SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/25/17 Flames 1084913 Ducks fall behind early and never recover in 4-1 loss to 1084947 GameDay: at Colorado Avalanche the Jets 1084948 Stars shoot down Flames in 1084914 Ducks Gameday: High-flying Jets soar in for Black Friday 1084949 Goalie Rittich Czechs in with Flames matinee 1084950 It's game day. Here's how the Flames and Stars match up 1084915 Francois Beauchemin looks to make most of reduced role 1084951 Jagr's pep talks seem to be paying dividends for in final season with Ducks Gaudreau 1084916 Early Jets goals doom Ducks in 2nd straight loss 1084952 Flames shoot themselves in Dallas 1084953 Heads up, kid! Flames call-up Rittich thrilled to share ice with Czech legend 1084917 Coyotes' Christian Fischer nets winner to beat Kings Carolina Hurricanes 1084918 Evaluating Arizona Coyotes' power-play struggles 1084954 For Skinner, Williams as a wing man could be an answer 1084919 Arizona Coyotes hitting stride with 4th win in 5 games 1084955 Maple Leafs manage to hold off Hurricanes in third 1084920 Arizona Coyotes seeing momentum from power play chances 1084956 Blackhawks drawing a lot of iron this season Bruins 1084957 Blackhawks getting off to better starts recently but need 1084921 scores emotional on ‘Hockey Fights them to carry over Cancer Night’ 1084958 Saturday's matchup: Blackhawks at Panthers 1084922 Danton Heinen deserves to remain on Bruins’ top line 1084959 Several Blackhawks fighting through lengthy goal droughts 1084923 Bruins edge Penguins for fourth straight win 1084960 Three Things to WATCH: Blackhawks look to bounce back 1084924 Bruins turn to Anton Khudobin for 4th straight start in against Panthers matinee 1084925 Harris: Bruins understudy Anton Khudobin continues Colorado Avalanche stellar work in fourth straight win. 1084961 Avalanche loses at Minnesota in shootout, gets a 1084926 Bruins notebook: Matt Grzelcyk’s lifelong dream comes 1084962 Avalanche forward Sven Andrighetto back in lineup at true Minnesota 1084927 David Pastrnak’s third-period breakaway goal gives Bruins win over Penguins in Black Friday matinee 1084928 Matt Grzelcyk's first goal with Bruins a thrill for him and his 1084963 Blue Jackets 5, Senators 2 | Atkinson, Foligno re-emerge dad in victory 1084929 Pastrnak goal in 3rd lifts Bruins to 4-3 win over Penguins 1084964 Blue Jackets notebook | Amid issues, Tortorella likes 1084930 Bruins rally past Penguins for fourth straight win potential for depth 1084931 Morning Skate: Predators kicking it into gear 1084965 Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno end long droughts in Blue 1084932 DeBrusk providing an offensive spark for Bruins since Jackets win over Ottawa scratch 1084966 How the Blue Jackets weathered 75 seconds of 1084933 Bruins 'feeling pretty good' riding a four-game win streak -killing chaos to post sixth consecutive win 1084934 Grzelcyk's first goal for hometown Bruins 'a jolt through the system' 1084935 Talking Points: Signs point to Pastrnak busting out of 1084967 Stars-Flames preview: Jere Lehtinen to be honored; a mini-slump matchup of dynamic players to watch 1084936 Pastrnak's third-period goal gives Bruins their fourth 1084968 He said it: Players and coaches comment after Stars' 6-4 straight victory, 4-3 over Pens win over Calgary Friday 1084969 Cold facts: Late heroics from Seguin give Stars a 6-4 win Buffalo Sabres over Calgary 1084937 Sabres shift gears, follow each other to hard-working win 1084970 Former Stars great Jere Lehtinen honored by family, 1084938 The Wraparound: Sabres 3, Oilers 1 former teammates during jersey retirement ceremony 1084939 Mike Harrington: Talk is cheap, so Sabres cash in with 1084971 Stars get a big night from Tyler Seguin in win over hard work Calgary; Jere Lehtinen honored 1084940 Botterill happy with Sabres' accountability talks and Amerks' development Detroit Red Wings 1084941 Sabres Notebook: Habs' Price to play; Beaulieu talks 1084972 Detroit Red Wings vs. : Time, TV, radio rumors, game; Falk filled in well information 1084942 Canadiens' Price will return against Sabres as part of 1084973 Red Wings get back to playing with identity in 2-1 OT loss unreal week at Rangers 1084943 Sabres vs. Oilers: Five Things to Know 1084974 Red Wings' Trevor Daley exits Rangers game with upper 1084944 As teams' struggles continue, McDavid and Eichel look for body injury answers 1084975 Wings' outshined by Lundqvist in 2-1 OT 1084945 Ristolainen returning to Sabres' lineup; Nelson sent to loss at Rangers Amerks 1084976 Red Wings encouraged despite OT loss to Rangers 1084977 Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader soaring behind the shield BuffaloSabres 1084978 Frustration grows as Griffins slip below .500 - 'We're brain 1084946 5-goal first period just half of Amerks outburst against dead' Devils 1084979 Detroit Red Wings fall in overtime on the road against New Jersey Devils 1084980 Oilers Snapshots: Benoit Pouliot trying to find his game in 1085013 What Hockey Fights Cancer night means to Brian Boyle, Buffalo Devils 1084981 Edmonton Oilers can't maintain momentum, fall to Buffalo 1085014 Devils' lines, pairings vs. Canucks (11/24/17) | Johansson Sabres makes morning skate appearance 1084982 Oilers’ Klefbom admits his game has taken a beating 1085015 Brian Boyle scores on Hockey Fights Cancer night as 1084983 Oilers Game Day: Brossoit to start in goal vs. Sabres with Devils beat Canucks | Rapid reaction Talbot sick 1085016 NHL Hockey Fights Cancer night special for Devils' Brian 1084984 By the numbers: How much value have Peter Chiarelli's Boyle trades cost the Oilers? 1085017 Devils lineup vs. Canucks; 'Next step' for Marcus 1084985 Lowetide: Fresh Farm Produce Johansson 1085018 Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 24 1085019 Devils to get their first look at new arena in Detroit 1084986 Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson hits stride by 1085020 Devils 3, Canucks 2: Post-game observations simplifying game, thinking less 1085021 Cancer survivor Brian Boyle lifts Devils on Hockey Fights 1084987 Derek MacKenzie returns, Mark Pysyk misses practice Cancer Night Friday for the Panthers 1084988 Preview: Blackhawks at Panthers, 7 p.m., Saturday 1085022 Nick Leddy lifts Islanders past Flyers, 5-4 in overtime 1085023 Islanders stay hot with second straight OT escape 1084989 Kings lose third in a row, a 3-2 overtime decision to 1085024 Thomas Greiss comes up with critical saves in Islanders Coyotes win 1084990 Kings fall to Coyotes in OT, suffer 7th loss in 8 games 1085025 Islanders beat Flyers in overtime on Nick Leddy’s goal 1084991 Lawsuit alleges inappropriate behavior by L.A. Kings’ mascot, Bailey New York Rangers 1084992 GABORIK COULD RETURN TONIGHT; LAICH WAIVED; 1085026 Henrik Lundqvist’s 40 Saves Lead the Rangers Past MINOR DOWD INJURY; NO MITCHELL YET Detroit 1084993 GOOD MORNING, GLENDALE 1085027 Mats Zuccarello scores in overtime to give Rangers third 1084994 NOVEMBER 24 POSTGAME NOTES straight win 1084995 NOVEMBER 24 POSTGAME QUOTES: GABORIK, 1085028 Rangers’ Boo Nieves forced to exit with ‘hip-pointer’ KUEMPER 1085029 Rangers’ Brady Skjei much more than a jersey on an SNL 1084996 NOVEMBER 24 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS skit 1084997 NOVEMBER 24 MORNING SKATE QUOTES: JOHN 1085030 Rangers ride Henrik Lundqvist to win old-fashioned OT STEVENS nail-biter 1084998 NOVEMBER 24 NOTES: NEW LINE COMBINATIONS, 1085031 How the Rangers can survive without Ryan McDonagh PAIRINGS; PHYSICAL PLAY ON DEFENSE 1085032 Mats Zuccarello’s goal in overtime wins it for Rangers 1085033 With Boo Nieves injured, David Desharnais could be back in lineup 1084999 Wild-Avalanche recap 1085000 Wild notes: Season series with Blues continues to be NHL significant 1085034 In the Beginning, Toronto Was Almost Left Out of the 1085001 Wild-St. Louis game preview N.H.L. 1085002 Wild's Stewart clicks for shootout winner over Avs 1085003 Wild have had rematch with Blues ‘circled on the calendar’ 1085004 Alex Stalock stars as Wild earn 3-2 shootout win over 1085035 Senators losing streak hits five games with loss to Blue Avalanche Jackets 1085036 Tampa Bay claims DiDomenico off waivers 1085037 Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno end long droughts in Blue 1085006 Ex-Hab Mike Ribeiro arrested for trespassing in Miami Jackets win over Ottawa Beach 1085038 What is wrong with the Ottawa Senators' goaltending? 1085005 Canadiens Notebook: Carey Price will be back in goal Saturday night Philadelphia Flyers 1085007 Canadiens vs. Sabres: Five things you should know 1085039 Flyers look to end skid in afternoon Islanders rematch 1085008 Stu Cowan: Stage is set for the return of Canadiens' 1085040 Flyers blow two-goal lead, lose to the Islanders in overtime Carey Price 1085041 Flyers-Islanders: Youthful mistakes on defense and other 1085009 A special weekend in Laval as IceCaps' No. 1 fan drops in quick thoughts on Flyers' latest loss for visit 1085042 Nick Leddy lifts Islanders past Flyers 5-4 on OT 1085010 Basu: Carey Price is back but Jonathan Drouin knows 1085043 Danick Martel's debut highlights Travis Konecny's where the real problem lies regression 1085011 Unluckiness driving Will Bitten's lack of production 1085044 Latest loss forcing Flyers to reexamine narrative 1085045 Flyers-Islanders observations: Losing streak reaches 7 with another OTL 1085012 Predators blank Blues, improve to 9-2 in November 1085046 Flyers vs. Islanders: 3 things to watch in Game 23 Vegas Golden Knights 1085047 Penguins notebook: Slow first periods become alarming 1085082 Golden Edge: Sharks erase lead, but Knights prevail in trend OT, 5-4 1085048 Penguins' losing streak at 3 after loss to Bruins 1085083 Misfit group of Golden Knights continues improbable start 1085049 Penguins goalie Matt Murray will start Friday against the 1085084 Golden Knights forward David Perron injured in win Bruins 1085085 Vegas stars present for ‘Toys for Tots’ show at Westgate 1085050 Matt Murray feels like this Penguins loss is on him, and 1085086 Jonathan Marchessault’s OT goal lifts Knights over he's willing to play against Tampa Peter Diana/Post-G Sharks, 5-4 1085051 Penguins lose, 4-3, to Bruins, drop third game in a row 1085087 Golden Knights’ hot start could lead to playoffs if NHL’s ‘Thanksgiving rule’ holds San Jose Sharks 1085088 Golden Knights’ Karlsson ‘playing the best hockey of his 1085052 San Jose Sharks in Vegas: A close call with tragedy life’ 1085053 Three takeaways: Sharks’ DeBoer holds his tongue on overturned goal in loss to Vegas 1085054 Sharks come back, but lose to Golden Knights in OT 1085089 Capitals pass NHL’s Thanksgiving standings test, but they 1085055 Brent Burns scores, but Sharks fall in Vegas know the race is tight 1085056 Sharks have tall task avoiding holiday hangover in Vegas 1085090 Capitals’ earns first win of season — 1085057 Sharks erase three-goal deficit, but fall to to Golden against NHL’s top team Knights in OT 1085091 Grubauer finally picks up first win of the year with Capitals 1085092 The Capitals' presence was felt at the Redskins' St Louis Blues Thanksgiving game 1085058 Blues turn to Hutton in goal for showdown with Predators 1085093 Game 24: Capitals vs. Lightning Date, Time, How to 1085059 Predators are a problem for Blues once again Watch, Game Thread 1085060 Blues vs. Wild preview 1085094 Philipp Grubauer earns his long-awaited first win of the 1085061 Blais is called up, has been working on defense season after another strong performance 1085095 Tarik's 3 stars: Caps beat the NHL-leading Bolts, 3-1 1085096 3 reasons why the Caps beat the Lightning 1085062 Lightning attitude under fire after loss to Capitals 1085097 Barry Trotz explains why Philipp Grubauer will get the start 1085063 Lightning journal: Red-hot top line cools off vs. the NHL-best Bolts 1085064 Joe Smith’s takeaways from Friday’s Lightning-Capitals game Websites 1085065 Lightning recalls Cory Conacher from Syracuse 1085111 The Athletic / By the numbers: How much value have 1085066 Stamkos: Teams adjusting to hot top line Peter Chiarelli's trades cost the Oilers? 1085112 The Athletic / Dellow: Scoring is up, and increased effectiveness on offensive zone faceoff wins is one reason 1085067 Nylander eager to find his scoring touch as Leafs face 1085113 The Athletic / Mirtle: The surprising rise of Andreas Hurricanes Borgman – and what it says about where the NHL is 1085068 Matt Martin disappointed at getting scratched from Leafs’ headed lineup 1085114 The Athletic / The year that made Mike Babcock a coach: 1085069 Daddy Sundin gives Matthews C of approval A season with the Whitley Warriors in the British Hock 1085070 Canadiens paying steep Price for high-stakes gambling 1085115 The Athletic / LeBrun: Shane Doan soaking up experience 1085071 Unusual suspects lead Leafs over Hurricanes in hockey ops, but future career prospects remain a my 1085072 Maple Leafs' first quarter not half bad 1085116 The Athletic / Duhatschek Notebook: Jets' improved 1085073 Game Day: Capitals at Maple Leafs schedule, giving thanks for parity, Gerard Gallant already 1085074 No work of art, but Andersen ensures Leafs steal one from 1085117 The Athletic / The Blues' line: How St. Louis defensemen Hurricanes are scoring goals by the bunches 1085075 Need for speed takes on different meaning for Maple 1085118 .ca / Leafs’ Marleau continues to live up to Leafs' Babcock contract expectations 1085076 Leafs Locker: Centring out Marleau no challenge for 1085119 Sportsnet.ca / Struggling Oilers, Sabres search for Babcock answers to right sinking ships 1085077 Leafs' Nylander looking to get over confidence hump; 1085120 Sportsnet.ca / Devils’ Cory Schneider continues to Martin gets no reason for benching dominate Canucks 1085078 GAME DAY: Maple Leafs at Hurricanes 1085121 Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: ‘Terrifying’ Matt Martin talks 1085079 Why the Leafs are really using Patrick Marleau at centre Maple Leafs’ top-line cameo 1085080 Mirtle: The surprising rise of Andreas Borgman – and what 1085122 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens excited to have Carey Price it says about where the NHL is headed back, but need him at his best 1085081 The year that made Mike Babcock a coach: A season with 1085123 Sportsnet.ca / Acknowledging and analyzing the NHL’s top the Whitley Warriors in the British Hockey League five goalies this season 1085124 TSN.CA / Leafs hang on for road win, snap 2-game skid 1085125 TSN.CA / Nylander seeks confidence boost 1085106 Five things to know about Brock Boeser, Canucks 1085126 TSN.CA / TSN Hockey's Top 10 Storylines of the Week superstar rookie 1085127 TSN.CA / Hot Button Issues: Catching up with Canadian 1085107 Canucks Post Game: Horvat thinks Kesler, Henrik thinks teams' 2017 first-round picks for Daniel, Devils think young 1085128 TSN.CA / Dreger Report: How Schenn is thriving in St. 1085108 Devils 3, Canucks 2: Hall of a win for Devils who outlast Louis Green's gang 1085129 USA TODAY / 'American Thanksgiving' a key stop in 1085109 From hot shot to stick selection, flowing Boeser is talk of journey to NHL playoffs NHL 1085110 Canucks prospects poised to feature prominently at upcoming world juniors 1085098 Plenty to be giving thanks for 1085099 Jets down Ducks 4-1 in Anaheim 1085100 The Charlie Effect 1085101 Jets hot out of the gate ... Upon further review, afternoon games not so bad ... Still sore at Perry ... Black 1085102 Little line provides big contribution as Jets win again 1085103 Can Jets sustain early success? Narrow focus has been instrumental so far 1085104 Hextall: One-on-one with Mark Chipman on how he brought the Jets back to Winnipeg 1085105 Duhatschek Notebook: Jets' improved schedule, giving thanks for parity, Gerard Gallant already Jack Adams wort

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1084913 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks fall behind early and never recover in 4-1 loss to the Jets

Mike Coppinger

Randy Carlyle’s head must really be hurting after this one. The Ducks coach said Wednesday’s lackluster performance in a loss to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights felt like a kick to the head. Then surely, Friday’s matinee against the Winnipeg Jets must have felt like another blow to the noggin. The Jets were faster, their passes crisper. And after 60 minutes, there was no doubt which team was superior. The Ducks allowed two first-period goals off the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers, and never recovered en route to a 4-1 defeat before 16,035 at Honda Center. “It looked like we were skating and maybe didn’t even have our skates on,” said Carlyle, whose team dropped its second consecutive game. “We were so slow to react for the first five or six minutes. … We were a lot closer in this one than we were in the last one, so that’s the positive we’re going to take out of it.” The Ducks’ penalty kill has been one of their few bright spots, and it was ranked No. 7 in the NHL (84.1%) heading into Friday. The Jets’ power play is just as good, though — also No. 7 — and they won the special-teams battle with two goals on three man-advantage opportunities. Ehlers collected a Patrik Laine rebound for an easy even-strength goal just 40 seconds into the contest and, less than five minutes later, the winger buried another on a short-side wrister. The Ducks jumped on the board with a Francois Beauchemin slapper through traffic early in the second. Minutes later, Bryan Little answered with his third point of the contest on a power-play snipe that beat John Gibson top shelf (Ehlers also produced three points). It’s been the case far too often recently, but the Ducks’ third period again greatly juxtaposed their opening 20 minutes. . They played faster, harder and created numerous quality chances on their lone third-period power play, but the Ducks couldn’t find the back of the net. There were other missed opportunities in the third. Corey Perry set up shop behind goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and fed Derek Grant, who was alone in front but fanned on the puck. And Jakob Silfverberg fired over the net on a top-shelf attempt with Hellebuyck down. “Right now,” Carlyle said, “those are the things that come back to haunt you.” The Ducks were forced to pull Gibson for the extra attacker. That’s when a second Sami Vatanen turnover led to a goal — it also led to the Jets’ first marker — this time from Kyle Connor into the empty net. “We can’t turn the puck over, simple thing,” Vatanen said. But what’s the simple fix? “Don’t turn the puck over,” he said matter of factly. The Jets, with their tremendous speed advantage, were able to create space for their glut of playmaking forwards. The Ducks appeared to be in quicksand. They must find an escape route fast as they trek on the road for six games, beginning Saturday against the Kings, and continuing Monday in Chicago. If they don’t, that could lead to more headaches.

LA Times: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084914 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks Gameday: High-flying Jets soar in for Black Friday matinee

By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 11:05 am | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 11:08 am

The Ducks should have their goaltending back in place Friday when they take on the Winnipeg Jets in a 1 p.m. matinee at Honda Center. John Gibson (7-7-1, 2.86 goals against average, .924 save percentage) should get the start in goal. Gibson was given Thursday off practice as he’s been dealing with a heavy workload this week. Not only are the Ducks (10-8-3) in the middle of five games in seven days but they’re allowing opponents to take aim at Gibson. Gibson has faced 143 shots in his last three starts. He’s not the only one, as Reto Berra had to make 40 saves through regulation and overtime before dealing with a nine-round shootout Monday in the Ducks’ win at San Jose. Berra was lauded by Ducks coach Randy Carlyle but Ryan Miller is expected to dress for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury Nov. 9 against Vancouver. If Gibson does go against Winnipeg, Miller could make the start in goal Saturday against the Kings at Staples Center. Leading scorer Rickard Rakell (eight goals, 18 points) collided with defenseman Kevin Bieksa and left Thursday’s practice a little early but Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said the forward was fine afterward. Defenseman Jaycob Megna cleared waivers Friday morning after being put on Thursday with the potential intention of sending him back San Diego (AHL) if he got through. Megna can be recalled and sent back down without requiring waivers as long as he isn’t with the team for 10 games or 30 days. Ondrej Kase, who has a suspected head injury, has yet to resume practicing. Kase, who had five goals in 12 games, was injured Nov. 7 on a hit by Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid. Jared Boll (leg) also remains sidelined after being hurt in the same game. Ryan Getzlaf (broken cheekbone), Ryan Kesler (hip surgery) and Patrick Eaves (Gullian-Barre syndrome) remain out. Francois Beauchemin has been scratched in consecutive games but Carlyle could bring him back in on the third defense pairing if he chooses to scratch either Sami Vatanen or Kevin Bieksa. Connor Hellebuyck (11-2-2, 2.45 GAA, .925 SV%) has emerged as a No. 1 goalie in the NHL as the red-hot Jets (13-5-3) come into Anaheim having won five of their last six and are on a 9-2-1 run for the last month. Hellebuyck got Wednesday off as Steve Mason backstopped Winnipeg to a 2-1 win over the Kings but the 2012 fifth-round pick had allowed only five goals in a three-win stretch over Arizona, Philadelphia and New Jersey before giving up five in a loss to Nashville. Winnipeg has one of the better top two forward pairings in the NHL. Top- line mates Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele each have 25 points to pace the Jets. Patrik Laine is tied with Scheifele for the goal lead with 11. Nikolaj Ehlers had 64 points in 2017-18 while rookie Kyle Connor has 11 points in 16 games. “They’re playing a solid team game,” Carlyle said. “They’re not giving up a lot. I think that they’re a big, four-line hockey club that comes to skate. They’ve got size and they’ve got skill. Their goaltending has been solid. Hellebuyck’s went in and played really well for them. “Special teams. All those things are clicking. They’re one of the hottest teams in the league right now.” About the only area the Jets struggle in is penalty killing, where their 78.5 percent success rate ranks 22nd. Once among the NHL’s most penalized teams, Winnipeg has taken step to cut their total down and now sit in the middle of the pack in terms of penalty minutes. Toby Enstrom, an 11-year defenseman dating back to the franchise’s days as the Atlanta Thrashers, is expected to miss eight weeks of action due to a lower-body injury.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084915 Anaheim Ducks Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.25.2017 Francois Beauchemin looks to make most of reduced role in final season with Ducks

By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 6:05 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 6:13 PM

ANAHEIM — Francois Beauchemin got back in the lineup and provided a very tangible contribution to the Ducks’ efforts Friday in scoring their only goal. Beauchemin was scratched in the previous two games and it is something he knows he’ll deal with in what is in all likelihood his final NHL season. At 37, the highly-respected defenseman knows he doesn’t have the meaty minutes-chomping role on this third turn with the Ducks that he did in the first two. Upon jumping at the chance to finish his career with the Ducks, Beauchemin said the plan for him was laid out in plain fashion. “I understood the situation in the summer time,” Beauchemin said after the Ducks’ 4-1 loss to Winnipeg. “They were really clear to me that I would not be playing every game and I’d be fine with that. Like I said, I just wanted another chance to come back and play one more year and make it a successful one. “I know I can still help the team once in a while. It’s a different role obviously when you don’t play as many minutes. You got to do some different things. Being more physical, more vocal. On the bench, in the locker room, in practices when it comes down to my different role.” And that change will have Beauchemin doing more gym work and bike rides off the ice to stay sharp for when he is called upon. Setting an example in the dressing room is another. The veteran was among those disappointed by their absent opening five minutes Friday, which the Jets took full advantage of. “This is every guy individually in how they prepare for the game and what you do before,” Beauchemin said. “And make sure when we do go out there, everybody’s on the same page and knows what we’re doing and ready to go. “You can’t point fingers at those situations. If you go out there and you’re not ready, we all see it. We know who we are.” Right wing Ondrej Kase missed his seventh consecutive game due to a suspected head injury and his return doesn’t appear anywhere near imminent. “We have some people who are close, but I wouldn’t say Kase is coming back,” Carlyle said. “Usually what we try to do is make sure that a player’s back in full practice before he plays.” Carlyle said Kase skated on his own, while Ryan Kesler and Jared Boll also took the ice at Honda Center in the morning hours. Of Kesler, who’s still about a month away, Carlyle said, “He’s progressing well. … As soon as he joins practice, that’s really when I start to get more of an idea on a time frame. A more definitive time frame.” Following a whistle in the second period, the Jets and Ducks squared off in a large scrum with Ducks winger Corey Perry and Winnipeg defenseman Ben Chiarot in full joust mode. Chiarot caught Perry with the butt end of his stick, leaving Perry’s chin bloodied. Jets center Mark Scheifele received the only penalty out of the fracas. “You question the official on it,” Carlyle said. “He says nobody in the building saw it until it was on replay. Well, it’s their job to see it. Those things go by and the league will take care of it. If they think it’s something worthy of looking further into, they will. You leave that up to them. That’s their job.” The Ducks sent defenseman Jaycob Megna and goalie Reto Berra to San Diego (AHL). Megna required waivers Thursday and cleared Friday morning, while Berra did not need waivers as he wasn’t with the team for either 10 games or 30 days since he cleared Nov. 4. Megna had an assist and a minus-4 rating in 11 games with the Ducks. Berra has played in four games with them and got a win in his first start, making 40 saves Monday in a shootout victory over San Jose. 1084916 Anaheim Ducks “They’re valuable players,” Vermette said. “Important players for us. They’ve shown it in the past. But that’s the reality we’re at right now. We have to deal with it and you have to manufacture points. It doesn’t matter Early Jets goals doom Ducks in 2nd straight loss how. “The thing is, it’s out of our control. As a player, as a group, as a team, you got to go and not think too far ahead or look too far back. You got to By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register just find a way perform, whoever is in the lineup. That’s the reality. PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 3:53 pm | UPDATED: November 24, “We all know we’d rather have them in the lineup, that’s for sure. It goes 2017 at 5:31 PM without saying.” The lone goal that got past Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (30 saves) was Beauchemin’s second-period point shot that sailed over a screen ANAHEIM — Maybe it is time for the Ducks to just go dark on Black provided by Logan Shaw. It was Beauchemin’s first goal since last April 9 Friday since their traditional matinee home game over the past decade while playing for Colorado. Career minor leaguer Mike Liambas got his has provided little for them to be thankful about. first point in his fifth NHL game. This year, it wasn’t the Chicago Blackhawks sending the Honda Center But while there were several good looks on two power-play chances to faithful away unfulfilled as they so often have. The switch in opponents close a two-goal deficit, the Ducks couldn’t apply a finishing touch. didn’t affect the result in the 2017 version as the Winnipeg Jets jumped out to an early two-goal lead and cruised to a 4-1 victory, sending the “The last couple games, I’ve been giving up that first goal,” Hellebuyck Ducks to a second straight home defeat. said. “It feels good to grind early and see the team working so hard early on and getting rewarded.” The Blackhawks’ only trip to Anaheim this season comes in March, but the Ducks (10-9-3) had to deal with a team that’s better at the moment. The red-hot Jets, looking to challenge St. Louis in the Central Division, won for the 10th time in 13 games. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.25.2017 There was some progress in the Ducks’ game from their dreary 19-shot performance Wednesday against Vegas. They kept the shots against under 40 for the first time in five games, and they generated some much- needed time in the offensive zone. It encouraged Ducks coach Randy Carlyle as they head into Saturday night’s game against the Kings. But the Ducks paid for being asleep at the wheel following the Thanksgiving holiday. A horrendous opening five minutes saw Winnipeg have a goal waved off before getting two from Nikokaj Ehlers that did count. Mark Scheifele put in a rebound just 34 seconds in, but the Ducks successfully challenged that Blake Wheeler was offside on the play. The negated goal only provided momentary relief. On the next shift, Ehlers punched in a rebound left by Ducks goalie John Gibson after a Sami Vatanen turnover. “We can’t turn the puck over,” Vatanen said. “That’s the simple thing.” Ducks center Dennis Rasmussen was sent to the penalty box for high sticking at 3:47 of the first and Ehlers punctured a normally highly effective penalty-killing unit with a clean shot past Gibson for a 2-0 lead. Searching for an answer to the ominous game-setting tone, Carlyle said his team was so slow to react that “it looked like we didn’t even have our skates on” and was frozen in that moment. “It made a difference if you look at the game,” Ducks center Antoine Vermette said. “It shows the importance of starts. Also, the difference between winning and losing sometimes. They really took advantage of the start. There’s no excuses for that.” And when Francois Beauchemin pulled them within one in the second, Jets center Bryan Little restored the lead with another hard wrist shot on the power play that got past Gibson. Gibson made 32 saves but wasn’t as sharp as other recent outings when he had to carry his teammates. Winnipeg rookie Kyle Connor added an empty-net score for the final margin. The Jets have a chance to complete a California sweep Saturday with a win at San Jose. “It shows where we’re at,” Little said. “We’re going to come into an away rink and a tough team in a tough building and we’re ready to play.” The Ducks entered the game with a solid 7-5-4 record in hosting Black Friday games but much of that success came before the 2004-05 lockout. They’ve won only one of the last seven, with Chicago handing them five of those losses. The last victory came in 2013, a 5-2 decision over Calgary. Meanwhile, the effects of playing for weeks on end without top centers Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler and potential scoring forwards Patrick Eaves and Ondrej Kase are helping to keep them from putting together any kind of significant winning streak. Wingers who feed off Getzlaf and Kesler are finding it more challenging to score. Rickard Rakell is the only consistent finisher. Andrew Cogliano hasn’t scored in 13 games. Jakob Silfverberg doesn’t have one in five after perking up for a two-week stretch. Corey Perry has one in eight and two since opening night. 1084917 Arizona Coyotes speed. And that’s exactly what we did, we caught them on a chance and had a 3-on-2 rush there. I was the middleman and just drove the net and made sure I stopped in front to put home anything if (Dvorak) didn’t Coyotes' Christian Fischer nets overtime winner to beat Kings score, and that’s exactly what happened.” Filling in for injured goaltender Antti Raanta, Wedgewood was sharp in his first home start with the Coyotes, stopping 23 of 25 shots in the win. Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 10:06 p.m. MT Nov. 24, 2017 | Arizona put 33 shots on Kuemper, who was starting for the slumping Updated 11:22 p.m. MT Nov. 24, 2017 Jonathan Quick. “He’s calm, he doesn’t flop around,” Tocchet said of Wedgewood’s game. “He’s pretty still in the net and I like that about him. He isn’t out of the net After a lackluster showing on the power play in Wednesday’s loss against on shots. He gave us what we needed and he was excellent for us.” the Sharks, the Coyotes wasted little time taking advantage of their opportunities on Friday. Wedgewood started Friday for the first time in nine games after relieving Raanta late in the first period on Wednesday. The Coyotes brought up And capitalizing on those chances paid dividends for the Coyotes, as goaltender Marek Langhamer from Tucson (AHL) on emergency recall they picked up their fourth win in their past five games with a 3-2 on Friday, but Tocchet would not commit to a starter for Saturday’s game overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday at Gila River against the Vegas Golden Knights. Arena. And while the Coyotes knocked one team out of first place in the division Coyotes forward Christian Fischer netted the game-winner at 2:43 in on Friday, they will have to deal with the new Pacific Division frontrunner overtime to knock the Kings out of first place in the Pacific Division and on Saturday in Vegas. The Coyotes will try to make it five of six against hand them their third straight loss. their newest neighbor. “They’re a heavy team and I thought we did a good job,” Coyotes head “Obviously last two days has been tough to swallow but I thought today coach Rick Tocchet said of the team’s performance. “Our power play had was great,” Fischer said. “The way we played tonight is the way we want some looks and we scored a goal. I thought a lot of guys had good to play moving forward. We have everyone contributing.” games tonight. (Fischer) was all over the ice tonight and it was fitting he got the winning goal.” Arizona got its first man-advantage midway through the first period and Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.25.2017 defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson delivered one of his patented one- timers from beyond the circle to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead. For the Coyotes, which went 0-for-2 on the power play and failed to score on a 5-on-3 in Wednesday’s loss, converting on their first man-advantage was key. “We had a couple practices where we can work on it,” Tocchet said of the power play. “We’re a young team and we need reps. It’s won us some games, and that’s a big goal by (Oliver).” It was the 15th time in 25 games this season in which the Coyotes scored the first goal of the game, which ranks second in the NHL. Starting fast is something the team prides itself on. “It’s nice to just start the game off like that early,” Coyotes winger Brendan Perlini said. “It kind of just sets the tone for our team that we’re ready to play. And it was a good game played by the guys tonight.” After the Coyotes took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, the Kings came back out and began pelting Coyotes goaltender Scott Wedgewood with shots. Just over two minutes in, Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar found his way into the net to knot the game at a goal apiece. The teams skated with a tie for the next 15 minutes until Coyotes winger Brendan Perlini redirected a shot from defenseman Alex Goligoski that beat Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper for the go-ahead goal. “Obviously the goal was a nice shoot by (Goligoski) from the point and I was just coming in and trying to get a stick on it,” Perlini said. “Luckily I did and got it in off the post.” “It’s nice to have some family in town for Thanksgiving and stuff, and it’s nice to be home in general for a few games since we’ve been on the road so much,” he said. “It’s good to be back for a bit.” But just 2:42 into the third period, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty swiveled and threw a puck on Wedgewood that was swatted at by winger Andre Andreoff. Eventually, Los Angeles center Trevor Lewis got his stick on it and poked it in for the equalizer. Neither team could break through as the third period wound down and the game was destined for overtime. And just over two minutes into the extra period, Coyotes center Christian Dvorak sent a puck on net that was pounced on by Fischer for the win. “It was a pretty good game to be a part of with back-and-forth action,” Fischer said. “Obviously it got tied up there in the third but I thought we really tightened up after that as a group and gave a lot of push back so we weren’t on our heels. Wedgewood was unbelievable the whole game and really kept us in it. And then 3-on-3 is anyone’s game, it’s just a matter of catching somebody on a break so we got fortunate.” Fischer said the Coyotes preach a conservative game on overtime given all the extra ice. That game plan paid off and eventually led to the winning goal. “(Overtime) is all about puck possession,” Fischer said. “(Tocchet) emphasises that if you have nothing just bring it back and get some 1084918 Arizona Coyotes season for Arizona (13) … Golden Knights forward David Perron leads the team with 19 points and forward James Neal has paced Vegas with 11 goals. Coyotes rookie Clayton Keller leads all skaters on both teams Evaluating Arizona Coyotes' power-play struggles with 20 points and equals Neal with 11 goals … Vegas goaltenders Marc- Andre Fleury (concussion) and Oscar Dansk (lower body) are inactive and not expected to play. Maxime Lagace has assumed starting duties between the pipes with Malcolm Subban serving as backup … The Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 3:46 p.m. MT Nov. 24, 2017 | Coyotes are 0-1-1 all time against the 2017-18 NHL expansion club, Updated 11:22 p.m. MT Nov. 24, 2017 having suffered a 2-1 overtime loss at home on Oct. 7 followed by a 5-2 loss in the Golden Knights’ inaugural home-opener Oct. 11 in Las Vegas.

Battle of the backups In Coyotes center Derek Stepan’s opinion, simply generating scoring chances on the power play is not good enough. Arizona’s power play has It will be a battle of backup goaltenders on Friday at Gila River Arena been plagued with a recent inability to score on the man-advantage. with Coyotes netminder Scott Wedgewood facing Kings backup Darcy Kuemper as Arizona looks to win its fourth game in its past five contests. This was the case in Wednesday’s 3-1 home loss to the San Jose Sharks, where the Coyotes were 0-for-2 on the power play and also Wedgwood is filling in for the injured Antti Raanta, who suffered an upper failed to score in 39 seconds of a 5-on-3 advantage. As a result, Arizona body injury in the first period of Wednesday’s game against the Sharks. saw its three-game win streak snapped at the hands of the stingy Sharks Raanta, who was starting in his eighth straight game, is not expected to defense. start on Friday or Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights. “We had the power plays and the 5-on-3 and we would’ve liked to “(Antti) is feeling better than yesterday,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet capitalize on those,” Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said after said after the team's morning skate on Friday. “It’s a situation where he’s Wednesday’s loss. “We need to make some plays. Somebody has to day-to-day so Wedgewood will go tonight and then we’ll go from there.” score there. We had chances to score and we didn’t. And they did.” After allowing two goals in relief in Wednesday’s loss, Wedgewood has In fact, the Coyotes’ power play has left a lot to be desired this season. now appeared in five games with the Coyotes this season – compiling a Entering play Friday, their man-advantage ranked 21st out of 31 teams 1-2-1 record to go along with a 2.93 goals allowed average. The with a 17.3 percent scoring percentage. Brampton, Ontario, native won his first NHL game since March 2016 on Oct. 30 and now boasts an NHL record of 3-3-2 with a .931 save And they’ve had the opportunities. The Coyotes have played 24 games percentage and a 2.13 GAA. — the most in the NHL — and been staked to 81 power plays this season, which was tied for seventh-most among NHL teams entering “For a guy that hasn’t played in a couple weeks, I thought he came in and Friday. did a good job for us (Wednesday),” Tocchet said. “It’s not an easy job to do but it’s something he was able to do and he’ll get the start tonight.” The most frustrating part for Tocchet and his players is that the team’s power play is actually generating chances and getting good looks on a For the Kings, Kuemper will draw the start between the pipes to give nightly basis. But moving the puck and finding the open man is one thing. starting goaltender Jonathan Quick a break from one of the worst Scoring is another. stretches of his career. The two-time champion has lost his past six decisions, and it is the first time in Quick’s 11-year career he has “We need to score. Bottom line,” Stepan said on Wednesday. “It’s not lost six straight in regulation. good enough if you don’t score on your power play. I think our power play has been good for the most part, but we’ve got to work and bear down in Kuemper has appeared in six games for the Kings this season and has those moments.” posted a 3-0-1 record .943 save percentage and a 1.62 GAA. Currently in his first season in Los Angeles, Kuemper spend parts of five seasons Brendan Perlini and Christian Fischer both skate on the team’s top power with the Minnesota Wild where he accrued a 89-41-34 record to go along play and both lead the Coyotes with three goals on the man-advantage. with a 2.60 GAA. Clayton Keller and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, also on the top unit, are tied for the team lead with six power-play points and have two such goals But for Wedgwood and the Coyotes, Friday could be much more than apiece. just a spot start for the backup. With Raanta on the shelf for an indeterminate amount of time, it will be up to Wedgewood to carry the Essentially, the Coyotes’ four most productive power-play skaters are all load. on the top unit with Stepan, who along with Perlini has five points on power plays this season. The second unit of Max Domi, Christian Dvorak, “He’s been unbelievable for us and stolen us a couple wins, so we’re Anthony Duclair, Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers has been noticeably hoping to get him back soon,” Wedgewood said of Raanta. “But until then less productive. I’ve got to step up here.” For Tocchet and his coaching staff, experimenting with the power-play The Coyotes continue their three-game homestand at Gila River Arena units to make things less top-heavy is certainly a possibility. As with a visit by the Kings, who have lost two straight and are 3-6-1 in their evidenced, the Coyotes are drawing penalties at an above-average clip. last 10 games. The Coyotes are 4-4-2 in their last 10 and are coming of a They just aren’t scoring. 3-1 home loss Wednesday night to San Jose in which Arizona lost starting goalie Antii Raanta to an upper-body injury when he was “In an 82-game schedule you’re going to have nights where not everyone knocked over in the crease by the Sharks’ Logan Couture. … Backup has their A-stuff and you have to find a way to manage the game,” Scott Wedgewood is expected to get the start Friday, but the Coyotes on Stepan said. “For the most part I thought we did a good job of managing Thursday brought up 23-year-old goaltender Marek Langhamer from the (on Wednesday), we had some looks and it’s a 2-1 hockey game in the Tucson Roadrunners on an emergency recall. … The Coyotes are 0-8-2 third period.” against Western Conference teams. … The Kings got off to a 9-1-1 start Especially against a team in the Sharks that allows the fewest goals per this season but a two-week slump, which included a 2-1 loss Wednesday game (2.20) in the NHL, capitalizing on scoring chances is paramount. to the Jets, saw them slip out of first place in the Pacific Division. … The And for a team in the Coyotes that scores the third-fewest goals per Coyotes get to face the new division leader, the Vegas Golden Knights, game (2.42), they will need to find a way to get the puck in the net when on Saturday night in Glendale. … The Kings are led in scoring by center the opportunity presents itself. Anze Kopitar (nine goals, 15 assists). Kopitar has 16 points in his last 16 games. … Kings defenseman Alec Martinez ranks second in the NHL Because when the Coyotes aren’t converting, the opponents are. And with 62 blocked shots. … Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick ranks that’s forcing the team out of its comfort zone to play catch-up rather than seventh in the league with a .926 save percentage. Quick has lost six sticking to their system of play. games in a row to match the worst streak of his NHL career. It’s the first time he’s lost six straight in regulation. “Obviously it’s something we have to learn from to not chase the game,” Stepan said. “It’s hard to win when you’re chasing it.” GLENDALE, Ariz. — The slumping Los Angeles Kings need a win in the worst way. No doubt they’re hoping a matchup with the Coyotes on Outlook: The Coyotes (5-16-3) and Vegas Golden Knights (13-6-1) both Friday night will prove to be a quick pathway to victory. play the second of back-to-backs on Saturday. For the Coyotes, it is their third game in four days at Gila River Arena. They had won three of their But the Kings — the Pacific Division leaders nearly all season until a 2-1 previous four games entering play Friday. The Golden Knights travel to loss to Winnipeg on Wednesday — perhaps should heed this warning Arizona after hosting the Sharks on Friday. They had won three straight about the Coyotes from San Jose center Logan Couture. entering play Friday … Vegas occupies first place in the Pacific Division with 27 points. The point difference between the Golden Knights and the last-place Coyotes (14) was greater than the amount of points on the “I think they played well (against us),” Couture said following the Sharks’ 3-1 win at Arizona on Wednesday night. “They’ve got some young players with some skill, and they’re learning how to win.” The Coyotes (5-16-3), despite a record that’s disparagingly one-sided because of their season-opening 11-game winless streak, showed that by winning at Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto in succession before returning home to lose to San Jose. Arizona is 1-7-1 at Gila River Arena. That winning streak is one reason why coach Rick Tocchet was clearly disappointed with the loss to the Sharks, a team he felt didn’t outplay his Coyotes but, rather, outlasted them. “I think we had more grade-A chances (than they did),” Tocchet said. “We had some guys who didn’t have juice. We have three or four guys we count on that didn’t have any juice, I could tell.” The Coyotes need to get their energy back before continuing a challenging holiday week schedule of three home games in four nights, one that concludes Saturday night against the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Despite the Coyotes’ busy schedule, Tocchet held a practice Thursday on Thanksgiving, probably a sign he wasn’t happy with the way his team played the night before. They’ve got the young legs to bounce back; left wing Brendan Perlini’s goal Wednesday was the 33rd this season by a Coyotes player who is 22 or younger. That’s more than half of their 58 goals. But the Coyotes experienced a setback of a different kind when goaltender Antti Raanta, coming off those three straight wins, was pulled late in the first period Wednesday with an upper-body injury. He missed 10 games earlier in the season with lower-body injuries, and was pulled from two others. In an indication that Raanta probably won’t play Friday, goaltender Marek Langhamer was recalled Thursday from Tucson (AHL) on an emergency basis. Langhamer has played in only one NHL game during his career, against Anaheim last season. “It’s next man up,” said Coyotes center Derek Stepan, who has a point in four consecutive games. “In this league you need two goalies, your starter and your backup.” Backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood came in to allow a Joe Thornton goal five seconds after replacing Raanta, but otherwise held San Jose to only one other goal, by Couture on a setup by Joonas Donskoi in the second period. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is healthy but, in a turnaround for him, not winning. He’s currently stuck in the first six-game losing streak of his career in which every loss was in regulation. Of course, he’s not getting much help — the Kings, who started 11-2-2 but have since lost six of seven, scored only nine goals in those six losses. Los Angeles got 25 saves from Quick and a team-leading 10th goal from center Tyler Toffoli against Winnipeg, only to lose after twice giving up goals in the final minute of a period — to Adam Lowry with eight seconds left in the first and to Patrik Laine with 59 seconds remaining in the second. “We’re giving up goals we don’t normally give up,” team captain Anze Kopitar said after the Kings lost despite a 39-27 edge in shots. “Its deflating. You go into the locker room thinking about that. You kill all the momentum you have going for you.” Kings coach John Stevens may have summed up perfectly the current situation for both his team and the Coyotes: “The bottom line is you’ve got to find ways to win hockey games. … You’ve got to bear down to score and you’ve got to bear down to deny opportunities. Sometimes it’s a fine line between winning and losing.” The two teams have yet to play this season. The Coyotes won three of five from Los Angeles last season, including the final three.

Arizona Coyotes

1084919 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes hitting stride with 4th win in 5 games

BY CRAIG MORGAN NOVEMBER 24, 2017 AT 11:34 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — There was a lot to like about the Coyotes’ 3-2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday at Gila River Arena. There is a lot to like about the Coyotes’ recent play, too. Christian Fischer knocked in a trickling puck after Christian Dvorak’s initial shot at 2:43 of overtime, and the Coyotes won for the fourth time in their past five games, a 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Kings. The win was the Coyotes’ first against a Western Conference opponent this season and their second on home ice (2-7-1) this season. “I thought a lot of guys had good games,” said Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet, who gave up trying to name them all when he realized how widespread the effort was. “Everybody contributed. We didn’t have many passengers tonight.” The more notable performances came from the power play, which generated chances and momentum; Fischer, who had a goal and an assist for his second career multi-point game; backup goalie Scott Wedgewood, who made 23 saves in his first start at Gila River Arena; forward Brendan Perlini, who scored for the third straight game; and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was the offensive engine the franchise dreams of him being. “I’ve been feeling good lately,” said Ekman-Larsson, who opened the scoring with a quick release shot from the left point through traffic on a power play at 10:17 of the first period to extend his points streak to four games (two goals, three assists). “It’s easy to say when you’re scoring goals and scoring points that you’re playing good, but at the same time, there have been games where I haven’t scored or haven’t had any points that I still feel better. I know I am finding my game.” Friday’s win was a critical performance in two respects. Tocchet wanted to see the team establish some sort of identity on home ice after a recent 3-1 road trip through Canada. The players also wanted to sustain some of the momentum gained on that trip, which they worried had been lost in a loss to San Jose on Wednesday. “Two days ago’s loss was obviously tough to swallow,” Fischer said. “Today I thought was great. The way we played is the way we want to play moving forward. “We have everyone contributing — young guys, veterans, goalies. It’s awesome to see. We’re moving in the right direction and we’re having fun.” Wedgewood had a strong game replacing injured starter Antti Raanta. He made the key saves in key moments that Tocchet cited as critical to the psyche of a team. Just after Ekman-Larsson’s goal, Jussi Jokinen got behind the Coyotes defense but Wedgewood stopped him with his left pad. With the scored tied 1-1, he stopped Tyler Toffoli by moving right to left and getting a toe on Toffoli’s wrist shot. “He’s stopping the stuff that he should stop and he’s getting timely saves,” Tocchet said. “That’s a great recipe for any goalie and for a team to win. It just gives a team confidence.” The Coyotes won’t have Raanta back for Saturday’s game against the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Tocchet has not decided if he will go back to Wedgewood or call on Marek Langhamer, but Wedgewood sounded ready for the challenge. “It’s not even a full day until we play again,” he said, “but you try and manage it the best you can and if they do look to me, I’ll be ready.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084920 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes seeing momentum from power play chances

BY MATT LAYMAN NOVEMBER 24, 2017 AT 10:55 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes went on the power play in the first period of a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night, two days removed from a loss to the Sharks in which the Coyotes were 0-for- 3 on the power play. Arizona converted on this one, thanks to a shot from the point through traffic by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. It was 1-0 Coyotes. “We’ve had some practice time. About two weeks ago, we had a couple practices where we could work on it,” head coach Rick Tocchet said of his power play. “We’re a young team, so you need reps. It’s won us some games — that was a big goal by ‘O.'” One of those young players, Christian Fischer, wound up with the game- winning goal in overtime on Friday. But to get there, it was the power play chances — including the three on which Arizona didn’t score — that gave Arizona its offensive swagger and kept the puck off of backup goalie Scott Wedgewood. “Our power play the last two weeks have been clicking,” Fischer said. “Whether it doesn’t even mean scoring, it means getting chances, getting their defenders to defend. “An example is [Kings defenseman Drew] Doughty, that guy plays PK and power play, so if we have them in their zone for two minutes, peppering the goalie with shots, making him tired — in the end, third period, he’s going to get tired.” On Arizona’s second power play of Friday’s game, the Coyotes were doing just what Fischer described. For nearly the entirety of the man advantage, the Kings were in their own zone, forced to defend a barrage of shots and puck movements. It wasn’t until late in that penalty that the Kings finally cleared the puck out. “If you don’t score, you at least want that, just for momentum,” Brendan Perlini said. “If they’re killing it and just dumping it down, dumping it down, it’s really a wasted chance. That’s something you can build off then, maybe if you get another (power play), ‘Okay, we had good pressure, this time we’re going to get a goal.'” On the season, Arizona’s power play unit is scoring only 17.3 percent of the time, which ranks an unexciting 21st in the NHL. But as the Coyotes have now won four of their last five, they’ve gone 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) on the man advantage in that stretch of games. “I’ve played on the PK before, once 30-40 seconds of running around, stopping and starting, you’re gassed,” Fischer said. “If you can keep it in there, stuff’s going to open up. They’re going to get tired, and that’s when mistakes happen.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.25.2017

1084921 Boston Bruins

Brian Boyle scores emotional goal on ‘Hockey Fights Cancer Night’

By Mike FarrellAssociated Press

NEWARK, N.J. — Brian Boyle has had some misty moments on ice this season for the New Jersey Devils. The first was on Nov. 9 when he cried after scoring the first goal in his comeback from chronic myelogenous leukemia. The center was diagnosed with the disease during training camp and missed the first 10 games of the season while undergoing treatment. The second was Friday when he scored on ‘‘Hockey Fights Cancer Night’’ to help the Devils beat the Vancouver Canucks, 3-2. ‘‘It’s part of a club you don’t necessarily want to be in,’’ Boyle said of his fellow cancer survivors who attended the game. ‘‘I’m doing really well. I feel great. The support from everybody here, all you guys [gesturing to the fans], unbelievable.’’ The Prudential Center erupted with cheers when Boyle, the former star from Hingham, set up by a beautiful drop pass from Will Butcher, scored at 10:17 of the second period to snap a 1-1 tie. ‘‘He has a flair for the dramatic. It gives you chills,’’ said who sparked the Devils with a goal and two assists. ‘‘I can’t imagine what it’s like being him, what he’s been through, what his family’s been through. To come back, play well for us and score on Hockey Fights Cancer Night, it’s awesome to see and puts a lot of things in perspective for us as hockey players.’’ Damon Severson also scored for New Jersey and Cory Schneider made 23 saves to improve to 6-1-2 against the team that made him a first- round draft pick in 2004. The win gave the Devils a sweep of the two-game season series, having beaten the Canucks, 2-0, in Vancouver on Nov. 1. Daniel Sedin and Bo Horvat scored for Vancouver, one of the NHL’s top road teams. The loss ended the Canucks’ three-game road winning streak, including victories in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to start their current six-game trip. The Devils had a 10-9 shot advantage in the opening period that lacked quality scoring chances for both sides. Each team had a good opportunity late in the period. Jacob Markstrom denied Blake Coleman’s drive from the right wing to keep the Devils off the scoreboard, then Schneider squeezed the pads tightly to stop Christopher Tanev’s wrister from the slot. Hall opened the scoring at 2:15 of the second period, ripping a shot from the bottom of the left circle over Markstrom’s shoulder. Daniel Sedin knotted the game at 5:36, setting the stage for Boyle’s power-play goal. Severson cleaned up the rebound after Hall hit the post to put New Jersey ahead 3-1. In the third, the Canucks provided some late suspense as Horvat, set up by Daniel Sedin, got a power-play scorer at 10:37. ‘‘Sometimes you don’t have your legs and you have to find a way to survive, and I thought we did and slowly worked our way back into the game,’’ Daniel Sedin said. ‘‘That happens to a lot of teams on the road. It could have gone either way.’’ The Devils held the Canucks at bay late, preserving the win and the night for Boyle and the fans cheering his dramatic goal. ‘‘It says a lot about the fans here in this particular city,’’ Boyle said. ‘‘I’ve felt the love in other cities, but the way they’ve embraced me here, the fans have reached out. I saw the all the signs. It’s a very special feeling.’’

Boston Globe LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084922 Boston Bruins Ryan Spooner, playing in his second game following a groin tear, was back at center against Pittsburgh. Spooner made his return at left wing against New Jersey on Wednesday. Spooner had one assist and two Danton Heinen deserves to remain on Bruins’ top line shots in 10:46 of play . . . Cassidy is 0 for 2 on goaltender interference challenges in the last two games. “We took a shot there,” Cassidy said of challenging Sidney Crosby’s goal. “Hope maybe the bump early on might lead to a goal waved off. I think deep down, we knew it was a long shot. By Fluto Shinzawa We made the call anyway — the time and score, given they’d come back to tie it, hoping it would go our way. But it didn’t. I’m not going to argue Globe Staff with the call. You take your chances.” . . . Peter Cehlarik didn’t return after a leg-on-leg collision with Hunwick in the third period. Cehlarik’s left knee appeared to absorb the worst of the damage. Cehlarik hopped off Brad Marchand missed his third straight game on Friday because of an the ice, placing no weight on his left leg, before retreating to the dressing undisclosed injury. He will practice on Saturday. If that goes well, No. 63 room with assistance . . . Matt Beleskey and Paul Postma joined Vatrano will return on Sunday against Edmonton in his usual spot on Patrice in suit and tie . . . Evgeni Malkin (upper body) was unavailable for the Bergeron’s left side. second straight game. Danton Heinen shouldn’t take that as a demotion. Heinen, Marchand’s first-line fill-in, isn’t going anywhere. If Marchand Boston Globe LOADED: 11.25.2017 plays against the Oilers, Heinen will switch from Bergeron’s left to his right. He has been performing too well to deserve anything less. In Friday’s 4-3 win over Pittsburgh, Heinen delivered a good facsimile of Marchand’s three-zone game. Heinen didn’t score. He put just one puck on Penguins goaltender Matt Murray. But Heinen played 22:03, more than Bergeron (21:23) and just one second less than up-front leader David Pastrnak (22:04), because of how well he played in the defensive zone. Heinen made his best play when he stepped in front of Matt Hunwick’s third-period one-timer, prompting his teammates to bang their sticks on the boards in applause of his effort. “One thing about Danton that I like is his response wherever we’ve played him,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “He’s done what’s asked. He’s been able to elevate his game to play with certain players with his skill game. He’s been able to elevate his game, his straight-line game, with more north-south guys. So we can’t say enough about his progression. We’ve needed it. Face it, you lose so many guys. Good for Danton. I think he really has grown and learned from last year.” In previous promotions, Heinen was light on the puck and was a one- dimensional rush player. This time, he is far more engaged in puck battles. It’s a quality that should make him a good fit to play with Marchand and Bergeron, two of the most dogged puck hounds in the league. If Heinen goes to No. 1 right wing, David Pastrnak would move down to play with Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci. “He played late in games because he’s willing to block shots,” said Cassidy. “He’s stronger on the puck getting them out. He can make plays. We really like his progression. Where will he go? It’s easy to move him on the right side with Bergy and Marsh. His game looks like it will be a good fit for them, because he’s winning pucks. He can hang on to pucks. He’s stronger on pucks. They like that cycle game.” Matt Grzelcyk was in good position to score his first NHL goal. DeBrusk first directed him to go back door. Then Krejci told him to hang in the slot. With that kind of guidance, Grzelcyk was in the right spot to settle the puck and snap it off Murray’s glove and into the net at 10:31 of the second. “Pretty special, obviously,” Grzelcyk said. “It brings back memories here skating as a kid. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. It was pretty cool to get that out of the way.” Kevan Miller retrieved the puck. The rookie plans to give it to Matt’s father John Grzelcyk, a longtime member of TD Garden’s Bull Gang. Krug back in Torey Krug returned after missing the last three games because of an upper-body injury. He started the game as Brandon Carlo’s partner. The Bruins rolled Krug and six other defensemen, including Grzelcyk, the like- minded left-shot, offensive-minded blue liner. Krug quarterbacked the No. 1 power-play unit. Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy played the point on the second group. By keeping Krug and Grzelcyk in uniform, Cassidy dressed 11 forwards. Frank Vatrano was the odd man out. Cassidy may try this again. “We had rest yesterday, so playing 11 forwards, you can double up the Pastrnaks,” Cassidy said. “Give Krech a little more ice. It happened to be DeBrusk early. I thought he really had his legs. We don’t mind the 11 forwards. Seven D, it may be something we look at more often if you have Krug and Grizz in there.” Spooner back at center 1084923 Boston Bruins “I was trying to find the puck,” Khudobin said. “I knew they were going to crash the net really hard. Hornqvist is really good in front. I knew it was going to happen, something. I was battling to find the puck and see Bruins edge Penguins for fourth straight win where it was going to end up. I was expecting that.” Khudobin had help. After Pastrnak put the Bruins in front, Cassidy did not hesitate to lean on his best defenders. Patrice Bergeron (21:23 of ice By Fluto Shinzawa time, 13 for 24 on the draw) and David Krejci (17:48, 13 for 23) took repeated draws. Zdeno Chara (24:27) and Charlie McAvoy (22:43) were Globe Staff Cassidy’s preferred defensemen. The Bruins have had stretches of this year when leads were not safe. That happened in Friday’s second period, when the Penguins pushed the Anton Khudobin’s run may be over, both in terms of his start streak and way they usually do and pulled back into contention. The Bruins had his magic. After making his fourth straight start in goal for the Bruins seven rookies in their lineup. Such inexperience sometimes cracks under Friday against Pittsburgh, Khudobin (17 saves on 20 shots) may cede pressure from two-time Stanley Cup champions. Not on Friday. the crease to Tuukka Rask Sunday. “I think we’re learning how to play with the lead,” Krejci said. “Especially If so, one streak will remain alive: Khudobin’s inability to lose. going into the third period, if it’s tight or in a one-goal lead, the last 3-4 The 31-year-old is 7-0-2 following his 4-3 win over Pittsburgh at TD games we’ve been pretty good. Garden. The Bruins are riding a four-game winning streak, all with “It was a good learning win for our team. Hopefully we can keep it going.” Khudobin in goal. Before the game, Cassidy said his decision to start Khudobin was not a In his eight starts, Khudobin has delivered 14 of 16 possible points. For a slam dunk. There was no morning skate. The Bruins did not practice team chasing top-eight classification in the conference, wins are gold, Thursday. Few goalies — especially one such as Rask, who has not even if they are a lesser gauge of a goalie’s performance than save seen game action since Nov. 15 — would have performed well under percentage. such circumstances. “For me, wins are more important than my stats,” Khudobin said. “Stats is So Rask was the backup for the fourth straight game, the longest stretch always great. But at the same time, when you’re winning, you’re more he’s had that designation when healthy since 2010-11. comfortable. That’s the final result you want to get as a team. “To put Tuukka back in today after not practicing yesterday — afternoon Get Breaking Sports Alerts in your inbox: game, no shots at all, a pregame skate on Wednesday — I don’t think Be the first to know the latest sports news as it happens. that’s fair,” Cassidy said. “That’s not the best situation to win. He’ll get a practice on Saturday. So Sunday certainly looks like a better option.” “When you’re winning, for me, it’s more warm than just my stats. My stats wasn’t good today. But I’m really happy right now.” If Khudobin’s roll is over, he did everything that was asked of him. It will be Rask’s job to do the same. Against New Jersey on Wednesday, Khudobin plucked saves out of nowhere. On Friday, he could not be faulted for Jake Guentzel’s back- A pack of Bruins celebrates Sean Kuraly’s goal. door goal, nor Phil Kessel’s dart. But Khudobin entered the game so matthew j. lee/ locked in that such goals would have been saves during earlier starts. Globe Staff On Pittsburgh’s tying goal, the helter-skelter Khudobin was down and out, staring at the ceiling after stopping Patric Hornqvist’s first bid. When A pack of Bruins celebrates Sean Kuraly’s goal. the puck landed on Khudobin’s tummy, it served as a platter for Sidney Crosby to take two whacks, missing with his first but burying his followup swing at 17:44 of the second. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.25.2017 Crosby’s tying goal halted play while referees Chris Rooney and Wes McCauley, with assistance from Toronto’s war room, tried to determine whether the puck crossed the line before the whistle. Review confirmed that it did. Then Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy rolled the dice by issuing a challenge for goalie interference, even though he acknowledged after the game that it was a long shot. Rooney and McCauley swiftly shot Cassidy’s challenge down. “I don’t know if the puck crossed the goal line before the whistle or after the whistle,” said Khudobin. “I don’t know. They made the decision. That’s what they’re for.” Crosby’s goal, which followed Kessel’s, wiped out the Bruins’ 3-1 lead. It seemed as if first-period goals from Krejci and Sean Kuraly and a second-period strike by Matt Grzelcyk were going to waste. But Khudobin kept his head. Kuraly’s goal: In the third, David Pastrnak answered by taking a pass from Riley Nash, pulling away from Kris Letang, and burying a snapper over Matt Murray’s glove for the winner at 5:06. Pastrnak’s goal: But the Penguins, asleep for the first period and buzzing for the rest of the game, had chances to tie, including in the final minute. In the final 10 seconds, Kessel settled the puck on the left-side half- boards, one of his favorite locations on the ice. As Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist crashed the crease, Kessel stepped off the wall to launch the puck on net. Khudobin, while battling traffic, tried to spot Kessel’s release. He did. With 7.5 seconds remaining in regulation, Khudobin kicked out Kessel’s shot with his left pad and covered the puck. It was the best chance the Penguins would have. 1084924 Boston Bruins

Bruins turn to Anton Khudobin for 4th straight start in matinee

Steve Conroy Friday, November 24, 2017

To the surprise of just about no one, the Bruins put Anton Khudobin in net for his fourth consecutive start today as they aimed to extend their winning streak to four with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in town for the Black Friday matinee at the Garden. Coach Bruce Cassidy was asked if he's going game-to-game with the goalie situation or of he'd mapped a game for Tuukka Rask to get back in net. “We're doing both, to be honest with you,” said Cassidy. “(Khudobin) has played well and to put him back in there people could say is a no-brainer. To put Tuukka back in there, today, with no practice yesterday, an afternoon game (today) and no shots at all since pregame skate on Wednesday, I don't think that's fair. That's not the best situation to win. He'll get a practice on Saturday, so Sunday certainly looks like a better option. So it's both Doby playing well and this wouldn't have been the best time for Tuukka.” Torey Krug, who has missed the last three games with an upper body injury, was in the lineup after testing it out in warmups. Cassidy was ready to with seven defensemen as insurance. Neither Brad Marchand (concussion) nor Anders Bjork will play today. Marchand, who is expected to be a full participant in Saturday's practice, has a shot to play on Sunday against Edmonton.

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084925 Boston Bruins going to go there, then same thing. And I wish him luck in everything. So there is nothing changed about that.”

What has changed is the team’s confidence that their understudy can, if Harris: Bruins understudy Anton Khudobin continues stellar work in fourth needed, carry the show. straight win.

