucherov with six minutes left; when the Isles’ fourth line regained control of the puck and momentum with four minutes remaining; when Clutterbuck drew a tripping penalty on Victor Hedman with 1:12 to play; and of course, when Pulock made the save of the season to-date.

An Islander loss on Saturday would have given the Lightning a 3-1 series lead with the ability to close it out at home on Monday, which would have made Saturday the final game here before next season’s move to brand new UBS Arena at Belmont Park.

Not so fast.

The Islanders built a barrage of quality chances in Saturday’s scoreless first period, and then the dam broke in the middle frame. 1216106 New York Islanders

Islanders’ second-period dominance continues

By Mollie Walker

June 20, 2021 | 3:22am

The Islanders have been a second-period team for the entire postseason, owning a league-high plus-10 goal differential in the middle frame heading into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup semifinals.

They added three to that number Saturday night, which propelled the Islanders to a 3-2 win over the Lightning at Nassau Coliseum. After a scoreless first period, the Islanders took charge of the game and, behind goals from Josh Bailey, Mathew Barzal and Matt Martin, took a commanding 3-0 lead over Tampa Bay heading into the final 20 minutes.

“Obviously, we had a huge surge in the second period,” head coach Barry Trotz said after the win, which evened the series 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Monday night in Tampa.

“Our game was good. I know that we probably had more chances when I look at the game. Our 60-minute game was pretty decent other than the seven or eight minutes where they surged on us.”

The Lightning, who scored twice early in the third period to pull within one before falling short, gave up as many goals in the second period Saturday as they had allowed in their previous four road games combined. It was just the sixth time Tampa Bay has given up three or more goals this postseason.

Josh Bailey celebrates with teammates after scoring a second-period goal in the Islanders’ 3-2 win over the Lightning.

“The second period can be dangerous for any team, in terms of getting guys stuck out there” said Martin, who scored the game-winner at 17:57 of the third. “I think we’re a team that likes to get the puck in on the forecheck and be physical and kind of roll lines over. I think we have a lot of unselfish guys and make changes at the right time that give the next line a good opportunity to score a goal.

“I think it’s the physicality of hemming teams in, trying to use that to our advantage as much as possible.”

Trotz has seen the evolution of the Lightning firsthand.

After defeating Tampa Bay in seven games in the 2018 conference final on the way to his first Stanley Cup with the Capitals, Trotz knows exactly what has changed about the Lightning since then. And considering the Lightning had to defeat the Islanders to get to their Stanley Cup win last season in the bubble playoffs, Trotz likely knows better than most how Tampa Bay has sustained its success as well.

“To me, the biggest evolution, [from] an opposing coach, they went out and they got balanced,” Trotz said. “They can beat you with a grind game and a defensive game. I think in the earlier years, they weren’t going to beat you with the defensive game, they would get frustrated if they didn’t outscore you. To me, they’ve got a really great balance.”

The Islanders have a league-leading six players with 10 or more points this postseason: Jean-Gabriel Pageau (13), Josh Bailey (13), Anthony Beauvillier (12), Mathew Barzal (12), Brock Nelson (12) and Jordan Eberle (10).

New York Post LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216107 New York Islanders

Matt Martin delivers for Islanders while missing Esiason wedding

By David Lazar

June 20, 2021 | 2:39am

When someone says “Islanders,” many things can come to mind. Good stuff: a historic dynasty, Nassau Coliseum. And even bad stuff: Mike Millbury, John Spano and Barclays Center.

But perhaps nobody represents the Islanders more than depth forward Matt Martin. The 32-year-old has proudly donned the blue and orange crest for 10 seasons spanning across two tenures. And Saturday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup semifinals, he had one of his best moments yet.

Martin scored a goal on a silky backhander in the Islanders’ 3-2 win at the Coliseum, to help tie the series against the Lighting at 2-2. He corralled a loose puck, patiently skated to his right and sent a backhander over goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy’s shoulder.

Earlier in the shift, the gritty veteran did what he often does. He took a puck off his chest, showing his toughness, then made up for a missed scoring chance, showing his perseverance.

It sent the home crowd into a frenzy, and it sent another crowd into a frenzy, too — at brother-in-law Gunnar Esiason’s wedding.

Matt Martin scored a goal during the Islanders’ 3-2 win over the Lightning in Game 4 on Saturday.

“[The Esiasons] are a hockey family. They are having a great time watching us play,” Martin said. “Obviously, I’m very happy with the position we are in. We’ve been chasing this for a long time. My heart is obviously with them, but here as well, and I am happy we could get a win tonight.”

Esiason and Darcy Cunningham were being married as the puck dropped in Game 4. Martin, husband of WFAN host and former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason’s daughter Sydney, was going to be a groomsman, but the game changed his plans.

“They’ll still have a great night, and obviously really happy for them and what they’re about to experience in their young lives and, at the same time, extremely focused on what we’ve got going on here,” Martin said prior to the series. “This is what we play all year for so we’re excited to continue this journey.”

The wedding was scheduled before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the family thought the NHL playoffs would be long over by this time. When the schedule changed, Martin kept an eye on whether he’d be busy on his brother-in-law’s big day, and he was.

Though Martin was miles away, he enhanced the monumental celebration, giving his family something else to laugh, cry and cheer about, like he usually does.

“It was mom’s birthday [June 17]. Father’s day is tomorrow. Gunnar and Darcy’s wedding is today,” Martin said. “I told my mom I would get her a goal the other night and didn’t. I was able to get her an assist and she was happy with that. Obviously, I am very happy for Gunnar and Darcy.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216108 New York Islanders to [make the play],” Pulock said. “You hear the sound of the clock going and the boys jump on you. It’s a good feeling.”

Understatement, anyone? There’s never been anything like Ryan Pulock’s miraculous Islanders “It’s playoffs. Nothing should surprise anybody, really,” said head coach stop Barry Trotz, whose Islanders played with verve, confidence and to their Identity in building the 3-0 lead and then settled back in after the Lightning closed to 3-2. “That’s the great thing about our game. By Larry Brooks “We can bring you out of your seats right ’til the last minute. What a save June 20, 2021 | 1:28am by Poolie. That will be remembered.”

Trotz, who stands 5-foot-9, couldn’t see the madness to his right that was unfolding. So the coach looked up at the scoreboard video screen. Bob Nystrom scored in overtime at the Coliseum and so did Ken Morrow. Mike Bossy once struck twice late in the third period to get his 50-in-50. “Everyone was standing up and I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m not Bryan Trottier had a five-goal night. There was Double Chili. John Tonelli that tall,” he said. “I tried to take a peek up at the scoreboard real quick scored late in a Game 5 against the Penguins and then again in overtime and all I saw was Nellie sliding, McDonagh turned, Varly came out to to save it all. The Dynasty did victory laps at Nassau Coliseum in three of challenge and it looked like it was going in the net. their four Stanley Cup victories. “Then obviously Poolie came through and slid across and saved the day But there had never been anything like this at the Old Barn. for us.”

I’d venture to say there has never been anything like this, anywhere. The coach then made a little joke.

Hockey, ladies and gentlemen. “I would never it was never in doubt,” he said.

Playoff hockey. The final moment overshadowed what had been a fantastic game. This had pace. This had tempo. This would have been a classic befitting the There were seconds remaining in Saturday’s pulsating Game 4 of the Barn and its heritage, regardless. Stanley Cup semifinals. The Islanders were desperately attempting to preserve a 3-2 lead over the Lightning, the teams were five-on-five with But then came the final second. Then came history. More history at the Tampa Bay’s goaltender pulled while shorthanded, killing a penalty. Coliseum.

The game had been frantic from the start, the Islanders scoring three I’ve never seen anything like it. times within a second-period span of 12:27 to take a 3-0 lead, the Lightning scoring twice within the first 6:43 of the third, and there we were. New York Post LOADED: 06.20.2021 The Islanders played keepaway on their power play, going into a four- corners prevent offense. Finally, the puck came out. Finally, the puck was deep in the Islanders zone. Finally, Nikita Kucherov found Ryan McDonagh all alone in the left circle.

Ryan Pulock make a game-saving stop in the Islanders’ Game 4 win on Saturday.

There were about four seconds to go.

Brock Nelson took a desperate lunge at McDonagh, who is having himself a great, throwback series as if it were 2014 and he were wearing Rangers Blue. McDonagh pulled a Denis Savard, eluding Nelson with a spin-o-rama. Netminder Semyon Varlamov charged out. The net was empty behind him.

McDonagh sent a backhander toward that empty net. There was about a second left. Time stood still. The deafening roar of the crowd crawled into every spectator’s throat and was swallowed up in fearful anticipation. The game was about to be tied. The game was about to go into overtime.

And then … and then … the game was over.

The game was over because Ryan Pulock, materializing out of nowhere like a superhero, somehow came across the crease and got his right glove on the puck before it could cross the goal line and then managed to swat it aside where it harmlessly spun. The Islanders pounded and surrounded No. 6 with glee and celebrated as if there were no tomorrow.

But of course, there are at least two more tomorrows coming for the Islanders, now 2-2 in the series with Game 5 set for Monday night in Tampa. And there is at least one more tomorrow for the Old Barn, which will host Game 6 on Wednesday.

History meeting the present. History becoming history of its own.

“I think everybody’s breath was kind of taken away when that puck was coming,” said Mathew Barzal, who had scored the 2-0 goal and was watching from the bench. “I thought they … I thought it was going in and then just a miraculous play by Poolie, so I’m not going to be forgetting that one.”

A Miracle on Ice.

“McDonagh made a heck of a play with the spin-o-rama, the net was open and I just tried to make myself big and take it away and I was able 1216109 New York Islanders “It’s gonna be a tough Game 5,” Bailey said. “[This] was a win we felt we needed, and we got it. Now, we’re gonna move forward and turn the page and start getting ready for the next one.”

Islanders even series thanks to Ryan Pulock’s unreal save

New York Post LOADED: 06.20.2021

By Mollie Walker

June 19, 2021 | 10:55pm | Updated

The Islanders are in a much better position this time around.

With a 3-2 win at Nassau Coliseum on Saturday night, the Islanders evened their Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Lightning at two games apiece heading back to Tampa for Game 5, which is set for Monday at 8 p.m.

During the Eastern Conference final against the Lightning in the bubble playoffs last season, the Islanders always trailed Tampa Bay by at least one game and had their backs against the wall in the final two contests of that series. It was a constant battle to catch up before they were ultimately knocked out in six games.

Now, after the teams exchanged wins through the first four games of this series, it’ll be a best-of-three to decide who will advance to the Stanley Cup Final. And Saturday’s victory ensures the Islanders will get to come back to The Barn at least one more time: for Game 6, which is set for Wednesday night.

“We’re just going to stay the course,” said Matt Martin, who scored the game-winner at 17:57 of the second period. “I said that after the last game, after a loss, that we thought we played a good enough game in and just came out on the wrong end of it. We’re only halfway home.

Mat Barzal celebrates his goal in the Islanders’ win over the Lightning in Game 4 on Saturday.

“We’ll enjoy this one, but there’s still a long way to go here and we’ve got to stay focused, get ready for the next one.”

Despite a monster three-goal performance by the Islanders in the second period, the Lightning willed themselves back into the game early in the third. Brayden Point, who extended his scoring streak to seven games, and Tyler Johnson both scored in the span of 2:58 early in the third period to make it a one-goal game.

Head coach Barry Trotz called a timeout and his Islanders settled down to keep the Lightning from tying the game. In the final seconds, Tampa Bay’s Ryan McDonagh spun around to get a shot off while luring Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov out of his net, but Ryan Pulock dove at the goal line to save the win.

“I didn’t have to say a lot,” Trotz said of his message to the team during the timeout. “This group is pretty mature. I just said, ‘Listen, we have 10 minutes to go, we’ve been here before, let’s just take a deep breath and worry about taking care of business.’ You can’t look back, so just look forward.

“We were still winning the game with almost 10 minutes to go and to me, that was a really good sign. Our bench wasn’t panicking, we just took a deep breath and said, ‘Let’s go to work.’ ”

The Islanders continued their dominant streak in second periods this postseason. Josh Bailey got things started after taking a backhanded pass from Brock Nelson and wristing it home from the high slot to give his team a 1-0 lead 5 ½ minutes into the middle frame.

The Islanders celebrate their Game 4 win.

It was the Islanders’ seventh shot of the game, and the Coliseum crowd made sure to show Bailey their appreciation by serenading him with his signature chant.

As the Lightning tried to contain the Islanders, who were swarming, Cal Clutterbuck’s long shot from the blue line rebounded right to Mathew Barzal for the wide-open putback at 13:46. Then the Islanders’ fourth “Identity” line began to buzz, resulting in Martin’s backhander that beat Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to make it a 3-0 game.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper challenged the goal for offside, but it was upheld to send Tampa Bay on its second penalty kill of the game. 1216110 New York Islanders

‘Really dangerous’ Brayden Point causing Islanders problems

By Mollie Walker

June 19, 2021 | 4:33pm | Updated

Before the Islanders’ Stanley Cup semifinal series against Tampa Bay even began, Mathew Barzal said he likes to “pick things out” of the game of the Lightning’s Brayden Point to apply to his own.

Considering both players are the top-line centers for their respective teams, it’s understandable why Barzal would want to analyze what has made Point so successful. Especially with how dominant Point has been over the past two postseasons.

“I think any time you watch Pointer play, you have an appreciation for the things he can do on the ice and his work ethic,” Barzal said Friday. “I think he’s one of the hardest competitors in the league, just competes really hard in every zone. I don’t think my appreciation has grown, I think it just continually grows and every time he’s on the ice you really get an appreciation for just how hard he works and how smart of a player he really is.”

Heading into Game 4 on Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum, Point was riding a six-game scoring streak that dated to Game 3 of the Lightning’s second-round series against the Hurricanes. The 25-year-old scored in each of the first three games of the series against the Islanders, including the game-winning goal Thursday.

Point is the 15th player in NHL postseason history to score a goal in six straight games and the only active player to achieve the feat. He is the first player to do so since Martin Havlat in 2006 with the Senators.

The Islanders’ Mat Barzal (right) defends Lightning star Brayden Point.

After Thursday’s goal, Point upped his postseason point total to 15 in 14 games. He has 11 goals and 14 assists, including six power-play goals and three game-winning tallies. Last season during the bubble playoffs, on the way to winning the Stanley Cup, Point recorded 14 goals and 19 assists — including five goals and three assists in the championship series against the Stars.

He has a knack for coming out of a tight spaces either with the puck or in dangerous scoring position. Islanders coach Barry Trotz said he felt his team did “a pretty good job against [Point’s] line, but pointed out that Point’s game-winner in Game 3 was due to defenseman Andy Greene getting caught out of position.

Trotz has acknowledged the Islanders likely won’t be able to keep Point and the rest of the Lightning’s first line, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat, off the board entirely. But it’ll be imperative to limit that trio as best they can.

“You try to take even more space,” Trotz said Saturday morning of containing Point. “The one thing that is a really dangerous thing is he can make plays when you double up on him. He still can make that high-skill play when there’s players [on him]. Players like Brayden and [Nikita] Kucherov and [Artemi] Panarin — which we know from the Rangers — they actually want you to double up on them. They want you to do certain things to them so they can open up other people. That’s the danger.

“You have to find that fine balance of limiting space and time but also not giving him lots of options. We’re just going to have to tighten things up as best as we can.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216111 New York Islanders

Islanders-Lightning Game 4 recap: Key stat, turning point, three stars, more

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated June 20, 2021 12:03 AM

Winning goal: Matt Martin’s first of the playoffs made it 3-0 at 17:57 of the second period.

Key statistic: The Islanders are the fourth team in NHL history to face a 2-1 series deficit in at least three rounds within a postseason (also 1989 Flyers, 1993 Maple Leafs and 2010 Canadiens). They have won Game 4 each time, and will now aim to become the first team to overcome a 2-1 series deficit to win three rounds in one playoff year.

Turning point: Ryan Pulock’s sliding block on Ryan McDonagh’s spinning backhander with time running out was the biggest save of the game and preserved the win.

Did you notice? National anthem singer Nicole Raviv again lowered her microphone and allowed the Nassau Coliseum crowd to take over the vocal lead, as she did in Game 3, and in Game 6 of the Isles-Bruins series. She’s been doing that since Game 4 against the Bruins, when her microphone malfunctioned and the crowd took over…The Lightning’s Pat Maroon hit Brock Nelson on the head on a post-whistle skate-by in the first period. The Islanders’ Matt Martin gave Maroon a hard jolt after the first-period buzzer.

Island Ice Ep. 101: Isles win a thrilling Game 4 vs. Lightning

Newsday's Andrew Gross, Colin Stephenson and Neil Best discuss Game 4 of the Islanders-Lightning NHL semifinals, a thrilling 3-2 win at the Coliseum to even the series at 2-2.

Other news: Islanders coach Barry Trotz kept his lineup intact despite acknowledging the day before Game 4 he was considering inserting Oliver Wahlstrom for the first time since the rookie RW suffered a lower- body injury in Game 5 of the first-round series against the Penguins…Carolina Hurricanes D Jaccob Slavin was announced as the Lady Byng Trophy winner as the NHL’s most gentlemanly player. Islanders D Ryan Pulock finished ninth in the balloting with 65 points and RW Josh Bailey was 17th with 28 points. Slavin garnered 827 points.

Three stars

1. Ryan Pulock (Islanders). Three blocked shots, but that last one saved the game for the Isles.

2. Matt Martin (Islanders). Of course he would score the winning goal on the night his brother-in-law got married.

3. Brayden Point (Tampa Bay). Goals in seven straight playoff games? His 12th of the postseason got the Lightning back in the game.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216112 New York Islanders before. Let’s just take a deep breath and worry about taking care of business.’ "

Bailey gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 5:30 of a one-sided second Islanders turn back furious Lightning push in Game 4 to even series at 2- period. Brock Nelson found him coming off the bench and cutting to the 2 slot.

The Islanders made it 2-0 at 13:46 of the period as Mathew Barzal easily knocked in a rebound after Vasilevskiy could not control Cal By Andrew Gross Clutterbuck’s initial shot. [email protected] @AGrossNewsday The Islanders, who held a 17-9 shot advantage in the period, continued to hem in the Lightning, and Martin’s backhander at 17:57 made it 3-0. Updated June 20, 2021 12:55 AM Trotz, who has steadfastly insisted that pesky Leo Komarov works best

with Barzal and Jordan Eberle, switched Kyle Palmieri to the top line four Ryan Pulock was all that stood between the puck and a potentially shifts into the first period. Komarov was flip-flopped to Palmieri’s spot on devastating result for the Islanders. Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s left wing along with Travis Zajac.

With goalie Semyon Varlamov out of position, the Lightning’s Ryan Trotz alternated how he used his left wings in the third period. McDonagh launched a spinning backhander with a second left in "It’s something I’ve been contemplating each game," he said. "These are regulation that headed toward an open net. going to be low-scoring games. I don’t think we can get into a track meet "Your heart sinks there for a second," Matt Martin said. "A heck of a play with this team. They finish so well." by Pulls to save the day there. That’s the kind of desperation all our players play with. A huge play. A game-saving situation." Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.20.2021 Pulock, with only street hockey experience as a netminder, expanded his 6-2, 215-pound frame, got his glove on the shot and knocked it away from danger. Then the buzzer sounded on the Islanders’ 3-2 win in Game 4 on Saturday night, evening the NHL semifinal series at two games apiece and guaranteeing at least one more playoff game at Nassau Coliseum.

Island Ice Ep. 101: Isles win a thrilling Game 4 vs. Lightning

Newsday's Andrew Gross, Colin Stephenson and Neil Best discuss Game 4 of the Islanders-Lightning NHL semifinals, a thrilling 3-2 win at the Coliseum to even the series at 2-2.

Pulock’s teammates mobbed him. "That’s a special play," Josh Bailey said. "Game-saving play. Huge."

Depending on how the rest of this playoff run goes, it could become the best defensive play in Islanders history.

"McDonagh got a puck walking down and Varly came out and challenged," Pulock said of the last of his three blocked shots. "He made a heck of a play with the spin-o-rama and the net was open. I just tried to make myself big and take it away. You hear the sound of the clock going. All the boys jump on you. It’s a good feeling."

"I just tried to get something on net," McDonagh said. "Great play by their defenseman. Desperation and he comes up with a huge block."

Islanders coach Barry Trotz said he had not seen a game end like that in the playoffs.

"But it’s the playoffs, and nothing should surprise anybody, really," he said. "That’s the great thing about our game. We can bring you out of your seats right until the last minute."

The Islanders scored three goals while dominating the second period and then withstood a frantic comeback attempt in the third by the Lightning.

The Islanders rallied from 2-1 deficits against the Penguins in the first round and the Bruins in the second. Game 5 is Monday night at Amalie Arena. Game 6, now necessary, will be back at the Coliseum on Wednesday night.

Varlamov made 28 saves, none bigger than denying Nikita Kucherov’s one-timer from the slot at 14:24 of the third period. The Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 shots.

The third period certainly was heart-stopping for the Islanders as the Lightning quickly cut their lead to 3-2.

Brayden Point extended his goal streak to seven games, beating Varlamov off the rush at 3:45. Tyler Johnson followed with another snipe at 6:43 as the Islanders struggled defensively.

But Trotz called a timeout after Johnson’s goal and the Islanders resumed playing a more structured game.

"I didn’t have to say a lot," Trotz said. "This group is a pretty mature group. I just said, ‘Listen, we have 10 minutes to go. We’ve been here 1216113 New York Islanders Games 3 and 4 for the wedding, but now there is guaranteed to be at least one more game at the Coliseum for her to attend.

The Martin goal survived a coach’s challenge by the Lightning, who Matt Martin was the Islanders' best man in Game 4 win at the Coliseum asserted the Islanders had been offside earlier in the sequence.The goal was confirmed, and Martin got to continue his unexpected wedding night role as hockey toastmaster.