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.25.2017 Stephen Harris Saturday, November 25, 2017

The understudy’s time in the center stage spotlight probably came to an end yesterday. If so, what a run it was for Anton Khudobin. The Bruins’ No. 2 goaltender, whose play was described earlier this season by coach Bruce Cassidy as “erratic,” capped maybe the best run of success he’s enjoyed between the pipes with a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Garden matinee. It was the fourth consecutive win by the undermanned, but super hard- working Bruins, all four wins by Khudobin. “I’ll take (this stretch) as the best in (my) career,” he said. There will likely be a groundswell of opinion around town that Khudobin should keep playing. There are those ill-informed dolts who’ll contend the B’s should move on from Tuukka Rask. But it seems close to a sure thing that Rask will reclaim his crease for tomorrow’s match against the Edmonton Oilers, and there is no reason to doubt he will quickly re- establish his credentials as the B’s best puck-stopper. Before the game, Cassidy explained at some length his reasoning for coming back with Khudobin yesterday and, presumably, using Rask tomorrow. “Dobby has played well (enough) to put him back in there. People can say it’s a no-brainer. To put Tuukka back in there after not practicing (Thursday), (for) an afternoon game, no (pregame) shots at all, I don’t think that’s fair, to be honest. That’s not the best situation to win. (Rask will) get a practice (today), so (tomorrow) certainly looks like a better option. “It’s both Dobby playing well, and this wouldn’t have been the best time for Tuukka.” Cassidy wasn’t quite ready to name Rask his starter against the Oilers. “Now we’ll re-assess,” he said. “I know it sounds like we’re kicking it down the curb, but that’s what we are doing, to be honest with you.” Cassidy will certainly hope that Rask, who hasn’t played since Nov. 15, will come back in peak form. But Khudobin was fabulous for a club that was very worried entering this season about having adequate backup goaltending. His solid, no-rebounds play has been, if we’re being honest, a bit surprising. There actually were a couple of glimpses of erratic play late in yesterday’s game, pucks sliding loose around the crease. But overall, he has been great, and was yesterday right to the end when he stood his ground with 7.5 seconds left against a dangerous shot from the left boards by sniper Phil Kessel, with crease-crashing winger Patric Hornqvist in his face. “He didn’t have as much work as he’s had,” said Cassidy of his 17 saves. “I think Dobby almost gets better with volume. We’ve got to be careful where that volume is coming from, but listen, he’s battled from start to finish in every game he’s been in. He wants to win. That’s his makeup.” Khudobin was battling hard for the puck at 17:44 of the second period when his save off Hornqvist bounced high in the air above him. He was flat on his back when the puck dropped right onto his chest and from there was knocked in by Sidney Crosby, tying the game at 3. The goal was reviewed at great length, and the refs took a look at goalie interference, too, and finally deemed it a good goal. “I hear the whistle and they start celebrating,” said Khudobin. “The referees saw probably many views from different angles and they heard the whistle and they count it. There is nothing I can say about it because I don’t know if the puck crossed the goal line before the whistle or after the whistle. I don’t know. So they made the decision. That’s what they are for.” As for Rask’s recent plight, Khudobin sympathizes. “It’s never easy,” he said. “It’s never easy and we are partners. I wish him well, really good (in) game ahead of us. He’s going to get in games, I don’t know when. I hope he’s going to get into a rhythm, too, because we both do the same job. I’m going out there ( and) I try to get the win. If he’s 1084926 Boston Bruins Boston Herald LOADED: 11.25.2017

Bruins notebook: Matt Grzelcyk’s lifelong dream comes true

Steve Conroy Saturday, November 25, 2017

Matt Grzelcyk had been envisioning the moment for many years, but that still couldn’t keep him from getting a little giddy when it actually happened. The Charlestown native and Bruins rookie defenseman, whose father John has worked on the Garden’s bull gang for decades, popped in his first NHL goal in the Bruins’ 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday. “It was a jolt through my system. I didn’t really know what was going on. I tried to hide it as best as I could, but all the guys were trying to make me smile, so I was really happy,” said Grzelcyk. “It was huge. I don’t know how great I was playing in the first period and I think that gave me some more confidence for the rest of the game and happy to lock that one down.” For years, Grzelcyk tagged along with his father to work many times and he’s been imagining this day for a while. “All the time,” said Grzelcyk. “Whenever I was skating out there I was always alone and there were no fans, but I’d always kind of picture a full crowd like there was (yesterday). I’m just really happy that it came in a win.” Grzelcyk scored on a broken play. Jake DeBrusk put the puck on a tee for David Krejci to blast a one-timer from out high, but the veteran fanned on the shot. It went right to a pinching Grzelcyk in the left circle and the rookie, mano-a-mano against Matt Murray, beat the goalie gloveside at 10:31 of the second period. “Actually right before, JD told me to go back door so I was headed that way. Krech came over right after that and said, ‘Don’t go down all the way, just wait in the slot.’ Fate happened. He fanned on the puck and it landed right on my tape. Credit to those guys for putting me in the right direction,” said Grzelcyk. Asked if he looked at his texts yet, Grzelcyk said, “I’ll make sure I have a charger before I check that.” As you’d might expect, the elder Grzelcyk was in his glory. “I was up in Section 21 watching and I saw the puck. I said, ‘He’s got a shot here,’ ” said John Grzelcyk, taking a quick break from turning the building around for last night’s Celtics game. “Then I saw him take the shot and it went through the six-hole as they call it. It was pretty cool to see. And to see the smile on his face, he’s relieved to get the first one. His whole family’s relieved.” It wasn’t all good news for the B’s yesterday. Rookie Peter Cehlarik had to leave the game in the third period when he collided leg-on-leg with Penguins defenseman Matt Hunwick. Cehlarik, who picked up an assist on Krejci’s goal earlier in the game, had to hop off the ice using just his right leg. After the game he walked through the dressing room, not bending his left leg very much at all. “He didn’t come back so obviously that’s not good news, and then the way he went off the ice. Right now I have nothing to update,” said coach Bruce Cassidy, who expected to have more information today. … Torey Krug returned after missing three games with an upper-body injury and said he felt no ill-effects from whatever ailed him. As a precaution, Cassidy dressed seven defensemen. Brad Marchand, who missed his seventh of the last nine games with a suspected concussion, is expected to be a full participant in today’s practice and is a possibility for tomorrow’s game against Edmonton. Anders Bjork will not be ready for the Oilers game. … Grzelcyk’s goal was the seventh time a rookie has scored his first goal for the Bruins this year. … Rookie Danton Heinen is proving to be one of Cassidy’s more reliable players. He had four blocks and was second among Bruin forwards in ice time with 22:03, one second behind David Pastrnak.

1084927 Boston Bruins They did just that. Danton Heinen came up with four blocks, Noel Acciari had three and, with Murray pulled for the extra skater, Khudobin made one final big save on Kessel with Hornqvist trying to jam home the David Pastrnak’s third-period breakaway goal gives Bruins win over rebound. Penguins in Black Friday matinee “Hopefully it’s a step in the right direction and we can use that as experience going forward, figuring out ways to beat good teams,” said Torey Krug. “It’s not always going to be perfect. It’s going to get ugly out Steve Conroy Saturday, November 25, 2017 there. You’re playing in the NHL so you’re going to be playing against some great players.

“So for the young guys to respond the way they did, they were a big part David Pastrnak had a hunch. of our team today, blocking shots, a couple of big plays, scoring goals, some big assists. It’s good to see that. We need them to win hockey In the second period, he was getting the feeling that he was going to get games.” a breakaway in yesterday’s tilt against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden. And they certainly did their part yesterday. The Pens were pretty well outplayed through two periods, but they capitalized on a couple of Bruins mistakes in the second period and found themselves in a 3-3 tie going into the third. Boston Herald LOADED: 11.25.2017 Pastrnak’s premonition was so strong that in between periods he asked Tuukka Rask what move he should use when the breakaway occurred. Rask’s advice? Go backhand-to-forehand. Sure enough, when Ryan Spooner blocked a shot out high and Riley Nash feathered the puck up ice, Pastrnak had his breakaway. With a Pittsburgh defender on his tail, Pastrnak snapped a shot that beat goalie Matt Murray low to the gloveside at 5:06. “Pretty good advice,” beamed Pastrnak. “He’s 1-for-1 so far.” There were a lot of nervous moments after that, but Pastrnak’s tally — his 11th of the season but first in six games — stood up as the game- winner in a 4-3 triumph, the B’s fourth consecutive victory. The B’s got a couple more goals from rookies — Sean Kuraly and Matt Grzelcyk (his first NHL goal) — and another from veteran David Krejci, and Anton Khudobin earned his fourth straight win with a sometimes hairy 17-save performance. It was a nice win for the young B’s against a quality opponent, playing on a big stage in the nationally televised matinee. Coach Bruce Cassidy did not shy away from the situation. “I mentioned it before the game, I think it’s exciting. It’s on NBC, you’re playing against the Stanley Cup champions. Let’s put out best foot forward,” said Cassidy. “I know it’s one of 82, but it’s a bigger one of 82. It’s the way I look at it and I think they felt the same way coming out of it. “I also think with a young group you’re going to be more juiced up at home. They’re still in that stage of their career. I think that explained a lot of our start.” The B’s appeared to be on the verge of running the Pens out of the building in the first when they outshot their guests 14-4 and posted a 2-0 lead. Krejci got the B’s on the board at 6:13 after some great work from his line. Peter Cehlarik stole the puck in the high slot and got it down low to Jake DeBrusk (two assists) on the left side. DeBrusk froze Murray and then dished to Krejci for an easy goal. Then Kuraly doubled the lead at 10:51. Carter Rowney’s cross-ice pass in the Pittsburgh zone intended for was off the mark, and Charlie McAvoy grabbed the loose puck at the right point. McAvoy took off with the puck, taking it behind the net and feeding Kuraly for a one- timer from inside the right circle. But the Pens scrapped back with a Jake Guentzel power-play goal at 1:02 of the second. Grzelcyk gave the B’s their two-goal lead back at 10:31, but a DeBrusk turnover led to a Phil Kessel snipe to make it 3-2. Then came an odd one with 2:16 left in the second. Patric Hornqvist tipped a long shot that Khudobin tried to knock behind the net with a wild swing of his stick. Instead, it went straight up in the air. As Khudobin was flat on his back, the puck rested on his chest for an instant and Sidney Crosby flipped it off Khudobin into the net. The red light went on, though the referee did not give the goal signal. After one lengthy review, the goal was granted. B’s coach Bruce Cassidy challenged for goalie interference but it was denied. And though the B’s were outshooting the Penguins 28-12 through two, it was all even on the scoreboard. The B’s regained the lead on Pastrnak’s goal and, though the kids had shown some skill early on, it was time to display a little mettle to close it out. 1084928 Boston Bruins

Matt Grzelcyk's first goal with Bruins a thrill for him and his dad

Steve Conroy Friday, November 24, 2017

Matt Grzelcyk had been envisioning the moment for many years, but that still couldn't keep him from getting a little giddy when it actually happened. The Charlestown native and Bruins' rookie defenseman, whose father John has worked on the Garden's bull gang for decades, popped in his first NHL goal in the Bruins' 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. “It was a jolt through my system. I didn't really know what was going on. I tried to hide it as best as I could, but all the guys were trying to make me smile, so I was really happy,” said Grzelcyk. “It was huge. I don't know how great I was playing in the first period and I think that gave me some more confidence for the rest of the game, and happy to lock that one down.” For years, Grzelcyk tagged along with his father to work many times and he's been imagining this day for a while. “All the time,” said Grzelcyk. “Whenever I was skating out there I was always alone and there were no fans, but I'd always kind of picture a full crowd like there was tonight. I'm just really happy that it came in a win.” Grzelcyk scored on a broken play. Jake DeBrusk had put the puck on a tee for David Krejci to blast a one-timer from out high, but the veteran fanned on the shot. It went right to a pinching Grzelcyk in the left circle and the rookie, mano-a-mano against Murray, beat the goalie gloveside at 10:31 of the second period. “Actually right before, JD told me to go back door so I was headed that way. Krech came over right after that and said 'don't go down all the way, just wait in the slot.' Fate happened. He fanned on the puck and it landed right on my tape. Credit to those guys for putting me in the right direction,” said Grzelcyk. Asked if he looked at his texts yet, Grzelcyk said, “I'll make sure I have a charger before I check that.” As you'd might expect, the elder Grzelcyk was in his glory. “I was up in section 21 watching and I saw the puck. I said 'He's got a shot here,'” said John Grzelcyk, taking a quick break from turning the building around for Friday night's Celtics game. “Then I saw him take the shot and it went though the six-hole as they call it. It was pretty cool to see. And to see the smile on his face, he's relieved to get the first one. His whole family's relieved.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084929 Boston Bruins 806th game with the Penguins, tying Jaromir Jagr for second place on the team's all-time list, while RW Patric Hornqvist played in his 600th NHL game. ... Boston D Torey Krug returned after missing three games Pastrnak goal in 3rd lifts Bruins to 4-3 win over Penguins with an upper body injury. ... The Bruins were still without LW Brad Marchand (upper body) and RW Anders Bjork (undisclosed), both on IR and out for the fifth straight game. Staff Report

Associated Press Friday, November 24, 2017 Boston Herald LOADED: 11.25.2017

BOSTON — After letting a pair of two-goal leads slip away in the second period, the Boston Bruins got the break they needed early in the third and put an end to the rallies. David Pastrnak scored on a breakaway 5:06 into the third period, snapping a 3-all tie and giving Boston the lead for good in a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. "Maybe we were a little sleepy, but we get a good break," Pastrnak said. "When you're playing a good way you get the lucky bounces and today went our way. I think we deserved it." Pastrnak got the puck in-stride when Riley Nash threaded a pass to him at center ice, then beat Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray on his glove side for the only goal of the third period. That was all the margin Anton Khudobin needed as he stopped all eight shots he faced in the third and extended Boston's winning streak to four straight. Khudobin, who's been in net for all four, finished with 17 saves, including one with seven seconds left with the Penguins pushing hard for overtime. "We've been consistently inconsistent for stretches of game. That just happened to be in the second period tonight," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I thought our response was good in the third period. We didn't give up much and obviously created enough to score a goal and get the win." Matt Grzelcyk scored his first career goal and David Krejci had a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who are on their longest winning streak this season. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, which rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 to tie it with three goals in the second period. Matt Murray finished with 30 saves for the Penguins, who lost their third straight. "I think everybody could be better," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "We need to be better if we're going to get the results. We need to be more consistent. We can't show up after the first 20 minutes of the game and expect to win games consistently." After being outshot 14-4 in the first period, Pittsburgh pulled within 2-1 just 1:02 into the second on a one-timer by Jake Guentzel with assists by Crosby and Kris Letang. Grzelcyk put Boston back up 3-1 at 10:31 of the second when Krejci misfired on a slap shot from the blue line and the puck slowly found Grzelcyk for a wrist shot that hit Matt Murray's glove and continued into the net. Grzelcyk is the seventh Boston player to score his first career goal this season. Phil Kessel pulled the Penguins within 3-2 with 14:07 into the second, the Crosby tied it with 2:16 left in the period on a goal that withstood two video reviews. Crosby tapped the puck in off Khudobin after he deflected a shot straight up and the puck landed on his chest. The play was under review for several minutes before the referees called it a goal. Boston coach Bruce Cassidy felt Crosby interfered with Khudobin and challenged, but after a much shorter review the goal was still good. Pittsburgh outshot Boston 8-5 in the third, but Khodobin didn't let anything else past him. "It was great that we were able to battle back, but we can't put ourselves in that spot," Crosby said. Guentzel scored 1:02 into the second on a one-timer off passes from Letang and Crosby. Krejci scored 6:13 into the game and Sean Kuraly added a goal 10:51 in to put Boston up 2-0. NOTES: The Penguins hadn't lost three straight since Jan. 11-14 last season. ... Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin was out of the lineup with an upper-body injury he sustained Wednesday in a game at Vancouver. ... Crosby played in his 806th game for the Penguins, tying him with Jaromir Jagr for second most in team history. ... C Sidney Crosby played in his 1084930 Boston Bruins “Hopefully it's a step in the right direction and we can use that as experience going forward, figuring out ways to beat good teams,” said Torey Krug. “It's not always going to be perfect. It's going to get ugly out Bruins rally past Penguins for fourth straight win there. You're playing in the NHL so you're going to playing against some great players. So for the young guys to respond the way they did, they were a big part of our team today, blocking shots, a couple of big plays, scoring goals, some big assists. It's good to see that. We need them to Steve Conroy Friday, November 24, 2017 win hockey games.” And they certainly did their part on Friday. David Pastrnak had a hunch. In the second period he was getting the feeling that he was going to get a Boston Herald LOADED: 11.25.2017 breakaway in Friday's tilt against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden. The Pens were pretty well outplayed through two periods, but they capitalized on a couple of Bruins mistakes in the second period and found themselves in a 3-3 game going into the third. Pastrnak's premoition was so strong that in between periods he asked Tuukka Rask what move he should use when the breakaway occurred. Rask's advice? Go backhand-to-forehand. Sure enough, when Ryan Spooner blocked a shot out high and Riley Nash feathered the puck up ice, Pastrnak had his breakaway. With a Pittsburgh defender on his tail, Pastrnak snapped a shot that beat goalie Matt Murray low to the gloveside at 5:06 into the third period. “Pretty good advice,” beamed Pastrnak. “He's one-for-one so far.” There were a lot of nervous moments after that, but Pastrnak's tally – his 11th of the season but first in six games – stood up as the game-winner with the 4-3 victory their fourth consecutive win. The B's got a couple more goals from rookies -- Sean Kuraly and Matt Grzelcyk (his first NHL goal) -- another from veteran David Krejci and Anton Khudobin earned his fourth straight win with a sometimes hairy 17- save performance. It was a nice win for the young B's against a quality opponent (even though Pitt hasn't been playing that well this year) playing on a big stage in the nationally televised matinee. Coach Bruce Cassidy did not shy away from the situation. “I mentioned it before the game. I think it's exciting. It's on NBC, you're playing against the Stanley Cup champions. Let's put our best foot forward,” said Cassidy. “I know it's one of 82, but it's a bigger one of 82. It's the way I look at it and I think they felt the same way coming out of it. I also think with a young group you're going to be more juiced up at home. They're still in that stage of their career. I think that explained a lot of our start.” The B's appeared to be on the verge of running the Pens out of the building in the first when they outshot their guests 14-4 and posted a 2-0 lead. Krejci got the B's on the board at 6:13 on some great work from his line. Peter Cehlarik stole the puck in the high slot and got it down low to Jake DeBrusk (two assists) on the left side. DeBrusk froze Murray and then dished to Krejci for an easy goal. Then Kuraly doubled the lead at 10:51. Carter Rowney's cross-ice pass in the Pittsburgh zone intended for Carl Hagelin was off the mark and Charlie McAvoy grabbed the loose puck at the right point. McAvoy took off with the puck, taking it behind the net and feeding Kuraly for a one- timer from the inside of the right circle. But the Pens scrapped back with a Jake Guentzel power-play goal at 1:02 of the second. Grzelcyk gave the B's their two-goal lead back at 10:31, but a DeBrusk turnover led to a Phil Kessel snipe to make it 3-2. Then came an odd one with 2:16 left. Patric Hornqvist tipped a long shot that Khudobin tried to knock behind the net with a wild swing of his stick. Instead, it went straight up in the air. As Khudobin was flat on his back, the puck rested on his chest for an instant and Sidney Crosby flipped it off Khudobin into the net. The red light went on, though the referee did not give the goal signal. After one lengthy review, the goal was granted. B's coach Bruce Cassidy challenged for goalie interference but it was denied. And though the B's were outshooting the Penguins 28-12 through two, it was all even on the scoreboard. The B's regained the lead on Pastrnak's goal and, though the kids had shown some skill early on it, it was time to display a little mettle to close it out. They did just that. Danton Heinen came up with four blocks, Noel Acciari had three and, with Murray pulled for the extra skater, Khudobin made one final big save on Kessel with Hornqvist trying to jam home the rebound. 1084931 Boston Bruins

Morning Skate: Predators kicking it into gear

By Joe Haggerty November 24, 2017 10:51 AM

Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading while anticpating the turkey leftovers, ready for the taking. -- NHL referee Wes McCauley is at it again, this time going with a fun no- goal call after having some trouble with his microphone. -- After getting humbled on Opening Night by the Bruins, the Nashville Predators are starting to get on a roll. -- NBC Pro Hockey Talk has Kyle Turris excelling for the Predators, and Matt Duchene very much still stuck in neutral for the Ottawa Senators. -- NHL stars go through their favorite traditions, and what they enjoy is a game that’s full of routine, superstition and tradition. -- FOH (Friend of Haggs) says “it looks rotten” with the Edmonton Oilers as they continue to struggle out of the starting gate. -- Larry Brooks goes through an all-time ranking of the general managers for the New York Rangers, and it’s an illustrious list. -- The Vegas Golden Knights could make the playoffs in their very first season, and are absolutely far ahead of expectations for a new expansion team. -- For something completely different: Wild turkeys are making a major comeback in after being all but extinct here.

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DeBrusk providing an offensive spark for Bruins since scratch

By Joe Haggerty November 24, 2017 11:28 PM

BOSTON – Give Bruins rookie Jake DeBrusk credit. The 21-year-old rookie said that he didn’t want to go through the experience of being a healthy scratch again, and he has played like it ever since. DeBrusk finished with a pair of assists in the Bruins 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, and is now riding a four-game point streak with two goals and five points in his last four games. He came up with the primary assist on Boston’s first goal when he fed David Krejci all alone cutting to the net, and then again fed Krejci in the slot on the play where the puck found Matt Grzelcyk for his first career NHL goal in the second period. In all DeBrusk finished with the two points in 18:46 of ice time, and had good skating legs while collecting four shots on net and a couple of hits in stringing together another solid game as a first-year player. “It goes back to the mentality of playing fast. I think that was one of the focuses. And ever since I got scratched, I think that I’ve had some jump in all the games or at moments. I think that level of confidence and I’m also playing with great players,” said DeBrusk. “They open up a lot of space for me. And on that example, [David] Krejci’s goal, I’ve seen him do that 100 times. It’s nice to get a reward and it’s nice to get on the board, especially twice, in a game like this. I thought that we were coming along and we’re just looking to build on it.” DeBrusk is currently on a pace for 20 goals and 48 points while battling through the natural highs and lows of being a rookie at the NHL level. The first-year winger hasn’t yet mastered the consistency component quite yet as a young player making his way through the league, but there’s little doubt DeBrusk will keep getting the chance to find that level while producing offense with his passing, skating and shooting in a key top-6 spot.

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Bruins 'feeling pretty good' riding a four-game win streak

By Joe Haggerty November 24, 2017 10:39 PM

BOSTON – It was hard to imagine this could have been possible a couple of weeks ago when injuries were ripping through the roster amid a very challenging stretch of hockey, but the Bruins have managed to survive and thrive within the adversity. With several regulars still missing from the fold including leading scorer Brad Marchand, the Bruins won their fourth game in a row taking a strong 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The win allowed the Bruins to push into the third spot in the Atlantic Division and lay claim to one of the playoff spots on the day after Thanksgiving, a milestone that usually portends good things for hockey clubs sitting in that position. Given the winning streak and Boston’s ability to get busy living rather than getting busy dying amid the trying stretch, confidence is at the high mark just a couple of months into the regular season. “I still think that collectively as a group, there are still things that we need to build on. But obviously, we can’t complain with four straight wins,” said Jake DeBrusk, who has two goals, five points and a plus-4 in the four- game winning streak. “It’s our first win streak of the season and everyone’s feeling pretty good right now. We’re doing everything we can to keep things going.” There have been different components to the four-game streak that have made it possible. Young players like Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Charlie McAvoy have stepped up and brandished their offensive skills while making things happen for a team missing some of their offensive playmakers, and the energy has been contagious. The Bruins have learned how to become closers in the third period where they’re squeezing the life out of opponents rather than giving them hope for stealing the game. Anton Khudobin has ripped off win after win after win after win, and has made all the important stops to ensure that the Bruins take points out of each and every game. His .944 save percentage over the winning streak is exactly the level of goaltending needed for the Bruins to execute their game plan, and it’s why they have played with a lead for all but a couple of minutes in those wins over Los Angeles, San Jose, New Jersey and Pittsburgh. The quick starts have allowed the Bruins to play with the kind of controlled aggression that brings out their best and quit chasing the game while closing things down in the final 20 minutes. It’s much closer to the way things were drawn up by the coaching staff prior to the start of the season before their personnel group was ripped apart by injuries. Friday’s performance was what Bruce Cassidy is looking for from his young, excitable Bruins team on a big stage against a high quality Eastern Conference opponent. “I mentioned [the magnitude of Friday] before the game, because I think it’s exciting. You’re on NBC, you’re playing against the Stanley Cup Champions, and everyone is watching. . . let’s put our best foot forward. I know it’s one of 82, but it’s a bigger one of 82 the way I look at it,” said Cassidy. “I think they felt the same way coming out [of the starting gate]. Now, I also think with a young group you’re always a little more juiced up at home; they’re still in that stage of their career. So, I think that explained a lot of their start, and why we were better early on.” So now the beat goes on for the Bruins amid their best stretch of hockey this season at a very opportune time. Perhaps now the B’s start wondering just how good they can be once they finally get their full lineup together for the first time during this entire hockey season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084934 Boston Bruins be enough to finally edge Bobby Orr out of the old man’s top-3 favorite hockey moments of all time.

Grzelcyk's first goal for hometown Bruins 'a jolt through the system' Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017

By Joe Haggerty November 24, 2017 8:14 PM

BOSTON – Bobby Orr’s iconic, leaping goal that clinched a Stanley Cup for the Bruins was memorable enough to earn its own statue outside the TD Garden, and will always be No. 1 in the hearts and minds of hockey fans around New England. But it’s been bumped down to No. 3 for longtime TD Garden Bull Gang member John Grzelcyk for understandable reasons, and both of those preferred favorite moments involve his hockey-playing son, Matt. One was a game-winning goal vs. Northeastern to secure a Beanpot when he played for Boston University, but the newest one was all about his burgeoning career with the Black and Gold. The Bruins rookie defenseman did his Zamboni-driving papa proud on Friday afternoon when he snapped home his first career NHL goal in a 4-3 B’s win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden in their annual Black Friday matinee. “I feel bad for Bobby Orr, but he’s my son,” said the elder Grzelcyk, beaming with pride. “Sorry.” The 5-foot-9, 174-pound Grzelcyk’s goal ended up being a pivotal one in Boston’s fourth win in a row as it arrived in the second period amid a flurry of three goals from the Penguins, and allowed the game to still be tied entering the third period. Jake DeBrusk had slipped a centering pass to David Krejci in the slot for a one-time opportunity, and the playmaking center fanned on the shot attempt with the puck drifting over to Grzelcyk crashing toward the net. The quick change of puck direction opened up a shooting seam for the 23-year-old Grzelcyk, and he snapped the puck past Matt Murray for his first goal of the season at either the NHL or AHL level this season. The first NHL career goal would have been welcomed no matter when it happened for Grzelcyk, of course, but to have it go down on national TV in an NBC game had to make it extra special. You couldn’t tell any of that, of course, because the younger Grzelcyk was trying to act like he’d been there before after the score. But it was clear how excited his teammates were for him as Kevan Miller quickly retrieved the puck for his D-partner, and they gathered around him for the time-honored hockey hug celebration. “It was pretty special, obviously. It brings back memories of skating [on the Garden ice] as a kid and stuff like that. It hasn’t really set in yet, it was pretty cool to get that out of the way,” said Grzelcyk, who has a goal and two points along with a plus-4 rating in three games with Boston this season. “It was kind of a jolt through my system. I didn’t really know what was going on. I was trying to hide it the best I could. I think the rest of the guys were trying to make me smile. I was really happy.” Part of the reason Grzelcyk got to remain in the lineup was Bruce Cassidy’s choice to go with seven defensemen against the Penguins, a game lineup look the Bruins haven’t used in an awfully long time. It allowed the Bruins to ease Torey Krug back into the lineup after missing the last couple of games with an upper-body injury, keep Robbie O’Gara active in case they needed more of a big-bodied presence in the D-zone and let Grzelcyk keep playing given how good he’s looked in his NHL appearances this season. Cassidy indicated that plugging both Grzelcyk and Krug in among a 7 D- men formation, for a greater puck-moving dimension to the team, is something they may tinker with more moving forward. “We don’t mind that 11 forwards, seven D. It may be something we look at more often if you have Krug and Griz [Matt Grzelcyk] in there. But they both played well, well enough Robby [Rob O’Gara] didn’t see a lot of ice. I thought he was fine when he was in there, to be honest with you. It’s not easy to sit there,” said Bruce Cassidy. “But adding Griz into the mix does give you another puck mover with Charlie [McAvoy] and Krug if all three are in there. I think that’s important. “That’s not being disrespectful to the other – when we have more heavy guys. It really helps our penalty kill. When you have four guys– makes it tough to get inside. We are finding that balance. And I think it’s something that we’ll tinker with for a while, and the more Griz plays consistent hockey, the easier the decision it makes.” Either way, it will take quite a bit for Grzelcyk’s next big hockey accomplishment to live up to a pretty cool setting for his first NHL goal, or 1084935 Boston Bruins

Talking Points: Signs point to Pastrnak busting out of mini-slump

By Joe Haggerty November 24, 2017 6:13 PM

GOLD STAR: David Pastrnak netted the game-winner in the third period after getting freed up for a breakaway chance, and then throwing a double-move at Matt Murray before tucking one under his glove hand. It was the first goal in six games for Pastrnak, and it capped off a day when he topped 22 minutes of ice time, had a team-high five shots on net and battled through some physical play from the Penguins to get toward his offense. The 21-year-old continues to set the pace for the Bruins offensively, and has shown all the signs in the last couple of games that he’s busting out of whatever mini-slump was holding him down. Everybody knows that Pasta isn’t good for Thanksgiving, but it is certainly good for Black Friday. BLACK EYE: A tough afternoon for former Boston College standout Brian Dumoulin, who got rocked by a couple of heavy Noel Acciari hits later in the game, finishing with a minus-2 rating while sitting on the ice for a couple of goals against. Dumoulin finished with three giveaways in 20:03 of ice time, managed only a single shot on net and was one of the weaker links on the ice for Pittsburgh in a game where they didn’t play too badly in the final 40 minutes. Dumoulin seems to struggle a bit when he comes back to Boston, and Black Friday afternoon was no exception. TURNING POINT: The Bruins were outplayed in the second period despite outshooting the Penguins by a 14-8 margin, and they watched as Pittsburgh pressed them for three goals in the middle 20 minutes. But in what turned out to be a very important play in the game, Matt Grzelcyk finished off a broken play in front of the net to score his first NHL goal on the Garden ice where he grew up skating. That goal allowed the Bruins to move into the second intermission with a tied hockey game, and set things up for the third period heroics where David Pastrnak scored the game-winner on a breakaway strike. HONORABLE MENTION: Jake DeBrusk put together another strong performance, and his line played a giant role in the Bruins jumping out to a 2-0 lead after the first period. He set up the David Krejci goal that got the Bruins up and rolling in the first period, and then he also fed Krejci again in the second period on a shot attempt he fanned on in the slot. The puck drifted over to Matt Grzelcyk for Boston’s third goal, and it capped off a day where the rookie winger topped 18 minutes of ice time, had two assists and a plus-1 rating, finished with four shots on net and had a couple of hits in there for good measure. BY THE NUMBERS: 3 – the placement the Bruins now have in the Atlantic Division after winning four games in a row, which puts them back into a playoff spot on the day after Thanksgiving. What a stunning turnaround it’s been over the last couple of weeks. QUOTE TO NOTE: “it’s exciting. You’re on NBC, you’re playing against the Stanley Cup Champions, everyone is watching, let’s put our best foot forward. I know it’s one of 82, but it’s a bigger one of 82 the way I look at it, and I think they felt the same way coming out [in the first period].” – Bruce Cassidy, on the strong start from the Black and Gold.

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Pastrnak's third-period goal gives Bruins their fourth straight victory, 4-3 over Pens

By Joe Haggerty November 24, 2017 4:15 PM

BOSTON – The Bruins always hope to give their fans something good in their annual matinee on the day after Thanksgiving, and that was the case Friday. They got off on the right foot with a great first period, then finished with an electric breakaway from David Pastrnak in the third period, and posted an entertaining, solid 4-3 win over the back-to-back Stanley Cup champ Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden. Pastrnak’s 11th goal of the season was the game-winner. The Penguins had battled back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits and tied the score, then Pastrnak was freed up by a brilliant neutral-zone pass from Riley Nash. He sped in all alone and flipped the puck over Matt Murray’s glove hand at 5:06 of the third. David Krejci and Sean Kuraly had opened things up with goals in the first period, as the B's outshot the Penguins by a 14-4 margin. But Sidney Crosby and the Pens answered back in the second with three goals of their own, including a controversial game-tying score from Sid the Kid after Boston had moved ahead 3-1 on a goal from Charlestown native Matt Grzelcyk. The Crosby goal came after it appeared the refs had called play dead with a whistle as the puck sat on Anton Khudobin’s waist in the crease. It also appeared to have been goalie interference, as Crosby’s stick had made contact with Khudobin while the puck was in mid-air. But on replay the officials overturned the call of no-goal on the ice, and the score was tied 3-3 after two. That set things up for Pastrnak, who snapped a five-game goal-scoring stretch, and handed the red-hot Bruins their season-high fourth win in a row.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084937 Buffalo Sabres "That's how we've got to play," Okposo said. "I know those guys are struggling over there, but we'll take the win and we'll take how we played and hopefully carry it into tomorrow." Sabres shift gears, follow each other to hard-working win Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 24, 2017

Breakaways are fun. Odd-man rushes are exciting. Hard work to keep the puck wins games. The Buffalo Sabres see that now. A five-minute stretch during the second period Friday helped the Sabres end their seven-game winless skid. One after another, the players hopped over the boards and pinned the Edmonton Oilers in their zone. It led to the opening goal in Buffalo's long-awaited 3-1 victory. "All the lines contributed to that goal," said goal-scorer Jacob Josefson. "One line was wearing them down, then the next line and the next line. They felt kind of tired, so we were just feeding off what the other lines did there." The Sabres' feeding frenzy was appreciated by the win-starved crowd in KeyBank Center. It was also appreciated in the dressing room, which has been the home to several frank discussions as the 0-5-2 skid weighed on the team. "It's just nice to get a win and play a complete game," right wing Kyle Okposo said. "There's a lot of things said in the last couple days in this locker room, and we've got to grow up and mature and start playing a more mature game. "You see it night in, night out when these teams come in and they just don't stray from their game plan. They keep playing the same way and make it tough to play against. We did a good job of that, and we've got to make sure we're bringing that effort every night." The scoreless game turned in Buffalo's favor with Josefson's goal late in the second period. The line of Johan Larsson, Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Criscuolo established zone time with 9:05 left. Jack Eichel, Evander Kane and Jason Pominville came on next and created four shot attempts. Ryan O'Reilly, Benoit Pouliot and Sam Reinhart followed with two more. Finally, Josefson, Okposo and Jordan Nolan joined the party. All three touched the puck, though the hardest work came at the end. Josefson held steady along the boards as Edmonton's Yohann Auvitu hounded him. Josefson then lost the defenseman behind the net and came out front for a shot. As Okposo chased down the rebound, Josefson found open ice in the slot. He buried his shot into the top corner and accepted fist-bumps at the bench from a group of players who saw what puck management and tenacity could do. There hasn't been enough of that during the Sabres' 6- 13-4 start. "We were rolling them at that point, and everybody was working hard in the offensive zone," Okposo said. "You can trace it to four shifts before. It didn't start with our line. It started with the guys that came before us and were wearing them down. "Joey did a great job the whole shift. He had the puck on his stick for probably 10 seconds, just grinding it down low, working it down low, and then I was able to find him in the slot." Josefson's goal was his first of the season. It came one game after Nolan scored twice. The Sabres are finally getting goals by people not named Kane. Eichel and Okposo also scored Friday. "It's good when everyone can contribute," Josefson said. "We stuck to what we talked about, and it gave us the result we wanted." The Oilers, who seemed uninterested during the opening two periods, ruined 's shutout bid with 20 seconds remaining. The Sabres should get a tougher fight Saturday night when they visit Montreal. At least they know now what a little hard work can do. 1084938 Buffalo Sabres Ristolainen returns: The Sabres got their top defenseman back as Rasmus Ristolainen returned after missing nine games with an upper- body injury. He skated on the top pair with Marco Scandella. Jake The Wraparound: Sabres 3, Oilers 1 McCabe skated with Victor Antipin, while Nathan Beaulieu shared the blue line with Justin Falk.

Scouting trip?: Although the Oilers were in Buffalo, their senior vice By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 24, president of hockey operations took in a game in Rochester. Edmonton's 2017 Craig MacTavish watched the Amerks host the Binghamton Devils, according to Brayton J. Wilson of WGR-AM 550, who was at Friday's minor-league game that saw Rochester reach double digits in goals. As the clock hit zero Friday night, the fans rose to their feet with a Scratches: Josh Gorges was the healthy scratch on defense after playing standing ovation. It was time for the Buffalo Sabres and the KeyBank six straight games. Forwards Matt Moulson and Seth Griffith also sat. Center crowd to enjoy a victory. Moulson has been a healthy scratch in five straight games. It had been awhile. Counting the house: The Sabres announced 19,070 tickets sold, giving them their first sellout since opening night. The crowd included actors The Sabres ended a seven-game winless skid with a 3-1 victory over Anson Williams ("Happy Days") and Jimmie Walker ("Good Times"), who Edmonton. Buffalo kept the Oilers quiet for most of the night to earn their are in town for the World's Largest Disco on Saturday night. first win since beating Washington on Nov. 7. Next: The Sabres will finish their sixth of 16 sets of back-to-backs Goaltender Robin Lehner made 28 saves, including 13 in the third period, Saturday when they visit the Montreal Canadiens. Buffalo is 2-2-1 so far as Buffalo moved to 1-5-2 in the last eight games, 3-7-1 at home and 6- on the second night. Montreal should get a boost with the return of 13-4 this season. goaltender Carey Price, who has been out with injury since Nov. 2. The Oilers fell to 1-4 in their last five and 8-13-2 overall.

Work it: The Sabres pinned the Oilers in their zone with hard work, and it Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 paid off. Jacob Josefson opened the scoring with 5:44 left in the second period, netting his first goal with Buffalo and first since Feb. 4 with New Jersey. As the Sabres did a quality job cycling the puck, Josefson fought off Edmonton's Yohann Auvitu along the boards. Josefson then eluded the defenseman by changing directions behind the net and put a shot on goaltender Laurent Broissoit. Kyle Okposo chased down the rebound, and Josefson found open space in the slot. He fired a shot into the top corner to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. On net, in the net: Eichel attempted five shots during the opening two periods, but only two reached the goaltender. During a rush in the opening minute of the third, he tossed a shot toward the cage from the right boards. It wasn't hard, but it didn't matter. Broissoit flubbed the catch, and the puck slipped home to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead. Eichel has goals in back-to-back games after scoring just once in the previous 12 games. Goal is money: Eichel's goal made fan James Kelly $5,000 richer. The opening minute of the third period is dubbed the "KeyBank Money Minute," and the bank awards a monetary prize to a lucky fan if the Sabres score within 60 seconds. Eichel needed 43 seconds to make Kelly a winner of $5,000. Seal it: With Brossoit on the bench for an extra attacker, Okposo rolled a shot into the empty net from his own zone with 50.6 seconds left. Ruin the shutout: Auvitu scored from the point on a slap shot with 19.3 seconds left. Whistle first: Evander Kane hoped he was celebrating his 13th goal midway through the second, but the officials and their replay brethren said no. Broissoit stopped Kane's wraparound, but the winger took three more whacks to push the puck past the line. The officials announced they blew the play dead before the puck crossed. Power shortage: The teams combined for four power plays during the opening period, but they totaled just two shots. Buffalo had one shot on an early man-advantage and none on the next two, including one that carried into the second period. Edmonton had no shots on its one attempt. Keeping them quiet: The Sabres' team defense, combined with Edmonton's three penalties, allowed the home team to hold Edmonton to just four shots during the first period. Buffalo took 11 shots during the scoreless frame. Buffalo had a 24-15 shot advantage after two periods. No-goal light: For the second time during the Sabres' homestand, the fans and goal-light operator thought the team scored when a puck hit the net. Once again, the puck was on the outside of the net. Benoit Pouliot's point-blank chance went wide in the opening minute. 1084939 Buffalo Sabres After the morning skate, McDavid was as solemn as most of us have ever seen him. You watched the game and you understood why. This team is terrible. Mike Harrington: Talk is cheap, so Sabres cash in with hard work "We're learning about going through this," McDavid said. "A lot of guys in this room, myself included, haven't gone the other way where we've expected to be good and we weren't very good. That's a new thing for a By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, lot of guys. Like anyone else, it's not fun. It's not fun to come to the rink Nov 24, 2017 and lose. Not fun." Afterward, McDavid was even more morose about things. They were dogged by their fans, pounded by the media both in Buffalo "We were just sloppy, he said. "It just felt like we were never really in and out of town and given multiple tsk-tsks by their coaching staff for sync, anyone at anytime. Those little passes that are usually easy to their weak play during a seven-game losing streak. make we just didn’t complete them.” So the Sabres have to be hoping they found a seminal moment after Housley has had to try a lot of different avenues with his team so far. Wednesday's loss to Minnesota when newcomer but two-time Stanley Beg, borrow, cajole, do whatever he can to get the message across. He Cup champion Jordan Nolan aired some dirty laundry by pointing out was happy it got through Friday but his next thought was quick: Can it get there was little accountability among players in the dressing room. through Saturday in Montreal too? It needed to be said. The door was closed for several minutes after that "It's great to see the group in there sort of has their backs up against the game and it sounds like people were in other people's faces about what wall right now in this time of the season and they're trying to work it out," was going on. Housley said. "It shows a lot of care level in that room. I think they have to work it out together." Work harder. Show some pride. Follow the game plan. Talk is cheap. Go do it. The Sabres sure did Friday night by posting a full-marks 3-1 win over Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 Edmonton, a team that must be driving its owns fans crazy with a complete epic-fail of a season that many predicted to end in the Stanley Cup final. Eichel, whose game is getting progressively better each night, knew what he took from Nolan's words. "I just think we should stop feeling sorry for ourselves, complaining or making excuses for what's going on," he said after the morning skate. "We just need to come together and work harder. I think that's always the key to success. Things aren't going right, start preparing better and working harder off the ice. Things usually translate." There's no question the Sabres were the harder-working team Friday night. The Oilers were sleepwalking through most of the game. It's hard to fathom how slow they've gotten just a few months after taking Anaheim to Game 7 of the second round. Jacob Josefson's goal was about nothing but outworking the opponent. Think Rasmus Ristolainen was ready to come back? He played 27:32, had two assists, was plus-2, had five shots on goal, three hits and six blocks. Then there's Eichel. He got a gift goal in the second period when Edmonton backup Laurent Brossoit flubbed an easy shot from the wall. But that belies how Eichel probably deserved a goal in this game for the willingness he showed to keep firing the puck, something he's been too reticent about much of the season. Eichel keep going high and wide on the power play -- three times, in fact, in the first period -- but was undeterred. Eichel finished the game 8-2 on faceoffs, made a terrific play to corral Darnell Nurse and break up a 2-on- 1 in the first period and also drilled Leon Draisaitl with a good hit in the second. It was a 200-foot effort that far exceeded what flu-ridden Connor McDavid gave the Oilers on this night. McDavid had almost no impact offensively and was 0-8 on faceoffs. "In the last three games, Jack has played really well," said coach Phil Housley. "He's made a choice that he was trying to play the right way. He's been physical, active in the offensive zone and bringing his speed . ... He's getting a lot more looks right now because of the way he's working. You can see he's very determined right now." "It's a desperation game for us," Eichel said. "We needed to make a statement to ourselves and it's good to win a game at home." Asked to delve into his play more, Eichel simply spoke about teammates. About how the hard work of Jacob Josefson and Kyle Okposo on their newly formed line is paying dividends. About how Ristolainen made instant impact on defense. "I thought a lot of guys showed desperation tonight," Eichel said. " Seeing the way we can play tonight, it should be a bit of a boost to everybody in the room, a bit of confidence. When we play the right way and do the right things, it's rewarded. We just have to find that consistency." Edmonton has the same feeling. Except for McDavid, the Oilers are one slow, plodding team. Except for No. 97, there's little offense. McDavid has 28 points in 23 games but how much can he do by himself here? 1084940 Buffalo Sabres

Botterill happy with Sabres' accountability talks and Amerks' development

By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 24, 2017

While the Sabres go through some huge growing pains, General Manager Jason Botterill is happy at some of the talk he's heard the last couple of days. Talk is about all the team has at the NHL level, but Botterill is more than impressed with what's going on in Rochester as the Amerks battle in the high-rent district of the AHL's North Division. "You've heard a lot about accountability in our locker room the last couple days," Botterill said on MSG prior to Friday night's game against Edmonton in KeyBank Center. "I think our coaching staff has held our players accountable and now it's time for the players to hold each other accountable. It's there but it has to be there on a more consistent basis. "I've come to realize our core group is very passionate. They're excited about being in Buffalo and want to have success here. But going about it, there's still a growing situation about how do you become a vocal leader, how do you keep each other accountable?" Botterill had praise for the job being done behind the scenes by coach Phil Housley, who has admitted to becoming increasingly less willing to excuse his team's shortcomings in recent days. "I know Phil is a very positive individual to the media but what I've liked behind closed doors is he holds the players accountable," Botterill said. "There's direct commentary on what the players have to do. "It's great that the coaching staff is doing it but if we want to get to the point where we want to eventually get with success and playoffs, there has to be that internal challenge and accountability from our group." What can the Sabres do to tweak the roster? Not much yet. "We're always having dialogue, whether it's my assistant general managers or with Phil about what does the team need," Botterill said. "I think you look around the league with the parity, there's not a lot of trades just yet. Teams don't know 'Are we going to be sellers or buyers?' They don't know that situation yet." As for the Amerks, Botterill is pleased at his farm team's 9-5-3 record and second-place standing in the AHL North. The GM admitted it's a struggle to be patient about keeping top defense prospect Brendan Guhle in Rochester. "Guhle has had a great start of the season down there. It's hard to be patient but he's a very important part of our mix going forward," Botterill said. "What's going on down there right now is he's played big minutes, both power play and penalty kill, and against the other teams' top lines. But he's also getting great goaltending support." Specifically, the Sabres are also thrilled by the work of Rochester starter Linus Ullmark, who entered Friday with an 8-3-1 record that left him one win off the AHL lead. Ullmark has a 2.89 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. "We challenged Ullmark at the start of the year not just being about numbers but looking at wins, finding ways to win games," Botterill said. "And he's done an amazing job in that aspect."

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084941 Buffalo Sabres "I feel like I should be more involved offensively," Beaulieu said. "That's what I'm labeled as, an offensive guy. They brought me in to be offensive, and I've been struggling to find that. Sabres Notebook: Habs' Price to play; Beaulieu talks rumors, game; Falk "I'm not panicking. I'm not worried. I still fully believe in myself. Obviously, filled in well it's not the start I envisioned. You've got to remember I'm 24 years old. There's a lot of hockey left to be played. We still believe in this group, but it's tough to find confidence when the team's not winning." By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 24, 2017 It's never easy to replace a No. 1 defenseman. Justin Falk did fine. Rasmus Ristolainen returned to the Sabres' lineup after missing nine games with an injury, bumping Falk off the top pair with Marco Scandella. After an unwelcome spin on the rumor mill, Carey Price is ready for a Falk skated with Beaulieu. twirl on the ice. "He's big shoes to fill," Falk said of Ristolainen. "As far as a whole D The Montreal Canadiens' star goaltender, who has been out since Nov. 2 corps, we tried to weather that storm a little bit, spread it out and manage with a lower-body injury, will return Saturday when the Buffalo Sabres situations without him there." visit Bell Centre. Falk skated 18:30 per night on the top pair in Ristolainen's absence, an Price dealt with more than an injury during his time away. Rumors impressive promotion considering he wasn't penciled into the top six at enveloped the goaltender and his family. The biggest was that his wife, the start of training camp. Angela, had issued an ultimatum to either move from Montreal or get divorced. "When you're the type of player that doesn't always know when opportunities will present themselves, you've got to keep working and It was so bad that Angela Price went to Instagram on Monday to squash come to work with a smile and work hard every day so that when the chatter. something does present itself you try to take full advantage," Falk said. "I just try to compete hard and show that I can do some good work for them "Just for the record I am not getting divorced or threatening a divorce nor on the back end." do I want to leave Montreal," she wrote while asking people to "chill out."

Sabres defenseman Nathan Beaulieu knows that folks in Montreal rarely chill out. The iconic Canadiens are on the lips and minds of nearly Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 everyone in the city. Even Beaulieu's new teammates in Buffalo asked him this week how the players handle it. "It's something that you don't really realize or embrace until you're actually in it," Beaulieu said Friday. "It's tough to do a lot of things, especially guys like Carey Price. He can barely leave his house without getting bothered. "Obviously, a guy like him it's tough for him to go for dinner. You've got to get a private room. You can't live a normal life." When things are going well, however, it can also be an extraordinary life. There are statues galore outside Bell Centre. Winners are worshiped. "There's pros and cons to playing in every city," Beaulieu said. "It's a special place to play. I'm proud to say I was a Canadien at one time. It's one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. I was lucky to be there one time. I still have friends outside the hockey world in Montreal, and I still plan on spending time there. "I love the city, but it's definitely a bubble and you've definitely got to watch what you do." Sabres coach Phil Housley has been watching Beaulieu's defense. The blue-liner hasn't had an ideal start in Buffalo after being acquired from Montreal during the offseason. Beaulieu entered Friday's game against Edmonton with no goals, three assists and a minus-8 rating in 15 games. He also missed seven games with an upper-body injury. "I haven't been satisfied whatsoever," Beaulieu said in KeyBank Center. "I feel like I can be a lot better. Obviously, the injury set me back a bit. I'm still trying to find my timing a bit, still trying to find my game a little bit. It's never easy on a team that's been struggling, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to help the team every night. "So far, I feel like I have a lot more to bring." The Sabres envisioned Beaulieu as a great fit for Housley's system. He skates well and has an offensive mindset, putting up four goals and 28 points for Montreal last season. "We talk about the game that we want to play, and we forget about our play without the puck," Housley said. "When you're not scoring a lot, you have to really focus on the defensive part of the game because all those things will extend from it: your offense; the rushes; playing in the offensive zone. But if you don't take care of it down in your own end – and that's what we've been working on with him – is just make sure he has his check, make sure he pins his guy down low. If you do that and eliminate people, it just seems that you have more of the puck. "I would like to see Nathan get his shots through on the net more. We'll continue to work on that. I think that's one way he can provide offense." Beaulieu had 21 shots on net and 12 that had missed. 1084942 Buffalo Sabres "I feel like I should be more involved offensively," Beaulieu said. "That's what I'm labeled as, an offensive guy. They brought me in to be offensive, and I've been struggling to find that. Canadiens' Price will return against Sabres as part of unreal week "I'm not panicking. I'm not worried. I still fully believe in myself. Obviously, it's not the start I envisioned. You've got to remember I'm 24 years old. There's a lot of hockey left to be played. We still believe in this group, but By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 24, it's tough to find confidence when the team's not winning." 2017

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 After an unwelcome spin on the rumor mill, Carey Price is ready for a twirl on the ice. The Montreal Canadiens' star goaltender, who has been out since Nov. 2 with a lower-body injury, will return Saturday when the Buffalo Sabres visit Bell Centre. Price dealt with more than an injury during his time away. Rumors enveloped the goaltender and his family. The biggest was that his wife, Angela, had issued an ultimatum to either move from Montreal or get divorced. It was so bad that Angela Price went to Instagram on Monday to squash the chatter. "Just for the record I am not getting divorced or threatening a divorce nor do I want to leave Montreal," she wrote while asking people to "chill out." Sabres defenseman Nathan Beaulieu knows that folks in Montreal rarely chill out. The iconic Canadiens are on the lips and minds of nearly everyone in the city. Even Beaulieu's new teammates in Buffalo asked him this week how the players handle it. "It's something that you don't really realize or embrace until you're actually in it," Beaulieu said Friday. "It's tough to do a lot of things, especially guys like Carey Price. He can barely leave his house without getting bothered. "Obviously, a guy like him it's tough for him to go for dinner. You've got to get a private room. You can't live a normal life." When things are going well, however, it can also be an extraordinary life. There are statues galore outside Bell Centre. Winners are worshiped. "There's pros and cons to playing in every city," Beaulieu said. "It's a special place to play. I'm proud to say I was a Canadien at one time. It's one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. I was lucky to be there one time. I still have friends outside the hockey world in Montreal, and I still plan on spending time there. "I love the city, but it's definitely a bubble and you've definitely got to watch what you do." Sabres coach Phil Housley has been watching Beaulieu's defense. The blue-liner hasn't had an ideal start in Buffalo after being acquired from Montreal during the offseason. Beaulieu enters Friday's game against Edmonton with no goals, three assists and a minus-8 rating in 15 games. He also missed seven games with an upper-body injury. "I haven't been satisfied whatsoever," Beaulieu said in KeyBank Center. "I feel like I can be a lot better. Obviously, the injury set me back a bit. I'm still trying to find my timing a bit, still trying to find my game a little bit. It's never easy on a team that's been struggling, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to help the team every night. "So far, I feel like I have a lot more to bring." The Sabres envisioned Beaulieu as a great fit for Housley's system. He skates well and has an offensive mindset, putting up four goals and 28 points for Montreal last season. "We talk about the game that we want to play, and we forget about our play without the puck," Housley said. "When you're not scoring a lot, you have to really focus on the defensive part of the game because all those things will extend from it: your offense; the rushes; playing in the offensive zone. But if you don't take care of it down in your own end – and that's what we've been working on with him – is just make sure he has his check, make sure he pins his guy down low. If you do that and eliminate people, it just seems that you have more of the puck. "I would like to see Nathan get his shots through on the net more. We'll continue to work on that. I think that's one way he can provide offense." Beaulieu has 21 shots on net and 12 that have missed. 1084943 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres vs. Oilers: Five Things to Know

By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 24, 2017

It's the Sabres and Edmonton Oilers Friday night at 7 in KeyBank Center, the third career meeting with 2015 draft studs Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid (each missed one matchup in their first two seasons). Here are Five Things to Know about tonight's game: 1. Risto is back: Rasmus Ristolainen has missed nine games with an upper-body injury suffered Nov. 2 in Arizona and the Sabres went 1-6-2 in his absence. He'll be back on the top defense pair tonight with Marco Scandella. "It's great. It's been long weeks not being able to help the team," Ristolainen said. "I'm excited for tonight and I'm ready. We need to play better. We have to start working hard right from the first shift. You're not going to know what the result will be but at least you can work hard and bring it every night." Ristolainen returning to Sabres' lineup; Nelson sent to Amerks 2. More lineup news: It will be Robin Lehner in goal against Edmonton backup Laurent Brossoit because starter is sidelined with the flu. Neither has great numbers, with Lehner at 4-9-2/3.08/.902 and Brossoit at 0-2-1/3.62/.865. But Lehner has hugely better numbers at home (2-4-1/1.86/.939) than on the road (2-5-1/4.37/.866) The Sabres' scratches will be Josh Gorges, Matt Moulson and Seth Griffith. The Oilers are facing a big loss in No. 1 defenseman Oscar Klefbom, who is also flu-ridden and a game-time decision, according to coach Todd McLellan. But the coach said of Klefbom, who averages 23:06 per game, that "odds are against him playing right now." 3. McDavid mania: Connor McDavid's team may not be winning but he's still scoring, with 28 points in 22 games. That puts him sixth in the NHL. "He's very fun to watch and fun to be around and not only in games," said Sabres winger Benoit Pouliot, who played the last three years in Edmonton. "In practice, it was amazing to see what he could do with the puck and without the puck. It's nice for everyone to see that. Guys follow his lead and try to join what he's trying to bring to his game. It was fun to play with him, a very different game. He makes it a little easier out there for everyone else." McDavid has a goal and five assists over the last three games but has faced some criticism in Edmonton of late for his defensive play after ringing up a minus-7 in consecutive losses to St. Louis, Dallas and St. Louis. He was plus-2 in Wednesday's 6-2 win in Detroit. "I don't think you can feel sorry for yourself at all," McDavid said here today. "We're the ones who got ourselves in this and we're the ones who are going to get ourselves out. Detroit was a good response, good we were able to get a win and play the right way." As teams' struggles continue, McDavid and Eichel look for answers 4. Vs. the Oilers: The Sabres are 9-4-1 in their last 14 games against Edmonton and looking for a three-game winning streak against them for the first time since winning six in a row between the teams in a stretch that spanned 2006-2012. 5. Back to back: The Sabres play Saturday night in Montreal, with tonight's game opening their sixth set of back-to-backs this season. Buffalo is just 1-4 in the opener of the first five sets but has gone 2-2-1 in the back half.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084944 Buffalo Sabres

As teams' struggles continue, McDavid and Eichel look for answers

By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 24, 2017

The Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers enter tonight's game in KeyBank Center with a combined record of 13-25-6. The Sabres are last in the Eastern Conference and one point out of the NHL's overall basement. The Oilers are seventh in the Pacific Division and 14th in the West. In fact, Edmonton and Buffalo are Nos. 29 and 30, respectively, in the 31-team NHL entering the weekend. That's not remotely what their fans or anyone around the league expected on that June night in 2015 when Connor McDavid was drafted No. 1 overall by Edmonton and Jack Eichel was taken No. 2 by the Sabres. McDavid and Eichel were big winners at all levels of hockey until hitting the NHL. Understandably, neither was in a great mood when meeting the media today in KeyBank Center. "I just think we should stop feeling sorry for ourselves, complaining or making excuses for what's going on," Eichel said of the Sabres, who are 0-5-2 in their last seven games. "We just need to come together and work harder. I think that's always the key to success. Things aren't going right, start preparing better and working harder off the ice. Things usually translate." "You're trying to string wins together. We've found ways to string losses together," said McDavid, whose team snapped a three-game skid with Wednesday's 6-2 win in Detroit. "We have to find a way to put together a streak and get ourselves back in it. We're disappointed, yeah, but the only people who have any control of where this team goes is us." McDavid is sixth in the NHL in scoring with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) while Eichel is way back, tied for 53rd with 18 points and just six goals. All the rivalry talk that's existed since they entered the league has fizzled away; neither was even asked about the other today. The focus is solely within their own dressing rooms. While the Sabres were simply hoping to sneak into the playoff race this year, Edmonton was a chic pick to win the West and make the Stanley Cup final after getting to Game Seven of the second round last year in Anaheim. Bad goaltending and a lack of secondary scoring has killed the Oilers this far while the Sabres have had simliar problems and seem to have a locker room where players do as they please without fear of teammates speaking against them. That was the theme of two-time Cup champion Jordan Nolan's comments after Wednesday's loss to Minnesota. Eichel: "Guys need to trust their instincts and understand we're all in this together. I think desperation should be in our game every time you go on the ice, no matter who you're playing, no matter when and where. We're a team that needs to be desperate and nothing changes about that tonight." McDavid: "I don't think you can feel sorry for yourself at all. We're the ones who got ourselves in this and we're the ones who's going to get ourselves out. ... We're learning about going through this. A lot of guys in this room, myself included, haven't gone the other way where we've expected to be good and we weren't very good. That's a new thing for a lot of guys. Like anyone else, it's not fun. It's not fun to come to the rink and lose." Sabres coach Phil Housley saw a lot of McDavid the last couple years in Nashville, but got to the Cup final in June with a Predators team that didn't have a true franchise player and, in fact, was without two key injured forwards. "It definitely has to be a collective effort," said Housley. "I've never seen one player win a game for a hockey team. It's a team effort. I think when you look at it, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are tremendous players, top players in this league and that's why they're going to get a lot of attention. They're only one piece of the puzzle. You have to play together as a team. ... You look at the great teams, there's always great support around them."

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084945 Buffalo Sabres

Ristolainen returning to Sabres' lineup; Nelson sent to Amerks

By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 24, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 24, 2017

After nine games on the sidelines, the Sabres' top defenseman is back. Rasmus Ristolainen skated on the top pair with Marco Scandella at the morning skate Friday, paving the way for him to play Friday night when the Sabres host the Edmonton Oilers. Ristolainen has been out since suffering an upper-body injury Nov. 2 in Arizona. Ristolainen has five assists in 13 games and is skating 27:09 a night. In seven career games against the Oilers, he has six assists and eight points. The Sabres' power-play units were Eichel, O'Reilly, Okposo, Reinhart and Ristolainen; and Pominville, Pouliot, Kane, Antipin and Scandella. The Sabres are 0-5-2 in the last seven games and 5-13-4 overall. The Connor McDavid-led Oilers are 8-12-2. They beat Detroit, 6-2, Wednesday to end a three-game losing streak.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084946 BuffaloSabres

5-goal first period just half of Amerks outburst against Devils

Andy Lipari, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle USA TODAY Network Published 11:01 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 | Updated 11:03 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

The Amerks put it to Binghamton early with five first-period goals and didn't let up from there, on the way to a 10-3 win over the Devils on Friday at the Blue Cross Arena at the Community War Memorial. The last time the Amerks scored 10 goals in a game was 11 years ago, a 10-4 win over Binghamton on Dec. 16, 2006. It got so bad for Binghamton in the third period, they brought the original starting goaltender, Mackenzie Blackwood, back in the game despite him having allowed three goals in the first six minutes of the game. There were a number of other highlights by the Amerks on Friday: During the Sabres pregame show Friday, Sabres GM Jason Botterill talked about what he's seen so far out of the organization, including what he's seen from the Amerks. “We are extremely excited about what’s happened in Rochester to start the year off,” Botterill said. “It was a goal of ours to build a better organization and you look at the start with our East Coast affiliate in Cincinnati and also what’s happened in Rochester. We’re excited about it. “I think you see that in the call-ups we’ve had. It’s not the same players in and out, we’re having more players push themselves to the forefront.” One of the players Botterill talked about was defenseman Brendan Guhle, who had a goal Friday. “It’s hard to be patient but he’s an important part of our mix moving forward,” Botterill said. “What’s going on down there is he’s playing big minutes, both power play and penalty killing, and playing against the other team’s top lines.” Botterill added Rochester is getting good goaltending and talked about what he wanted to see out of Linus Ullmark this year. “We challenged Ullmark at the beginning of the year not to just have good numbers, but looking at wins,” he said. "Finding ways to win games. And he’s done an amazing job of that this year from that aspect.” Ullmark has nine wins this season. Offensively there are a couple guys such as Evan Rodrigues and Alex Nylander that might not be in Rochester long once they show they're healthy. The Sabres are 30th in the NHL, scoring 2.36 goals per game coming into Friday. These two could give Buffalo a needed boost. Rodrigues finished Friday's game with two goals and two assists and Nylander scored his first goal of the season. They may be in Buffalo before long, especially if there are any early season trades by the Eastern Conference's last-place team. Rodrigues played 30 games for the Sabres last season but isn't concerned about when he could go back to Buffalo. "Play my game, get to 100 percent and get back to the way I can play," he said. "I thought I did that tonight. I felt really comfortable tonight." Earlier Friday, Botterill said on radio station WGR 550 he is considering letting Nylander play for Team Sweden in the World Juniors that start Dec. 26, since he is still eligible. Amerks head coach Chris Taylor said he hasn't been approached by anyone yet on that decision, but he wouldn't get in Nylander's way to play for Sweden. "It's a great opportunity for him," Taylor said. "I think representing your country is great, especially being in Buffalo (the tournament), it's great for the organization. I think it's great for everybody. If they want him, I think we'll be talking about and hopefully he gets to play."

Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084947 Calgary Flames

GameDay: Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche

Kristen Odland, Postmedia Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 11:16 PM MST

THE BIG MATCHUP David Rittich vs. Nathan MacKinnon The 25-year-old looks like he’ll be tapped to fill in for Mike Smith in back- to-back contests. His main assignment? Nathan MacKinnon who is averaging 1.19 points per game. He’s been red-hot in the previous 11 games with six goals and 14 assists. The 22-year-old is on some kind of tear. Meanwhile, Rittich was rewarded for his hot start to the 2017-18 campaign in the AHL. FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME 1. FIRST LINE FIRE Micheal Ferland scored his ninth goal of the year while Sean Monahan scored his 13th and 14th markers of the 2017-18 campaign. And Johnny Gaudreau? Well, he cemented spot in the top-three NHL scoring with his 11th goal of the campaign. There’s no doubt who Calgary has been leaning on this season but Gaudreau has been outstanding so far. He had his 10-game point streak snapped but he picked up where he left off Friday at Dallas. 2. HERE’S JOHNNY (B) Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves in a 3-2 shoot-out loss to the Minnesota Wild on Friday. Bernier made six saves in overtime, tapped for his third start for the Avalanche. The 29-year-old was inked as a free agent in the off-season and has provided stability as Colorado’s back-up. Before Friday’s shoot-out loss, Bernier posted two victories. 3. RITTICH ROLLIN The Flames sent Eddie Lack to the minors and recalled David Rittich from the Stockton Heat, which is only the second time the Czech Republic native has been recalled from the . Rittich has logged six games, posting a record of 5-1-0-0 with a 2.17 goals against average and a .931 save percentage with two shutouts. Rittich, 25, has only logged one NHL appearance, a 3-1 loss on April 8 against the San Jose Sharks. 4. MILE HIGH MEMORIES The last time the Flames were in Colorado, they pumped the Avs with six goals — this, after gathering at 6:30 a.m. for an early-morning flight to Denver after a three-day break during the holidays. The Flames wound up winning 6-3 and went on to win the season series 3-0. They’ll return to Colorado on Feb. 28, just four days after hosting the Avs on Feb. 24 at Calgary. 5. LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL Saturday is the start of a five game homestand for the Avs at the Pepsi Centre … Meanwhile, the Flames wrap up a marathon six-game road trip, wrapping up a 12-game stint away from the Saddledome. The Flames enjoy a day off Sunday and practice Monday to prepare for Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They host Arizona (Thursday), Edmonton (Dec. 2) and Philadelphia (Dec. 4).

— Kristen Odland

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084948 Calgary Flames They followed that up with a key penalty-kill on a five-on-three but couldn’t seal the deal.

Back at even-strength, Hamilton steered the puck behind Smith’s cage Stars shoot down Flames in Dallas from the left corner, but there was nobody there, not until Stars winger Brett Ritchie grabbed the freebie and fired it toward the front of the net, where it was eventually shovelled in by Smith. Wes Gilbertson Two minutes later, after a gift to the wrong guy and a wicked wrister by Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 Seguin, the Flames were trailing. 11:02 PM MST They seem to be their own worst enemy, but they insist doubt is not an issue. DALLAS — The day after Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about “We’re a good team. We believe that we’re a good team, and we believe leftovers. in one another,” Hamonic said. “That area is not creeping into our game whatsoever as a team. We believe in the group that we have on the ice. The Calgary Flames, it seemed, were all about turnovers. We know that we can do it. We just have to go out there and do it and execute. The Flames wasted a superb performance by their top line on Black Friday, repeatedly coughing up pucks — and repeatedly coughing up the “But we know we have it here, and we’re ready to keep pushing forward. lead — in a 6-4 loss to the Dallas Stars at . We have to come back with a good effort, and I know we will.” “We kept getting leads and then just blowing them,” said Flames Next up for the Flames is Saturday’s clash with the Colorado Avalanche defenceman Dougie Hamilton. “Every time we got a goal, we’d give up a at Pepsi Center (8 p.m., CBC/Sportsnet 960 The Fan), the final stop on goal. We couldn’t hold onto a lead and play with the lead, and that’s what this marathon six-game sojourn. hurt us.”

One day after American Thanksgiving, the Flames top trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland combined for four goals Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.25.2017 and eight points in Dallas. Monahan potted a pair and also added a helper, Gaudreau scored once and provided a couple of assists, and Ferland collected one of each. Thanks to the . . . uh . . . generosity of their teammates, it wasn’t enough. Stars sharpshooter Tyler Seguin scored the eventual game-winner with six minutes remaining in regulation, grabbing Michael Stone’s bank-pass off the boards — for some head-scratching reason, right-winger Kris Versteeg let it slide by — and ripping a glove-side shot past Flames masked man Mike Smith. Seguin completed a hat-trick into an empty net, while Antoine Roussel, Alex Radulov and Gemel Smith also tickled twine for the hosts, with each of the Stars’ snipes coming after a giveaway or failed clearing attempt by a member of the Calgary club’s blueline brigade. “It’s like in tennis — you don’t want to hit the ball into the net. Just get it over, and let them beat you,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “What we’re doing is we’re self-inflicting with some needless plays. Not high-risk plays, just simple plays that we’re just not executing, and it’s costing us.” Roussel provided Friday’s opening strike after an outnumbered TJ Brodie was bullied into a turnover in the corner. Radek Faksa shoved the Flames defenceman, while Tyler Pitlick stole the puck and spied Roussel, who handled the rest. The Flames evened up on the first shift of the second stanza, thanks to Ferland’s top-shelf howitzer after a setup by Monahan. It’s rare that Calgary’s first line lights the lamp without Gaudreau getting his name on the score-sheet, but No. 13 made up for that a few minutes later, sneaking up on Dan Hamhuis as he scanned his options for an outlet pass, pickpocketing the Stars’ back-ender and finding daylight with a low shot for the unassisted tally. That lead lasted all of 83 seconds. Shortly after a failed clear by Flames rearguard Travis Hamonic, Seguin scored on a deflection. The out-of-towners would squeak ahead — once again, not for long — on Monahan’s man-advantage marker. Right-winger Troy Brouwer also played a key role, parking right at the edge of the crease and providing a screen on Gaudreau’s slapper. Stars goalie Ben Bishop turned that aside, but left Monahan with a gimme from close range. Believe it or not, this lead lasted less than a minute, with Radulov cashing in a rebound at the other end after Devin Shore’s shot from the slot. The guilty party this time? Hamilton had an opportunity to clear the zone, but he fired the puck into Shore’s mid-section instead. The Flames’ final lead came early in the third, when Gaudreau hustled into enemy territory and dazzled two defenders with a stickhandling display before a beautiful backhand feed to Monahan, who picked the top corner. 1084949 Calgary Flames It’s possible he could be tabbed for his first big-league start as the road- weary crew from Calgary caps a six-game marathon Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Goalie Rittich Czechs in with Flames Even if he’s on gate duties again, Rittich will have a heck of a story about this latest call-up. Wes Gilbertson And his pals have already made it known they would love to hear some tales about Jagr, the highest-scoring right-winger in NHL history, a five- Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 time representative of the Czech Republic at the Winter Olympics and 6:55 PM MST the flag-bearer for his country during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“It was just before the season when Calgary signed Jagr and my buddies DALLAS — Calgary Flames goaltending call-up David Rittich could just send me: ‘Hey, you will play with Jagr!’ ” Rittich said after Friday’s hardly believe he was sharing the ice with long-haired legend Jaromir morning skate. “I was like. ‘Uh, I’m already sent down to Stockton.’ ” Jagr, a hockey hero for any kid from the Czech Republic. Now, he’s up again. He nearly had a dent on his goaltending mask to remember it by. And, thankfully, he ducked — or dodged — that first fire from Jagr. “I thought that Steeger (Kris Versteeg) had the best line today when he said, ‘He’s probably waited his whole life to have Jagr take a shot on him, and the first one went right by his ears over the net,’ ” relayed Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan after Friday’s morning skate at American Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.25.2017 Airlines Center in Dallas. “We’ve got a little Czech invasion going on in there, and maybe Jags is letting him know who the top dog was by whistling one by his ears.” Or maybe, it was a hockey-hello of sorts. “It was just, ‘Welcome in the league, rookie,’ ” said Rittich, a million-watt smile making it clear there were no hard feelings after that high heater from his 45-year-old teammate. “I just moved my head out of the shot. I was like, ‘Ok, thank you.’ ” This is a story, you can already be certain, that the grinning goaltender will be telling his grandkids one day. “If somebody told me 10 years ago that I will play or I will be practising with Jagr, I would be like, ‘No way. No chance,’ ” Rittich said. “And it’s coming true, so I am happy about that.” Eddie Lack, who opened this season as the Flames backup netminder, was likely less enthused Friday as he traded places with Rittich. The 29-year-old Lack cleared waivers and was dispatched to the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat, with Rittich recalled to join the big club. Lack has been mostly spotted in a ball-cap this season, limited to just four crease calls with the Flames — two starts and a pair of relief appearances. With an ugly 5.29 goals-against average and an .813 save percentage, he hasn’t exactly made a case he deserves more work. The plan is that Lack will be between the pipes for the Heat in Saturday’s road meeting with the Tucson Roadrunners. But the Flames didn’t just drop him off in the Arizona desert and wish him all the best. “This isn’t digging a hole, burying a body and trying to get out of town,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “Eddie hasn’t played in a while, and you get rusty. So now it’s a matter of just going to get some games, try to find his game. “He needs to play. He needs to get some games in. He’d be the first one to tell you, and it’s probably not completely fair with the amount of time he’s gotten so far, but he looks like he needs a reset, and that’s what this is all about.” Meanwhile, Rittich becomes the backup plan. He set an alarm for 2:30 a.m. for a flight Friday to Dallas and becomes the fourth goalie to wear the Flaming C in just over a week. When workhorse Mike Smith needed one night off due to an upper-body injury, Jon Gillies was summoned from the farm club and then pressed into action in relief of Lack in a lopsided loss to the host Detroit Red Wings. “You’ve got two young guys that we think have real upside, and you’ve got a veteran guy who’s been in the league that’s trying to get stability,” Treliving said. “It’s depth, and you’re going to need it. Mike has been good, but you need it.” Rittich has posted a splendid stat-line at the AHL level this fall, with a 5-1 record, 2.17 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and two shutouts. The 25-year-old arrived in Dallas with one period of NHL experience— a memorable mop-up opportunity in the Flames’ regular-season finale last spring. 1084950 Calgary Flames STARTING FRESH Back on Oct. 27, Johnny Gaudreau scored a first-period goal against the Stars, the start of what turned out to be a 10-game point-streak for the It's game day. Here's how the Flames and Stars match up Flames’ superstar. Gaudreau’s remarkable roll — also including a spree of snipes in six consecutive contests — ended in Monday’s shutout loss in Columbus, just the fourth time in 21 loggings this season that the 24- Wes Gilbertson year-old whiz has been held off the scoresheet. Gaudreau totalled eight goals and 11 assists during his 10-game point pile-up and we probably Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 won’t be waiting long until he’s streaking again. 1:32 PM MST BANNER NIGHT

The Stars will raise Jere Lehtinen’s No. 26 jersey to the rafters during a DALLAS — Calgary Flames goaltending callup David Rittich set his pre-game ceremony. Lehtinen logged 14 seasons in Dallas, collecting alarm for 2:30 a.m., an early wakeup call necessary to arrive in Dallas for 514 career points but earning more praise for his defensive handiwork. Friday’s morning skate. The Finnish winger was a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy and a key piece of a Stanley Cup-winning squad in 1999. Other off-limits It’s a good thing he wasn’t too drowsy, because Jaromir Jagr’s first shot numbers for the Stars include No. 7 (Neal Broten), No. 8 (Bill on the fellow Czech was a high heater. Goldsworthy), No. 9 (Mike Modano) and No. 19 (Bill Masterton). As a “It was just, ‘Welcome in the league rookie,’ ” Rittich said with a huge tribute, the Stars will wear yellow laces, one of Lehtinen’s trademarks grin. “I just moved my head out of the shot. I was like, ‘Ok, thank you.’ ” during his career. Apparently, right-winger Kris Versteeg summed it up best. WAIT, THERE’S MORE … “(Versteeg) said, ‘He’s probably waited his whole life to have Jagr take a The Flames have triumphed in four of their past five trips to Dallas, but shot on him, and the first one went right by his ears over the net,’ ” this current crew of Stars are hot at home — they’re 8-2-0 so far at relayed Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “We’ve got a little Czech American Airlines Center … Stars D John Klingberg is tied for top spot in invasion going on in there, and maybe Jags is letting him know who the the NHL’s scoring race among defencemen, with 20 points … The hosts top dog was by whistling one by his ears. I don’t know if that’s the way welcome back C Martin Hanzal, a spectator for the past two tilts with a they do it. hand injury, while G Kari Lehtonen returns to his backup role after missing a pair of games for personal reasons. “But (Rittich) is quite excited, a big smile. And you’re always happy for a guy who gets a chance.” One guy who likely wasn’t smiling Friday was goalie Eddie Lack, who Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.25.2017 cleared waivers and was reassigned by the Flames to the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat. The 25-year-old Rittich was recalled and will serve as Mike Smith’s backup for a Black Friday clash with the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. Rittich posted has a 5-1 record so far this fall at the minor-league level, with a 2.17 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and a pair of shutouts. “Eddie hasn’t played in a while, and you get rusty,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “He needs to play. He needs to get some games in. He’d be the first one to tell you, and it’s probably not completely fair with the amount of time he’s gotten so far, but he looks like he needs a reset and that’s what this is all about.” THE BIG MATCHUP Stars G Ben Bishop vs. Flames G Mike Smith It’s the guy everybody thought would be the answer to Calgary’s crease conundrum this summer versus the guy who was actually acquired and has been a stalwart so far. The rumour mill has long linked Bishop to the Flames — not just bluster, either, they nearly finalized a for him at the 2016 NHL Draft — and many figured he would be Calgary’s top target in free agency this summer. Instead, the Stars jumped the queue, trading for Bishop’s rights and signing the 31-year-old to a six-year contract before he hit the open market. The Flames landed Smith in a swap with the Coyotes and the 35-year-old has been their early-season MVP. Smith’s stat-line this fall — a 2.52 goals-against average and .925 save percentage — is a wee bit better. TALKING TURKEY If you’re a believer in this barometer, there’s good news for Flames fans and not-so-good news for supporters of the Stars. There’s an old theory that almost all of the squads in a playoff position on American Thanksgiving will still be there come spring, and the Flames (12-8-1) hit Thursday’s holiday in third spot in the Pacific Division. The Stars (11-10- 1) are sitting 13th in the Western Conference, although a glass-half-full sort would point out that their 23 points puts them in a logjam for eighth, although they’ve played more games than the five other teams with that same total. SOMEBODY SCORE? Both of these squads were shut out in their last outing — the Flames shooting blanks in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets and the Stars on the wrong end of a 3-0 score against the Avalanche. Don’t expect a barn-burner Friday. The boys from the Big D are allowing just 1.8 goals per game at home, the lowest mark in the league, plus the first meeting of the season was a low-scoring affair, with Alex Radulov cashing in on a power-play to pace the Stars to a 2-1 victory at the Saddledome. 1084951 Calgary Flames guys and what top guys need to feel,” Gulutzan said. “It helps you as a coach when you get these tidbits from some of the top players that have ever played the game. It helps you coach the next generation guys that Jagr's pep talks seem to be paying dividends for Gaudreau are coming up because there is a different mindset to being a guy that is relied upon to produce every night, like Jags has for 20-plus, almost 30 years. Wes Gilbertson “I take away those little nuggets when he tells me what his mindset was when he was at the top and trying to beat the top all the time.” Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 5:01 AM MST Johnny seems to be gobbling up those nuggets, too. The wee winger has always been determined to be a difference-maker. Now, he has the support of a teammate who has been stuffing NHL stat- DALLAS — After talking hockey for most of the day, Calgary Flames sheets since before he was even born. head coach Glen Gulutzan snuck away to the hotel gym for a sweat on the elliptical trainer. “I think what Jags is helping Johnny with is clarifying some of those thoughts and what it means. There’s a little deeper meaning for Johnny And, as it turns out, more hockey talk. now, or a deeper focus, than what he had before,” Gulutzan said. “I think he had the mindset of it before — that’s my opinion, just watching it and Because workout machine and one-of-a-kinder Jaromir Jagr was there, being around other top guys — but I think Jags, when you have another too. top guy who has done it for so long, he’s kind of reinforcing or focusing “Of course, you can always find Jags there,” Gulutzan said with a grin, that mindset. recalling a moment from earlier on this six-game road-trip. “He was “It means a lot more coming from him.” talking to me about how much he thinks of Johnny (Gaudreau) as a player and his offensive instincts. He’s told him that, and he’s talked to Ice chips: Flames G Eddie Lack was available on the NHL’s waiver-wire him about his mindset going into games and how he has to think like a Thursday. The 29-year-old backup has an ugly stat-line — a 1-2-0 top guy and want to win and to do well every shift. That’s one of the record, 5.29 goals-against average and .813 save percentage — in four challenges for high-end players is that they have to will themselves every appearances this season. shift to get something done, so Jags has talked to him at length about those kind of things. “He speaks very highly of him. He says he’s got a great seat a lot of Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.25.2017 nights to watch him play. He really thinks a lot of him.” Gaudreau has been a go-to guy ever since his arrival at the Saddledome, but perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the 24-year-old left-winger seems to be cruising at a new altitude this fall. If you’re looking to consult an expert on production at hockey’s highest level, you can’t do much better than Jagr, second on the all-time charts with a mind-boggling 1,920 points (and counting). The 45-year-old thinks Gaudreau should be a perennial contender for the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer, an award that he claimed five times. He told reporters that. He’s told Johnny that more than once. “It’s pretty special when someone says something like that to you. Because it’s not every day that someone as good as him says something about a player that has only been in the league four years,” said Gaudreau, whose 10-game point spree was snapped in Wednesday’s 1- 0 loss to the Blue Jackets in Columbus, the fourth stop for the Flames on a six-game roadie. “We’ve talked about a lot of little things that make you a better player day-in and day-out, whether it’s staying out a little extra on the ice or when you’re not feeling your best that day, you have to push and make sure you get better that day instead of kind of going through the motions. I’ve had a few conversations withCP him, and they’ve all been pretty good and pretty positive, so hopefully, I can keep those little things going, keep picking his brain.” The Flames enjoyed an off-day in Dallas for American Thanksgiving and continue this trek with Friday’s showdown against the Stars at American Airlines Center (7 p.m., Sportsnet Flames/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). It was in the Big D that Gulutzan first worked with Jagr. He was in his second season as head coach of the Stars in 2012-13. The long-haired legend was on his roster for most of that lockout-shortened campaign, although he was shipped to Boston at the trade deadline. With just six months of age difference between them, Gulutzan and Jagr have been reunited in Calgary — one getting his second shot as an NHL bench boss, the other admitting this will likely be the final chapter of one of the most incredible careers in hockey history. During his brief stint in Dallas, Jagr mentored current captain and others. Gulutzan lauded his approach with all of Calgary’s kids, but it’s no surprise that he’s taken a shine to Gaudreau, who is currently third in league scoring with 31 points in just 21 outings. “(Jagr) is always talking about the mindset of top guys. Even this year, in our conversations, again he’s enlightening me about the mindset of top 1084952 Calgary Flames They followed that up with a key penalty-kill on a five-on-three but couldn’t seal the deal.

Back at even-strength, Hamilton steered the puck behind Smith’s cage Flames shoot themselves in Dallas from the left corner, but there was nobody there, not until Stars winger Brett Ritchie grabbed the freebie and fired it toward the front of the net, where it was eventually shovelled in by Smith. Wes Gilbertson Two minutes later, after a gift to the wrong guy and a wicked wrister by November 24, 2017 11:02 PM UTC Seguin, the Flames were trailing. They seem to be their own worst enemy, but they insist doubt is not an issue. DALLAS — The day after Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about leftovers. “We’re a good team. We believe that we’re a good team, and we believe in one another,” Hamonic said. “That area is not creeping into our game The Calgary Flames, it seemed, were all about turnovers. whatsoever as a team. We believe in the group that we have on the ice. We know that we can do it. We just have to go out there and do it and The Flames wasted a superb performance by their top line on Black execute. Friday, repeatedly coughing up pucks — and repeatedly coughing up the lead — in a 6-4 loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. “But we know we have it here, and we’re ready to keep pushing forward. We have to come back with a good effort, and I know we will.” “We kept getting leads and then just blowing them,” said Flames defenceman Dougie Hamilton. “Every time we got a goal, we’d give up a goal. We couldn’t hold onto a lead and play with the lead, and that’s what hurt us.” Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.25.2017 One day after American Thanksgiving, the Flames top trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland combined for four goals and eight points in Dallas. Monahan potted a pair and also added a helper, Gaudreau scored once and provided a couple of assists, and Ferland collected one of each. Thanks to the . . . uh . . . generosity of their teammates, it wasn’t enough. Stars sharpshooter Tyler Seguin scored the eventual game-winner with six minutes remaining in regulation, grabbing Michael Stone’s bank-pass off the boards — for some head-scratching reason, right-winger Kris Versteeg let it slide by — and ripping a glove-side shot past Flames masked man Mike Smith. Seguin completed a hat-trick into an empty net, while Antoine Roussel, Alex Radulov and Gemel Smith also tickled twine for the hosts, with each of the Stars’ snipes coming after a giveaway or failed clearing attempt by a member of the Calgary club’s blueline brigade. “It’s like in tennis — you don’t want to hit the ball into the net. Just get it over, and let them beat you,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “What we’re doing is we’re self-inflicting with some needless plays. Not high-risk plays, just simple plays that we’re just not executing, and it’s costing us.” Roussel provided Friday’s opening strike after an outnumbered TJ Brodie was bullied into a turnover in the corner. Radek Faksa shoved the Flames defenceman, while Tyler Pitlick stole the puck and spied Roussel, who handled the rest. The Flames evened up on the first shift of the second stanza, thanks to Ferland’s top-shelf howitzer after a setup by Monahan. It’s rare that Calgary’s first line lights the lamp without Gaudreau getting his name on the score-sheet, but No. 13 made up for that a few minutes later, sneaking up on Dan Hamhuis as he scanned his options for an outlet pass, pickpocketing the Stars’ back-ender and finding daylight with a low shot for the unassisted tally. That lead lasted all of 83 seconds. Shortly after a failed clear by Flames rearguard Travis Hamonic, Seguin scored on a deflection. The out-of-towners would squeak ahead — once again, not for long — on Monahan’s man-advantage marker. Right-winger Troy Brouwer also played a key role, parking right at the edge of the crease and providing a screen on Gaudreau’s slapper. Stars goalie Ben Bishop turned that aside, but left Monahan with a gimme from close range. Believe it or not, this lead lasted less than a minute, with Radulov cashing in a rebound at the other end after Devin Shore’s shot from the slot. The guilty party this time? Hamilton had an opportunity to clear the zone, but he fired the puck into Shore’s mid-section instead. The Flames’ final lead came early in the third, when Gaudreau hustled into enemy territory and dazzled two defenders with a stickhandling display before a beautiful backhand feed to Monahan, who picked the top corner. 1084953 Calgary Flames It’s possible he could be tabbed for his first big-league start as the road- weary crew from Calgary caps a six-game marathon Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Heads up, kid! Flames call-up Rittich thrilled to share ice with Czech Even if he’s on gate duties again, Rittich will have a heck of a story about legend this latest call-up. And his pals have already made it known they would love to hear some Wes Gilbertson tales about Jagr, the highest-scoring right-winger in NHL history, a five- time representative of the Czech Republic at the Winter Olympics and November 24, 2017 6:55 PM UTC the flag-bearer for his country during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“It was just before the season when Calgary signed Jagr and my buddies DALLAS — Calgary Flames goaltending call-up David Rittich could just send me: ‘Hey, you will play with Jagr!’ ” Rittich said after Friday’s hardly believe he was sharing the ice with long-haired legend Jaromir morning skate. “I was like. ‘Uh, I’m already sent down to Stockton.’ ” Jagr, a hockey hero for any kid from the Czech Republic. Now, he’s up again. He nearly had a dent on his goaltending mask to remember it by. And, thankfully, he ducked — or dodged — that first fire from Jagr. “I thought that Steeger (Kris Versteeg) had the best line today when he said, ‘He’s probably waited his whole life to have Jagr take a shot on him, and the first one went right by his ears over the net,’ ” relayed Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan after Friday’s morning skate at American Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.25.2017 Airlines Center in Dallas. “We’ve got a little Czech invasion going on in there, and maybe Jags is letting him know who the top dog was by whistling one by his ears.” Or maybe, it was a hockey-hello of sorts. “It was just, ‘Welcome in the league, rookie,’ ” said Rittich, a million-watt smile making it clear there were no hard feelings after that high heater from his 45-year-old teammate. “I just moved my head out of the shot. I was like, ‘Ok, thank you.’ ” This is a story, you can already be certain, that the grinning goaltender will be telling his grandkids one day. “If somebody told me 10 years ago that I will play or I will be practising with Jagr, I would be like, ‘No way. No chance,’ ” Rittich said. “And it’s coming true, so I am happy about that.” Eddie Lack, who opened this season as the Flames backup netminder, was likely less enthused Friday as he traded places with Rittich. The 29-year-old Lack cleared waivers and was dispatched to the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat, with Rittich recalled to join the big club. Lack has been mostly spotted in a ball-cap this season, limited to just four crease calls with the Flames — two starts and a pair of relief appearances. With an ugly 5.29 goals-against average and an .813 save percentage, he hasn’t exactly made a case he deserves more work. The plan is that Lack will be between the pipes for the Heat in Saturday’s road meeting with the Tucson Roadrunners. But the Flames didn’t just drop him off in the Arizona desert and wish him all the best. “This isn’t digging a hole, burying a body and trying to get out of town,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “Eddie hasn’t played in a while, and you get rusty. So now it’s a matter of just going to get some games, try to find his game. “He needs to play. He needs to get some games in. He’d be the first one to tell you, and it’s probably not completely fair with the amount of time he’s gotten so far, but he looks like he needs a reset, and that’s what this is all about.” Meanwhile, Rittich becomes the backup plan. He set an alarm for 2:30 a.m. for a flight Friday to Dallas and becomes the fourth goalie to wear the Flaming C in just over a week. When workhorse Mike Smith needed one night off due to an upper-body injury, Jon Gillies was summoned from the farm club and then pressed into action in relief of Lack in a lopsided loss to the host Detroit Red Wings. “You’ve got two young guys that we think have real upside, and you’ve got a veteran guy who’s been in the league that’s trying to get stability,” Treliving said. “It’s depth, and you’re going to need it. Mike has been good, but you need it.” Rittich has posted a splendid stat-line at the AHL level this fall, with a 5-1 record, 2.17 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and two shutouts. The 25-year-old arrived in Dallas with one period of NHL experience— a memorable mop-up opportunity in the Flames’ regular-season finale last spring. 1084954 Carolina Hurricanes Skinner played with Jussi Jokinen and Tuomo Ruutu in his first NHL game in October 2010, and maybe he’s not a hard winger to slot. Whoever he plays with, he keeps scoring goals. For Skinner, Williams as a wing man could be an answer “It’s a long season and things are going to change,” Skinner said. “You’ve got to be able to adapt and communicate with your line mates and try and find that success and get on a roll.” BY CHIP ALEXANDER [email protected] News Observer LOADED: 11.25.2017 NOVEMBER 24, 2017 11:34 PM UPDATED 3 HOURS 1 MINUTES AGO

Jeff Skinner seemed to be in the middle of everything Friday in the Carolina Hurricanes’ 5-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at PNC Arena. Whether setting up Derek Ryan for a goal, tangling with Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen around the net, giving his opinion to the referees or being a part of a big push in the final minutes of regulation, Skinner often was front and center. Vocal, engaged. More importantly for the Canes, 21 games into the season, Skinner might have found the right line to be the most effective. Canes coach Bill Peters has a found a lot of success — and winger Sebastian Aho starting finding the net — in using Aho and Teuvo Teravainen on a line with center Jordan Staal. The “TSA” line, it has been called. Skinner, after scoring a career-high 37 goals last season, has gone through so many line permutations it’s hard to keep up with them. Ryan has been his centerman much of the season and Skinner also has had Victor Rask and more recently Elias Lindholm in the middle. But there has been a growing list of wingers on the right side — Justin Williams, Brock McGinn, Josh Jooris, Phil Di Giuseppe, Lindholm. In the first three games of the season, Skinner played with Ryan and Janne Kuokannen, a rookie. If Skinner has any complaints, he keeps them to himself. “It’s something I don’t really worry too much about because it’s not in my control,” he said. “I can control how I play. That’s not always quite as well as I’d like to, so that’s my No. 1 focus. “When you’ve got guys sticking together it’s because they’re playing well and they’re producing or you’re getting results. I’m not sure which comes first, the chicken or the egg.” On Friday, Canes coach Bill Peters had Skinner and Williams back together, with Ryan in the middle. Williams and Ryan each had five shots and Skinner three, and Skinner and Williams both had two assists. Then there was the disagreements about Andersen. In the second period, with the Canes buzzing around the net, the Leafs goal suddenly became dislodged and play was stopped. It was hard to say if Andersen or another Leafs player were responsible but no penalty was called despite Skinner’s protestations. It was a more dicey situation in the third. Trailing 4-1, the Canes picked up a goal from Staal, but Skinner was called for goaltender interference 47 seconds after Staal’s goal. Relays indicated Andersen was outside the crease and initiated the contact with Skinner. But Skinner went to the penalty box and Patrick Marleau scored what would be the deciding goal for the Maple Leafs. “Those moments happen,” Skinner said. “There’s a lot of moments like that in a game and obviously that one gets a little more magnified, given the circumstances.” Skinner called it a tough loss, and that it was for Carolina (9-8-4). But the line of Skinner, Ryan and Williams might be one answer moving forward. Peters had hoped to have Skinner with Ryan and Lee Stempniak this season, but Stempniak has yet to play a game because of an unspecified upper-body injury. With Stempniak out, Williams appeared to be the best option at right wing and Peters has had the line together before this season, including the Canes’ 6-3 win in Toronto on Oct. 26. “It shouldn’t be very hard but at the same time it’s nice having continuity and familiarity and knowing what your centerman’s tendencies are,” Williams said. “But that only comes with winning consistently -- the same lines. Hopefully we can do that.” 1084955 Carolina Hurricanes

Maple Leafs manage to hold off Hurricanes in third

BY CHIP ALEXANDER [email protected] NOVEMBER 24, 2017 10:01 PM UPDATED 3 HOURS 1 MINUTES AGO

RALEIGH The Toronto Maple Leafs scored four times in the second period Friday but couldn’t flatten the Carolina Hurricanes. The Leafs had to hold off the hard-charging Canes in the third for a 5-4 win at PNC Arena. The Canes trailed 4-1 after the second period and 5-2 in the third. But goals by Carolina’s Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin pulled the Canes within 5-4 in a tense final four minutes. The Leafs took control in the second when scored in the first minute of the period. Josh Leivo scored off the rush, former Canes defenseman Ron Hainsey had a goal and James van Riemsdyk picked up the Leafs’ fourth in an impressive period of hockey. Only the work of goalie Frederik Andersen in the first kept the Leafs from possibly falling behind. The Canes dominated the period, getting off 14 shots to the Leafs’ four. Andersen, once a Carolina draft pick, made all the plays, all the stops. He twice denied center Victor Rask, a healthy scratch for Carolina the past two games, and made a handful of strong stops to keep it a scoreless game after 20 minutes. Derek Ryan scored off a Jeff Skinner pass in the second, and Jordan Staal scored early in the third on a delayed-penalty sequence. Patrick Marleau’s power-play goal-- after a questionable goaltender interference call against Skinner -- boosted the Leafs’ lead to 5-2 but the Canes kept pushing, outshooting the Leafs 47-25 in the ga,e. The Canes were coming off a brutal 6-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday that led to a Thanksgiving Day practice, and Canes coach Bill Peters gave veteran goalie Cam Ward the start. The Canes had a lot of jump in the first period, but loose plays and missed defensive assignments in their zone were costly in the second. By the third, Ward was out and Scott Darling in net. Marleau scored, but Lindholm’s goal came on second effort in front of the net and Hanifin’s score made for an exciting finish. The Canes close their home stand Sunday against the Nashville Predators and then comes the real grind: 10 of 12 games on the road.

News Observer LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084956 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks drawing a lot of iron this season

Chris Hine Chicago Tribune

If you think the Blackhawks have been a little unlucky in the goal department this season, there are numbers to back you up. The Hawks have had more shots hit the posts and crossbar than any team in the league, according to NHL.com. “I never even knew they had that stat, “coach Joel Quenneville said Friday. The Hawks have hit the posts with 17 shots and have had one go off the crossbar. Defenseman Cody Franson said the Hawks can only chalk it up to bad puck luck. “One of those posts happens to go bar and in, rather than bar and out, that can change everything,” Franson said. “You hit a lot of posts, some guys start to get that snakebitten kind of feeling when you go through a little drought and can’t score. It’s those shots that make you lose sleep at night.” Quenneville had a slightly different take. He said the high amount of iron hit means the Hawks have to be more efficient when they get scoring chances. “Completing those quality chances, the finish hasn’t been up to the percentages,” Quenneville said. “Let’s find a way to get back at least that consistency and predictability.” Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane are the most unlucky Hawks in that department. DeBrincat has had three hit the post, while Kane has two off the post and the shot off the crossbar. Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad have each clanged two off the post. When the Hawks do score, they are also scoring them a little differently. They have only four goals off slap shots, tied for 27th in the league. They led that statistic last season with 43, thanks in part to the wicked one- timer of Artemi Panarin, whom they traded to the Blue Jackets in the offseason. Panarin tied for the league lead with Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber with 12 slap-shot goals. Getting the message: The NHL fined winger John Hayden for a double- minor high stick he leveled on the Lightning’s J.T. Brown on Wednesday. It was Hayden’s second double minor in his last three games, but it doesn’t appear it will cost him any time in Quenneville’s doghouse. He was skating with usual linemates Tommy Wingels and Lance Bouma at practice Friday. Quenneville did say Hayden has to clean up his game. “Something like that, you have to address it and learn from it going forward,” Quenneville said. “Every incident is different, and that play (in Tampa), you can (say he should) be more responsible on that type of play for sure.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084957 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks getting off to better starts recently but need them to carry over

Chris Hine Chicago Tribune

It has always been a point of emphasis for Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville that his teams start “on time.” He isn’t saying he hopes the bus gets to the rink on schedule. He means it’s imperative for the Hawks to show up and play top-level hockey from puck drop. Defenseman Brent Seabrook said that was a problem early in the season, especially during the stretch in late October when the Hawks dropped five of six. But the last few games, particularly against the Penguins and Lightning, the Hawks had their strongest periods in the first 20 minutes. The downside was they couldn’t maintain that level for the entire game. The Penguins nearly came back in the third as the Hawks held on for a victory, and the Lightning caught the Hawks before beating them in overtime. Now the challenge for the Hawks is to roll that momentum forward for an entire game. “You look back and we weren’t happy with our first 15 games as a whole,” Seabrook said. “We had some good games, had some bad games, but I don’t think we were too happy with that. We’re trying to get back to a full 60 (minutes). We have to keep that pressure all game.” It sounds simple enough to maintain energy and focus for an entire game. But in practice it’s much harder, and forward Tommy Wingels said it’s next to impossible to do that night in and night out. “No team is going to fold over for 60 minutes. They’re going to battle back,” Wingels said. “Are there four-, five-, six-minute lulls throughout the game where we maybe lose our focus? Absolutely. It’s about continuing to get better. The last little stretch here, we’re finding our game and taking it to where it needs to be. We have to continue to elevate it every game.” The challenge is not to let those four-minute lulls become 14 minutes. Wingels said he isn’t sure if it's possible to eliminate those types of lapses completely. “I don’t know if you can,” he said. “Every team has great players. (Nikita) Kucherov, (Steven) Stamkos, those guys are going to have good offensive shifts. Those guys aren’t going to go 60 minutes playing in their defensive zone the entire game. It’s about defending well on those lines, keeping them on the outside but finding a way to turn the ice, and we’ve done a good job of that.” Defenseman Cody Franson said part of playing a complete 60 minutes is how you play when you’re not the team pressuring in the offensive zone. There’s a difference between playing on your heels and completely falling over. “Some of the nights we were good for 50 minutes and there was 10 minutes we weren’t that good,” Franson said. “Did we bend, not break? Did we panic and melt down? Did we weather the storm and try to manage it that 10 minutes? It all depends on that 10 minutes you didn’t play well and what you do.” Of late, that time hasn’t been a disaster for the Hawks, but they’d like to minimize it as much as possible.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084958 Chicago Blackhawks

Saturday's matchup: Blackhawks at Panthers

Chris Hine Chicago Tribune

Storylines: The Hawks were on the outside looking in at the playoffs after Thanksgiving, an important milepost in the NHL season. But they have played better of late, earning points in four of their last five games. Trending: Jonathan Toews has scored two goals in his last 16 games. ... After scoring goals in four consecutive games, the Panthers’ Vincent Trocheck has one goal in his last six.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084959 Chicago Blackhawks

Several Blackhawks fighting through lengthy goal droughts

11/24/2017, 02:07PM Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email

SUNRISE, Fla. — With the game tied in the third period Wednesday night in Tampa, Brandon Saad nudged the puck over to Richard Panik in the corner of the goalmouth, with nothing but empty cage in front of him. It was a sure-fire go-ahead goal for Panik, until suddenly, Andrei Vasilevskiy’s left skate came out of nowhere to knock it away. “It’s just the way it goes now, you know?” a dejected Panik said afterward. “I have those chances, but I can’t get it in.” He’s hardly alone. Panik hasn’t scored in 12 games. Patrick Sharp hasn’t scored in 15 games. Duncan Keith hasn’t scored all season. Brandon Saad has one goal in his last 15 games. Nick Schmaltz has one goal in his last 17. Ryan Hartman has one goal in his last 13. Jonathan Toews has two goals in his last 16 games, and one of them was an empty- netter. And until his two-goal first period Wednesday night, even Patrick Kane had just one goal in 10 games. And the frustration is mounting. “It never gets easy,” said Sharp, who said his surgically repaired hip is 100 percent and is no excuse. “You think about it all the time. You feel that pressure in tight games, and in losses, definitely. You leave the rink thinking that you could have helped the team in some way. You can sleep a little easier when your team’s winning even though you’re not scoring. But it’s a struggle. There’s not much you can do other than try to get better every day and find a way to get out of these slumps.” While the goalless games are piling up, that burden has indeed been a little lighter lately. Somehow, the Blackhawks have gone 3-1-1 in their last five games (against a very tough schedule) despite all these lengthy droughts, with the offense carried by Artem Anisimov and Alex DeBrincat. So while the obvious way to look at it is that the Hawks’ biggest offensive weapons aren’t doing their jobs, there’s a sunnier outlook, too — if and when those stars do start scoring, the Hawks could really get rolling. “You can’t just count on a few guys to put the puck in the net,” Sharp said. “Balanced scoring is key. But it’s nice to know that we can still gather up some points and win games when a number of guys aren’t scoring on a regular basis.” The Hawks’ top line of Saad, Toews and Panik has been particularly frustrated. The trio has been all around the net the last couple of weeks, but simply can’t finish. They draw iron (the Hawks lead the league with 18 shots off the post or crossbar this season), they shank Grade-A chances, they get blocked by defenders or they get robbed by goaltenders. With the second line of Schmaltz, Anisimov and Kane going strong lately, and with DeBrincat chipping in from the bottom-six, the Hawks could suddenly be awfully dangerous if the top line gets going. The top line thinks it’s only a matter of time, that all three of them are on the verge of breaking through. Of course, they’ve been saying that for weeks “We’re almost there, you know?” Panik said. “It’s just not going in. Obviously, it’s frustrating, especially after we lose. … But as soon as we get a couple, it’s going to go.” Kane was feeling the frustration himself the past few weeks. While he’s been a point-a-game player throughout the season (he’s got 21 points in 21 games) he was only getting assists for a while. His two-goal first period in Tampa lifted a weight off his shoulders. Many of his teammates hope they’re next. “You measure yourself by production, so it’s never fun when you’re not scoring for a period of time,” Kane said. “But you know you’re going to have those stretches during the season. You just try to do the right things in practice, work on your game, and hopefully it comes around.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084960 Chicago Blackhawks

Three Things to WATCH: Blackhawks look to bounce back against Panthers

By Charlie Roumeliotis November 24, 2017 9:00 PM

Here are Three Things to Watch when the Blackhawks take on the Florida Panthers Saturday on NBC Sports Chicago and streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live. (Reminder: Use #AskEdzo on social media and your questions may be answered by , who will be in studio along with Adam Burish, Brian Campbell and Pat Boyle). 1. Another fast start coming? The Blackhawks had one of their best starts of the season Wednesday in Tampa Bay, and the numbers favor Chicago to dictate the pace of play early again. The Panthers are tied with the Buffalo Sabres for the fewest goals scored in the first period (13), and have taken a lead into the second period only four times (3-1-0) in 21 games. They are 2-7-1 in the 10 games they've trailed after the opening frame. The Blackhawks, on the other hand, are tied for fourth when it comes to first-period goals (22) — albeit, five of them came on Opening Night against Pittsburgh — but they are just 4-2-2 in eight games when leading after one period. In fact, they took a 2-0 lead into the second in their most recent game against the Lightning and lost in overtime 3-2. So while a fast start could certainly be in the cards, the finish must also be there. 2. Take advantage on special teams. The Panthers are one of two teams ranked among the bottom six in both power play percentage (26th at 16.0) and penalty kill percentage (30th at 73.2). Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are coming in hot in both areas. They're 6- for-17 (35.3 percent) on the man advantage in their last four games, and own the fourth-best penalty kill unit (84.8 percent). This is the area to exploit for the Blackhawks going into the matchup, and it could decide the game. 3. Feed Lance Bouma! In his seventh season, Bouma has faced every NHL team at least five times in his career, with the exception of Vegas (pointless in one game this season). Bouma is not known for his offensive prowess (72 points in 325 career games), but it's a different story when he plays Florida. In six career games against the Panthers, Bouma has one goal, six assists and a career-high plus-8 rating. That one goal also happens to be one of his six career game winners. Florida is the only team Bouma is averaging at least a point-per-game against for his career, so you know what that means: Feed No. 17!

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084961 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche loses at Minnesota in shootout, gets a point

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 4:57 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 5:36 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — An excellent road game is defined by points — plural — but the point obtained by the Avalanche on Friday should qualify in this case. The Minnesota Wild was often outplayed after taking an early lead but skated off with a 3-2 shootout triumph over the Avs at the Xcel Energy Center. Colorado, which outshot the Wild 30-21 in regulation, failed to score in two shootout attempts while Minnesota was 2-for-3 against Avs goalie Jonathan Bernier. “We played a great game and just lost the shootout. That’s pretty much it,” said Avs defenseman Erik Johnson, who logged a game-high 26:44 in ice time. “Loved our game start to finish. They scored early and they’re really good when they get a lead early at home. But I liked our compete coming back. We had a great road game. You hate to lose a second point but you leave that as a toss-up in the shootout. But overall great game from us and we get to go back home where we’ve been pretty good on home ice.” The Avs got their goals from rookie J.T. Compher (short-handed) and Blake Comeau within a six-minute stretch of the first period, but Wild goalie Alex Stalock stood on his head the rest of the way in the first meeting of the season between the teams. Former University of Denver star Jason Zucker scored 1:13 into the game for the Wild. “I liked the way we dug in and answered back with two goals. I liked our energy tonight, I liked our compete level,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “Our execution wasn’t fantastic but we had a couple good chances in the third period to take the lead and win the hockey game. But we didn’t score on them. It’s a big road point for our team. I don’t like giving up two to them but I think our belief system is starting to build.” The Avs are 3-2-2 since the Matt Duchene trade, and 3-1-1 since returning from Sweden. Zucker’s goal came when he took a behind-the-net feed from Eric Staal and beat Bernier with a wrister for his ninth goal in his last nine games. The Avs (11-8-2) came back with goals from Compher (short-handed) at 10:23 and Comeau at 15:54 of the first period. Gabe Landeskog helped spring Compher for a breakaway in which he scored on a blocker-side wrist shot and Comeau beat Stalock with a short-side wrister. Compher nearly won it on a semi-breakaway late in regulation, but the puck bounced over his stick on a juicy rebound. “(Stalock) made a nice first stop and then I went for the rebound and it just hopped over my stick. But I thought we played really well,” Compher said. “This is a really good team and they always start well here. They get the first one but after that we settled in, played our game, and obviously we’d like the two points but we have to be happy with how we got the one.” Nino Niederreiter tied it 2-2 early in the second period for the Wild (11-8- 3). The goal came on the power play with Comeau in the box for slashing, and it marked the sixth consecutive game Niederreiter has scored, tying a franchise record. Niederreiter skated in to the weak-side wing and cashed in on a no-look centering pass from Mikko Koivu. The Avs, who are 7-1-1 at home, begin a five-game stretch at the Pepsi Center on Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084962 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche forward Sven Andrighetto back in lineup at Minnesota

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 12:42 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 5:54 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Swiss forward Sven Andrighetto was back in the Avalanche lineup Friday after being banished from it Wednesday in a 3-0 win against the visiting Dallas Stars. Andrighetto, who has played in 38 of 39 games for Colorado since being acquired late last season, was back at left wing on the Dominic Toninato- centered line in Friday afternoon’s game against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. “I like the way he handled our meeting the other day, and he had two really good days of practice,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said of Andrighetto on Friday. “When I talked to him about being a healthy scratch, I liked the way he handled it. I think he’s in agreement with me on why he was out and I look for him to come back and respond.” Andrighetto, 24, has a team-worst minus-8 rating but Bednar said that’s not why he was benched. “I think a lot of those (minuses) came early on. It’s just certain things we want to see of his game away from the puck, and get a little bit more competitive and hungry like he was earlier in the year and last year,” Bednar said. On defense, rookie Andrei Mironov, 23, replaced second-year player Chris Bigras, 22, as Colorado continues to find the right guy to partner with Tyson Barrie at even strength. “Both those guys are still trying to find their way, and we’re trying to see who can solidify themselves as a mainstay in our lineup,” Bednar said. Also in that mix is Anton Lindholm, who has missed the last seven games with a broken jaw. Lindholm has been practicing with the team with a protective facial cage and is on the cusp of being cleared. Footnotes. Goalie Semyon Varlamov, who remained in Denver to recover from an illness, might start Saturday night against the visiting Calgary Flames, but Bednar said that won’t be determined until pregame. Jonathan Bernier made his third consecutive start Friday and figures to require rest Saturday, so there’s a chance Andrew Hammond makes his Avalanche debut in net Saturday if Varlamov can’t play. … The Avs were scheduled to fly back to Denver immediately after the game and have an optional morning skate Saturday. CALGARY AT COLORADO, 8 p.m. Saturday, ALT, 950 AM Spotlight on: Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames forward had a six-game goals streak snapped Wednesday in a 1-0 loss at Columbus. The six- game stretch featured seven goals and 13 points, including five consecutive multi-point games. Entering Friday’s games, Gaudreau had 31 points and was the NHL’s third-leading scorer behind Tampa Bay teammates Nikita Kucherov (33) and Steven Stamkos (36). Gaudreau dipped from a career-high 30 goals in 2015-16 to just 18 last season but is on pace for 40 this season.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084963 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets 5, Senators 2 | Atkinson, Foligno re-emerge in victory

By Michael Arace The Columbus Dispatch @MichaelArace1 Posted Nov 24, 2017 at 11:24 PM Updated Nov 24, 2017 at 11:25 PM

The Blue Jackets stretched their winning streak to six games with a mid- third-period crescendo and a crowd-pleasing coda in Nationwide Arena on Friday night. Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno reappeared as the Jackets scored three goals in the final 11 minutes of regulation and beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2. There were 17,083 fans in attendance, and they were happy they didn’t have to chew on what is left of their nails for the full 60. Each of the Jackets’ five previous victories came by one goal, and three of them went beyond regulation. “We weren’t sure what to expect in the third,” Jackets coach John Tortorella said. What they got was a game-winning goal from Atkinson, a snipe off a rush by Foligno and an empty-net goal by Tyler Motte. Atkinson, whose last goal had come Oct. 27, had a pair of goals on this night. “I felt like I hadn’t scored in a year,” Atkinson said. The six-game winning streak is the Jackets’ longest since their epic, 16- game streak last season. The Jackets (15-7-1) sit atop the Metropolitan Division and are tied for the third-highest point total in the league. They got off to a flying start against Ottawa, a nasty-trapping, wicked- counterattacking team. Think: Jacques Lemaire’s old get-it-and-go Devils, more than Ken Hitchcock’s old trap-and-dump Stars. The Jackets dominated possession in the first, during which they outshot the Senators 14-4. One of the Sens’ shots, though, was a simple finish of a two-on-one rush: Derick Brassard saucered the puck to Tom Pyatt, whose goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 10:56 of the first period. The Senators’ lead lasted 26 seconds — or the time it took Atkinson to poke the puck off the stick of Alexandre Burrows, take off on a naked breakaway, deke down Sens goalie Craig Anderson and tuck a wee forehand inside the right post. Just like that, it was 1-1. The Jackets took a 2-1 lead at 7:28 of the second period on a goal by Markus Nutivaara, his first of the season and the third of his career. It was set up by Josh Anderson, who circumnavigated the Senators’ defense. “Nobody stops that guy,” Nutivaara said of Anderson. The Senators answered in Senatorial fashion when they took a blue-line turnover by Artemi Panarin and scored on a lightning counter by Mike Hoffman. Just like that, it was 2-2. In the third period, the Jackets had to show the kind of patience that is becoming their hallmark. The Senators had the puck for minutes on end. The Jackets had trouble getting past the red line. Sergei Bobrovsky — who faced 12 shots through the first 40 minutes — finally got busy and, as he did, he entered a Zen-like state of ethereal limberness. He was particularly impressive during a penalty kill midway through the period. “It’s hard to play that game as a goalie,” Tortorella said, referring to a long stretch of quiet followed by a whirlwind of business. Atkinson stepped out of the penalty box and clapped one in from the top of the left circle at 10:40 of the third. A few minutes later, Sonny Milano sprang a rush for Foligno and Atkinson, and Foligno finished it off with an unhesitating wrist shot under the crossbar. That gave the Jackets a two- goal lead, and the crowd exhaled.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084964 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets notebook | Amid issues, Tortorella likes potential for depth

By Josh Horton The Columbus Dispatch Posted Nov 24, 2017 at 10:08 PM Updated Nov 24, 2017 at 10:08 PM

With the Blue Jackets 23 games into the regular season, coach John Tortorella describes his feelings on his squad as “half full.” Sure, there are some worrisome things. Forward Nick Foligno has only one point in his last 13 games. Center Alexander Wennberg is day-to-day with an unspecified injury. Some of the Blue Jackets’ other veterans expected to make a big impact on offense, such as Brandon Dubinsky, Cam Atkinson and Boone Jenner, haven’t produced like many thought they would. But Tortorella’s optimism stems from some of the pleasant surprises that have kept this team near the top of the Eastern Conference, along with the stellar play of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, 22, entered Friday’s game second on the team with 13 points. Defenseman Markus Nutivaara has eight points in 17 games. Pierre-Luc Dubois has recently emerged as the team’s top-line center. Once the slumping veterans and those in the training room come back, Tortorella hopes those who have stepped up already will provide valuable depth. “As we’ve always said, when another guy gets an opportunity, then your team usually becomes a better team if they improve when they get certain minutes they wouldn’t normally get when those other guys are healthy,” Tortorella said. “Then when the guys are back, then you have something.” David Savard was a healthy scratch last Friday against the New York Rangers, which allowed for the veteran defenseman to re-set his game. Tortorella has liked Savard’s response since he rejoined the lineup. “He has played better,” Tortorella said. “We want him to play quick. We want him to make outlet passes. We felt like he was turning the puck over too much. We felt the speed was catching up to him a little bit.” Savard played alongside his usual partner, Jack Johnson, on Friday against the Senators. When it comes to 20-year-old defenseman Zach Werenski, Tortorella is careful not to inhibit his playmaking ability. “There are no restrictions on his game,” Tortorella said. “We let him know he’s not a defenseman, he’s no longer called a defenseman. I want him to go. ... There are certain situations that he still has to learn and maybe needs to slow down. “I think there are situations that he might need to pull back, but you don’t want to overcoach that. Because I don’t want hesitant. Just go.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084965 Columbus Blue Jackets “It's good to finally rack up a couple of goals as a team and win by more than one goal.”

Atkinson and Foligno have both said that during long slumps it's the Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno end long droughts in Blue Jackets win frequent scoring chances that help sustain some level of confidence. But over Ottawa that's a hockey cliche. The only thing that mollifies a goal-scorer is scoring goals. By Aaron Portzline 4 hours ago “Cam was a little frustrated,” Tortorella said. “I know I'm watching him pretty close (on Friday) just to see if we can get him to touch the puck more. Three of four shifts in a row, he didn't even touch it 5-on-5. An Nick Foligno was sprung out of the Blue Jackets' zone by a nifty pass offensive guy wants the puck. from Sonny Milano late in the third period, giving him a rare chance against tight-checking Ottawa to skate unabated with the puck through “It's nice to say you get chances, but goal-scorers want to score. Cam's the neutral zone and into the attack zone. been a little bit stuck here. Nick has been stuck.” The only thing slowing Foligno was the voice inside his head, and when NOTEBOOK you haven't scored a goal in nearly a month, there can be a lot going on Atkinson's first goal was scored off a tough couple of bounces for upstairs. Ottawa's Alexandre Burrows. The puck hopped over his stick twice and “The worst part was, I was looking to pass the whole time,” Foligno said he struggled to control it at the top of the slot in the Blue Jackets' zone after a 5-2 win over Ottawa on Friday in Nationwide Arena. “Somebody in midway through the first. Atkinson swatted at the puck, knocking it behind my head was just like, 'If you pass this and it doesn't go through, you're Burrows and sending Atkinson alone on a breakaway. Burrows wasn't going to kill you. You better shoot this.'” charged with a turnover because off-ice officials saw the bouncing puck. Atkinson was credited with a takeaway. Foligno shot. Far corner, his favorite spot. It was an important goal that finally extinguished the Senators, who hung in there all night despite The Blue Jackets' forecheck was really strong from the start of the game, being badly outplayed for long stretches. smothering Ottawa. It was as crisp and exacting as I can recall this season, right up there with the Oct. 25 game (5-1 win) in Winnipeg. At It was Foligno's first goal since Oct. 25 — way back in the ninth game of one point, the shots were 23-7 in favor of the Blue Jackets. The Senators the season — and it gave the Blue Jackets a 4-2 lead. didn't come unraveled, but they couldn't go two strides without getting checked or hit in their own zone. “I told him he should have passed there,” Cam Atkinson joked. Maybe adding Matt Duchene wasn't the right move for Ottawa. The jury's Atkinson, who hadn't scored since Oct. 27, already had two goals and still out, but it's been a rough start. In seven games since the trade from was skating to Foligno's right as they closed in on Senators goaltender Colorado, he has zero points and a minus-10 rating. He was barely Craig Anderson. He was looking for a hat trick. noticeable tonight, except when Blue Jackets' forward Tyler Motte landed a big hit on him in the third period, just before Atkinson's go-ahead goal. “I saw that the top corner was open, so … sorry Cam, but I'll take that one,” Foligno said. “I'll get you a hat trick some other game.” Motte had a goal, a plus-3 rating, two shots and a club-high four hits in only 9:42 of playing time. The Blue Jackets, the hottest club in the NHL, have won six straight games and are sitting in first place in the Metropolitan Division. Not a great night for Artemi Panarin. He had a turnover that sparked Ottawa toward the 2-2 goal by Mike Hoffman. He also had no points, no They have forged a 15-7-1 record despite limited contributions and long shots on goal, one giveaway, one blocked shot and only 14:32 of ice droughts by some of their top players. But maybe that's starting to time, a season-low. change. After the game, G Joonas Korpisalo and RW Markus Hannikainen were “I'm half-full here,” said Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, ever the sent to AHL Cleveland. They'll play for the Monsters on Saturday vs. optimist. “I'm really encouraged by some of our younger guys … if they Texas, then be back in time for Sunday's practice in Columbus. can just stay with it, and some of our other guys can get going, I think we'll have some more offense. You'll note that when the Jackets sent players to Cleveland last week, Milano was included on the trip. Not this time. Milano again played “You just never know if you can get all of that going together, but we're significant minutes (15:00) made a couple of bright defensive plays and going to try.” had the really sharp pass to spring Foligno for his goal off the rush in the This is the remarkable part: third. The Blue Jackets are only one point behind the pace they set last Former Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard played well against one of season, when they finished 2016-17 with 50 wins and 108 points, both his former clubs. He made a beautiful saucer pass off his backhand at franchise records. 10:56 to set up Taylor Pyatt's 1-0 goal. He also won 10 of 19 faceoffs. They were 14-5-4 (32 points) last season; they're 15-7-1 (31 points) this season. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 But last season, though 23 games, Nick Foligno (9-12-21), Cam Atkinson (8-13-21) and Alexander Wennberg (6-15-21) were tied as the club's leading scorers. That's a combined 23-40-63. So far this season, Foligno (4-6-10) has been chilly after a strong start. He ended a 12-game streak without a point on Wednesday and snapped a 13-game streak without a goal on Friday. Atkinson has just 6-3-9, though he missed four games with a hip injury and infection. Wennberg has only 1-8-9 in 18 games. He missed his fifth consecutive game with an upper-body injury, and the club hasn't said when he might return. Total through 23 games this season? 11-17-28 from those three players, less than half of last season's year-to-game pace. But somehow the Blue Jackets have scraped by with secondary scoring — Oliver Bjorkstrand, Josh Anderson, and Milano — and expert goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky. Friday was the first time in nine games the Jackets scored more than three goals. “I felt like I hadn't scored a goal in a couple of years,” Atkinson said. “It's nice to be a part of it and get back to my way of playing. 1084966 Columbus Blue Jackets In a span of seconds, the goaltender need to shift from cruise control to Vezina Trophy highlight mode.

After Jones cleared the zone, the Senators reloaded and spent the next How the Blue Jackets weathered 75 seconds of penalty-killing chaos to 60 seconds buzzing the Blue Jackets’ net. Stone, , Dion post sixth consecutive win Phaneuf, Derick Brassard and a one-legged Ryan worked the puck beautifully, delivering three dangerous cross-ice passes. By Tom Reed 2 hours ago Meanwhile, Jones, Murray, Dubinsky and Boone Jenner were looking for a stoppage that never came.

“We lucked out,” Murray said. “They had some ‘grade A’ scoring chances One of the wackiest penalty kills of the Blue Jackets’ season almost and we got a little tired and ran around a little bit and some pucks popped required a chalk outline Friday night. into some bad areas.” Less than five seconds into the Senators’ pivotal third-period power play, Bobrovsky somehow stopped a Stone point shot through a Phaneuf poor Bobby Ryan crumpled to ice like a 12-point buck after Seth Jones’ screen before denying Brassard from the right circle. scorching clearing attempt from behind the net hit the Ottawa forward in the lower leg. “We were pressing, but their goalie is at the top of the league right now and you saw why,” Boucher said. Then, things got weird. Bobrovsky registered four saves, but never could freeze the puck. The Senators had all the momentum for 75 seconds in a tie game. Four Finally, an errant pass hopped over Brassard’s stick along the halfwall shots on goal. Multiple seam passes through the heart of the Blue and Dubinsky cleared, enabling the exhausted penalty killers to head to Jackets’ penalty-killing box. Weary Columbus players unable to get off the bench. the ice. At this point, a “Lets Go Jackets” chant rose from the nervous crowd. The But Sergei Bobrovsky just kept stopping pucks, giving his team and a second unit killed off the final 45 seconds without allowing another shot. crowd of 17,084 fans inside Nationwide Arena hope they could survive the onslaught. Everyone in the building sensed a golden opportunity had been missed by Ottawa. Particularly the skaters on the Senators’ bench. “I thought they were going to score three or four times,” Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray told The Athletic. “Bob kept getting pieces of “We did everything but score on that last power play,” Boucher said on a shots. Huge kudos to him.” night Ottawa went 0-of-3 with the man advantage. “It does get frustrating for the players when you think you deserve it and it’s not coming.” The Blue Jackets’ 17th consecutive penalty kill — as unorthodox and discombobulated as any in the streak — somehow swung the contest in Bobrovsky has that affect on lots of opponents right now. Just ask the their favor. Forty-one seconds after Cam Atkinson stepped out of the Red Wings’ Andreas Athanasiou and Canadiens’ Jacob de la Rose. penalty box, he rewarded Bobrovsky and the penalty killers with the The Jackets penalty kill hasn’t yielded a goal since the three scored by game-winning goal at 10:40 of the third period en route to a 5-2 victory. the Rangers in the third period of a 5-3 New York win on Nov. 6. That’s a While most will remember Atkinson and Nick Foligno scoring in a three- span of eight games. minute span, it was the wild work of the Blue Jackets’ special teams that The Blue Jackets left the rink praising Bobrovsky and celebrating the end set the stage for the late-game heroics. of goal-scoring droughts for Atkinson and Foligno. “Who knows where the game goes if (the Senators) get the go-ahead The Senators left the rink ruing a glorious chance that went begging. At goal?” John Tortorella said after the club registered its sixth straight win. least Bobby Ryan lived to tell about it. “Does frustration start to set in with the team? It was a really important penalty kill and our goaltender (was) a big part of that. I thought we fed off of it.” The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 It was a bizarre and frantic sequence that showcased the fortunes of two teams going in opposite directions in late November. The Blue Jackets did almost nothing right and skated away with the lead. The Senators, winless in five games, did almost nothing wrong only to the hear the Nationwide cannon erupt after a missed opportunity. “That’s hockey,” Bobrovsky told The Athletic. “Momentum swings are big. You must stay strong when the storm comes at you and then you look for your chances.” The Jackets were the better team much of the evening, holding a 27-16 shot advantage at the time of Atkinson’s tripping penalty. Suddenly, the Senators had a chance to steal two points. Bobrovsky made a point-blank stop on Ryan during the delayed call. “We definitely could have got the go-ahead goal,” Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. After a television timeout, Brandon Dubinsky won the defensive-zone draw to Jones and it appeared the blueliner would have an easy exit. But Jones’ blast hit Ryan and the puck fell to the stick of Ottawa forward Mark Stone, the team’s leading goal scorer. Chaos ensued. “It was my time to step up and help my teammates when it was needed for the win,” Bobrovsky said. “I stayed focused and did my best.” The netminder, who entered the game leading the NHL in goals against average (2.02), had the presence of mind to scoot out to the top of the crease and cut down the angle on Stone. It allowed him to make a comfortable blocker save. “I was in pretty good position and got out pretty close to (Stone),” the goalie said. Tortorella marveled at Bobrovsky’s concentration level in yet another game in which he had little work through two periods. 1084967 Dallas Stars "Ben looks like he's really elevated the last two or three games, so I think we've got a good thing going right now with Ben. He's really starting to play. He looks like he's getting back and rounding into really a nice form Stars-Flames preview: Jere Lehtinen to be honored; a matchup of here for us, which is good." dynamic players to watch "Seguin's a shooter, I'm a passer, and Shore's got good legs. It gives us three dynamics, and we did a good job of using each other and we got rewarded for it." By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika "(Jagr) is always talking about the mindset of top guys. Even this year, in our conversations, again he's enlightening me about the mindset of top guys and what top guys need to feel. It helps you as a coach when you FLAMES at STARS get these tidbits from some of the top players that have ever played the game. It helps you coach the next generation guys that are coming up, Storyline because there is a different mindset to being a guy that is relied upon to There is a game to play, but first, Jere Lehtinen will become only the fifth produce every night, like Jags has for 20-plus, almost 30 years...I take player in franchise history to have his number retired. The late start and away those little nuggets when he tells me what his mindset was when long ramp-up to the game could be considered a distraction, but the he was at the top and trying to beat the top all the time." Stars have been great at home this year, so that will be comforting for a team coming off a 3-0 loss in Denver on Wednesday. This is the third game in four nights, and Ken Hitchcock always warns that's when energy Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.25.2017 seems to dip. Key matchup John Klingberg vs. Johnny Gaudreau: Two of the more dynamic players in the Western Conference, they should see a lot of each other on the ice. Gaudreau ranks third in NHL scoring with 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 21 games. Klingberg is tied for the lead in scoring among defensemen with 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists) in 22 games. Gaudreau has gotten the better of the head-to-head matches as he has 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists) and is plus-5 in 10 games against Dallas, while Klingberg has 3 points (0 goals, 3 assists) and is minus-6 in 10 games against the Flames. Key number 72.6 percent: That's the penalty kill success rate for Calgary, worst in the NHL. Dallas ranks second in power play success rate at 25.4 percent. That could be a good boost for the Stars, who currently have been struggling to get on the power play, ranking 27th at 66 attempts. Notable -- Dallas lost at Colorado on Wednesday, 3-0, and is 11-10-1, 8-2-0 at home. -- Calgary lost 1-0 in OT at Columbus on Wednesday and is 12-8-1. The Flames are 6-3-1 on the road and playing the fifth game of a six-game road trip. -- Ben Bishop is expected to start for Dallas. He is 9-7-0 with a 2.69 GAA and .906 save percentage. Bishop is 5-6-1 in his career against Calgary with a 2.31 GAA and .908 save percentage. -- Mike Smith is expected to start for Calgary. He is 11-6-1 with a 2.52 GAA and .925 save percentage. The former Stars goalie is 9-8-6 against his old team with a 2.21 GAA and .925 save percentage. -- The Stars are 1-0-0 against Calgary this season, beating the Flames 2- 1 on Oct. 27. -- Defenseman Marc Methot is out for 4-6 weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery. -- Center Martin Hanzal will return to the lineup after missing two games with a hand injury. -- Calgary ranks 25th in shots on goals against at 33.1. Dallas ranks second in shots on goal against at 29.0. -- Jamie Benn has 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 26 career games against Calgary. -- Jaromir Jagr has 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in 35 career games against the Stars. He said it "The organization was good for my family and whole community, and this reflects that. To have lots of former teammates and coaches from here and from Finland even to come back, I think that's what's great. A man usually doesn't cry, but we'll see what happens." "To be honest, we got what we deserved. We didn't deserve to win that game, from my standpoint. Tonight, we wanted to play an easy game. They're too good a team to play that way against." -- Flames goalie Mike Smith on losing a 1-0 overtime game to Columbus on Wednesday in which they were outshot 41-22 1084968 Dallas Stars "I think the biggest thing for me, personally I liked my start to the year, you know. Then we switched lines to balance things out and I kind of have been trying to figure out that role a little bit. Obviously I've been so He said it: Players and coaches comment after Stars' 6-4 win over used to playing with a guy like Jamie Benn and [Alexander] Radulov, just Calgary Friday because they are experienced guys and offensive thinking. My line has been kind of rotating guys but tonight I thought we were connecting and figuring it out." By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika Stars Forward Alexander Radulov On the importance of tonight's win: Stars Head Coach Ken Hitchcock "Well, it's huge. Obviously, we've been in these situations so far this season a few times, but we couldn't come back. I'll say we were falling On the importance of a game like tonight: apart in the third. But today, we stick with it. I think we still have to prove defensively, like we can't give up those odd-man rushes and the goals "I just think that coming back and winning a hockey game really builds they scored. But, it was great by everyone and we gave everything. confidence. That is the most important part. The score's not relevant for Some lucky bounces there and found a way to win. That's huge and us. The contribution by role players helped a lot. We got a goal from we're going to try and build momentum off of that." Faksa's line, we got a goal from Hanzal's line. That really helped us a lot. But being down a goal and staring at that and then playing the way we On Tyler Seguin's hat trick performance tonight: did to bring it back. Six or seven chances on the five on three, glorious chances, Smith made some real saves. Feels good. Wins are wins but "It's huge, we all know he's a world class goal scorer and we need him. this one feels good and they are going to be able to sit on it for a day or He was quiet for a bit in the past, but we know that it's hard in this league two." to score. Today he was outstanding. He was flying and he did everything right, and he got the hat trick. So it's good for us, good for him too." On the importance of Martin Hanzal: On getting goals from all four lines: "Part of the reason we split up Benn and Seguin was that Marty wasn't in and maybe we can put it back at some period of time when Hanzal is up "That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to play hard. All of the lines and running. He was good until he ran out of gas in the third, but he are there, and Hitch is trying to play everybody because all four lines can helps. He helps a lot. He manages the game properly and it allows other score goals and play good defensively. But like I said before, we have to centers to look at him and know how to play the position. He plays the work on our defensive zone, it's not a secret." position so well, with or without the puck that you don't have to be quick if you're smart and he plays smart. It helps us because the other guys look On tonight's performance: at us and know that is the right way to play." "I thought we played a pretty good game right until the 10-minute mark of On Seguin's big night after transitioning lines: the third. We had a huge penalty kill. I thought the guys did an excellent job in a 5-on-3. Then, all of a sudden, we self-inflicted ourselves. We had "I looked at it for a different reason other than today. I looked at it if I pucks under perfect control, made a bad pass, made another bad pass could put together a line with Seguin on it he should score more. The and it ends up being in your net. Same thing again on a couple other goal was to get him to score more. I felt he could be more of a productive plays, we had full control of the puck and we're just not secure with it and offensive player if I got him a different match. If I started him in the it cost us. It's been going on the last couple games - tonight it caught us." offensive zone, if I got him a softer match at the end of the day he could be a significant point producer and give us a gap. He did that today but On the team's sense of self-belief: that was the goal from day one, was to get him into a scoring mode and "We're not losing belief because we shoot ourselves once here. In the hopefully put a line together that could do it." last couple games we've done it. Dodged a bullet in Columbus, got hit On Stephen Johns: today. Got to learn from it and keep moving." "Not really because we aren't exactly sure what it is. We're not sure On giving Dallas too many offensive chances: where it is, what it is or I mean he hit his back he hit a little bit of his "You're going to give up chances. There's chances in every game that's head. He hit the middle of the back and his shoulder. We will get a better played in this league. The problem is we don't need to give them up. It's evaluation in the morning but it's sore in a number of areas." like in tennis, you don't want to hit the ball in the net. Just get it over, and On Tyler Seguin's progression at this point in the season: let them beat you. What we're doing is we're self-inflicting ourselves with some needless plays. Not high-risk plays, just simple plays we're just not "As I've said before he's really good from the red line back, and you know executing, and it's costly." he is more than capable against any center in the league from the red line back. We're trying to get him to be one from the red line in, that's why On how the game slipped away: games like to day they help give him the confidence that he can go into "I think we kept getting leads and then just blowing them. Every time we the hard areas and have success offensively. But he is already an would get a goal we would give up a goal. That kind of killed it for us. We accomplished player from the red line back. He reads the game well, he's couldn't hold onto the lead and play with the lead and I think that's what competitive as hell that part is really safe and good but we would like to hurt us." see if we could get him extended a little bit beyond this." On cleaning up turnovers: On Julius Honka: "Just like you said, clean it up. We didn't play great today. We had some "He was okay. Tough go because he comes in the game playing with a good offense from Jonny [Gaudreau's] line and got some goals, but other right shot on the left side. Which means you're not passing the puck to a than that I don't know if we had too many great chances. Jagr had a person in an area, you're actually spending the whole game passing the couple in that line, but like you said, those turnovers hurt us." puck to a person behind him. It was difficult transition at times. There was a little bit of hesitation, not his fault, but I thought he was okay. The way On the loss being mental or execution: the league is right now we are going to have to find more mobility back there. Whether it is by moving the puck quicker or by skating more. For "Both. Execution comes from being mentally ready and there are some us to get to another level we will have to look at playing him a little bit." things we did good in the game, but there are certainly a lot of errors that we have to clean up. We've been talking about it for a while and we have On the importance of winning a game like this one: to put a full 60 together as a group. It's tough to trade chances with a team like that off the rush. They're going to hurt you. They've got a lot of "I mean that felt like a playoff game from the first shift. Obviously they're guys and they proved it. It's a quick turnaround for us, a team that is a good team and you know how we've been against the West, so we playing well in Colorado, so we have to get there and finish the road trip were ready to come out and compete. I loved our game from goalie out, on a positive end for our group." now we just have to figure out how we can play like this at home and why we can't play like that on the road. So that is what we have to talk about. On having belief: We have a weekend off pretty much, Sunday, Monday, back to work so we've got time digest this win and what clicked tonight and how we can "Yeah, 100%. We're a good team and we believe we're a good team. We bring this on the road and get two big wins in Vegas and Chicago." believe in one another and that area is not creeping into our game whatsoever as a team. We believe in the group that we have on the ice On taking on more responsibility: and we know that we can do it. We just have to go out there and do it, execute. We know we have it here and we're ready to keep pushing forward. We have to come back with a good effort and I know we will tomorrow."