Updated June 20, 2021 12:33 AM The Esiason/Martin family drama was another sign of something special going on with these Islanders. Same with the way the game ended, as

defenseman Ryan Pulock made a save on Tampa Bay’s Ryan Matt Martin was supposed to be a groomsman in Massachusetts. McDonagh in the waning seconds to keep the puck out of an open net. Instead, he was best man at Nassau Coliseum. There was the usual rough stuff along the way, as always led by Martin First he scored what proved to be the winning goal in Saturday night’s 3- and linemates Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. 2 victory over the Lightning in Game 4 of a Stanley Cup semifinal. Then After the Lightning scored twice in the third to put a scare into the crowd, he was introduced to another raucous crowd as the No. 1 star for the Martin knocked Erik Cernak out of the game with a devastating check night, capping an extraordinary personal and professional day. and fans began chanting Martin’s name — a displaced member of the It was another improbable plot twist to the Islanders’ playoff story, one wedding party who found another party rocking in Uniondale. that has them two victories from their first Stanley Cup Final since 1984.

Martin had been minding his business most of the night doing what he By Neil Best does — hitting people — and the Islanders led 2-0 late in the second period. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.20.2021 Then, at 17:57 of the period, he gathered a rebound and flipped a backhanded shot over the head of goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to make it 3- 0. It turned out to be the deciding goal.

It was the first goal of the playoffs for Martin, and it came while his wife, daughter, parents-in-law, brother-in-law and new sister-in-law were busy at a wedding reception in Massachusetts. Perfect.

Martin’s father-in-law is former NFL quarterback and current WFAN morning host Boomer Esiason, and his wife is Esiason’s daughter, Sydney.

When Esiason’s son, Gunnar, set his wedding date to Darcy Cunningham for June 19, it was with the knowledge that the Stanley Cup Final always is over by then. But that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s playoffs will end about a month later than usual. Oops.

Island Ice Ep. 101: Isles win a thrilling Game 4 vs. Lightning

Newsday's Andrew Gross, Colin Stephenson and Neil Best discuss Game 4 of the Islanders-Lightning NHL semifinals, a thrilling 3-2 win at the Coliseum to even the series at 2-2.

Martin said the personal circumstances of Saturday night "absolutely" added another layer of coolness to his performance.

"It was my mom’s birthday the 17th and Father’s Day tomorrow and Gunnar and Darcy’s wedding today," he said. "I told my mom I was going to get her a goal the other night [in Game 3] and didn’t, so I was able to get her an assist and she was happy with that.

"Honestly, very happy for Gunnar and Darcy. They’re a hockey family, the Esiasons, and they’re having a great time watching us play, and obviously very happy for the position that we’re in and obviously know that I’ve been chasing this for a long time.

"So my heart obviously is with them but here as well, and happy we were able to get a win tonight."

Martin, 32, is exceptionally close to Gunnar, 30, who has waged a public battle with cystic fibrosis since he was a toddler.

"One of the greatest things that’s ever happened to Gunnar is that his sister married Matt," Esiason told Newsday last week. "Matt has been the kindest, greatest friend that Gunnar could ever ask for."

He added, "Matt’s impact on Gunnar has been immeasurable. When Sydney and Matt were dating and Gunnar was at home and really sick, Matt would be over and hang out with Gunnar and they would do their video game thing. He became like a big brother to Gunnar."

Esiason said Matt, Sydney, Gunnar and Darcy all are close with one another.

Sydney posted a video on Twitter of her dancing at the reception with a cardboard cutout of Martin in his Islanders uniform. Usually a fixture among the Islanders’ wives and girlfriends at the Coliseum, she missed 1216114 New York Islanders the Coliseum. The Islanders saved face by winning Game 4 before losing the series in five.

But neither of the games at the Coliseum in that series could quite match Why Islanders and Nets hosting big playoff games on same night is what the Islanders and Lightning were facing on Saturday night. historically significant The Islanders have reached the NHL final four against Tampa Bay for the second year in a row, but last year that drama unfolded in an empty arena in Edmonton. Updated June 19, 2021 8:25 PM A full arena on Long Island was much better, with the added tension that came from it perhaps being the last game there forever.

The Islanders played their biggest game at Nassau Coliseum since 1984 Some fans no doubt would check their phones during TV timeouts and on Saturday night, which sounds like a big deal until you consider what intermissions to see what was going on in Brooklyn. was going on about 23 miles to the west. And vice versa. That was where the Nets were hosting the Bucks in Game 7 of a second- round NBA playoff series, which only was the biggest sports event held in Brooklyn since Game 7 of the 1956 World Series. By Neil Best So to review: One arena was hosting its most important hockey game Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.20.2021 since the first Reagan Administration, and the other was hosting its borough’s most important game of any kind since the first Eisenhower Administration.

But that is not what made the confluence of events on Saturday so cool.

Fans cheer as Mike James #55 of the Brooklyn Nets \hb against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game One of the Second Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Credit: Steven Ryan

(Well, actually, it was not so cool that the leagues and their TV partners gave us simultaneous Islanders and Nets playoff games Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. But that is another story.)

The historical wrinkle was that the two franchises have a long, entwined history, which some of the time would have meant that a night such as Saturday was a logistical impossibility.

When the Islanders began playing at the Coliseum in the autumn of 1972, the arena already had been christened as a sports venue when the Nets hosted the Pittsburgh Condors there on Feb. 11, 1972.

Rick Barry scored 45 points and Billy Paultz 26 in the Nets’ 129-121 win. Attendance was 7,892, and not because of pandemic capacity restrictions.

Roy Boe owned pieces of both franchises and continued to do so through the Nets’ ABA championship years of 1974 and ’76.

So the Islanders and Nets obviously could not host playoff games at the same time in that era. But there still were conflicts of the sort that has gone on this past week.

When the Nets and Nuggets met in the 1976 ABA Finals, their first three games were on the same days – May 1, 4 and 6 – as Islanders playoff games against the Canadiens.

But the Nets started with two games on the road, then came home for Game 3. The Islanders were at home for the first two days, then on the road for the third.

The Nets left Long Island for New Jersey in 1977 and moved to Brooklyn in 2012. In 2015, the Islanders followed them there, and for parts of five seasons they again were co-tenants.

The Islanders last played a home game at Barclays in March of 2020, and this autumn they will move to UBS Arena at Belmont Park, about nine miles from the Barclays Center.

There is one other thing the Islanders and Nets have in common, which is that they are not the Rangers or Knicks, and thus forever viewed as being in the shadows of their more established counterparts.

But all that has changed late this spring, with the teams that shared both the Coliseum and Barclays Center having gone into Saturday night looking continue rocking their respective barns, while the Rangers and Knicks are long gone.

The Islanders needed a victory in Game 4 against the Lightning to ensure it would not be the last game they played the Coliseum.

The last time the building hosted an NHL semifinal was in 1993, when the Canadiens won the first two games in Montreal, then won Game 3 at 1216115 New York Islanders

Islanders play-by-play voice Brendan Burke to call Game 5 for NBCSN in place of Kenny Albert

By Neil Best [email protected] @sportswatch

Updated June 19, 2021 6:21 PM

Brendan Burke will fill in for Kenny Albert as the play-by-play man for Game 5 of the Islanders’ Stanley Cup semifinal against the Lightning on Monday on NBCSN.

Albert will miss the game to attend his daughter’s high school graduation.

Burke, the Islanders’ regular play-by-play man on MSG+, often does national games for NBC, but this will be his first game in the season’s semifinals. John Forslund is calling the Golden Knights-Canadiens series.

Analysts Ed Olczyk and Brian Boucher will work the game with Burke, as they have been doing with Albert.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216116 New York Islanders Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.20.2021

Brock Nelson's line could be key as Islanders enter Game 4 against Lightning

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated June 19, 2021 3:07 PM

The Islanders need Brock Nelson and his linemates, Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey, in the offensive zone as much as they do in the defensive zone.

So, any scoring production struggles must be compartmentalized and not allowed to seep into their 200-foot game.

"You try to think about all of it and separate it," Nelson said. "You’d like to contribute offensively and help a team win a game. You’re trying to generate some sort of momentum for the team. There are different ways. If one’s not going, try to get to the other one. You’ve just got to go out there and play the game that is."

The trio had combined for just one goal and one assist against the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning entering Saturday night’s crucial Game 4 of the NHL semifinal series at Nassau Coliseum with the Islanders needing a win to guarantee at least one more playoff match at the venerable barn.

The Islanders have now fallen into 2-1 series deficits in all three postseason rounds, rallying for six-game victories against the Penguins and then the Bruins, and this series shifts back to Amalie Arena for Monday night’s Game 5.

At the same time, Nelson’s line has often been tasked with the difficult defensive assignment of tracking the Lightning’s potent top trio of Brayden Point between Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov.

Point scored the late second-period winner in the Lightning’s 2-1 victory in Thursday night’s Game 3, albeit seconds after a power play expired and with the Islanders’ penalty killers and not Nelson’s line on the ice.

Point had a goal in each of the first three games of the series, Kucherov had five assists and Palat had also chipped in with a goal.

Beauvillier entered Game 4 without a goal in his previous four games while Bailey had one assist in the series. The Islanders were held to five goals over the series’ first three games.

"Yeah, not a great night," Nelson, who had a power-play goal in the Islanders’ 4-2 loss in Game 2 at Amalie Arena, said of his line’s Game 3 performance. "Space is tough out there. It’s tough to generate chances. They’ve got a good team, a good 'D' corps. They track back hard and [goalie Andrei] Vasilevskiy makes the saves when they need."

Yet the Islanders were able to rely on Nelson’s line in both ends through the first two rounds.

Bailey’s five goals and seven assists through the first 15 playoff games were second only to Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s three goals and 10 assists for the team’s scoring lead. Nelson (seven goals, four assists) and Beauvillier (four goals, seven assists) were in a three-way tie along with Mathew Barzal (five goals, six assists) for third place on the team’s scoring list.

Nelson’s line received a majority of the defensive shifts against Sidney Crosby’s top line for the Penguins and the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak trio for the Bruins.

"They’re a good line for us," coach Barry Trotz said. "We’re trying to keep Point’s line off the board. Just as the series before it was Bergeron’s line and the series before it was Crosby’s line. It’s not the easiest task but I thought, the last game, we did a heck of a job and it gave us an opportunity.

"With Nelson’s line, they’re going to have to get to the net," Trotz added. "Plain and simple. Have to get to the net. There’s not much room. They get hard matchups and you’ve got to battle through it. They’ve delivered. I expect them to deliver in this series." 1216117 New York Islanders exhorting his team to be on their toes. They did that and closed that game out.

On Saturday, Trotz used his timeout just after Tyler Johnson cut a 3-0 Pully the goalie saves Islanders in Game 4 against Lightning Isles lead to 3-2 with 13:17 to go. He didn’t say much. “Just trying to slow the game down a little bit,” Barzal said. “Catch our breath.”

The Lightning had a couple of good chances after that, most notably By Arthur Staple Kucherov’s try from the slot that Varlamov turned aside with 5:36 to go. But the Islanders, as they did in Boston, calmed their game down and Jun 20, 2021 held on to the very last second.

The line switch The Islanders are headed back to Tampa, Fla., tied 2-2 in the series and Oliver Wahlstrom did not get back in the lineup, but Trotz did do some there will be at least one more game at Nassau Coliseum. For all the shuffling to decent effect, swapping Kyle Palmieri and Leo Komarov for good the Islanders did, it could have been completely erased if not for much of the first two periods. Palmieri hit a post in the first and had good Ryan Pulock, whose instinctual play on Ryan McDonagh’s backhand with zone time with Barzal and Jordan Eberle while Komarov continued to do two seconds left did quite literally win the game in regulation. his dirty work with J-G Pageau and Travis Zajac. “Miraculous play by Pully,” Mathew Barzal said. “I’m not going to be Trotz went back to the original lines to start the third but switched back forgetting that one.” after the Lightning cut the deficit to one. Thoughts on an intense Game 4 with an insane ending: “It’s something I’ve been contemplating each game,” Trotz said. “They’re The save going to be low-scoring games, the (Lightning) finish so well. I had last change, I felt there was more cadence in this game. I felt that would be This franchise has seen it all: The hapless first two seasons from 1972- an easier switch for me. We’ll see what we do next game.” 74, the rise to the dynasty era, the long decline, 1993’s brief revival, two decades of misery and, finally, the rebirth of the past few seasons. Hey, remember that save?

No one around the Island has seen anything like how Game 4 ended. It was bananas. And the series is tied.

With a little bit of time to reflect: There were breakdowns. The Islanders, gifted a power play on a pretty weak tripping call on Victor Hedman The Athletic LOADED: 06.20.2021 against Cal Clutterbuck with 1:12 left, had effectively played keep-away from the Lightning until the closing seconds. Then, with Andrei Vasilevskiy pulled and the teams playing five-on-five, all the Islanders had to do was keep the puck along the wall even as Tampa Bay tried charging into the Islanders zone.

They did not do that. Ondrej Palat sent the puck quickly down to the side of the net, where Nikita Kucherov chipped the puck just out of Adam Pelech’s reach and into the slot, where McDonagh was waiting and both Pelech and Pulock were off to the side.

Brock Nelson slid. Semyon Varlamov barreled out. McDonagh spun, letting Nelson slide by and leaving Varlamov in no man’s land, 10 feet from the net — Varlamov was quite good again in Game 4 but that was a brain cramp, to be sure.

Pulock edged into the crease, looking like a second baseman trying to make sure he watched a grounder into his glove. He got McDonagh’s shot with his glove and just tried to ease it to the side, making sure not to pick it up with his glove or cover it in the crease and move it — either of those could have resulted in a penalty shot.

Somehow, it stayed out. The horn sounded. Instead of swarming Varlamov, the Islanders swarmed Pulock.

“I was actually watching on the JumboTron, saw the net was wide open, your heart sinks for a second,” Matt Martin said. “Hell of a play by Pulls. That’s the kind of desperation all our players play with. We’re not sitting here right now if he doesn’t do that.”

The surge

The Islanders were a lousy second-period team during the regular season, going minus-4 (44 goals for, 48 against) in second periods while going plus-15 and plus-16 in the first and third.

They are far and away the best second-period team in the postseason, leading the league at plus-13 (23 for, 10 against). And the three they scored in Game 4 to take control of the game were hard-work goals, two scored in tight off rebounds and one by Josh Bailey off a smart, patient play by Nelson.

“You really have to will yourself in there,” coach Barry Trotz said of playing against the Lightning and trying to get to the interior of the offensive zone. “There was a better commitment from us to at least make it harder on the inside.”

The timeout

Trotz is 2-for-2 in timely timeouts this postseason. He called one after the Bruins cut a 5-2 Isles lead down to 5-4 in Game 5 of the second round, 1216118 New York Islanders “It’s something I’ve been contemplating each game,” Trotz said about the new lines. “They’re going to be low-scoring games. We can’t get into a track meet with this team. They finish so well. I just felt I had last change and there was more cadence in this game and I felt that would be an Rapid Reaction: Islanders Zap Lightning in Game 4 Win to Even Series easier switch for me tonight. We’ll see what we do next game.” at 2

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.20.2021 Published 6 hours ago on June 19, 2021

By Christian Arnold

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The New York Islanders defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in Game 4 at the Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders evened the best-of-seven series at two games each.

How it Happened: The Islanders broke a scoreless tie in the second period and unloaded for three goals in the middle frame. It was the Islanders’ second line that found the back of the net first off an impressive pass from Brock Nelson to Josh Bailey. Nelson spun around near the slot and found Bailey with the backhand pass, which allowed Bailey to take it and fire it past the glove of Andrei Vasilevskiy at 5:30 of the second period.

Mathew Barzal doubled the Islanders’ lead at 13:46 when he put the puck in a virtually empty net for a rebound goal. Cal Clutterbuck had his shot from the point stopped but the rebound went right to Barzal for his sixth goal of the playoffs. Matt Martin made it a 3-0 game when he backhanded the puck by Vasilevskiy. The goal came just moments after he took a shot off the crest and then the Islanders worked to keep the puck in the offensive zone.

Tampa Bay cut the Islanders lead to just one in the third period with two quick goals at the beginning of the period. Brayden Point fired a quick laser by Semyon Varlamov nearly four minutes into the third. Tyler Johnson beat Varlamov moments later with a wrister.

It was another strong effort in net from Semyon Varlamov who made 28 saves in Game 4 for the Islanders.

Save of the Night: It will surely go down as the save of the century for the New York Islanders should their run continue. Ryan Pulock stopped Ryan McDonagh’s last-second buzzer-beater that looked like it was sure to send the game to overtime. McDonagh had spun around and caught Varlamov out of position. Pulock dove to block the shot and push it out of the crease and to the side of the net to secure the win.

“I think everybody’s breath just got taken away,” Barzal said about the play. “I thought it was going in and it was just a miraculous play by Puli. I’m not going to be forgetting that one.”

Second Period Surge: The New York Islanders had been a third-period team during the regular season, but in the playoffs, it’s been the second period that they’ve dominated. With their three goals in the middle frame in Game 4, they have now outscored their opponents 23-10 in those 20 minutes and it has served as the catalyst for a number of wins this postseason run. seven different players accounted for nine points in the second period with Cal Clutterbuck and Adam Pelech each registering two points.

“The second period can be dangerous for any team in terms of getting guys stuck out there,” Martin said when asked about whats made the Islanders so successful in the second. “We’re a team that likes to get the puck in and forecheck and roll lines over… The physicality and hemming teams in and using it to our advantage as much as possible.”

Islanders Second Line: Prior to Saturday, the line of Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey had entered Game 4 with just one goal and one assist. They finished the night with a combined three assists and helped kick off a barrage of scoring in the second period.

New Line Combos: Barry Trotz didn’t make any change to the personnel in the Islanders lineup, but he did change up the combinations for the first and third lines. Trotz swapped Leo Komarov and Kyle Palmieri in Game 4, putting the Islanders’ key trade acquisition onto the top line alongside Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. Komarov was moved down to play the wing with Travis Zajac and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The move seemed to work with the Islander top-line generating their chances and Barzal scoring in the second period. 1216119 New York Islanders

Wahlstrom Remains out of Islanders Lineup in Game 4 Showdown with Tampa

Published 9 hours ago on June 19, 2021

By Christian Arnold

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Barry Trotz never said he was going to make changes to the New York Islanders lineup, but was mulling them over ahead of Game 4. After all of the speculation, the Islanders lineup remained the same for their showdown with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Long Island.

Trotz told reporters on Friday that he was considering changes to the lineup and that Oliver Wahlstrom was available if they needed him. The comment was in response to a question about the Islanders Game 4 lineup.

The New York Islanders have had the same lineup since Game 6 of their First-Round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Wahlstrom has not played in a game since he left Game 5 of that series with an injury.

It had been speculated that if Trotz was to have made a change it would have been to insert Wahlstrom back into the lineup and that would have likely meant that Travis Zajac would have come out.

The Islander bench boss did say that he liked the way the team played overall in Game 3.

“Pretty solid game. I don’t have too many things in our game,” Trotz said. “We have to get to the net a little bit better. Obviously the chances we did have Andrei Vasilevskiy made some key saves, just like (Semyon Varlamov) did. Really an even game for me and it’s a matter of inches. It’s a matter of a play. … I didn’t mind our game at all.”

The Islanders currently trail the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 5 is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. at Amalie Arena.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216120 New York Islanders

Who Comes Out of the Islanders Lineup as Trotz Mulls Changes?

Published 16 hours ago on June 19, 2021

By Christian Arnold

A day after Barry Trotz told reporters that he was considering some changes to the New York Islanders lineup, he wasn’t giving any hints as to what they would be ahead of Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

The likely change would be to put Oliver Wahlstrom back into the lineup since the rookie forward is available to play. Wahlstrom has not appeared in the Islanders’ last 10 playoff games after suffering an injury in Game 5

Now the question is, who would come out of the Islanders lineup for Wahlstrom?

The answer to that seems to be a bit straightforward when you look at Trotz’s lineup decision history, and that would mean Wahlstrom would reclaim his spot on the third line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle Palmieri. Thus leaving Travis Zajac as the odd man out.

That isn’t to say Zajac hasn’t deserved to be in the lineup, quite opposite in fact. He has played a big role in the Islanders’ success since making his Islanders playoff debut in the first round. And Trotz wasn’t unhappy with how his team played in Game 3 either.

“Pretty solid game. I don’t have too many things in our game,” Trotz said. “We have to get to the net a little bit better. Obviously the chances we did have Andrei Vasilevskiy made some key saves, just like (Semyon Varlamov) did. Really an even game for me and it’s a matter of inches. It’s a matter of a play. … I didn’t mind our game at all.”

But Wahlstrom would be a much-needed sniper that the Islanders haven’t had much in this series. After being the highest-scoring team in the playoffs in the first two rounds, the Islanders have been held to two or fewer goals in the first three games of the series with Tampa Bay.

Wahlstrom only had one goal in the Pittsburgh series, but his ability to put pucks on net helped create chances for New York.

“Some guys get small in the moment, especially in the playoffs. I didn’t think Wahlly did,” Trotz said. “I thought he had a really good start in the playoffs and then he faded a little bit, and then obviously he got hurt. I have a lot faith in what Wahlly can do if I put him in. … No question we had a big discussion if he comes in the lineup or not in the lineup.”

Some have suggested they’d like to see Zajac stay in and someone like Leo Komarov come out. The likelihood of that happening is slim considering the high regard that Trotz has for Komarov and his reluctance to sit him for a game.

Trotz has often talked about the intangibles that Komarov has brought to the lineup, particularly the top line. That feeling hasn’t changed for Trotz.

And if there was another sign that pointed to that being an unlikely scenario, Komarov was made available to the media on Friday. It’s a subtle indication that he’d likely be in the lineup.