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084969 Dallas Stars Stars: Seguin scored his third of the game on an empty-netter with 59.4 seconds left in the game. Stars 6, Flames 4.

Cold facts: Late heroics from Seguin give Stars a 6-4 win over Calgary Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.25.2017

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

Stars 6, Flames 4 Three Stars 1. Tyler Seguin, Stars - Three goals, and 10 shots on goal 2. Johnny Gaudreau, Flames - Goal and two assists, including big steal 3. Sean Monahan, Flames - Two goals, one assist, plus-2 Former Stars great Jere Lehtinen honored by family, former teammates during jersey retirement ceremony Big play With Dallas in pretty good control in the second period, Johnny Gaudreau slipped in behind Stars defenseman Dan Hamhuis and picked his pocket. The third leading scorer in the NHL then wheeled and whipped a shot past Ben Bishop to give Flames a 2-1 lead and a huge boost of momentum. The rest of the game was chaos. Discuss Stephen Johns, who missed three games earlier in the season, crashed into the boards and appeared to hit his head. He was removed from the game and did not return. Should the Stars be patient with Johns and let Julius Honka take his ice time? What does it mean? On an emotional night when Jere Lehtinen had his No. 26 retired, the Stars needed a win. Dallas came back from three deficits and won the game with a gritty third period. The Stars move to 12-10-1, 9-2-0 at home. GOALS Stars: Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick got in hard on the forecheck and won several puck battles. Pitlick then made a quick pass out of the corner to Antoine Roussel in front of the net and Roussel scored his third goal of the season at 18:22 of the first period. Stars 1, Flames 0. Flames: After a turnover in the Stars' end, Micheal Ferland snapped a shot past Ben Bishop 39 seconds into the second period. It was Ferland's ninth goal of the season. Stars 1, Flames1. Flames: As Dan Hamhuis was working the puck out of the defensive end, Johnny Gaudreau lifted his stick, wheeled in on Bishop and scored his 11th goal of the season at 2:53 of the second period. Flames 2, Stars 1. Stars: Mattias Janmark worked the puck in the left circle and made a slick pass to Tyler Seguin in front of the net. Seguin deflected a shot on goal and then slam-dunked a high rebound for his 10th goal of the season at 4:20 of the second period. Stars 2, Flames 2. Flames: After a controversial goaltender interference penalty on Antoine Roussel, Sean Monahan scored on the power play at 17:31 of the second period. Flames 3, Stars 2. Stars: Devin Shore put a hard shot on net from the slot and Alexander Radulov cleaned up the rebound for his eighth goal of the season at 18:30 of the second period. Stars 3, Flames 3. Flames: Gaudreau made a nice pass to slip Monhan behind the Stars' defense, and Monahan scored his 14th goal of the season at 6:04 of the third period. Flames 4, Stars 3. Stars: Brett Ritchie wheeled around the Flames net and got the puck to the crease. There, Gemel Smith chipped in his second goal of the year at 12:12 of the third period. Stars 4, Flames 4. Stars: Tyler Seguin took a puck off the boards, dipped into the slot and snapped in his 11th goal of the season and 200th of his career at 14:03 of the third period. Stars 5, Flames 4. 1084970 Dallas Stars needed. Lehtinen said before the night that he didn't know if he would cry or not, but added that "sometimes, a man has to cry." Reminded of his statement after the emotional moment, he smiled the shy smile that has Former Stars great Jere Lehtinen honored by family, former teammates always delighted Stars' fans. during jersey retirement ceremony "That happens," he said. "And it's good." Better than good, really, it was perfect. By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.25.2017 As Jere Lehtinen stood and watched his No. 26 raised to the rafters at American Airlines Center Friday - just the fifth number retired by the Stars franchise in 50 years - his wife Jaana and children came out to stand beside him. While the banner inched toward the sky, tears started running down the cheeks of Jere and Jaana, Olympic sweethearts from Finland who had to forge a new life in a strange land so that Lehtinen could come play for the Stars. As they watched Lehtinen's NHL career encapsulated in one evening, it all hit home pretty hard. "I'm so happy they were there," Lehtinen said. "You need a family when you are a hockey player, they made so many sacrifices so I could chase my dream." And while the support of his mom and brother, as well as daughters Anna and Sofia and son Joel, were a big part of Lehtinenpalooza Friday, it all seemed like family to Lehtinen. The three-time Selke Trophy winner, who played all 875 of his NHL games with the Stars, thanked former owners Norman Green and Tim Hicks, current owner , a group of former teammates and the fans of the Stars who packed American Airlines Center. It was a perfect way to honor a player who meant so much to so many people. "Jere Lehtinen epitomized who the Stars needed to be," said former goalie Marty Turco. And Saturday's fete was a tribute to all of that. Stars players wore Lehtinen sweaters during warm-ups and wore gold laces at the morning skate, warm-ups, and during the game. Lehtinen used to wear gold laces when he played. "It's a great tribute," said captain Jamie Benn. "He meant so much to this organization that it's great to be able to honor that. It's a really neat feeling." Lehtinen joins Bill Masterton, Bill Goldsworthy, Neal Broten and Mike Modano in having his number retired by the Stars. He is the all-time franchise leader in plus-minus at plus-176, and he symbolized what the Stars stood for back in the day. Former GM won four Selke Trophies with Montreal as best defensive forward in the NHL, and former Stars center Guy Carbonneau won three with Montreal. They brought that attitude, and Lehtinen carried it on as the Stars played two-way hockey and won the 1999 Stanley Cup. What did Lehtinen mean to new-old coach Ken Hitchcock, who coached Lehtinen back in the 1990s and now is back coaching Dallas again? "Winning," Hitchcock said. "A lot of winning." "He's the highlight package for a coach to show how to play the right way," Hitchcock added. "I've never seen a guy in my coaching career that I never coached. I basically asked him how he was and that's all the coaching I ever did. You didn't have to tell him how to play, you didn't have to tell him how to compete, you didn't have to tell him where to go on the ice. His instincts -- both defensively and offensively -- were excellent." Jamie and Jordie Benn's parents didn't wear their gifted jerseys to watch their sons face each other Lehtinen even handled the speech well. He thanked Gainey and Carbonneau for helping him learn to play defensive hockey. He thanked Team Finland linemates Ville Peltonen and Saku Koivu, who were in attendance. He thanked broadcasters Ralph Strangis and for helping him learn English. That was a joke, of course, as Lehtinen still struggles with English. But he said he wrote the speech in English from his heart and he battled through with the same spirit he used to have as a player. "It was not easy," he said. "I would have rather had a helmet on one more time." But then he would have missed the time with his family...and that was 1084971 Dallas Stars

Stars get a big night from Tyler Seguin in win over Calgary; Jere Lehtinen honored

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

Tyler Seguin came up with his first hat trick of the season and 200th goal of his career, to help the Stars rally to a 6-4 win over the Calgary Flames Friday at American Airlines Center. Dallas pushed its overall record to 12-10-1 (25 points) and moved its home record to 9-2-0. What's more, a sellout crowd that came for the retirement of Jere Lehtinen's No. 26 went home happy. The game was chaotic as Dallas took a 1-0 lead in the first period and then had to chase the Flames the rest of the way. Seguin scored off his own rebound in the second period, and then chipped in the game- winning goal with 5:57 remaining in the third period and topped it off with an empty-netter. It was a huge night for Seguin, who has had his ups and downs since being moved off the top line and asked to try to create a little scoring depth on the second line. Seguin had a goal and two assists in his previous five games, and was looking out of sorts at times. However, he found his stride in a chaotic game in which Dallas had a 41-38 advantage in shots on goal. Seguin led all players with 10 shots on goal. Dallas also received goals from Antoine Roussel, Alexander Radulov and Gemel Smith, with each coming when the player found a way to drive the net and force the puck past Flames goalie Mike Smith, who was actually pretty hot in the game. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists, and Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist, but that wasn't enough for a Flames team that falls to 12-9-1 (25 points). Lehtinen thinks Heiskanen could play in Olympics: In his current job as general manager of the Finnish National Team, Jere Lehtinen still leans on his experience with the Stars organization. Lehtinen has played a big role in getting Stars defenseman Esa Lindell onto the team for both the World Cup and World Championships last season, and he said this week that there is a good chance Stars prospect Miro Heiskanen could play for Finland in the 2018 Olympics. That's pretty impressive for an 18-year-old, but Heiskanen was the third overall player taken in the 2017 draft, so he is on the fast track to get to the NHL. Heiskanen is one of the better players on HIFK in the Finnish Elite League and has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 13 games, so he should be able to help the Finnish National Team in an Olympics where the NHL is not participating. "He's a good player," Lehtinen said. "Last year, I saw him play many games, and he stood out. But now, he's even better. We had him (on Team Finland) in a tournament two weeks ago and he was one of our best defenseman there. He has good chance to play in Olympics this year, World Championships, we'll see what happens. But he's put up good notice for us." Hanzal returns: Martin Hanzal missed most of training camp with an ankle issue, missed three games in late October with an unrelated lower body injury, and missed the past two games with a hand injury. The veteran center said it has been a tough run for him this year. Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said he feels for Hanzal, and believes the big center will improve once he can get a consistent run going. Hanzal entered Friday's game minus-11. "He's come out and been really good and then got hurt three times," Hitchcock said. "It's been unfortunate for him, because just when he's having a huge impact on the game and our team, boom - he's out. We just want to see him stay healthy, because he has a huge impact on our team."

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.25.2017

1084972 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings vs. New Jersey Devils: Time, TV, radio information

Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press Published 12:57 a.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017

7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit, WJR-AM (760): Detroit Red Wings (10-9-4) hosts New Jersey Devils (13-5-4). Detroit Red Wings (10-9-4, 24 points) vs. New Jersey Devils (13-5-4, 30 points) When: 7 p.m. Where: Little Caesars Arena. TV: Fox Sports Detroit. Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1; other radio affiliates). Game notes:After a collecting a point Friday night at Madison Square Garden, the Wings return home to dance with the Devils. New Jersey was busy last night, too, taking down the Canucks, 3-2. The Devils have won seven of their 11 road games this season and are one point behind Columbus for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084973 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings get back to playing with identity in 2-1 OT loss at Rangers

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 12:00 a.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017

NEW YORK — The Detroit Red Wings had to make do with one point, but it was one they banked with pride. The Wings got back to playing the right way Friday at Madison Square Garden, putting pucks on net and driving the middle and going to the net. That they were left with a 2-1 loss had everything to do with New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 40 saves. He and Jimmy Howard traded saves in a game that entertained start to finish. While they didn’t get the final score they wanted, the Wings got the performance they needed after two subpar outings. “It was way more towards our identity,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I thought we played way closer to the way we want to play to be successful. Both goalies were obviously great. We did lots of good stuff that we can certainly build on. “There’s areas we’ve got to shore up – now some of that is they’re a real good team. They’ve won lots of games here for a reason and they certainly test you in your D-zone. I didn’t think our D-zone was quite good enough in the second. But overall, we played the way we need to play to be successful and the way we’ve played the last large stretch of games that we have been successful.” The Wings took a 1-0 lead early in the third period when Tomas Tatar blasted the puck towards the net, taking advantage of Justin Abdelkader screening Lundqvist with the man advantage. The Wings have converted on the power play in eight of their last 10 games (and in one of the two, they didn’t get any power plays), a stark contrast to last year’s struggles. The Wings are getting the bounces they missed last year – Zetterberg said he wasn’t making a pass to Niklas Kronwall, but the puck hit a Rangers player and bounced to Kronwall, who fed Tatar for the goal. “You just have to keep going and keep playing and keep believing in what you are doing,” Zetterberg said. “Eventually the puck will go in, and it has been good lately.” The Wings showed their re-commitment to playing the right way in the second period – the Rangers came out hard after the Wings took it to them in the first period, 17-6 in shots, but the Wings didn’t fold, like they did in Wednesday’s loss to the Oilers. “You can’t do more than put pucks on there and be there for second chances and we did that,” Zetterberg said. “It was a fun game to play. It’s always fun to come into this building and play in this arena and today, too, I thought both teams played a good hockey game. “We got back to playing the way we want to. Now we just have to follow this up with the same tomorrow.” The Wings host the New Jersey Devils Saturday at Little Caesars Arena. The Wings just lost to an Oilers team that had played the night before, and, in overtime Sunday, to a Colorado team that had played the night before. If the Wings can match Friday’s intensity, they give themselves a chance. “Overall if we play like this, good things will happen,” Tatar said. “We came out strong, we played for 60 minutes – the only thing we were missing were more goals. Howie was outstanding. “We knew we are way better and I think we stepped in tonight.” Howard had a .935 save percentage in the game, typical for him at MSG. “This is a great place to play,” Howard said after making 29 saves. “The fans are into it. Usually they are tight games, so it makes for a fun atmosphere. It’s New York City. I think everybody enjoys coming here and playing. This is the greatest arena in the world as far as I am concerned. Me personally being from New York, I love playing here.” Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084974 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Trevor Daley exits Rangers game with upper body injury

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 9:29 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 | Updated 10:39 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

NEW YORK — Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley left Friday's game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden after appearing to suffer a neck injury. Midway through the first period Daley played the puck and then crashed into Paul Carey, dropping to the ice and writhing. Daley was attended to by trainer Piet Van Zant, and was able to get up and skate. The Wings announced during the second period that Daley would not return. Coach Jeff Blashill said afterwards he wasn't sure if Daley suffered a stinger or if it's something more serious. Daley is scheduled to undergo an MRI Saturday. The Wings had dressed seven defensemen, so were able to retain three pairings. The 34-year-old defenseman signed a three-year, $9.5-million deal with the Wings in the offseason. He has one assist and is a minus-4 through 22 games this season. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084975 Detroit Red Wings

Wings' Jimmy Howard outshined by Lundqvist in 2-1 OT loss at Rangers

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 10:05 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

NEW YORK — Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist traded highlight-reel saves Friday as they stole the show at Madison Square Garden. The goaltenders entertained as they thwarted one good shot after another, Howard again thriving in his favorite road rink and the Detroit Red Wings making it hard on the home goalie. The Wings wound up losing, 2-1, when Mats Zuccarello scored 37 seconds into overtime. Tomas Tatar scored with 2 seconds left on a power play in the third period, at 4:05, blasting the puck short side while Justin Abdelkader screened Lundqvist. Chris Kreider made it 1-1 at 10:17 when he went to the net and stuffed a backhand. The Wings outshot the Rangers 41-30 through regulation. It was a good response performance by the Wings after two subpar outings. Good start The Wings had early jump, forcing a couple quick saves from Lundqvist. Dylan Larkin got a break away around 4 minutes in. Henrik Zetterberg’s power play got two good looks during a power play. Anthony Mantha sprang Gustav Nyquist for a breakaway. Less than a minute past the half-point of the period, Lundqvist had made 11 saves. The Wings outshot the Rangers, 17-6, in the first period. Second-period saves Howard made six saves the first handful of minutes in the second period as the Rangers sought to amend for their poor start. The Wings kept up their attacks, though, and kill off a Rangers power play, too. Howard robbed Rick Nash on a point-blank chance from the right side midway through the period, and followed up with a stop in Pavel Buchnevich as he zeroed in from the low slot. Next came a big stop on a Kevin Shattenkirk slap shot. Howard also robbed J.T. Miller to finish the second period with 22 saves. Daley hurt Midway through the first period Trevor Daley played the puck and then crashed into Paul Carey, dropping to the ice and requiring attention from trainer Piet Van Zant. Daley was able to get up and skate off, but he did not return because of an upper-body injury. Madison Square magic Howard, who hails from upstate New York, has a history of exceptional hockey at the Garden – last season, he was the reason the Wings left with two points as he stopped 32 of 33 shots; the previous season, he played at the Garden twice, to the tune of a .939 save percentage and 1.51 goals-against average. Helping hand The Wings got two power plays in the first period; both were courtesy of transgressions by former teammate Brendan Smith. Smith also coughed up the puck at his own blue line to Tatar. The Wings traded Smith to the Rangers at last season’s deadline for a second-round and a third-round pick. The Rangers then signed Smith to a four-year, $17.4 million contract. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084976 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings encouraged despite OT loss to Rangers

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 10:01 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 | Updated 1:02 a.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017

New York — They’ve done this before, whenever goaltenders Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist face each other at Madison Square Garden. The veterans have hooked up for some epic, entertaining battles, leaving fans exasperated and opposing shooters utterly frustrated. They did it again Friday, this time with Lundqvist and the New York Rangers pulling out a 2-1 overtime victory. Mats Zuccarello scored at 37 seconds of overtime, all alone in front of Howard, ending what was a terrific evening of hockey. Primarily, from both goaltenders. “Both guys did (make big saves) when called upon, for both teams,” Howard said. “It was unfortunate I couldn’t come up with one more. I just wanted to play well for the boys. I didn’t feel like I had my A-game in the last couple games. “They deserve better out of me.” Howard made 30 saves, Lundqvist turned aside 40, as both staged another goaltending clinic. “Both goalies were obviously great,” said coach Jeff Blashill, who didn’t mind the Red Wings’ overall game. “It was way more towards our identity. We played closer to the way we want to play to be successful.” The Red Wings (10-9-4) have lost three consecutive games (0-1-2) but, Blashill they felt positive about this outcome. “If we play like this, good things will happen for us,” said Tomas Tatar, who scored the Red Wings goal. Howard, an upstate New York native who has said he enjoys playing at Madison Square Garden, entered the game with a 5-3-2 career record against the Rangers, with gaudy statistics (1.69 goals-against average. .951 save percentage). “This is a great place to play, the fans are into it, they’re usually tight games, and it makes for a fun atmosphere,” Howard said. “Everyone enjoys coming here. It’s the greatest arena in the world as far as I’m concerned. “Being from New York, I love playing here.” Tatar snapped a scoreless tie with his seventh goal, a one-timer on the power play, at 4:05 in the third period — only to see the Rangers answer with Chris Kreider scoring his eighth goal at 10:17. With two seconds left on the power play, Tatar one-timed a shot from near the circle that Lundqvist never got a good look at as Justin Abdelkader screened him. Tatar’s goal gave the Red Wings at least one power-play goal in three consecutive games, and eight of the last 10 — a far cry from last season’s severe problems on the unit. “You just have to keep going and playing and believing in what you’re doing and eventually the puck will go in, and it’s (the power play) been good lately,” said captain Henrik Zetterberg, whose assist on Tatar’s goal gave him 918 career points, tying Pavel Datsyuk for sixth on the Red Wings’ all-time list. The Red Wings lost defenseman Trevor Daley for the game with 7:55 left in the first period to an upper-body injury. Daley awkwardly collided with a Rangers player near the blue line, bracing himself to prevent a bigger collision and awkwardly falling to his knees. “It’s hard for me to say whether it was a stinger or more serious,” said Blashill, who added Daley will have an MRI Saturday morning. “I’ll know more after that. I’m hoping it was just a stinger, but we’ll see.” The Red Wings are back at Little Caesars Arena Saturday, hosting New Jersey (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit/97.1). Detroit News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084977 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader soaring behind the shield

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 3:43 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 | Updated 3:53 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

New York — Nobody is saying Justin Abdelkader has turned back the clock, or anything of that sort. At age 30, Abdelkader is still in the prime of his career. But there’s no doubt the Abdelkader over the last month has looked much more like the Justin Abdelkader from two or three seasons ago, when he appeared on his way to becoming one of the better power forwards in the NHL. “I feel like I’m doing a lot of good things, been getting chances and trying to play both ends of the ice, defensively and offensively,” Abdelkader said. Abdelkader has 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in his last 11 games. Abdelkader has 16 points (12 assists, four goals) this season, after finishing all last season with 21 points (7 goals, 14 assists). “Points are always nice, they’re not always going to come, but when they come it’s a nice thing,” Abdelkader said. The two previous seasons, Abdelkader was a 19- and 23-goal scorer. A knee injury kept Abdelkader out of the lineup for a month last season, and when he returned, the rust and discomfort never seemed to completely go away. “Last year was a tough year,” Abdelkader said. “I didn’t get off to the start I wanted and once I had that knee injury, I just never felt the same. “I had a good summer of training, a good summer of eating and I felt real good coming into (training) camp.” Coach Jeff Blashill has always regarded Abdelkader as one of the team’s key players because of Abdelkader’s size (6-foot-2, 214-pounds) and offensive skills to go with that physical presence. And Abdelkader’s performance over the last month has really been a difference maker. “He’s been real good,” Blashill said. “He’s forechecking real hard — he can be a real good forechecker — and he’s done a real good job of that. “About a month or so ago, we needed way more net presence and he’s one of the guys who leads the way on that as an example for the rest of the team. “He’s a commodity in the league because of his size, physicality and his a talent, but he’s certainly a commodity on our team as well. We don’t have a lot of guys that look like him, so he’s an important piece for us.” Abdelkader has approximately another six weeks to wear a face shield to protect a slightly fractured cheekbone he suffered Nov. 9 in Calgary. Admittedly, it’s been a struggle to adjust to it, although the offensive numbers would say otherwise. “You deal with it,” Abdelkader said. “I’m lucky to still be able to play with it. It’s one of the things you deal with, an injury that you’re fortunate doesn’t keep you out.” GETTING CLOSER Forward Martin Frk (groin) is hopeful of rejoining the Red Wings later next week after having skating on his own earlier this week. Frk is looking to get a couple of full practices in early next week, which would get him, physically, that much closer to a return to the lineup. “It depends how I feel, too," Frk said. "I’m not sure exactly when I will play, but the goal is to go skate Monday with the team.” Frk hasn’t fully extended himself on the ice, yet, in those low-energy skates. “They don’t want to push it, so just crossovers,” Frk said. “More like strides, not stop and starts yet. It was just basic.” Detroit News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084978 Detroit Red Wings

Frustration grows as Griffins slip below .500 - 'We're brain dead'

Updated November 24, 2017 at 11:03 PM; Posted November 24, 2017 at 10:56 PM By Peter J. Wallner

GRAND RAPIDS - The tolerance level for mediocrity within the Grand Rapids Griffins is growing thin at this point of the season. The Griffins lost 3-1 on Friday to the Manitoba Moose, the third loss in a row for the defending Calder Cup champions who remained mired in sixth place in the Central Division. After a grueling six-game road trip in eight days that included three games in Texas, the Griffins returned home after nearly a week off and fell behind 2-0 in the first period and never recovered. At 8-9-0-2 and below .500 at the latest point since February, 2012 (20- 21-5-4), the Griffins have struggled with consistency. "We're brain dead," coach Todd Nelson said. "We're doing things that are uncharacteristic. We played well on the road trip, deserved a better fate (than 2-2-0-1) and we come back home here and a lot of things we worked on and talked about didn't apply. For whatever reason." "It's very frustrating. It's frustrating for everyone. At some point some guys have to take charge. We have to start moving in the right direction." So far, the Griffins have yet to distinguish themselves either way. They have won no more than two in a row - twice - but also have not gone more than two games without a point. Against Manitoba, they were 0 for 8 on the power play and 1 for 6 on the penalty kill. But the Griffins came into the game in the top 10 in both categories. "We're kind of taking a step forward, taking a step back," said Ben Street, who was on last year's title team. "We can't really get much continuity with our game." As for why, Street added: "I don't know. You can throw excuses at it, but night to night it's just not where it needs to be." Turner Elson, who had the Griffins' lone goal, agreed. "I think we haven't lived up to our potential at all," he said. "I think we still have a lot to get, and I think once we get the ball rolling and start putting some wins together and start climbing the ladder and our standards. But right now we have to focus on our details." That was frustrating to Nelson. With the time off, the team focused on its early jump for Manitoba, but the effort wasn't there in the first period. "We're at .500 hockey and you do your best as a coach to prepare a team," he said. "That first goal tonight was stuff we talked about countless times, and we had a bad read and were out-battled for the puck. "We have to start winning games. That's the bottom line. We have to have a sense of urgency. We have to start moving forward. We talk about it as a group what we're supposed to do out there, but it comes down to execution and work ethic." The Griffins, who last played last Saturday, are now off until hosting Texas on Wednesday. "We have to keep on working on the things we have to get better at," Nelson said. "That's all we can do. It's up to us as a coaching staff to get these guys pointed in the right direction." Michigan Live LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084979 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings fall in overtime on the road against New York Rangers

Updated November 24, 2017 at 10:18 PM; Posted November 24, 2017 at 10:17 PM By The Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Mats Zuccarello scored 37 seconds into overtime to give the New York Rangers a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. Zuccarello scored his fourth goal of the season, off assists from Brady Skjei and J.T. Miller. The Rangers improved to 12-9-2 with their third straight victory and ninth in 11 games. Chris Kreider also scored for New York, and Henrik Lundqvist made 41 saves. Tomas Tatar scored for Detroit, and Jimmy Howard stopped 29 shots. Tatar opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 4:05 of the third. Kreider tied it at 10:17 when he knocked a rebound past Howard. Tatar's seventh goal of the season came with two seconds left on a tripping penalty to Michael Grabner. Tatar ripped the puck past Lundqvist, with assists to Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg. Kreider's tying goal, his eighth of the season, was assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Skjei. Tatar's tally came after two-plus scintillating periods in which both goaltenders each made a number of acrobatic saves. Lundqvist made 17 saves in the opening period, plus a sprawling game- saver against Dylan Larkin at 11:58 of the third. The Red Wings dominated the first, outshooting the Rangers 17-6. New York also had to withstand two short-handed situations, penalties to former Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith. He was sent to Rangers last season at the trade deadline. NOTES: Nine of the last 10 games between New York and Detroit have been decided by one goal. In addition, 13 of the last 15 games and 17 of the last 21 meetings between the two teams have been decided by the same slim margin. ... Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley left the game after colliding with Rangers forward Paul Carey at center ice with 7:55 left in the first period. ... Rangers forward Boo Nieves suffered a lower-body injury and left the game after several shifts early in the second period. ... Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh missed his second straight game because of an abdominal strain. ... The Rangers scratched center David Desharnais ... Detroit scratched forwards David Booth, Luke Witkowski and Martin Frk. ... The teams meet in Detroit on Dec. 29 and again in New York on Feb. 25, when Rangers will honor Hall of Fame center Jean Ratelle and retire his No. 19. UP NEXT Red Wings: Host New Jersey on Saturday night. Rangers: Host Vancouver on Sunday night. Michigan Live LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084980 Edmonton Oilers “When you look back to their draft years, it’s purely individual with the scouts, where you’re ranked. Teams are looking at lists when they’re drafting and their list is based on one player,” said Oilers’ coach Todd Oilers Snapshots: Benoit Pouliot trying to find his game in Buffalo McLellan. “But once you pick that one player it becomes a team environment, and Connor is all about team commitment.”

Still, it’s tough to ignore the No 1 vs No. 2 2015 draft picks head-to-head, Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal especially when they meet so infrequently. Friday’s game was their fourth meeting. Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 8:13 PM MST “The first time Connor and Jack met in the NHL, there were a lot of reporters making a lot about McDavid vs Eichel. I think we’re well beyond that now. It’s about winning as a team,” said McLellan. BUFFALO — There was no woe is me from Benoit Pouliot after he was Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.25.2017 bought out by Edmonton Oilers in June. He took the fall for his 14-point season in 67 games, which matches his jersey number. “Last year was a down year for me and it’s on nobody but myself,” said the now second-liner with the Buffalo Sabres, who played his old buddies for the first time Friday night. Pouliot was bought out with two years left on his five-year, $20 million deal. The Oilers are on the hook for $1.333 million against their cap this season and for three more years, which stings, while Pouliot is not hurting that much after signing a one-year $1.15 million free-agent contract in July. He’s making $2.38 million this season when you add the two salaries. Pouliot had 34 points in 58 games his first OilerS season and 36 in 55 in his second year. So 70 points in 113 games, very good numbers, but his game plummeted last year to where he had more minor penalties (17) than actual points. He became the fans whipping boy, castigated for the number of offensive-zone penalties he took, many he deserved, some because the gods were just dumping on him, even on good checks. Pouliot has moved around freely during his 573-game NHL game career always wanted somewhere, but unfortunately, not staying for long. The Sabres are his seventh stop — Minnesota, Montreal, Boston, Tampa, New York Rangers and Edmonton before Buffalo. The Oilers (180 games) were actually the most he’s ever played for a single team. As much as his offence was negligible last year, the Oilers miss him on two fronts. He could really skate and their team quickness is in question right now, and he could kill a penalty. “I had an awesome time in Edmonton. They take full responsibility for how I performed last year and they had to do what they had to do,” said Pouliot. Did he know the Oilers were going to buy him out? “No, but it was in my mind for sure,” he said. “I got in the doghouse pretty early in the year and I tried to get out of it but I was having a hard time with that. It was on me, the way I prepared, the way I showed up for games. I got down on myself.” OILERS BRASS ON SCOUTING TRIP Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli and his right-hand man Craig MacTavish were in nearby Rochester watching the Sabres farm team Friday, maybe looking at young winger Nick Baptiste who played with Connor McDavid in junior in Erie. The Sabres would trade winger Sam Reinhart too. They badly need defencemen but the Oilers don’t have any to give up until Andrej Sekera returns. PLAYING WITH TOP PICKS Pouliot is one of the few players who’s had a chance to play with Oiler captain Connor McDavid and Sabres top gun Jack Eichel, the first and second players taken in the 2015 draft. “Connor’s game is a fast game, up and down, north-south. There’s no east-west, he’s going to out-skate you all night long,” said Pouliot. “Jack can slow the game down with his hands, he’s a very smart player, he’ll watch for guys to pass to, get guys more involved in a slower pace. But he’s the fastest guy on our team, too.” A LITTLE HELP In the NBA, you can win with one out-of-this-world talent, but in the NHL a franchise player like McDavid or Eichel doesn’t guarantee you anything. The Sabres went into Friday’s matchup, 30th, the Oilers 29th. 1084981 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers can't maintain momentum, fall to Buffalo Sabres

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 7:57 PM MST

BUFFALO — It’s one thing to get caught in a washing machine spin cycle and get your clock cleaned by the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, but after walloping Detroit Red Wings one night later, where was the rinse and repeat against a Buffalo Sabres team Friday that had lost seven straight games? They said all the right things after showing some character after the Blues no-show, saying it was only one game and they had to do it again against the Sabres, who had won just two of 10 home games. Unfortunately, it was all lip service as the Sabres showed a pulse and the Edmonton Oilers had none in a 3-1 loss with backup goalie Laurent Brossoit holding them in through 40 minutes, allowing a bullet by Jacob Josefson until giving up a softie on his glove side to Jack Eichel early in the third. Kyle Okposo finished it empty net. Three goals was plenty for the Sabres, who had a shutout until Yohann Auvitu beat Robin Lehner with 16 seconds left. And the Oilers, who played Brossoit because Cam Talbot was sick had almost nothing against a team that had given up 79 goals in 22 games. They’re now 8-13-2, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they’re a bad team. After stopping the first 22 shots, Brossoit was helpless on Josefson’s scorcher from the high-slot 14 minutes into the second after the third-line centre worked his way off the end boards, away from Auvitu and took Okposo’s on-the-tape feed. The Sabres thought they’d gotten one eight and a half minutes into the second when Evander Kane jammed one past Brossoit after he put his mitt on the puck, but referee Ghislain Hebert blew the whistle to stop play a second before the puck dribbled into the net. Brossoit had robbed Kane with a leg stop about 15 seconds earlier. ON THE BENCH: Oiler defenceman Oscar Klefbom was sick with Eric Gryba taking his spot in the lineup … The Oilers scratched winger Iiro Pakarinen … Buffalo got their best defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen back after he’d missed nine games with an upper-body injury. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084982 Edmonton Oilers “I think you (media) asking me about Oscar every day gets to him after a while … you have to find a different player,” he said, with a laugh. “He hears that, he’s human and he’s carrying that. But the only way to get out Oilers’ Klefbom admits his game has taken a beating of it, is for Oscar to play himself out of it.” Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.25.2017 Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 6:00 AM MST

BUFFALO — Oscar Klefbom’s defensive game isn’t anywhere near what it should be, he knows it and he isn’t hiding anything, except for the unnamed body part that’s hurting through the first quarter of the troubling Edmonton Oilers season. When St. Louis Blues centre Brayden Schenn can easily push Klefbom off the puck along the end boards as he did Tuesday, knocking the 210- pound Klefbom to his knees before setting up Vladimir Tarasenko for their first goal, something’s wrong with Klefbom other than the six-inch space between his ears with his poor puck decisions. His coach Todd McLellan, who badly needs his best defenceman to play like his best defenceman, alluded to a medical issue before Wednesday’s 6-2 win over Red Wings, where the Oilers were resolute and all those questions about not being quick enough with their foot speed and head decisions were not there, including Klefbom. He was good, noticeable in all the right ways. “He’s been playing with bumps and bruises that has affected his play,” said McLellan. “And I think that’s hurt him in the physical part of the game. Some of the physical battles right now are tougher for Oscar to win but the mental part, the thinking, being aware of his assignments, that’s on him.” When asked about his medical distress, like maybe he has a sore shoulder or arm, he blew it off. “Yeah, no comments on that,” said Klefbom. “I’m not 100 per cent but I don’t want to go up to the media and find any excuses. “If I’m not 100 percent, I have to find a way to play better. Like I said, no excuses.” It’s been just as much in his head as in his legs for Klefbom, where he’s been leaking goals against, going minus-17 in 21 games after his outstanding season opener against Calgary when he was plus-3 and the second best Oiler after Connor McDavid’s hat-trick. He had a good game in Detroit, wasn’t plus, wasn’t minus, but was solid. Maybe a baby step forward. He admits his confidence has taken a beating, moreso than any Schenn hit. “Oh, yeah,” said Klefbom, who played with Kris Russell in Detroit. “Obviously I haven’t found my game. It’s not like I’m a new player … it’s just mental. That’s even harder to deal with. But I can’t tell myself I’m just going to lay down and die. “I have to try at least, try to turn this thing around somehow. It’s not easy, especially if you get a tough goal against the first couple of shifts and you’re thinking ‘ah, man, here we go again.’” “The confidence has been at an all-time low,” said McLellan. He hasn’t been able to outscore his mistakes. So where did the confidence start to ebb? How did the Oilers No. 1 defenceman with Adam Larsson start looking like a No. 5? “Second game when we lost in Vancouver,” said Klefbom. “Then you get games where you’re a minus-2 or a minus-3. If you start looking at the stats and you see how many goals you’re on the ice for against, you start saying, ‘what am I doing bad here?’ And it gets worse and worse Then the coaches split the defence pairs just to see what’s going on.” Maybe he shouldn’t be looking at game sheets to see the minuses? “Exactly. I should not be doing it, but …” “But when it’s bad, it goes really bad. I can get stronger as a player, so if it happens in the future, I won’t go as deep. Hopefully, I’ll get the tools to play a couple of games bad, then find myself back to better play.” McLellan knows he’s been nervous on the ice. 1084983 Edmonton Oilers two assist night. The Oilers badly need secondary scoring, also better play from No. 3 centre and Ryan Strome came through in Detroit with his best game in a long while. Oilers Game Day: Brossoit to start in goal vs. Sabres with Talbot sick 2. More offence from the defence Darnell Nurse has scored in back-to-back games after going 19 without Jim Matheson one. The Oilers now have nine goals from the back-end. When the defence scores it takes the heat off the forwards. Nurse’s seeing-eye Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 goal on Jimmy Howard in Detroit, sifted by legs and arms and found it’s 1:11 PM MST way into the net. The Oilers need more of that. 3. Keep Benoit Pouliot off board BUFFALO, N.Y. — Illness is forcing the Edmonton Oilers to pivot in goal, The former Oiler has six goals for the Sabres after Edmonton bought him and maybe on defence, Friday night against the Buffalo Sabres. out last June and he signed a one-year $1.15 million-contract in Buffalo, Pouliot’s seventh NHL team. He’s a minus player (minus-6) in Buffalo, Laurent Brossoit will start in net for the Oilers, not starter Cam Talbot. like everybody else, but he’s managed to stay away from penalties, just three minors all year. As much as Pouliot was the fans’ whipping boy in And Oscar Klefbom may also be out as the Oilers try to win back-to-back Edmonton, they could use his speed, also his PK ability. in regulation for the first time all season against the stumbling Sabres, who last won a game Nov. 7, and are winless in their last seven (0-5-2). 4. Jump on team that can’t win at home or on road “Cam’s sick so L.B. will go,” Oilers head coach Todd McLellan said at the The Sabres have won two of 10 games in their own barn, now named the morning skate. “Same with Klef, but he’s a game-time decision.” KeyBank Center. They’ve only won five games in total, and the new coach (former Nashville assistant coach Phil Housley) and new GM (ex It’ll be Brossoit’s third start this season. Hestarted at home and lost 5-3 Penguins’ assistant manager) Jason Botterill haven’t had any more luck against Carolina Oct. 17, he started and lost 2-1 in a shootout in than the out-going guys — coach Dan Bylsma and general manager Tim Washington Nov. 12. Murray. Sickness has been going through the team, with Connor McDavid ill for 5. Hope Cam Talbot can turn it around about 10 days and losing about five pounds, but he managed to play the games, albeit missing some practices. Talbot, who beat the Red Wings Talbot didn’t get much work (26 shots) in Detroit Wednesday but was 6-2 Wednesday, will dress but he’ll sit on the bench. Brossoit last played solid, at fault on neither Wings goal after giving up two in his first two in Tuesday, when he came on in relief of Talbot after the latter allowed two Dallas and two in his first three in St. Louis. Hammering the obvious, the goals on the first three shots in an eventual 8-3 loss to the Blues in St. Oilers need their struggling No. 1 goalie to get on a run and show some Louis. of last year’s stuff, and in a hurry, with their playoff lives at stake. If Klefbom can’t play, Eric Gryba will draw in after he was a healthy Last year, Eichel scored one goal in two games against Edmonton while, scratch in Detroit. McDavid had two assists but McDavid had an OT winner in Buffalo the year before. Despite Eichel’s 18 points, he’s had a pedestrian year, say The other defenceman, Ryan Stanton, recalled from Bakersfield NHL pro scouts. Wednesday with the uncertain status of Matt Benning (groin), went back to the Oilers’ AHL farm club Thursday in a numbers game. They’re taking When he’s turned it on, he’s been very good but there’s been many winger Anton Slepyshev (groin) off injured reserve to get to the 23-man nights when he’s been barely noticeable as their No. 1 centre. roster maximum Most scouts think Evander Kane has been their top forward this year. The Oilers will see former winger Benoit Pouliot for the first time since he McDavid has 28 points and really hasn’t had a scorching offensive game was bought out after last season with two years left on his five-year deal. since first game of the season when he had a hat-trick. He signed a one-year, $1.15-million contract with the Sabres and has been one of their better players, with six goals in his last 14 games, Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.25.2017 playing left-wing on their No. 2 line alongside centre Ryan O’Reilly. That unit will most likely be put against against McDavid’s line in a checking role Friday. “Old friends, old teammates. It’ll be nice to see them, but we really need a win,” said Pouliot, who had lunch on Thursday with ex-Oilers teammates Andrej Sekera and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The 29th-place Oilers are 8-12-2 for 18 points while the 30th-place Sabres, who have two wins in their last 10 games at home, are 5-13-4 for 14 points, so a combined 13-25-6. Needless to say, both teams are thinking the same thing going into this one: “we can beat this team” with Buffalo getting back their best defenceman, Rasmus Ristolainen, after he missed nine games with an upper-body injury. This one isn’t about McDavid vs. Jack Eichel, the first and second players taken in the 2015 NHL draft. It’s a good storyline with McDavid outscoring Eichel 28-18 in the season so far, but both players would trade a two-point night Friday for a W, the way both teams are going. “I don’t think you can feel sorry for yourself at all. We’re the ones who got ourselves into this,” said McDavid. “And we’re the ones who are going to get ourselves out of it. “Like anyone else, for me, it’s not fun. It’s not fun to come to the rink and lose.” Tonight’s lineups Injuries — Oilers: Anton Slepyshev (groin), Andrej Sekera (knee); Sabres: Zach Bogosian (groin), Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) Oilers’ keys to the game 1. Keep getting production from bottom six After being rightfully maligned for not helping the cause offensively for weeks, the third and fourth-line players took the heat off Connor McDavid in Detroit. Finally some five-on-five goals while McDavid had a ho-hum 1084984 Edmonton Oilers dominoes that fall if those moves aren’t made. Milan Lucic doesn’t get signed if Hall is still an Oiler. Ditto for Kris Russell who was afforded mostly off the savings from dealing Eberle. Without Larsson (or Reinhart) By the numbers: How much value have Peter Chiarelli's trades cost the the Oilers probably don’t deal Brandon Davidson last season. And with Oilers? the crowded forward group, it’s unlikely they’d give a three-year, $1.95 million per extension to a bottom tier player like Zack Kassian.

Those are the big changes made thanks to the Don’t Do That person and By Dom Luszczyszyn 16 hours ago it’s hard to not see the Oilers in a significantly better position as a result. Now, that doesn’t mean Chiarelli hasn’t made some good moves as GM. The Cam Talbot trade was a great gamble on a back-up that showed a lot of promise and adding Patrick Maroon for cheap was a great value It’s been a miserable start to the season for the Edmonton Oilers, a team add that’s worked wonders so far. But those few good moves don’t make that came into the season with a lot of promise. They sit 29th in the up for how far the team was set back with some of his other moves. league with an 8-12-2 record at American Thanksgiving, and while they’re not at the point of no return, they’re dangerously close. Financially, the Oilers are arguably in a worse position now, too. The cap-hit for the alternate universe team, after including potential The season isn’t over yet – even if it feels like it – and their underlying performance bonuses, would be just under $4 million cheaper than the numbers suggest the Oilers aren’t as bad as they look, but it should’ve current iteration. They would have a pretty large hole on the right side of never reached this point. Not when you’re building around the most their defence, but they also would have had cap space and options in valuable asset in all of hockey, Connor McDavid. Edmonton is here now free agency to fix it that didn’t include trading away their better forwards. because of all the missteps since he was taken first overall in 2015 and We can’t add them in hindsight, but it’s something to keep in mind when are learning first hand that having the best player in the world (apologies comparing rosters as alternative options were available to make the team to the two guys lighting it up in Tampa, but it’s still Connor) guarantees even better. nothing for team success. Not in this sport. Now, let’s actually compare those rosters. He needs support, especially up front where the Oilers have only scored 2.68 goals per game, good for 25th in the league. They’re generating To do so we’re going to use my model which we use for our daily chances and have had a lot of bad luck offensively, but they’re also a projections. It’s based on a player’s last three years (weighted by team that’s low on finishing talent outside their star players. The worst recency) of context-adjusted Game Score to estimate player strength and part is they had support up front, they had finishing talent — they just because it’s done at the player level it can be combined to estimate team traded it away. strength. This model isn’t perfect and will be missing parts of the equation (you can read about it here), but generally speaking it does a Players that can actually put the puck in the net (or put it in a good spot pretty decent job of quantifying player value, and in effect team value. for someone else to do so) are the hardest players to acquire and that’s what made most of Peter Chiarelli’s moves as a GM so baffling. He was Before the season started, it said the Oilers were probably a playoff willing to give it all up so easily for the types of players that were much team, but a flawed one at that, one that on average hits 93 points and easier to come by as he attempted to build the Oilers in his image: a was far from the contender many thought they were. Now that we’re 20 team that was “tough” to play against. games in, their forecast has changed to 85 points thanks to their poor start, but their underlying strength has only been downgraded slightly to Looking back through his deals reveals that he placed a premium on grit, about 91.5 points. Under the hood, not much has changed. compete, sandpaper and other buzzwords that fit his archetype while shipping out “soft” skilled players who can actually play with the puck. The forward group is average, the goaltending is average (with plenty of room to regress once Talbot finds his game again), and the defence is That was the team identity Chiarelli seemed to settle on and if it meant just barely below average at 21st. The front office has paid a lot to have moving players that didn’t fit, then so be it. They built themselves in the the Oilers look the way they wanted and still end up being just average. mould of the Kings and Bruins of five years ago and it shows on the ice. It’s no surprise the Oilers have turned into a heavy, slow, trudging mess, Now, the team they could’ve had? That’s a different story and it’s especially compared to the rest of the league which has transitioned because the three forwards they could’ve had (Hall, Eberle, and let's toward speed, speed, speed after seeing the last three Stanley Cups won assume Mathew Barzal, who the Islanders took with that first round pick) in a similar fashion. That’s not to say the team can’t win with the style the are miles better than the ones that replaced them (Lucic, Strome, Oilers were after, it means the Oilers built this team while sacrificing Kassian). They’re over five wins better according to this model and that talent at the alter of identity and came out behind most of the time. shouldn’t be at all surprising given the names involved. There’s caveats to that to go over soon, but the gap is large enough that it wouldn’t matter Here are my questions for Chiarelli’s tenure as GM: how much value has too much. And the trade-off on defence is minimal, if admittedly flawed as he cost them on this quest to be “tough to play against” and how much my model isn’t as keen on Larsson (a very good, albeit, one-dimensional better would this team be if he hadn’t made some of his most defender who’s obviously better than Matt Benning) as it should be and controversial moves? tends to overrate depth defenders like Davidson, even after adjusting for Hindsight is 20/20, but not when it comes to some of the Oilers most context. notable trades of the last few years. Most of the deals Chiarelli has made This team would arguably be a true talent 100.5 point team, the best were panned immediately as it was obvious the Oilers were generally on team in the West and the second best team in the league behind Tampa the losing side. It was so obvious that all the Oilers needed was one Bay. This is what a Cup contender looks like, even if the defence doesn't. person to say “Don’t do that!” (and actually listen to him or her) and they’d be in much better shape than they are today. Alternate universe team would have the same average goalie, the same bottom 10 defence, but by far the best forward group in the league, So let’s go to that alternate universe: the universe where the Oilers had a nearly two wins clear of Tampa Bay and Toronto. When your forward “Don’t Do That” person, someone who could clearly see that what they group is that talented, it’s a lot easier to overcome a weak defence corps. were about to do was not the right move and convince their higher-ups it Forwards are the ones driving the bus on most teams, they’re where was, in fact, a bad move. And then let’s measure how much better (or teams get most of their value from. There simply aren’t many teams that maybe worse? Just kidding, it’s not worse) off the Oilers would be if can get by without a good group of forwards, and Edmonton could’ve had someone just said “don’t do that.” the league’s best by a significant margin. Here are the transactions the magical Don’t Do That wand is going to On each line they could’ve had an incredible duo and wouldn’t have to reverse. To reiterate, the moves have to be ones that did not need the worry about splitting up McDavid and Draisaitl to spread out the offence. benefit of hindsight to nix. Three trades stick out, and you probably know That’s because on line two it would have been Ryan Nugent-Hopkins which ones. with Hall and on line three Barzal with Eberle, a line that's worked pretty June 26, 2015: Edmonton trades a 2015 1st (16th overall) and 2nd (33rd well so far in Brooklyn. It’s a set of six that no team could match-up overall) for D Griffin Reinhart. against, especially when they’re balanced out over three lines, and it would’ve made their support guys look even better. June 29, 2016: Edmonton trades LW Taylor Hall for D Adam Larsson. And if you’re thinking it wouldn’t work because the lineup would be too June 22, 2017: Edmonton trades RW Jordan Eberle for C Ryan Strome. forward heavy, you only need to look at the Maple Leafs to see this exact strategy working in spades right now with Auston Matthews, William Three straight years of franchise-altering trades in late June. I’d start Nylander, Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk and a taking vacations around that time if I was an Oilers fan. decent forward support group carrying a bottom 10 defence group and Those three were obviously the most egregious ones, as you may know average goaltending. since we’re still talking about them to this day, but there are other Of course, there’s a few caveats to this analysis to iron out and they start and end with Barzal. Even if the Oilers did draft him, there’s no guarantee he’d look as good with them as he does with the Isles. A lot of his value is because he plays on a top power play with John Tavares that’s been red hot lately and there’s no guarantee he’d get the same opportunity in Edmonton. And that’s if the Oilers drafted him. He was a near consensus top 10 choice, but considering they traded that pick for a defenceman, there’s a possibility the team would’ve drafted for need and taken a defenceman with the 16th overall selection, likely leaving them with the next defender taken, Thomas Chabot. He’s a damn good prospect, but he’d be another leftie on an already crowded left side. It’s also not exactly fair to compare what Barzal is now to what Reinhart was, but even at the time it seemed rather obvious who had the much higher ceiling as well as the probability of reaching it. It wasn’t the guy the Oilers traded for who had already shown plenty of signs he wouldn't be an NHL regular. No one really wants to hear the coulda, shoulda, wouldas – especially when it comes to this team as it’s a topic that’s been beaten to death already – but there’s value in measuring just how much they’ve lost and how much the front office has cost the team. My model thinks it’s about five wins of value, and while there’s some margin of error to that (Larsson is better than I give him credit for, Barzal likely wouldn’t be as good on the Oilers) it’s not enough to overcome five wins. They have basically given up a Connor McDavid's worth of value. Any way you want to slice it, the Oilers still come out behind. Far behind. I can’t imagine anyone at this point who could, should or would defend these moves and say the Oilers are a better team for it. They’re not, and all their current problems are a direct manifestation of the mistakes they’ve made along the way. Unfortunately for Oilers fans, we don’t live in the alternate universe where they still have Hall and Eberle and maybe Barzal. We live here, in the world where they gave up a lot to get a little. But while there’s always going to be harsh reminders of what could’ve been, what they have in front of them is still very much worthwhile. Even if the present looks dim and the path that got them here is even darker, their future is still very bright with all the young talent they still have – as long as they don’t trade them away. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084985 Edmonton Oilers don't think there's another player from 2015-16 who we can point to as showing exceptional skill while also being passed over. I'd also suggest one reason for Anton Slepyshev's shy offence was lack of playing time, Lowetide: Fresh Farm Produce but he made it anyway. Condors 2016-17 (Rookies) By Allan Mitchell 17 hours ago Last season there were far fewer rookies (Drake Caggiula stayed in the NHL all year), including two who impressed as bonafide NHL players in Matt Benning and Jesse Puljujarvi. Joe Gambardella had a cup of coffee in Bakersfield after his college career ended in the spring, while Russell Very few NHL players jump over the minor leagues completely during had pedestrian numbers but shot the puck 150 times and that's an their entry-level deals. The current Oilers roster boasts only Connor impressive rookie total (even at 23). At the end of the day, I think we can McDavid, Milan Lucic and Drake Caggiula who have never played in the agree expecting Puljujarvi and Benning to develop was reasonable and minors. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played briefly in the minors due to the the other two men looked like AHL players. lockout and Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse and Matt Benning were there for just a cup of coffee. 2016-17 Rookies via Eric Rodgers An NHL team's minor-league affiliate is designed to develop young talent, Rodgers work is here. We get confirmation on Puljujarvi and Benning, grinding away the rough edges and creating an army of “role players” and that Gambardella is, in fact, an intriguing player based on his who don't cost the coach when on the ice. That's basically the deal for numbers. Russell's 150 shots remain the most interesting thing about AHL prospects. How many NHL players of note do the Oilers develop, him. and are they leaving talent on the tarmac? This is a question I've kicked around several times over the years and am going to look at again. The Condors 2017-18 (Rookies) reason? This year's rookies are four defenders and Gambardella. Based on early Elliotte Friedman: There are two non-NHL concerns in Edmonton as well. performances (I've used only the first 10 games, more in a minute), four The first is unhappiness with the way players are developing at AHL of these rookies are performing well enough to remain in the lineup. Bakersfield. I did not see Ziyat Paigin myself, but there is disappointment Paigin is the odd man out, losing ground to three rookies who graduated that he has asked to go back to Russia, especially after a summer where from the CHL in the spring. he stayed to train in Edmonton. Rightly or wrongly, there is a feeling too 2017-18 Rookies via Eric Rodgers many of their prospects are not panning out there. (Sportsnet.ca) Rodgers hasn't yet published his '17-18 numbers but he gave me a At the time the Paigin news hit, it was deemed as unusual by all. This sneak peak of the first 10 games. This is a nice looking group of rookies; year is the beginning of Paigin's entry-level deal and he played in Oilers fans should be encouraged by the early returns. Gambardella Bakersfield late spring to get a feel for the league and atmosphere. He probably deserves more playing time, it'll be interesting to see if he gets had to know what Bakersfield would be like this year. Unless Paigin it. One conclusion we can make? Paigin was No. 4 in a four-man race thought there was a real chance to make the NHL team out of camp (and based on this 10-game window. He was trailing the group while also bolted), this decision makes no sense based on previous actions by being the oldest player in the pack. That might be your reason for the player and team. divorce. The Oilers have had these kinds of things occur in the past (a recent Who got left behind? example being Bogdan Yakimov) but this one seems unusual. Paigin was drafted by the current management group so there's a connection I don't think anyone got left behind. Kyle Platzer had enough talent to see between the player and Peter Chiarelli. That means player, agent and the ice more often as a rookie but the club went in another direction. general manager would know each other and still not be able to bridge Platzer was unable to force the issue in Year 2. Ziyat Paigin should have the troubled waters. If it is a talent gap, that's one thing (although it given this thing more than seven games, but the fact is he was sucking stands to reason Edmonton would have had a great idea about his ability hind banana against three kids who are playing their first weeks of pro to play at the AHL level in the spring). If this is about Paigin's hockey — that's not good. Anton Slepyshev and Joe Gambardella unhappiness with being in the minors, then this was the only available received less than warranted playing time, but in the case of Slepyshev solution. he broke on through to the other side and we may see Gambardella do the same. Friedman's final sentence above is a worrisome thing for Oilers fans, though. Are too many of Edmonton's prospects not turning out in There have been times in the past when this organization didn't give a Bakersfield? Let's have a look. chance to kids who showed real talent. The three Bakersfield seasons do not resemble the Oklahoma City days, in my opinion. We've examined Condors 2015-16 (Rookies) the boxcars and borrowed Rodgers' fine work in order to have a good We're looking for players (perhaps with a great draft pedigree or a high- long look at these prospects. All of the rookies here, save possibly profile college signing) who should be “panning out” but have faltered Platzer and probably Paigin—by his own hand—received enough playing during entry level. It's easy to discount the two lottery picks (Draisaitl and time to show their skills. Nurse); doubt the time in California impacted development either way. Edmonton's AHL problem is at all three forward positions, and that has to Anton Slepyshev didn't set the world on fire in Bakersfield and that was a do with procurement. Trading draft picks (and using the remaining picks surprise (he had a 15-goal season in the KHL at 20, the year before he predominately on defencemen) has the team in this predicament. This hit Riverdale). Joey Laleggia was an undersized college defender with isn't a playing time problem, it's a talent problem. The defence is going to skill, that's a thread-the-needle prospect no organization would count on be fine based on this year's rookie class and three of them are getting cashing. Braden Christoffer and Ben Betker were never going to bring a lots of playing time. The Condors need more prospect forwards — that's lot of offence to the pro level, so their potential was limited. Greg Chase the issue here. fell to the seventh round but had some good seasons in junior and Kyle The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 Platzer (fourth round) showed some promise after his draft day (and a trade from the London Knights to Owen Sound Attack). I don't think the Oilers have built up a lot of angst over any of the 2015-16 Bakersfield rookies. 2015-16 Rookies via Eric Rodgers Let me introduce you to Eric Rodgers. Eric has estimated ice times and points totals since the Oklahoma City Barons were Edmonton's farm team. Rodgers system ciphers time on ice for each player using goals by discipline while a player is on the ice. The more activity in goals, the more likely said player is playing a lot in each game. Using Eric's estimates, Kyle Platzer is a player who might have benefited from more playing time as an AHL rookie. He ran in place in his second AHL season and has been playing in the ECHL for much of the 2017-18 season. Platzer is a righty centre with two-way skills, that's the kind of player who might benefit from minor-league playing time. According to Rodgers, he didn't get it and he's a player we should examine further. I 1084986 Florida Panthers The package was enough to convince the Panthers to take a chance on him, signing him to an eight-year contract extension worth $39 million in October. At the time, Matheson had only played 86 NHL games. Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson hits stride by simplifying game, He said his early struggles were more due to knocking some rust off after thinking less a long summer but admitted the omnipresence of the contract extension. “Obviously, there were some distractions going on outside,” Matheson Matthew DeFranks said. “But my job isn’t really to worry about that. My job is just to come and play hockey.”

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.25.2017 Depending on your perspective of the Florida Panthers’ 2-1 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, defenseman Mike Matheson played either the villain or the hero. In the third period, with time dwindling and the Panthers killing a penalty in the final minute, Matheson spoiled a Toronto power play by drawing a cross checking penalty on Nazem Kadri. The threat ended thanks to Matheson, and even sent Florida on the power play in overtime. But Kadri’s cross check came seconds after Matheson buried him in the corner with a hit from behind of his own. In overtime, Toronto star Auston Matthews took off on a breakaway only to be caught from behind by Matheson. Matheson dove, slid on the ice before swinging his stick and knocking the puck away. But the Toronto bench lobbied for a tripping call as Matheson sent Matthews barreling towards the net. It didn’t come. “I know their bench was a little bit upset there,” Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo said after the game. “But he got the puck first and got out of the way, then obviously tripped over the stick. He’s got that speed that sometimes when he gets beat, he’s so fast that he’s able to come back and make plays like that, which was a key play in the game.” The plays were polarizing. They were controversial. But they also helped the Panthers collect a much-needed two points as they climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They also represented a recent uptick in Matheson’s game after a rough start soured his season. “Early on this season, it was no secret, he would tell you the same thing: he was up and down a little bit too much,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “Now his game’s in a real good spot. He’s got more confidence.” In the Panthers’ first 12 games, Matheson struggled mightily. He was on the ice for a whopping 21 goals in those 12 games, culminating with back-to-back embarrassments by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets. In the nine games since, Matheson has only been on the ice for three goals as the Panthers’ defense as a whole has tightened up. Advanced stats have also pointed to Matheson’s improvement. The Panthers are generating 56.9 percent of shot attempts at 5-on-5 with Matheson on the ice across the last nine games. In the first 12, Florida only had 44.1 percent of the shot attempts. “I think that the beginning of the year didn’t really go the way I wanted it to,” Matheson said. “I think in the past few games, it’s been getting better and better. There’s still some room for improvement, for sure.” Matheson said he was thinking too much early on in the season, waiting too long to make a play or attempting to avoid an error. “I was a little too hesitant with the puck and even without the puck, whether it was jumping up into the play and letting my instincts take over or in the defensive zone being a little too hesitant and trying not to make a mistake,” Matheson said. “When you’re on your heels, that’s when you do make mistakes. When you’re not thinking so much and reacting, you play free. That’s when you play the best hockey.” Since then, he’s freed his mind and allowed his skills to take over. Matheson’s returned to the penalty kill unit after seven games in which he was largely absent from it. He’s led the Panthers in even-strength minutes in two of the last four games. “There’s definitely times during the year when you start thinking too much and start overanalyzing the game and trying to pick apart every little thing that you need to do well,” Matheson said. “Sometimes, you need to take a step back, relax, take a deep breath and just go play hockey.” Matheson is a skilled skater whose speed makes him an offensive threat and a defensive asset as the NHL continues to get faster and more skilled. He’s regarded as an offensive defenseman with a high ceiling at just 23 years old. 1084987 Florida Panthers

Derek MacKenzie returns, Mark Pysyk misses practice Friday for the Panthers

Matthew DeFranks

Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie returned to practice on Friday morning after missing the previous five games with a lower-body injury suffered against the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 11. MacKenzie was an extra skater with Dryden Hunt as the Panthers practiced with 15 forwards for the first time in a while on Friday. Florida coach Bob Boughner said MacKenzie was fully cleared for contact, with the plan to play Saturday against the Blackhawks. “Once he gets off the ice, we’re going to talk to him, see how he feels, how he dealt with the practice and then make a decision whether tomorrow’s the day or it’s going to be on the road trip,” Boughner said. Forward Radim Vrbata, who was hit in the face with a puck on Saturday in Los Angeles, did not practice with an eye on a return during the road trip through New Jersey and New York next week. Neither did defenseman Mark Pysyk. Boughner said Pysyk was dealing with a lower-body injury and was questionable for Saturday’s game. “Crossing my fingers he can play, but we’ll know more in the morning,” Boughner said. Pysyk played perhaps his best game of the season during Florida’s 2-1 shootout victory over Toronto on Wednesday night, logging a season- high 22:41 of ice time and firing five shots on goal. He also blocked two shots. Should Pysyk not be ready to play Saturday, Alex Petrovic would slide into the lineup for the first time in seven games. Petrovic has been a healthy scratch in 10 of Florida’s 21 games so far this season. He would likely be paired with Mike Matheson. “You need to use those guys throughout the year,” Boughner said. “Our team is playing pretty well right now and you don’t want to make changes if you don’t have to. But [if] Petro comes in, I expect him to be ready. He’s in shape and he’s been working hard and it’ll be great for him.” Here were the lines from Friday morning’s practice: Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Evgenii Dadonov Henrik Haapala – Vincent Trocheck – Nick Bjugstad Jamie McGinn – Jared McCann – Colton Sceviour Micheal Haley – Chase Balisy – Connor Brickley Dryden Hunt – Derek MacKenzie And the defensive pairings: Keith Yandle – Aaron Ekblad Mike Matheson – Alex Petrovic Ian McCoshen – MacKenzie Weegar Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084988 Florida Panthers

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

Matthew DeFranks

Blackhawks at Panthers When/where: 7 p.m./BB&T Center, Sunrise TV: Fox Sports Florida. Radio: 560-AM; 850-AM (Palm Beach) Scouting report: The Florida Panthers finish a brief two-game home stand with a date against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night. The Panthers (8-11-2, 18 points) beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2- 1, in a shootout on Wednesday night, snapping a short string of back-to- back losses. Nick Bjugstad scored in regulation and then the game- winner in the shootout as Roberto Luongo made 43 saves. … This will be the first meeting with Chicago since last season’s 7-0 drubbing by the Panthers on March 25 at the BB&T Center. The game was arguably the highlight in a disappointing campaign a year ago, but was followed by six straight losses to extinguish any slim playoff hopes. … The Blackhawks (10-8-3, 23 points) have points in their last three games, including an overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Wednesday night. Patrick Kane leads a balanced scoring attack for Chicago with 21 points on eight goals and 13 assists. Chicago has 10 players with at least 10 points this season. … For Florida, forward Derek MacKenzie (lower body) could return to the lineup. Defenseman Mark Pysyk (lower body) and forward Radim Vrbata (face) did not practice on Friday morning. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084989 Los Angeles Kings

Kings lose third in a row, a 3-2 overtime decision to Coyotes

Curtis Zupke

The right duo was on the ice for the Kings in the wide-open format that is three-on-three overtime. Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik earlier dusted off their chemistry to help the Kings tie the score, and with the way Gaborik looked refreshed in his season debut Friday, it seemed destined that he and Kopitar would hook up again for the game-winning score. But Gaborik’s return came in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes that left the Kings winless in seven of eight games. Gaborik displayed fresh legs and jump in his first game since an offseason knee procedure. He played on the fourth line, but he made a pretty assist to Kopitar on the Kings’ first goal during a delayed penalty. “I had a little jitters, to be honest with you, before the game, and it took me a few shifts to get under my belt and I felt better and better after that,” Gaborik said. “The first few shifts I was just kind of like wondering what’s going on around me.” Gaborik found his legs, but it so happened the Kings allowed the overtime goal to Christian Fischer when they tried to change out tired bodies. Fischer pushed in a loose puck at 2:43 in front of 12,285 fans who saw the Coyotes get their second win at Gila River Arena this season. The Kings came back to tie it twice on goals by Kopitar and Trevor Lewis and got a strong outing from backup Darcy Kuemper, whose breakaway stop on Alex Goligoski in overtime was one of his 30 saves. Kuemper also made two big saves earlier in the game but faulted himself for the initial shot by Christian Dvorak that led to Fischer’s score. “It’s on me to come up with some saves, and unfortunately I just couldn’t control the rebound there and they were able to walk it in,” Kuemper said. “I liked my game. I liked our team game. I thought we did a great job defensively, we just weren’t able to get that extra one to win tonight.” One of the issues of the Kings’ slump is getting out of their zone, and it bit them late in the second period. A pass to Lewis, with no Arizona forecheck, bounced off him, and the Coyotes then grabbed possession and a 2-1 lead on Brendan Perlini’s tip of Goligoski’s shot. Kings coach John Stevens said it doesn’t matter even if the Kings have played better during this stretch because the results aren’t there. “I think the guys are totally invested,” Stevens said. “I mean, if it was a compete issue, I’d be really concerned. But there’s execution in certain parts of our game that clearly [has] to be a lot better.” Stevens has options with Gaborik and Torrey Mitchell, who was not yet available for the Kings following his trade from the Montreal Canadiens. In a related move, Brooks Laich was placed on waivers. The Kings can assign him to the minors if he is not claimed as the Kings would switch out one veteran for another. Gaborik, 35, has played nearly 1,000 games but he said the nervousness was due to so much time off. “This year, I haven’t played for probably seven, eight months, so it was definitely [like] jumping onto a running train,” Gaborik said. “It’s not like [I played] few exhibition games or something. One quarter of the season is behind us.” UP NEXT VS. DUCKS When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday On the air: TV: FS West, Ch.13; Radio: 790, 830. Update: Jonathan Quick will likely start for the Kings in a bid to end a personal six-game losing streak. His last win was against the Ducks on Nov. 7 at Honda Center. Ryan Miller could make his first start for the Ducks since Nov. 9 and first start against the Kings this season. LA Times: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084990 Los Angeles Kings