Even the notion that Komarov could be moved around in the Islanders lineup and someone like Kyle Palmieri could be moved to the top line doesn’t seem likely. Trotz has insisted on keeping the top line together as is, even though Palmieri who is the team’s leading goal scorer in the playoffs could help increase the offensive production for Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216121 New York Islanders

‘We’ve Had Success Being in This Position,’ Islanders Still Confident Despite Trailing in Series

Published 18 hours ago on June 19, 2021

By Christian Arnold

The New York Islanders run in the playoffs is starting to feel like the movie GroundHog, or if you’re looking for a more modern reference, the movie Palm Springs. Regardless of the pop culture likening, the Islanders are again down 2-1 in a playoff series heading into Game 4 at home.

It happened against Pittsburgh. It happened against Boston and now it’s happening against Tampa Bay.

The Islanders have become creatures of habit during their 2021 playoff run, which continues to follow the same script each round. Aside from the already casual demeanor the Islanders have had during the playoffs, having been in this position gives them a certain sense of added calmness.

“We’ve had success being in this position in the previous two rounds,” Barry Trotz said on Friday. “Absolutely, you look back and we’ve been here before. We just have to take care of business here. If you haven’t done it before you always have that doubt, but we’ve done it twice already. We didn’t lose the series (Thursday) night and, in some ways, the series might have just begun.”

The New York Islanders lost the defensive battle with Tampa Bay on Thursday night in a 2-1 loss at Nassau Coliseum and Cal Clutterbuck was the only Islanders to find the back of the net.

It was far from the Islanders’ best game, still, it didn’t keep Trotz from looking back to the previous series and believing the Islanders can do the same in Game 4.

Islanders Offense The Issue, Not The Officiating

“As we’ve gone along, and every series I look back at, even the Boston series, I thought we should have had Game 3 and we lost,” Trotz explained. “We were deflated and it was no different (in Game 3), we were a little deflated because we thought we put out a strong effort and we thought we should be going into overtime. That didn’t happen. So, you just park it and we look forward to the opportunity (in Game 4).

“Absolutely, we can look back at the previous experiences and we’ve had good success.”

Trotz said on Friday that the Islanders were considering some lineup changes. He didn’t reveal anything about his lineup following the team’s morning skate on Saturday,

Oliver Wahlstrom could return to the New York Islanders lineup in his old spot alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle Palmieri. Semyon Varlamov will likely get the start for the Islanders once again.

GAME NOTES

Casey Cizikas has gone 50.0% or better in the face-off dot in nine straight games and 14 times this postseason. … The Islanders have six players with ten or more points this postseason, the most in the league (Pageau 13, Bailey 12, Beauvillier 11, Barzal 11, Nelson 11 & Eberle 10). … The Islanders are 4-2 on home ice this postseason and rank second in the league with a .667 win percentage. They are 12-8 at home over the past three postseasons under Head Coach Barry Trotz. … Tampa Bay scored the opening goal in Game 3 and are 10-1 this year in the playoffs when they do so. … Victor Hedman’s 14 points (1 goal, 13 assist) lead all NHL defensemen in scoring. … Brayden Points is caring a six-game playoff goal streak into Game 4 and currently leads the NHL in playoff goals with 11.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216122 New York Rangers Dishonorable Mention: Robert Nilsson, Islanders, 2003 (after whom Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, Ryan Kesler and Mike Richards were among the next nine selections).

Blackhawks enter the Jack Eichel trade sweepstakes Yep, 2003. Also known around these parts as The Hugh Jessiman Draft.

It’s hard to believe Islanders legend Mike Bossy only went 15th-overall in his draft year. By Larry Brooks Listen, this is not to belabor the point, and Jessiman did suffer a serious June 19, 2021 | 10:56am | Updated ankle injury early in his junior year after being selected 12th overall by the Rangers, which didn’t at all help the big winger.

But if you could have added any one of the aforementioned selections (or In addition to the usual suspects — including the Ducks, Flyers, Wild, Dustin Brown or Brent Seabrook, who went 13th and 14th that year) to Kings and perhaps the Rangers — there is a previously undisclosed the 2011-12 Black-and-Blueshirts, you likely would be looking at a entrant in the Hunt for Jack Eichel. Stanley Cup champion. Slap Shots has learned the Blackhawks have taken a ticket at the deli It is kind of amusing, yes, that in a sport in which the core tenet is counter in communicating their interest in the 24-year-old center, who is accountability, not a soul is ever held accountable on Sixth Avenue for in the midst of divorce proceedings with the Sabres while possibly facing the state of utter disrepair that defines NHL on-ice officiating. a tricky surgery to repair a herniated disk. Apparently the league standard is the same as the one as we’ve seen In order to succeed in its quest, Chicago’s offer would have to feature applied every night. Which means there is none. Kirby Dach — the 20-year-old center who was drafted third overall in 2019, recorded 23 points (8-15) in his rookie season, then played just 18 So Connor McDavid won the NHLPA polling of more than 500 players as, games last year after he suffered a wrist injury in a pre-World Juniors “The one player at any position you would want on your team if you need tournament game. to win one game,” with nearly 37 percent of the vote, ahead of Sidney Crosby’s 23 percent. Of course, there would have to be more to it. The Blackhawks own the 11th-overall selection in the upcoming draft July 23. That likely would Does anyone else find that a bit incongruent considering McDavid and also have to be thrown into the mix. the Oilers did not win a single game in the playoffs this year? But beyond that, if you have one game to win, are you not taking the best goaltender Jonathan Toews, who missed last season with an unidentified medical in the league? issue, may be able to return next season (when does a season become “this one” and as opposed to “next one,” I’ve never quite figured that one Connor McDavid, seen here airborne, and the Oilers were swept by the out?) for his age 33 season. Jets in the first round of the playoffs.

The Chicago Blackhawks are interested in trading for Buffalo Sabres star Players sometimes don’t know all that much more than the rest of us. center Jack Eichel. Yes, I recognize that I was mocked for being obsessive, but maybe now That is pure speculation, though, as a news blackout on the Chicago it has become apparent why I spent much of the preceding two or three captain’s health and status has been in effect since the late December years prodding the Rangers to trade for Josh Anderson. statement announcing that he would be out indefinitely. Finally, Adam Fox and Ryan McDonagh are each 21 years old. The Blackhawks have qualified for the playoffs only once the past four years, through their 2020 bubble qualifying round victory, and have not Who are you taking? advanced to the second round since their 2015 Cup victory.

They are also believed to be interested in Seth Jones, the Blue Jackets’ New York Post LOADED: 06.20.2021 latest would-be asylum-seeker. A deal for the defenseman would also have to feature Dach. Alternatively, Chicago is expected to investigate signing impending free agent Dougie Hamilton, who may leave the Candy Canes to take his talents to the Kraken.

We were told toward the end of the week that Seattle general manager Ron Francis had decided to hire Rick Tocchet as coach, after going far down the line with David Quinn, but there is nothing official at the moment.

It is understood that Cole Caufield has played a sum of 22 NHL games, 10 in the regular season and another dozen in the playoffs. But when is the last time that everyone knew, just knew, that a draft’s 15th-overall selection was going to make it big time?

Maybe 1977, when the Islanders selected Mike Bossy at that spot?

Of course, in referring to that selection, “everyone” means “everyone except Claude Ruel.”

Cole Caufield (right) celebrates his goal in Game 3 of the semifinals.

For it was the Montreal director of player personnel who relentlessly disparaged Bossy’s ability, and inclination to check and play defense to the extent that the Canadiens passed on the Quebecer, instead snapping up winger Mark Napier at 10th overall.

Napier did score 40 goals twice and 35 goals once, but, please. Ruel’s misjudgment helped to short-circuit one dynasty while enabling another.

So, ranking the NHL’s top 15th-overall draft selections: 1. Bossy, Islanders, 1977; 2. Joe Sakic, Nordiques, 1987; 3. Al MacInnis, Flames, 1981; 4. Erik Karlsson, Senators, 2008; 5. Alex Kovalev, Rangers, 1991. Honorable Mention: Ryan Pulock, Islanders, 2013. 1216123 Ottawa Senators club’s staff from 2009 to 2012 before taking over as the head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate in BInghamton for four seasons. He moved on after the Senators hired Guy Boucher as their head coach and spent one season with the New York Islanders. GARRIOCH: Habs' Luke Richardson and family keep late daughter Daron close to their hearts He has been with the Habs for three seasons after being brought in by former head coach Claude Julien and has plenty of experience on Ducharme’s staff. Richardson was the right choice when Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin needed someone to step into the head- Bruce Garrioch coaching role because not only does Richardson know the game, but Publishing date: Jun 19, 2021 he’s also a wonderful communicator.

“We miss (Ducharme) being with us and we miss having him,” Richardson said. “The government and the NHL have their protocols and It was a touching moment to honour the memory of the daughter his he’ll definitely have to go through both of those (before returning). As for family lost 10 years ago. an update, and timeline, I haven’t heard yet.”

As the Montreal Canadiens celebrated their dramatic 3-2 overtime victory There’s no timetable for Ducharme’s return behind the bench, but he over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night at the Bell Centre, with gave input between periods Friday night and was part of a team meeting Josh Anderson scoring the winner to give the Habs a 2-1 lead in the by video Saturday in preparation for Game 4 on Sunday night. The conference final, Luke Richardson touched his lapel pin and blew a kiss Canadiens have the opportunity to return to Vegas with a 3-1 lead if they towards the sky to his late daughter, Daron. can pull off another victory at home.

It has been 10 years since she took her own life, but not a day goes by Richardson praised the work of veteran defenceman Shea Weber and without Richardson, his wife Stephanie and their daughter Morgan winger Corey Perry along with goaltender Carey Price. thinking about Daron. After his first win as a head coach in the National Hockey League, the 52-year-old Richardson wished Daron could have “The veterans were great,” Richardson said. “Perry is an incredible been there to share the moment and that was why he touched the Do It leader. He’s a winner and he brings a lot to the team. It’s the same with For Daron pin he wears every day. Shea; he’s a great captain. They show the way forward. They find ways to drag the whole group with them. They are quite vocal and the other Moved into the role after interim head coach Dominique Ducharme tested players get on board. ” positive for COVID-19 just hours before Friday’s game, Richardson, an Ottawa native, wanted Daron to know she was in her family’s hearts and thoughts. Morgan is a school teacher in Boston, so joined the family by Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.20.2021 video after the game.

Stephanie and Luke relaxed with a glass of wine at their Montreal home.

“It definitely meant a lot, all of us together, Daron in our hearts and Morgan we’re thinking of her as well, not being able to be here.” Richardson said Saturday. “Stephanie and I enjoyed the evening. We took it all in and it was definitely very special.”

Richardson was an assistant on Cory Clouston’s staff in Ottawa when Daron passed away in November 2010. With help from her closest friends, classmates and teammates on her hockey team, the DIFD movement was started with assistance from The Royal hospital in Ottawa to bring awareness to youth mental health.

Purple was Daron’s favourite colour and the work the foundation has done has made a remarkable impact for youth seeking help. Luke and Stephanie want to help make young people feel comfortable discussing whatever challenges they’re facing at home or school.

“We’re very proud of the awareness that it’s brought, not just in Canada, but in the United States and internationally,” Richardson said. “We’ve had connections with other countries. The website does a great job trying to be creative and fun with the merchandise. We’ve had great discussions and it’s a difficult subject.

“That’s the biggest thing that we’re proud of trying to break through, that barrier and that stigma, so that young people who feel isolated can come out to talk about things. We’re trying to make sure everybody is listening and trying to provide as much help as possible.”

The DIFD movement has been filled with positives and has raised a lot of funding for youth mental health.

“We lost our daughter 10 years ago, that’s a long time, and sometimes it feels like only yesterday,” Richardson said. “We always support the foundation that was created. It’s about raising mental health awareness and important discussions that we need to have with our youth to prevent suicide.

“It’s not an easy conversation, but I’m proud of what the organization has done in helping other people by bringing down the barriers. Daron is my heart, and our hearts, and she was a big hockey player. I just thought it was time to pay a little tribute to her because we definitely miss her.”

Luke Richardson had a 20-year career as an NHL defenceman before entering the coaching ranks.

Richardson had a 20-year NHL career as a defenceman before retiring after playing with the Senators in 2008-09. He was an assistant on the 1216124 Ottawa Senators Though Kadri has a “no-move” clause, Ottawa would be a good fit for him. He’s familiar with Smith and plays a style that Smith wants to see from his forwards. He’s hard-nosed, not afraid to get involved and has strong skills, which means he’d help improve the club’s depth in the GARRIOCH SUNDAY: Senators have options for improving up the middle. middle “Before (John) Tavares got to Toronto, (Kadri) had back-to-back 30-plus goal seasons. He was in the bumper spot in the middle for them. Tavares got there, basically took Kadri’s spot on the power play, and he went Bruce Garrioch down to the high teens in goals,” the executive said. “Back-to-back years Publishing date: Jun 19, 2021 suspended in the playoffs got him in trouble, and then again this year.

“He comes with some risk because the next suspension might be 15 or 20 games, and now Colorado has to make the same assessment. This The Ottawa Senators will be looking for a top centre during the off- has nothing to do with the kind of player he is because he’s a damn good season. player and he’s competitive as hell. You don’t find many centres that physical who can produce.” While the Senators have good depth in the middle with Josh Norris, Colin White, Shane Pinto and Chris Tierney, the organization has indicated it is That’s what the Avalanche must weigh before they determine whether looking for somebody who can play on the top two lines. Yes, the they want to move Kadri or not. answers may come from within, but general manager Pierre Dorion and the hockey operations staff will also be studying the trade market and “That kind of player is hard to come by,” the executive said. free agency. However, Kadri wouldn’t be the only option for the Senators, either. And, of course, they have to make a decision on restricted free-agent Instead of doing a guessing game, and saying this person is a good fit or centre Logan Brown. that player might be a the answer, this newspaper spoke with some You’re going to hear plenty of names, and suggestions, in the coming league executives to see who would be available. weeks. The expectation is that trade talks won’t heat up until the National Here are some names of possible options either through trade or free Hockey League’s 31 teams have to enter their protection lists for the agency. Seattle Kraken expansion draft by 5 p.m. on July 17. There will be teams that want to trade players rather than lose them for nothing. Anaheim Ducks centre Adam Henrique played on a line with Senators winger Connor Brown on the Canadian team that won the 2021 world “A protection issue has to be pretty specific because you’re trying to hockey championship in Latvia. make a deal to save a guy that you don’t want to lose,” one NHL executive told this newspaper last week. “You think you know who ADAM HENRIQUE, ANAHEIM DUCKS: He’s an obvious choice just they’re going to take, but they’re not certain. There will be some teams based on his chemistry with Senators winger Connor Brown for the that may want to do that because they want to protect someone else.” Canadian team in the recent world championships at Riga, Latvia.

The Senators want to upgrade at centre and on defence heading into The 31-year-old Henrique was captain of the squad and helped lead next season. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they decided to move Tierney. Canada to a gold medal. He finished with only 12 goals and nine assists There was some interest in him at the trade deadline this past season, in 45 games with the Ducks this past season, and it’s believed the and it’s possible he could get picked by Seattle because he’s low-risk on organization would like to move on. He carries a big ticket at $5.825 a one-year contract. million through the next three seasons, but Anaheim seems willing to retain some salary. Norris carried the ball for the Senators as a No. 1 centre last season and he got better as the year went on. Pinto made an impression, but arrived How much? That’s the question. We’re heading into a flat-cap era for the late after signing from the University of North Dakota. He may in fact be next few years and the Senators will have young players they need to ready to play the role of second-line centre, but the Senators want to keep in the mix. If all goes as planned, Henrique would be the type of compete for a playoff spot next season and want someone more player who would get pushed down the lineup as the likes of Norris and experienced. Pinto improve.

What they have to decide is whether they want a short- or long-term The Senators won’t be alone in their pursuit of Henrique, but he does solution. They could also move 2020 No. 3 overall selection Tim Stuetzle have a history with Smith from their days together with the Ontario from left wing to the middle, however, as head coach D.J. Smith noted, Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires, so you know the coach would be on the 19-year-old hasn’t played the position in two years and there are a lot board if Dorion wanted to make a deal. Given the fact that Brown led of defensive responsibilities for NHL centres. Canada in scoring with 16 points at the worlds, he’d likely back the move, too. One name that will most certainly be on the Senators’ radar screen is Colorado Avalanche centre Nazem Kadri. JACK EICHEL, BUFFALO SABRES: His name is here because everybody knows he’s available and talks have heated up in the last The 30-year-old Kadri has one year left on a deal that will pay him $4.5 week or so. million. Suspended for eight games in the playoffs for a hit on St. Louis Blues defenceman Justin Faulk, Kadri didn’t suit up for the Avalanche It’s non-sensical to suggest the Senators will be in the mix for Eichel, again and some around the league are wondering about his future in though. Colorado. Eichel and the Sabres don’t see eye-to-eye on where the team is headed The Toronto Maple Leafs dealt Kadri to the Avalanche in 2019 after he and the 24-year-old likely feels it’s best to see if he can find success was suspended for five games of their first-round playoff series for the elsewhere. The risk is that he’s coming off a neck injury, but it’s believed second straight year. Many wonder what route Colorado GM Joe Sakic the Los Angeles Kings might be a good fit. will take with Kadri after his club was eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2 this spring. Sure, the Senators could use Eichel, but it makes no sense at this juncture in the rebuild. He has a $10-million cap hit through the next five There was no question the Avalanche missed Kadri. He finished with 11 seasons and you can be guaranteed the Sabres’ asking price will be goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 56 games this past season, taking high. Eichel is the best centre available, but nobody should pay any price some of the pressure off the likes of Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan to get him. MacKinnon. Sabres centre Jack Eichel is coming off an injury that ended his 2021 “I wouldn’t be shocked if Colorado traded Kadri,” the league executive season and has an annual salary-cap hit of $10 million for the next five said. “I’m not saying that Joe is shopping Kadri. I would say they years. probably found out they missed him when he was suspended, but Tyson Jost is coming along pretty well. If they can’t sign Landeskog, maybe SEAN MONAHAN, CALGARY FLAMES: The 26-year-old Monahan is an they keep Kadri, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he moves.” interesting option if the Flames want to make big changes after missing the post-season. With two years left and a cap hit of $6.75 million per season, the issue with the former Ottawa 67’s centre is that he just hasn’t been very good the last two years. He had only 10 goals and 18 assists in 50 games last season and hasn’t been able to bring his game to an elite level. Would a change of scenery help? That’s what interested teams have to decide.

He has had three 30-plus goal seasons, but has to be better.

“He’s been pretty flat for two years and Elias Lindholm is better than him right now,” a league executive said.

Still, Monahan is a name to keep an eye on.

OTHER NAMES IN THE MIX:

Phillip Danault, Montreal Canadiens: A potential unrestricted free agent, he’s a great faceoff performer, but hasn’t performed under the pressure of playing for a contract. He’s helped the club get to the Eastern Conference final, so maybe he stays.

Dylan Strome, Chicago Blackhawks: This is a name that may make sense for the Senators because he’s not coming off a great season and the Blackhawks are ready to move on. Maybe a change would help.

Sam Reinhart, Buffalo Sabres: His name certainly makes more sense than Eichel. The Vancouver Canucks are viewed as a possible destination.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers: He hasn’t played a lot of centre of late, but his name is here because he’s available. No one would be surprised if stays with the Oilers.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216125 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins defenseman Zach Trotman retires

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, June 19, 2021 10:30 a.m.

Defenseman Zach Trotman, a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization for parts of the past four seasons, has retired.

The 30-year-old announced his decision via Instagram.

In the posting, Trotman explained the physical rigors of the sport prompted his decision.

Trotman wrote:

“This game has been my life for 26 years, obsessing about it almost every minute of every day. It’s engrained (sic) in my blood and in my bones, and I know it will never leave me. Going out against your will is never the way you want to go. But we all have our expiration date and unfortunately my body just can’t handle the beating anymore.

“So at the moment, it is hard to see all the positives, but I’ll never take for granted all of the life skills, memories, teammates, coaches, and just pure enjoyment I’ve been able to experience from this wild ride. It built me into the man, husband, and father I am today and for that I am forever grateful. Where one chapter ends, another begins. Here’s to attacking the next chapter of life, just as fiery as the 4-year-old kid that embarked on the past one. Cheers to the game, and thank you.”

Trotman opened the 2020-21 season on injured reserve after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee during training camp. That injury and other ailments limited him to eight American Hockey League (AHL) games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Initially joining the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent signing in July 2017, Trotman played in 24 NHL games for the Penguins during his time with the organization and recorded one assist. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.

Selected with the last overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Boston Bruins, Trotman was one of four so-called “Mr. Irrelevants” to play for the Penguins. He was preceded by forward Andy Brickley (1980), defenseman Hans Jonsson (1993) and forward Patric Hornqvist (2005).

Including his time with the Bruins, Trotman played in 91 NHL games and scored 12 points (three goals, nine assists).

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216126 Pittsburgh Penguins game a little bit more, even during the chaos that was the 2020-21 season orchestrated during a pandemic.

It might be a bit premature to assume D’Orio is ready to claim a regular Penguins A to Z: Alex D'Orio took a big step forward in 2020-21 NHL job. But, if nothing else, has proven he is capable of being a leading candidate to be the No. 1 goaltender in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton next season.

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, June 19, 2021 8:01 a.m. Tribune Review LOADED: 06.20.2021

With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 49 players currently under NHL contracts to the organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.

Alex D’Orio

Position: Goaltender

Catches: Right

Age: 22

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 209 pounds

2020-21 AHL statistics: 11 games, 6-3-2 record, 2.18 goals-against average, .915 save percentage, zero shutouts

2019-20 ECHL statistics: 11 games, 2-6-1 record, 2.97 goals-against average, .892 save percentage, one shutout

Contract: Second year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $733,333. Pending restricted free agent in 2022

Acquired: Undrafted free agent signing, Sept. 13, 2017

2020-21 season: As the Penguins prepared to gather for their training camp, former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford offered something of a surprise when it came to his team’s goaltending depth.