Kings fall to Coyotes in OT, suffer 7th loss in 8 games

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 9:16 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 11:33 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Marian Gaborik made his season debut for the Kings on Friday night, but he couldn’t help them end their skid. Christian Fischer broke out of scoring slump for resurgent Arizona, scoring on a rebound 2:43 into overtime to give the Coyotes a 3-2 victory. Gaborik returned to action after missing the Kings’ first 22 games with a knee injury. “I’ve been down on myself the last three of four games because I’m not scoring,” Fischer said. “I’ve had all the chances in the world but couldn’t put them home.” That changed in a flash midway through the overtime period. Christian Dvorak took the initial shot, which goalie Darcy Kuemper seemed to stop with his right pad. But the puck trickled behind him and Fischer, who was trailing the play, pounced on it and scored into the vacated net from 3 feet away. “That’s what you’re looking for, not guys playing outstanding but a lot of good games,” said Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet, whose team has won three of four after a 2-15-3 start. “There were no passengers tonight. It was a team game.” Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brendan Perlini also scored for the Coyotes, who won at home for the first second time in 10 games (2-7-1). Anze Kopitar and Trevor Lewis scored the Kings, who have lost three straight and seven of eight. Alex Goligoski had a chance to end the game for Arizona one minute into overtime when he took a long outlet pass from Max Domi, but Kuemper stopped his point-blank shot. “Tonight was a game where you’re thinking here we go again,” Tocchet said. “But I didn’t feel that at all on the bench.” Ekman-Larsson gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, scoring a power-play goal on a long, sweeping shot through traffic from the top of the left circle. The Kings tied it at 1 nearly three minutes into the second, when Kopitar pushed a pass from Gaborik in the right circle past Wedgewood from just inside the left hash marks. Kopitar’s goal was his 10th of the season and first in four games. “We try to put an emphasis on having a high guy there, have a good cycle and having everyone on the same page and I think we did that quite a bit tonight,” Gaborik said. “We couldn’t got a lot of opportunity tonight, in those areas were pretty good.” Perlini made it 2-1 at with 2:10 left in the period, taking Goligoski’s shot from the point and redirecting it from the low slot for his third goal in as many games. Lewis pulled the Kings even at 2-2 with 17:08 remaining. Wedgewood made an initial skate save on a short shot but couldn’t control the puck. Andy Andreoff chipped repeatedly at the loose puck, which finally slid untended in the crease behind Wedgewood’s right pad before Lewis shoved it the final few inches. “They got it back in the third period and gave us a chance,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “We obviously got a point there but we would like to get two out of the situation.” Notes Lewis has three goals in his past four games. … Ekman-Larsson has five points in his past four games and 10 in his last 11 against Los Angeles. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084991 Los Angeles Kings

Lawsuit alleges inappropriate behavior by L.A. Kings’ mascot, Bailey

By CITY NEWS SERVICE |PUBLISHED: November 23, 2017 at 2:44 am | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 4:04 PM

LOS ANGELES >> The man who appears at Los Angeles Kings games as team mascot “Bailey” was sued Wednesday by a dishwasher for allegedly groping the defendant’s buttocks in a Staples Center elevator in 2016. Maso Griffin’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit names as defendants Tim Smith and his employer, Kings’ owner Anschutz Entertainment Group Inc., as well as Levy Restaurants Inc. and Compass Group USA, which both provide food services to Staples Center. The suit seeks unspecified damages. Smith did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. A spokesman for the Kings said team officials have not seen the lawsuit and could not comment. The suit states that Griffin worked for Levy Restaurants and that Smith wears the lion costume and Kings jersey with the number 72 as the team’s mascot “Bailey.” Smith is married to Melissa Smith, Levy’s director of human resources, according to the complaint. During an elevator ride at the arena last Dec. 8, Smith, while dressed in the “Bailey” costume, put one hand on one of Griffin’s shoulders and used his other hand to squeeze the plaintiff’s buttocks, the suit alleges. Griffin was angry and was about to say something to Smith when a co- worker of the plaintiff — who was also in the elevator — said, “That’s the HR lady’s husband,” according to the complaint. Griffin complained the next day to Melissa Smith, who became angered, and the plaintiff was “taken off the schedule for a time,” the suit states. Griffin was subjected to embarrassing derogatory remarks by co-workers when he returned, including “Was his hand furry?,” the suit states. The suit states that Griffin was fired during a meeting with Melissa Smith on Dec. 21 and he believes he lost his job for complaining about her husband’s alleged conduct. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084992 Los Angeles Kings

GABORIK COULD RETURN TONIGHT; LAICH WAIVED; MINOR DOWD INJURY; NO MITCHELL YET

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 24, 2017

John Stevens said he wasn’t yet sure as to whether Gaborik would return tonight and would talk to the trainers before making the final decision. “He’s getting close,” Stevens said. “He’s not week-to-week anymore, he’s day-to-day. He’s been integrated into full practice and I think he’s getting close.” But the sense I have is that Gaborik expects to play tonight, and not only because he led the team in stretching at the end of the morning skate, as shown above. Earlier this week, there were discussions between Stevens, Gaborik, the trainers and the doctors that indicated that a return this week was very possible. Should the Kings activate Gaborik prior to game time, there would need to be a corresponding move because of the arrival of Torrey Mitchell, who was acquired yesterday from Montreal but did not join the team in Glendale. “Immigration issues need to be worked out first,” a team source said. Once Mitchell joins the team, he should be able to provide a veteran checking presence with speed and strong detail. “He plays center and wing, but he’s very good in the faceoff circle, skates really well, a really smart defensive player and plays hard, so I think that element of speed and responsibility will be a really good addition,” Stevens said. The Kings waived Brooks Laich this morning, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, but Laich will remain on the roster until he is claimed, or clears waivers and is hypothetically assigned. (There was no immediate word from hockey ops on whether Laich would report to Ontario, should he clear.) Laich has one assist in 12 games with Los Angeles. One possibility is that the club could place Nic Dowd on injured reserve. Dowd did not travel with the team after suffering a minor undisclosed injury late in Wednesday’s loss to Winnipeg and is unavailable tonight.. “At the end of the game we got word that something was up,” Stevens said. “He skated yesterday, but still it was a situation where he didn’t think it was the best interest to travel, so we left him home, just giving the best opportunity to recover quicker.” He’s not expected to be out for any extended length of time. Gaborik, 35, has not played this season after undergoing a “more in- depth medical procedure for a chronic issue related to his left knee” early in the off-season. There were some whispers he might be able to rejoin the team near the outset of the season, but after progressing during training camp, was held off the ice for the first half of October. Regaining the momentum in his comeback, he progressed in recent weeks to the point in which he was fully integrated into practice, making his return virtually imminent. The last game he played was the 2016-17 finale in Anaheim, which capped off a 56-game, 10-goal, 21-point season. In 989 career games, Gaborik has 396 goals and 794 points. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084993 Los Angeles Kings

GOOD MORNING, GLENDALE

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 24, 2017

Good morning, Glendale, and good morning, Insiders. [yawns] [pours a cup of coffee] A very happy Black Friday to you. An early flight from Santa Barbara necessitated a 4:45 a.m. taxi to the airport, and after our 6:10 PT takeoff and 8:15 MT touch down, I completed the journey by arriving at the Westgate Entertainment District, where Gila River Arena is located, just after 9:00 a.m. To this blogger’s surprise, I was met not by [howling], but by packed parking lots, strollers, families, dogs and one guitar-carrying drifter, with all, perhaps other than the drifter, looking to take advantage of early holiday season deals and savings as only Tanger Outlets Westgate can provide. I hope you all spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with family, friends and football. If there’s anything I’m thankful for beyond all else, it’s the ability to spot authentic Munters units amidst the worthless Trane knockoffs that have become so frustratingly prevalent across this cursed league. I used to know Glendale as the league’s premier Munters outpost. I used to know a lot of things. Sadly, it’s all garbage. Today’s morning skate will take place at 11:00 local time. Based on some correspondence last night, Torrey Mitchell was not expected to meet the team in Arizona because immigration issues needed to be worked out first. No biggie! There’s still a ton to go over as both the Kings and Coyotes kick off the first night of divisional back-to-back sets. There’s lots more to come on a busy game day from the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert. Let’s talk soon, Insiders. Thank you for reading. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084994 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 24 POSTGAME NOTES

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 24, 2017

POSTGAME NOTES -With the overtime loss, Los Angeles fell to 87-101-35 all-time against the Arizona franchise, a record that includes an away mark of 40-55-18. The overtime loss ended a three-game road winning streak in the series. These teams have three games remaining: February 3 and March 29 at Staples Center, and March 13 at Gila River Arena. -With the overtime loss, Los Angeles fell to 2-5-3 against the Western Conference, 2-3-2 against the Pacific Division, 4-5-3 in one-goal games, 3-8-1 when scoring two goals or fewer, 5-6-3 when their opponent scores first, 3-5-3 when trailing after one period, 1-6-3 when trailing after two periods, 5-5-1 when outshot by their opponent and 2-1-1 on the first night of back-to-back sets. -Los Angeles fell to 2-3 in games decided in overtime in 2017-18 and 26- 10 since the switch to the 3-on-3 format prior to 2015-16. Their .722 winning percentage ranks second behind Calgary’s .750. Game-winners against the Kings were scored by Ryan O’Reilly, John Moore, Jaden Schwartz, Esa Lindell, Mikael Granlund, TJ Brodie, Shea Theodore, Sean Monahan, Viktor Arvidsson and Christian Fischer. -Darcy Kuemper’s personal shutout streak ended at 117:33 on Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s first period power play goal. He had stopped 59 consecutive shots since Viktor Arvidsson’s overtime game-winner on November 4. -Arizona has scored first in 15 of 25 games this season, the second highest total in the NHL. -In his first game back from injury, Marian Gaborik recorded one assist and a +1 rating in 13:51 of ice time. He registered one shot on goal as part of six shot attempts and was credited with two takeaways. -Los Angeles attempted 64 shots (25 on goal, 21 blocked, 18 missed). Arizona attempted 65 shots (33 on goal, 14 blocked, 18 missed). Jonny Brodzinski, Anthony Duclair and Derek Stepan tied with a game-high four shots on goal. -The Kings won 32-of-58 faceoffs (55%). Adrian Kempe won 3-of-10, Anze Kopitar won 11-of-18, Jonny Brodzinski won 0-of-2, Nick Shore won 10-of-16, Jussi Jokinen won 7-of-11 and Tanner Pearson won 1-of- 1. The Kings are scheduled to meet at 10:00 a.m. at Toyota Sports Center on Saturday, November 25. If players get on the ice, it is likely to be a mostly optional skate. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084995 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 24 POSTGAME QUOTES: GABORIK, KUEMPER

JESSI MCDONALDNOVEMBER 24, 2017

POSTGAME QUOTES Marian Gaborik, on his first game of the season: Definitely took me a few shifts to get it under my belt and just felt better and better after that, you know, so getting more comfortable with everything. First few shifts I was just kind of like wondering what was going on around me, but then I got pretty comfortable and from there I got better as the game went on. Gaborik, on getting pre-game nerves: I don’t know, I just, I think it happens first time. You know, start of the season, 20 games in. Even last year, I started the season with World Cup, but this year I haven’t played for maybe seven, eight months. So it was definitely jumping into a running train. It’s not like a few exhibition games or something. It’s one quarter of the season is behind us pretty much. But it felt good to be out there with the boys and just to be in this environment and to play a game again. Gaborik, on whether he noticed changes in the team’s style of play compared to last year: Yeah, I mean we tried to put it on the high guy there and have a good cycle and make sure everybody was on the same page and I think we’ve done that quite a bit tonight. Unfortunately we couldn’t find a lot of opportunities, but you know I think in those areas we were pretty good. Unfortunate the outcome, but you know tomorrow is another big division game and just got to get a win. Gaborik, on whether 3-on-3 was a good way to test out his legs: Yeah, well as much ice time as I can get. It was good to be out there and it felt good to be back for sure. Darcy Kuemper, on the game overall: Yeah I thought we played hard, went to overtime. Big third period goal. Yeah just weren’t able to score before they did in overtime. Kuemper, on the importance of maintaining possession in overtime: Well usually when there’s shots it’s a scoring chance, so it’s on me to come up with some saves and unfortunately I wasn’t able to control the rebound there and they were able to whack it in. Kuemper, on whether he felt pretty good otherwise: Yeah I liked my game, I liked our team game for the most part. I thought we did a great job defensively like we’ve been doing and just weren’t able to get that extra one to win tonight. Kuemper, on if he thinks the team has been playing better despite the results: Yeah I think we’re definitely working our game and getting back to where we need to be. You know, right now we’re really close, these one-goal games. It’s definitely coming, we just need to keep working at it and the bounces are going to start coming our way. Kuemper, on the physicality of the game: Yeah that’s how we like to play. We’re a big, physical team and they came out with a mindset that they were going to play the same way and like you said, it was physical both ways. Close game, went into overtime, and just unfortunately we were on the wrong end. Kuemper, on whether it was good to see Gaborik back in the lineup: Yeah I thought he played really well and we’re all really happy for him. It’s been a long road for him and he’s put up a lot of work so it’s nice for him to finally get rewarded with a game in. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084996 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 24 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 24, 2017

POSTGAME QUOTES On whether the pivotal play boiled down to not being able to get a line change in overtime: Well, we had the puck a couple times there. If you could turn it back, I think that maybe some better decisions. We were trying to get a line change prior to that, and I thought we forced the puck up the ice and gave it back to ‘em. I thought they played hard, I thought they battled back in the third period and gave us a chance. Obviously got a point there, but we’d like to get two out of that situation. On Marian Gaborik’s performance: Yeah, very pleased. The key now is – he’s ramped up to play a game – just to get him reloaded. I thought he was excellent, I thought he skated well, I thought he wanted the puck, I thought he really competed along the wall hard, which is hard being out as long as he has and not played a game since last year. He’s a good pro. I think he really prepared himself. I think he really not only physically but mentally got himself ready to play in this game. It was a really solid performance. On what improved to allow the team to gain its footing in the third period: Well, we’ve just got to get a handle of managing the puck, We had good momentum in the second period, and then just some fundamental execution plays that I think can allow us to spend more time in the offensive zone, and I did think we shot ourselves in the foot a little bit. By the third period, we got the puck going north a lot better, our support was going in the direction we wanted to go, and it allowed us to generate more of an attack in the offensive zone. On whether the team has been playing better recently, even if it hasn’t been getting results: At the end of the day, we’ve got to win hockey games, so let’s not pat ourselves on the back and say we played better. I think the guys played hard. I think the guys were totally invested. I mean, if it was a compete issue I’d be really concerned, but there’s execution in certain parts of our game that clearly have to be a lot better. On a strong performance by Darcy Kuemper: He gave us a chance to win, right? At the end of the day, they got a goal off special teams there. You can call three-on-three special teams, too, right? The guys are playing hard. We’ve just got to clean up execution in a couple areas there and I think we’ll give ourselves a better chance. [Reporter: The execution – are you seeing it more as a result of the opponents being able to get in on forechecks, or is it more unforced than that?] I call them unforced errors. On whether he will look to reunite Marian Gaborik and Anze Kopitar, given their histories: We’re not sure. I thought that line was good with Jokinen and Brodzinski. The line seemed to be spending a lot of time in the offensive zone. They got in on the forecheck, they had good execution coming out of our zone through neutral zone. I think we just like the line. I mean, Gabby can play with anybody. He’s a good player – he can play left or right. Actually, we thought he was really going. We tried him in overtime with Kopi just because they’ve obviously got a history there. But I’m not sure – we’ll evaluate the game, but Gabby, I’m not sure he’d be locked in, anyway. He can move around your lineup, for sure. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1084997 Los Angeles Kings Yeah, he plays center and wing, but he’s very good in the faceoff circle, skates really well, really smart defensive player and plays hard, so I think that element of speed and responsibility will be a really good addition. NOVEMBER 24 MORNING SKATE QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS On whether Nic Dowd’s injury is a minor injury that occurred during Wednesday’s game: JON ROSENNOVEMBER 24, 20170 COMMENTS It did. At the end of the game we got word that there was something up. He skated yesterday, but still was in a situation where you didn’t think it was in his best interest to travel, so we left him home, just giving him the best opportunity to recover quicker. MORNING SKATE QUOTES On Marian Gaborik’s status: On whether the team will be adjusting its defensive pairs: He’s getting close. He’s not week-to-week anymore, he’s day-to-day. To be honest, we’re not sure. We’ve had some pairs, obviously, Muzz He’s been integrated into full practice. I think he’s getting close. and Drew have been a really good pair in the past, but that was quite a [Reporter: Chance we could see him tonight?] Not sure yet. I’ve got to while ago. I think just through the evolution of our team we’ve separated talk to the trainers. them. I’m not quite sure what we’d do there yet, but we just wanted to get some reps in and have a look at it. On whether he makes much out of the team’s wide home-road power play splits: On defending against smaller, skilled players, such as Clayton Keller: I don’t know. It seems like we’ve been really good on the road in terms of Well, I think with any good player, it’s time and space. I think with a guy our team play. The game plan’s the same. I don’t think the mindset like Keller, when he gets the line he becomes a really dangerous player. changes. The focus of certain reads for our hockey team – whether it’s What we always try to do with a young player is to try to find a similar breakouts, faceoffs or philosophy in the zone – I think sometimes your player in the league that they’re familiar with. The guy that we’d probably team gets caught in situations where you’re on the road for a stretch and compare him to is more like a Pat Kane or a Johnny Gaudreau. He’s a your game gets going, or you’re at home or a stretch and it’s now where little bit undersized, but he’s extremely competitive, he’s got great edges, you’re home-away, home-away, home-away. If you look at Arizona, he can cut back and find space, and he sees the ice really well, so I think they’re 1-7-7 at home and they have four wins on the road, and you say, it’s a premium to make sure that we have good gaps on him, take his ‘why?’ Well, actually their game’s gotten a lot better lately, and they’ve time and space away, and it’s probably the big thing because, say, if you just been on the road lately. So sometimes it’s just the product of the want to put a body on him and hit him, it’s easier said than done schedule more than it is of where you’re playing, but we’d certainly like to sometimes. But I think time and space is the big thing with him. see a little more consistency in that. On whether there’s any pressing concern on either the attacking or On Adrian Kempe’s end-of-practice faceoff work, and working with Pierre defending side of the puck: Turgeon on faceoffs: Not really. I think throughout the whole year, we’ve tried to look at our There have been lots of us with hands on. Don has worked with him, I’ve entire game and look at areas, even if we’ve done things well, to try and actually talked to him about it. We’ve got one of the best lefthanded reinforce those things in the area we think we can get better at. The centermen in the game. It’s a great teaching tool for Adrian, just to watch bottom line is we need to come up on the right side of winning hockey Kopi in the draw – what he’s doing and what are some of the key games, and sometimes it’s just a little extra effort in certain situations that fundamentals he can get better at. We like Adrian at the center ice can make a difference. Small details matter, and small details all the time position, it’s just a part of his game that’s got to get better. But we’ve matter. That’s been more of the focus than anything else. done that all year long, trying to get reps in at the end of practice. We talked to him about ‘just keep working.’ Repetition is a great teacher of On whether there has been a gap between the forwards and defensemen that skill, and we’ve got to make sure that he not only gets the repetition, recently: but he gets some direction in that area as well. I think when we play well, we use the term ‘really well connected,’ and On a late-skate conversation with Andy Andreoff, Nick Shore and Trevor when we don’t play quite as well, we get a little bit – the gap in between Lewis: the D and the forwards. There can be a lot of reasons for that. Sometimes you’re turning pucks over, especially in the second period. I just wanted to talk to the line. That line’s been really good for us when Your D gets tired and you can’t get off the ice, and shift length can result we were really rolling, and I think that line has the ability, with work and in that, but yes, I think there’s been times where we’re not as connected detail, to really kind of get our team game in motion, and they can be an in terms of our gap being with our forwards and our defense. We want to important group for us. play fast, but it comes from being in really good position together, so playing fast doesn’t mean stretching out away from the puck. Playing fast LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.25.2017 means working really hard together to get it back and then going in the other direction really fast. I think it’s a part of our game that at times has gotten away from us, but it’s certainly been a focal point for us. On whether Dustin Brown’s production simply comes down to opportunity, situations and ice time: No, I don’t think it’s that simple, but I think any player, ice times and opportunities are earned in our sport, and I think Brownie’s come in with a really good start to training camp. He came in ready to go right off the get-go. He’s been performing very well from day one in terms of what he needs to do to be a good player. I think Brownie’s really kind of pulled back the last year and a half, to be honest with you. I thought his game started to take a better shape last year in terms of what kind of player he needed to be, and Brownie knows that he’s had a lot of success being a real puck pursuit guy, being around the net more, getting to the net more, playing a little more of a straight ahead, north power game, and if you put him with good players like Kopi, and he’s been with Alex most of the year, he’s a really good complement to those types of players and the puck ends up at the net a lot, and probably the big thing – and some of his production has come off the power play, but he’s always been a good net-front guy. I think he’s gotten back to really value that part of his game. He works on it on a daily basis. He looks at video. He talks to Billy Ranford about goalies – where do they look? Do they look over top, do they look off to the side? So, he’s a really good student of the game, but I think he’s just reminded himself what makes him a good player, and he’s really dedicated himself to it. On whether Torrey Mitchell should provide speed and experience as a fourth line center: 1084998 Los Angeles Kings One of the players used as a comparable to the 5-foot-10, 168-pound Keller is Patrick Kane.

“Small little guy, makes good plays, good hockey sense,” Doughty said. NOVEMBER 24 NOTES: NEW LINE COMBINATIONS, PAIRINGS; “But, you know, we know how to play against those guys and how we PHYSICAL PLAY ON DEFENSE need to shut them down. That’s just physical. I don’t know if he’s a competitive guy or what he is. I don’t know enough about him, but usually when you’ve got a small guy like that, you can push him out of the game JON ROSENNOVEMBER 24, 20170 COMMENTS with physicality.” Of course, physicality comes with the understanding that highly skilled, slippery players like Keller take advantage if the opposition is hellbent on Good afternoon from Glendale, Arizona, Insiders. The Kings held an going out of its way to ensure make hits on him. 11:00 a.m. morning skate at Gila River Arena and aligned thusly: “I think one of your best tools to defend is your body,” Stevens said. “We Iafallo-Kopitar-Toffoli talk about moving your feet, having a good stick and making body contact, I don’t think you want to run at him because he’ll take advantage Pearson-Kempe-Brown of that if you’re overaggressive. But you still want to get time and space, Gaborik-Jokinen-Brodzinski and you still want to be physical in puck recovery, whether it’s him or anyone else.” Andreoff-Shore-Lewis It’s nuance that a multi-dimensional, elite defensive defenseman like Muzzin-Doughty Doughty understands well. Fantenberg-Martinez “You don’t want to be running around at him, because he’ll make you look foolish if he’s like Patrick Kane so yeah, it’s just little things,” Forbort-Folin Doughty said. “After he moves the puck, you’ve got to finish that hit on MacDermid him every time. If he’s in front of the net, don’t be afraid to give him a few shots in front of the net and whatnot. So, yeah, we’ve just got to play him Notes! hard just like we play every other guy on this team. I don’t think he’s a guy – I don’t think he’s one of their top players, yet. But, he’s someone -Changes, ahoy! The projection is that Marian Gaborik will return to the that we’ll need to pay special attention to, still.” lineup after missing the first 22 games of the season after recovering from a knee procedure, but that decision will be the end result of Here’s John Stevens talking about defending smaller, high-skilled players discussions between Gaborik, the coaching staff and the team trainers such as Keller: this afternoon. Should he not be able to go, the Kings would use 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Kurtis MacDermid took loops alongside It’s not only the Kellers that the Kings will have to account for. They’ll look Drew Doughty, but Jake Muzzin should be expected to get the majority of to put a clamp on Jordan Martinook, who has five goals and eight points the reps there, especially in the event Gaborik is able to play tonight. If in 10 career games versus Los Angeles. His 0.8 points-per-game rate Gaborik goes, no MacDermid. As noted earlier, Nic Dowd is dealing with against the Kings far surpasses his .26 points per game against all other a minor injury and did not travel, and immigration issues kept Torrey NHL clubs. Mitchell from joining the team in Arizona. -Tonight’s officials are referees Tom Chmielewski and Trevor Hanson -Your goalie match-up appears to be Darcy Kuemper versus Scott and linesmen Brandon Gawryletz and Derek Nansen. I’ll be joined by Wedgewood. Kuemper left the ice first at Los Angeles’ morning skate, Pierre Turgeon and Anze Kopitar during the LA Kings Live pre-game while Wedgewood is projected to go for Arizona after Antti Raanta left show on FOX Sports West. John Stevens quotes will follow, Insiders. Wednesday’s game versus San Jose in the first period with an upper- Thank you, as always, for reading. body injury. Marek Langhamer is expected to back up Wedgewood, a Thanks for the gift this morning @LAKings! pic.twitter.com/pFfwxjQaDz 2012 World Junior Championship goaltender with Canada, who was acquired from New Jersey for a fifth round draft pick in late October. — Oscar Fantenberg (@OscarFantenberg) November 23, 2017 Wedgewood has never faced the Kings in his career, but Kuemper is 3-0- 1 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage in his LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.25.2017 lifetime against the Coyotes. Promising 19-year-old Arizona defenseman Jacob Chychrun, who suffered a knee injury while training late in the off- season that necessitated surgery, continues to skate and has progressed to the point where “it’s more like [he’s] day-to-day,” according to Coyotes coach and former King Rick Tocchet. -There’s always some leeway defensemen are afforded in using two hands on their stick to clear the area out in front of their net. Jake Muzzin is one of those players who has had success in goalmouth battles, and as he shared, punishing physicality isn’t always needed to neutralize the opposition’s forwards, as referees don’t want to see too much entanglement in front of the net between the defenseman and the attacker. “A lot of the guys are really good at tipping, so it’s not so much cross-checking now as more as taking their stick out of play. You’re trying to eliminate the tip and keep body position, as well,” he said. “And, also, you have to feel out how the game is going. Are the refs calling it tight or are they letting the stick stuff go? So, it all kind of comes into play. But, definitely, you want to show your position and a lot of the times the cross-check is allowing you to hold your position and keep him out.” Personally, he’s also looking to further those hard, physical minutes around the net. “Tough guy to play against, making plays in our zone,” he said. “We kind of got away from skating with the puck and we forget we want to move the puck quick. But, a lot of times moving it quick is moving your feet, too. So, get back to that and be excited about the challenge tonight.” He skated with Drew Doughty in line rushes, so there’s a chance we could see the return of a familiar pairing used heavily in 2013-14. -Should Muzzin and Doughty log heavy minutes together in a variety of situations, there’s a good chance they’ll see an awful lot of Clayton Keller, Arizona’s prized rookie who has emerged as a Calder Trophy favorite with 11 goals and 20 points in his first 24 games. He scored against Los Angeles in the preseason, but tonight’s game will be his first regular season game in the Pacific Division rivalry. 1084999 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Avalanche recap

NOVEMBER 24, 2017 — 11:19PM SARAH MCLELLAN

GAME RECAP Star Tribune’s Three Stars 1. Alex Stalock, Wild: Stalock racked up 28 saves, 10 of which came in the third as the Wild struggled to pressure the Avalanche. 2. Nino Niederreiter, Wild: Niederreiter scored the game-tying goal on the power play. 3. Jonathan Bernier, Avalanche: Bernier helped the Avalanche snag a point with his 25-save effort. By the numbers 10 Career shootout goals in 25 attempts for winger Chris Stewart. 6 Consecutive games in which winger Nino Niederreiter has tallied a goal, which ties the franchise record. 8 Power-play goals by the Wild in its past five games. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085000 Minnesota Wild

Wild notes: Season series with Blues continues to be significant

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 24, 2017 — 11:20PM

Blues goalie Jake Allen (34) jumped over Jay Bouwmeester (19) and Charlie Coyle (3) in Game 2 of last year's playoffs. This season’s first matchup against the Blues was always going to hold significance. After all, the Blues were the ones who cut the Wild’s franchise-best run in 2016-17 short when they bounced their Central Division rival from the first round of the playoffs earlier this year in five games. But the importance of the reunion, which takes place Saturday in St. Louis and is the first of four meetings, has only increased with the Blues pacing the pack in the Western Conference amid a terrific start to the season. “Any time you’ve got a division game, it’s a measuring stick,” winger Chris Stewart said. “They’re one of the hottest teams in the league, and they sent us home early last year. That’s something we haven’t forgot. We’re going to be ready to go. We’ve had that game circled on the calendar, and the boys are going to be excited.” Led by former Wild bench boss Mike Yeo, the Blues’ formula for success hasn’t changed despite some new faces. Their goaltending, with Jake Allen, is steady. St. Louis’ offense is dynamic and returns key cogs in wingers Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. But the addition of center Brayden Schenn via an offseason trade with the Flyers has given the team another scoring threat. And the blue line continues to be headlined by captain Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester, who made his season debut earlier this week after fracturing his ankle during training camp. “They’ve always been good ever since I’ve been in the league,” Wild captain Mikko Koivu said. “They have that core group that’s been there for a while now. So every time we go in their building, we know it’s going to be a tough game.” Overtime push It almost looked like the Wild wouldn’t require overtime to get by the Avalanche 3-2 Friday at Xcel Energy Center. The team was pouring on the pressure in overtime — outshooting the Avalanche 6-0 with many of those looks in prime scoring spots. “Their goalie came up huge,” said center Charlie Coyle, who scored in the shootout. “That’s a good sign. We just want to get that going, make sure we get that extra point. Obviously did in the shootout. We’ll take it any way we can.” Matching up The Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog, center Nathan MacKinnon and winger Mikko Rantanen have been almost unstoppable lately, combining for 17 goals and 42 points in Colorado’s previous 10 games. But only Landeskog managed an assist Friday, and give credit to the Daniel Winnik-Koivu-Mikael Granlund line for quieting that trio. “All three of those guys are very good defensively, whether it’s Koivu, Winnik or Granlund,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “They know how to play defense, and they did the same thing for two straight games against the Couturier line. They take this and it was on the board that we were going to do a hard match tonight against those guys. They take that to heart, and they did a really good job against them.” Streaks galore Not only did winger Nino Niederreiter match the franchise record for longest goal streak when he scored in a sixth straight game Friday, but he also extended his power-play goal streak to five games and point streak to eight games — all career bests. Niederreiter became the first NHL player to score a power-play goal in five consecutive games since teammate Eric Staal did it with the Hurricanes in 2010. • Koivu’s assist on Niederreiter’s goal was his seventh during a five-game assist streak and sixth during a four-game run of setting up power-play goals Star Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085001 Minnesota Wild

Wild-St. Louis game preview

NOVEMBER 24, 2017 — 9:16PM SARAH MCLELLAN

7 p.m. at St. Louis • Scottrade Center • FSN, 100.3-FM Piling up points is an early plus Preview: The Wild has banked at least a point in seven of its past eight, going 6-1-1 in that span. It started a stretch of three straight games against the Central Division by edging the Avalanche 3-2 in a shootout Friday. The Blues entered their Friday game not only atop the Central Division but also pacing the entire Western Conference. Look for goalie Jake Allen to start against the Wild after backup Carter Hutton earned the start Friday against the Predators. Players to WATCH: Center Brayden Schenn has shined in his first season with the Blues after an offseason trade from the Flyers, racking up 10 goals and 30 points entering action Friday. Winger Vladimir Tarasenko scored his 11th and 12th goals Tuesday against the Oilers. On the back end, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo sets the tone and had totaled 20 points before facing the Predators. Numbers: Winger Nino Niederreiter’s six-game goal streak is tied for the longest goal streak in Wild history. … The Wild’s power play has gone 8- for-18 over the past five games. … The Blues won three of the five meetings between the teams last season. … St. Louis goalie Jake Allen is 6-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. Injuries: Wild F Zach Parise (back surgery) is out. Avalanche Fs Zach Sanford (shoulder), Robby Fabbri (knee) and Patrik Berglund (shoulder) are also out. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085002 Minnesota Wild Star Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2017

Wild's Stewart clicks for shootout winner over Avs

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 24, 2017 — 11:23PM

Wild winger Chris Stewart started the week out of the lineup, a healthy scratch for the first time this season. By but Friday, he was stationed at center ice with the chance to seal a victory in a shootout. “He was staring me down,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I was afraid that if I didn’t put him out, he’d get mad at me.” And given the opportunity to deliver, Stewart didn’t disappoint — sending the puck five-hole on Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier to finalize a 3-2 win. The victory in the matinee meeting between the Central Division rivals in front of 19,084 at Xcel Energy Center had Stewart and the team on the upswing ahead of a battle Saturday in St. Louis against the first- place Blues. The Wild is 6-1-1 in its past eight games. Bruce Boudreau discusses the team's 3-2 shootout win over the Avalanche. “It’s nice to have the vote of confidence from your teammates, and for Bruce to put me in there, it says a lot,” Stewart said. “It says a lot about us.” The goal was Stewart’s 10th in 25 career tries, a prowess he was able to contribute in just his second game back after being a spectator Monday against the Devils. The timeout came amid a goalless drought; Stewart hasn’t scored since starting the season with six goals in the first six games. “I just have to get back to playing hard and playing physical,” he said. Charlie Coyle converted the team’s other shootout goal, roofing a puck over Bernier after captain Mikko Koivu’s attempt was stopped. At the other end, Wild goalie Alex Stalock turned aside center Nathan MacKinnon and winger Mikko Rantanen, after making 28 saves in regulation. “After the first period, it was like he got mad at himself or whatever and said, ‘That’s it. Nothing else is getting in,’ ” Boudreau said of Stalock. “ … He just stood his ground, and he did a great job.” The Wild fell into a 2-1 hole after one period despite opening the scoring just 1 minute, 13 seconds into the game when center Eric Staal set up winger Jason Zucker for a shot from the slot that eluded traffic and Bernier, who ended up with 25 saves. But Colorado evened it at 10:23 on a shorthanded breakaway by winger J.T. Compher — the second shorthanded tally given up by the Wild this season. The Avalanche added another goal before the period adjourned when winger Blake Comeau finished off a two-on-one rush at 15:54. “We came in here down 2-1 and kind of settled things down and turned the page for me and made the saves I needed to make,” Stalock said. The Wild was able to tie it off a blistering one-timer on the power play from winger Nino Niederreiter just 5:02 into the second. It was Niederreiter’s seventh goal during a six-game goal streak that ties the franchise record set by Brian Rolston Jan. 21-Feb.5, 2008. “I’ve got great support from great players, and they’re making great passes to set me up,” Niederreiter said. “I’m lucky to be that guy right now.” Overall, the power play went 1-for-2 while the Wild snuffed out three chances with the man advantage for the Avalanche. Stalock was among the busiest penalty killers, especially to start the third. Colorado continued to pressure the Wild the rest of the period and had its best chance to pull ahead on a Compher breakaway, but Stalock was steady — keeping the Wild afloat until it found a rhythm in overtime where it outshot the Avalanche 6-0 before completing its comeback. “That was a big win,” Stewart said. “We’re having a pretty good week here, and we can make it a great week by going into St. Louis and winning one.” 1085003 Minnesota Wild

Wild have had rematch with Blues ‘circled on the calendar’

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 8:16 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 8:16 PM

It’s been a little more than seven months since the Wild had their playoff hopes dashed by the St. Louis Blues in the first round, and no, they haven’t forgotten about it. “We have had that game circled on the calendar,” Chris Stewart said. “I know the boys are going to be excited about it.” While revenge will more than likely be on the minds of some players, Saturday’s game between the two teams at the Scottrade Center is about a lot more than what happened last season. On one end the Wild (11-8-3, 25 points) are starting to find their legs with points in six of their last seven games. On the other end, the Blues (16-5- 1, 33 points) are the gold standard of the Western Conference at the moment. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We look forward to challenges.” Mikko Koivu said even though the Blues on fire as of late, he hasn’t spent a lot of time focusing on them. “I think it’s more important (to focus on) the way we play,” Koivu said. “I think there are parts of the game that we’re doing good and I think we’re getting better. At the same time obviously there’s things that we need to do better in order to get where we want.” As the Wild packed their bags and boarded their team charter following Friday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche, they were hopeful the momentum from that game would carry over. “We are looking forward to that challenge,” Charlie Coyle said. “It’s always a good battle against those guys. … They are the top team right now and we want to go take down the top team.” ‘STEWIE’ STEPS UP After being scratched a few days ago, veteran Chris Stewart appears to have found his legs again. He has been solid in back to back games and scored the game-winner in the shootout during Friday’s 3-2 win over the Avalanche. “I just used it as a reset,” Stewart said of being scratched. “I just have to get back to playing hard and playing physical.” Stewart also showcased his offensive skills during Friday’s shootout with a sweet deke before going five hole to beat goaltender Jonathan Bernier. “I definitely have had some success,” Stewart said, admitting that his overall shootout numbers probably aren’t great. “You know, one-on-one with the goalie, I’m confident in my ability to put it in.” Boudreau joked that he felt obligated to put Stewart in with the way he was staring at him on the bench. “He was staring me down,” Boudreau said with a smile. “I was afraid that if I didn’t put him out, he’d get mad at me.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085004 Minnesota Wild Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.25.2017

Alex Stalock stars as Wild earn 3-2 shootout win over Avalanche

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 5:43 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 7:37 PM

Wild coach Bruce Boudreau sang the praises of backup Alex Stalock before Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Xcel Energy Center. Stalock entered the night with a 2.56 goals against average and a .927 save percentage to go along with a 1-2-1 record in large part because his teammates have struggled in front of him whenever he’s played. “He’s given us a chance to win every game,” Boudreau said pregame. “He’s arguably been our best player every time he’s played.” Stalock proved that to be the case again, making 28 saves, as the Wild earned a 3-2 shootout win over the Avalanche. He allowed a pair of goals in the first period and was solid the rest of the way to pace his team to victory. “After the first period, it was like he got mad at himself or whatever and said, ‘That’s it. Nothing else is getting in,'” Boudreau said, adding that he was happy Stalock finally got rewarded for his solid play. “He just stood his ground. He did a great job.” “He played unbelievable tonight,” added Chris Stewart, who scored the decisive tally in the shootout. “He stood on his head, especially in the second (period) where I think we were on the ropes there a little bit. He made some big saves. It’s great that he gives us a chance to win and we wanted to get that win for him tonight.” Jason Zucker and Nino Niederreiter scored the goals in regulation as the Wild improved to 11-8-3 (25 points) on the season and moved out of the basement of the Central Division. “These games become so important,” Boudreau said pregame. “We aren’t in a situation where we’re 16 points ahead or anything like that, so any game against the Central Division is a (must-win) game in my mind.” Zucker put the Wild in the board in the opening minutes of the game with a wrist shot from the slot. That seemed to put the Avalanche on the ropes, though they battled back in a big way thanks to a shorthanded goal from winger JT Compher midway through the first period followed by a snipe from winger Blake Comeau a few minutes later. All of a sudden, the Wild trailed heading into the locker room. Stalock said while he was disappointed with himself, he knew it was important that he cleared it from his memory as quickly as possible. “As a goalie that makes it to the NHL, I’ve given up a lot of goals in my life along the way,” Stalock said. “You just have to say that’s another one and turn the page. We came in here down 2-1 and kind of settled things down and turned the page and I made the saves I needed to make.” Stalock was brilliant the rest of the way and he got some goal support five minutes into the second period when Niederreiter tied the game with a one-time blast on the power play. That goal helped Niederreiter extend his goal streak to six games, matching Brian Rolston for the longest such run in franchise history. Stalock was a brick wall down the stretch to keep the game tied in the third period as the Wild struggled and the Avalanche applied constant pressure. “We were sitting back again,” Boudreau explained. “They have great speed through the neutral zone, so they were pushing us back. I didn’t think we had a lot of offense going in the third period.” In overtime the Wild managed to flip the script, outshooting the Avalanche 6-0, though goaltender Jonathan Bernier was unflappable as the game went to a shootout. In the shootout Charlie Coyle scored, Stalock made a clutch pad save, and Stewart scored again to close out the win. Stalock made a beeline from his post after Stewart went five hole on Bernier to win it. He was one of the first players to Stewart as the celebratory group hug ensued. “Honestly, I don’t know the last time I’ve won a shootout,” Stalock said. “It’s nice to do that. Just fun to see it go in and get the two points.” 1085005 Montreal Canadiens Hudon – Plekanec – Davidson Deslauriers – De La Rose – Froese Canadiens Notebook: Carey Price will be back in goal Saturday night While Drouin and Galchenyuk have shown some chemistry together, there hasn’t been any chemistry when it comes to Drouin and Pacioretty or Galchenyuk and Pacioretty. More from Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette When asked why the trio of Pacioretty-Drouin-Galchenyuk didn’t work, Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 Julien said: “Sometimes you don’t have those answers. You try it and you 2:31 PM EST hope that it will work … they’re three of our best forwards and you say if they can get a little bit of chemistry …

“I don’t have the answer,” the coach added. “All I know is I tried. So we Carey Price will be back in goal for the Canadiens Saturday night at the decided to split them up and all for the right reasons and maybe there’s Bell Centre when they face the Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m., SN, TVA Sports, going to be some better chemistry going forward with other players and TSN Radio 690). we go from that. We’re coaches and we try things that most of the time are discussed and educated decision, but it doesn’t guarantee that it’s Price has missed the last 10 games with what the team called a “minor” always going to work.” lower-body injury suffered during the pre-game warmup on Nov. 2 in Minnesota. Price still played in that game, allowing five goals on 26 shots All three goalies – Charlie Lindgren, Antti Niemi and Carey Price – on ice in a 6-3 loss to the Wild with the final goal into an empty net. for #Habs practice in Brossard #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/z8k7slI8HD— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) November 24, 2017 “I think the damage was probably done by that point,” Price said after Friday’s practice when asked if he aggravated the injury by playing in Slumping offence Minnesota. “At that point, it was right at the end of warmup and I didn’t really want to throw Monty (backup goalie Al Montoya) under the bus at The Canadiens (8-12-3) have lost their last five games (0-3-2) and have the end of warmup. It felt like I was good enough to go. It probably wasn’t the worst offence in the NHL, ranking 31st with an average of 2.30 goals the greatest idea, but what are you going to do about it now?” per game despite the fact they lead the league in shots with an average of 36.0 per game. Price had been struggling before the injury and has a 3-7-1 record with a 3.77 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage this season. Drouin has gone seven games without a goal and has only one goal in his last 16 games. Jacob De La Rose has no goals in the 14 games he When asked if the injury took a lot longer to heal than he first expected, has played, while Phillip Danault has gone 12 games without a goal, Price said: “Maybe a week. I didn’t expect it to be quite this long. But just Galchenyuk hasn’t scored in 11 games, Charles Hudon hasn’t scored in want to make sure you don’t want to get hurt again and be out for a 10 games and Tomas Plekanec hasn’t scored in nine games. Pacioretty longer period.” and Andrew Shaw have both gone five games without a goal. After practice Friday the Canadiens announced that rookie goalie Charlie The Canadiens rank 29th in the NHL on the power play (14.4 per cent), Lindgren has been sent down to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Lindgren 27th in penalty-killing (75.3 per cent) and 29th in defence (allowing an posted a 3-4-1 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .924 save average of 3.43 goals per game). percentage during Price’s absence. Antti Niemi, who stopped 31 of 33 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Predators Thursday night in Nashville, Gallagher leads the Canadiens in scoring with 9-5-14 totals, followed by will be Price’s backup. Weber (4-9-13), Drouin (3-10-13), Pacioretty (7-5-12) and Danault (3-9- 12). The Rocket play the Utica Comets at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Place Bell and the two teams will meet again at 3 p.m. Saturday in Laval. Defenceman Plekanec has the best plus/minus on the Canadiens at plus-2, while Jeff David Schlemko, who has yet to play a game with the Canadiens after Petry and Pacioretty are tied for the worst plus/minus at minus-12. suffering a broken hand during training camp that required surgery, was Jakub Jerabek leads team stretch at #Habs practice in Brossard on the ice for Friday’s practice and was sent down to Laval afterward for #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/n2MU4W41ij— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) a conditioning stint. Schlemko was slated to play Friday night with the November 24, 2017 Rocket, but Julien doesn’t expect the defenceman to be in the Canadiens lineup Saturday night. Sabres are worse than Habs “No, probably not,” Julien said about the possibility of Schlemko facing The Sabres, under new head coach Phil Housley, are the worst team in the Sabres. “We’re going to go day-by-day with him. I think it’s one game the Eastern Conference, taking a 5-13-4 record into Friday night’s game in six months that he’s played and that was in Laval. He’s obviously against the Edmonton Oilers in Buffalo (7 p.m., SNE, SNO, SNW). going to play tonight and then we’ll see what happens. He may play in Laval again tomorrow.” Heading into Friday’s game, Evander Kane was leading the Sabres in scoring with 12-9-21 totals, followed by Jack Eichel (6-12-18), Ryan Shea Weber and Brendan Gallagher both missed Friday’s practice for O’Reilly (7-9-16) and Jason Pominville (6-8-14). therapy days. Coach Claude Julien said he didn’t know if Weber, who has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, will be able to Coach Claude Julien gathers players for a chat at end of #Habs practice play Saturday but added that Gallagher will definitely be in the lineup. in Brossard #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/GGLFne7lMS— Stu Cowan Gallagher leads the Canadiens in goals and points with 9-5-14 totals. (@StuCowan1) November 24, 2017 As for when Weber might return, Julien said: “I don’t know because again What’s next? I think we need to have the evaluation done on him again today and find The Canadiens have a morning skate scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday out every morning what we all keep hope that he’s going to be feeling before facing the Sabres. The Canadiens have a practice scheduled for better and ready to go. But that’s not the case right now.” 11:15 a.m. on Sunday and will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets You can watch Julien’s full post-practice news conference from Brossard Monday night at the Bell Centre. on the HI/O Facebook page. The Ottawa Senators will be at the Bell Centre Wednesday and then the Carey Price practising in net normally reserved for starting goalie in Canadiens visit the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. The Red Wings will Brossard #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/m4Jyfc0ur6— Stu Cowan be at the Bell Centre for a rematch next Saturday. (@StuCowan1) November 24, 2017 Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2017 The lines Julien broke up what had been his No. 1 line with Jonathan Drouin at centre between Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk at Friday’s practice with Paul Byron taking Pacioretty’s place. And with Gallagher missing, defenceman Brandon Davidson was moved up to right wing on the third line. Here’s how the lines looked at practice Galchenyuk – Drouin – Byron Pacioretty – Danault – Shaw 1085006 MontrealCanadiens

Ex-Hab Mike Ribeiro arrested for trespassing in Miami Beach

Jason Magder, Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 11:03 AM EST

Former Montreal Canadiens centre Mike Ribeiro has been arrested in Miami Beach. According to his arrest report — posted online by rapsheets.org — Ribeiro was arrested on Oct. 27 for trespassing. Ribeiro, 37, had not been in touch with his team, the Nashville Predators, since the end of last season. His manager, Bob Perno, revealed in May that Ribeiro was struggling with alcoholism, saying neither he nor his family had heard from him for several weeks. “Mike doesn’t think he is sick, and in his head everything is well,” Perno told La Presse at the time. “We’re all very worried, but we can’t do anything; every time my phone rings, I hope it’s him on the other end.” The Predators, who demoted Ribeiro to the American Hockey League’s in the middle of last season, announced at the beginning of the new campaign they were terminating Ribeiro’s contract. Ribeiro then entered the /NHL Players’ Association substance abuse and behavioural program for at least the second time. Ribeiro was with the Arizona Coyotes — his fourth NHL team — when he voluntarily entered the program at the end of the 2013-14 season. At the 2014 draft, Coyotes general manager Don Maloney announced he was buying out the final three years of Ribeiro’s four-year, US$22-million contract. In 1998, Ribeiro was drafted by the Canadiens in the second round, 45th overall. He led the team in points in the 2003-04 season. In 2006, he was traded to the Dallas Stars, where he led the team in points for two consecutive season. Ribeiro has been married twice to the same woman, Tamara Williams, and they share three children. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085007 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens vs. Sabres: Five things you should know

Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 11:02 PM EST

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens game against the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., SN, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690): Price returns:Carey Price will be back in goal for the Canadiens after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury. The Canadiens, who went 4- 4-2 during Price’s absence, sent rookie goalie Charlie Lindgren back to the AHL’s Laval Rocket after practice Friday. Lindgren had a 3-4-1 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and .924 save percentage during Price’s absence. Price is 3-7-1 with a 3.77 goals-against average and .877 save percentage. Antti Niemi will be Price’s backup, while Al Montoya remains sidelined indefinitely with a concussion. Lots of problems: The Canadiens (8-12-3) are in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Heading into Friday’s games, the Canadiens ranked last in the 31-team NHL in offence (averaging 2.30 goals per game), 29th in defence (allowing 3.43 goals per game), 29th on the power play (14.4 per cent), 27th in penalty-killing (75.3 per cent) and 23rd in faceoffs (48.8 per cent). The Canadiens do rank No. 1 in shots on goal, averaging 36.0 per game. Sabres are worse: The Sabres, with a 6-13-4 record following Friday night’s 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Buffalo, are one of only two teams in the Eastern Conference with a worse record than the Canadiens. The other team is the Florida Panthers (8-11-2). Kyle Okposo had a goal and an assist Friday night to help the Sabres end a seven- game losing streak. Injury report: The Canadiens’ Shea Weber, who has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, didn’t practise Friday and coach Claude Julien said he didn’t know if the defenceman would be in the lineup against the Sabres. Brendan Gallagher, the Canadiens’ leading scorer with 9-5-14 totals, also missed Friday’s practice with a therapy day, but Julien said the forward would be in the lineup Saturday night. Defenceman David Schlemko, who hasn’t played a game this season after suffering a hand injury at training camp, was sent down to the AHL’s Laval Rocket on Friday for a conditioning stint. Schedule favours Habs: Seven of the Canadiens’ next eight games are at the Bell Centre and four of the next five are against Atlantic Division rivals, making this a key stretch if they hope to get back in the playoff mix. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085008 Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens went 4-4-2 during Price’s absence despite getting pretty solid goaltending from Lindgren and a strong performance from Niemi. With a 8-12-3 overall record, the Canadiens were in 14th place in the Stu Cowan: Stage is set for the return of Canadiens' Carey Price Eastern Conference heading into Friday’s games and five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. The Canadiens have the worst offence in the NHL, averaging 2.30 goals per game, and rank 29th out of 31 teams in defence, allowing an average of 3.43 goals per game. Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette Seven of the Canadiens’ next eight games are at home and four of the Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 next five are against Atlantic Division rivals. 8:35 PM EST Price insists the Canadiens can still make the playoffs.

“Anything can happen,” the goalie said. “There’s a lot of hockey left to be After Canadiens goalie Carey Price signed his eight-year, US$84-million played. We’ve just got to take it step by step. contract extension during the summer, he said: “I’ve never thought about playing anywhere else. It’s a great place to be and I have enough “You want to be able to come back and make a difference,” Price added. experience to deal with anything that being a goaltender with the “The season’s not over yet.” Canadiens can throw at you. I never really thought about putting on another uniform, I just thought it would be too weird.” It has certainly been a crazy one so far for Price and the Canadiens. Price’s new contract doesn’t even kick in until next season, but he’s Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2017 never really experienced anything like the last three weeks in Montreal after suffering what the Canadiens called a “minor” lower-body injury on Nov. 2 in Minnesota. “Weird” is a good word to describe the situation. After missing 10 games with the “minor” injury, Price will return to action Saturday night when the Buffalo Sabres visit the Bell Centre (7 p.m., SN, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690). Since suffering the injury during the pregame warm-up in Minnesota — and then playing in the game, allowing five goals on 26 shots in a loss to the Wild — there have been questions about the severity of Price’s injury, along with rumours about the goalie having off-ice problems and speculation he might be traded before his new deal kicks in. This week, Price’s wife, Angela, felt compelled to post on her Instagram account: “Just for the record I am not getting divorced or threatening a divorce nor do I want to leave Montreal. Just in case anyone was interested … though, the rumours have been pretty entertaining #chilloutpeople.” Price was chilled out — as he normally is — when he met with the media after Friday’s practice in Brossard. When asked about the rumours, Price said: “It’s nothing new here. I don’t really have much to say about it.” When asked if they had reached the ridiculous point, resulting in his wife’s Instagram post, Price said: “Yeah, for sure.” Was it difficult dealing with all the rumours? “No,” Price said. “It’s not hard when it’s not true.” At least the speculation about when Price might return to the lineup is over and it’s up to him to prove he’s still a world-class goalie at age 30. This has been a difficult season for Price even before the injury, with his 3-7-1 record, 3.77 goals-against average and .877 save percentage. He has allowed four or more goals in seven of the 11 games he has played. Charlie Lindgren, who filled in for Price and posted a 3-4-1 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and .924 save percentage, was sent down to the AHL’s Laval Rocket after practice Friday. Antti Niemi, who stopped 31 of 33 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Predators in Nashville Thursday, will be Price’s backup with Al Montoya still sidelined indefinitely with a concussion. “I had a pretty good idea I was going to feel good today,” Price said after Friday’s practice. “We were just making sure that (I got) through a full practice feeling good and feeling like my game is where it should be. “It’s just about getting timing back and getting into the groove.” When asked if the injury took longer to heal than he expected, Price said: “Maybe a week (longer). I didn’t expect it to be quite this long, but you just want to make sure. You don’t want to get hurt again and be out for a longer period.” Price said he watched a lot of video with goalie coach Stéphane Waite to prepare himself mentally to return, along with doing rehab exercises to get ready physically. At one point during his recovery, Price went six straight days without going on the ice after the Canadiens said he would miss only two. Price has also gone back to his old skates from last season, hoping that might help. “Just kind of familiar,” Price said about the old skates. “It’s just something that I feel familiar with and technically I feel like I have more of an advantage.” 1085009 Montreal Canadiens

A special weekend in Laval as IceCaps' No. 1 fan drops in for visit

Stu Cowan, Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 5:04 PM EST

When the IceCaps left St. John’s after last season it left a big hole in the fabric of the Newfoundland city. It also broke Andrew Abbott’s heart. Abbott, a 27-year-old who has Down syndrome and is on the autism spectrum, was the IceCaps’ biggest fan and became known as their “seventh player” after first hooking up with the American Hockey League team for the 2011-12 season when they were the Winnipeg Jets’ farm club. The IceCaps became the Canadiens’ farm team for the last two seasons before the club moved to Laval this season to become the Rocket. Andrew’s father, Jim, said that intellectually his son is more like a 5-year- old, but Andrew made huge improvements in his social behaviour, speech and cognitive abilities by being around the IceCaps. He would sit in on meetings with the coaching staff, help out in the locker room and sit on the bench during pregame warmups wearing his No. 11 IceCaps jersey. Andrew’s advancements were recognized when he received a Duke of Edinburgh Award, presented to people age 14-24 for completing a series of self-improvement exercises. The IceCaps players loved Andrew and the ones who are with the Rocket will get to see him again this weekend. Andrew and his parents flew from St. John’s to Montreal late Thursday to take in the Rocket games Friday night and Saturday afternoon against the Utica Comets at Place Bell. Andrew will be helping out again in the locker room and be on the bench for the pre-game warmups. “He’s really looking forward to seeing his buddies and going into the room and giving everybody a hug and a high five,” Jim said during a phone interview Thursday. “He just loves all those guys.” St. John’s IceCaps super fan Andrew Abbott with his father Jim during a game last season in St. John’s. STU COWAN / MONTREAL GAZETTE When Canadiens goalie Charlie Lindgren — who played for the IceCaps last season — was told after practice Friday in Brossard that Andrew was coming to town he smiled and said: “Awesome!” “Andrew and Jim are both incredible,” said Lindgren, who was sent down to Laval after practice with the return of Carey Price. “They were in the locker room a lot. Whenever they were in the room it was always such a fun time. Andrew meant so much for the team. We’d come out for warmups and he’d be on the bench with a helmet on and a jersey and gloves. He just loved being around the guys. The team obviously meant a lot to him, so I think it was really hard for the family when the team left.” Now Lindgren and Andrew will be reunited in Laval this weekend. Andrew and his father have been following the Rocket closely on AHL Live and have also enjoyed watching former IceCaps Lindgren and Charles Hudon play with the Canadiens on TV. St. John’s no longer has a hockey team and the IceCaps have been replaced by the EDGE, an expansion club in the National Basketball League of Canada. The EDGE reached out to Andrew to have him fill a similar role with their team this season. “It’s a tremendous loss,” Jim said about the IceCaps leaving St. John’s. “The restaurants downtown, the rental properties downtown are hurting. It was a lot of money that team brought into the city and it was an amazing organization to have there. A big loss.” That’s what’s going to make this weekend in Laval so special for Andrew. “I can’t wait to see the look on his face when we get in the room and he sees all the guys,” his father said. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085010 Montreal Canadiens He didn’t have the same burden or pressure in Tampa where he was one of several talented offensive players and admits being one of the primary sources of offence in Montreal, as opposed to a secondary one in Basu: Carey Price is back but Jonathan Drouin knows where the real Tampa, makes a slump like the one he’s in now (two assists in seven problem lies games) more difficult to manage. “Yeah, in some ways for sure,” he said. “I know I’m not producing the way I should be or I want to. I think if you look at Tampa, I didn’t play By Arpon Basu 11 hours ago differently if I’m the main guy or not. I played the same game. But I’ve got to lead a little bit more on the ice and make sure I’m driving the play up front and on the defensive side. I’ve got to do a better job of that.” Carey Price will be back in front of the Canadiens net Saturday at the Another difference from Tampa is that Drouin is now playing centre, a Bell Centre, but will it really change anything? position he played in junior but has not played much at the professional level. The Canadiens have gone 4-4-2 since Price was injured in the pre-game warmups in Minnesota on Nov. 2, a game he played regardless and a Drouin has won 39.6 percent of his faceoffs this season, which is not game the Canadiens lost 6-3. That loss dropped their record to 4-8-1, so ideal and means he begins 60 percent of those shifts chasing after the really, since Price was injured the Canadiens have played better hockey puck. It’s difficult to score when you don’t have the puck. than they did with him healthy. But that is hardly the only aspect of the position that is different from Lately, however, the Canadiens have lost five straight games, making it playing on the wing, and Drouin is adjusting to those as well, particularly to overtime in two of them to collect two out of a possible 10 points. in his own end. “Sure, it’s a big cluster in the middle, so anything can happen,” Price said “It’s just being in the defensive zone, looking at who you’re playing Friday when asked if the Canadiens can still make the playoffs. “There’s against, what guys do, it’s more detail,” Drouin said. “It’s not really a lot of hockey to be played, so we’ve just got to take it step by step. changing my game or changing anything, I think I know how to play. It’s more who I’m facing that night, how I might handle that guy, stuff like “You want to be able to come back and make a difference. The season’s that.” not over yet.” How he might handle that guy is a lesson Drouin learned quickly, maybe No, it isn’t. The Canadiens have 19 points in 23 games, four points the biggest one. Over his first 10 games he faced guys like Nicklas behind the Detroit Red Wings for third in the Atlantic Division and three Backstrom, Auston Matthews and Anze Kopitar twice. Large, skilled men points behind the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators, prior to Friday's who can be a load in the defensive zone, and who are not prone to being games. Those are not massive point totals and over their next five games bothered by someone like Drouin laying the body on them. the Canadiens play the Senators once and the Red Wings twice. “Yeah, I learned how much you can waste energy on some of those big The Canadiens are extremely lucky to be playing in this division, but guys,” Drouin said. “Like, Kopitar’s a big guy, it doesn’t really matter if even though a four-point deficit seems small, it could take weeks to make you’re on top of him or slashing him or hitting him, those guys don’t really up. And it will not happen unless Price comes back as the normal, move. So I think I’ve learned. The first couple of games you go after him dominant Carey Price and not the one who has an .877 save percentage and you get tired after 15 seconds and he hasn’t taken a stride. So it’s and 3.77 goals against average this season. more containing him, staying in the middle, make sure he doesn’t get the “First of all, the break was not for that reason. It was really an injury,” inside route on you if he goes to the net and makes a play. Boxing out is Claude Julien said when asked if Price’s break would benefit his game, something I’ve got to do better, too.” dispelling one of the many rumours that was floating around about his You might think the increased defensive responsibilities have taken away goalie over the past few weeks. from Drouin’s ability to produce offence, and in many ways it has “Over the time he was injured, Carey did not stop working. When I say because of the energy he expends in his own end, as he just explained. that, he had treatment, he watched video with Stéphane (Waite), he kept But in terms of a comparison to his time as a winger, Drouin actually likes working to improve his game when he came back. So now we just have starting his push toward the offensive zone from deep in his own end. to see it. Tomorrow he’ll have the chance to get back in the net and we “I’m able to get more speed when the breakout’s done right and I’m have all the confidence in the world in Carey. We know what he’s done in coming with my crossovers and my speed, I love that,” he said. “When the past, and like every player in our line of work, without exception, they your winger gets it to you it’s nice to have that speed through the neutral all have highs and lows. I think in Carey’s case he hasn’t played his best zone and having both sides to make plays. When you’re a winger you hockey yet but we’re excited to see him come back.” only have one side and one option, you either drive it wide or you look to But really, the impact of Price’s return is mitigated by the fact that go to the (middle), where everybody is. Coming up the middle it’s nice to goaltending has not been the Canadiens’ problem in his absence. They have more options.” allowed two or fewer non-empty net goals in seven of the 10 games Price In order to hasten his transition to centre, Drouin watches video. Lots of has missed and lost four of them. it. He watches it at the Canadiens practice facility. He even watches it at No, the problem lies elsewhere. And Jonathan Drouin has an idea of home. And in addition to the video the Canadiens provide, he has his where it is. own personal video guy to cut up clips of opposing centres so he can pick up some of their tendencies that he can add to his own game. “I didn’t come here to get the points I have right now or the goals that I have,” Drouin told The Athletic on Friday. “I have to be honest with that. “I do a lot of video on my own and watch a lot of hockey,” he said. “You The production’s not been there, but I think our team has had a little look at your games, your shifts, but I like to look at other guys. The other trouble with that. But where we are in the standings, we just have to find centremen in the league, what they do on a consistent basis. I think it just a way to win games. If we do, the points will come and hopefully the helps me. Those guys have been so good, I watch Kopitar, Backstrom, goals come.” even Matthews now, I try to look at what he does.” Drouin has three goals and 13 points in 22 games, which works out to a Drouin uses video before every game to help with faceoffs as well, projection of 48 points over an 82-game season. That would fall five isolating centres he will be facing most often that night and looking at points short of his production in 73 games last season with the Tampa what opponents did to win faceoffs against them. He is working at it, but Bay Lightning with slightly more ice time per game (17:42 last season, the thing about faceoffs is it’s such a fine line between being good or bad 18:09 this season). at them, it’s difficult to identify what exactly he needs to work on. Drouin played the last three games with Max Pacioretty and Alex One thing that takes practice and experience on faceoffs is cheating, Galchenyuk on his wings, an experiment that was basically a disaster, something the league is trying to crack down on this season, but one that ended at practice Friday when Pacioretty skated with Phillip something that has determined who the best faceoff guys are for years. Danault and Andrew Shaw and Paul Byron took his place with Drouin “You can still cheat, everyone cheats,” he said. “But it’s different this and Galchenyuk. year, you can’t get in there with your body or your legs, it’s more sticks. He is absolutely correct that the entire team has had trouble scoring, but But definitely, guys still cheat.” Drouin was brought here to lead the offence, something he recognizes. Drouin has a lot on his plate right now. Faceoffs are just one of those The Canadiens are the lowest scoring team in the NHL (2.30 goals per things. Carrying the mail offensively for a team starved for offence is game) and have the third-worst power play (14.4 percent) and their best another. Helping to turn around the power play is another. Learning a players need to take ownership of that. Drouin doesn’t have to own it by new position is yet another. himself, but he is a big part of that group. The Canadiens should be happy to have their No. 1 goalie back, but their ability to get back in the playoff race would be given a bigger boost if Drouin could clear that plate sooner than later. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085011 Montreal Canadiens be a one-timer, a pass that creates room for a player to stride into the slot counts, too.