Alex D’Orio would open the season as the organization’s fourth goaltender behind Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith and Maxime Lagace.

That decision was made partially due to logistical challenges related to the pandemic. Fellow goaltending prospect Emil Larmi was playing in his native Finland and management wanted to keep him in Europe in order to avoid having to sit him for quarantine protocols that would be required in entering North America.

In time, D’Orio earned his elevated spot on the Penguins’ depth chart by simply performing well enough to be there.

Initially assigned to the taxi squad, D’Orio was assigned to Wheeling of the ECHL on Feb. 24 to get his first playing time of the season.

Exactly one month later, he was recalled to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL and finished the season as that team’s only goaltender with a winning record.

After DeSmith suffered a season-ending injury on May 3, D’Orio was recalled — on an emergency basis — to the NHL roster for the first time in his career May 7. One day later, D’Orio dressed for his first NHL game, serving as backup to Lagace in the season finale.

D’Orio was briefly returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on May 14 and played his final game of the season May 15, making 23 saves on 24 shots in a 2-1 road overtime win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. One day later, he was recalled to Pittsburgh and served on the Black Aces squad during the postseason.

The future: A lot of things well above D’Orio’s pay grade will need to happen to dictate his place in the organization in 2021-22. After Jarry’s flameout in the playoffs, the Penguins could very well bring in another goaltender who could replace Jarry or at the very least present a legit threat to claim the No. 1 job.

Such a transaction would obviously impact the rest of the goaltenders in the organization.

That said, the undrafted D’Orio, took a big step forward in 2020-21. Blessed with a little bit of size, he started to figure out the professional 1216127 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Zach Trotman Retires, ‘Cheers to the Game and Thank You’

Published 16 hours ago on June 19, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

Pittsburgh Penguins depth defenseman Zach Trotman is retiring at the age of 30.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Trotman said goodbye to the game he began playing when he was four. The defenseman, who is a fitness fanatic, has been besieged by injuries over the last couple of seasons, including core muscle surgery last season and knee surgery in January.

The Penguins held Trotman, 30, out of the 2020 NHL return and Penguins bubble roster. His wife, sportscaster Jeanna Trotman gave birth to the couple’s first child, Luca, last December.

Her Twitter account includes the location, “wherever hockey takes us.”

Since joining the Penguins before the 2017 season, Trotman played 24 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins as he split time between the Penguins and their AHL farm team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Trotman didn’t score a goal in the 24 games with the Penguins, but he scored three goals with his drafting team, the Boston Bruins. His first NHL goal was in 2014-15, after three seasons of college hockey at Lake Superior State.

Overall, Trotman played 91 NHL games with 13 points (3-10-13).

Trotman’s farewell on Instagram:

“This game has been my life for 26 years, obsessing about it almost every minute of every day. It’s ingrained in my blood and in my bones, and I know it will never leave me. Going out against your will is never the way you want to go. But we all have our expiration date, and unfortunately, my body just can’t handle the beating anymore.

So at the moment, it is hard to see all the positives, but I’ll never take for granted all of the life skills, memories, teammates, coaches, and just pure enjoyment I’ve been able to experience from this wild ride. It built me into the man, husband, and father I am today, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Where one chapter ends, another begins. Here’s to attacking the next chapter of life, just as fiery as the 4-year-old kid that embarked on the past one.

Cheers to the game, and thank you.”

Pittsburgh Hockey NowLOADED: 06.20.2021 1216128 Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL Scouts Critique Zajac, Stepan, and Two Former Penguins Centers | PHN+

Published 17 hours ago on June 19, 2021

By Sheng Peng

“If you’re getting them for the fourth hole, wing or center, okay, not bad. But if you’re getting them for the third hole, that comes with a rosary.”

That’s what one scout said about veteran UFA centers Travis Zajac, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard, Brandon Sutter, Derek Ryan, and Carl Soderberg. So the teams in search of a reliable third-line center should probably look elsewhere.

The Pittsburgh Penguins could have a need for a fourth-line center if the Seattle Kraken pluck Teddy Blueger. Our colleague Sheng Peng chatted with three NHL scouts about the best pivots in this summer’s free agency class and what they could add to a new team.

Scouts broke down centers, including David Krejci, Ryan Nugent- Hopkins, Phillip Danault, Mikael Granlund, Alex Wennberg, Nick Foligno, Erik Haula, Tyler Bozak, Nick Bonino, Barclay Goodrow, Paul Stastny, and Ryan Getzlaf.

Not all of the evaluations have been kind. Penguins fans will likely find affirmation in the particular way the scout’s “reviewed” Brassard. And if the Penguins find themselves in need, Stepan is another former Mike Sullivan player, too.

Here’s what the scouts think of the lower tier centers: Do Zajac, Stepan, Brassard, Sutter, Ryan, or Soderberg still have good hockey to offer the Pittsburgh Penguins or another NHL team?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216129 Pittsburgh Penguins

Dan’s Daily: Major Fleury Gaffe, Bruin Crashes Vancouver w/ Beer Chug

Published 20 hours ago on June 19, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

For those of us who appreciate the human being Marc-Andre Fleury and wish him success in Vegas, Friday night was an “oh no” moment and one we’ve seen before, unfortunately. It was as bad as it sounds as a Fleury misplay rescued defeat from the jaws of victory in the final minutes. NHL scouts broke down a few UFA centers, and why the Pittsburgh Penguins can’t just blow it up and start over.

It was a heartbreaking moment and too reminiscent of Fleury’s worst moments in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Here’s why the Pittsburgh Penguins just can’t blow it up and start over.

The comments on the story were frustrating. If you find yourself asking– why not trade Malkin and Letang since they probably won’t win the Cup again? We answer with complete detail and the realities of the situation. If you still don’t get it…reread the first 490 words.

PHN+: The Penguins just might need a center after Seattle plucks a player from the Penguins roster. Or if you just want to know who’s fading, who’s a bargain–three NHL scouts gave us a peek at their scouting reports on a few UFA centers, including Nick Bonino, Eric Haula, and Ryan Getzlaf.

NHL Trade Talk:

Vegas: Marc-Andre Fleury mishandled a puck in the final couple of minutes. He gift-wrapped a goal, just as he did when the Pittsburgh Penguins faced Columbus in 2014, except this is the NHL Semifinal. Oh no, Marc-Andre.

Vegas lost Game 3, 3-2 in OT after a Josh Anderson converted what became a two-on-none. Vegas trails the series 2-1.

Boston: It was the 10th anniversary of the Boston Bruins winning Game 7 and the Stanley Cup in Vancouver. Milan Lucic, an integral part of that team, crashed Rogers Arena with a couple of Stellas to celebrate.

The Athletic Chicago: Former co-host and radio show partner of this writer, Mark Lazerus, is hearing the Chicago Blackhawks will take a run at both of the big-name defensemen on the NHL trade market, Seth Jones and Dougie Hamilton.

Detroit Hockey Now: What will the Atlantic Divisions Standings look like next year?

NYI: Yeah, the New York Islanders sent a message in Game 1, but ever since, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been reminding the Islanders why they’re the champs.

Florida: Sasha Barkov wins the Selke Trophy

San Jose: Some controversy after the San Jose Sharks signed Swedish prospect Jonathan Dahlen to a one-year, one-way contract. At least one NHL scout scoffed.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216130 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Erik Cernak leaves in third period after hit into boards

Staff Report

Published 4 hours ago

Updated 4 hours ago

The Lightning dodged another bullet to their blue line Saturday when Erik Cernak returned to play after a hit into the boards from Islanders forward Matt Martin.

With just under 12 minutes to go in their 3-2 loss at Nassau Coliseum, Cernak was skating toward the corner to grab the puck off the wall when he was checked sideways into the boards by Martin.

Cernak was slow to get up and skated to the bench before leaving for the dressing room. He held his right arm in a bent position as he walked down the hallway.

But just about 2-1/2 minutes later, Cernak returned to the bench.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the game that Cernak should be available for Game 5 Monday at Amalie Arena.

“Every indication right now is he’s going to be okay,” Cooper said.

This isn’t the first postseason scare for Cernak. He and defenseman Jan Rutta were unable to finish Game 3 on Thursday. Following the game, Cooper said both players were fine.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216131 Tampa Bay Lightning The Lightning have had a 3-1 series lead in their last six playoff matchups, making Games 4, 5 and 6 feel more like coronations than conflicts. Tampa Bay didn’t even get a whiff of Game 7 during last year’s title run, nor during the current postseason. For the first time in two years, the Lightning have a fight on their hands Now, for the first time in two postseasons, the Lightning are tied 2-2 going into Game 5.

By John Romano “These guys have given it their all now for whatever it’s been, a month and change, and sometimes you lay an egg. We laid one in the second Published 4 hours ago period,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. Updated 4 hours ago “You realize how precious every period is, and every shift is. It’s one of those, if you do bend you can’t break, and that second period we broke. It was a little self-inflicted, but proud of those guys for the push in the Sometimes, memories take a while to find a place in your heart. third period.”

They might start off bitter and, against all odds, are eventually recalled So remember this one. Remember the good and remember the bad. fondly. Or they could start ominously, and slowly grow even worse. A week from now, you may be talking about that awful second period and To tell you the truth, Game 4 could go either way. the McDonagh near-miss as the moment you realized a second Stanley Cup was never going to be guaranteed. You’ve got to admit, it was a glorious affair. Twenty-five minutes of on- the-edge action, 15 minutes of misery, and then 19:58 seconds of Or a month from now, it will be just one more dramatic detail on the road absolute hair-raising, super-charged suspense that ended with an empty to another championship. net and a last-second block for the ages.

Yes, the Lightning lost to the Islanders 3-2 to even the series after four games and there is no joy in that for a Tampa Bay fan. But the story does Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.20.2021 not end here, and neither will the memories. Games 5, 6, and possibly 7, are still to come.

And, because of that, Ryan McDonagh’s final spinning shot will either be recalled as an indelible moment on the way to further glory, or the beginning of the end for the 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning.

Despite a late Tampa Bay rally, New York gets the win to tie the series 2- 2.

“Now,” Lightning forward Tyler Johnson said, “it’s a best-of-three.”

The Lightning at least made the game interesting after a dreadful second period when they gave up three goals in 12 minutes and looked like they were hopelessly behind. Brayden Point became the first player in more than 20 years to score goals in seven consecutive playoff games, and then Johnson added another goal three minutes later.

“We got close, but you never really want to be in that situation,” Johnson said. “But the guys responded.”

For a while, it felt like Tampa Bay’s best chance to tie the game had come and gone. The Islanders had retaken control of the game’s flow, and a late Victor Hedman penalty meant the Lightning were going to finish regulation a man down.

But a perfect pass from Nikita Kucherov to McDonagh in the final seconds offered one last chance for redemption. Standing slightly to the right of the net, McDonagh spun around and drew goaltender Semyon Varlamov out of the crease. McDonagh’s backhanded shot did not have a lot of oomph, but he was only a handful of feet away and the New York net was wide open.

And that’s when defenseman Ryan Pulock came skating in from the left side of the net and stopped the puck as time expired.

“Really, I couldn’t see anything. I was just trying to make sure I got it towards the net,” McDonagh said. “I knew the goalie was coming out and I was just trying to get something down towards the net.”

Now we know why teams don’t often win consecutive titles in the NHL. No matter how talented a returning champion might be, the road to the Stanley Cup is still a grind.

This isn’t the NBA, where a couple of players can dominate a series night after night. This isn’t Major League Baseball, where so much is dependent on the starting pitcher. This isn’t the NFL, where a team’s entire postseason can be completed in three games.

To be honest, this is how the rest of the NHL lives. Teams typically do not close out a series with days to spare round after round.

In some ways, the Lightning have spoiled us. They may have had hiccups in the first few games of a series, but for the past two postseasons they have always been in control long before a showdown got too antsy. 1216132 Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.20.2021

Lightning rally, but Islanders end up pulling even in semifinals

By Eduardo A. Encina

Published Yesterday

Updated 4 hours ago

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Ryan McDonagh made the most of the final chaotic seconds of Saturday’s game against the Islanders, and it made for the wildest ending of the Lightning’s postseason.

Down a goal and with the puck on his stick in the left circle, the defenseman drew goaltender Semyon Varlamov out of the crease and spun to avoid Brock Nelson, who was diving in front of him to block any forehand chance McDonagh might have.

While falling down, McDonagh unloaded a backhanded shot that seemed destined for the back of the net and about to send the game to overtime.

That’s until Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock dove across an empty net for a game-saving block, sending the Nassau Coliseum crowd into an uproar and the Lightning to a 3-2 loss in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup semifinals.

“Probably made for some pretty exciting TV, I’ll tell you that,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “But yeah, that was a bit of a heart-stopper at the end. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”

The Lightning were that close to an incredible comeback from three goals down entering the third period. Though it took an amazing play to deny them overtime, it was sloppy play earlier in the game that dug them into their biggest deficit of the postseason.

“We didn’t execute,” Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said. “They were the better team, and when you give up three goals in a period, it’s not good enough. We pushed them in the third, but you shouldn’t be in that position to start with, and we know that. It’s all about taking the positive side of the third and go home and compete like that for 60 (minutes).”

The series will go back to Tampa tied at two games apiece. Game 5 is Monday at 8 p.m. at Amalie Arena.

“That doesn’t happen to us too often,” Cooper said. “That was red rotten in that second period. ... But you know what, we’re a glove save away from probably still playing right now. But you know, we can’t play 40 (minutes), we’ve got to play 60.”

The Islanders’ first goal, forward Josh Bailey’s score 5:30 into the second, was a result of a Ross Colton turnover. Lightning forward Brayden Point lost his stick in a puck battle before the second goal, leaving him helpless when Mathew Barzal had an open net on a rebound with 6:14 left in the period.

And the eventual game-winning goal, fourth-liner Matt Martin’s score with 2:03 left in the period, came during a defensive lapse that saw the Islanders unload three shots from far away over a three-second stretch, ending with Martin’s backhanded rebound past Andrei Vasilevskiy (27 saves). The Lightning challenged the goal, wanting an offsides call, but the goal stood.

Third-period goals by Point and Tyler Johnson cut the Islanders’ lead to one, but a late tripping call on Hedman put the Lightning at a man disadvantage for the remaining 1:12 of regulation.

The Islanders tried to milk the clock after that, but the Lightning were able to get the puck into the offensive zone in the final 30 seconds. Ondrej Palat got the puck off the far wall, and Nikita Kucherov threaded a pass from the end line to McDonagh at the left circle.

“Desperation play by by their defenseman,” Cooper said. “But to be honest, I thought the play that Mac made was better than the save. It’s hard for McDonagh to get that (shot) up. Just to get the puck on the net was a phenomenal play, played both by Kuch and Mac.”

1216133 Tampa Bay Lightning Instead, they ramped up the pressure, took better control of the puck and scored twice in in the first seven minutes of the period.

Point scored on a toe drag from the top of the right circle, beating Lightning-Islanders Game 4 report card: Giving it away Varlamov stickside, just under four minutes into the period. Three minutes later, Johnson fired a laser from the left circle, beating Varlamov top shelf with Colton setting a screen in front.

By Frank Pastor Few teams have the ability to strike so often so quickly, which is why you can never count this team out, no matter how big the deficit. Published 5 hours ago Grade: A Updated 4 hours ago Relentless

The Islanders settled things down for a bit after head coach Barry Trotz You can’t be at your best every night during the two-month slog that is called a timeout following Johnson’s goal, which brought the Lightning the NHL playoffs. back within a goal with more than 13 minutes remaining. And for the second period of Game 4 Saturday at Nassau Coliseum, the But Tampa Bay continued to apply pressure and had several chances to Lightning weren’t anything close. tie, even after Victor Hedman was penalized for tripping Clutterbuck with A third-period push got them within a goal and Ryan McDonagh nearly 1:12 remaining. tied it in the closing seconds, but they were unable to overcome a middle Varlamov got a piece of a Colton shot from low in the left circle with his period in which they allowed all three New York goals in a 3-2 loss. glove, sending the puck just wide of the net. Varlamov later robbed The Lightning had 20 giveaways, including 17 in the first two periods, lost Kucherov from the slot after a nice cross-ice pass from Ondrej Palat. too many one-on-one battles, allowed an easy entry on one Islanders McDonagh appeared poised to tie the score in the closing seconds when goal, lost track of their men on a couple of occasions and, in one case, Kucherov tapped the puck to him from below the goal line out to the left lost a stick, as well. circle. McDonagh spun away from a sliding Brock Nelson, pulling The Islanders, of course, had something to do with the Lightning’s Varlamov out of the net, but defenseman Ryan Pulock dove in front of problems, as their defenders were active at the offensive blue line, the empty net to stop McDonagh’s backhand shot. moving deep into the zone to keep pucks alive for their forwards and No matter which team you were pulling for, the play left you breathless. maintaining pressure while forcing Tampa Bay to defend in its zone. Grade: B-plus But the Lightning had only to look in the mirror to understand why the Stanley Cup semifinal series is now tied at two games apiece. Good sport

A Ross Colton turnover at the offensive blue line led to a transition the Islanders forward Jordan Eberle had a chance to drive Lightning wing other way that resulted in Josh Bailey’s opening goal. Erik Cernak Alex Killorn into the Tampa Bay bench with the door ajar early in the compounded things by allowing Anthony Beauvillier to gain the blue line second period. in the Tampa Bay zone. Beauvillier dropped the puck to Brock Nelson, who sent a backhand pass across the ice to Bailey, whose shot from the In a tight, physical series with emotions running high and a berth in the right circle went through McDonagh’s legs and over goaltender Andrei Stanley Cup final at stake, it would have been easy for Eberle to run Vasilevskiy’s glove. Killorn.

Mathew Barzal scored the Islanders’ second goal after Brayden Point lost But either aware of the potential for injury or in a show of sportsmanship, his stick while checking Barzal below the end line. As Point appeared to Eberle pulled up and avoided contact altogether. get caught puck-watching in the slot, Barzal skated to an open spot to the It was a small moment in a game with far bigger ones, but a welcome left of the net and was in perfect position when Cal Clutterbuck’s shot sight, nonetheless. from the right point hit Kyle Palmieri and dropped in front of Barzal. Grade: A On Matt Martin’s winning goal later in the period, Tampa Bay “just turned the puck over too many times,” coach Jon Cooper said.

The Lightning surged in the third with goals from Point and Tyler Johnson Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.20.2021 and continued to pressure the net right up to the final seconds. But they’d already dug themselves too big of a hole.

Grade: C-minus

Here’s how we graded the rest of the Lightning’s performance in Game 4:

Playing with fire

The Lightning outshot the Islanders 11-4 and had the only power play in the first period but allowed the three best chances of the frame.

Palmieri hit the post on an odd-man rush after Nikita Kucherov lost his footing in the New York zone, and Barzal hit the post with a shot from between the circles.

The Lightning were fortunate to come out of the period tied after Leo Komarov broke in alone on Vasilevskiy after Point was stripped of the puck while trying to enter the Islanders zone on the power play. But Vasilevskiy made a blocker save to keep the game scoreless.

Grade: C

Third-period surge

Say this for the Lightning: They never gave up.

Down three goals entering the third period, it would have been easy to pack things in and turn their attention to Game 5 Monday in Tampa. 1216134 Tampa Bay Lightning

Stanley Cup semifinal: Lightning-Islanders Game 4 live updates

By Frank Pastor

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

Josh Bailey, Mathew Barzal and Matt Martin scored in the second period, and the Islanders hung on in the third to survive the Lightning 3-2 in Game 4 of their semifinal series at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.

Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson scored just about three minutes apart in the third period to bring the Lightning within a goal. Point has scored in seven consecutive games.

Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh appeared poised to tie the game in the closing seconds when he got the puck in the left circle and spun, pulling goaltender Semyon Varlamov out of the net. But Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock dove in front of the empty net to stop McDonagh’s backhand shot.

The series is tied at two games apiece as it heads back to Tampa for Game 5 on Monday.

With all of their offensive firepower, the Lightning don’t get enough credit for how good of a team they are defensively.

Just as their defenders don’t get enough credit for how much they contribute to the offense.

Head coach Jon Cooper has said it on numerous occasions: he views his team as a five-man unit no matter what zone it happens to be playing in.

Defenders starting breakouts, joining the rush, shooting from the point, making plays at the blue line to keep pucks in the offensive zone or switching places with forwards down low to confuse opponents are all part of the Lightning’s offensive game.

Just as forwards creating turnovers in the neutral zone, backchecking deep into the defensive zone, filling passing lanes and blocking shots are an important part of the defense’s success.

You get buy-in from all five players no matter where they happen to be on the ice as the Lightning have the past two postseasons, and you get a team that is within six wins of its second straight Stanley Cup.

We saw much of that — particularly defensively — in the 2-1 win over the Islanders Thursday in Game 3 that gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup semifinal series. They will need a similar effort tonight to extend their advantage.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216135 Tampa Bay Lightning

Jon Cooper: Lightning need to be better offensively in Game 4

By Eduardo A. Encina

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The Lightning withstood an Islanders press and a raucous Nassau Coliseum down the stretch in their 2-1 Game 3 win Thursday night. But Lightning coach Jon Cooper said his team will have to give more to pull out another victory tonight.

Tampa Bay did a good job of protecting the net in the third period, but after going back and looking at the game film, Cooper said the Lightning sat back a little too much.

“I like that we won the game,” Cooper said following Saturday’s morning skate. “But I thought there were periods in that game that we didn’t do the things we needed to for us to have some more success. … That first probably 12 minutes. We were flip-happy and content on just getting pucks out instead of doing what we did that last four or five minutes, which was to attack the game and put them on their heels.”

The Lightning had just one shot on goal over the first 12:56 of the third, Steven Stamkos’ shot nine minutes into the period, and had just four shot attempts over that span.

It wasn’t until the final five minutes that the Lightning were more aggressive offensively. And three shots came in a 90-second span before the Islanders pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov to add an extra attacker.

“You can get away with that at times when you have the lead, but we need to be better than that if we’re going to have any chance tonight because I know the Islanders are gonna be better,” Cooper said.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216136 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning center Anthony Cirelli’s growth not measured by numbers alone

By Eduardo A. Encina

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Lightning center Anthony Cirelli’s numbers this season haven’t done an adequate job of measuring his contributions, mainly because he does so many things that don’t show up on a score sheet.

Take the Lightning’s Game 3 win over the Islanders on Thursday in their league semifinal series. Center Brayden Point scored the winning goal with 20 seconds remaining in the second period, but it was Cirelli who filled the crease, preventing defenseman Nick Leddy from making a play on the puck and screening goalie Semyon Varlamov’s view of Point’s shot in the process.

It’s little things like that — whether it’s a faceoff win or a puck battle or a heady defensive play — that have put Cirelli in the Selke Trophy (best defensive forward) conversation every season.

“It’s guys making big plays in big moments, and Cirelli seems to do that,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Look at that game winner. He’s right on top of everything, and he’s just one of those players that does all those little things that never do make the front page of the paper. … There are those times when he scores those big goals, which he did for us last year. Tony’s an invaluable player on our team.”

The Islanders know Cirelli well. His overtime goal in Game 6 of last year’s Eastern Conference final sent the Lightning to the Stanley Cup final. This postseason, Cirelli had three goals in 14 entering Game 4 with the Islanders on Saturday night, as many goals as he had in 25 games last year. He scored in back-to-back games in the first-round series against the Panthers and had a winning goal in Game 2 of the second- round series against the Hurricanes.

Cirelli, 23, is in his third full season with the Lightning. He had an incredible start to the year offensively, scoring four goals (including two winning ones) and 10 points in his first 12 games before an injury against the Panthers sidelined him for two weeks. He came back and logged seven points in his next eight games.

The well eventually went dry for Cirelli, and 28 games passed without a goal before he scored in Game 3 against the Panthers.

“I felt for him a little bit because everybody wants points, everyone wants to score, and I think players sometimes value themselves (on), ‘Did I get points?’ and that should never be the case,” Cooper said.

“But as we’ve moved into the playoffs now, he’s playing such a pivotal role for us And it’s not as much with the puck. But if you look at some of these big goals we’ve been scoring, Tony seems to find his way in that mess, and he creates havoc.”

With the Lightning clinging to a 1-0 lead in the second period Thursday and Nassau Coliseum coming to life when the Islanders were awarded a power play, Cirelli’s hustle and positioning might have saved a goal.

The Lightning’s penalty kill was caught in a line change, creating the makings of a 3-on-1 for the Islanders. But Cirelli sped off the bench and into the neutral zone, and blocked off a passing lane to wing Jordan Eberle as he was skating toward the near post.

Cirelli then immediately circled out and made a diving block on forward Brock Nelson’s wrister.

“We go out there to do a good job, and I think everyone does that,” Cirelli said. “Every single guy on our team is putting their body on the line, from the (defense) to the forwards. Numerous guys are blocking shots.

“We continue to keep growing and just keep playing for one another.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216137 Tampa Bay Lightning short-handed breakaway in the first, lost his stick on this play, then lost coverage on Barzal, the most dangerous opponent on the ice.

Point stood in the middle of the slot as Barzal was wide open back door ‘We got what we deserved:’ What we learned from wild Lightning Game 4 to pounce on a rebound from a Cal Clutterbuck shot, making it 2-0 loss Islanders. The third Islanders goal was by Matt Martin, enabled by the top line not being able to clear the zone.

“I think we didn’t execute,” defenseman Victor Hedman said. “They were By Joe Smith the better team. You give up three goals in a period, it’s not good enough. We pushed in the third, but we shouldn’t be in that position to

start with.” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said he didn’t see much on the Hedman is right, they shouldn’t have been in that spot. The Lightning crazy final play of Saturday’s Game 4. spent way too much time hemmed in their own zone, as evidenced by Not the wide-open net, nor the desperate Islanders defenseman Ryan the two-plus-minute shifts by McDonagh, Erik Cernak and Mikhail Pulock sliding into the crease. Sergachev in this game. At one point, Sergachev was out there for 2:47, and Tampa Bay teammates were passing the puck back to him. “I just tried to get something on net,” McDonagh said. “Lot of it in the second period, it was just battles we were losing,” said But as McDonagh tried a spin-o-rama in the slot with around three Johnson, who scored in the third to pull the Lightning to 3-2. “The one- seconds left, making an unbelievable play to backhand a puck through on-ones we normally win. We made a push in the third, but we’ve got to traffic, all his teammates could think was how it might cap an improbable play the full 60.” comeback from a three-goal, third-period deficit. There’s a lot of reasons for the Islanders to feel good. They’ve given the “I think everyone thought it was going in,” forward Tyler Johnson said. Lightning’s potent power play just two opportunities the past two games. They’ve got the same number of five-on-five goals as Tampa Bay “I was raising my hands,” assistant coach Rob Zettler said. (seven), and have a 56.15 expected goals percentage, according to “I thought we tied the game, to be honest with you,” defenseman Mikhail Natural Stat Trick, along with a 38-29 edge in high-danger chances. Sergachev said. “We know what we can do for 60 minutes,” Hedman said. “One of the But the Lightning didn’t, with Pulock’s sliding glove save the biggest stop things is we can’t take anything for granted this time of year. They’re a of the Stanley Cup playoffs, sealing a 3-2 Islanders victory at Nassau great team, they’re going to have their push and they scored three goals Coliseum. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ending like that in a playoff (in the second). That’s not up to our standard. We played more game. “I thought it was going in,” Islanders star Mathew Barzal said. desperate in the third but that’s what happens when you’re down 3-0. “Just a miraculous play by (Pulock). I’m not going to be forgetting that We’ve got to do that from the start.” one.” It got to the point where the Lightning lost an offsides challenge on the Whether that save will be remembered as one of the iconic plays in an Islanders’ third goal, earning a penalty, and actually gained momentum Islanders Cup run or just a blip in Tampa Bay’s historic repeat remains to on the ensuing penalty kill. be seen. But we do know we’ve got a hell of a best-of-three series Cooper, who was 3-0 on offsides challenges this season, said the coming up here, starting Monday in Tampa, Fla., with the Cup champs in problem was that the staff didn’t have all the replay angles available to for their toughest challenge yet. them at the time of the challenge (their Hawkeye system went out on the For six straight playoff series, Tampa Bay held a 3-1 edge. This is the bench). first time since that run that the Lightning are 2-2, facing a formidable “We’re relying on limited intel,” Cooper said. “If you look at the play, Islanders team that has held serve five-on-five through four games and everything is telling you that it’s offsides. We get in the room and they has already won a game at Amalie Arena. What was the most frustrating finally showed an angle, which took forever to show, and we saw he for the Lightning after this one is how they fell apart in a second period pulled it back by a fraction of an inch. Every angle we had on the bench, coach Jon Cooper called “red rotten.” everything looked offsides. We had to go a little bit on gut on what should “You realize how precious every period is, every shift is,” Cooper said. have never been a gut call — it was a black-and-white call.” “It’s one of those things if you bend, you can’t break, and that second The Lightning have the kind of firepower to erase nearly every deficit, period, we broke. It was self-inflicted. I’m proud of the guys for the push and they almost did Saturday. There was Point’s early third-period goal, in the third, and we were a save away from still playing right now.” which gave them a boost. Then there was Johnson, who, after a What went wrong in the fateful second period? Well, everything. The tumultuous season, has been playing some of his best hockey in the Lightning had entered in a 0-0 tie after amassing an 11-4 shot advantage playoffs. Johnson played about a minute less than Steven Stamkos and in the first, though the Islanders did hit two posts and had a short-handed he earned it, scoring on a play that reminded the broadcasters of the breakaway in the first 20 minutes. The home team, in pretty much a 2015 version of the Lightning center. must-win game, played like it in the middle frame, dominating Tampa Bay What will happen next? It depends on which Lightning team shows up. by scoring three goals in 12 minutes. The group that had its desire, but not its mind, in a sloppy Game 1 loss? The Lightning were turning pucks over. They blew defensive zone Or the mature, championship team that played a near-perfect road game coverages. They lost one-on-one battles. in the Game 3 win? The separator in these games has partly been puck management. Cooper noticed it in the Game 3 win, when the Lightning “It doesn’t happen to us too often, but that was a red-rotten second were “flip-happy and content on just getting pucks out instead of doing period,” Cooper said. “Sometimes, you lay an egg and we laid one in the what we did in that last four or five minutes, which was attack the game second period.” and put them on their heels.”

What was most surprising was who the culprits were on two of the goals This was always going to be a series about forechecking, but it seems allowed: Brayden Point and the top line. like the Lightning have sometimes played the puck like it’s a hot potato — The Islanders struck first on a slick shot by Josh Bailey. This one was on getting rid of it as fast as they can. Whether that’s rimming the puck in rookie Ross Colton, who otherwise has been very good in this the offensive zone, or trying east-west passes in the neutral zone, it’s not postseason. But Colton failed to get the puck in deep at the blue line, working. then joined linemate Johnson in picking up the same Islanders player in “We’ve got guys that can hold on and be patient and make plays,” the defensive zone, leaving Bailey wide open. McDonagh said. “I’m sure they’d want a few plays back where we’d want The second goal, however, was on Point. to be consistent there and play disciplined with the puck and help set up our forechecking game, which is similar to their game plan against us. Point has been phenomenal this postseason and extended his goal We’ve got confidence in our group that they’re going to make the right streak to seven games, giving him 12 overall. He’s a big-game player, reads more times than not.” and we broke down why. But Point, whose turnover led to the Islanders’ The Lightning should be OK. They’re seasoned, resilient and a proud group that’s gone 11-0 after a loss in the past two postseasons, including winning two consecutive after a Game 1 loss in this series. They’ve regained home-ice advantage with a split on Long Island and they escaped without any serious injuries as Erik Cernak is expected to play in Game 5. They’ll make adjustments, just like the Islanders did in having their defensemen more aggressively pinching to keep plays alive and bringing their forwards high in the defensive zone for breakouts.

What struck me the most was a comment by Sergachev after the game. Lightning play-by-play man Dave Randorf asked Sergachev about the “unfortunate” ending, whether it was the Islanders doing something different that played a role or more self-inflicted issues. Sergachev said they “got what we deserved,” and put it this way:

“It wasn’t them, it was us — it’s always us. When we’re on the top of our game, playing our structure, and guys are battling, I don’t think there’s anyone that can play with us.”

The Lightning have certainly shown that in these playoffs. And which version shows up Monday will go a long way in whether there’s another storybook ending.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216138 Toronto Maple Leafs Wilson: Obviously I didn’t feel good. But it was one of those things, a fluky bounce, or a shot off the leg goes in, in Game 5 or 6, that’s how fine a line it is. I thought there were some questionable lineup decisions. Too many holes in the lineup. Tavares goes down. All these little things finally The message from some high-profile Leafs fans after another lost caught up with them. Toronto always seems to have something go season? Keep the faith wrong. This year, Foligno (and) Tavares weren’t healthy. Still, no excuse, they should have won.

Maslakow: I couldn’t watch hockey for a good week when it was over. By Kevin McGran The fact they lost to Montreal definitely added to the sting. There seemed Staff Reporter to be a higher hope around this team in the regular season, the way they performed. I truly believed they were poised to exorcise some demons Sat., June 19, 2021 come the playoffs and, lo and behold, it’s a 3-1 series collapse and a loss in Game 7. Montreal added to the sting, but history repeating itself over

and over again … this one was harder than years past. The Maple Leafs have made YouTuber Steve (Dangle) Glynn rather How do you feel now? grumpy. Mike (The Ultimate Leafs Fan) Wilson is a bit more stoic about the team. And Jason (Dart Guy) Maslakow remains ever hopeful. Glynn: Getting over it. Watching the playoffs makes me mad. Because they should still be in it. I know they experienced some bad luck but, for The Leafs might rip the hearts out of their fans on an annual basis with God’s sake, they went up 3-1 without their captain, and tied Game 5 some sort of epic playoff collapse. But the fans who have made names without him, and tied Game 6 without him or (Jake) Muzzin, so I’m just for themselves by being fans are remaining loyal to their team. mad. “You’ve got to Be-Leaf. One day it’s going to happen for Toronto,” says The more I think about it, with Columbus in 2019 and Boston, there are Maslakow, a minor-hockey scout made famous when the cameras some guys you can look at and say, “Yeah, they didn’t have a great spotted him in the stands — a maple leaf painted on his face, a cigarette series,” or “Yeah, this is a weak spot in the roster.” This year, (Morgan) dangling from his mouth — during the Leafs’ 2017 playoff series against Rielly was so good, (TJ) Brodie was so good, Muzzin so good. (Jack) the Washington Capitals. Campbell was so much better than you could ask for. They got eight Everybody was optimistic then. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and goals combined out of (William) Nylander and Spezza. If I told you William Nylander formed the core of players reviving a moribund heading into that series you were going to get all those things, you franchise that had finished last overall the year before. wouldn’t even bother to ask about (Auston) Matthews or Marner. So I’m grumpy. You know the rest: The Leafs kept losing in the first round. Taking their series to the limit, but still losing. Game 7 to Boston in 2018, and again in The one thing helping me is progress is not linear. And hockey doesn’t 2019, with Nazem Kadri suspended both years. Game 5 to Columbus in always make sense. You’d never watch the 2017 Capitals and how it 2020, with Jake Muzzin hurt. Game 7 to Montreal just a few weeks ago, ended for them and assume they would win the next year. And you would with captain John Tavares hurt. The Leafs had three chances to close never watch the 2019 Blues and assume they would win by the end of out that series. the season. You would never watch how Tampa choked against Columbus and assume they would follow it up with a Cup run, especially “Toronto always seems to have something go wrong,” says Wilson, without Steven Stamkos. branded The Ultimate Maple Leafs fan by ESPN for his museum-like collection of memorabilia, most of which now is with the Museum of Hockey doesn’t make sense. That’s the good news. Canadian History in Gatineau, Que. “This year, (Nick) Foligno (and) Wilson: They lost. It’s disappointing. I don’t know who you put the blame Tavares weren’t healthy. Still, no excuse, they should have won.” on. If the puck goes in the net in Game 5 or 6, we’re probably talking None of it makes sense to Glynn, whose reactions to Leafs wins and about them playing Vegas. Unfortunately, Toronto’s a very polarizing city, losses were streamed on Sportsnet. a lightning rod, and people love to bring up stuff that happened 50 years ago that’s got nothing to do with what’s happening today. I don’t know “One of the great examples of how hockey doesn’t make any sense is why people bring it up. These players’ parents weren’t even born back the Islanders lose John Tavares for nothing, he goes to Toronto, has far then. and away the best season of his career, and somehow the Islanders got better,” Glynn says. “If you can explain that one to me, I’m all ears.” It’s hockey, it happens. I’ll be a fan for life. You can’t give up on them. You can criticize the little things that didn’t go right but, if they won, we The Leafs are now on Year 55 without a Stanley Cup. At this point, their wouldn’t be having this conversation. long-suffering fans would take a playoff-round win, something the team hasn’t achieved since 2004. There’s a lot of white noise around the team, Maslakow: I’m happy to see Jason Spezza coming back. He was one of talk that Zach Hyman will bolt as a free agent, or that Morgan Rielly or the bright spots. And one of the guys who played like he wanted it all. I’d Mitch Marner need to be traded, or that Lou Lamoriello should have love to see Nick Foligno in a Leaf uniform for a full season. retained his job as general manager. But how am I coping? Leafs Nation appears to be restless, at a loss with what do with Well, I’ve decided to shave the beard. I need to make a change. I need to themselves, not sure what to think about a team with so much talent, so throw some different mojo out in this world. I’m trying to raise money for much promise that only seems to find playoff disappointment. So we Sick Kids. There has to be a Canadiens fan, or a Senators fan, who asked the most prominent fans how they’re coping with the first-round would love to take a razor to Dart Guy’s beard. loss to the Canadiens, who are now facing Vegas in the Stanley Cup semifinals. Any advice for a Leafs fan?

Jason (Dart Guy) Maskolow says he couldn’t watch hockey for a week Glynn: Patios are open. This team is going to be forced into change. when the Maple Leafs lost Game 7 to the Canadiens. You’re not necessarily going to like it, but it might be for the better. My disappointment was on display for hundreds of thousands of people to Here’s a Pucks In Depth Q-and-A with Glynn, Wilson and Maslakow, watch. It can’t get any more humiliating. Until it does. The most presented as a roundtable: disappointing part was there was legitimately no reason to doubt this How did you feel when the Maple Leafs lost to Montreal? year’s team, and they ruined it anyway.

Glynn: I was pretty numb by the time Game 7 even began. You can see it Wilson: The NHL is competitive, it’s tough. No comparison to what it was in my face on the live stream when (Jesperi) Kotkaniemi scored the 15 years ago. Every team has a game-breaker. Keep the faith. This team overtime winner in Game 6. The only similar feeling I’ve ever had was today has nothing to do with 15 years ago or 50 years ago. when (Patrice) Bergeron tied it in Game 7 of 2013. That’s when I fell to Look at what it is. They’ve got a good team, a real good core of players. the floor. I was in Maple Leaf Square and I fell to my knees when he tied You can speculate when you don’t win all the time. That’s what makes it. When they won it, I didn’t even react. My wife and I just looked at each sports fun. The players care. The players are passionate about playing other, then we went on the subway and went home. for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They want to win more than anybody. You just have to stick behind them, go with them. We’ll get a reward one day. It will happen. They’re going to win. When it does, this brand will explode.

Keep the faith folks, it’s going to happen.

Maslakow: All I can say is, you’ve got to support your team. You’ve got to Be-Leaf. One day it’s going to happen for Toronto, it’s going to happen for the fans of the Maple Leafs. When that day comes, it’s going to erase every single heartache we’ve experienced since 1967. It will be glorious when that day comes.

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216139 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs sniper Matthews misses out on Lady Byng

Lance Hornby

Publishing date: Jun 19, 2021

Perhaps Lady Byng Trophy voters heard that Auston Matthews attended a recent UFC event and maybe isn’t suited for the NHL’s most gentlemanly player award.

In truth, the Maple Leaf was up against a couple of worthy finalists for the award that combines good on-ice conduct with a high standard of play. Though Matthews led the NHL with 41 goals this season, the Byng went to defenceman Jacob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night, with Jared Spurgeon of the Minnesota Wild second in balloting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

It’s not easy for a blueliner to win this award as Slavin became the first since Brian Campbell of Chicago in 2011-12. Slavin received 73 of the 100 first-place votes, while Spurgeon, also a defenceman, was named on most second-place ballots. Matthews did get eight first place votes as a Byng finalist the second straight season.

Slavin averaged the most time on ice (22:59) for a team that yielded 2.39 goals per game, helping them win their division. He took only one minor penalty throuh the regular season .

Matthews’ goal total included a league-best 12 game-winners and a tie for fifth in scoring with 66 points. In 52 games with a plus-21, he was assessed five minors. The last of seven Leafs to win the Byng in its near 100-year history was Alex Mogilny in ‘02-03.

Matthews is also a finalist for the Hart Trophy as MVP with Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, and for the Ted Lindsay Award for MVP as voted by the players, along with McDavid and Sidney Crosby.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216140 Vegas Golden Knights He earned playing time on the first line between Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup semifinals and won a faceoff cleanly to set up Pietrangelo’s first goal in a 3-2 loss.

Keegan Kolesar draws inspiration from late stepfather Kolesar was on the ice for both Knights goals and dished out four hits in 12:30 of ice time during Friday’s overtime loss.

”He’s responsible, and he plays hard, and he plays physical. But he plays By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal an honest game,” defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s a one-of-a-kind human being, he has fun playing the June 19, 2021 - 3:51 PM game and does what he does well every night.”

The obituary for Charles Peterson, a professional baseball scout and LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.20.2021 volunteer high school football assistant coach from Columbia, South Carolina, notes he is survived by his wife and children.

A son and two daughters are listed, followed by a fourth person who also held an important place in Peterson’s life: Keegan Kolesar.

“My dad was amazing,” the Golden Knights forward said. “He helped me out so much, not just in sports but in life.”

Kolesar, 24, experienced a range of highs and lows the past 10 months.

He completed his first full NHL season and is a regular in the lineup entering a Father’s Day matchup Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup semifinals at Bell Centre. The Knights trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

All the while, Kolesar drew inspiration from Peterson, his stepdad, who died Sept. 13 after a monthlong battle with COVID-19.

“He kind of just gave me tips on how to handle life away from the game,” Kolesar said. “He didn’t know anything about hockey. Even until last year, I don’t even think he knew what an icing really was. He just found ways to make life a lot easier for me in sports.”

Peterson, 46, was an area scout and a special assistant to St. Louis Cardinals assistant general manager and scouting director Randy Flores.

A first-round pick in 1993, Peterson played baseball professionally for 14 seasons and spent 2002 and 2003 with Winnipeg in the independent Northern League, where he met Kolesar’s mother. They married in 2003 and were divorced in 2012, according to a story about Kolesar on the Chicago Wolves’ website.

Kolesar’s biological father is former Canadian Football League and NFL linebacker K.D. Williams.

Peterson was admitted to Prisma Health Richland Hospital in mid-August while the Knights were in Edmonton, Alberta, for the postseason. Kolesar, part of the taxi squad, left the bubble and traveled to South Carolina to be with Peterson for his final days.

“We found common ground with whatever we could (despite playing) different sports,” Kolesar said.

Kolesar signed a two-year, $1.45 million contract in October as a restricted free agent and made the opening night roster in large part because the Knights thought he would be claimed on waivers by another club.

Coach Pete DeBoer admitted he wasn’t sure how much the 13th forward would contribute, and Kolesar struggled to finish scoring chances early in the regular season.

But he notched his first goal March 22 against St. Louis and was the team’s most improved player, according to general manager Kelly McCrimmon.