Bitten leads Hamilton with 1.54 dangerous shot assists per-game at 5- Unluckiness driving Will Bitten's lack of production on-5, nearly double the second-highest rate. While many of these ended up with shots on net, few have resulted in goals. By Mitch Brown 14 hours ago More specifically, the recipients of Bitten's dangerous shot assists have shot at just 6.79 percent. That is, Bitten's dangerous shot assists have resulted in a goal just 6.79 percent of the time. Remember that the average shooting percentage these areas is 19.32 percent. That 19.32 In any given Hamilton Bulldogs game, it won’t take long to find Will percent could be even higher with a pass preceding the shot, as it forces Bitten. the goaltender to move, defenders to adjust, and so on. You'll find him battling in all four corners, across all 200-feet. In one shift, This falls into line with my earlier observations. To show the quality of he'll break up a play in his own zone, lead the rush, generate a scoring chances he's creating, here's a short video of the techniques and chance, and finish off with a thunderous hit for good measure. locations he uses to pass. Montreal's 2015 third round pick is usually Hamilton’s best forward. Yet, It’s also worth mentioning that not all of Bitten’s passes are perfect here. for some reason, Bitten’s production has steadily decreased since Specifically in the last two clips, he places the puck in an awkward area peaking two seasons ago. for the recipient, so they're only able to muster a weak shot. Improving his placement of his passes could make finishing easier for his After last season’s substantial drop from 0.97 points-per-game to 0.88, teammates, but I don't see it as a significant problem. Bitten’s scoring rate has dropped once again, this time to 0.86 points-per- game. Equally concerning is that Bitten has just four goals in 22 games. A lack of luck and finish isn't just limited to Bitten. Hamilton is shooting at an OHL-worst 8.01 percent, and they have fewest goals in the league to Even though the numbers haven't been good, Bitten has been. He's the show for it. This is a team-wide issue, and one that is likely to change runaway leader among Bulldogs in creating scoring chances. considering Hamilton 52.55 shots-for percentage is fourth best in the This decreased production doesn't come without consequences for league, and no team takes more shots from the slot. Bitten's NHL projection. In Bitten’s draft year, 28.1 percent of OHLers Beyond the outrageously low shooting rates, Bitten just isn't your typical who scored at roughly 0.97 points per game at the same age made the junior player. Yes, he has the markings of a high-scoring junior–the NHL. If he continues at 0.86 points-per-game this season, that number blazing speed, flashy hands, quick release, and top-notch vision–but his becomes 10.3 percent. game is distinctly professional. But will it continue? Likely not. Simply put, Bitten has been extremely He doesn't take shortcuts. He's dependable, versatile, and adaptable to unlucky this season. the situation. He brings the same energy and skill shift-after-shift. He To illustrate this, let's look at Bitten's personal shooting percentage, does those little things that become so valuable at the next level: Winning followed by the shooting percentage of his teammates after receiving his battles, placing pucks in open space for teammates to skate onto, and passes. proactive support in the defensive zone. Plus, he gets the puck to the net like few do. Bitten is shooting at just 5.88 percent this season—half of the OHL’s average. In his 30-goal 2015-16 campaign, Bitten shot at 20.55 percent, With a little luck, all that hard work will start paying off soon. which is astronomical by NHL standards, but it’s not uncommon for high- The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 end players to keep up 18-plus-percent throughout a whole season or more in the OHL. To get a better idea of what is occurring, I divided the shots by location: High-danger, medium-danger, and low-danger. Since the OHL is a league with massive talent disparity, ranging from NHL-quality shooters to Junior B-quality, I’ve taken the average shooting percentage of the league’s top one-third point producers, roughly 20 goals per-season. (It's worth noting that Bitten's location-specific shooting percentages remain below total league average, as well). Bitten’s shooting percentage from high and medium-danger was roughly average in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The drop off from 20.55 percent to 13.37 percent in 2016-17 was due to a decrease in low-danger shooting percentage. This season, Bitten's shooting percentage from high and medium danger is roughly the same as the average from low-danger. Yikes. Couple this with a career-best in shots per-game, including one of the highest high and medium-danger shots per-game rates in league, and Bitten has been flat out unlucky. If Bitten scored at league average with his current shot rate, he would score 32 goals and 75 points in 68 games. If he shot at 2015-16's rate, he'd pot 44 goals. He's currently on pace for just 12. While luck is obviously the driving factor, it is worth discussing how Bitten has scored his goals. In 2015-16, he scored 15 breakaway goals. Since then? Zero. It's not that Bitten is doing anything significantly different, which perhaps is partly the problem. His go-to move is a backhand-forehand play. Watch below how Bitten opens the five hole up, but he doesn't exploit it. Instead he tries (and fails) to beat the goaltender to the post or overpower him. Personal shooting luck is only part of the equation, as Bitten is, first-and- foremost, a playmaker. Backhand saucer passes, forehand dishes through three players, tape- to-tape passes in front of the net—you name it, he can connect with it. But it seemed like Bitten’s teammates rarely scored off his highlight-reel dishes last season. So, I tracked a bunch of passing and shooting location data from the first part of this season. Before delving into it, here’s a definition of dangerous shot assist: A pass that directly leads to a shot in a high or medium-danger area. This doesn’t necessarily have to 1085012 Nashville Predators

Predators blank Blues, improve to 9-2 in November

Joe Harris, Associated Press Published 10:25 p.m. CT Nov. 24, 2017

ST. LOUIS – Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist, and Pekka Rinne earned his second shutout of the season as the Nashville Predators beat the St. Louis Blues 2-0 on Friday night. Johansen’s scored his third goal of the season early in the first, and Rinne made it hold up, stopping 34 shots as he shut out St. Louis for the third time in his career. Austin Watson added an empty-netter. Johansen earned his 200th career assist on the insurance tally. The Predators won their fourth straight game and improved to 9-2 in November. Carter Hutton made 26 saves for the Blues, taking his first loss in just his sixth appearance as St. Louis was shut out for the second time this season. Hutton made the save of the game, sliding across the crease to rob Viktor Arvidsson midway through the third period. The Blues went 0-for-3 on the power play, mustering just two total shots as the Predators put up a wall on their own blue line. St. Louis entered the game with the 24th-ranked power play in the league. The Predators were held without a power-play opportunity for the first time this season and the first time since Feb. 23, 2017, in a 4-2 victory over Colorado. It was the first meeting between the Central Division rivals since Nashville eliminated St. Louis in the second round of the playoffs last April. Rinne won his eighth game in his last nine starts and improved to 20-16- 4 over the Blues. Rinne wasn’t tested much, but came up with glove saves on chances by Vladimir Tarasenko and Chris Thorburn as the Blues turned up the pressure in the third period. Johansen ripped a one-timer from Filip Forsberg past Hutton to give the Predators a 1-0 lead just 2:32 into the game. After scoring once in his first 19 games, Johansen has scored twice in his last three. Tennessean LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085013 New Jersey Devils

What Hockey Fights Cancer night means to Brian Boyle, Devils

Updated November 24, 2017 at 2:35 PM; Posted November 24, 2017 at 2:33 PM By Chris Ryan

Hockey Fights Cancer night has a little extra meaning for the Devils this season. When the Devils host the annual event on Friday night at the Prudential Center in Newark during their game against the Vancouver Canucks, they'll be helping raise awareness for a disease that hit one of their own in September. Forward Brian Boyle has now played in 11 games since returning to the Devils' lineup following his September diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia. Boyle, his wife and two children will be a part of the ceremonial puck drop prior to Friday's game. "The support these guys have given to me throughout, and like I said, the questions they've had to answer, they've had to speak on my behalf sometimes when I haven't been here," Boyle said. "Then when I came back, it's a running story line, you wonder, 'Hey, hopefully it's not getting out of hand here.' I try to remind myself that if we can help the cause, then it's worth it. And these guys have been unbelievable to me." Along with the tribute to Boyle, the Devils welcomed 8-year-old Abdiel Collazo to be a guest coach for the day. The Perth Amboy resident is currently in remission from leukemia. Collazo drew up plays and shouted some instructions during the Devils' morning skate, then he stood with John Hynes as the two coaches fielded questions from the media. "It was fun," Collazo said. "I met Miles Wood. He's been in a lot of fights." While Boyle will have plenty of attention on him during Hockey Fights Cancer night, he talked the NHL's ability to help younger kids and families fighting the disease. "Just imagine what he has to go through, through the holidays," Boyle said. "The family and he has siblings, what they're seeing. It affects everybody and it's not fair. It's not fair that kids have to go through this, it's not fair when parents have to explain this to different kids in the family, what's wrong with your brother or sister, or why your brother or sister isn't feeling well. It's the saddest thing I've ever seen." Boyle also recalled what his experience was like following his diagnosis in September. The prognosis turned out well, but like anyone, the word cancer brought plenty of fear. "My first reaction was just kind of a pure panic," Boyle said. "I was very, very scared for my kids and my wife. I didn't know what was going to happen with them, because I didn't know what was going to happen to me. And it was a feeling unlike anything I've ever had. I was extremely horrified of what it might be, for the first two, three, four days." Throughout his treatment and return to playing hockey, Boyle credited his family with getting him through a difficult time. He'll get a chance to thank them again on Friday. "Hopefully my son drops the puck, he doesn't try to run away with it," Boyle laughed. "Hopefully he doesn't run on the ice and fall or anything like that." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085014 New Jersey Devils

Devils' lines, pairings vs. Canucks (11/24/17) | Johansson makes morning skate appearance

Posted November 24, 2017 at 11:03 AM | Updated November 24, 2017 at 11:03 AM By Chris Ryan

The Devils will wrap up a brief two-game home stand when they host the Vancouver Canucks at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark. The Devils earned a 2-0 win in the teams' first meeting of the season in Vancouver. Here's how the Devils will line up on Friday night. NHL: Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils FORWARDS Taylor Hall - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt Adam Henrique - Travis Zajac - Drew Stafford Pavel Zacha - Brian Boyle - Miles Wood Brian GIbbons - Blake Coleman - Stefan Noesen Star Ledger LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085015 New Jersey Devils

Brian Boyle scores on Hockey Fights Cancer night as Devils beat Canucks | Rapid reaction

Posted November 24, 2017 at 10:34 PM By Chris Ryan

Brian Boyle said it would be nice to score a goal on Hockey Fights Cancer night. He got his wish. Boyle scored when he deposited a Will Butcher pass in the second period, and the Devils went on to beat the Vancouver Canucks, 3-2, on Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark. Boyle's second goal of the season was set up by the dazzling puck work of Butcher, where the defenseman weaved from the blue line to the slot before dropping a pass to Boyle on his left for the easy score. What HFC meant to Boyle The score put the Devils up 2-1 and highlighted a three-goal second period. The Devils opened the scoring when Taylor Hall rocketed a sharp-angled shot from the left circle past Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom. The Canucks tied it at 1-1 when a Daniel Sedin pass toward the crease deflected off Devils forward Blake Coleman and past goalie Cory Schneider at 5:36 of the second period. Following Boyle's goal, the Devils doubled their lead. Hall took a pass from Hischier and broke free toward net. His shot hit the left post, but defenseman Damon Severson was there to clean up the rebound for his third goal of the season at 15:45 of the second. The Canucks pulled within 3-2 after a bizarre sequence. Miles Wood took a clear high stick to the face in the middle of the third period, but no penalty was called. Moments later, John Moore was called for slashing, which led to a Bo Horvat power-play goal at 10:37 of the third. Schneider beats former team again Schneider finished with 22 saves to log his second victory of the season against his former team. He beat the Canucks 2-0 on Nov. 1. Next up The Devils will quickly jet up to Michigan where they will play the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena. They will make a quick stop back in Newark for a home game against the Florida Panthers on Monday before starting a three-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085016 New Jersey Devils

NHL Hockey Fights Cancer night special for Devils' Brian Boyle

Andrew Gross, Published 3:14 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 | Updated 3:29 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

NEWARK – Brian Boyle has devoted almost all of his life pursuing his passion for hockey and wanting to play in the NHL. The ‘panic’ he experienced in training camp when he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia has obviously forever altered his mindset. But with the disease under control thanks to medication, Boyle, who played his 12th game since returning to the lineup for the Devils as they hosted the Canucks on Friday night, knows he can use his experience to help others. That was a big part of NHL Hockey Fights Cancer night at Prudential Center, as Boyle, along with his family, including his wife, Lauren, son, Declan and infant daughter, Isabella, took part in the ceremonial opening faceoff and the Devils wore “Boyle Strong 11” patches on their lavender warm-up jerseys. “Instead of just thinking about it on the day when we put on the lavender jerseys and tape our sticks, it’s something that’s really hit home with me and I appreciate the initiative all the more,” Boyle said. Also as part of the initiative, 8-year-old Abdiel Collazo of Perth Amboy, who has leukemia, was chosen as the team’s honorary coach of the day and spent much of the day around the players and coaching staff. During the morning skate, Collazo even drew up a “Hail Mary” play for Boyle, captain Andy Greene, Taylor Hall and Miles Wood. #NJDevils coach John Hynes and Abdiel Collazo, 8, of Perth Amboy, the Coach for the Day as part of #NHL Hockey Fights Cancer initiative. pic.twitter.com/rpiGpxfVKh — Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) November 24, 2017 “He was three, he told me, when he had it,” Boyle said. “Just imagine what he has to go through in the holidays with his family and, if you have siblings, what they’re seeing. It affects everybody. It’s not fair. It’s not fair when kids have to go through with this. It’s not fair when parents have to try to explain it to a different kid in the family, explain what’s wrong with your brother or sister. It’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. “I’ve seen it a lot lately, I’ve seen it at the children’s hospital up in Boston,” added Boyle, 32, who grew up in Hingham, Mass. “What we’re doing is so important if we can raise as much as we can for research or as much as we can so you can get treatments like the one I have, where the side effects, all things considered, are minimal to zero and you can live a normal life. It’s a scary word. It’s always going to be a scary word because of what can happen.” The lavender warmup jerseys and lavender-taped sticks the Devils used in warmups will be auctioned off to raise funds for the Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Other funds raised on Friday will be earmarked for a charity of Boyle’s choosing. “He’s a fantastic guy who works really hard,” rookie Jesper Bratt, 19, said of Boyle, who occupies the locker stall just to his left in the Devils’ room at The Rock. “It’s really impressive how he can come back and be such the player that he is. He’s a role model for all of us. I really look up to him.” From the moment he announced he had leukemia in September, Boyle has said that his goal was just to return to being a regular hockey player. Lately, that’s how he’s felt. “I think I’m back to my old self as far as hockey affects me,” Boyle said. “It was kind of rolling off my back a little bit more than normal my first few games. Now, there are some mistakes, some things I can do better that are sticking with me a little longer. Some of the disagreements I have on the ice are turning into more of a reaction from me. I feel good. But I do reflect every day and not lose sight of what’s happened.” Bergen Record LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085017 New Jersey Devils

Devils lineup vs. Canucks; 'Next step' for Marcus Johansson

Andrew Gross, Published 12:37 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 | Updated 12:37 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

As suspected, it will be Cory Schneider in net tonight for the Devils against his former team, the Canucks, at Prudential Center. Schneider is 5-1-2 with a 1.73 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage against the Canucks since they traded him to the Devils. That includes a 37-save shutout in a 2-0 win at Vancouver on Nov. 1. Jacob Markstrom will start for the Canucks. And coach John Hynes said Keith Kinkaid will get Saturday night’s start at Detroit, the first start since Nov 12 for the Devils’ backup. Devils vs Canucks: Team seeking elusive consistent effort Here are the Devils’ lines and defense pairings, based on the full team morning skate: Taylor Hall-Nico Hischier-Jesper Bratt Adam Henrique-Travis Zajac-Drew Stafford Pavel Zacha-Brian Boyle-Miles Wood Brian Gibbons-Blake Coleman-Stefan Noesen Andy Greene-Steven Santini John Moore-Damon Severson Will Butcher-Ben Lovejoy Defenseman Dalton Prout and right wing Jimmy Hayes will be the healthy scratches. Also at today’s morning skate, left wing Marcus Johansson, who suffered a concussion going head first into the back boards at Vancouver, joined the morning skate more than halfway through for what the Devils termed a “rehab skate.” Johansson has been skating on his own but this is the first time he was on the ice with teammates since getting hurt. New Jersey Devils' Marcus Johansson, of Sweden, is The Devils are off on Sunday and host the Panthers on Monday so the next team practice will be either Tuesday or Wednesday. Hynes said there was a possibility – but no guarantee – Johansson would be able to participate. Here are the different ways to follow The Record and NorthJersey.com’s multi-media Devils’ coverage this season: Bergen Record LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085018 New Jersey Devils

Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 24

Andrew Gross, Published 7:29 a.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 | Updated 7:30 a.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

NEWARK – It’s the start of a busy stretch for the Devils, inside of a very busy stretch. The Devils face the Canucks tonight at Prudential Center (Faceoff: 7 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus; Radio: WFAN-101.9/660AM, digital One Jersey Network), marking the start of a back-to-back set as they’ll also face the Red Wings on Saturday night in their first trip to downtown Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Devils also host the Panthers on Monday night, making it three games in four nights to conclude a stretch of four games in six days (or five games in eight days or, bigger picture, seven games in 12 days). New Jersey Devils' Brian Boyle talks with linesman The Devils beat the Canucks, 2-0, on Nov. 1 at Vancouver as Cory Schneider made 37 saves for his lone shutout of the season thus far. The Canucks kept the Devils on their collective and proverbial heels for much of the game and it was really a 1-0 game until Drew Stafford’s empty- netter with 16.0 seconds left. The game marked Brian Boyle’s Devils’ debut after the veteran center, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal as a free agent, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia at the start of training game. And, to date, it was the last game top-six left wing Marcus Johansson, acquired from the Capitals in the offseason, was able to play after he suffered a concussion crashing face first into the backboards just 57 seconds into the first period. Here are three storylines for tonight: First period – NHL Hockey Fights Cancer Night: It’s the Devils’ turn to host a night marking the NHL’s annual Cancer Awareness Month initiative. The Devils will work to raise awareness and funds for the league’s Hockey Fights Cancer initiative and The Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Boyle, joined by his family and a patient from the Valerie Fund Children’s Center, will take the ceremonial opening faceoff and funds will also be donated to a charity of his choice. Valerie Fund Children’s Center patients will also stand with the Devils’ starters for the national anthem and one will be chosen as Coach for the Day. The Devils will wear lavender warm-up jerseys along with a Boyle Strong 11 patch and lavender-taped sticks during warmups, all which will be signed and auctioned off through the team’s web site. Other in-arena sales of Hockey Fights Cancer memorabilia will also be used for the fund-raising initiative. Second period – The goalie rotation: Coach John Hynes said Schneider and backup Keith Kinkaid would each get a start in these back-to-back games. He just didn’t match a goalie to a game. Kinkaid’s last start came in a 7-5 win at Chicago on Nov. 12 and Schneider is 6-1-0 against the Canucks, his former team. Third period – A full effort: That was the topic of discussion following Wednesday’s 3-2, 11-round shootout loss to the visiting Bruins, in which the Devils played very, very well in the third period and overtime but not so very well for the first 40 minutes. That was very similar to their game at Vancouver and for the Devils to remain among the top teams in the Metropolitan Division, they’re going to have to start giving more 60- minute efforts. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085019 New Jersey Devils

Devils to get their first look at new arena in Detroit

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 3:59 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 | Updated 5:42 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

NEWARK – Devils captain Andy Greene, who grew up in Trenton, Mich., will have some mixed emotions on Saturday night. The Devils face the Red Wings (Faceoff: 7 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus 2; Radio: WFAN-101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network) and it will mark their first peek at the state-of-the-art, downtown Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Greene played games at venerable Joe Louis Arena through numerous levels, from youth hockey to the NHL. The Devils’ season-ending 4-1 loss to the Red Wings on April 9 marked the last-ever NHL game at The Joe. “Obviously, growing up in The Joe and playing there as a young kid, it’s always an exciting time to be there,” Greene said. “But it was time for it to go. I love the memories. It’ll be cool for me to see the new one.” Goalie Keith Kinkaid will get the start as the Devils complete back-to- back games, his first start since making 39 saves in a 7-5 win at Chicago on Nov. 12. He said he didn’t anticipate having any issues playing in a new building. “Nothing different,” Kinkaid said. “They’re all the same size. The ice is the same. I think, nowadays, you don’t have to worry about [the lighting]. Every arena has its bright lights and LEDs. I don’t know what color the seats are, maybe that’s a challenge.” Progress for Johansson Marcus Johansson joined the Devils for the latter half of their morning skate on Friday, marking the top-six left wing’s first time on ice with his teammates since he suffered a concussion at Vancouver on Nov. 1. Johansson missed his 11th straight game and there’s no timetable for his return despite his participating in what the Devils termed a “rehab skate.” “It’s nice, that’s definitely a sign he’s ready to progress to the next level,” Devils coach John Hynes said. New Jersey Devils' Marcus Johansson, of Sweden, is With a day off Sunday and a game on Monday night against the visiting Panthers, the Devils will next have a full team practice either on Tuesday or Wednesday. Hynes said it was a possibility Johansson could participate “but it’s no guarantee yet.” They’re out Defenseman Dalton Prout was a healthy scratch for the 10th straight game and right wing Jimmy Hayes was a healthy scratch for the fifth time in six games after logging 8:28 in Wednesday’s 4-3, 11-round shootout to the visiting Bruins. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085020 New Jersey Devils But rather than complaining, I thought Hynes made an excellent point about the sequence.

“The refs said they didn’t see it and it’s an honest answer by them,” Devils 3, Canucks 2: Post-game observations Hynes said. “It is what it is. I thought Vancouver got a little bit of momentum on that. Obviously we took a penalty next and they score. But I thought our response was good. Things like that are going to happen in Andrew Gross, Published 12:50 a.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017 | Updated 12:50 the game. It’s not about what you think should happen. It’s about being a.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017 able to be in the moment and move forward.” 3. The Devils successfully defended their one-goal lead after the Canucks pulled Jacob Markstrom for an extra skater, something the When a player diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia at the start of Devils have clearly struggled to do in previous games, most recently training camp scores on NHL Hockey Fights Cancer night, as Brian Boyle when Mikael Granlund’s goal with the Wild skating six on five sent the did Friday night in the Devils’ 3-2 win over the Canucks at Prudential Devils’ 4-3 overtime win at Minnesota on Monday into an extra period. Center, it’s obviously going to draw most of the attention. 4. With the Canucks skating six on five, Stefan Noesen got the puck on But there was a lot to like from the Devils’ perspective, Boyle goal aside. his stick in his own zone and got off a shot at the empty net which went just wide left for an icing. “It was a fun night,” said Taylor Hall, who had a goal and two assists. “We’ve been looking to win on home ice for a while now. This was a solid Hynes said he absolutely wanted Noesen shooting in that situation. win. I think that’s what we had tonight. We had a solid start. We made some mistakes but the effort and purpose were there tonight. It’s a really “I think, at that point, you want to go for it,” said Hynes as there was good thing for us going forward. It’s a tough stretch of games. Playing a under a minute left in regulation. “If you get a goal, it’s over.” lot, we have to grind through these games and find ways to win.” Noesen more than made up for his by being the Devils’ best defensive As Hall said, first and foremost, is the Devils played an inspired, 60- player on the ice in the waning seconds. First he blocked Brock Boeser’s minute game against an opponent that had won the first two games of a shot with 28 seconds to go, with the puck exiting the Devils zone, then, six-game road trip with twin 5-2 victories at Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. he dove to poke the puck out of the zone again, effectively killing off the rest of the clock. “I thought tonight, that was something we had talked about in the morning, putting together a game that was about our team identity and 5. Pavel Zacha had four shots in his 12:16 and it was the best of his how we want to play and trying to do that consistently throughout the three games since getting back into the lineup after being a healthy game,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “I thought we did that tonight.” scratch in four of five games. To continue… “It’s nice to see,” Hynes said. “Now it’s up to him. Can he put that type of game together back to back? That’s the type of game we need.” Hall, with his goal and two assists, finally was rewarded with a point productive game after consistently being one of the team’s best and 6. Boyle between Zacha and Wood, The Big Line, was a very effective hardest working players on the ice the last several games. But tonight’s trio, playing up ice for stretches. Wood also had four shots and Boyle goal was Hall’s first in five games. added two, one of them being a power-play goal. “He’s a highly talented player,” Hynes said. “It’s nice to see the 7. Boyle rightfully deflected any praise for his goal to rookie defenseman consistency level he’s been able to play with and the work ethic. But guys Will Butcher, whose burst of speed through the Canucks’ zone made the like him get energy from points, from being able to produce. It’s nice to whole play. see him stay with it. It’s a nice goal he got. He continues to be a leader in how we want to play. He continues to drive our team to be consistently “When you get an opportunity on the power play, and our top unit has competitive.” been getting a lot of looks, that’s a lot of responsibility,” Boyle said. “You want to pull your weight. I’m out with four talented guys. If it gets on my To continue… stick in that spot, I’ve got to put it in.” Cory Schneider, as usual, was solid against his former team, improving 8. Keith Kinkaid in net Saturday night at Detroit, looking forward to seeing to 6-1-2 against the Canucks. the new arena. I’ll pick it up in the Motor City then. Early morning flight to Detroit – but no morning skate - so I’m going to get my truncated session Will Butcher, with a filthy good play on a burst of speed to set up Boyle’s of ZZZZZs now. power play goal in the second period, continues to gain confidence in his game. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.25.2017 And on and on. Honestly, it was pretty much a team effort. Hynes was able to share the playing time among his four lines and three defense pairs. Some post-game observations: 1. No quibbles at all with the game’s three stars as listed on the scoresheet – 1. Brian Boyle; 2. Taylor Hall; 3. Nico Hischier. If this wasn’t NHL Hockey Fights Cancer night, it probably goes Hall, Hischier, Boyle. But no way Brian Boyle doesn’t get the first star tonight after scoring a goal. 2. Flat out, the Devils got jobbed on at least one non-call and, to be fair, probably two including Alexander Edler’s hit from behind on Nico Hischier in the first period as the No. 1 overall pick went face first into the end boards. But the egregious non-call came when Michael Del Zotto’s stick came up into Miles Wood’s mouth in the third period. Wood, down on the ice momentarily, was clearly bleeding from his lip. But there was no call on what should have been a four-minute double minor at 9:07. Worse for the Devils, John Moore was called (rightfully) for slashing Bo Horvat at 10:20 and Horvat brought the Canucks within 3-2 on a power-play goal. Hynes said that the explanation he got on the bench was that neither of the referees, Dean Morton or Brian Pochmara, saw Del Zotto’s stick come up into Wood’s face. Here’s the thing, and you probably don’t want to hear it, but this is a remarkably fast game and referees are going to miss things. This one hurt because it very well could have changed the complexion of the game. 1085021 New Jersey Devils

Cancer survivor Brian Boyle lifts Devils on Hockey Fights Cancer Night

By Associated Press November 24, 2017 | 10:39PM

Brian Boyle scored one of the most meaningful goals of his career to help the Devils beat the Canucks 3-2 on Friday night. The Devils were marking “Hockey Fights Cancer Night,” a battle especially meaningful to Boyle, who was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia during training camp and missed the first 10 games of the season while undergoing treatment. “It’s part of a club you don’t necessarily want to be in,” Boyle said of his fellow cancer survivors who attended the game. “I’m doing really well. I feel great. The support from everybody here, all you guys [gesturing to the fans], unbelievable.” The Prudential Center erupted with cheers when Boyle, set up by a beautiful drop pass from Will Butcher, scored at 10:17 of the second period to snap a 1-1 tie. The Devils donned lavender jerseys with “Boyle Strong 11” patches for the warmup skate. Boyle took part in the ceremonial faceoff, where he was joined by his family. Taylor Hall got the second assist as part of his big night. Brian Boyle kisses his wife, Lauren Bedford, after participating in the ceremonial puck drop Friday.AP “[Boyle] has a flair for the dramatic. It gives you chills,” said Hall, who sparked the Devils with a goal and two assists. “I can’t imagine what it’s like being him, what he’s been through, what his family’s been through. To come back, play well for us and score on ‘Hockey Fights Cancer Night,’ it’s awesome to see and puts a lot of things in perspective for us as hockey players.” Damon Severson also scored for the Devils and Cory Schneider made 23 saves to improve to 6-1-2 against the team that made him a first- round draft pick in 2004. The win gave the Devils a sweep of the two-game season series, having beaten the Canucks 2-0 in Vancouver on Nov. 1. Daniel Sedin and Bo Horvat scored for Vancouver, one of the NHL’s top road teams. The loss ended the Canucks’ three-game road winning streak, including victories in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to start their current six-game trip that continues at the Rangers on Sunday and at the Islanders on Tuesday. Hall opened the scoring at 2:15 of the second period, ripping a shot from the bottom of the left circle over Jacob Markstrom’s shoulder. New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085022 New York Islanders New York Daily News LOADED: 11.25.2017

Nick Leddy lifts Islanders past Flyers, 5-4 in overtime

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Friday, November 24, 2017, 8:15 PM

PHILADELPHIA — It might only be late November, but New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy knows that winning divisional series can go a long way toward making the Stanley Cup playoffs. "It's huge, it's a couple extra points that they don't get," Leddy said after scoring 2:44 into overtime to give the Islanders a 5-4 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, their second straight overtime win over their Metropolitan Divisional rivals. "Every game is so tight with the Metro Division and we look at all the teams and they're all so close, so every point is huge." Rookie Mathew Barzal, Cal Clutterbuck, Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd scored in regulation and Thomas Greiss made 26 saves to help the Islanders win for the fifth time in six games. They moved six points ahead of the Flyers in the Metropolitan Division standings. John Tavares picked up an assist on Leddy's goal. He also assisted on Josh Bailey's overtime winner on Wednesday night in Brooklyn. The Islanders improved to 3-2 in OTs. "I don't think there's a guy other than, maybe (Connor) McDavid, that I would take Johnny over," Barzal said. "Obviously, he's one of the most skilled players in the league. I think we've got a really skilled team up front. I'll take us 3-on-3 against anybody." Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier scored in the second period for the Flyers. They blew a 4-2 lead in the third to lose for the seventh straight time. Elliott made 32 saves for Philadelphia, which has not won a game since Nov. 9 and has blown three two-goal leads in its past five games. The Flyers fell to 1-6 in overtimes this season. "Right now it's a tough time," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "There's still growth going on and that doesn't always come easy. We've got to be up to that challenge mentally and physically, to come back and do a little bit better and stick together hard as a group and continue to push forward." Nick Leddy knows that winning divisional series can go a long way toward making the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ladd tied it with 7:49 left, scoring off a pass from Eberle from about 5 feet in front of the crease. The Islanders drew within a goal at 4:12 of the third on Eberle's second power-play goal of the season. The goal came after it appeared Flyers right winger Jakub Voracek drew a hooking penalty on John Tavares. However, it was Voracek who went to the penalty box. "I hooked the guy on his stick, I don't think I got his gloves," Voracek said. "I got called and he didn't. These day, I don't know what a penalty is." It was the ninth power-play goal allowed by the Flyers in five games and the sixth power-play goal scored by the Islanders in five games. After Greiss stopped Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick on a penalty shot with just under 3 minutes remaining in the opening period, Barzal gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal with 14.1 seconds remaining in the period. The Flyers, who have not won a game since Nov. 9, took over in the second period, scoring four goals on seven shots. Giroux tied it with a one-timer from the high slot at 3:49 and Simmonds gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead when he put Gostisbehere's rebound past Greiss for his first goal in 15 games. Clutterbuck's deflection goal, his fourth of the season, tied it at 2, but back-to-back goals by Gostisbehere and Couturier gave the Flyers a two- goal cushion. Gostisbehere's goal, his second of the season, snapped a 13-game drought. Couturier's goal, his team-high 13th, came on an aggressive forecheck by Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, who extended his points streak to four games. 1085023 New York Islanders

Islanders stay hot with second straight OT escape

By Associated Press November 24, 2017 | 7:25PM

PHILADELPHIA — Defenseman Nick Leddy snapped a shot past Philadelphia goalie Brian Elliott 2:44 into overtime to give the New York Islanders a 5-4 victory over the Flyers on Friday. Rookie Mathew Barzal, Cal Clutterbuck, Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd scored in regulation and Thomas Greiss made 26 saves to help the Islanders win for the fifth time in six games. They moved six points ahead of the Flyers in the Metropolitan Division standings. Ladd tied it with 7:49 left, scoring off a pass from Eberle from about 5 feet in front of the crease. Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier scored in the second period for the Flyers. They blow a 4-2 lead in the third to lose for the seventh straight time. The Islanders also beat the Flyers in overtime Wednesday night, a 4-3 decision in Brooklyn. Brian Elliott made 32 saves for Philadelphia. The Islanders drew within a goal at 4:12 of the third on Eberle’s second power-play goal of the season. The goal came after it appeared Flyers right winger Jakub Voracek drew a hooking penalty on John Tavares. However, it was Voracek who went to the penalty box. It was the ninth power-play goal allowed by the Flyers in five games and the sixth power- play goal scored by the Islanders in five games. After Greiss stopped Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick on a penalty shot with just under 3 minutes remaining in the opening period, Barzal gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal with 14.1 seconds remaining in the period. The Flyers, who have not won a game since Nov. 9, took over in the second period, scoring four goals on seven shots. Giroux tied it with a one-timer from the high slot at 3:49 and Simmonds gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead when he put Gostisbehere’s rebound past Greiss for his first goal in 15 games. Clutterbuck’s deflection goal, his fourth of the season, tied it at 2, but back-to-back goals by Gostisbehere and Couturier gave the Flyers a two- goal cushion. Gostisbehere’s goal, his second of the season, snapped a 13-game drought. Couturier’s goal, his team-high 13th, came on an aggressive forecheck by Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, who extended his points streak to four games. New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085024 New York Islanders

Thomas Greiss comes up with critical saves in Islanders win

By Mark Herrmann Updated November 25, 2017 12:27 AM

PHILADELPHIA — Thomas Greiss got the start in goal because he entered with a four-game winning streak and because, as Doug Weight said earlier in the day, “As of late, Thomas has just found ways to make the big save at the big time.” He did that again Friday, a couple of times. Even though the 5-4 win over the Flyers will not do a ton for his goals-against average, the tenor of the game said more than his statistics. He stopped Nolan Patrick on a penalty shot at 17:01 of the first period and, early in the third, made what might have been a game-saving play. He stopped Travis Konecny on a shorthanded breakaway when a goal would have given the Flyers a three-goal lead. Soon after that, Jordan Eberle scored on a power play and the Islanders had cut the deficit to one. “When you watch those plays again,” Weight said, “you realize those are the turning points of the game.” HOTEL THANKSGIVING With work to do between games and a tight travel schedule because of an afternoon start Friday, the Islanders flew to Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon and celebrated Thanksgiving as a team at their hotel. “You’d love to be at home, have the day with your family, but this is the next- best thing,” Weight said. He was pleased that his players didn’t see it as a perfunctory eat-and-run episode. Most of them stayed together in the room set aside for them and watched football together for three or four hours. Weight added that his team was disciplined at the table. It was the coaches who over-ate. The last time the Islanders saw Matt Duchene, they didn’t see him for very long. He played only 1 minute, 59 seconds for the Avalanche at Barclays Center on Nov. 5 before he was directed to leave the ice because he had been traded. They might see more of him of him Saturday night when they visit Duchene’s new team, the Senators. Entering Ottawa’s game against Columbus Friday night, Duchene was pointless and had a minus-eight rating in six games since the deal. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085025 New York Islanders

Islanders beat Flyers in overtime on Nick Leddy’s goal

By Mark Herrmann Updated November 25, 2017 12:22 AM

PHILADELPHIA — As disheartening as it was to be down by two goals after two periods, it just made the ending that much sweeter for the Islanders. It allowed them to flex their resilience and exercise their belief. They capped a big comeback with a 5-4 overtime win over the Flyers on Friday afternoon on Nick Leddy’s goal at 2:44 of the extra period. It was the Islanders’ fifth win in the past six games and second overtime victory against the same team in three days. By any measure, it was a big occasion. And truth be told, they really had not been all that disheartened. They truly were not alarmed after allowing four goals in the second period and falling behind 4-2. “To be honest, I thought we outplayed them in the second period. They just got some good bounces,” said Josh Ho-Sang, who made what Leddy called “a great pass” that set up the winning shot. The point is, the Islanders keep producing their own reasons to believe in themselves. The coach said it is because of the players. Ho-Sang attributed it to “mental strength and good coaching.” Others said it was the knowledge that this is an offense-oriented league now and that they can score with the best of them. In any way, shape or form, Friday was a rewarding day for them. “It shows our determination,” Leddy said. “We’ve got a very good team in here.” In the estimation of Andrew Ladd, who set up Mathew Barzal in the first period when it looked as if this would be the equivalent of a pitchers’ duel and scored the tying goal with 7:49 left in run-and-shoot regulation: “Getting two points out of that game, that’s huge for us.” Doug Weight said he did not have to scream at his players between the second and third periods. He agreed with the assessment that the Islanders had not played poorly against a desperate opponent that entered with no wins in its past six games. He said almost nothing, in fact. The only words that he recalls sharing with the team were “we’re going to win this game.” That sure did not appear likely after Shayne Gostisbehere broke a 2-2 tie on a delayed penalty at 12:11 of the second and Sean Couturier beat Thomas Greiss only 19 seconds later. Leddy said the reaction in the Islanders’ locker room was something like this: “You just put it behind you. You can’t do anything about it. Just focus on the present.” Present and future tenses seem better for a team that has a solid second line. Barzal, Ladd and Jordan Eberle each had a goal in this game. “If you look at the best teams, they always have that,” said Eberle, whose power-play goal at 4:12 of the third cut the deficit to one. He set up Ladd on goalie Brian Elliott’s doorstep for the equalizer. Given where they had been after 40 minutes, the Islanders might have been pleased with one point. Instead, they got two. Again, it was John Tavares who began the deciding play, only not with a tenacious highlight- video move like the one he made Wednesday. This time he did it subtly, taking the puck outside the zone. Ho-Sang said that caused the Flyers “to reset.” That created open ice. “Two guys went to Johnny, one guy went to me,” Ho-Sang said, “and Leds was a happy camper.” Weight said he does not want his team to be too exhilarated, to the point that they take comebacks for granted. “We don’t want that to creep in,” he said with a smile. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085026 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist’s 40 Saves Lead the Rangers Past Detroit

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSNOV. 24, 2017

The Rangers need goalie Henrik Lundqvist at his best to compete in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, Lundqvist was. He made 40 saves — many of the acrobatic variety — and thanks to Mats Zuccarello’s goal 37 seconds into overtime, the Rangers beat the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1, at Madison Square Garden. Zuccarello scored his fourth goal of the season, off assists from Brady Skjei and J.T. Miller, and the Rangers improved to 12-9-2 with their third straight victory and their ninth in 11 games. “I feel really good,” said Lundqvist, who won for the 416th time in his career. “There were chances both ways. To play the game was a lot of fun, but it was also challenging.” Zuccarello said Lundqvist’s playoff-level heroics were not a surprise. “We expect him to be like that every game,” he said. “If we can help him out, we know how good he can be.” Chris Kreider also scored for the Rangers, who extended their home winning streak to seven games. They are 9-4-2 overall at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers also continued their trend of stingy defense, allowing two or fewer goals for the fourth straight game and for the sixth time in their last seven contests. “A lot of people complain about low-scoring games, but for me anyway, this was as entertaining as it could get,” Rangers Coach Alain Vigneault said. Tomas Tatar scored for Detroit, and Jimmy Howard stopped 29 shots as the Red Wings fell to 10-9-4. Lundqvist made 17 saves in the opening period, plus a sprawling game- saver against Dylan Larkin at 11:58 of the third. “I’m trying to be on my toes right now,” said Lundqvist, who improved to 11-6-2 for the season. “I’m aggressive but still patient. Right now I’m in a nice flow where I don’t overthink things.” New York Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085027 New York Rangers

Mats Zuccarello scores in overtime to give Rangers third straight win

JUSTIN TASCH Updated: Saturday, November 25, 2017, 1:46 AM

For those who ever wonder how much athletes take losses home with them or how much they affect their lives beyond competition, here is Henrik Lundqvist admitting after his latest feat of strength, a herculean 40-save performance in the Rangers’ 2-1 overtime win Friday night against the Red Wings, that losing does indeed negatively impact his everyday mood. “To me, there’s only one thing that makes me laugh a lot, and that’s winning. It’s hard for me to enjoy anything away from the rink, at the rink, when we’re not winning,” Lundqvist said after tying his season-high in saves for the second time in eight days. “In our last 11 games here, 9-2, it’s easier to relax. It’s important to me that we do well and that we’re winning. That’s the best solution.” And the Rangers (12-9-2) have been doing a lot of that lately after a brutal 12-game start to the season. They’ve won three straight and nine of their last 11 contests, this one sealed by a Mats Zuccarello goal 37 seconds into the extra three-on-three period, sending a Garden crowd that was as loud as it had been all season into a frenzy. The only puck to get through Lundqvist Friday came with two seconds remaining on a power play at 4:05, which broke the donut deadlock caused by a thrilling goaltending display between Lundqvist and Jimmy Howard before Chris Kreider tied the game at 10:17. In the six games Lundqvist and Howard have faced off in their careers, no more than four total goals have been scored; two ended 2-1 and two ended 1-0. Lundqvist has stopped all 70 even-strength shots he’s faced over the last three games. In his last 10 games, Lundqvist has a 2.05 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. “He’s confident in there. Looks like he’s enjoying himself,” Marc Staal said of Lundqvist. “It looks like he’s having some fun. He’s smiling and competing really hard.” The Rangers were outshot 17-6 in a rough first period before turning it around in the second, when Howard stopped all of the Blueshirts’ 16 shots. Mats Zuccarello potted the winner 37 seconds into overtime. “I think the first period we played really bad and we weren’t into the game at all,” Zuccarello said, before jokingly adding, “too much turkey yesterday for some of the guys maybe.” There was a feeling when the Rangers fell behind early in the third that they wanted to get one back for Lundqvist, considering it took 35 shots for Detroit to finally get on the board. “He did his job tonight, and we owed it to him to do ours,” Kevin Shattenkirk said. They ultimately did, keeping their run going and thus their goalie happy. “To see me laugh,” Lundqvist said, “that’s what we have to do.” BOO NOT HIP Center Boo Nieves suffered a hip pointer in the first period, tried to play in the second but left early and didn’t play the final 37:07. Vigneault said it “shouldn’t be something serious.” New York Daily News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085028 New York Rangers

Rangers’ Boo Nieves forced to exit with ‘hip-pointer’

By Brett Cyrgalis November 25, 2017 | 2:51am

Finally, the Rangers had a consistent fourth line, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to last very long. The pivot of that group, Boo Nieves, was forced to leave Friday night’s 2- 1 overtime win against the Red Wings with what coach Alain Vigneault called a “hip pointer” injury. It happened on a hit in the first period, and despite trying to play early in the second, Nieves could go only two shifts and missed the final 33:25, as well as the 37 seconds of overtime. “Shouldn’t be something serious,” Vigneault said. This was the third game that Nieves started between Jimmy Vesey and Paul Carey, and the trio was creating an identity that was fast while mixing skill and grit. “They’ve given us real good zone time and have gotten good looks,” Vigneault said after Thursday’s practice. “Jimmy had five primary chances against Carolina [on Wednesday], Boo has the great speed and is learning what it takes to be in the NHL, and Paul is a veteran depth guy who is a good skater and works hard.” Their success also kept David Desharnais as a healthy scratch for the third straight game. Though Desharnais practiced on the wing Tuesday, that’s not where he sees the veteran making the best contribution. “I think he’s better for us at center,” Vigneault said. With only one extra forward and no extra defensemen, a call-up from AHL Hartford might be logical. The energetic Vinni Lettieri has eight goals and 13 points in 17 games with the Wolf Pack, including five goals in his past eight matches. The Rangers released their jersey for the Winter Classic, to be played outdoors at Citi Field on New Year’s Day against the Sabres. It is navy blue with “RANGERS” across it in diagonal. There is a red “NY” in a crest on the left shoulder, in tribute to this being an intrastate rivalry. While discussing the merits of Pavel Buchnevich’s ascension to a more valuable NHL player in his second season, Vigneault had to bring up one of his growing pains. That was Nov. 4, when the 22-year-old Russian was penalized for playing with a broken stick, which he apparently didn’t know was a rule. “We all knew about the skill set, [but] the skill set plus a more competitive nature — plus understanding all the rules,” Vigneault said. “You can’t play with a broken stick in this league, stuff like that. Once you pick up on those, you can be a good player.” John Amirante sang the National Anthem before the game, the second time this season the longtime singer performed this season. New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085029 New York Rangers New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2017

Rangers’ Brady Skjei much more than a jersey on an SNL skit

By Larry Brooks November 25, 2017 | 1:49am

This is some of what George McPhee saw when, as general manager of the then-embryonic Vegas franchise, he scouted the 2016 World Championships in Russia. “That No. 76, I like the way he carries himself on the ice,” McPhee said during a chat between periods of a Rangers game in Florida last season. “He has skill and I like the way he skates, but what I liked the most was his presence. I didn’t know a lot about him, but he played with a chip on his shoulder; a little bit cocky. That stood out. “He’s not going to be available [in the expansion draft], is he?” McPhee laughed at his own little joke. No, Brady Skjei, No. 76, would not be made available in the draft and he obviously would not have been even if he hadn’t been declared off limits because of experience requirements. Everybody not only knows Skjei’s name now, but even how to both spell and pronounce it following last week’s Saturday Night Live skit in which his jersey was featured. Skjei as in Shea and wait a second, what was Mets’ COO Jeff Wilpon doing at Friday night’s match at the Garden against the Red Wings, anyway? Well, he was presumably watching the Skjei-Hey Kid play with the same swagger McPhee had seen when No. 76 represented Team USA at the conclusion of his first (and only) season with the AHL Wolf Pack. Presumably watching Skjei lead the rush in overtime of an entertaining match in which chances were abundant, but goals were scarce in a throwback goaltending duel between Henrik Lundqvist and Jimmy Howard. It was 1-1 when J.T. Miller, Mats Zuccarello and Skjei lined up to start the three-on-three against Tomas Tatar, Dylan Larkin and Danny DeKeyser. Just under a half minute in, a puck bounced loose, Skjei was on it and led a two-on-one down the right accompanied by Zuccarello on his left. The 23-year-old defenseman carried and went into a spin-a-rama in an attempt to shake DeKeyser and feed Zuccarello. “When I’m out in overtime, I know I need to play defense, but my mindset is to go for it and try to make something happen if the chance is there,” Skjei said. “And on that play, it was there. “DeKeyser was able to stay with me, so I tried a spin-a-rama there. Good luck on that. It didn’t work, but the puck came back to me, and I was able to kind of chop it in front to Zucc, who made a great shot.” Zuccarello held the puck for what seemed an eternity before picking a corner to beat Howard, and the Rangers had won 2-1 behind a masterful 40-save performance from Lundqvist to pick up the extra point that may come in very handy down the line against a potential competitor for a wild-card spot. “For a second I thought Zucc was going to give it back to me,” said Skjei. “That probably wouldn’t have worked out so well.” There were plenty of mistakes made by both squads in this one, and the Rangers had more than their share in allowing 40 shots through the first 50 minutes. Without mistakes, though, games would not be worth watching. But Lundqvist, at the top of his game, was beaten only by Tatar’s bullet, sharp angle right-wing shot on the power play at 4:05 of the third. “I was aware that [Howard] has played some really strong games against us here,” accurately noted Lundqvist, who has allowed one even-strength goal on 106 shots (.991) and four overall on 136 shots (.971) over the past four games. “And the way he was playing, after the second period I thought that one goal could be enough. When they got that one, I knew I couldn’t afford to give another one.” Skjei, who played a team-high 22:16 as he and partner Kevin Shattenkirk have become the de facto first pair in Ryan McDonagh’s absence, also assisted on Chris Kreider’s tying goal at 10:17 of the third period in carrying into the left corner before a centering pass to Pavel Buchnevich triggered the scoring sequence. It was another example of this second-year player’s skill and self-belief. Another example of what McPhee had seen two years ago in this emerging nation with No. 76 on his back and his name on the tip of everyone’s tongue. 1085030 New York Rangers

Rangers ride Henrik Lundqvist to win old-fashioned OT nail-biter

By Brett Cyrgalis November 24, 2017 | 10:23PM

This one came through in sepia tone, an old-time movie with the familiar star making for quite the evening on Broadway. At the end, it was Henrik Lundqvist winning this terrific goaltending duel, his Rangers able to just outdo Jimmy Howard and the Red Wings for a 2- 1 overtime victory Friday night at the Garden. And it was Lundqvist smiling and laughing, lighting up as Mats Zuccarello won it 37 seconds into the 3-on-3 extra period, finishing while alone in front after a great individual play from Brady Skjei. “To me, there’s only one thing that makes me laugh a lot, and that’s winning,” said Lundqvist, who finished with 40 saves, stopping all 17 shots he faced in the first period as his teammates were fighting through their Thanksgiving tryptophan hangovers. “It’s hard for me to enjoy anything away from the rink, at the rink, when we’re not winning. Right now, I think over the last 11 games we’re 9-2, and it’s easy for me to relax. It’s important to me that we do well, that we win. “That’s the solution if you want to see me laugh — that’s what we have to do.” It has been 11 straight starts for Lundqvist, as his game has been utterly revitalized and he has carried the Rangers (12-9-2), winners of seven in a row at home, with him. The 35-year-old said he feels “rested” despite playing a lot of games over a spread-out schedule, and he’s “just excited to get an opportunity to play a lot of hockey right now.” Surely, the Rangers are excited to have him, because for as much as they have cleaned it up in front of him, when there is a breakdown, he has been there to make the big save — just like old times. “Think the first period we played really bad,” Zuccarello said. “We weren’t into the game at all. Too much turkey yesterday for some of the guys.” But that went away as the Rangers took over in the second period, getting 16 shots on Howard, who had just been pulled Wednesday night when he gave up four goals on 19 shots to the Oilers in Detroit. But he always seems to rise to the occasion when facing Lundqvist, evident when he made three great saves in a matter of four minutes in the second period. The first was a diving left-pad stop on what seemed like a slam-dunk goal for Rick Nash with just over 10 minutes remaining, followed by one on Kevin Shattenkirk and one on J.T. Miller. The Rangers knew they were going to need to do more if they wanted to beat Howard, as the two teams entered the third period knotted in a terrific scoreless tie. But they also knew they had Lundqvist in their own net. “Hanky is our best player, our leader on the ice,” Zuccarello said. “We expect him to be like that every game. If we can help him out, we know how good he can be.” But first, things turned for the Red Wings, who took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal from Tomas Tatar 4:05 into the third as Lundqvist had a rare occasion when his defensemen couldn’t clear a screen, this one from Justin Abdelkader. But the Rangers pushed right back, and Chris Krieder was able to tie it at 10:17 when he backhanded a bouncing puck through Howard’s legs, the Rangers sending the Garden into an honest frenzy for the first time this season. Then into the extra frame, the Rangers went that extra step to reward their goaltender. Skjei broke it out of the defensive zone himself, skating up the right wing, spinning at the right post and finding Zuccarello alone in front. He was able to beat Howard, and the script played itself out as it had so many times before. “A lot of people complain about low-scoring games,” coach Alain Vigneault said, “but for me, anyway, this was as entertaining as it could get.” New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085031 New York Rangers

How the Rangers can survive without Ryan McDonagh

By Brett Cyrgalis November 24, 2017 | 6:42PM

Replace was not a word the Rangers were using when thinking of their missing captain, Ryan McDonagh, set to be out for a second straight game with a mild abdomen strain Friday night against the Red Wings at the Garden. But his loss has been softened somewhat by the Rangers’ versatility on the back end, with numerous blueliners being able to play both sides. That includes Brendan Smith, who returned to the lineup Nov. 17 against the Blue Jackets after a six-game absence as a healthy scratch with a renewed vigor in his game — which is now needed more than ever. “I think I’m still getting better,” Smith said after a 6-1 win Wednesday over the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., his third game back and an individual performance coach Alain Vigneault called his “best game of the year.” “Think I’m still getting a bit of the rust off,” Smith said. “Every game is getting a little better, and that’s to be expected after sitting for quite some time. I think I like where my game has been going, and I just want to keep improving.” Smith is a left-handed shooter, but he has proven to be comfortable on both the left and right sides. His most effective pairing in his short Rangers tenure has been on the right with the quick-footed Brady Skjei on the left. But since McDonagh went down, Smith has paired with Nick Holden, another lefty playing on the off-side right. They were an effective pair against the Hurricanes, and hoped to keep it going against the visiting Red Wings. “I’ve said this many times, being able to play more than one position is a bonus,” Vigneault said. “Being versatile is a big bonus for a team, whether it’s up front, or on ‘D’ if the left or the right side. It helps you a lot of times get ice time, because you can play more than one spot. And if you can play it well, it’s real good for team. “So in Smitty’s case, I think he’s probably a little bit more comfortable on the left, like all players are on their natural side. But we’ve asked him to play on the right, he’s done a good job for us.” The ability to play both sides — really, the ability to play the right, with McDonagh, Skjei and Marc Staal all far more comfortable on the left — is a big reason why the Rangers chose to sign Smith to a four-year, $17.4 million deal this summer just days before he reached free agency. They first became enamored of him when Smith showed up as a trade- deadline rental from the Red Wings last season and was one of the Rangers’ most ferocious defenders during their run to the second round of the playoffs. And he did most of it on the right side. “Sometimes it’s easier,” Smith said of playing the right, “making some plays, keeping pucks in at the blue line. Or having your feet up ice because you’re on your natural side. There are pros and cons to both sides, and I’m comfortable either.” Yet it wasn’t quite there early in this season, when Smith played his way into street clothes. Vigneault found him worthy to play in just 11 of the first 19 games, while the Rangers had gotten off to a disastrous 1-5-2 start. But his benching was seemingly a wake-up call that made an impact, and Smith began to show it at Carolina. “His gap was good, his decisions with the puck were good, jumped in the play at the right moment and he was a big part of quite a few scoring chances,” Vigneault said, with Smith having a sweet cross-ice assist on Chris Kreider’s game-opening goal. “And he defended real well all night with his gap and his stick position, his body position. That’s definitely what we need from him going forward.” New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085032 New York Rangers

Mats Zuccarello’s goal in overtime wins it for Rangers

By Steve Zipay Updated November 24, 2017 11:06 PM

The Rangers and the Red Wings are getting used to overtime. Seven of the last 13 games between them have been decided in in the extra period. On Friday night it was yet another overtime game, and the Rangers prevailed. Mats Zuccarello, on Brady Skjei’s hard-fought assist, beat goalie Jimmy Howard just 37 seconds into the extra period for a 2-1 victory at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers’ seventh straight win at home. Henrik Lundqvist, who has allowed just four goals in the last four games, posted 40 saves. Being hounded by two defenders in the 3-on-3 overtime, Skjei’s first pass to Zuccarello, standing to Howard’s right, was blocked, but it bounced back to the Rangers defenseman. He swatted the puck a second time to the wide open Zuccarello, who waited and waited until he saw an opening and fired in his fourth of the season for the game-winner. “I didn’t know what he was going to do, I thought he was going to give the puck back to me. I said ‘no no, no, shoot the puck,’ ” said Skjei. The Rangers trailed 1-0 before Chris Kreider’s backhander bounced off Howard’s pad at 10:17 of the third to tie the score. It was Kreider’s third goal in the past two games. Tomas Tatar’s power-play blast, with Michael Grabner in the box, at 4:05 of the third had opened the scoring. The goal followed a failed attempt to clear by Marc Staal when Justin Abdelkader deflected his pass. “We were getting our chances,” said Skjei. “You’re going to score a few times if you keep playing like that.” Said Lundqvist: “It was a great finish by us.” After the scoreless first period, when Lundqvist was forced to make 17 saves, the Blueshirts “talked in the locker room that we had to get going. (We were) coming off Thanksgiving, but that’s no excuse,” said Skjei. Lundqvist, who was making his 11th consecutive start, had also faced 17 in the first period in Carolina on Wednesday. “I’m trying to be on my toes right now,” said Lundqvist. “I feel the last three or four weeks I’m playing the way I want to play, I’m aggressive but still patient. Part of that is to read the shots well, but also just battle in front. People talk to me about starting a lot of games (20), but physically, you never really get tired, it’s mentally. Right now, I’m in a nice flow where I don’t overthink things.” With the win the Blueshirts, playing their second straight without defenseman Ryan McDonagh (abdominal strain), are 12-10-2 and 9-5-2 at home; the Wings are 10-9-4. The Rangers captain will miss Sunday’s game as well. In the first 20 minutes, the Blueshirts were hemmed in not only by two Detroit power plays, courtesy of penalties by Brendan Smith, but at even strength, and Lundqvist had to foil breakaways by Dylan Larkin, with a right arm save, and Gustav Nyqvist, with his glove. The Wings also missed the net with seven shots and six were blocked. And they did it with 11 forwards, having dressed seven defensemen. The Rangers had just six shots on Howard in the first, who finished with 30 saves. But Lundqvist, in a vintage performance, controlled rebounds and kept the Rangers in. “He’s confident in there,” said Marc Staal. “He looks like he’s enjoying himself. It looks like he’s having some fun, he’s smiling and competing hard. Obviously, he gives us a chance to win every game.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085033 New York Rangers

With Boo Nieves injured, David Desharnais could be back in lineup

By Steve Zipay Updated November 25, 2017 12:41 AM

Center David Desharnais, who was a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game in favor of Boo Nieves, could be back in the lineup on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks. Nieves — who essentially had edged Desharnais to street clothes in taking over the fourth-line center role — played only 3:10 in seven shifts in the Rangers’ 2-1 overtime victory over the Red Wings on Friday night before leaving early in the second period with a lower-body injury. He did not return. Nieves grabbed his left hip after a faceoff midway through the first period. He had delivered two hits and won three of five faceoffs. Unless the Rangers make a call-up from Hartford, Desharnais, 31, a free agent who was signed to a one-year deal and is 2-6-8 in 20 games, will dress. He has not played well defensively recently. Nieves, 23, was playing his sixth straight game since recovering from the flu, which sidelined him for three games. Since posting three assists in his first game of the season on Oct. 23 against the Arizona Coyotes, Nieves hadn’t produced any points but was adjusting to the NHL. In his previous five games, he had won 54 percent of his faceoffs. WINGS LOSE DALEY The Red Wings also went down a man early. With 7:55 left in the first period, defenseman Trevor Daley left for the trainer’s room after appearing to injure his shoulder on an attempted mid-ice check. He was in pain while lying on his back and did not return after being helped off. Fortunately for the Wings, they had dressed seven defensemen. ICE CHIPS The Rangers will practice outdoors next Saturday at Central Park’s Lasker Rink for the first time in at least 30 years. They have skated at Wollman Rink in the past . . . Their blue jerseys for the Winter Classic against the Sabres at Citi Field on Jan. 1 were unveiled Friday. In a nod to their Original Six heritage, the word “Rangers’’ is diagonal across the front of the sweater. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085034 NHL for the appropriation of his franchise. The new owners refused to pay it, so Livingstone took them to court.

Suddenly, the nickname Arenas became prominent. In the Beginning, Toronto Was Almost Left Out of the N.H.L. Livingstone’s court case lingered for years, and supporters of pro hockey in Toronto were fed up with articles on litigation dominating the sports By ERIC ZWEIGNOV. 24, 2017 page. When the team slumped badly, fans turned their attention to the city’s many popular amateur clubs. Toronto’s attendance became so poor that when it was eliminated from playoff contention with two weeks to go in the 1918–19 season, the team disbanded. Professional hockey was in trouble 100 years ago. World War I was raging in Europe. Conscription into Canada’s army threatened to take It was sold twice before the 1919–20 season, winding up in the hands of away more players, while forcing others into essential war work. Teams a group who owned an amateur team known as the St. Patricks. folded as more and more fans wondered why some fit, young men were dying overseas while others were playing games at home. Babe Dye, another future Hall of Famer, joined the team, usually referred to as the Toronto St. Pats, in 1919–20 and quickly became a top scorer. The Windsor Hotel in Montreal hosted meetings throughout November In 1921–22, Dye helped bring the Stanley Cup back to Toronto. But once 1917 about these and other issues facing pro hockey. It was those again the good times did not last. discussions that marked the end of the National Hockey Association, founded in 1909, and created the National Hockey League. The new By 1926–27, the St. Pats were one of the worst teams in what had league’s official announcement came on Nov. 26. become a 10-team N.H.L. With six of the clubs based in the United States, Canadians feared for the future of their game. But before then, there was much debate over which team would join the Ottawa Senators, the Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Wanderers Conn Smythe was a proud Canadian who had coached successful in the N.H.L. Not until the confirmed that they would not amateur teams at the University of Toronto before and after serving in be part of the league was the fourth franchise reluctantly awarded to World War I. He was hired to head up the expansion New York Rangers Toronto. in the fall of 1926 but was fired before the season started. It is hard to imagine the N.H.L. without a Toronto team, but interpersonal “It is impossible to imagine,” wrote Frank Selke, the Hall of Fame squabbles almost made it that way. executive, in his 1962 autobiography “Behind the Cheering,” “what would have happened to professional hockey in Canada had Smythe stayed in Eddie Livingstone had operated Toronto teams in the N.H.A. since the New York.” 1914-15 season. The other owners hated him. During November 1926, C.C. Pyle, the American sports agent, offered to “Livingstone was always arguing. No place for arguing in hockey,” buy the St. Pats for $200,000. He planned to move the team to Tommy Gorman of the Senators said in a 1965 Toronto Maple Leafs Philadelphia. program article. “Let’s make money instead.” “If Mr. Pyle takes [the] St. Pats team and moves it to Philadelphia,” Elmer Ferguson, who wrote the article, covered the 1917 meetings for reported Toronto’s Evening Telegram on Nov. 19, 1926, “the fate of pro The Montreal Herald, and much of what is known of them comes from his hockey in Toronto is doubtful.” stories over the years. Smythe did not have enough money to save his hometown team. In the 1965 article, Sam Lichtenhein of the Montreal Wanderers said the Fortunately, J.P. Bickell had a $40,000 share of the St. Pats, and he other owners did not throw Livingstone out: “We just resigned and wished promised that if Smythe could raise $160,000 to pay off the other owners, him a fine future with his National Association franchise.” he would ensure they sold to him instead of Pyle. Smythe put down $10,000 and rounded up a team of investors. They paid $75,000 to buy With Livingstone out, Toronto’s N.H.L team would be run by the owners the team on Feb. 14, 1927, with an understanding to pay the remaining of the Arena Gardens on Mutual Street, most of whom were based in $75,000 over the next 30 days. Montreal. Still, Toronto’s team mainly comprised players who had competed for Livingstone in the N.H.A. Their names are not as familiar to With that, Smythe took over the St. Pats. He changed their name to the fans today as the Montreal legends Georges Vezina, Joe Malone or Bad Maple Leafs. Joe Hall, but Toronto featured the future Hall of Famers Reg Noble, Harry Cameron and Rusty Crawford, as well as Jack Adams, who would New York Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 later run the Detroit Red Wings. The N.H.L.’s first season began on Dec. 19, 1917, and Toronto got off to a slow start. Goaltending was the main problem, but the team was able to acquire another future Hall of Famer: Hap Holmes, a former Toronto star in the N.H.A. Holmes had been playing with the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, who won the Stanley Cup in 1917. When he was made available to N.H.L. clubs, Holmes hoped to sign with Toronto, but the Wanderers claimed his rights. However, when fire destroyed the Wanderers’ arena two weeks into the season, the team withdrew from the league. Holmes was free to sign with Toronto, and he led the team to the top spot in the standings during the second half of the split-season schedule. Toronto then defeated the first-half champion Canadiens to win the N.H.L. championship before beating the from the rival Pacific Coast Hockey Association to win the Stanley Cup. In a picture commemorating the title, the N.H.L.’s first champions were called the Arena Hockey Club of Toronto. The team has been known traditionally as the , but during the 1917–18 season, newspapers often referred to the team as the Blue Shirts, the Blueshirts or the Torontos. Those names had also been applied to the former N.H.A. team. It was apparent from articles throughout the season that fans and newspapers saw no real difference between the N.H.A. and the N.H.L. The Montreal-based owners initially had no compelling reason to discourage the use of previously popular Toronto nicknames, but that soon changed. According to Charlie Querrie, who managed the arena and Toronto’s N.H.L. team, the ownership offered Livingstone a check for $6,900 at the close of the 1917–18 season. He refused to take it, demanding $20,000 1085035 Ottawa Senators The pairing of Harpur and Cody Ceci had a rough opening two periods, guilty of giveaways and struggling to contain the pressure from the Blue Jackets. Look for a change Saturday against the Islanders. Senators losing streak hits five games with loss to Blue Jackets Topping the issues among the forwards was that fact that Matt Duchene entered the game pointless in six games with Ottawa, while linemate Ryan was goalless in 12 games this season. After being shutout again Ken Warren Friday, those streaks are now at seven and 13, respectively. Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 With little chemistry happening, Boucher split them up midway through 10:35 PM EST the second period. Duchene found a new home on a line with Hoffman and Ryan Dzingel, and he had more jump afterwards. Ryan played with Pageau and Alex Burrows. COLUMBUS — The downward spiral continues and the question marks “I’ve had some chemistry with Pageau in the past and you know what keep growing for the Ottawa Senators. you’re going to get,” Ryan said. “I thought we had some good, grinding shifts down low. For me, individually, I had the puck a little bit more and The Senators extended their losing streak to five games with a 5-2 defeat had some chances in the third.” to the high-flying Columbus Blue Jackets Friday at the Nationwide Arena. Everything, meanwhile, is going right for the Blue Jackets. As the Senators flew home immediately after the game for Saturday’s date against the New York Islanders at Canadian Tire Centre, they were Bobrovsky has been incredibly stingy, going 5-0 with a 0.79 goals against shaking their heads yet again. average and .978 save percentage during the hot stretch. “It’s a tough slide right now, a lot of frustration,” said Tom Pyatt, who The Blue Jackets opened the game looking very much like the more opened the scoring. “We’re going to be a better team coming out of this. composed, confident squad. We just have to keep building it. It’s nice we have that game tomorrow to get right back into it.” Yet it was a rare Blue Jackets breakdown that led to Pyatt’s game opening goal — on the Senators second shot. Playing on a top line with On Friday, the Senators offered yet another new way to lose. Derick Brassard and Mark Stone, Pyatt slipped behind the Columbus defence and flipped a Brassard pass past Bobrovsky. “We made more mistakes than them, doesn’t matter whether it’s in the first, second or third period,” defenceman Dion Phaneuf said. “The road The lead lasted only 26 seconds. An atrocious giveaway by Burrows trip is not good. There is nothing to draw from it. We didn’t get any points, inside the Blue Jackets blueline allowed Atkinson to sprint away on a but we’ve got to find a way to claw back.” breakaway, where he tucked the puck past Anderson, tying the game 1- 1. Thanks to Craig Anderson’s early goaltending, they were very much in the game in the third period, tied 2-2 and only a couple of great Sergei Anderson finished the period the way he started, by bailing out his Bobrovsky saves away from taking a final-period lead. teammates. The Blue Jackets led 14-4 on the shot clock after the opening 20 minutes. Yet after coming up empty on a power play, extending yet another ugly streak — that’s 0-for-17 now — Cam Atkinson stepped out of the penalty box, breaking the tie with 9:30 remaining. It was Atkinson’s second of the night. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.25.2017 Three minutes later, Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno, the former Senator, beat Anderson up high. Tyler Motte iced the game, scoring into an empty net. Before the late rally by the Blue Jackets, Bobrovsky made superb stops off Mark Stone, on the power play, and Bobby Ryan to keep the Senators from going ahead. “When you’re in this, you’ve got to see the light at end of the tunnel,” Ryan said. “I think you can start to see it a little bit. We’re stuck in the storm right now.” After two periods, the Senators and Blue Jackets were deadlocked 2-2. Pyatt and Mike Hoffman had the Senators goals, while Atkinson and Markus Nutivaara scored for the Blue Jackets. Don’t be fooled. The Senators had no business being close and were only alive because of Anderson’s goaltending. Hoffman’s goal, on only the Senators’ seventh shot of the game, nine minutes into the second, tied the game 2-2. Anderson didn’t see the Nutivaara shot that gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead, a floater from the blue line that cleared a scrum of buddies in front of him. The Senators challenged the play, pleading goaltender interference, but the argument went nowhere. Senators coach Guy Boucher was stressing the positives. “I thought the first 10 minutes of the third period were outstanding,” Boucher said. “The power play looked great, both units, just couldn’t score. And we were right there, at 2-2.” The Senators entered the game with a myriad of problems. The goaltending hadn’t been good enough, with both Anderson and Mike Condon have been in net during the losing slide. Senators coach Guy Boucher stuck with Anderson against the Blue Jackets, believing that as the No. 1 goaltender, he has to play a major role in leading the team out of trouble. He certainly did his part Friday in answering Boucher’s trust — at least in the opening two periods. The defence has been spotty during the slide, leading to a lineup shakeup. Rookies Thomas Chabot and Ben Harpur were both in the lineup against the Blue Jackets, while Boucher opted to make Freddy Claesson a healthy scratch. 1085036 Ottawa Senators

Tampa Bay claims DiDomenico off waivers

Ken Warren Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 3:25 PM EST

COLUMBUS – Fredrik Claesson tried to take the news in stride. A healthy scratch Friday against Columbus for the first time since the playoffs last spring, the Ottawa Senators colourful defenceman sounded a bit caught off guard. “It’s a business,” said Claesson, who has one goal in 20 games this season, spending plenty of time as a partner for captain Erik Karlsson. “I’ve just got to be better and work on my game a little bit and that’s all it is.” Claesson said he hadn’t spoken to coach Guy Boucher about what areas he needed to improve. The Senators are carrying seven defencemen and all seven played in Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to Washington. Against the Blue Jackets, Boucher opted to play rookie Thomas Chabot in the hopes he could spark the power play and fellow rookie Ben Harpur because of his size (6-6 and 222 pounds) against a physical Blue Jackets team. As a whole, the Senators defence has struggled this season. Johnny Oduya, the 36-year-old veteran who was brought here in the hopes he could replace Marc Methot, has been inconsistent, a step or two behind at times. But Boucher, who often stubbornly sticks with his older players, opted to remove Claesson instead of Oduya. “It’s not that Freddy was deserving to be taken out, but in the mix, he’s the one that has to come out right now because we feel that Harpur and (Cody) Ceci will play well together. “We want Dion (Phaneuf) and Erik (Karlsson) to lead us together and I want Chabot to play on the right side and Oduya will be on the left side, the older guy who is going to be able to take care of the younger guy.” Stay tuned. With the Senators playing the New York Islanders Saturday at Canadian Tire Centre, the musical chairs on defence could change again.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085037 Ottawa Senators “It's good to finally rack up a couple of goals as a team and win by more than one goal.”