In 44 games, Kolesar finished with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) and showed he was willing to stand up for teammates with 30 penalty minutes.

“He plays the way I like the game to be played. He’s big, heavy, hard, straight-line, but he also creates offense,” DeBoer said. “The one thing about him all year was even though the pucks didn’t go in, he found a way every night to put himself in a spot to get a Grade-A chance. And that tells me he had hockey sense and that offensive potential was there, it just needed to be refined and get a little bit of confidence at this level.”

Kolesar scored a crucial goal in Game 6 of the West Division final to put the Knights ahead 3-2 over Colorado, winning a faceoff and then deflecting Alex Pietrangelo’s shot from the point. 1216141 Vegas Golden Knights But in the moment, Fleury is simply one whose inability to make a play — along with his team’s ridiculously bad power play and its top six forwards offering zero scoring help — led directly to the Knights now trailing a semifinal series. Spotlight shines on Fleury following Game 3 gaffe “He’s great,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said when asked Saturday about his goaltender. “I did speak with him this morning and he’s great. We wouldn’t be here without him. You move forward. Short memories.” By Ed Graney Las Vegas Review-Journal They certainly didn’t lose Friday solely because of Fleury, but the June 19, 2021 - 1:34 PM spotlight shines brightest on him.

It’s all part of what he means to the Golden Knights. Fair has nothing to It is magnified because of what he represents to the franchise. In most do with it. ways, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is the Golden Knights. Their face. That’s sports. Their most popular player by a country mile. Their heart and soul.

But even the most admired is not above making critical mistakes at the worst times. Fleury did so Friday night. How big a mishap it will prove to LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.20.2021 be depends on the outcome of this Stanley Cup semifinal series against Montreal.

It could make for some good-natured ribbing by teammates should the Knights advance. It could haunt him for a good time should they not. That’s sports. History is full of such gaffes.

The Canadiens lead a best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday night at Bell Centre. They’re also beyond fortunate to own such an advantage.

The Knights led 2-1 on Friday when, with 1:55 remaining in the third period, Fleury misplayed the puck behind his net. It slid away, where Canadiens forward Josh Anderson gathered and scored uncontested.

Montreal won 3-2 in overtime on Anderson’s second goal.

Tricky bounces

“I came out to make a play, help the defense like I do every day, every night,” Fleury said Saturday of his third-period miscue. “I’ve got to see the replay again. I don’t know if it spins off my stick or my foot. I don’t have good control of it and lost the puck. When I turned around, it was in the net already.”

He’s aggressive in such situations. Sometimes too much so. It’s part of what makes his game so exciting. Fleury has a flair for the dramatic. Part of what makes him such a huge fan favorite. He’s ridiculously athletic at 36. Part of what makes him so good and yet likely willing to take chances.

This was part fluke. Tricky bounces happen. But he came to move the puck, mishandled it and things went terribly wrong. That’s on him.

“Yeah, it’s part of the game, right?” Fleury said. “I’ve been talking to you guys and being reminded of my screw-ups. I’ve been through this before. Obviously, I wish things were different. It is what it is. Put it behind and get ready for the next game.”

Been through it before is right.

It was at the 2004 world junior championships in Helsinki when Fleury as a member of Team Canada made what was before now his most infamous error.

There were just over five minutes remaining in a tie score of the gold medal game when Patrick O’Sullivan of the United States received a stretch pass.

Fleury left his crease and tried clearing before O’Sullivan could attempt a shot, but the puck instead ricocheted backward off Canadien defenseman Braydon Coburn and into the net.

Minutes later, the U.S. celebrated a 4-3 win.

Another perspective

Fleury is different now. Much older and wiser and able to put into perspective such forgettable moments. He has seen pretty much everything — good and bad — that hockey offers. The Knights also hope he’s more capable of quickly moving on.

In the big picture, Fleury is a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time, having enjoyed his finest season of a Hall of Fame career. He keeps climbing various all-time lists. It seems a weekly occurrence. 1216142 Vegas Golden Knights they were good, they were fast. But once we got to our game, I think we can handle them no problem.”

Golden Knights experiment at center with Stephenson out LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.20.2021

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

June 19, 2021 - 11:49 am

The Golden Knights most important games of the year have featured a lot of experimenting at first-line center.

Tomas Nosek’s ended Friday’s Game 3 overtime loss against the Montreal Canadiens between left wing Max Pacioretty and right wing Mark Stone. With Chandler Stephenson nursing an upper-body injury, it was the fourth center the Knights’ highest-paid forwards have played with over the past two games.

Stone has no points in the NHL semifinal. Pacioretty has one assist.

Nosek was the latest player given a shot in that role after Alex Tuch started in the middle for the second time since he was a teenager. Coach Pete DeBoer said the switch from Tuch to Nosek was made for defensive reasons in the third period, but the change stayed in overtime.

“(Tuch) did a great job for us there, got us in a position where we were in a lead late in the third period,” DeBoer said. “Just from a defensive perspective, it made sense. And I wanted to see where (Nosek’s) legs were and energy was, and it was in a real good place, so that made it easy.”

Nosek was playing his first game since May 18 and spent most of his time at fourth-line center. He got back on the scoresheet quickly when he made a sharp pass behind his back along the wall in the defensive zone to spring Pacioretty and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo for a rush on which Pietrangelo scored.

That play, plus his strength on faceoffs and in the defensive zone, got him moved up in the third period. Tuch still did well in his new role. He went 1-for-4 on faceoffs, but the Knights had a 5-2 edge in scoring chances with him, Pacioretty and Stone on the ice at five-on-five.

Whether that gets Tuch another look at center remains to be seen. The Knights have had to try a lot of different combinations with Stephenson out, because his speed was so key to setting up Pacioretty and Stone.

“It’s not easy to create offense for top guys in the playoffs,” DeBoer said. “You’ve got to stick with it. I liked our game. I liked the looks we’re getting. Yes we’ve got to stick some more pucks in the net, but it’s not easy.”

Forward scoring

The Knights’ blue line continues to lead their offense against Montreal.

Six of the team’s eight goals in the series have come from defensemen. Third-line center Nicolas Roy and third-line left wing Mattias Janmark are the only forwards with goals for the Knights.

Things did start to balance out more in Game 3. Defensemen took only 13 of the Knights’ 45 shots on goal, after accounting for 35 of the team’s 61 the first two games of the series.

“We’re trending in the right direction but we’ve got to spend a little more time in their zone,” Janmark said. “Be a little bit hungrier in front but at the same time we’re doing a good job screening the goalie and got some goals from the D. We’ve got to get on the scoresheet a little more here.”

Comeback artists

The Knights can’t say they’ve never been in this position before.

They’re down 2-1 in their series to the Canadiens after also trailing in the first two rounds. They were down 1-0 to Minnesota and 2-0 to Colorado before rallying to win in seven and six games, respectively.

The Knights are confident they can do that again based on how they’ve played the first three games.

“I think (the Canadiens have) had little spurts the last couple games,” goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. “In Vegas, I thought the first periods 1216143 Vegas Golden Knights 2. Third line does its job A key question for the Knights was how their third line would hold up if

Tuch was promoted. Golden Knights’ power-play struggles ‘costing us this series’ It ended up not being a concern.

Roy opened the scoring with his third goal of the playoffs 3:16 into the By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal second period. His line with left wing Janmark and right wing Kolesar had a 4-1 edge in high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five before Tuch June 19, 2021 - 7:00 am rejoined it.

3. Extra hockey

Right wing Reilly Smith has a clear area of focus for the Golden Knights Friday’s game, at 72:53, was the longest the Knights have played since after they lost Game 3 of their NHL semifinal series against the Montreal 2019. Canadiens 3-2 in overtime. Game 7 of their first-round series against the San Jose Sharks lasted Their struggling power play. 78:19 that season. Game 6 of that series was the last time the Knights have played a double overtime game. The Knights went 0-for-4 at Bell Centre on Friday night to continue what has been a woeful performance on the man advantage this postseason. They are 1-3 in overtime this season and 5-8 in their history. They’re 0-for-10 in the series, on an 0-for-13 skid and 4-for-38 in the playoffs (10.5 percent).

“It’s costing us this series right now,” Smith said. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.20.2021

The Knights’ power play wasn’t great in the regular season, either.

They ranked 22nd in the NHL by converting on 31 of their 174 opportunities (17.8 percent). They’ve been even worse in the postseason. Their power-play percentage is the worst among the 16 playoff teams.

Smith said it isn’t just one thing tripping them up. Their breakouts haven’t been good. They haven’t handled pressure well. They aren’t getting to rebounds.

It has all added up to a lack of confidence and execution at key moments. If the Knights converted even one of their four opportunities Friday, they probably don’t go into overtime. They had 10 shots on goal during their power plays but couldn’t beat Canadiens goaltender Carey Price.

“In a game like this, your power play needs to step up for you,” captain Mark Stone said. “The last few games the power play has had to step up and hasn’t even got us any momentum. … It’s about time as a group we take a little bit more pride playing on the power play.”

The power-play struggles mean some of the Knights’ best players have had little impact in the series.

Stone has no points. Left wings Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Marchessault have one assist each. Third-line center Nicolas Roy and third-line left wing Mattias Janmark are the only forwards on the team with a goal.

Montreal has had a say in that. The Canadiens are the top penalty-killing team of the playoffs. They’re 38-for-41 (92.7 percent) and haven’t given up a power-play goal since Game 4 of their first-round series against Toronto.

Montreal has killed 25 straight penalties. It’s on the Knights to change that, or else their offense is going to be limited the rest of the series.

“The power play wasn’t great,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “That was probably the only piece of our game that wasn’t great.”

Here are three more takeaways from the loss:

1. Center carousel

The Knights’ first-line center spot has been a revolving door the last two games with Chandler Stephenson nursing an upper-body injury.

Alex Tuch started Friday’s game between Stone and Pacioretty after Roy and Keegan Kolesar got cracks at the job Wednesday. Tuch was moved back to his normal spot at third-line right wing in the third period and replaced by center Tomas Nosek.

It was a quick promotion for Nosek, who was playing in his first game since getting injured May 18.

“I enjoyed it,” he said. “Unfortunately it wasn’t good enough. I felt pretty good. As the game went on, I felt better and better. But I can’t be happy tonight.” 1216144 Vegas Golden Knights “I love the game of hockey. It’s not like it’s foreign to me. With hockey, it’s second nature to me. I’m very passionate about it. I come from a fan’s perspective first. That’s what makes my job so fun. Fans see me as just another fan,” Shunock said. “I had to learn the ropes of boxing. It’s kind Former Broadway Performer Transitions To Sports Entertainment As Las of a cool situation. I bring something unique for sports. I didn’t go to Vegas Market Grows Its Sports Options school for sports.”

Indeed, in 1996, a full quarter-century ago, Shunock left Sault St. Marie for acting school in New York City. June 19, 2021 While Sault St. Marie was known for hockey, the city had another face By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com that helped Shunock — a striving arts and community theater scene that he tapped into that would eventually lead him to study theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He’s part-fan, part-Broadway entertainer and part-former hockey player. “Sault St. Marie had a pretty special arts scene. There was community This unique blend results in his go-with-the-flow quips, facial expressions theater, great galleries, amazing restaurants. When the hockey days and high-energy stoke-the-crowd urgings all calibrated with precision at were over and I finished high school, I got into community theater Vegas Golden Knights home games when he’s on the big video screen productions and got the bug.” at T-Mobile Arena. At the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, he was among As venue host for Golden Knights games since the NHL franchise’s start 130 students in a program that had shrunk to 75 students in the second in 2017, Mark Shunock has converged an experienced hockey brain and year before Shunock was among only 11 students in the final third year. genuine love affair for the sport with legit Broadway theater chops and an earnest persona that harkens back to his unpretentious Canadian roots Shunock in Rock of Ages from a 72,000-resident city called Sault St. Marie across the U.S. from After the academy, he performed in plays like the Lion King before Rock the Michigan city bearing the same name. of Ages brought Shunock to Las Vegas in October 2012 from Los What separates Shunock from your average pro sports arena hype man Angeles after time in New York for a decade and in LA for another eight are his varied stage, acting and entertainment skills that allow him to look years or so. as comfortable hosting musical-themed fund-raiser talent shows for the He never left Vegas. past eight years as he does working as the official boxing match announcer for Las Vegas-based promoter, Top Rank. There are rumors Rock of Ages might be coming back.

Shunock’s Mondays Dark charity work is based in a 10,000-square-foot You might know Shunock as the guy pumping up 18,000 fans at VGK events building called The Space, where his 90-minute variety shows playoff games. But keep in mind the guy who insanely screams, “Woo,!” that cost people 20 bucks a head to watch in person every other week when the siren is cranked to start a VGK hockey period is the same guy have raised more than $1 million. Shunock said $330,000 alone were who sung old classics from crooners like Johnny Mathis and Neil raised just during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Space is west of the Diamond. The dude who goes crazy to fire up the VGK crowds also can Strip across the interstate from the Aria and hosts everything from carry a tune from the Rat Pack fellas to Michael Buble. birthday parties to corporate events. But Shunock is not singing Sinatra’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” at Shunock’s merging of his stage and sports worlds could not have come Golden Knights games. at a better time professionally for him. “There are moments at Golden Knights games when it’s crickets and my Mark Shunock in Rock of Ages. boss tells me, ‘Your mic is open. Get ’em going.’ ”

The entertainment threads of sports, music and acting have been Shunock said he’s working on an album and he’ll have some more interwoven into all sports events, from NFL Super Bowls to even the NHL details in the next few months. events where musical acts play a part of outdoor winter hockey games. Shunock does work for the NHL, too, at these league’s special events. “I’m grateful to be busy. I was fortunate enough that Top Rank had a bubble (last year). Even the NBA was calling to ask about the Top Rank It’s his not-so-secret sauce — a stage presence combining the poise of bubble. — Mark Shunock a former Broadway “Lion King” and “Rock of Ages” performer with a love for hockey cultivated from the days when he was a back-up goalie for the And when he’s on the job, whether it’s announcing a Top Rank boxing Ontario Hockey League’s Belleville Bulls while living the “Slapshot” life event or working as an emcee at a VGK game, he relies on his former outside Toronto. If you applied hockey parlance to Las Vegas’ stage life to stay cool in front of big crowds. entertainment industry, Shunock is a 200-foot player in the local “My entertainment performer background has helped me in the nerve entertainment biz. department. Being in front of people is not an issue,” Shunock said. Mark Shunock, the goalie “Where I get nervous is as a fan watching the guys fight and watching the In 1988, his dad also bought the Greyhounds hockey team in his native guys play hockey. When you work for a pro franchise or pro sports, you Sault St. Marie from NHL legendary brothers Phil and Tony Esposito. become passionate about that team and you become a fan,” he said. Some of the NHL’s biggest names like Wayne Gretzky have passed “But it’s not a job. We do it because we love it.” through Sault St. Marie on their paths to stardom. Other NHLers who played in The Soo were the Esposito brothers, Ron Francis, original Golden Knights player Colin Miller and Jerry Korab. So, hockey DNA LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 06.20.2021 runs deep in Shunock.

And Shunock is diving deeper into the sports world as the live event voice of Top Rank boxing. He noted he was a boxing fan who now does his homework on Top Rank’s fighters.

“I really enjoyed getting to know the fighters. You see the same fighters every four or six months. You find out who these guys and women are and you get to know their stories,” he said. “They are truly fighting for their lives and you start to care for them. I know it sounds corny. But you to learn where these guys are from and their family situations. You want them to succeed.”

It’s been a memorable transition from stage to sports for Shunock. 1216145 Vegas Golden Knights there is a tendency to go with what got you into the final four, but the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Coaching must now come to the fore and the Vegas Golden Knights must figure out a way to attack and penetrate Montreal’s Vegas Golden Knights Wasted Chances Put Them Behind in Series stout defense. If the Golden Knights can’t figure out a way to get the job done, then they may be headed home for the summer.

Published 16 hours ago on June 19, 2021 Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 06.20.2021 By Tom Callahan

The One That Got Away. It’s a story title so familiar to us because it’s one we’ve all employed at one time or another. Whether about a fish, our favorite car, a business opportunity or perhaps that special person, we all can relate because we’ve all been there. For the Vegas Golden Knights, Friday’s Game Three could become that tale of woe and regret.

It’s no secret goals are harder to come by once the post-season begins. Teams ratchet down more in their own zones. Intensity is up. The ultimate goal is now just 16 wins away for anyone who made the tournament. Losing a single game may mean nothing, turn the course of a series or at worst it means the ultimate in devastation and send you home for the summer.

Game Three was a wasted opportunity for the Golden Knights. They led late and lost, but even though that’s the most glaring incident from the game and will make the highlight reels, it wasn’t why Vegas lost.

First of all, the usual platitudes of “we loved our game” and “we did some real good things” were spun out there in the post-game press conference and are wearing thin. I know you have to stay positive and say the right things. I also know Vegas is capable of exploding at any time. But how many more times can you talk about how well you played and lost?

“We had lots of looks that we need to bear down on,” said Mark Stone. “Our power play needs to be better. Starting from the top, we need to be better. (We have been) skunked for the first three games, we’re the reason the power play isn’t working and we need to be better.”

I think that quote covers it really well. Vegas had 17 shots in the first period and didn’t score at a time when Montreal was most vulnerable. They were playing a game without head coach Dominique Ducharme, out due to a positive COVID-19 test. Behind the Montreal bench, that first period was a total test kitchen, seeing how the newly-distributed opportunities were being handled and figuring out important things like communication and employment of strategy. If the Vegas Golden Knights had been able to stick a puck or two in the net, they would have caused things like doubt and uncertainty to creep in. Perhaps even a slight feeling of panic.

Instead, it was Montreal breathing a sigh of relief after the opening 20 minutes when they didn’t play that well at all, yet were still tied in a scoreless game because of Carey Price. They went into the locker room, regrouped, and came back significantly better for the remainder of the contest.

All through the series, Montreal has frustrated the Golden Knights with blocks and forcing them into difficult shot selections and it continued in Game Three. Vegas easily could have had more shots on goal and scoring chances but couldn’t get pucks through lanes or shots on goal.

Another struggling aspect is the power play. Vegas has four power-play goals on 38 chances in the entire playoffs. Even if you don’t want to do the math (10.5%) you can see that’s a bad stat. I’ve been harping on the power play most of the season, calling the team out for a lack of movement away from the puck. I’m not the only one who sees this. Yet it continues to happen, and standing around without the puck is incredibly easy for the other team to defend since you’re always in the same spot. Why does the VGK continue to be so stationary on the powerplay?

“There’s a lot of problems, I don’t think you can pinpoint one,” said a clearly frustrated Reilly Smith about the power play. “Breakouts are bad, not doing good job handling pressure, not releasing the puck very well, not doing a good job crashing the net and picking up rebounds. It’s costing us the series right now.”

Smith rattled those points off in rapid-fire succession. He’s frustrated. Stone is frustrated. Everyone certainly is frustrated at this point. If the players are giving effort and not executing, now it falls to the coach to figure out how to combat that. Yet Vegas has changed little or nothing in its game plan, making only occasional adjustments. Being realistic I know 1216146 Washington Capitals

Capitals re-sign Shane Gersich to one-year, two-way contract

BY JULIUS LONG

CAPITALS

The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Shane Gersich to a one-year, two-way contract, general manager Brian MacLellan announced on Saturday.

Gersich, 24, was selected by the Capitals with the 134th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, before finishing a decorated collegiate career at the University of North Dakota.

He made his NHL debut in 2018, appearing in three games in the 2017- 18 season and two Eastern Conference semifinal games in 2018 when the Capitals took home the Stanley Cup.

Gersich is coming off of his third professional season with the Capitals' AHL affiliate Hershey Bears. He finished the 2020-21 season with 6 goals and 8 assists for a total of 14 points in 33 games.

Through 153 career games with Hershey, Gersich has recorded 56 points (24g, 32a).

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216147 Washington Capitals

Laviolette gets no love in Coach of the Year voting

BY J.J. REGAN

CAPITALS

On Thursday, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour was named the winner of the Jack Adams Award for NHL coach of the year. This was not a surprise and the vote tally showed Brind'Amour had won in a landslide. The other two finalists were also not a major surprise. Dean Evason of the Minnesota Wild came in second while Joel Quenneville of the Florida Panthers came in third.

None of these results were all that surprising. What was surprising, however, was the fact that Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette was not among the 15 coaches to receive a vote.

The Jack Adams Award is voted on by members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association and, like most NHL awards, voters get a first, a second and third-place vote. It is pretty stunning to see that Laviolette did not make a single ballot for even a third-place vote.

Laviolette's first season in Washington came during the pandemic with no preseason and a shortened training camp. The Capitals lost Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov and Ilya Samsonov four games into the season to the COVID absence list. Kuznetsov and Samsonov, the top center and top goalie on the team respectively, would be out for over a month. Both players would end up on the COVID list a second time at the end of the season.

Ovechkin would end up missing 11 total games for the season. Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek were the goalie tandem for the season, whenever Samsonov was available, because Henrik Lundqvist was declared out for the season with a heart condition before ever suiting up for the Caps. The team also dealt with a litany of other injuries that were so bad that at the end of the season, the Caps played a game missing all five skaters of their top power play unit.

If I told you before the season that all of that would happen to one of the oldest teams in the NHL, where would you have predicted they would finish in the standings? Would anyone have guessed tied for first place? Because that's where they ended up. Yet, Laviolette received literally no recognition for leading a team to a tie for first place in the East. Washington was also tied with Edmonton for the best road record in the entire league.

The Caps may have fizzled in the first round of the playoffs, but the Jack Adams is a regular-season award that is voted on before the playoff results.

David Quinn was fired in New York and he received one second-place vote. Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith received two votes presumably for coaching the Senators to a sixth-place finish in the North Division instead of seventh. Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan finished fifth overall in the voting for leading Pittsburgh to the exact same number of points as Washington.