Atkinson and Foligno have both said that during long slumps it's the Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno end long droughts in Blue Jackets win frequent scoring chances that help sustain some level of confidence. But over Ottawa that's a hockey cliche. The only thing that mollifies a goal-scorer is scoring goals. By Aaron Portzline 4 hours ago “Cam was a little frustrated,” Tortorella said. “I know I'm watching him pretty close (on Friday) just to see if we can get him to touch the puck more. Three of four shifts in a row, he didn't even touch it 5-on-5. An Nick Foligno was sprung out of the Blue Jackets' zone by a nifty pass offensive guy wants the puck. from Sonny Milano late in the third period, giving him a rare chance against tight-checking Ottawa to skate unabated with the puck through “It's nice to say you get chances, but goal-scorers want to score. Cam's the neutral zone and into the attack zone. been a little bit stuck here. Nick has been stuck.” The only thing slowing Foligno was the voice inside his head, and when Atkinson's first goal was scored off a tough couple of bounces for you haven't scored a goal in nearly a month, there can be a lot going on Ottawa's Alexandre Burrows. The puck hopped over his stick twice and upstairs. he struggled to control it at the top of the slot in the Blue Jackets' zone midway through the first. Atkinson swatted at the puck, knocking it behind “The worst part was, I was looking to pass the whole time,” Foligno said Burrows and sending Atkinson alone on a breakaway. Burrows wasn't after a 5-2 win over Ottawa on Friday in Nationwide Arena. “Somebody in charged with a turnover because off-ice officials saw the bouncing puck. my head was just like, 'If you pass this and it doesn't go through, you're Atkinson was credited with a takeaway. going to kill you. You better shoot this.'” The Blue Jackets' forecheck was really strong from the start of the game, Foligno shot. Far corner, his favorite spot. It was an important goal that smothering Ottawa. It was as crisp and exacting as I can recall this finally extinguished the Senators, who hung in there all night despite season, right up there with the Oct. 25 game (5-1 win) in Winnipeg. At being badly outplayed for long stretches. one point, the shots were 23-7 in favor of the Blue Jackets. The Senators didn't come unraveled, but they couldn't go two strides without getting It was Foligno's first goal since Oct. 25 — way back in the ninth game of checked or hit in their own zone. the season — and it gave the Blue Jackets a 4-2 lead. Maybe adding Matt Duchene wasn't the right move for Ottawa. The jury's “I told him he should have passed there,” Cam Atkinson joked. still out, but it's been a rough start. In seven games since the trade from Colorado, he has zero points and a minus-10 rating. He was barely Atkinson, who hadn't scored since Oct. 27, already had two goals and noticeable tonight, except when Blue Jackets' forward Tyler Motte landed was skating to Foligno's right as they closed in on Senators goaltender a big hit on him in the third period, just before Atkinson's go-ahead goal. Craig Anderson. He was looking for a hat trick. Motte had a goal, a plus-3 rating, two shots and a club-high four hits in “I saw that the top corner was open, so … sorry Cam, but I'll take that only 9:42 of playing time. one,” Foligno said. “I'll get you a hat trick some other game.” Not a great night for Artemi Panarin. He had a turnover that sparked The Blue Jackets, the hottest club in the NHL, have won six straight Ottawa toward the 2-2 goal by Mike Hoffman. He also had no points, no games and are sitting in first place in the Metropolitan Division. shots on goal, one giveaway, one blocked shot and only 14:32 of ice They have forged a 15-7-1 record despite limited contributions and long time, a season-low. droughts by some of their top players. But maybe that's starting to After the game, G Joonas Korpisalo and RW Markus Hannikainen were change. sent to AHL Cleveland. They'll play for the Monsters on Saturday vs. “I'm half-full here,” said Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, ever the Texas, then be back in time for Sunday's practice in Columbus. optimist. “I'm really encouraged by some of our younger guys … if they You'll note that when the Jackets sent players to Cleveland last week, can just stay with it, and some of our other guys can get going, I think Milano was included on the trip. Not this time. Milano again played we'll have some more offense. significant minutes (15:00) made a couple of bright defensive plays and “You just never know if you can get all of that going together, but we're had the really sharp pass to spring Foligno for his goal off the rush in the going to try.” third. This is the remarkable part: Former Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard played well against one of his former clubs. He made a beautiful saucer pass off his backhand at The Blue Jackets are only one point behind the pace they set last 10:56 to set up Taylor Pyatt's 1-0 goal. He also won 10 of 19 faceoffs. season, when they finished 2016-17 with 50 wins and 108 points, both franchise records. The Blue Jackets were going to practice on Saturday, but that's been canceled. Back at it at 11 a.m. on Sunday. They were 14-5-4 (32 points) last season; they're 15-7-1 (31 points) this season. But last season, though 23 games, Nick Foligno (9-12-21), Cam Atkinson The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 (8-13-21) and Alexander Wennberg (6-15-21) were tied as the club's leading scorers. That's a combined 23-40-63. So far this season, Foligno (4-6-10) has been chilly after a strong start. He ended a 12-game streak without a point on Wednesday and snapped a 13-game streak without a goal on Friday. Atkinson has just 6-3-9, though he missed four games with a hip injury and infection. Wennberg has only 1-8-9 in 18 games. He missed his fifth consecutive game with an upper-body injury, and the club hasn't said when he might return. Total through 23 games this season? 11-17-28 from those three players, less than half of last season's year-to-game pace. But somehow the Blue Jackets have scraped by with secondary scoring — Oliver Bjorkstrand, Josh Anderson, and Milano — and expert goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky. Friday was the first time in nine games the Jackets scored more than three goals. “I felt like I hadn't scored a goal in a couple of years,” Atkinson said. “It's nice to be a part of it and get back to my way of playing. 1085038 Ottawa Senators For what it's worth, Condon has allowed five goals high to the glove side this season, versus two high to the blocker side.

The Devils also attacked Anderson where he's weakest: when the puck is What is wrong with the Ottawa Senators' goaltending? behind the net. You could argue that the Devils got some nice bounces in that particular game, but if you watch Anderson closely, he looks lost every time the puck is at the bottom of the zone. By James Gordon 18 hours ago Three of the five goals the Devils scored that night came as a result of Anderson losing the puck behind the net and his defencemen not being able to cover for him when it moved out front. Last season, the Ottawa Senators rode defensive discipline and elite goaltending to a surprise playoff berth and a trip to the Eastern For all of Anderson's strengths — and there are many — this is a theme Conference final. that has repeated itself throughout his time here. This season, their goaltending may prevent them from making the post- Even when he has been able to see the puck moving out, several teams season at all. With a quarter of the season in the books, No. 1 netminder have been able to find the glove-side top corner against him when he's Craig Anderson is sitting at 7-6-3 with a 2.94 goals-against average and down low, defending the post. .896 save percentage. Backup Mike Condon hasn't been much better, going 1-0-3 with a 3.00 GAA and .904 save percentage. Anderson has allowed 10 goals high to his glove side versus two high to the blocker side. While much has been made of the Senators' recent offensive struggles (and amplified by the recent acquisition of centre Matt Duchene), scoring For Anderson, one area has been particularly troublesome this season — really hasn't been much of a problem. The Senators are 10th overall in to the point that teams seem to be targeting it now. goals per game (3.15), and a more modest 19th overall in shots per By my count, of the 45 goals Anderson has allowed this season, 20, or game (30.9). 44 percent, have beaten him in the middle to middle/low portion of the The drop-off in goaltending performance has been jarring, particularly at net on his blocker side. Sometimes it's because he's giving up too much even strength. (Note: 2016-2017 NHL ranks reflect position among net on that side (excuse the Sasquatch pic)… goalies with 20+ appearances). …but on more than a few, he's just missing pucks. Fortunately for the Senators, their goaltenders' penalty kill save While Condon seems to be just a few tweaks away from getting to where percentages have seen a small boost. Things could actually be worse. he was last season, it's Anderson who will make or break the Senators' While it shouldn't be all that surprising to see Condon move closer to his season. If he can return to form — and with his long track record of overall career norms (.908 save percentage), Anderson looks like success here, it'd probably be foolish to bet against it — Ottawa will be another player altogether. Without a return, if not to form, then at least to just fine. If not, it'll make for a long winter followed by a very long competence, the Senators will be in deep trouble. summer. Although Condon performed admirably in Anderson's absence last season, his team didn't accumulate points at a rate that would have The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 gotten them into playoffs when he was in net. It was Anderson's heroics during an especially difficult time in his life that raised the Senators to the next level, and his 25-11-4 record reflected that. So what's going on here? Are Anderson and Condon just getting unlucky this season, or has there been a noticeable dip in their play? In order to get a better idea and possibly identify some themes, I re- watched every goal that's been scored against the Senators this season. Here's what I found. Of the 60 goals scored against Condon and Anderson, three have come as a result of inexcusable mistakes. While three doesn't sound like a lot, that's five percent of goals allowed. They've come at very costly times, too. The following Max Pacioretty shorthanded goal came with the Senators and Canadiens locked in a 1-1 game at Canadian Tire Centre. Anderson had ages to make a decision and just … didn't. The Habs cruised to an 8-3 win. Condon allowed a very similar goal with less than two minutes remaining against the L.A. Kings on Oct. 24 that turned what should have been a sure win into a disappointing shootout loss. He also cost the Senators another point and another likely regulation time win (which have been few and far between this season) by doing his best Superman impression against the Arizona Coyotes and flubbing a freeze attempt. Despite his insistence after the game that he was proud of his decision to make that play, there was really no reason for it. The puck was headed wide, and at worst Condon would have been well positioned to cover it or make a save in tight. I wonder if he would have reconsidered his assertion after seeing the video. For a backup goaltender who doesn't play a ton of minutes, even a few mistakes can have a big impact on numbers. Had Condon avoided those two brain cramps, his save percentage would be .916 instead of .904 and the Senators would still be in a playoff position. Although the Habs loss was the Senators' ugliest as measured by the final score, it wasn't either goaltender's worst game of the season. Those both came against the young, speedy New Jersey Devils, who seemed to key in on each netminder's greatest weaknesses. For Condon, on the night of his 5-4 shootout loss to the Devils, it was figuring out his angles on glove side shots. While the Devils got one lucky goal on an errant shot block, Condon was otherwise giving them tons of net to look at on his glove-hand side due to poor angle coverage. On this one, Condon follows the screen right out of his net. 1085039 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers look to end skid in afternoon Islanders rematch

Updated: NOVEMBER 24, 2017 — 8:10 AM EST by Sam Donnellon, STAFF WRITER @samdonnellon | [email protected]

KEY PLAYERS: The Islanders’ captain and best player, John Tavares did not register a shot on goal Wednesday night. You would think this would not be a recipe for success. But it was Tavares’ hard work against Sean Couturier in the Flyers defensive zone that eventually allowed Tavares to feed Josh Bailey for the overtime game-winner in front. Bailey had three points in the Islanders’ 4-3 overtime victory. … A ray of hope for the Flyers amid a six-game losing streak is the secondary scoring they received Wednesday. Michael Raffl and Taylor Leier each notched a goal. For Raffl, at one point a 20-goal scorer, it was his first point dating to Jan. 7 of last season. He had six shots on the net. THINGS TO KNOW: So much for good starts. The streak of the Flyers’ scoring first and still losing is up to four games. One big reason: After yielding two more in their loss to the Isles on Wednesday, the Flyers have allowed seven power-play goals in 13 chances over their last three games to drop to 28th in the NHL, at 75 percent. The recent barrage has come since Radko Gudas was ejected for slashing Winnipeg’s Mathieu Perreault across the back of the neck eight days ago. Gudas will serve the fourth game of his 10-game suspension today. Wayne Simmonds’ goal-less streak is now at 14. The Isles were 7-10-4 at this juncture a season ago. They enter today’s game three points behind Metropolitan Division-leading Columbus. HEAD TO HEAD: The Flyers have a 136-90-26-11 advantage all-time and won three of four against the Islanders last season. They are 0-0-1 thus far this season. The teams will meet again on Jan. 4 in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085040 Philadelphia Flyers Voracek beat De Haan to the puck and fed Couturier, who flipped a one- timer in the far post for his 13th goal.

With 2:59 left in the first period, Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick was awarded Flyers blow two-goal lead, lose to the Islanders in overtime the first penalty shot of his career. He sent a backhand wide of the net. Danick Martel sent Patrick in on goal, and Seidenberg, a former Flyer, was called for holding on the breakaway, giving Patrick the penalty shot. Updated: NOVEMBER 24, 2017 — 7:06 PM EST The Flyers had scored the game’s first goal in their previous four by Marc Narducci, STAFF WRITER @sjnard | contests. That streak was snapped when impressive Islanders rookie [email protected] center Mathew Barzal opened the scoring with just 16.9 seconds left in the first period on a fluke goal.

Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield sent in a shot from the point. Ladd, When it appeared the Flyers would end their losing streak, their misery positioned at the right side of the net, tipped the puck to Barzal, who continued. Leading by two goals entering the third period, the Flyers never got a stick on it but had it deflect off his thigh and bounce off the squandered that advantage Friday and lost in overtime, 5-4, to the New back of Elliott’s pads and into the net for his sixth goal of the season. York Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center. It was a sign of things to come for the Flyers. The Flyers have lost seven in a row and are 1-6 in overtime and shootout games. “We got a 4-2 lead. I don’ t care how you do it, but you got to find a way Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.25.2017 to get the win,” said captain Claude Giroux, who had a goal and assist, making him the 10th player in franchise history to record 600 points. A wide-open Nick Leddy scored from the slot on a pass from Josh Ho- Sang with 2 minutes, 16 seconds left in the three-on-three overtime. The Flyers have been plagued by defensive mixups in overtime with opponents left wide open. “We obviously have to work on it,” Flyers goalie Brian Elliott said. “The definition of insanity is if you keep doing the same thing over and over and over again. We have to change some things and talk about it because these are big points, and they can come back to haunt you.” This was the second overtime loss to the Islanders in three days for the Flyers and the third time in the last five games the Flyers (8-9-6) have squandered a two-goal lead. “I think we kind of got away from our game, sitting back and playing to protect the lead, and we have to keep pushing,” said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who had a goal and an assist. Early in the third period, the Flyers’ Travis Konecny, in a shorthanded situation, was stopped on a breakaway by Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss. The Islanders then went down and cut the Flyers’ lead to 4-3 when Jordan Eberle scored from in front of the net after Flyers defenseman Robert Haag whiffed on the puck. The Islanders tied the score when Andrew Ladd tapped in a pass from behind the net from Eberle with 7:49 left in the third period. The Flyers erupted for four second-period goals to take a 4-2 entering the third period. Trailing 1-0, the Flyers tied the score on Giroux’s 10th goal of the season with 16:11 left in the second period. Give a major assist to Hagg, who wouldn’t allow the Islanders to clear the puck. Hagg eventually gained control and fed Giroux, who shot from the high slot Wayne Simmonds broke a scoring drought to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead with 13:32 left in the second period. Simmonds had gone the previous 14 games without a goal. Gostisbehere shot a rocket from the point that deflected off the left post, and Simmonds was there to tip in the rebound for his seventh goal. Back and forth it went. The Islanders tied the score at 2-2 when Cal Clutterbuck tipped in a Dennis Seidenberg shot from the point. Moments later, Elliott allowed a goal on a weak center ice shot by Johnny Boychuk, but he was saved when the goal was nullified on a delayed offside call. Then the Flyers took over, scoring two goals in 19 seconds. Gostisbehere broke the tie with a wrist shot in the slot. Sean Couturier, skating on the left wing, was held by Adam Pelech, and a delayed penalty was called. Couturier deflected the puck off Islanders defenseman Calvin De Haan to Jake Voracek, who found Gostisbehere open in the slot. Gostisbehere had not scored in his previous 13 games. That was followed by a Couturier goal with 7:30 left in the second period on a play that began with Giroux dumping the puck behind the net. 1085041 Philadelphia Flyers With 17 seconds remaining in the first, the Isles took a 1-0 lead when 20- year-old rookie Mathew Barzal knocked in a rebound.

Barzal, selected 16th overall in the 2015 draft, has two goals in two Flyers-Islanders: Youthful mistakes on defense and other quick thoughts games against the Flyers, and he also was a dominating performer on Flyers' latest loss against them in the preseason.

Updated: NOVEMBER 24, 2017 — 8:07 PM EST Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.25.2017 by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | [email protected]

Some quick observations from the Flyers’ seventh straight loss, a 5-4 overtime defeat to the visiting New York Islanders on Friday: Youthful mistake. Andrew Ladd got position on rookie defenseman Travis Sanheim and scored from the doorstep with 7:49 left, knotting the game at 4-4. About eight minutes earlier, Jordan Eberle got the Isles to within 4-3 on a power-play goal that was scored after Nick Leddy got away with hooking the Flyers Travis Konecny on a breakaway. The way things have been going for the Flyers lately, when adversity strikes, such as the missed call on Leddy, you get the feeling their confidence wanes and they expect something negative to happen. Leddy scored the game-winner in overtime as he was left alone in an apparent defensive mixup between Ivan Provorov and Jake Voracek. In the Flyers’ previous game, a defensive breakdown by Shayne Gostisbehere led to the Isles’ game-winner in OT. Bottom line: The Flyers’ young D misses Andrew MacDonald (leg injury), who may return Monday in Pittsburgh. The Flyers have won just three of 15 games (3-6-6) without MacDonald, Martel’s motor. Danick Martel’s motor is always running, and the diminutive Flyers left winger crashes the net with hell-bent tenacity. Or as analyst mentioned after the 5-foot-8 Martel delivered a first- period hit on 6-foot- 204-pound defenseman Leddy and created a scoring chance: “He’s 162 pounds of rotating razor blades.” Martel, 22, has been one of the Flyers’ most noticeable forwards in his first two NHL games. Nearly a disaster. The Islanders celebrated briefly when Johnny Boychuk beat Brian Elliott on a shot from eight feet outside the blue line, giving the visitors a 3-2 second-period lead. But the bizarre goal, which obviously would have deflated the Flyers, was quickly negated by a delayed offside call. Shortly thereafter, Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier scored 19 seconds apart to put the Flyers ahead, 4-2. Gostisbehere ended a 13-game goal- less streak. But the four-goal second-period eruption meant little as the Flyers collapsed in the third period and the OT. After the loss, coach Dave Hakstol tried to put a positive spin on things, sayig the Flyers have points in seven of their last 10 games. What he didn’t say: The Flyers have lost seven of their last eight home games. Finally. Wayne Simmonds has shown more speed lately, and you could sense he was starting to look closer to his old self after playing through several injuries. He finally connected Friday, putting in a rebound of Gostisbehere’s shot off the post and ending a 14-game goal-less drought, the second-longest of his Flyers career. The Flyers are 4-0-1 when Simmonds scores a goal. Giroux shines. Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist for the 599th and 600th points of his career, putting him 10th in franchise history. Rod Brind’Amour is ninth with 601 points. Giroux now has 19 even-strength points after collecting just 24 in the entire 2016-17 season. Yes, moving to left wing and playing on Couturier’s line has been most agreeable to the Flyers’ captain. Tale of two rookies. The Flyers received a questionable penalty shot with 2:59 left in the first period, and rookie Nolan Patrick, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft, made a nice move and appeared to have goalie Thomas Greiss beaten, but he put his backhander wide of the net. Martel’s long pass had sent Patrick, 19, away on the breakaway. 1085042 Philadelphia Flyers

Nick Leddy lifts Islanders past Flyers 5-4 on OT

Staff Report

Posted Nov 24, 2017 at 7:59 PM Updated Nov 24, 2017 at 7:59 PM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Defenseman Nick Leddy snapped a shot past Philadelphia goalie Brian Elliott 2:44 into overtime to give the New York Islanders a 5-4 victory over the Flyers on Friday. Rookie Mathew Barzal, Cal Clutterbuck, Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd scored in regulation and Thomas Greiss made 26 saves to help the Islanders win for the fifth time in six games. They moved six points ahead of the Flyers in the Metropolitan Division standings. Ladd tied it with 7:49 left, scoring off a pass from Eberle from about 5 feet in front of the crease. Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier scored in the second period for the Flyers. They blew a 4-2 lead in the third to lose for the seventh straight time. The Islanders also beat the Flyers in overtime Wednesday night, a 4-3 decision in Brooklyn. Elliott made 32 saves for Philadelphia. The Islanders drew within a goal at 4:12 of the third on Eberle’s second power-play goal of the season. The goal came after it appeared Flyers right winger Jakub Voracek drew a hooking penalty on John Tavares. However, it was Voracek who went to the penalty box. It was the ninth power-play goal allowed by the Flyers in five games and the sixth power- play goal scored by the Islanders in five games. After Greiss stopped Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick on a penalty shot with just under 3 minutes remaining in the opening period, Barzal gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal with 14.1 seconds remaining in the period. The Flyers, who have not won a game since Nov. 9, took over in the second period, scoring four goals on seven shots. Giroux tied it with a one-timer from the high slot at 3:49 and Simmonds gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead when he put Gostisbehere’s rebound past Greiss for his first goal in 15 games. Clutterbuck’s deflection goal, his fourth of the season, tied it at 2, but back-to-back goals by Gostisbehere and Couturier gave the Flyers a two- goal cushion. Gostisbehere’s goal, his second of the season, snapped a 13-game drought. Couturier’s goal, his team-high 13th, came on an aggressive forecheck by Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, who extended his points streak to four games. NOTES: Islanders LW Jason Chimera played in his 210th consecutive NHL game, the longest current streak on the club. ... The Flyers had three rookie defensemen in their lineup — Travis Sanheim, Robert Hagg and Samuel Morin — with a combined 44 games of NHL experience.

Burlington County Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085043 Philadelphia Flyers Let’s remind ourselves that even Claude Giroux had a 38-game stint with the Phantoms.

Right now, it can only help the career of Konecny in the same way it has Danick Martel's debut highlights Travis Konecny's regression worked out for Martel.

By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia November 24, 2017 9:10 AM Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017

Danick Martel made his Flyers debut Wednesday night at left wing on the second line … without one NHL game to his credit or even a single practice with his linemates. Perhaps it can all be viewed as a refreshing change for a team that needed a shock to the system, and certainly a different look for an offense that has routinely struggled to score goals. But more than anything, it revealed a much more glaring problem for the Flyers: Has Travis Konecny regressed to the point that general manager Ron Hextall needs to consider other options? Martel has now slipped into the role once occupied by Konecny, whose performance so far this season has been nothing short of sporadic. The second-year winger had a string of games playing on the left side of and Wayne Simmonds, but the line never really generated any sustained success, and head coach Dave Hakstol doesn’t seem to know what to do with Konecny at this stage of his career. Left wing, right wing, second line, third line. One quarter into this season and already Konecny has been a linemate with eight different teammates, and his ice time has fluctuated anywhere between nine and 18 minutes per game. This can’t be what the front office envisioned for Konecny when he made the Flyers' roster straight out of training camp in 2016. He may have played like an All-Star during the preseason, but exhibition hockey games typically lack a full complement of NHL players, many of which take the necessary measures to ensure they don’t overextend themselves and suffer an injury before the regular season begins. At this stage of their careers, the 22-year-old Martel and the 20-year-old Konecny appear to be almost side by side in their development. As Martel has exploded in his third season with the Phantoms, Konecny has struggled in Year 2 with the Flyers, and a lack of confidence has seemingly followed. He has just two goals on 84 attempted shots, many of which have left a black smudge on the glass behind the net, and he’s one of the few Flyers forwards with less than 50 percent of his shots on goal. Konecny, more than anything, needs to experience success along with a committed focus on his defensive responsibilities. One Western Conference scout who attended Tuesday’s Flyers game against the Canucks believes Konecny could benefit greatly given time with the Phantoms. “He went straight from juniors to the NHL,” the scout, who chose to remain anonymous, said. “He hasn’t really learned to play a responsible two-way game at the pro level. I don’t think it would hurt him to refine his game and gain some confidence in the American League.” Martel had no choice. He went undrafted after three seasons in the QMJHL. Nothing has been given and everything has been earned. Martel told Joe Santoliquito of the Philly Voice last week there’s a certain dose of determination that comes with being 5-foot-9, 162 pounds. "I love proving people wrong. It’s why I went undrafted,” Martel said. “It’s why I have a f--- you attitude! That started when I was younger. Not a lot of people trusted in the way I play and my size. I’m going to score anyway. That’s the way I think. It’s the way I play. I’m not small. I play big. You want to make a mistake. Judge me by my size. “I love pissing off the bigger players because they automatically assume that they’re better than me. It’s why I will never stop working. I need to work on the defensive zone if I’m going to play in the NHL.” Martel has a hunger and determination that Konecny needs to rediscover. There’s no reason he should have minor-league immunity. Scott Laughton needed a full year with the Phantoms to become the player the organization envisioned, and it appears to have paid off. As Hextall stated when he sent highly-touted Oskar Lindblom to Lehigh Valley prior to the season opener in San Jose, “American League time hasn’t hurt one player in the history of professional hockey. It’s not a death sentence.” 1085044 Philadelphia Flyers overtime winner at Barclays Center. Friday, Tavares was the on the ice again and registered the secondary assist on Leddy’s goal.

“Three-on-three, I don’t think there’s a guy other than maybe (Connor) Latest loss forcing Flyers to reexamine narrative McDavid that I would take Johnny over," Islanders rookie Mathew Barzal said. "Obviously, he’s one of the most skilled players in the league. I think we got a really skilled team up front. I’ll take us 3-on-3 against anybody." By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia November 24, 2017 10:10 PM

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017

Black Friday is that designated day after Thanksgiving when buyers are enticed to something special they wouldn’t be able to get any other day of the year. Instead, Flyers fans got a whole lot more of the same. Same blown lead. Same defensive breakdown in overtime. Same result in the standings. The Flyers fell, 5-4, in overtime to the Islanders for their seventh straight loss Friday at the Wells Fargo Center (see observations). In fact, Black Friday looks and feels similar to Groundhog Day right now. “We obviously have to work on it,” goaltender Brian Elliott said. “It’s the definition of insanity if you keep doing the same thing over and over again. We have to change some things and talk about it because these are big points and they can come back and hurt us.” Right now, it hurts to watch. During the Flyers' current seven-game losing streak, their longest stretch of winless hockey since 2008, they’ve lost four of those games after regulation and they’ve held a lead in each of their last five games — and a two-goal lead in three of their last five. “If you’re looking for a confidence level on this side of the TV, I can’t give you one,” Elliott said. “Everybody here is battling their own battles and trying to do their jobs. You don’t make it to this level without being able to handle things like this and being able to handle the ups and downs.” Sure, you can cite the first-year players on defense for some of the late- game breakdowns. After all, there’s a rookie on every pairing, but the veterans have been just as culpable throughout this two-week skid. Jake Voracek has blown assignments on two of the overtime losses, including Nick Leddy’s OT winner Friday. “Mistakes, personal mistakes,” Voracek said, “It is simple. Leddy was open there. He is my guy. I got caught puck watching. I didn’t cover my guy and got scored on. My bad.” “I don’t know if it is a lack of confidence,” defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said. “I think we kind of get away from our game. I think it is just up to us to own it and finish the game.” After the game, and perhaps equally as disturbing, is how Dave Hakstol has spin-doctored the past four weeks. As he opened up his postgame comments, he made it sound as if the team should be patted on the back on their way out the Wells Fargo Center door. “You got to evaluate it for what it is," Hakstol said. "I think in seven of our last ten we’ve gotten a point. Five of those are shootout or overtime losses.” So, let’s evaluate it for what it is. The Flyers have collected just nine points in those 10 games. Spread that out over an 82-game season and you finish up in the 74-point range. That usually secures a top-five lottery pick, not a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Accumulating a point here and there is presenting a silver lining where one doesn’t exist. Instead, the Flyers have won just four of their last 17 games. That’s the picture that needs to be painted and winning hockey games is the only solution to this problem. “I really believe we’re going to learn from this,” Claude Giroux said. “We’re going to get a better team and we’re going to get back in a playoff spot.” If the Flyers don’t heed the captain’s words soon, then this season will feel more like a Black Monday, that October day in 1987 when the stock market crashed. I'll take 6 for 600 Giroux became the 10th player in Flyers history to record 600 points with the franchise. Giroux now sits one point from tying and two points from passing Rod Brind’Amour for ninth place on the Flyers' all-time scoring list. Islanders captain John Tavares has been New York’s overtime spark plug. On Wednesday, Tavares put on a dazzling display fighting off Sean Couturier before firing a cross-ice pass to Josh Bailey, who scored the 1085045 Philadelphia Flyers out of the air that actually deflected off his pants, off the back of Elliott’s pads and into the net. Barzal was left alone with a breakdown in coverage between Gostisbehere and Morin, who were both caught on Flyers-Islanders observations: Losing streak reaches 7 with another OTL the left side of the ice. Valtteri Filppula nearly kept it out of the net. • A solid opening penalty kill for the Flyers, who kept the Islanders around the perimeter for a good chunk of the two minutes. The Flyers came into By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia November 24, 2017 6:43 PM this game having allowed seven power-play goals in their last three contests. Interestingly, Taylor Leier, who was part of the No. 1 PK unit with Laughton, wasn’t out there as Dave Hakstol has elected to switch up the personnel.

• A rough shift for Ivan Provorov midway through the first period, as he The losing streak rolls on. committed a bad turnover right on the stick to Scott Mayfield and was The Flyers, after the Islanders fought back from a two-goal deficit, lost outworked by Brock Nelson, who worked the puck away from Provorov their seventh straight game Friday with a 5-4 overtime loss to New York as the Islanders' third line gave the Flyers' top line some issues. at the Wells Fargo Center. • Martel is a little bundle of energy and never appears to stop scrapping Nick Leddy scored the game-winner with 2:16 remaining in overtime. for pucks. That second line with Martel, Nolan Patrick and Simmonds played a strong opening period, which included Martel’s pass to Patrick Once again, the Flyers' top line did most of the heavy lifting as Sean that led to a Patrick penalty shot. However, the 5-foot-9 Martel got Couturier, Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek each had multi-point games. crushed by John Tavares along the boards. He needs to develop a little more grease in his game to avoid some of those big hits. Giroux reached 600 career points, tying him with Rod Brind’Amour for eighth on the Flyers' all-time list. • Patrick elected to go backhand on Greiss on his penalty shot, but the Flyers' rookie didn’t commit until too late and Greiss wasn’t forced to It was the 11th straight season that the Flyers have played their Black move too far laterally. Patrick’s shot was about a foot wide of the left Friday game on home ice. post. • Once again, the Flyers coughed up a two-goal lead in the third period. Andrew Ladd somehow had a wide-open look right in front of Brian Elliott, as no one picked up Jordan Eberle behind the net. Brandon Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017 Manning and Travis Sanheim had net-front presence, but they couldn’t get a stick on Ladd or deflect the centering pass. • Somehow Voracek got nailed in the third period for hooking Islanders captain John Tavares, who attempted to pull Voracek down on the same play. It elicited a strong reaction from the crowd. It appeared as if both players were fighting for the loose puck, but Tavares was the guilty party. • After jumping out of the box after serving a matching minor, Travis Konecny caught a high-arcing pass and skated in on a backhanded breakaway, where he could have drawn a penalty shot as he was hooked from behind. Konecny nearly beat Thomas Greiss with a backhand and even had a rebound attempt. • An unfortunate sequence for the Flyers, as Robert Hagg completely whiffed on a puck that was bouncing around on the ice. Eberle corralled it just to the right of Elliott, got his blade completely under the puck and elevated it just under the crossbar to cut the Flyers' lead to 4-3 in the third. • Brandon Manning, in the third period, completely lost track of Jason Chimera, who flew down the left side of the ice on a pass from Casey Cizikas. The Islanders' fourth line was a real problem for the Flyers. • A big blast from Giroux tied the game at 1-1, but it was a nice job by Hagg to step up on the play, which didn't allow the Islanders to break out of the zone. Somehow, the puck squirted right to Giroux, who blasted a one-time shot from the high slot that Greiss had no shot at. Last season, Giroux didn't score his 10th goal until Dec. 21. • A bad goal given up by the Flyers saw the Islanders' fourth line tie the game at two. The play started when Scott Laughton left a backhanded pass a little short, allowing the Islanders to drive the play deep into the Flyers' end. Eventually, it was Cal Clutterbuck who redirected a shot from the point that Elliott had little shot of stopping. • Danick Martel had a terrific one-handed pass to Laughton in the second period for a scoring chance down low. I wasn’t sure about Martel trying to squeeze through a pair of Islanders defenders, but somehow with his lightning-quick acceleration, he managed to knife his way through and make a play out of it. • The Flyers broke a 2-2 tie on a delayed penalty call after Samuel Morin provided a big hit along the boards that allowed the puck to squirt free through the neutral zone. I liked the patience Giroux showed, as he waited for Shayne Gostisbehere to fill the slot and score from the high danger area. • The Flyers added another goal just 19 seconds later when Voracek caught Greiss by surprise with a hard-charging forecheck. Voracek had the presence of mind to quickly pass the puck in front to Couturier, who had nothing but a wide-open net after Greiss came out to play the puck. • The Flyers scored all four goals in a span of 8:41, marking the second time this season they’ve scored four goals in a single period. • A deflating ending to the opening period, as the Islanders scored with Mathew Barzal, the electrifying first-round pick of 2015, batting the puck 1085046 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers vs. Islanders: 3 things to watch in Game 23

Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 7:00 a.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

THREE THINGS TO WATCH 1. A better home showing With a home record of 4-4-3, the Flyers are one of the worst teams in the East in their own barn. Home-ice advantage is something they'll need to get back if they're going to turn the tide and get in a playoff position. "Obviously we want to be a good team at home," Claude Giroux said. "We want to be a tough team to play in our building. I think we need to take a breather here and kind of just play hockey. We’re pressing a little too much right now. We want it a little too much. Just got to go out there and play hockey." 2. A spark? Clearly calling up Danick Martel, the AHL's leading goal scorer, was a message to the Flyers that they need to pick it up. In his NHL debut, Martel got close a couple times. If he's able to find the back of the net, perhaps he earns a long stay. “If I got one or two more shots, I would have a goal today,” he said Wednesday night, after a 4-3 Flyers overtime loss. “I had a lot of chances in the slot, a breakaway. I battle well in front of the net. We’ll see next game, if I stay here and am still playing. I’m pretty happy with my game today.” 3. Goalie matchup Brian Elliott has been the best Flyer in recent games and will likely keep the net as his own. He has a 5-1-5 record in a dozen career games against the Islanders with a 2.50 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. Thomas Greiss got the win in the first half of this home-and-home so perhaps he stays between the pipes. In his 10 career games against the Flyers he has a 4-2-2 record to go with a 2.81 goals-against average and .919 save percentage

Courier-Post LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085047 Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby tied Jaromir Jagr for second on the team's all-time games played list with 806. Mario Lemieux is first with 915.

Penguins notebook: Slow first periods become alarming trend Tribune Review LOADED: 11.25.2017

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, 6:33 p.m. Updated 6 hours ago

BOSTON — A terrible first period cost the Penguins dearly in a 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Friday. It also is part of a trend. More than a quarter of the way into the season, the Penguins are the worst first-period team in the NHL. Their 30 goals against and minus-14 goal differential are at the bottom of the league. Their 16 goals for are tied for 26th. “It all starts with a mindset and a readiness,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That's what it boils down to. Every player's got to take ownership for their own preparedness so we're ready from the drop of the puck.” When Evgeni Malkin missed Wednesday's game with an upper-body injury, Sullivan filled his second-line center spot with Jake Guentzel. Despite saying he thought Guentzel played “fine” in a 5-2 loss to Vancouver, Sullivan instead bumped third-line center Riley Sheahan up to the middle of the second line Friday in Boston, playing him with Guentzel and Phil Kessel. Sheahan assisted on Kessel's goal in the second period. It's a bit of an odd-couple pairing. Guentzel and Kessel are probably the two most offensively talented wingers on the roster. Sheahan has scored a total of three goals since the start of last season. “Riley is a solid two-way center iceman,” Sullivan said. “If he plays with skilled wingers, he has the ability to make plays and possibly be in position to generate offense.” Malkin has not been ruled out for Saturday's home game against Tampa Bay. Sullivan made a dramatic change to his defense corps for Friday's game, sitting Ian Cole as a healthy scratch and playing Chad Ruhwedel in his place. Cole took a slashing penalty and was a minus-1 in the loss to Vancouver on Wednesday. He had the worst shot-attempt stats among the team's defensemen. “It was a coach's decision,” Sullivan said. “Performance is always the dictator.” The odd scheduling quirk of an afternoon game followed by a night game might give Sullivan more options with his goaltending. The last two times the Penguins have played on consecutive days, Sullivan has turned to Tristan Jarry to play second game. A few extra hours of rest might entice Sullivan to turn to Murray for both starts in this case. “We consider all of the variables when we're trying to make these decisions,” Sullivan said before Friday's game. “They're never easy ones. Right now, we're trying to win that game right in front of us.” The one time Murray started both games of a back-to-back this season, he allowed four goals on nine shots before being pulled in the first period of a 7-1 loss Oct. 29 at Winnipeg. If Jarry plays Saturday, the Penguins will be using their backup goalie in a matchup with the high-flying Lightning for the third time this season. The Penguins lost the first two meetings 5-4 and 7-1 with Antti Niemi in net. Murray said he gladly will accept the start if Sullivan gives it to him. “I'm ready to play no matter what. That's how I have to approach it,” Murray said. “Maybe try to drink a little bit more water and get a little bit more recovery stuff in me today. Try to get a good sleep, whatever it may be. I'll be ready to play no matter what. That's just how I have to approach it. If they tell me I'm going, I'm going.” MILESTONE WATCH 1085048 Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins clawed back with a strong second period. Guentzel made up for his mistake with a power-play goal, and Phil Kessel scored on a rocket from the right wing before Crosby's unusual tally tied it. Penguins' losing streak at 3 after loss to Bruins The damage, though, already was done. "When it's going like this," Crosby said, "you've got to find a way to break JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, 4:09 p.m. through that and come up with a big win and kind of break that trend." Updated 6 hours ago Tribune Review LOADED: 11.25.2017 BOSTON — As the team and its captain have been slumping through November, the Penguins and Sidney Crosby have been waiting for a break to go their way to start to turn their fortunes around. They got a break Friday afternoon in Boston. Thanks to a horrendous first period, they lost anyway. A controversial Crosby goal late in the second period brought the Penguins even after a brutally sloppy start, but David Pastrnak snatched the lead back for good in the third, leading the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 victory. The Penguins have lost three in a row and five of their last seven. Crosby's goal, his second in the last 16 games, tied the score 3-3 with 2 minutes, 16 seconds left in the second period. Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin flopped to his back in the crease as he frantically tried to keep a Patric Hornqvist shot out of the net. The airborne puck landed right on Khudobin's belly, at which point Crosby whacked away until it squirted across the line. At first, referees made no call. After a lengthy video review and a goalie interference challenge by Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, the goal was finally awarded. "It's still live. I didn't hear a whistle," Crosby said. "It's kind of a weird spot for the puck to be. You just try to fish it out of there." The goal didn't faze the Bruins. They retook the lead about five minutes into the third period. Riley Nash corralled a blocked Kris Letang shot in the defensive zone and made a long headman pass to spring Pastrnak for a successful breakaway. Goalie Matt Murray tried to accept the blame for the loss. "If I keep some of those out of the net in the first or for sure that one in the third on the breakaway, if I make the save there, it's a different game," Murray said. "This one feels a little bit more like it's on me tonight." Even if that's true, Murray was hardly the only passenger on the struggle bus in the first period. Thirty-two seconds into the game, Patric Hornqvist took a tripping minor, getting the Penguins' beleaguered penalty kill unit on the ice almost immediately. Later in the period, Bryan Rust took a hooking call in the offensive zone. The Penguins were able to kill both penalties, which was a small victory in a period full of losses. The Bruins took a 2-0 lead on goals by David Krejci and Sean Kuraly. About six minutes in, Jake Guentzel committed a defensive-zone turnover, and two passes later, Krejci was burying a shot from the right wing into an empty cage. Less than five minutes later, after a failed clearing attempt by the Penguins, defenseman Charlie McAvoy skated a lap of the offensive zone and found Kuraly wide open atop the right hash marks for a one- timer. Crosby did as good a job as any describing what went wrong for the Penguins in the period. "We just weren't executing well," he said. "If you make a play to get out of your zone, then I think we're fine, and we're able to get to our game. But we weren't coming out clean, and they were able to create a forecheck and hem us in." Coach Mike Sullivan just fumed. "We got outplayed," he said. "They played harder than we did." 1085049 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins goalie Matt Murray will start Friday against the Bruins

SAM WERNER Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [email protected] 11:54 AM NOV 24, 2017

BOSTON — Matt Murray will start in goal for the Penguins Friday afternoon in Boston, coach Mike Sullivan said. The decision follows Sullivan’s usual trend this season of starting Murray in the first game of back-to-backs and, usually, going with the backup in the second game. This weekend could be a bit different, though, as the early start in Boston and extra few hours between games could give Sullivan more of a reason to go back to Murray Saturday at home against Tampa. “We consider all of the variables when we’re trying to make these decisions,” Sullivan said. “They’re never easy ones. Right now, we’re trying to win that game right in front of us. We think this is an important one, we’re trying to get two points and so we’re putting our very best lineup on the ice that we think gives us a chance to do that.” Murray has started both legs of a back-to-back once this season. He saved 27 of 29 shots in the Penguins’ 2-1 loss to Minnesota Oct. 28, but then stopped just five of the nine shots he faced the next night in Winnipeg and was pulled in the first period of an eventual 7-1 loss. Murray’s backup, Tristan Jarry, has not started since Nov. 11, when he stopped 24 of 28 shots in a shootout loss to Nashville. The Penguins and Bruins face off at 1:22 p.m. today. Center Carter Rowney will be a game-time decision, Sullivan said. Rowney has missed the last 14 games with a fractured hand, but has returned to practice over the last week and appears close to returning to game action. He centered the Penguins’ third line at practice in Pittsburgh Thursday. With Evgeni Malkin out, Riley Sheahan could get a chance to play second-line center for the Penguins this afternoon. Despite Sheahan’s paltry offensive numbers (one goal and three assists in 22 games), Sullivan said he sees no problem playing Sheahan with top-six wingers like Jake Guentzel and Phil Kessel. “If he plays with skilled wingers, then he has the ability to make plays and possibly be in a position to generate offense,” Sullivan said. “We’re trying to put line combinations together that we think can give us the balance that we’re looking for and also give us the threats that we need on our top six.” Sheahan does have three points in his last four games.

Sam Werner Post Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085050 Pittsburgh Penguins Letang agreed with his coach. “It always goes with the results of the game,” Letang said. “We can’t string wins together. It’s tough to swag when you don’t get wins.” Matt Murray feels like this Penguins loss is on him, and he's willing to play against Tampa Peter Diana/Post-Gazette The Penguins have had a problem with slow starts nearly all season, but Sullivan said he doesn’t anticipate changing anything with his team’s pregame routine, other than emphasizing that players show up focused SAM WERNER and ready to play. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Pregame routines, from a players standpoint, is a personal thing,” Sullivan said. “For me, it all starts with a mindset and a readiness. That’s [email protected] what it boils down to, and every player’s got to take ownership for their own preparedness so that we’re ready from the drop of the puck.” 11:16 PM NOV 24, 2017

Post Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2017 BOSTON — Bruins winger David Pastrnak has 11 goals this season, more than all but nine NHL players. So when he gets the puck alone on net, he knows what to do with it. Still, Matt Murray felt like he should have come out on the winning side of his one-on-one showdown with Pastrnak in the third period of the Bruins’ 4-3 win Friday against the Penguins. “Me, personally, I just have to make an extra save,” Murray said. “If I keep some of those out of the net in the first, or — for sure — that one in the third on the breakaway. If I make a save there, it’s a different game. This one feels a little bit more like it’s on me tonight.” Boston's Charlie McAvoy defends Sidney Crosby in the first period Friday in Boston. Murray finished with 29 saves on 33 shots and certainly played well enough for the Penguins to have a chance in the third period. But coach Mike Sullivan didn’t totally absolve his goalie of responsibility for the loss. “I think everybody can be better,” Sullivan said. “That’s what I think, Matt included. I think our whole team, we need to be better if we’re going to get the results.” There’s a chance Murray might not have to wait long to get a chance to improve. The Penguins are back in action Saturday night against Tampa Bay, and with the afternoon game in Boston — meaning a few more hours of rest in between games — Sullivan could start Murray in both games of the back-to-back instead of going with Tristan Jarry Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena. Murray has started both legs of a back-to-back once this season. He saved 27 of 29 shots in the Penguins’ 2-1 loss at Minnesota Oct. 28, but then stopped just five of the nine shots he faced the next night in Winnipeg and was pulled in the first period of an eventual 7-1 loss. Jarry has not started since Nov. 11, when he stopped 24 of 28 shots in a shootout loss to Nashville. Sullivan didn’t tip his hand before the game Friday, but Murray said he’s ready if called upon. “I’m ready to play no matter what,” Murray said. “That’s how I have to approach it, maybe try to drink a little bit more water and get a little bit more recovery stuff in today. Try to get a good sleep, whatever it may be.” Defenseman Ian Cole was a healthy scratch from the Penguins lineup Friday for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Cole was scratched in favor of Chad Ruhwedel, who had not played in the previous two games since Matt Hunwick returned from a concussion. Cole was a minus-1 against Vancouver Wednesday night, and is at minus-5 on the season. When asked if Cole’s recent performance had a role in the decision, Sullivan responded, “Performance always is the dictator.” Defenseman Kris Letang admitted the obvious after the game Friday, that the Penguins are not where they want to be as a team right now. “We need to get our confidence back, play with swagger,” Letang said. “That’s it.” It might seem a bit counterintuitive that a team coming off back-to-back Stanley Cup titles can be lacking in confidence, but Sullivan said it’s not too hard to understand in the micro sense within a season. “You can squeeze your stick a little bit and sometimes that’s all it takes,” Sullivan said. “For me, all the more reason that we’ve just got to focus on the details and make sure that there’s an urgency to our game and a competitive spirit to our game. That, for me, is the foundation of turning this thing in the right direction.” 1085051 Pittsburgh Penguins “I thought we controlled a lot of the third period, and that’s what makes it so disheartening is that we did a lot of the things that we talked about, but we give up a breakaway.” Penguins lose, 4-3, to Bruins, drop third game in a row That goal also meant the Penguins gave up their chance at two points in the standings. SAM WERNER Despite their recent struggles, they’ve managed to mostly stay afloat in the Metropolitan Division, but that might be starting to change. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette As of Friday evening, they were clinging to the last playoff spot in the [email protected] Eastern Conference, and could find themselves on the outside looking in by the end of the night. 4:02 AM NOV 25, 2017 Obviously, there’s still three-quarters of the NHL season to go, but even though Sullivan always preaches process over results, some of the Penguins admitted they’re keeping one eye on the results, too. BOSTON — Against the Boston Bruins Friday afternoon, the Penguins showed flashes of the natural talent, dogged resiliency and occasional “You win games and you barely move, so if you lose you can fall pretty stroke of luck that has gotten them back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. quickly,” Crosby said. “I think our division’s really tight and there’s a bunch of teams fighting for those last couple of playoff spots. Hopefully, They also showed the sluggishness and lackluster play that makes a that’ll bring our best and bring that desperation that we need. third one seem pretty far off right now. “We did some good things [today], but our start hurt us. It was great that Despite a strong effort in the final 40 minutes, the Penguins couldn’t we were able to battle back, but we can’t put ourselves in that spot.” overcome a dreadful first 20 and lost, 4-3, against the Bruins, sending their losing streak to three games. “We didn’t show up,” defenseman Kris Letang said. “No urgency in our Post Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2017 game right off the bat, so we got behind it pretty fast. Against a team that’s pretty young, skilled, hungry team, it’s tough after that to come back in the game.” The Penguins did, though, and were in the game until the end. David Pastrnak scored the game-winner at 5:06 of the third on a breakaway, one of just five Bruins shots on goal in the period. “I thought the third period was one of our stronger periods, and we end up giving up a breakaway when we control most of the territory and most of the zone time,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “From that standpoint, that was the only real quality scoring chance that they got in the whole period, and it ended up in the back of our net.” Letang took partial responsibility for the goal, saying he has to make sure his shot — which was blocked to start the play — gets through on net. “I tried to shoot it and Pastrnak, as soon as he saw the puck might get blocked he just jumped out and went through,” Letang said. “I have to get it through.” But even if Pastrnak scored the game-winner in the third period, this game was effectively decided in the first. The Penguins were outshot, 14-4, in the first 20 minutes. The Bruins had 26 shot attempts, the Penguins 11. Those numbers might even be kind to the Penguins, who struggled to generate any sort of sustained offense in front of Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin. By the time the teams retreated to their dressing rooms for the first intermission, the Bruins were up, 2-0, on goals from David Krejci and Sean Kuraly. “We weren’t coming out clean, and they were able to create a forecheck and hem us in,” Sidney Crosby said. “That took away from our own forecheck, and we weren’t able to generate anything ourselves. Just a lack of execution early probably hurt us.” Sullivan had a simpler explanation. “We got outplayed,” he said. “They played harder than we did.” The Penguins did seem to resolve that issue after the first intermission. They outscored the Bruins, 3-1, in the second period, on goals from Jake Guentzel, Phil Kessel and Crosby. Kessel and Crosby’s goals even came on 5-on-5 situations, which has been an issue for the Penguins lately. Crosby’s tying goal was a bit of an oddity, as he whacked the puck off Khudobin’s stomach and into the net. “It’s kind of a weird spot for the puck to be, so you just try to kind of fish it out of there,” Crosby said. “I was pretty sure it was going to be a goal. I didn’t hear a whistle, so I was glad to see it go in.” So were his teammates and coaches, as it leveled the score at 3-3. At that point, the Penguins were feeling pretty optimistic about their chances to put an end to the losing streak — which made Pastrnak’s breakaway goal all the more of a gut-punch. “That’s what we talked about after the second period,” Sullivan said. “’Regardless of what happened, let’s put it behind us. We’ve got an opportunity to win a period and we can get out of here with two points.’ 1085052 San Jose Sharks The expansion team played its first-ever regular season game at T- Mobile Arena nine days after the shooting, honoring the shooting’s survivors and its first responders with an emotional pregame ceremony. San Jose Sharks in Vegas: A close call with tragedy The Golden Knights won that game. They have won eight of nine at home and, at 13-6-1, they are in first place in the Pacific division. By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News The Sharks are rivals. But they also are fans of what the Golden Knights Group have brought this city. PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 7:44 am | UPDATED: November 24, “I’ve dealt with some things in my past, and sports and hockey have 2017 at 9:05 am always been my avenue to escape,” Ward said. “It’s isn’t 24 hours a day, but those one, two, three hours that you can just be free and get your mind off of things can be really powerful.”

LAS VEGAS — The Sharks didn’t need any reminders about what they were thankful for Thursday. Friday, the Sharks will play a hockey game with heavy hearts and deep gratitude. The last time they had looked upon the lights of the Strip, they were on a flight headed for San Jose after an Oct. 1 exhibition game against the “You start thinking about what you’re thankful for: your family, your Vegas Golden Knights. Less than an hour later, a gunman opened fire on friends, the people you love, what I get to do for a living right now — thousands of concert-goers from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay we’re all living out our dreams playing professional hockey,” Ryan said. Resort and Casino, killing 58 people in the largest mass shooting in “And then you just feel so bad for the people that aren’t around after that modern American history. shooting.” There but for the grace… ”I have no doubt if that had been an off night, we would have been at the San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.25.2017 concert,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said Thursday. DeBoer is a country- music fan, as are several of his players. It was a country-music concert. “You feel fortunate,” DeBoer said, “but you don’t want to feel too fortunate because there were a lot of people who weren’t fortunate. It’s really a lot of mixed emotions. The Sharks had traveled round trip that October day — in and out, no hotel stay — and organizational decision that had disappointed many of the players. There was a lot of talk about the fun they might have had with a free night in Vegas. When they landed in San Jose, they learned how lucky they were. “I got texts, saying, ‘Are you OK?'” forward Ryan Carpenter recalled. “It was friends watching from back home in Florida. They thought we’d stayed the night there.” The logical next thought… “What if we had spent the night there?” said defenseman Joakim Ryan. “Maybe some of the guys would have gone to that concert…. You’re just grateful that you’re still breathing. You realize how quickly it can all end.” Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report newsletter. In the words of Chris Tierney, the Sharks returned to Las Vegas Wednesday with “heavy hearts”. On the bus from the airport to their hotel, which is attached to Mandalay Bay, the driver pointed to the windows from which the gunman had sprayed the crowd with more than 1,100 rounds of ammunition. DeBoer,Tierney and Joel Ward all used the same word to describe the bus ride: Eerie. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. “Every time we come here now it’s going to be in the back of your mind,” Tierney said. “We’re all going to remember what happened and have heavy hearts. It’s just terrible. We’ve got to remember the victims and try to play around it.” After checking into his room Wednesday night, Ward glanced out the window — and was jarred. “At first I was like, ‘There’s the Strip. But then I’m like, oh my God, there’s the big Mandalay Bay sign and there’s the site across the street. I did close the drapes, actually. I just got on my laptop. I had to get away from thinking about it — I needed a distraction.” “I was looking out the window wondering what room that guy was in, I could see the concert venue that he shot up,” Ryan said. This is a daily experience for the people of Las Vegas. The Golden Knights, and their surprising performance, has provided a diversion. Get top headlines in your inbox every afternoon. Get the free PM Report newsletter. 1085053 San Jose Sharks ranked first in the NHL, gave up two, the first time it’s been charged with more than one goal since opening night.

“It was pond hockey out there,” DeBoer said. “The offense came because Three takeaways: Sharks’ DeBoer holds his tongue on overturned goal in it was loose. We don’t want to play that type of game. We had to, we loss to Vegas were forced to because of how we started. We found a way to get a point, that’s about all the good that came out of it.” By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News 3. The Golden Knights home-ice dominance continues. Group Whether it’s the raucous crowd or the distraction of playing a road game November 24, 2017 at 8:04 PM in Sin City, T-Mobile Arena continues to be the toughest barn in the NHL. The Sharks looked like they’d spent too much time in the casino in the opening frame, coughing up two goals in the game’s first 11:16, LAS VEGAS — Like the rest of the NHL, the Sharks busted in their first committing three penalty’s in the first 21 minutes and allowing the Golden visit to Las Vegas. Knights to hold a 10-1 shot edge over the opening 16 minutes. The Vegas Golden Knights (14-6-1) improved to 9-1 at T-Mobile Arena The Golden Knights haven’t lost a home game since the Detroit Red Friday, stretching their home-winning streak to eight games by knocking Wings beat them on Oct. 13. off the Sharks (11-8-1) in overtime. “They come out hard. They come out with a lot of speed and energy, and Here’s what we learned as the Sharks picked up a single point in their 5- they move the puck well,” Couture said. “We got away from our game.” 4 loss to the Pacific Division’s top team. DeBoer said the atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena makes it a challenging 1. Pete DeBoer holds his tongue when asked about disallowed goal. rink for the visiting squad to play in. The Sharks head coach didn’t use any sarcasm, colorful metaphors or “It’s loud, there’s a great environment, a lot of energy,” he said. “It’s a biting language to discuss Logan Couture’s disallowed goal in the third great venue and they’re taking full advantage of it.” period. Instead, he chose to keep his opinion of the coach’s challenge that overturned a goal that would have given the Sharks a 5-4 lead at 2:40 of the third in the universe of conjecture. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.25.2017 “I don’t know. I don’t know,” DeBoer said in a dejected tone when asked about the call. “We’ll just deal with it.” The NHL’s Situation Room pulled the goal off the board after video replay showed that Joonas Donskoi’s left skate made contact with goalie Malcolm Subban’s right skate in the blue paint as he skated in front of the Golden Knights net. According to the league, the contact, “prevented Subban from doing his job in his crease,” meaning that it impeded his ability to reset for Couture’s shot. By the letter of the law, the Situation Room made the right call. However, the question of whether the slight contact truly impacted Subban’s ability to position himself for Couture’s shot is debatable, highlighting the continued ambiguity and confusion surrounding goaltender’s interference. “A lot of it is judgement,” defenseman Brent Burns said. “There nothing really black and white. You’ve heard, probably, that from, not just our team, but a lot of teams. “It’s a hard call for them and, obviously, sometimes it can be tough on us (because) we don’t know.” While DeBoer declined to discuss the call, Couture said the league probably got it right. “I asked the ref, he said skate on skate. (Donskoi) was skating through the crease, and if that’s the case, and he was in the crease, then it’s no goal,” he said. “If it affects the pushover, then it’s no goal. You can’t be skating through the crease and contact the goalie. If that (happened) to us, we’d expect the same thing.” 2. Sharks offensive breakthrough came at behest of the team’s defense. For just the second time in their last nine games, the Sharks managed to score more than two non-empty net goals, erasing a 4-1 deficit in the second period. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. Brent Burns scored his first goal of the year on his 85th shot, putting the puck in the net on a blast from the right point off a Joe Thornton faceoff win. Chris Tierney notched his fifth, scoring on a beautiful through-the- slot feed from Justin Braun, and Mikkel Boedker got on the board during a Sharks power play. Tomas Hertl recorded the team’s first goal in the opening frame, firing in a no-look backhanded pass from Joonas Donskoi, who registered his fourth point in three games since he rejoined Couture’s line. Unfortunately, the offensive breakthrough was the result of an off night from the Sharks top-ranked team defense. The Sharks surrendered more than three goals for just the second time in their last 14 games, and the penalty kill, which entered the contest 1085054 San Jose Sharks

Sharks come back, but lose to Golden Knights in OT

By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 24, 2017 at 5:47 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2017 at 6:44 PM

LAS VEGAS — According to Pete DeBoer, the Sharks were losers in the casino during their trip to Las Vegas, and they wound up rolling snake eyes on the ice, too. The Vegas Golden Knights improved to 9-1 at T-Mobile Arena this season, picking up a 5-4 overtime win over the Sharks Friday. Jonathan Marchessault scored the game-winning goal at 1:21 of overtime after the Sharks erased a 4-1 deficit. The Sharks continue to run into hard luck when it comes to video reviews. After coming out on the wrong side of four video reviews last week, the Sharks had another goal overturned Friday. Logan Couture appeared to give the Sharks a 5-4 lead early in the third, but the goal got overturned because of goaltender interference when the replay showed that Joonas Donskoi’s skate hit goalie Malcolm Subban inside the crease prior to the shot. It’s debatable whether the contact impeded Subban’s ability to reset for Couture’s shot. The Sharks stormed back from a 4-1 deficit in the last 12 minutes of the second, tying the game at 4-4 heading into intermission. Brent Burns got the party started by notching his first goal of the season on his 85th shot. Burns cut the Golden Knights lead in half by blasting in a shot from the point at 8:08 after Joe Thornton won a faceoff in the offensive zone. The Sharks made it a 4-3 game with 4:26 left in the frame when Chris Tierney recorded his fifth goal of the year. Defenseman Justin Braun set up the goal by finding a darting Tierney at the side of the net with a through-the-slot feed from the right point. Mikkel Boedker tied it up in the final minute of the period, firing the rebound of a Joe Pavelski shot through goalie Maxime Lagace’s five hole from the slot. Thornton picked up his 1,017th career assist on the play, passing Joe Sakic to move into 12th place on the NHL’s all-time assists list. Tomas Hertl scored the Sharks first goal at 17:08 of the first, going upstairs from the doorstep after Donskoi fed him a no-look backhanded pass as he was falling down to the ice. With the assist, Donskoi grabbed his fourth point in three games since he rejoined Logan Couture’s line. The Golden Knights made the Sharks look like a team that spent the night in a casino in the game’s first 16 minutes, jumping out to a 2-0 lead and holding a 10-1 edge on the shot clock. Shea Theodore opened the scoring at 2:33 of the first, sneaking the puck in between goalie Martin Jones and the near post after Cody Eakin looped through Joe Pavelski and Joe Pavelski and hit him with a pass. James Neal added to the lead 8:53 later, finding day light above Jones’ right shoulder after the netminder slid across the crease in an effort to recover from a pad save he’d just made on Erik Haula. The goal was just the fifth tally the Sharks penalty kill has surrendered since it coughed up three on opening night. The Golden Knights added another power play goal just 10 seconds into the second when William Karlsson fired a rebound past Jones. Karlsson scored his second of the game 6:45 later, redirecting a point shot from Jonathan Marchessault to beat goalie Aaron Dell, who replaced Jones after the Sharks third goal. Dell made 17 saves on 19 shots after Jones surrounded three goals on 14 shots.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085055 San Jose Sharks

Brent Burns scores, but Sharks fall in Vegas

Staff Report

Associated Press Updated 11:23 pm, Friday, November 24, 2017

LAS VEGAS — The Sharks had been waiting for Brent Burns to score. He finally did Friday night, in his team’s 22nd game of the season. Burns’ second-period goal helped San Jose erase a three-goal deficit, but it wasn’t enough as the Vegas Golden Knights pulled out a 5-4 win in overtime. Burns, who led NHL defensemen last season with 29 goals, netted No. 1 this season at 8:08 of the second to begin San Jose’s comeback. But expansion Vegas got the last word when Jonathan Marchessault took a pass from Shea Theodore and poked the puck past goalie Aaron Dell at 1:21 of overtime as the Golden Knights improved to 9-1 at home. The Sharks, who came into the game with the NHL’s fourth worst goals- per-game average (2.45), also got goals from Chris Tierney and Mikkel Boedker in the second period to tie it 4-4. “I thought when we got up 4-1, we weren’t playing great hockey,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. “I had the feeling it was going to be a tough night. ... So, it was a battle. For us to get those two points tonight was huge for the guys because they didn’t quit when they could have.” Tomas Hertl had San Jose’s other goal, cutting Vegas’ lead to 2-1 when he found Joonas Donskoi’s backhand pass through Theodore’s legs and stuffed the puck into the net. Vegas (29 points) remained atop the Pacific Division, three points ahead of the Kings. Vegas received a boost when an apparent San Jose goal in the third period was erased because Donskoi’s skate collided with goalie Malcolm Subban’s skate in the crease. Sharks goalie Martin Jones was pulled 10 seconds into the second period after allowing a third goal.