Should Laviolette have beaten out Brind'Amour? No. Brind'Amour led the Hurricanes to a division title over the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the surprising Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes are a great team but do not boast the talent of a roster like Tampa Bay or Colorado reflecting the tremendous coaching job Brind'Amour did this season. I would not put Laviolette as a finalist over Evanson or Quenneville either.

But to think not one person believes what Laviolette's season did warranted at least a third-place vote is pretty baffling.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216148 Washington Capitals documented off-the-ice issues, too, including a couple of stints on the COVID-19 protocols list as well as a one-game benching for disciplinary reasons.

What a good offseason would look like for the Capitals Still, Samsonov showed tantalizing flashes of how good he can be when he’s dialed in, and the Caps remain hopeful he’ll grow into a reliable No. 1 (even if there’s more concern about that happening today than a year ago). By Tarik El-Bashir It would seem that the smart move for both parties is settling on a short- Jun 19, 2021 term extension. It would protect the Caps if Samsonov doesn’t develop as hoped, and it would allow Samsonov to cash in a couple of years from now if he meets or exceeds expectations. Three weeks ago, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan answered questions from reporters and, speaking in generalities, outlined his plan The wild card in all of this is that Samsonov, who earned $925,000 last for the offseason. season in the final year of his entry-level contract, is arbitration-eligible, per Cap Friendly. That means he could elect to have his salary To recap: determined by a neutral third party. When a team’s cap is as tight as Washington’s, that’s always a concern because a higher-than-anticipated No, there won’t be a ground-up rebuild. award can put the team in a bind (like the raise handed to Christian Yes, the expectation is that Alex Ovechkin will re-sign. Djoos in 2019 that pushed the Caps over).

No, he doesn’t intend to expose T.J. Oshie in the expansion draft. The ideal situation for the Caps would be Samsonov signing a short- term, affordable “prove it” contract and then outperforming it. Yes, there could be some wheeling and dealing, and it could involve first- line center Evgeny Kuznetsov. If Kuznetsov gets traded, the Caps get a capable center in return

MacLellan’s comments were light on detail (what GM telegraphs his It was a rough year for Kuznetsov, too. moves publicly?), but he did hint at a potentially busy summer for He was one of four Caps who ran afoul of the NHL’s stringent COVID-19 Washington’s front office. All of the possibilities got me thinking: What protocols in January, resulting in the Caps being fined $100,000 by the would a good (and realistic) offseason look like for the Caps? Here is my NHL. He contracted COVID-19 twice, was scratched for disciplinary version: reasons and underperformed on the ice, posting his lowest points per Ovechkin re-signs for a deal both sides can live with game average (.71) since 2014-15.

By now, you know the situation. Ovechkin wants to stay. The Caps aspire For all of those reasons, the team is expected to listen to trade offers for to keep him. The holdup is likely due to next month’s expansion draft. (If the talented but inconsistent center this summer. Pulling off a deal won’t Ovechkin does not re-sign before Seattle makes its selections, be easy, though; he has four years remaining on a contract that counts Washington can use one of its seven protection spots on another $7.8 million against the cap annually. The 29-year-old also has a 15- forward.) team no-trade clause, giving him a measure of control over the situation.

But what will Ovechkin’s next deal look like? That’s the multimillion-dollar (Before you start dreaming up scenarios to bring Buffalo’s Jack Eichel to question. D.C., remember this: The 24-year-old superstar is due to earn $10 million per season over the next five years, and the Caps are short on space as Evolving Wild projects Ovechkin’s next contract to be in the range of it is. Also, as colleague Pierre LeBrun reported, Sabres GM Kevyn three years and $7.5 million per year. That seems low. Consider: Adams is believed to want a 2021 first-round pick to be included in any Ovechkin’s expiring contract was worth an average of $9.5 million per package, and Washington doesn’t have one.) season and Nicklas Backstrom’s deal averages $9.2 million. If the Caps do find a trade partner, though, they must get a capable I speculated in a recent mailbag that four years at $10 million per feels center in return. One of the team’s biggest strengths in recent years has about right. But it very easily could be more given what Ovechkin has been its ability to go Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Lars Eller and Nic Dowd done for the franchise and what he still might do. Remember, one of the down the middle. There isn’t an in-house candidate ready to step into a biggest storylines in hockey over the next few seasons will be Ovechkin’s top-six role next season, as highly regarded prospect Connor McMichael, continuing climb up the all-time goals list. He currently sits sixth with 730 20, probably isn’t quite ready for full-time NHL duty. goals — 164 behind Wayne Gretzky. What if part of the return is a middle-six center? Could they get by with Does a $10.5 million annual average get it done? How about $11 million? Backstrom, Eller and the new pivot? Getting a fair return for Kuznetsov is Unclear. In fact, little is known about the negotiations, which are being going to be tough, and the Caps know it. conducted directly between Ovechkin, who has the support of a small group of confidants and family, and team management. What we can be As someone in the know told me recently, the Caps need to approach (relatively) sure of is this: Ovechkin, who turns 36 in September, is keenly the situation with clear eyes and be careful not to give away too much. aware of the correlation between his average annual value and the “We won the Stanley Cup because we had a great one-two punch quality of the supporting cast MacLellan can put around him at a time (Backstrom and Kuznetsov) and Eller in the third spot,” MacLellan said. when he’s going to need more help, according to people close to the “So center depth is important. We need (Kuznetsov) to play at his highest Caps captain. ability, and if he can’t play at his highest ability, we’re not going to be a Per Cap Friendly, Washington has 18 players (11 forwards, six good team and we have to make some other decisions.” defensemen and one goalie) under contract for next season and roughly If Kuznetsov does not get traded, he returns to his 2018 form (or $9.5 million in cap space. That doesn’t include Ilya Samsonov, a something resembling it) restricted free agent who’s due a raise, or Michal Kempny, who’s set to return from a long-term injury and carries a $2.5 million cap hit. In the event Kuznetsov is not dealt, it’s pretty obvious what the Caps need — and that’s a fully engaged No. 92. Or, to be more specific, the So, yeah, it’s tight. player who dominated the 2017-18 postseason to the tune of 32 points in “He’s defined our organization,” MacLellan said of Ovechkin on May 26. 24 games, the guy who kicked off the following season with 20 points in “So it’s important to us for him … to feel comfortable with the contract, the first 15 games. the direction of the team.” Rediscovering that Kuznetsov begins with him returning in September “We want him to go out,” the GM added, “the way he wants to go out.” focused mentally and in peak physical condition. Remember, he contracted COVID-19 twice and in both instances required some time to Samsonov signs a bridge deal get up to speed. Of course, it can be argued he never truly did.

Samsonov took a step back as a sophomore. The 24-year-old’s save Seattle selects a defenseman, helping to clear a logjam on the back end percentage dropped from .913 as a rookie to .902 this year, while his while creating some needed cap space goals-against average rose from 2.55 to 2.69. There were the well- Like all the other teams, the Caps are going to lose a player in the expansion draft next month.

It would help if the Kraken took a defenseman.

Assuming Kempny returns from the Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss all of this year (he was getting close in the playoffs), the Caps will have seven blueliners signed to one-way contracts, with prospect Martin Fehervary expected to push for playing time, as well.

The Caps can only shield three defensemen from Seattle.

In my most recent projection, I had John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov and Justin Schultz being protected. But it could easily be Carlson, Orlov and Brenden Dillon. Whatever MacLellan decides, Seattle GM Ron Francis will have the opportunity to pluck a pretty good defenseman from Washington’s roster if he so chooses.

In The Athletic’s latest mock expansion draft, two of Francis’ three selections were defensemen. Ryan S. Clark picked Dillon, and Dom Luszczyszyn drafted Jensen.

Clark wrote: “Having Brenden Dillon gives the Kraken a veteran with size who can kill penalties. Sure, this projection has a lot of defensemen who can kill penalties. An argument could be made, however, that having several options on the PK is better than having few at all.”

Luszczyszyn, however, singled out Jensen for his impressive analytics, writing: “A lot of options on Washington, especially on defense. I opted for Jensen, who has the best defensive impacts and moves the puck efficiently on the breakout. He’s also cheaper than Brenden Dillon.”

If the Kraken select Dillon, it would clear about $4 million off the cap and create an opportunity for Fehervary, a 21-year-old who is also a strong skater and needs to graduate from the AHL. If Seattle selects Schultz or Jensen, it would create an opportunity for Trevor van Riemsdyk, who played well when he had the opportunity to suit up last season and is signed to a team-friendly $950,000 AAV the next two seasons.

The worst-case scenario? The Kraken take van Riemsdyk. The Caps would lose a valuable player and not realize much in the way of cap savings.

MacLellan says the Caps could go into next season with Samsonov and Vanecek as the 1-2 in net.

While that may be, it feels like a risky proposition for a team that still fancies itself as a contender. Among goalies who made at least 18 starts last season, Vanecek’s save percentage (.908) ranked 26th and Samsonov’s (.902) was 37th.

If there’s an opportunity to upgrade the game’s most important position, it should be explored. The free-agent market could offer some big names if those players don’t re-sign with their current clubs, but that’s an expensive option and the Caps don’t have much cap space with which to work. A player-for-player swap is always possible but tricky to execute, and it could create a hole elsewhere in the lineup. So, the options aren’t great.

It should also be noted that colleague Eric Duhatschek has the Kraken selecting Vanecek, assuming, of course, Samsonov is the goalie the Caps choose to protect. Duhatschek wrote: “Seven NHL rookie goalies won 10 games or more, but Vanacek led them all in wins with 21. At 25, for a $716,667 cap hit, he’s the best available asset by far.” If that were to happen, it would necessitate acquiring another goalie to pair with Samsonov, who could use some mentoring from a veteran.

No more off-the-ice injuries

Lately, offseason injuries have become a big problem for the Caps, who before 2019 had the reputation of being one of the healthiest organizations.

But in just the past year, the team lost Samsonov to neck and shoulder injuries in an ATV accident and Kempny and prospect Beck Malenstyn to Achilles tendon tears suffered in training. And Henrik Lundqvist was forced to step away because of a heart condition that had worsened.

With the exception of Samsonov’s wreck, the players involved couldn’t have done much to avoid the situation they found themselves in. But as the postseason underscored, health can make or break a team’s aspirations. And it would be ideal if the Caps could arrive at MedStar Capitals Iceplex 100 percent.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216149 Websites

The Athletic / With NHL helmet advertisements here to stay, teams shift eye to jerseys

By Sean Shapiro

Jun 19, 2021

NHL teams have officially been given the green light to continue selling advertisement space on players’ helmets, and for many team executives, it’s viewed as the first step toward eventual advertisement on jerseys.

“I would think that’s the logical next step,” one NHL executive said via text Friday.

The NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman had been resistant in the past when it came to selling advertisements on jerseys or player equipment. But the financial shortfall caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created a need for the league to get creative, particularly during the 2020-21 season, with missed revenue from having empty or mostly empty arenas for the majority of the season.

Helmet advertisements for the 2020-21 season were typically make-even deals with existing sponsors, which is why most teams typically partnered up with their largest corporate partners.

It was described as a one-year plan, and teams were only allowed to make one-season deals, but most teams saw it as a springboard to a longer-term partnership and planned on helmet advertisement becoming a permanent part of the revenue stream.

“We could only make a one-year deal, but we and our partner knew that we would be renewing for something longer once the league officially said it was OK,” one NHL team executive said. “The one-year experiment was never really an experiment.”

The Winnipeg Jets announced earlier this week that they have entered into a five-year deal with Bell to be their helmet sponsor. Other teams have already secured or are in the process of securing similar deals.

“Good decision by the league,” another NHL executive said via text. “Much-needed incremental revenue.”

Now that helmet stickers are permanent, NHL executives are starting to eye the jersey, which for a long time has been viewed as sacred and untouchable in hockey circles when it came to advertisement.

“I can’t wait to sell ads on the jerseys,” one team executive told The Athletic earlier this season. “I’m not supposed to sound that excited about it, but it really is a huge opportunity for us as a sport to start trying to get back to some financial normalcy after 2020.”

The NBA set a precedent four years ago by selling patches on its jerseys. The Golden State Warriors, for example, get close to $20 million a season from Rakuten. NHL jersey advertisement would likely look similar, and multiple team executives were quick to point out they wanted to avoid the “soccer model” in which the sponsorship space was bigger than the team logo.

“Teams still have to be a brand, in my view,” one team executive said. “You can’t be dwarfed by the sponsorship logo on one of your most valuable pieces of merchandise.”

It’s believed teams would have support from the NHL Players’ Association in this endeavor, especially since any added hockey-related revenue would mean the escrow debt for players could be paid off quicker. And the quicker the escrow debt is paid off, the sooner the salary cap could rise.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.20.2021 1216150 Websites to Edmonton for the 2021 world juniors and covered bubble NHL playoff hockey in Toronto, my last trip before Edmonton was in February of 2020 to the University of Wisconsin, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic really ramped up. Though I’ve always really enjoyed video work (I’ll get The Athletic / Wheeler: A guide to scouting and evaluating NHL draft into its good and bad later), time spent away from the rink doesn’t just prospects (2021 update) change how I watched these kids, either, but also how I studied them, replacing the in-person conversations that happen in arenas with players,

their coaches, and NHL personnel with a lot of phone calls to those By Scott Wheeler people.

Jun 19, 2021 All told, though, the year was a tremendous learning experience that challenged me in new ways, introduced me to some new sources through unconventional means, and forced me to think outside the box in my approach, while studying prospects who were going through their I’ve been doing this public sphere scouting thing now for eight years and own challenges trying to navigate playing elite-level hockey in the middle this is the fifth iteration of what has become one of my favourite parts of of a global pandemic, often far away from family and friends in small the gig. towns where they didn’t speak the language — and in many cases after This project, which started with me detailing the things I look for in having contracted the virus themselves along the way. prospects in Future Considerations’ (now FC Hockey) 2016 NHL Draft I hope you find what follows is both honest and introspective. That’s what Guide, has evolved in the years since into something more at The this, along with some of my other annual projects like my re-drafts (I’ll be Athletic, where it has gone through annual updates in 2018, 2019, 2020, doing a re-draft and look back at my ranking for the 2018 NHL Draft this and now 2021. summer), is meant to be. This guide to scouting is meant to be my manual for the work that I do I hope it can also function as a companion tool for you as you evaluate here on the evaluation side (which differs starkly from the work we do players and watch the game in your own way. When you open up my here on the storytelling side). It’s my opportunity to open the curtain for upcoming 2021 NHL Draft package, the rankings and the evaluations the reader on how I do my job. And it’s also a chance for me to reflect on therein are the end product of hundreds of hours of work. This project is the work I’ve done in the preceding year, the way the game (and designed to fill in the gaps and answer as many of your questions as I consequently scouting) is changing, my biases, areas that I need to can about my philosophy. emphasize and deemphasize, and the things that my process may be missing altogether. Context

The goal is transparency. There is (or should be, at least) a lot more to player evaluation than what you see of a player on the ice. Because hockey’s not a static game that The outcome, I hope, is an annual primer for my final draft board which can be judged in isolation from one event to the next, it is increasingly will give you, the reader, a better understanding of the why behind the important to contextualize all of the exterior factors at play on the ice (and choices I make in my rankings as you read through them. off of it) that may impact the way a player operates and the results that Think of this as the preface to the novel (the ranking). It should give you he produces. Live and/or taped viewings are invaluable. So is data. I’ll insight into the way I dissect the game and its players, while forcing me get into both here. to map out and re-think the way that I do, so as to not fall into bad habits But I can’t effectively blend what I see (all of those viewings) with what or crutches. the data tells me (the raw production and the growing amount of publicly- The sport and its best young players are changing quickly, and its available analytics) without understanding everything else that influences evaluators ought to be doing the same. The way prospects are playing those outcomes. the game and the tools they need to succeed at its highest level have Peripheral influences are often overlooked when NHL fans pivot their already changed significantly in the last eight years. The best among focus to prospects ahead of each draft. In the NHL, you can look at the them are following steeper trajectories that land them in the NHL earlier, NHL’s scoring race and quickly determine who the best players in the a phenomenon that has created a ripple effect in the second and third world are. Even as data and the casual fan’s understanding of the game contracts they sign, re-shaping the way that teams are built from a grow exponentially at the NHL level, it only takes a couple of clicks on the salary-cap perspective. Teams are developing them differently with wider NHL’s website before you have a pretty clear picture as to why Connor consideration given to sports science, individualistic planning, and an McDavid, Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon are the best players emerging world of prospect analytics and tracking, too. Lessons are in the league these days. You might miss Nikita Kucherov because he being learned in real-time. missed this season due to injury, but a couple of more clicks through the All of those things have never been truer than this year, which required playoff scoring race fills you in there as well. This is particularly true for scouts change much of the way they operate to navigate an unfamiliar forwards (we have learned in recent years that things like points don’t landscape. Delays and an outright season cancellation in the CHL have the same kind of value for defencemen, making them tougher to shuttered the world’s most prominent junior leagues, sending many of evaluate and project across all levels of the sport). their top prospects to foreign, often-low-level pro and junior leagues in You can do that with individual teams as well, where the best players are countries like Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark. In Sweden, still usually the ones with all of the goals and assists. many more prospects played in its tough-to-evaluate third-rung pro league, HockeyEttan, after its own junior level eventually called its And while it’s true that we can now use viewings, teammates and season early. Across the United States, laxer restrictions gave analytics to dig deeper on NHL players than ever before, most of that advantages to prospects playing in the USHL, the various high school evaluation gives the viewer a competitive advantage on their hockey circuits, and the NCAA (though its Ivy League schools never got understanding of good and bad depth players more than on the game’s going and several others, including the talked-about Michigan true stars. The best players in the sport are, at least relatively speaking, Wolverines, were pulled from their playoffs or the national tournament agreed upon. Just about every top-50 ranking of NHL players probably due to COVID-19 protocols). includes the same 35-40 names, with evaluators differing more the further down the list you get. Almost everywhere, restrictions were placed on the number of scouts allowed in buildings, as well as on the ability of many to cross-regional But that NHL game-view creates some serious pitfalls when you and national borders, turning player evaluation into a digital enterprise. transport those biases and ways of thinking to the way you approach For amateur scouts, the face-to-face interviews that are so common were prospect evaluation. also largely eliminated. The same goes for the regular one-on-one and on-and-off-ice visits made by the development staffs of NHL clubs to their The assumption becomes that point-per-game Player X on Team Y in drafted prospects. League Z is better than 0.75 point-per-game Player A on Team B in League C. And that often isn’t the case. The parity that exists in the NHL For my work, in place of spending much of the last season-and-a-half on doesn’t exist anywhere else in hockey. the road watching these kids play, I have done almost all of my evaluations for this draft class on tape while quarantining in Toronto, In junior hockey, a player’s production changes dramatically from line to where restrictions came and went but hockey never did. Though I made it line (there’s a fine line between playing on the Chicago Steel’s first line because you’re a stylistic fit there or fourth line because of the depth in You have to take their context another step further, too. You have to front of you that makes a big difference in a player’s year) or team to consider age. It cannot be stressed enough how important age is for me team (look no further than 2021 prospect Isaac Belliveau racking up 53 in projecting (which is ultimately what this is all about) a kid’s points on a stacked Rimouski team a year ago only to start his draft year development curve. with five points in 16 games on a now-rebuilding Rimouski team that looks a lot different). When the Rangers drafted Brett Berard, the 2020 NHL Draft’s fourth- youngest player, who was a week away from being eligible for the 2021 All six Division I NCAA conferences aren’t created equal, either. The class, in the fifth round a year ago, they were making a calculated bet on reality is that the AHA and the WCHA don’t produce the same kind of the added runway he had versus, say, Ryder Rolston, who was taken talents as, say, the Big Ten or Hockey East. five picks later, and had been developed through a similar path at the national development program, but was nearly a year older. When Though all three of the SHL, KHL and Liiga now produce time-on-ice Berard progressed nicely at Providence and had a strong showing for data and the excellent possession metrics that come with it, the same Team USA at the world juniors, while Rolston’s development flatlined, issues exist across Europe. You have to know that the staff in Frölunda part of what contributed to those things was that where Berard is today are more reluctant to play their best young players than the staff in Rögle along his timeline is where Rolston was a year ago (not to mention the or HV71 are, because you have to know that the staff in Rögle are more increased development that I’d bet, anecdotally, happens between 17 aggressive recruiters of young players versus older veterans, or that and 18 versus 18 and 19). HV71 knew they were going to be a bottom-of-the-table team this season and were constructed to play an Emil Andrae or a Zion Nybeck in roles When I was trying to plot and predict trajectories for Luke Hughes and they may not have been afforded on stronger teams. In Liiga, you must Simon Edvinsson in determining which player would slot higher for my consider that prospects will be developed much slower with a giant like 2021 draft board, that Edvinsson is 217 days older than Hughes was a Kärpät than with a club like JYP (which used 24 players 22 years of age necessary part of that equation. or younger this season, with a last-place record that reflected that youth movement). You have to understand the massive power imbalance that Age is beginning to play a larger and larger role in player evaluation exists across all three levels in Russia, where the top KHL, VHL and across several sports, too. After publishing the 2019 update to this guide, MHL teams are backed by huge money, carry massive staffs, and play in I received a note from a director of amateur scouting with an MLB team big cities where all of the talent congregates, while the smaller rural about just that. teams have none of those things — and play haywire hockey as a result. “I’ve found that hockey and baseball have more similarities in how we In a shortened season like this year’s, those impacts became more evaluate similarly aged talent and found your piece to be particularly important. Every year, there are CHL prospects who don’t hit their groove enlightening,” read part of that message. until the second half of the season for a myriad of reasons, including time It’s important to remember that these are kids. We can lose sight of that spent at the Jr. A level the year before, a coach who trusts his veterans in all of the attention they get — and in their otherworldly, “he can’t (17-year-olds famously don’t play prominent roles in London until maybe possibly be 17-years-old” talent. the final dozen games of a 68-game season if they’re lucky), or a trade that positions them in a better spot. They’re teenagers. Their bodies are changing rapidly.

Rangers 2020 fifth-round draft pick Evan Vierling didn’t live up to his Some players add baby fat early, baby fat that helps them dominate at potential until after he demanded a trade out of Flint where he dealt with lower levels because they’re bigger and stronger than everyone else (in some mental health issues and wasn’t happy and landed in Barrie for the the 2021 class, Mason McTavish has always carried around that kind of second half of his draft year. This year, a move like that gave a player 10 weight and that matters in trying to measure his athleticism, his durability, games to get things back on track instead of 30. Carolina Hurricanes pick and his performance at various points of his career versus his peers). Seth Jarvis doesn’t go No. 13 a year ago based off the first 24 games Sometimes the development of those players turns stagnant as they get (the number of games they played this year) of his draft season. older and struggle to shed that weight, lean out, and get faster (while the game around them does). In a 2021 context, we have to evaluate Dylan Guenther’s two points per game and Sebastian Cossa’s .941 save percentage through the strength Others grow two or even three inches in a year, add 10 pounds as a of their Edmonton Oil Kings team, which went 20-2-1 and outscored the draft-eligible and their trajectories take off in a short period of time late in opposition 104-41 on the year. For as good as Guenther was (he ranked the year. Some of those kids have come into their own, filled out lanky second to sensation Connor Bedard in primary points per game and frames, and learned to dominate. Others, who’d developed different even-strength primary points per game), he shot 23.5 percent playing on kinds of skills when they were 5-foot-9, are suddenly 5-foot-11 with the a line with Blues 2020 first-rounder Jake Neighbours. You can bet that elements of a smaller player. his season would have looked different had he swapped places with As just one example, Sean Tschigerl was 5-foot-11 and 169 pounds Ducks 2019 first-rounder Brayden Tracey and joined the three-win when he scored just four goals in 56 games last season in the WHL but Victoria Royals, just as Tracey’s 21-points-in-22-games season would he’s now six-feet and 189 pounds and he just scored 11 goals in his final have looked different playing for the Oil Kings. 12 games the year to work his way onto my draft board. These things matter. All of these things make repeated viewings absolutely necessary over the Only by watching those players, learning their linemates, and course of a season because the player you see in October won’t be the understanding the strength (or lack thereof) of their teams can we come same as the one you see in January or May. They also highlight the to the conclusion that in different roles, or with different linemates, their importance of leaving your bias with a player from a previous viewing at outcomes could vary. the door. Part of the reason this year’s draft could be so volatile is because the benefit of time in the scouting process was lost when It’s not just about good and bad teams, either. seasons came and went in the span of two months (or worse, not at all, Last year, eventual Flyers draft pick Elliot Desnoyers posted 35 points in requiring scouts to use 16-year-old seasons as their only judge of some 61 games (0.57 points per game) in his draft year playing a depth role on OHL prospects, when we know that that year is a transitional one for a loaded Moncton Wildcats team, while eventual Penguins draftee Raivis those players). Ansons posted a nearly identical 35 points in 60 games (0.58 points per The growth isn’t just the physical, athletic kind, either. As they mature game). Both players were drafted in the fifth round, but Desnoyers and their brains develop, their games change in imperceptible ways as returned to score 49 points in 37 games (1.32 points per game) in a more well. Some players become more aggressive and assertive and learn prominent role with the Halifax Moosheads, finishing seventh in the faster than others on how to find open space and involve their linemates. league in scoring, while Ansons registered just six points in 11 games Others struggle with off-ice issues and their game suffers, or they plateau (0.55 points per game). because they can’t problem-solve and bad habits put them into tough A year later, if the draft were held today, Desnoyers would be selected positions on the ice. much higher than Ansons, and the Flyers’ scouting staff deserves credit Other things, including a player’s coach, proximity to their family (2021 for having identified the tools and the room for growth that allowed their prospect Joshua Roy requested a mid-season trade out of Saint John guy to more than double his production year-over-year. this year in part because he wanted to be closer to family and they couldn’t visit him due to the travel restrictions), or a team’s travel schedule all impact a player’s season. Homesickness and culture changes have an even more pronounced impact on import players (and Part of that is driven by necessity (I have a tremor, leftover from is a part of every kid that went to Europe’s story this draft year). Some concussions, which makes writing quickly by hand impossible). Part of coaches rely heavily on their top players, which can limit a prospect’s that, I truly believe, is about efficiency. I suspect that if my health didn’t production early on in their junior career. But a coach on a rebuilding make it a habit, I would have made it one by now regardless because the team might thrust a 17-year-old into first-line minutes and top power-play advantages I believe a computer provides (speed and detail) far time. The Sault St. Marie Greyhounds are a three-and-a-half-hour drive outweigh the disadvantages (a distraction that can take your eyes off of from their nearest opponent and spend much of their season on the game if you allow it to). prolonged road trips. The Mississauga Steelheads can get to Oshawa, Guelph, Kitchener and Hamilton in roughly an hour — and home to sleep The number of players I watch in a game has also changed over the in their own beds on the night of a game. Going from one league to years — and depending on the medium. another, of which there was more of this year, also has to be considered When I’m in an arena, I try to really focus on only a handful of players. when evaluating how a player has adjusted to his new life, his new level, That’s because, in a live setting the play is moving so fast and shift and his larger (or smaller) sheet of ice. changes are happening so quickly that I find watching all of the players in I try to consider all of these things (age, team, role, available data, etc.) a game who may be of some interest (which can be upwards of double and then use relationships with coaches, players, agents and scouts to digits per team in some cases), results in extremely thin postgame fill in around the edges and build as complete a picture of each player as evaluations across the board. I want my notes on a player at the end of a I can. game to be thorough, so keeping the total number of players I’m paying close attention to as small as possible helps accomplish that. Though scouting still isn’t foolproof with all of that in mind, there are real advantages to be gleaned from maximizing your knowledge about a In doing so, it means that there are usually no more than one or two player (Edvinsson’s lateral control makes a lot more sense when you players on the ice at any given moment that I need to be tracking. The know that he trains in MMA in his offseason to build it). And the value of obvious advantage there is that I can better isolate those players for their that knowledge is exponentially greater for draft-eligible players, where entire shift, rather than bouncing around the ice to follow several players, sample size can play tricks on you, than it is in the NHL where there’s no or the puck. shortage of time to separate fact from fiction. The obvious disadvantage to that strategy is making sure you aren’t When I first turned this whole prospect evaluation thing into a job with tunnel-visioned to the player you’re tracking. Hockey at the highest levels McKeen’s Hockey and later Future Considerations, I was juggling it with is so fluid now that what’s happening around a player is as important as life in journalism school at Carleton University, internships and the way a player reacts to it. Isolation helps build my knowledge of a freelancing. player’s raw skills (I do a much better job picking up on the little details in a player’s skill set when I’m honed in on them) but it can limit your At McKeen’s Hockey, I filed hundreds of scouting reports across multiple understanding of a player’s ability to read the game around them. Some seasons on entire draft classes, relying on live viewings in Ottawa and players (Fabian Lysell comes to mind in this draft) look great in isolation nearby Gatineau, where I had access to the OHL and the QMJHL within but can struggle within the whole. a short drive. And though I covered CHL All-Star Games, the Canada- Russia Series, Hockey Canada evaluation camps, some world juniors, This isn’t to say I won’t pick up on other players in a game (you catch and the scouting combine, and made efforts to get to many other OHL flashes here or there of everyone on the ice) but I try to limit the markets to add live viewings for a wider range of prospects, almost all of takeaways I garner from players who aren’t my focus. That’s because the my non-CHL, non-international viewings were done through video. really good plays or really bad plays are the only ones you’ll catch with a player you didn’t make an effort to watch closely. I believe that can work At Future Considerations, I filed reports on a more narrow group of to an evaluator’s detriment, resulting too often in the wrong impression of players and contributed to our rankings as an OHL/QMJHL voice (a lot a player at the end of a viewing. like an area scout does on the amateur side of an NHL operation). For the first five years I did this, I tested all sorts of subscription platforms But it wasn’t until after I graduated, when I joined The Athletic full-time for my review of tape. But the tools and interfaces those services more than four years ago, that I began to make this my only focus. And provided varied. Some didn’t even have playback buttons, so my focus even then, as my time and travel budget expanded to include things like was broader as I watched entire games. yearly NCAA/WHL trips, the Traverse City Prospect Tournament, and all of the major events on the prospect calendar (the Memorial Cup, the But in the last three years, I have worked to provide feedback for a world juniors, U18s, the world junior summer showcase, the Frozen Four, scouting service designed for teams, coaches, and agents, and its etc.), I was also splitting my time with covering the Maple Leafs for the features have changed everything about the way I use video. The service better part of those first two years. is called SportContract and it offered a significantly more advanced interface/set of playback tools for every junior, college and pro league on At the end of the 2018-19 season, when I began my current role and the planet. Now, I often watch just one player at a time — viewing only stopped covering the Leafs, all of that changed. In the two years, dating his shifts. This has made my process considerably more efficient, cutting back to May 2019, my focus has been singular and my travel (pre- a three-hour viewing into a half-hour one in many cases. SportContract COVID-19 at least) expanded even further. allows me to use the video days I set aside for myself during each month more effectively in order to take notes and catalog as many prospects as With that, came more thorough work, a larger number of viewings on a possible. SportContract is, to put it simply, the single most important tool larger number of players, and the face time required to really dig on I have. This year, in particular, I could not have covered this draft class to developing sources. the scope required to produce the level of content we want to here My job still prompts a lot of legitimate questions from readers, though. without it.

How do you watch a game? Are you watching every player or just one? Live or on tape, if I’m there strictly to watch a player and storytelling isn’t What does your game sheet look like? How does your approach differ in my focus that day, my game sheet is a mix of notes on the plays a player a live environment versus when you’re watching on tape? How many made (as well as all the videos I cut of them that appear in standalone players in a draft class are you able to get to and which leagues are you evaluations, like the ones you’ll see in “The Gifted” series) as well as watching more than others? detailed descriptions of the player’s tools (more on the skills I care about later). Some of you haven’t followed my work across all of those drafts and may have questions about my record, too. Putting out a list or publishing Because my job at The Athletic is so wide-ranging relative to the job an scouting reports is one thing but being good at it over several years is area scout has to do (or the one I had to do when I was with Future something else altogether. Considerations, for example), the ability to speed up my tape viewings in recent years has been absolutely necessary. Even though this is my full- And then the answers to those questions are complex because the way I time job, there are only so many hours in a day. go about doing my job differs from the way many others in the public and private spheres do theirs. That’s not a complaint, though. Having my work be mine and mine alone is far and away my preferred way of doing this whole scouting thing. I, for example, am one of the few that does all of my work at in-person Every evaluator would likely tell you the same thing. viewings on a computer. Most scouts track their notes across player grids they build into notepads or tablets and I have never been able to do that. On one hand, if there are issues in it, or if I fail, it’s on me. On the other, I compared to Jeff Carter, or a bulky, menacing one projected as the next don’t have to trust anyone else’s eyes or evaluation of the available data Milan Lucic? but my own in forming my opinion. If I feel I have a blind spot on a player, I can ask people I know who are more well-versed in those prospects They don’t just box the player in, either. They box us, as fans of the than I am. And if I’m confident I’ve seen enough of a player, I can rank game, into lazy habits. And they often serve as a veil for analysis that them accordingly without having to consult anyone. isn’t centred on the work required to actually describe a player, so they revert to disguises as detail. Sometimes, that’s out of necessity. At Future Considerations, I had to trust others, not knowing their Publications have word counts, radio stations and TV broadcasts have familiarity with the players or how their process works (this isn’t to say time limits. We need to find ways to condense. those people weren’t fantastic, because they all were, but control breeds comfort with something like this). But much of the jargon we most often hear or read leaves the intended audience with more questions than answers. Still, though, there is a reason NHL teams do what they do and build lists with massive staffs. And that needs to be recognized before you dive into Safe player my ranking because the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s final ranking for These can be interpreted in different ways. When we hear or read those 2021 lists 378 skaters and 45 goalies and I have not seen them all play. terms second-hand, we superimpose our biases onto someone else’s Both my preliminary and midseason rankings are only 64 players deep viewings. We try to interpret meaning. And our takeaway may not be because it takes the full year to confidently build to a list that includes what the person who was presenting it intended it to be. Whenever 100 players (plus honourable mentions) for my final board. possible, detail and description should always be the focus. They I have worked diligently in recent years to correct against blind spots that mitigate against that. I’d identified in my lists with the USHL, VHL, MHL, CJHL talent pools, Hockey IQ can be described with specifics — how the player plays within corrections which have resulted in higher representation for all of those his team’s structure, whether he picks up on his man in the defensive leagues on my boards of the last couple of years (though I still want to zone, if he surveys the ice to get ahead of the play rather than react to it, dedicate more time to watching VHL games). a note on the decisions he makes with the puck or whether he plays with The U.S. high school circuit remains an admitted blind spot, though. Only his head up, and so on. a select number of high school teams broadcast their games and A safe defender might carry a negative connotation to the author because there’s no central governing body or league, SportContract (someone who struggles with the puck, lacks ability and thus doesn’t doesn’t always have them. For some of those kids, I rely on their attempt difficult plays, or relies too much on the glass-and-out play) but it coaches (or on local scouts) for additional insights into their tools/upside. may be perceived as positive by the reader (someone who picks their For other high schoolers, international showings take on additional spots, doesn’t make mistakes, and executes the kind of smart, careful meaning. plays that reduce risk).

It’s important to keep all of this in mind when you read my work. Those When we talk about “playing with urgency” we’re often just pointing to limitations are also reason enough to search out other voices than my whether or not a player played well in a given game. It’s near-impossible own for their insight. There are intelligent, diligent evaluators at all of the to infer effort or interpret feeling. In many cases, those who look like major public scouting services. If you’re reading this, you already know they’re working hard are also inefficient or wasting energy. that The Athletic’s Corey Pronman’s work is a necessary resource. The blogging world has built some successful public-sphere data models, If the evaluator is going to use ambiguous terms, they should, wherever which includes Byron Bader’s excellent work and the increasingly possible, explain what it means to them first. expansive data available at Pick224. And people like Will Scouch do When I started doing player evaluations of my own, I set out to build a insightful player tracking independently. glossary to detail the things I value and explain my language. Through Skills-based evaluation that process — the process of annually adding and subtracting skills I look for in a player — came a baseline for everything I do and the way I If this guide leaves you with anything, I want it to be this: Ambiguity is the view the sport. enemy of description. Here’s the 2021 version of what that baseline looks like: When I’m reading about hockey, watching people talk about hockey or listening to people talk about hockey, I always try to keep that in mind. Skating: This includes a player’s posture (the balance between their shoulders, hips and knees in a variety of stances), how light or heavy a Because there are words that sound like they mean something but don’t. player is on their blades (some players really dig their skates into the ice Or words that mean something to one person that mean something before releasing into their push, while others have that quick twitch we completely different to another. If the goal in analyzing the sport is to be see in sprinters and can look like they’re hovering), their top speed after nuanced, some of the ways we talk about it don’t quite meet that a zone’s worth of pushes (less important these days), their first few steps standard. and their recoveries through those hurried strides, their acceleration “Comparables” are my most common gripe. We all do them because you through to their top speed, their balance/centre of gravity, the fluidity of all eat them up. The same is true in television. But they aren’t the best their movements, their lateral edgework, their ability to maintain rather version of player analysis, they’re the simplest. The average member of than lose speed with possession of the puck, how far they can the audience (listener, viewer, reader, whatever) spends the majority of extend/lean on their edges while skating backward in order to close gaps the season focused on the NHL until it’s all over and suddenly the draft is quickly, their ability to pivot without catching an edge, whether their feet around the corner. drag (a lot of young players drag the toe of their blade because they’re rushing through their stride), if they don’t drag their toes whether they lift If you’re part of the league’s North American audience, that’s more than a few inches off the ice (many young players who don’t drag understandable because of how wide-ranging hockey’s lower-level their blades overcompensate with a choppy up and down motion), and branches extend around the globe (with each NHL team’s prospects their ability to go heel-to-heel (leaning on inside edges to dodge checks playing across different time zones in leagues where broadcasts are hard and shuffle around defenders or the net on wraparounds). The two most to find and carried in foreign languages). People like me are meant to fill efficient strides: Long, fluid motions that give straightaway speed or tight, that gap for you when you don’t have the bandwidth to keep tabs on explosive edgework to create a rounded, agile skater. Both have their everyone you’d like to. place and can be beneficial, but I prefer a player who can move laterally on his edges than one who can explode down the boards with a longer The audience wants to know how the available prospects play without stride. In today’s game, I believe changing tempo is now more important watching them. Comparables can provide them with a mental image in than top speed. an instant. I get it. Evaluation is about projection (which, inherently, is also what comparables try to do). Playmaking: This includes ability to see the ice in front and on either side, see through layers of traffic to the weak side of coverage, see lanes But player types are changing. And comparables fail to recognize that before they open (there’s a knack to this skill that is hard to evaluate but players are more different now than they ever have been. They also box when a player is really talented at it, it’s impossible to miss), accurately players in. Every first-round pick gets tagged with all-star expectations. pass (both short and long ranges, routinely failing to execute short little And we start to see the same names over and over again. How many bump passes can speak to focus or lack thereof), timing and sharpness times did we used to hear a rangy, north-south forward with speed of passes (passing hard is not always a strength, feathering a pass through traffic is more of an asset), ability to accept passes without as many hours as I can in a year. I’m lucky to have the time and the stopping up or bobbling, creativity in passing (does the player surprise flexibility to do that at The Athletic. I hope that I view player evaluation defenders with the lanes he finds?), calculated confidence/pass selection and the game in a progressive way. And I still make mistakes (remember (if a player is going to make a high-risk play, do they have support?), Elliot Desnoyers, that kid who broke out that the Flyers saw something passing in motion, and passing off of his backhand (a lot of junior hockey in? I didn’t have him on my board). The goal, here, is to be as thorough players aren’t confident enough to fake a forehand pass and cross their as I can be, to make this coverage as comprehensive as I can and to body to pass backhand but it can be an effective way of wrapping the look back in a few years and be proud of my rankings, evaluations and puck around rangy defenders). projections.

Puckhandling and deceptiveness: This includes hand speed (loose grip is Hopefully we can learn something about this sport and its players along better, want to look for players who avoid tightly controlling their stick, the way. though it can be hard to spot, especially on tape), creativity with the puck (do they rely on the same move or can they adjust in traffic/under pressure?), ability to deke a goaltender or defenceman one-on-one (does The Athletic LOADED: 06.20.2021 he always go outside, does he too often cut inside, can he make defenders move laterally or, better yet, make them turn?), ability to maintain possession of the puck at high speed, stops and starts, core control (reflexes and instincts come into play here), ability to protect the puck against bigger defenders, skills of dexterity (catching pucks in tough spots, quickly finding pucks with reflexes off of a bobble), ability to handle the puck or pick a dead puck off the boards on a player’s backhand or in tight (the difference between getting the puck up ice and being trapped can be a quick bobble from a dead puck), the ability to control the puck out wide or in his feet (the latter is a challenge for taller players so when they can do it well it’s a real asset), and the use of baits, delays and fakes to draw defenders in or force them into a misdirection.

Shooting: This includes velocity and accuracy, the quickness of a player’s release, whether they’re specific about shot selection or a volume shooter, a disguised release point (some players have tweaks to their releases and blades that distinguishes them by, say, pushing the puck off the heel to set up a snapshot rather than just applying pressure to the shaft, or curling from the toe and releasing before the heel), whether a prospect finds holes for shots (I like defencemen that move a lot at the offensive-zone blue line both laterally and inward to the high slot, which makes skating an even bigger asset in today’s game because you need to be able to recover defensively from those spots or get to them before defensive schemes can front you), how a player shifts their weight through their shooting motion (a lot of young players throw themselves off balance), and the ability to tip and deflect pucks (another sign of dexterity), elevate it in tight or slide it along the ice while moving, which includes whether a player relies on finishing in one way (a lot of young players shoot high too often when the low rebound is the best available option). Shooting (particularly as it pertains to how hard a player shoots) is increasingly of less value to me for defencemen. Shot variety and a player’s ability to manipulate their shot to get it off from a variety of spots on their body (including the instep of both feet), is something I’m increasingly placing emphasis on for forwards.

Defensive acumen: This includes whether a player comes back in the play or counts on others to (even when it’s his/her job), understanding of personal defensive responsibilities, covering for a teammate’s missed assignment, reading the developing play and reacting accordingly, communicating on the ice (an underrated asset for players who understand systems), a defender’s ability to funnel play to the outside, a forechecker’s angles to pucks, choices on pinches, how a player uses their skating to gap up (some players play much tighter gaps than others, gluing themselves to the hip of the opposing carrier, which if done well can allow them to swallow the play up and which if done poorly can result in a lot of glaring mistakes and compensating penalties), or if they’re a passive defender in the neutral and defensive zones or whether they’re compensating by reacting and breaking up plays with raw instincts and reflexes. If they’re an aggressive defender in both zones, are they calculated in how far they extend on attackers (you’ll see things like a player hunching over his stick if he’s pushing too far off his centre for a hit) and do they have the skating ability to make up for it? Defenders who are aggressive and slow are the worst. I also hate penalties. There are good ones (compensating for a teammate to prevent a high-danger scoring chance) but they’re otherwise not the asset many fantasy leagues teach us to believe they are (cross-checking means he wasn’t in proper position defensively, hooking normally means he wasn’t moving his feet, etc.).

Intangibles like competitiveness and leadership are extremely hard to identify so I tend to use coaches and teammates to find out more about them. Although body language can be evident for some players on the ice, you have to be careful not to equate being upset with not caring.

Scouting hockey will always be an imperfect science, though. These are just the blurry outlines of it. It’s my job to cover the NHL Draft and I give it