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085056 San Jose Sharks

Sharks have tall task avoiding holiday hangover in Vegas

By Marcus White November 24, 2017 8:35 AM

Once they entered the league, many joked that the Vegas Golden Knights would have the best home-ice advantage in the league. Sure, the novelty of a new team would get fans excited, but it was the team’s presence on the Las Vegas Strip that would give the expansion team an edge. After all, they call it “Sin City” for a reason, and it’s not for the ride in. Nobody could have expected them to be this good at home. The Golden Knights are 8-1-0 at T-Mobile Arena, and have the league’s highest winning percentage at home. They’ve outscored opponents by 18 goals, and their 4.33 goals per home game is the third-best mark in the entire league. The Sharks will thus face their toughest road test of the season on Friday night, in a game that they’re almost designed to lose. Early afternoon games mean there’s no morning skate, but an early afternoon game the day after Thanksgiving? In Las Vegas? Blackjack players have better luck hitting on 20. In fact, Vegas’ home slate is littered with early starts: 12 of their 41 home games occur before the traditional 7-or-7:30 p.m. slot. Some of that is undoubtedly due to travel, of course, as the Sharks will play on the first night of a back-to-back on Friday. But the effect is nonetheless apparent: T-Mobile Arena has become a fortress. The same can be said about any number of arenas in cities known for their nightlife, such as the Miami Heat’s home at American Airlines Arena, located less than 10 miles from South Beach. Vegas is another matter entirely. It doesn’t help that the Golden Knights have, home ice advantage aside, played like a playoff team. Adjusting for score effects and venue, Vegas ranks 13th and ninth, respectively, in the two major puck possession metrics: corsi-for percentage (shot attempts) and fenwick-for percentage (unblocked shot attempts). They’ve also had luck that gamblers on the strip would envy, thriving despite being down to fourth-string goaltender Maxime Lagace because of injuries to the goalies ahead of him. Vegas has played extremely well in front of him in spite of that, and have won three straight since getting shellacked in Edmonton 10 days ago. In spite of almost every piece of available logic heading into the season, the Vegas Golden Knights are good. Almost every piece, of course, because their home-ice advantage is simultaneously the most logical thing in the world. In Las Vegas, it usually doesn’t pay to bet against the house.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085057 San Jose Sharks

Sharks erase three-goal deficit, but fall to to Golden Knights in OT

Staff Report

By Associated Press November 24, 2017 5:28 PM

LAS VEGAS — Jonathan Marchessault took a pass from Shea Theodore and poked the game-winning goal past Aaron Dell to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-4 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday. William Karlsson scored two goals for Vegas, and Shea Theodore and James Neal had a goal apiece. The Sharks came into the game with the fourth-worst goals per game average (2.45) but got goals from Brent Burns, Chris Tierney and Mikkel Boedker in the second period to tie the game at 4. San Jose had a goal reversed early in the third period when Joonas Donskoi's skate collided with goalie Malcolm Subban's skate in the crease. Subban started the third period, replacing Vegas starter Maxime Lagace, who stopped 19 of the 23 shots he saw in the first two periods. Theodore opened the scoring with his first goal of the season less than three minutes into the game, when his wrist shot beat Martin Jones on the glove side. Neal made it 2-0 with his 12th goal of the season, a wrist shot that tethered the upper corner on Jones' blocker side. Tomas Hertl cut Vegas' lead in half when he found Joonas Donskoi's backhand pass through Theodore's legs and stuffed it past Lagace. Karlsson chased Jones 10 seconds into in the second period with his 11th goal of the season, and then welcomed Dell to the game with his 12th of the campaign. Jones stopped 11 shots, while Dell stopped 17 of 19. Subban stopped all three shots he saw. Vegas W David Perron left the game with an undisclosed injury and did not return. ... Golden Knights C Cody Eakin played in his 400th career game. ... Burns played in his 900th career game. ... Joel Ward's two assists gave him 300 career points. ... With his goal in the second period, Boedker is now three goals away from 100 in his career. ... Comedian Brad Garrett attended the game.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085058 St Louis Blues

Blues turn to Hutton in goal for showdown with Predators

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 2 hrs ago (…)

In the ongoing quest to get Carter Hutton occasional games in goal while still giving the bulk of the work in the Blues' net to Jake Allen, this was one of those games that came up "Hutts.' The first game of back-to-backs, against his former team, was a golden opportunity to put the Blues' backup in the net. “This was targeted,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “The back-to-back nights, a team he's familiar with – a player always has some extra motivation playing against a former team. We've got to factor in what's best for Jake, maybe an extra day between games for Jake and he can come back and play against Minnesota, a team he's had strong performances against. That was our thought process here.” Hutton played three seasons with the Predators, from 2013-14 to 2015- 16, backing up Pekka Rinne, before joining the Blues. One thing that makes the decision easier is that Hutton has played so well. He comes into the game with a 4-0 record, a 1.71 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. If Hutton had played enough games, those last two numbers would be the best in the league. “It would be a different story, we'd have to think a lot more about it if Hutts wasn't on top of his game and hadn't played well for us,” Yeo said. “It's clearly not the case.” “It's nice to just play,” Hutton said. “I'm excited to play. I try to bring as much extra juice as I can every night. Obviously playing a team like that and getting another start at home is great. We've got a big weekend here and a lot of big games coming up in divisional battles. “They've got a good team, obviously last year they knocked us out of the playoffs. We're playing well, they're playing well. It should be a big divisional battle for sure.” The Blues come into the game with a five-point edge on the Predators in the Central Division standings. Nashville is 8-2 in its past 10, the Blues 7- 3. Both teams have won three in a row. ELITE COMPANY Vladimir Tarasenko's two-goal, two-assist, one-fight game on Tuesday against Edmonton was a rarity in the NHL. It was just the 11th time in the past 30 years someone has had two or more goals, two or more assists and a fight in the same game. The list is a pretty impressive one that includes four Hockey Hall of Famers (plus one more who will probably make it when he's eligible). Tarasenko joins, chronologically: Jarome Iginla, Calgary (Jan. 30, 2010); Bill Guerin, Dallas (Oct. 11, 2002); Eric Lindros, Philadelphia (Dec. 19, 1996); Rob Blake, Los Angeles (Jan. 26, 1993); Steve Yzerman, Detroit (Dec. 5, 1992); Sergio Momesso, Vancouver (March 1, 1992); Rick Tocchet, Philadelphia (Nov. 11, 1989); Brian Leetch, New York Rangers (Oct. 30, 1988); Kelly Kisio, New York Rangers (Dec. 16, 1987); ;and Jimmy Carson, Los Angeles (Nov. 13, 1987). Here's Yeo on what the Predators have been doing well: "Their special teams have been very good lately, that's going to be a big factor in the game tonight. That was a big factor in the playoffs last year. Getting through the neutral zone is always going to be a challenge, whether it's their neutral zone forecheck, the rush, your rush opportunities, the rush against, they always have numbers back, they always have skating D-men that hold good gaps, so you don't generate a lot of rush opportunities. You've got to find a way to get pucks in on the forecheck and create in the offensive zone and even when you did get there, they get on you quickly. They swarm you pretty good. How we beat guys to the net, how we shoot, how we recover pucks and try to create off the shot, that's going to be a focal point tonight."

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085059 St Louis Blues Nashville got the goal that decided things 2:32 into the game. An icing call against the Blues allowed the Predators to send their top line out for an offensive zone start against the Blues’ third line of Dmitrij Jaskin, Predators are a problem for Blues once again Oskar Sundqvist and Magnus Paajarvi. Nashville won the faceoff, won a battle for the puck along the boards and Ryan Johansen whipped a laser into the top left corner. By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3 hrs ago (…) “It’s pretty much a perfect shot,” Hutton said. The Blues got a good effort from their fourth line of Kyle Brodziak, Thorburn and Scottie Upshall, which created some of their best chances, The Blues have been one of the best teams in the NHL in the first quarter but nothing got past Rinne. Thorburn also figured in one of the best plays of the season, with the second-best record overall and an offense that of the game for the Blues. In the third period, as they pushed to tie, came into play Friday with the third-most goals in the league. Johansen maneuvered the puck around a sliding Joel Edmundson on a two-on-one and passed to Viktor Arvidsson. Hutton’s read was that Friday proved that even if the Blues keep playing like that, it’s not going Johansen was going to pass, so he cheated to his left and moved across to be easy in the Central Division. his crease and blocked the shot. Arvidsson crashed into him, taking both In their first meeting this season against the Nashville team that knocked of them out of the play. (Hutton said he hoped that even if Nashville had them out of the playoffs last season, the Blues, coming off a game in scored, it would have been waved off for goalie interference.) The puck which they scored eight goals, were shut out by the Predators 2-0 at stayed behind, sitting in the crease, free for the taking. In a dash of sticks Scottrade Center on Friday. The Blues were outplayed in the first period, that aimed to get to it, it was the diving Thorburn who was able to get to it fell behind 1-0, and despite having the edge in the final two periods, first and poked it away before Filip Forsberg could get his stick on it. could not get a goal. Nashville added an empty-net goal with 48 seconds “Just a bunch of bodies doing the same thing I did,” Thorburn said, “and I left to clinch it. was just fortunate to get my stick on it. I was taking the puck and either “We put up a bunch of goals last game, maybe we think it’s going to be way I was taking the net with me. Hutts made a heck of a save to stop easier,” said Blues goalie Carter Hutton, who lowered his goals-against that two-on-one and then it was just desperation after that.” average to 1.59 while suffering his first loss of the season. “I don’t know.

We stepped our game up after the first period, and I thought we had chances but the heart of the Central Division is a lot tougher.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2017 How tough? The Blues had a chance to retake the top spot in the league in points and didn’t, and while they remain best in the Western Conference, Nashville, which has been on a tear since acquiring Kyle Turris, is closing fast, having won nine of its past 10. Winnipeg also won on Friday, and they’re two points back of the Blues. There are seven teams with 30 or more points and three of them are in the Central. “That’s what we’re going to face all year,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “We have to be expecting that. Again, if we just stay in the moment and make sure that we are prepared to play and ready to play our game for 60 minutes then we’ll be fine. I think that our intentions were right coming into the game. I think maybe we were a little nervous, because we built it up as a big game. We were on our heels. I think we’ve got to be ready to attack the game a little bit more. But again, we gave up one goal. We’ve got to make sure we keep defending and we know that we can be sharper offensively and obviously that will turn things around.” The Blues have little time to think about this one, though. They’re back on the ice on Saturday night to face Minnesota in their only set of back- to-back games with both at home this season. One of the deciding factors in the game was the Blues’ totally ineffective power play. The unit came into the game ranked 24th in the league at 16.7 percent and managed just two shots total in six minutes of having an extra man. On their first power play, they were called for offsides twice as they struggled to enter the zone. On the second, it took them almost 90 seconds to get the puck into the Nashville zone. “We had a couple of looks but that was it,” said defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. “We’ve got to do better. Those are opportunities where we have to find a way to score goals. We have enough talent out there to score. “We didn’t get in the zone. We didn’t have any pressure.” “The power play, we weren’t sharp,” Yeo said, “so we’ll have to look at that.” Even though the Blues had 34 shots on Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, most came from the outside and, with little traffic in front of the net, he had a good view of all of them. And then he controlled the puck, so there were few rebounds. “There’s a lot of stuff that we could have done better, (traffic) being one of them,” forward Chris Thorburn said. “But I mean they’re a good team, they’re a strong team. We just weren’t able to break them down enough to get at least one to go through them.” “I think execution was a problem all night,” Yeo said. “We had open guys and whether we didn’t see ’em or didn’t hit ’em, I think that that was evident. And it showed up not just in the passing. You see some opportunities where we’re missing the net. You see some times when we have an opportunity to get in on the forecheck and we’re dumping it to the goalie. Those are the little things, the execution plays that I felt we weren’t sharp enough with to try to create some offense against a team like that.” 1085060 St Louis Blues

Blues vs. Wild preview

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3 hrs ago (…)

About the Wild • Like the Blues, Minnesota is playing the second game of a back-to-back, having defeated Colorado 3-2 in a shootout Friday. The Wild’s regulation goals in that one were scored by their two top goal- scorers: Jason Zucker tallied his 12th, Nino Niederreiter had his ninth. Backup Alex Stalock played against Colorado, so the Blues are expecting starter Devan Dubnyk (2.66 goals-against, .916 save percentage). The Wild have excelled on special teams, ranking third on penalty kill (84.9 percent), ninth on the power play (22.1 percent) and tied for first in short-handed goals (four) entering Friday’s games.

Jim Thomas St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085061 St Louis Blues

Blais is called up, has been working on defense

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3 hrs ago (…)

The last time the Blues called up Sammy Blais, he had to make a cross- country trip from San Jose, Calif., to Tampa, Fla., to make his NHL debut. Blais was in San Jose again when he got called up Thursday, but with the Blues at home, he had to go only halfway across the country. “It’s fine that they call me there,” he said Friday. “It’s fun to be back here.” Blais didn’t play Friday against Nashville, but he could be in the lineup on Saturday when the Blues face Minnesota at Scottrade Center. It’s been just over a month since the rookie was sent back to the AHL after playing four games in the NHL. The team liked his offensive contributions but needed to see more on the defensive side. “Everyone knows my defensive game has to get better and I think I’m working hard in the AHL to be better and be a better hockey player,” Blais said. “My offensive skills are there; there’s only my defensive side of the game that has to be better and I think I’m working hard for that. “When I get in the D zone, stops and starts, not swinging too much and having good positioning in my zone is a big aspect that they want me to focus on and I think I’ve been doing that down there.” “All reports and indications we’ve got are that he’s been playing well and his game is improving,” Blues Coach Mike Yeo said. “Offensively, he’s been doing the things we hoped he would do. Talking with him, there’s a concentration and a focus on his part to try to correct some areas that we’ve talked about, some areas that we think he can improve in his game. He feels good that we’ve made some progress there. Obviously, the important thing will be to get him into a game. I don’t know that he’ll play tomorrow, but him being here gives us the opportunity and certainly we’d have the confidence to put him in if need be.” For the second game in a row, was a healthy scratch, joining healthy scratch world champion Nate Prosser in the press box. Yeo said the extra defenseman would be a game-by-game decision, and that the team didn’t want Gunnarsson to be out of the lineup too long. “We’ll evaluate every game based on the performance of the guys that are in the lineup, that’s what we’ve done all year long and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” Yeo said. “He’s played at a real high level for us so there’s no question we don’t want him sitting around for two, three weeks, and ask him to come in and be effective for us. We’re going to have to manage the group, make sure that guys are feeling confident and important and part of the team. But I really believe that’s up to us as coaches, to make sure the communication is there with the players and that we handle that properly.” Prosser is a different matter. He’s played just one game this season, on Oct. 25, meaning he’s gone a month without playing, and he now has an extra body between him and getting in a game. The Blues, however, apparently feel that Prosser wouldn’t make it through waivers if they were to send him down – Minnesota would be a strong candidate to claim him – so as long as they can, they seem willing to hang on to him, even at the cost against the salary cap. “He’s got a great attitude,” Yeo said. “We like him, so we’re just not doing anything right now. We’ve got eight defensemen and we’ll just have to work around that.” Danis Zaripov, the Russian forward the Blues reportedly had interest in, had his doping ban in the KHL cut from two years to six months. That makes him eligible to play immediately, so he’ll be staying in Russia. The International Federation ruled that Zaripov had demonstrated “he did not engage in intentional doping,” based on “extensive documentary and expert evidence that was unavailable” when he was initially suspended.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085062 Tampa Bay Lightning "That’s the good thing about this league. You can play (bad) like this and you can forget about it and go at it (tonight) again," defenseman Anton Stralman said. "That’s what we’re going to do." Lightning attitude under fire after loss to Capitals

Joe Smith Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 Times staff writer Published: November 24, 2017Updated: November 24, 2017 at 11:01 PM

WASHINGTON — You don’t often sense frustration in captain Steven Stamkos’ voice, at least not this season. With the Lightning off to its best start in franchise history, there haven’t been many reasons to chide. Every criticism seems nitpicky. But after the Lightning got outworked and outplayed in a 3-1 loss to the Capitals on Friday, Stamkos wasn’t going to mince words. Stamkos has lost a lot in the nation’s capital, dropping 11 of the past 12 regular-season meetings at the now-Capital One Arena. But it’s how this loss went down that was most troubling to the league’s leading scorer. "They were the hungrier team in the first two periods, and it showed," Stamkos said. "When we decided to play in the third period, it was the case of too little, too late." It was the second loss in the past three games for the Lightning (16-4-2), which has run into its first bit of adversity this season. There’s an easy fix, however. Coach Jon Cooper said the team has lacked the "60-minute fire" that lifted it to the best record in the league. This game marked three straight slow starts. The Lightning’s rally from a two-goal deficit Wednesday against the Blackhawks is the only reason it’s not staring at a three-game slide. "I think we think we’re a little bit better than we are," Cooper said. "There’s a reason why we have the record we have, because we’ve worked to get there. And I just don’t know if we’re putting the same kind of effort, that urgency, determination that got us off to the start that we did. "The league is too good. You think you’re going to win, but you actually have to go out and give the effort to win. And in the last few games, we haven’t seen that from our group." It looked good early. The Lightning actually struck first, on a power-play goal by Vladislav Namestnikov just more than a minute in. Nikita Kucherov snapped his two-game point drought with an assist, his wrist shot going in off Namestnikov. But the Capitals soon took control. They created several quality looks in the first period, Alex Ovechkin finally tying it late in the first with a one- timer off the rush. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy once again kept the Lightning in the game with 28 saves in the first two periods. This one wouldn’t have been close without him. Sound familiar? "They outskated us, competed harder. They were winning 50-50 battles," center Tyler Johnson said. "We’ve got to do a better job. If it wasn’t for ‘Vasy,’ the score would have been a lot to a little." Johnson had a golden opportunity to help the Lightning regain the lead, and momentum, midway through the second period. He sprung free on a shorthanded breakaway. But Johnson couldn’t cash in. A few minutes later, the Capitals took the lead for good, when Devante Smith-Pelly pounced on a rebound off the rush. Both of Washington’s goals came off 3-on-2s. "I wish I would have scored on it," Johnson said. "It’s a tough play when you’re going that hard. I thought I had a lot of room there but unfortunately didn’t get it high enough." The Lightning’s top line of Stamkos, Kucherov and Namestnikov have a combined four points in the past three games (all coming on the power play). They were a combined minus-6 Friday, their four shots more than doubled by Ovechkin’s nine. "We have to be better — our line, myself, our team," Stamkos said. "Everyone has to be better if we want to expect to stay an elite team in this league. We’ve shown it in spurts, but we have to be consistent." Every team, even the best ones, goes through lulls. The key is not letting them linger, and tonight’s game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins provides a great opportunity for a bounce-back. 1085063 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning journal: Red-hot top line cools off

Joe Smith Times staff writer Published: November 24, 2017Updated: November 24, 2017 at 10:06 PM

WASHINGTON — Nobody thought the Lightning’s hot top line was going to keep up its historic pace all season. Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov have a combined 91 points through the first 22 games, which averages to just more than four points per game. "It was absurd," coach Jon Cooper said. "It was ’80s hockey pace." But the past three games, the top line has cooled off. The trio combined for just four points in those games (all on the power play), and it was beaten on the Capitals’ go-ahead goal in Friday’s 3-1 loss. Alex Ovechkin had more than twice as many shots (nine) as Tampa Bay’s top line combined (four) Friday. Stamkos, Kucherov and Namestnikov were a combined minus-6. "Teams adjust. It’s a long season," Stamkos said. "There’s a ton of video, and things are going to have to improve on our end if we want to sustain that threat that we had. You have to adjust. You have to make different plays. We’ll have to get better. It’s on us as players, myself included." Kucherov snapped his two-game pointless streak Friday with an assist on Namestnikov’s power-play goal. But clearly, other teams, including Pittsburgh tonight, are trying to make other lines beat them. "Teams have come in here, they’ve given us their best shot," Cooper said. "When you’re producing the way (the top line is) producing, there are really good coaches in this league, they’re going to pre-scout, they’re going to dig in and find out what can stop lines. You’ve got to fight through it."e_SClBConacher up With a few forwards dealing with minor issues, Cory Conacher was recalled as insurance during this back-to-back with the Caps and Penguins. Conacher, AHL Syracuse’s leading scorer (six goals, 13 points), did not play Friday. Neither did wing J.T. Brown, whom coach Jon Cooper said wasn’t feeling well; it was unrelated to the high stick he took Wednesday against the Blackhawks. Conacher’s callup hurt the Crunch, which played with just 10 natural forwards Friday against Wilkes- Barre/Scranton.e_SClBDotchin on IR D Jake Dotchin (undisclosed injury) missed his third straight game and will be out again tonight against Pittsburgh because he’s on injured reserve. Coach Jon Cooper said there’s a chance Dotchin could return by the end of this trip Wednesday; he’s eligible to come off injured reserve Tuesday in Buffalo. The Lightning went with seven defensemen Friday, with Andrej Sustr and Slater Koekkoek drawing in.e_SClBTampa Bay’s turn Three days after losing F Gabriel Dumont on waivers to Ottawa, the Lightning plucked F Chris DiDomenico off waivers from the Senators. DiDomenico, 28, provides organizational depth lost in Dumont. DiDomenico is a good fit in a bottom-six role. He had three goals and three assists in 12 games for Ottawa this season.e_SClBWelcome back Great to have the return of Fox Sports Sun Lightning reporter Paul Kennedy, who was recovering from last month’s prostate cancer surgery. Kennedy was back in the studio for the game against the Capitals.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085064 Tampa Bay Lightning

Joe Smith’s takeaways from Friday’s Lightning-Capitals game

Joe Smith Times staff writer Published: November 24, 2017Updated: November 24, 2017 at 10:06 PM

Alex Ovechkin’s vintage one-timer in the first period Friday gave him 573 career goals, tying him with Hall of Famer Mike Bossy for 21st in NHL history. No matter what side you sit on with the Capitals star, he’s always worth the price of admission. He is this generation’s best pure goal scorer. Center Tyler Johnson just doesn’t seem right. The 2014-15 All-Star — and playoff dynamo — isn’t as dynamic or noticeable as he has been in the past. Johnson missed the net on a shorthanded breakaway against the Capitals and extended his goal drought to 12 games, one shy of his career high, set in 2015. The Lightning clearly misses Jake Dotchin, who is out until at least Tuesday with an undisclosed injury. The defense pairings had been set, Dotchin the ideal partner for Victor Hedman. There isn’t the same trust with Andrej Sustr and Slater Koekkoek, which is why you saw coaches ride their veteran defensemen vs. the Capitals.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085065 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning recalls Cory Conacher from Syracuse

By Joe Smith Published: November 24, 2017Updated: November 24, 2017 at 05:10 PM

The Lightning recalled forward Cory Conacher from AHL Syracuse on Friday for tonight's game against the Capitals. GM Steve Yzerman said that with a couple players dealing with minor injuries, Conacher's callup provides some depth so that the team could at least play 11 forwards in back-to-back games against Washington and Pittsburgh. Cooper said J.T. Brown isn't feeling well, so won't play. Neither will Conacher, as the team is going with seven defensemen. Slater Koekkoek and Andrej Sustr are in. D Jake Dotchin (undisclosed) will miss his second straight game, and is on injured reserve, so he's eligible to return Tuesday in Buffalo. Cooper said there's a chance Dotchin plays by the end of this four-game road trip. The Lightning added some more organizational depth Friday in claiming forward Chris DiDomenico off waivers from Ottawa. With Tampa Bay having lost Gabriel Dumont on waivers Tuesday to the Senators, it was trying to replace him. And DiDomenico is a good fit for a bottom-six/extra forward role. He racked up three goals and three assists in 12 games for Ottawa this season. DiDomenico has appeared in 15 career NHL games. DiDomenico is not available tonight. G Andrei Vasilevskiy will start against the Capitals. Veteran Peter Budaj, who has had success against Pittsburgh, could start Saturday in the back-to-back. Capitals backup Philipp Grubauer will start tonight, and is 3-0-1 with a 2.61 goals against average in his career against the Lightning.. Tampa Bay last won in Washington April, 13, 2014, is 1-6-2 in its last nine in this building.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085066 Tampa Bay Lightning

Stamkos: Teams adjusting to hot top line

By Joe Smith Published: November 24, 2017Updated: November 24, 2017 at 02:52 PM

Nobody thought the Lightning's hot top line was going to keep up its historic pace all season. Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov have a combined 90 points through the first 21 games, which is just over four points per game. "They were on such a pace it was absurd," coach Jon Cooper said. "It was '80s hockey pace." But the past two games, the Lightning top line has a combined two points. They were big ones, with Stamkos and Namestnikov assisting on Brayden Point's OT winner Wednesday. But, clearly, the NHL has taken notice on the Lightning's dynamic trio, and is trying to take them out. "Teams adjust, it's a long season," Stamkos said. "There's a ton of video, and things are going to have to improve on our end if we want to sustain that threat that we had. We still had some decent chances (Wednesday). You have to adjust, you have to make different plays, and I thought (Wednesday) it was definitely a little frustrating. But we'll have to get better. It's on us as players, myself included." Kucherov hasn't had a point in the past two games, Wednesday just the fourth time this season he's been kept off the scoresheet. Now Kucherov has still been a factor, his unreal play on the sidewall sparking the game- winner Wednesday. But clearly other teams, including the Capitals tonight and Pittsburgh Saturday, are going to try to make other lines beat them. "Teams have come in here, they've given us their best shot," Cooper said. "When you're producing the way they're producing, there are really good coaches in this league, they're going to prescout, they're going to dig in and find out what can stop lines. You've got to fight through it."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085067 Toronto Maple Leafs “When I came here, training camp 2013, there weren’t a lot of people willing to offer me a job at that point for various reasons,” said Hainsey, who’d been a strong voice for the players during the lockout of 2012-13. Nylander eager to find his scoring touch as Leafs face Hurricanes “(President) Ron Francis, (then-GM) Jim Rutherford and ownership here were great to me.”

MUDDLED MIDDE: The Leafs don’t really want to use Patrick Marleau By KEVIN MCGRANSports Reporter as a centre, but keep playing him there anyway. It’s a job the veteran gladly embraces. Fri., Nov. 24, 2017 “I’m good either way, I have no preference, really. Wherever they want me is fine,” said Marleau. RALEIGH, N.C.—William Nylander has been feeling a little snake-bitten Babcock likes Marleau’s versatility and the fact he won’t ask questions lately, at least as far as goal scoring goes. about his position. Now on a line with James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak, he’s trying to “I don’t sell him on nothing. He likes hockey,” said Babcock. “I don’t know stay positive and get his game back. if he’ll score as much playing in the middle. And I want him to score, put the heat on defencemen.” “They’ve played a lot in this league, you can learn a lot from playing with them,” said Nylander. “You try to play the same way wherever you play. “You want to be a dominant player offensively and create chances. It’s a Toronto Star LOADED: 11.25.2017 way to get the team going.” Going into Friday night’s Leafs’ game against Carolina, Nylander had gone three games without a point, while scoring just once in 15 games. “As long as you’re doing good things, that’s what’s important,” said Nylander, who played more than 19 minutes against Florida, and was one of the Leafs’ best forwards in the 2-1 shootout loss. “I like that he went and got the puck and won some battles and shot it like he can,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock of Nylander’s performance in Florida. “It’s hard to believe that confidence is so fleeting in the NHL. We need Willie to get his confidence back and get feeling good. You saw it with Mitch (Marner). You see it all the time with different players. “You need to feel good about yourself. We decided this was a different situation, give him a different look to feel better.” Van Riemsdyk offered his struggling linemate some advice. “You want to be contributing (goals), but those flows happen throughout the season when you’re a little snakebitten,” said Van Riemsdyk. “You’ve got to have the same approach, try to contribute in other ways of the game, and be strong in your own end. “And when you get your chance, you bury it.” UNHEALTHY SCRATCH: It’s clear coach Mike Babcock and winger Matt Martin had not spoken to each other about the situation Martin finds himself in, that of a healthy scratch. When asked how Martin was dealing with it, Babcock said “ask Matt.” And Martin, visibly upset according to those who saw him Thursday, was more stoic Friday. “It’s difficult, you never want to be out of the lineup,” said Martin. “You go out there, you work hard, you get ready for your next opportunity.” Martin could not remember the last time he had been scratched since becoming an NHL regular 2010-11. “It’s a long season, there are ups and downs for everybody,” said Martin. TURKEY TIME: The schedule worked out very well for the van Riemsdyk family. Leaf winger James spent American Thanksgiving with Hurricanes defenceman Trevor on Thursday, with TVR hosting the entire van Riemsdyk family that is spread out across the American east coast. “It was a one-in-a-million type shot to have the stars align like that,” said James van Riemsdyk. “It’s nice to spend some time with them. For it to work out like this was pretty cool.” Trevor and James never played with or against each other in competitive hockey until they reached the NHL. “It’s fun to be out there,” said Trevor. “We’ve got family in town. It’s an exciting time.” Trevor was responsible for buying tickets for the family. “I turned my phone off,” said James. GOING HOME: Maple Leafs defenceman Ron Hainsey has been around long enough that he doesn’t get too emotional when he returns to play against a team he once played for. He’s played in Montreal, Columbus, Atlanta, Winnipeg, Carolina, Pittsburgh and now Toronto. But he does have a soft spot for the Hurricanes, crediting them with rescuing his career. 1085068 Toronto Maple Leafs

Matt Martin disappointed at getting scratched from Leafs’ lineup

By KEVIN MCGRANSports Reporter Fri., Nov. 24, 2017

RALEIGH, N.C.—Left winger Matt Martin took it hard that he will be scratched for the first time with the Maple Leafs as coach Mike Babcock changes his lines yet again in a search for offence. “It’s difficult, you never want to be out of the lineup,” said Martin, after he finished an optional practice prior to Friday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. “You go out there, you work hard, you get ready for your next opportunity. I’ll come here and cheer the boys on and hopefully we get a win.” It’ll be Frederik Andersen (12-7-1) in net for Toronto against Cam Ward (3-2-0) but it’s the Leafs’ sudden collapse of offence — one goal in each of the last two games — that has Babcock looking for answers. Dominic Moore and Roman Polak will also be scratched as Babcock tries to unleash four lines with speed, skill and the ability to score. The idea is to make it hard for Carolina coach Bill Peters to match lines. “It’s going to be a quick (game),” said Babcock. “We’re balanced on the road with four lines. I can’t tell you which is best and which isn’t. We’re going to roll them out the door and go.” Patrick Marleau will move to centre between Connor Brown and Josh Leivo. Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews will continue to play together with Zach Hyman on left wing. William Nylander, praised by Babcock for his play of late, will be on the right wing with Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. will be on the left wing with Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov. Martin could not remember the last time he had been scratched since he became an NHL regular 2010-11. “It’s a long season, there are ups and downs for everybody,” said Martin. Martin and Babcock both said they had not talked to each other about the development. Martin, 28, earns $2.5 million a year and has two more years left on his contract following this season. He was signed from the New York Islanders, in part, to stick up for his teammates. They’re now offering him support. “We have a tight group in here, family-like, which is important. Makes it a lot easier when you have guys rallying around you.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085069 Toronto Maple Leafs sidelines. It’s going to be a great future in the next few years as a Toronto Maple Leaf fan.”

The regret, of course, is that Sundin was never graced with a gifted and Daddy Sundin gives Matthews C of approval synergetic surrounding cast. If he ever made personnel demands — unlikely — it wasn’t publicly discussed. An Olympic gold medal with Sweden but never a Stanley Cup final; only one year with more than a By ROSIE DIMANNOStar Columnist dozen post-season games. Still, 564 regular-season goals, 785 assists and hall induction in the first year of eligibility. Fri., Nov. 24, 2017 Sundin, the first European drafted at No. 1, didn’t make his NHL debut in Toronto. There were four years with the Quebec Nordiques and some unhappy memories there, though Sundin won’t dwell on those either. Mats Sundin pleads papa-hood. But if anybody can understand the expectations and burdens now borne For not being in attendance at any of the Maple Leaf centennial by Matthews — exceedingly media groomed and vigorously shielded by festivities. For missing the outdoor Classics. For his no-show when the organization — it’s Sundin. legendary numbers were formally retired at the Air Canada Centre. Sheesh, even the quasi-fugitive Dave Keon was present for that night of “I won’t compare him to me,” he states firmly. “I will say it’s fantastic wrongs righted, the organization reversing its stubborn policy of merely watching him play, seeing a young man maturing, developing even from honouring jerseys lifted up into the rafters. last year, and he’s hardly even started his career yet. I have him right up there with Connor McDavid. The Leafs have waited so long to have a Indeed, there have been whispers that Sundin has turned into neo-Keon, young franchise player to build around. He’s that player.’’ seething with bitterness against the franchise that arm-twisted him out of town in 2008 after he’d refused to waive his no-trade clause in-season. If Matthews sometimes disappoints with his pro forma answers to reporter questions, his utter lack of spontaneity in dressing room scrums, You know, there’s never been a scintilla of bile in Sundin’s character. He Sundin reminds that the kid is only 20 years old. always turned the other cheek — and was occasionally vilified for a phlegmatic nature. A very Swedish modest nature. “Just think of the average 20-year-old, where they are in the lives. I look at myself. At the beginning, there’s all kinds of barriers that you’re not “No, no, no,” the former Leaf captain protests, down the line from used to, facing the media and being the face of an organization. Toronto Stockholm. “Zero bitterness. Everything I got as a Toronto Maple Leaf is probably the toughest market to face that kind of challenge. You need over the years, I’m so grateful.” to be fair here. It’s just that he’s been, well, breeding, after putting off both marriage and “In my book, he’s obviously the right person to be captain, no doubt fatherhood until his career was over. about that. He leads on the ice and you can tell he’s a good man off the “Three kids under the age of 5, crazy busy,” he says. “It’s wonderful. I ice.” love being a father. But you realize when you get to my age that you Sundin honed his own leadership skills — questioned by some observers should have had them when you’re 22.” but never in the Leaf dressing room — by studying players he admired. He is 46, a hall of famer now almost a decade removed from the NHL, “I looked at guys like Scott Niedermayer and Nicklas Lidstrom, Steve his final year, a half-season, spent as a Vancouver Canuck, looking Yzerman and Joe Sakic. Everybody around the game will tell you those totally weird in those colours when he returned the ACC, leaking tears were great leaders. And all of those guys — many of them I played with during a mid-game video tribute and lusty standing ovation. in the NHL or on the national team — were quiet leaders. This outfit has historically treated its captains abominably, from Keon to “When they’re in the room, they’re like any other guys. They care about Darryl Sittler to Wendel Clark to Sundin. When Punch Imlach couldn’t their teammates, they care about the staff working around the team. move Sittler, he shipped his best friend and linemate Lanny McDonald to That’s the most important thing as a leader — making sure you do your the Colorado Rockies. Sittler ripped off the C and ultimately fled the own job, in practice and in games. That’s what players look at, what insanity to Philadelphia. they’ll follow. But, since the rapprochement spearheaded by president Brendan “The rah-rah and the screaming in the dressing room, a lot of that is a Shanahan, they’ve all found their way home, to be duly lionized. myth. There are times when good leaders say something in the dressing Sundin — the last great Leaf until Auston Matthews emerged with rookie room. But most of it comes by showing responsibility, being the best you dash and flash — was often in Toronto during the early years of can be on the ice.” retirement. But in recent years, every notable Leaf and league event Matthews is the best Leaf on the ice, night in and night out. He will, conflicted with either maternity ward duties or a parental health issue. chances are, savour triumphs that eluded Sundin over an otherwise The three Sundin spawns with wife Josephine — Bonnie, Nathaniel, marquee career. Julian — are 5, 2 and 11 months. “And he will be a great Maple Leaf captain.” Making up fast, he laughs, for lost time.

“I’m really sad to have missed out on all these Leaf things. If I could have Toronto Star LOADED: 11.25.2017 been there, I would have. I have nothing but great memories about being a Maple Leaf player. Since I’ve retired I’ve been treated great by the organization. They’re always sending me invitations. So there’s no truth to these rumours at all. I don’t know where people come up with these ideas.” Sundin reminds that Sweden is “a remote corner of the world” and a considerable hike from Toronto, which is why he’s had minimal contact with former teammates, though he flew to New York for Tie Domi’s wedding last summer. “It’s not like we get a lot of players I knew just passing through.” He does still maintain his foundation, which pairs post-doctoral fellows from the University of Toronto and the Karolinska Institutet, studying childhood illnesses. But from a distance, he’s kept an interested, watchful eye on the Leafs, appreciating the stability current management has brought to the franchise after decades of internal chaos and scandal and get-contender- quick schemes, many a hockey genius finding their Waterloo in Toronto. “Brendan Shanahan has done a terrific job with the organization, brought in a great GM. If there’s any city and any fans in the world that deserve this kind of a team, it’s Toronto. They’re young, all kinds of talent, really a lot of wonderful things going on. It’s been great to watch from the 1085070 Toronto Maple Leafs Kessel had signed an eight-year, $64-million contract with the club the previous October, while Phaneuf was on the books for seven years and $49 million. Moving the two of them could go down as Brendan Canadiens paying steep Price for high-stakes gambling Shanahan’s most significant early decision as president of the Maple Leafs. He recognized the pair might be assets to other NHL clubs, but could only be liabilities to Toronto. Kessel was traded to Pittsburgh on July 1, 2015 and Phaneuf to Ottawa eight months later. The Leafs didn’t By DAMIEN COXSports Columnist get big returns for either, but the decks were cleared for a rebuild. Fri., Nov. 24, 2017 At some point in the coming years, the Habs may have to make the same painful calculations with Price and Weber.

These are warnings to other sports franchises that contemplate long-term It was two years ago when Carey Price, then acknowledged to be the contracts for marquee talents that seem like wonderful ideas at the time. finest goaltender in the world, became the first hockey player at that The Blue Jays, for example, need to be very careful in this regard as they position to win the prestigious Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s athlete of evaluate offering former MVP Josh Donaldson a long-term contract. He’s the year. a huge asset now and could net substantial returns in a trade, but a At the time, Price had been injured and absent from the Montreal multi-year agreement at $25 million or $30 million per season would Canadiens lineup for three weeks, and the famed hockey club was immediately make him more of a liability even if he performs well. beginning an ignominious slide from being unbeatable in October to Think Albert Pujols, 37 and still with four years to go. Think danger. missing the playoffs by a mile in April. Price never did return to play that season. New York Islanders centre John Tavares could fall into this category as well as he hurtles toward free agency next summer. The Isles want to It was some time between then and now that Price made a sign him but haven’t, and if they don’t, expect him to get a seven-year transformation into something few would have imagined. contract with another team, probably for between $80 million and $90 He ceased to be a pure asset for the Habs, and became a sizable million. liability. Tavares is off to a brilliant start with 15 goals in 21 games. He’s only 27, Now at the age of 30 and returning from another injury — he’s expected and will likely be a bona fide No. 1 centre for at least three more years, to start Saturday for the first time since Nov. 2 — with an eight-year, $84- maybe five. million contract (all dollar figures U.S.) set to kick in next season, we But Weber was 26 when he signed that offer sheet with the Flyers and have not reached the point where Price is untradeable, because no look at the situation now. At some point, Tavares will hit that athlete ever really reaches that point. aforementioned sweet spot. It happens to all athletes. DeMar DeRozan We have, however, probably reached the point at which if the Habs ever of the Raptors will need a new contract in 2021 when he’s 31 — the did make the momentous decision to deal their star goaltender, they same age Donaldson is now — and the Raps will have to make a hard would get limited returns. The contract, his performance and the injuries calculation at that point with a player who will go down as one of the have changed everything. greatest in franchise history. Price may return to form, but he’s really now a substantial asset for Too often teams deal from sentiment, or they convince themselves the Montreal only in terms of how he plays, not in terms of potential return on aging player they’re signing will last forever like Tom Brady and bring investment. If he doesn’t return and play superbly, he’s not an asset in championships. But those players aren’t Brady. He’s a freak. any sense. Teams may love the player, but always have to be mindful that almost Two years ago at the time he picked up the Lou Marsh, the Habs could every asset, even the best ones, at some point becomes a liability. still have demanded a king’s ransom for him. Now? Not even close.

Remember Roberto Luongo’s infamous “my contract sucks” comment Damien Cox about his 12-year, $64-million deal with the Vancouver Canucks and how it clogged up his options? That’s basically where we are with Price. Toronto Star LOADED: 11.25.2017 This isn’t unique to hockey. We may be seeing a similar dynamic play out with Giancarlo Stanton as the Miami Marlins try to trade their slugger, and he’s only 28 years old. Stanton owns a 13-year, $325-million contract which still has a decade to run. He also has a no-trade clause. What that means is the Marlins are going to be challenged to get a substantial return from the Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals or whichever team decides to take him on. On the field, he’s an incredible asset. On the balance sheet, he’s a liability the Marlins wish to be rid of. There’s no evidence the Habs have yet come to feel the same about Price. Shea Weber, meanwhile, also occupies a similar place on Montreal’s roster and payroll. Weber is even older than Price at 32, and his contract will expire at the same time as Price’s at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. It’s not that Weber is no longer contributing; he’s still a front-line defenceman. What Nashville general manager David Poile recognized — and probably did so from the time Weber signed a massive offer sheet with Philadelphia in the summer of 2012, one the Predators matched — is that Weber would at some point, like an appealing house with a big mortgage, become more of a liability to Nashville than an asset. Poile was able to find a trading partner in the summer of 2016 in a less experienced Marc Bergevin, who saw only Weber’s ability to potentially bring a Stanley Cup to Montreal. Poile was able to get a significant player in P.K. Subban in return for Weber because he moved proactively, rather than waiting until Weber passed that sweet spot where his play was no longer equivalent to the numbers on his contract. This means the Habs have two similar liabilities on their payroll, and a bad team to boot. It’s not dissimilar in some ways to the problem the Maple Leafs found themselves in during the 2014-15 season when they finished 27th with Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf as their two best players. 1085071 Toronto Maple Leafs Carolina zone turned into icings. Jake Gardiner was particularly woeful, bumbling three zone exits over two shifts.

“Some nights, they’re ugly,” said Babcock. “(Wings GM) Kenny Holland Unusual suspects lead Leafs over Hurricanes used to say it will be a Picasso in the morning when you look at the standings. By KEVIN MCGRANSports Reporter “They were quicker, and jumped better than us. We scored some good goals, some timely goals, but Freddie was the main event, for sure.” Fri., Nov. 24, 2017 NOTES: It was Connor Carrick’s 100th NHL game . . . Nazem Kadri extended his personal points streak to nine games with an assist on Hyman’s goal . . . The Leafs and Canes will face each other for the last RALEIGH, N.C.— When Patrick Marleau scored the Maple Leafs’ fifth time this season on Dec. 19, an afternoon game in Toronto to celebrate goal of the night, it didn’t look like it would be the 102nd game-winning the first game of hockey played by a Toronto team in the NHL . . . The goal of his career. Leafs are now 8-0-0 when leading after two periods, and 11-5-0 when outshot. But it was.

Marleau put the Leafs up by three goals, but only the heroic goaltending of Frederik Andersen held off a furious comeback by the Carolina Toronto Star LOADED: 11.25.2017 Hurricanes as the Leafs won 5-4, taking three of a possible four points on their road trip. “He was pretty impressive,” Marleau said of Andersen, who faced 90 shots over two nights on this trip. “They came back, had a hard push and Freddie held us in.” It was an evening filled with some interesting names getting goals, as the Leafs meted out their revenge for a 6-3 loss to these same Hurricanes a few weeks back at the Air Canada Centre. The most interesting among them was Josh Leivo, who got his first of the season. He was inserted into the lineup when Matt Martin was scratched. “It feels good, but it feels better to get the win,” Leivo said. “If we didn’t have Fred, I don’t know what the score would be. “That first period was an onslaught, they just kept coming. We were lucky to get out with no goals on us.” Zach Hyman celebrates with Jake Gardiner after scoring against Carolina Hurricanes during the second period on Friday. Zach Hyman and Ron Hainsey contributed to a three-goal lead as part of a four-goal second period, as the Leafs’ biggest names took a while to get onto the scoresheet. They got there eventually with James van Riemsdyk and Marleau pitching in with goals. They needed Marleau’s power play goal 5:27 of the third, a goal that gave the Leafs a 5-2 lead, as Carolina never relented. The Hurricanes outshot the Leafs 47-25 and scored twice late in the third, forcing Toronto to hang on while they played with an empty net for two minutes. In scratching Martin, the Leafs gave themselves a roster of four lines that can score. There was speed and skill on every line, and if you can name a fourth-line centre from among Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak and Marleau, then good for you. “We’re balanced on the road with four lines,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “I can’t tell you which is best and which isn’t.” Frederik Andersen is now 6-1-1 in his last eight games. Sure enough, each of the lines contributed in their own way, even if some unusual suspects did the scoring. It was Hyman, in his usual spot on Matthews’ line, taking a feed from Gardiner to open the scoring. Leivo, playing with Marleau, converted a breakaway. And Hainsey scored from the point with Bozak screening Carolina goalie Cam Ward. “Josh got himself a goal, that’s positive,” Babcock said. “You’ve got to take someone’s job. He’s got to keep battling.” Van Riemsdyk, Hainsey and Gardiner had two-point nights. Andersen had a terrific night in goal, and is now 6-1-1 in his last eight games. He’s played the last five in a row, and will probably back up Curtis McElhinney on Saturday when Washington comes to town. Martin is also expected to play Saturday, and there could be other changes, with Babcock talking about getting fresh bodies into the lineup. The Leafs’ trend of playing terrible first periods continued. Carolina outhustled and outshot Toronto 14-4 but the game was scoreless because of Andersen. He robbed Victor Rask and Teuvo Teravainen on a couple of occasions. Outside of Andersen, there didn’t seem to be a Leaf that knew what to with the puck. The Hurricanes forechecked but the Leafs were their own worst enemy at times. Easy chances to clear the zone, or gain the 1085072 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs' first quarter not half bad

By MARK ZWOLINSKISports reporter Fri., Nov. 24, 2017

The Maple Leafs reached the quarter mark of the NHL season in third place overall, a solid result that shows they can compete with the elite. Are the Leafs an elite team, though? They’re full marks for their lofty standing, but there’s also room for improvement in key areas. Here’s a closer look at where they’re at, and where they might be heading: The Leafs’ success centres on their explosive offence. Before taking on the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, they led the NHL in first-period goals (28) and were also a threat to come from behind with 33 in the third period, also tops in the league. They talk a lot about “starting on time,” though, having also allowed 23 first-period markers, sixth-most in the league. With just 15 goals in the second period, they ranked 29th in the middle frame. . . . In five-on-five situations, the Leafs rate among the league’s best in Corsi for and against, which measures shot attempt differential, as well as PDO, which combines five-on-five shooting percentage and save percentage. Those categories suggest they’re also playing sound defence and getting better at what’s popularly known as puck recovery. . . . Faceoffs are also key and veterans Dominic Moore, Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak have helped the Leafs win 51.1 per cent of them, 11th best. After leading the league in power-play success a year ago, they ranked seventh by mid-week. The penalty kill came in at 16th, down from 10th at the end of last season. They deploy two dangerous units with the man advantage, and Morgan Rielly has emerged as one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive defencemen. What success they’ve had killing penalties can be credited to defenceman Ron Hainsey, who has logged a league-high 110 minutes of ice time when the Leafs have been short- handed. Who has been the central figure in the team’s success: Andersen or Auston Matthews? There’s a case to be made for both, but Andersen is undoubtedly the last line of defence and the Leafs sat third overall despite the fact their No. 1 goalie faced a league-high 496 shots at even strength. Andersen has also made 102 saves with his team short- handed, third-most in that category. He has overcome a slow start, like last season, with a save percentage that dipped below. .900 at times. Ask Andersen, though, and like other goalies he’ll tell you save percentage doesn’t tell the story, that it’s more important to track the quality of the shots faced. In Andersen’s mind, there are three types: ones you had no chance on, ones you saved, and ones you should have saved. And much of that reflects on team defence, which remains a work in progress for the Leafs. Andersen became the first NHL goalie to make 20 starts this season on Wednesday in Florida. His story will continue to be central to the Leafs fortunes over the remainder of the season. Matthews returned from a four-game injury absence and reached the 100-game mark for his career, with 52 goals and 38 assists to show for it — remarkable production from any angle. He’s reaching new heights, personally and when it comes to the impact he has on his teammates. Some excellent research by journalist Andrew Berkshire shows that Matthews — already considered one of the top five players in the NHL — has propelled his line, with William Nylander and Zach Hyman, to top-five status among the best units in the league. They rank first in goals, Corsi- for and scoring chances on net, and second in high-degree chances. Matthews also ranks second in loose puck recoveries, after leading the league a year ago. At the moment, he is on par with the league’s best centres at both ends of the ice. If there has been a lingering weakness, it’s been the Leafs’ performance against teams that wisely install a neutral-zone blanket over their breakouts. Toronto’s high-octane offence — and, just as important, the team’s ability to establish a forecheck — has suffered against teams that clog the neutral zone: in particular the New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Arizona Coyotes and Florida Panthers. The Leafs are well aware of it, but still have trouble breaking through heavy traffic. The word’s out, and they’ll likely see more of it as the season progresses.

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Game Day: Capitals at Maple Leafs

Terry Koshan November 25, 2017 12:32 AM EST

THE BIG MATCHUP Auston Matthews vs. Alex Ovechkin Two of the premier players in the NHL will share the same ice surface in Toronto for the first time since the 2017 playoffs, when the Capitals eliminated the Maple Leafs in six games in the first round. Entering play Friday, Ovechkin was third in the NHL with 14 goals, while Matthews was right behind him with 12 goals. Both have the talent to do something special on each shift, and each should have a significant impact. FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Mike Babcock doesn’t like it when the Maple Leafs have a road game and play at home the next night against a rested club. The Leafs coach won’t have to worry about that, as the Capitals played at home against Tampa Bay on Friday. Neither club will be rested, but the one that can pace itself likely wins. Washington is one of several NHL teams that hasn’t lost in regulation when ahead after the first period. The expectation was that Curtis McElhinney would be making his fourth start of the season and first since Nov. 11. The 34-year-old veteran will have to be on point against Alex Ovechkin and pals, and will be looking to improve on a career record of 1-3-0 against the Caps with a .863 save percentage and a 4.23 goals-against average. McElhinney should be dialled in, given his starts are rare. One of the Leafs’ two shutouts this season (prior to Friday) came on Oct. 17, when Frederik Andersen made 30 saves in a 2-0 Toronto victory in Washington. The Leafs and Capitals seemingly only play tight games against each other, including the playoff series last spring, and Saturday night is bound to be no different, never mind the offensive prowess both sides will bring. It’s probable the Leafs will face Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, as Philipp Grubauer played against Tampa Bay on Friday. Holtby has enjoyed facing the Leafs during his NHL career, compiling a record of 6-3-1 with a .934 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average in 11 games, not including the post-season. Lots of action in front of the 6-foot-2, 210- pound Holtby will be required. The Capitals went into action on Friday averaging 29.1 shots on goal a game, more than only the Winnipeg Jets, who were last overall, and were not a great possession team, coming in at 48%. The Leafs, meanwhile, led the NHL with a 10.07% shooting percentage, the only club above 10%, and were just over 50% in possession at five-on-five play. Those factors could tip the balance for Toronto.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085074 Toronto Maple Leafs “We’re just going to talk about it and fix it because players aren’t happy, I’m not happy,” Babcock said. “You don’t want to play catch-up and we didn’t (as the Hurricanes did not take a lead). No work of art, but Andersen ensures Leafs steal one from Hurricanes “Sometimes on the road, you have to weather the storm early in the first 10 minutes, but that was not weathering. That was just getting beat to the puck.” Terry Koshan Josh Leivo has some security after recently signing a contract extension November 24, 2017 11:43 PM EST but he knows he can’t rest on it. “I think you’re always putting pressure on yourself no matter what,” the winger said after he scored his first goal of the season on Friday. “You RALEIGH — In a roundabout way, Mike Babcock likened the Maple don’t get that many opportunities. You have to make sure you’re ready Leafs’ win on Friday to a work of art. when the chance comes.” Goaltender Frederik Andersen, the Leafs coach was sure to stress, was Of Leivo’s 10 NHL goals, three have come against Carolina. Whether he the man sitting in front of the easel. remains in the lineup on Saturday remains to be seen, but it’s a smarter bet Mike Babcock takes Nikita Soshnikov out as Matt Martin will return Andersen faced 47 shots — the most the Leafs have given up in a game after being a healthy scratch on Friday. this season — and stopped 43 of them, ensuring Toronto escaped PNC Arena with a 5-4 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. Leivo’s skating has come a long way since the Leafs drafted him in 2011. “Some nights are ugly,” Babcock said. “(Detroit Red Wings general “I feel like a completely different skater now,” Leivo said. “May not be the manager) Kenny Holland always used to say: ‘It will be a Picasso in the prettiest, but I think I can get down the ice.” morning when you look at the standings.’ That’s what it is.

“Freddie was the main event, for sure. Freddie gave us a real opportunity.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.25.2017 The first period wasn’t forgotten by the time the final buzzer sounded. It’s on the shoulders of Babcock to get a heck of a lot more out of his players, and for them to put a heck of a lot more into earning their prodigious paycheques, in the opening 20 minutes. For the fifth game in a row, the Leafs failed to score in the first. Not only were they outshot 14-4, the shot attempts told a scarier story. The Hurricanes had 31 to the Leafs’ eight. Including Friday night, the Leafs have been outshot 55-26 in the past four first periods. There’s no excuse for that kind of shoddy hockey out of the gate and at some point it could catch up to the Leafs. Before an announced crowd of 15,241, Andersen alone kept his teammates in contention for a victory, making several great saves. A glove on Victor Rask and an earlier point-blank stop on Teuvo Teravainen were among Andersen’s top saves. “We have to be ready to play and I think the last few games we have not been prepared,” Andersen said. “Every guy has to be ready to play and take it upon himself to focus for the first shift.” Once the Leafs managed to get out of the first period unscathed, they made short work of Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward in the second, scoring four goals on 12 shots. Zach Hyman, Josh Leivo and Ron Hainsey scored to put the Leafs up 3- 0 by 11:37 before the Hurricanes’ Derek Ryan got his team on the scoreboard less than two minutes later. Hyman’s goal was his first in 14 games. Hainsey said he didn’t take “any more joy” in scoring against the team that last season traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins, with which Hainsey won the Stanley Cup in the spring. James van Riemsdyk restored a three-goal Leafs lead late in the second when his shot hit the post and bounced off Ward and in. Ward was gone in favour of Scott Darling to start the third, and Jordan Staal scored early to bring his team to within two again. But a power-play goal by Patrick Marleau at 5:27 gave the Leafs a 5-2 lead. We didn’t know at the time it would be the 102nd game-winner of Marleau’s NHL career, as Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin scored in the final seven minutes for Carolina. Marleau was in the crease area and was set up by Auston Matthews with a shot/pass, giving the latter his first point in three games. “I was hoping for it,” Marleau said. “He made a great play there and I had my stick on the ice. He used me as a backboard.” For a few minutes afterward, maybe a few hours, Andersen’s performance allowed Babcock and the Leafs to enjoy the club’s 15th win of the season. However, you can bet the bad starts will be back on Babcock’s mind as the coach begins to prepare for a visit by Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre. 1085075 Toronto Maple Leafs

Need for speed takes on different meaning for Maple Leafs' Babcock

Terry Koshan November 24, 2017 7:57 PM EST

RALEIGH — Mike Babcock has an issue with how speed is used in the NHL. Or rather, what one means when the issue is raised. “We think speed is straight ahead,” the Maple Leafs coach said. “Speed isn’t straight ahead. “It’s edges. It’s (being effective) in small spaces. Can you make plays in small spaces? Can you turn and protect (the puck) in small spaces? You have to be able to play in that environment going 100 miles an hour, because (the opponent is) chasing you. There’s no time and no space. You have to have a certain skill and a certain amount of speed.” What Babcock describes is among the factors that make players such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner so impactful. Each can control the play, and none needs much room to do so.

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Leafs Locker: Centring out Marleau no challenge for Babcock

Terry Koshan November 24, 2017 10:56 PM EST

RALEIGH, N.C. — Mike Babcock didn’t have to sit Patrick Marleau down and convince him to play centre more often for the Maple Leafs. “I don’t sell him on nothin’, ” Babcock said. “He likes hockey.” Fact is, Babcock would rather use Marleau on the wing. But Babcock trusts the 38-year-old more at centre on the road than, for example, Dominic Moore, who was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. “I don’t control the matchups,” on the road. “So I can’t get mismatched in any situation with (Marleau) at centre. He can play against anybody and then I have more balance.” Is it a luxury for Babcock to have Marleau’s versatility at his disposal? “It’s a luxury when you win every night,” Babcock said, “and we have not showed that we can win every night. But it’s a great thing. He’s a real good player, he is smart and can play. “I don’t know if he would score as much if he played in the middle all the time, and I want him to score and be putting the heat on the D (as a winger). Because you’re behind the play and coming up later (as a centre), he is not as on the forecheck and his speed is so good you would like to use that. That’s the negative side.” Leafs winger Matt Martin wasn’t happy about being scratched when he spoke to a small group of reporters on Thursday and reiterated as much on Friday. Martin was asked when the previous time was when he was a healthy scratch in the NHL. “Couldn’t tell you,” Martin said. “I don’t know if it has (happened), really.” Did he get a reason for the benching from Babcock? “No, we have not talked,” Martin said. Babcock was asked how Martin is handling the situation. “Ask Matt,” Babcock said. As it turned out, the matter was moot. During his pre-game interview with Mark Masters of TSN, Babcock said that Martin will get back in the lineup on Saturday when the Leafs play host to the Washington Capitals. Derek Ryan has solidified his spot as an everyday NHLer for the Hurricanes, but you can’t blame the centre if he pauses every so often to absorb his surroundings. The 30-year-old native of Spokane, Wash., made his debut with Carolina two seasons ago after four years of junior hockey with his home-town Chiefs, four years at the University of , and four seasons in Europe, during which he led the Swedish Hockey League in scoring in 2014-15. “When I was playing university, the NHL was not even on the radar,” Ryan said. “The NHL was definitely not something that was talked about in the locker room. “It’s just not a reality, not something that is going to happen (for nearly everyone playing university hockey in Canada).” Ryan, who earned a physiology degree at Alberta, was one of three finalists for the Masterton Trophy last season, won by Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson. “It’s a different perspective when you come into the league at 29,” Ryan said. “You have to pinch yourself every now and then.”

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Terry Koshan November 24, 2017 4:58 PM EST

RALEIGH — William Nylander can expect to go only so long before his scoring slump weighs on him. “As long as we are doing good things, that’s what is important, but you want to score,” Nylander said on Friday after he participated in the Maple Leafs’ optional morning skate at PNC Arena. “I think (his play) is getting better. I have been in a little slump so I want to stay at (a higher) pace. That’s the way hockey is. Sometimes the bounces might not go your way and you have to work hard to get them to go your way.” Nylander has scored one goal in the Leafs’ past 15 games, and has four assists in that span. He has no points in the past three games. Against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, Nylander will get another look on a line with centre Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. The line was sharp in a 2-1 Leafs shootout loss in Florida versus the Panthers on Wednesday. “Forget about the meshing,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “I liked that (Nylander) went and got the puck and won some battles and shot it like he can. It’s hard to believe that confidence is so fleeting in the National Hockey League, but it is. “We need Willie to get his confidence back and get feeling good. You saw it with Mitch (Marner), you see it all the time with different players. You need to feel good about yourself. Ideally, that is going to show here tonight.” The Leafs (14-8-1) have lost their past two games after winning six in a row. Carolina (9-7-4) is coming off a 6-1 loss against the New York Rangers on Wednesday. The Leafs are expected to feature the same lines that Babcock used at practice Thursday. Auston Matthews will be between Zach Hyman and Mitch Marner; Nazem Kadri will centre Leo Komarov and Nikita Soshnikov; Bozak will centre van Riemsdyk and Nylander; and Patrick Marleau will be between Josh Leivo and Connor Brown. On the outside for the first time as a Leaf will be winger Matt Martin. Dominic Moore and Roman Polak also will sit. Martin wasn’t happy about being scratched when he spoke to a small group of reporters on Thursday and reiterated as much on Friday. Martin was asked when the previous time was when he was a healthy scratch in the NHL. “Couldn’t tell you,” Martin said. “I don’t know if it has (happened), really.” Did he get a reason from Babcock? “No, we have not talked,” Martin said. “I don’t know if we will here in the next little while, but we have not yet.” Babcock was asked how Martin is handling the situation. “Ask Matt,” Babcock said. Frederik Andersen will be in goal for the Leafs, which points to Curtis McElhinney starting on Saturday in Toronto against the Washington Capitals. Andersen is 3-2-0 against the Hurricanes in his career, going 3- 2-0 with a .908 save percentage and a 3.37 goals-against average. Cam Ward will start in goal for the Hurricanes. In his career against the Leafs, Ward is 17-11-4 with a .911 percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average. Carolina coach Bill Peters indicated he was unsure to what extent he would match lines against the Leafs. The Hurricanes are the top possession team in the NHL with a Corsi percentage of 55.2%. “We’re just going to play,” Peters said. “It’s going to be too fast, I think, to get matchups. It’s only a matchup game when the game is slow and there is lots of whistles. I don’t anticipate that happening a whole bunch tonight.” 1085078 Toronto Maple Leafs

GAME DAY: Maple Leafs at Hurricanes

Terry Koshan November 24, 2017 12:45 PM EST

Combined, the two battle-tested veterans have played in 2,616 NHL games and neither is riding off into the sunset just yet. Marleau has 15 points in 23 games with the Leafs, while Williams has 14 points in 20 games in his second stint with Carolina. Both can decide a game when it’s on the line, and it would shock nobody if one of them came through in that regard on Friday night. FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME 1. Fall in line The Maple Leafs would be heading into Friday looking to build off a win if not for Florida goalie Roberto Luongo, who was excellent on Wednesday. The Leafs generated lots of chances, particularly from the lines of Auston Matthews and Tyler Bozak. A balanced attack, especially with a stronger fourth line, could work. 2. A game of inches Bill Peters, who worked for Mike Babcock in Detroit, likes his team to have the puck as much as Babcock emphasizes possession in Toronto. It’s unlikely there will be much room. “It’s a tight game, not much space,” Leafs forward Zach Hyman said. “They have guys who play the right way and compete.” 3. Eye on Finn Carolina’s Teuvo Teravainen is enjoying a career season, and with 20 points in 20 games, is on pace for what easily would be a career-high 82 points. He had three points in a 6-3 Hurricanes win against the Leafs in Toronto in October. In six career games against the Leafs, Teravainen has six points. He’s dangerous. 4. Fingers crossed Few teams can take Auston Matthews out of a game completely, and the Hurricanes realize they’re no different. “There is a guy on each team you have to look out for,” Carolina defenceman Justin Faulk said. “We know how to handle that. Not saying we’re going to shut him down, as not many teams do.” 5. Frederik fantastic No surprise that Mike Babcock said Frederik Andersen will start in goal, meaning it’s probable that Curtis McElhinney gets Washington at home on Saturday. Andersen has a .945 save percentage in November with a record of 6-2-1. Against Carolina in his career, Andersen is 3-2 with a .908 save percentage.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085079 Toronto Maple Leafs What’s interesting is that Bozak seems to have made strides defensively. In fact, before Friday night he hadn't been on the ice for a 5-on-5 goal

against since Nov. 2 in L.A. and shot attempts against on a per-minute Why the Leafs are really using Patrick Marleau at centre basis had been trending in a positive direction.

Before that though, things weren’t so good. In the first 15 games of the season, the Leafs were scored on 13 times when he was on the ice with By Jonas Siegel 3 hours ago five aside while managing nine at the other end. Some of that was bad luck – an .863 save percentage, for instance, as Frederik Andersen

struggled through October – but plays like this weren’t irregular for his RALEIGH, N.C. – Mike Babcock had no thought of using Patrick Marleau line, either: down the middle when the Leafs lured the long-time Shark from San Bozak had been feeling better about his own and his line's defensive play Jose for three years and almost $19 million on July 2. of late, which up until recently had Mitch Marner in Nylander's spot with “I don’t know if they saw me playing centre at the start,” Marleau said, van Riemsdyk taking up his usual spot on the left. “but it’s something that’s been brought up and talked about.” “Honestly, I think you just go through stretches where maybe the puck’s Marleau lined up there for the ninth time already on Friday night, adding not bouncing to you in your end and they’re getting all the retrieval races another game-winning goal to his prestigious resume in the Leafs 5-4 win or stuff like that. Or maybe we’re getting the retrieval race in the O-zone over the Hurricanes. The 38-year-old has become head coach Mike so we’re spending more time in the O-zone and don’t have to play D- Babcock’s favourite foil that way on the road, specifically when control of zone,” he said during a conversation in Florida earlier this week. “But the matchups fall into the hands of the opposing head coach – in this there’s going to be stretches throughout the year where you play a lot in case, Bill Peters, a former protégé. the o-zone and some games where you play in the D-zone, that’s just kind of how it goes.” “He can play against anybody,” Babcock said of the move, before digging deeper into the meat of the matter. The 31-year-old is playing the fewest minutes of his career (the previous low came last year), now under 15 per game, which includes a career- The Leafs coach was mostly fearful of getting burned by his peer on the low 12:32 at even strength. Unlike van Riemsdyk though, Bozak isn’t other bench, the one who's “waiting to hunt your guys.” producing much with the minutes he is drawing.

“They always pick someone to play against, right?” Babcock explained He’s on pace for 38 points and hasn’t produced this little on a per game Friday morning. “And when they’re waiting for that guy and they keep basis since he was a sophomore way back in the Ron Wilson days. getting you and you never get out of your zone it starts wearing you out and you get tired of watching that so this way I don’t have to watch it.” Bozak had two assists on opening night in Winnipeg and found the scoresheet in each of the following two games before coming up empty That guy, from all indications, is Tyler Bozak. in 16 of the next 20. He notched the second helper on Ron Hainsey's Marleau occasionally sliding back to the position he was drafted to play goal against the Hurricanes, his 11th point of the season (tied for 11th on 20 years ago is as much about Bozak as it is the oldest Leaf. the Leafs).

Read between the lines and Babcock is really just insulating himself from Though he’s always been a sidekick of sorts – to Phil Kessel, Joffrey an apparent liability in the lineup. He hinted at it again while raving about Lupul, van Riemsdyk and Marner – Bozak has managed to get himself the Hurricanes scorching top line of Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen and involved offensively throughout his long Leafs tenure, including last year Sebastian Aho, noting that the trio was “on fire so we better know who’s when he had a career-best 55 points. He scored 11 goals on 103 shots out there.” at even strength and came up with 18 primary assists on the 26 he managed. Though it had been brewing for some time, the straw really broke for the coach in Marleau’s former digs late last month. The Leafs lost close in Even the power play, where Bozak has historically been at his best, has Marleau's return to San Jose on Oct. 30, but the Sharks controlled play in been dry this season. He hasn’t registered even one power-play point every way and exposed their Eastern foes in the way that Babcock since Oct. 23 — a stretch of 15 games. referenced earlier. “I don’t want to say unlucky because it just kind of sounds like giving Taking full advantage of home ice, Pete DeBoer, the Sharks coach, was yourself a break,” Bozak said when asked if he was feeling exactly that – able to get his two biggest threats, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton unlucky – when it came to point production. (Marleau’s long-time linemates), on the ice against a Bozak-led line for The team’s winning ways made it a little easier digest, he said. just over three minutes. “But obviously you want to produce as much as you can,” the longest- Not a significant stretch certainly, but enough for the Sharks to hammer serving Leaf continued. “Like anything, there’s going to be stretches the Leafs for 10 shot attempts. Possession was 77 per cent for San Jose. where you get a lot of points and stretches where you don’t. I’d rather Two nights later in Anaheim, Marleau was playing centre. finish strong than start strong and finish bad I guess.”

He stayed there for two more games after that and then shifted back It’s the defensive liability though that Babcock is clearly trying to remedy again when Auston Matthews went down with an injury. When the 20- in using Marleau at a position he appeared done with. There's a comfort year-old returned in Montreal on Nov. 18, Babcock saw more of the same he surely feels with the Aneroid, Sask. native, a comfort that comes from hunting, only this time by Habs coach Claude Julien who dropped his top Marleau's nearly 1,700 games of NHL experience along with two Olympic guys – Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Drouin – on Bozak for more than gold medals he helped win alongside Babcock at two Olympics. five minutes. Babcock had Marleau on the ice late in Friday's game as the Leafs tried In that stretch, the Leafs were outshot 8-4 and out-attempted 10-5. and ultimately succeeded in protecting a one-goal lead against the Hurricanes, this time at left wing with Kadri and Leo Komarov. This was the stuff Babcock was tired of watching, the liability that kept getting exposed. He moved Marleau to centre again that night in an Marleau, who moved into sole possession of seventh all-time with his eventual 6-0 win and then back once more when the Leafs hit the road 102nd career game-winning goal (now seven back of Brendan Shanahan earlier this week. for sixth), remembers first shifting from centre to the wing more than a decade ago when Pavelski first stepped into the NHL with the Sharks. He Even with Marleau playing the middle, and Dominic Moore out of the bounced back and forth as needed, including last season. lineup as a result, Peters still got Staal's line out against Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, and William Nylander and it worked to his advantage. The His versatility has come in handy for the Leafs already this year. Babcock Canes scored a pair of goals in the three-minute stretch and fired eight certainly had no option like him a year ago. attempts on goal to four for the Leafs. If comforted by his presence in the defensive zone, the Leafs coach also (They shredded Marleau's line, too, firing seven attempts to none for the believes Marleau will be less effective as a goal-scorer when he plays Leafs in just over three minutes.) centre. He won't be able to use his speed and put as much “heat” on opposing defenders or so the theory goes. It's a small sample size, but Marleau has actually scored five times in nine games at centre so far (four at even strength), though the most recent one came on the power play in Carolina on a crafty setup from Matthews. The goal was Marleau's 161st with the man advantage, pushing him past Mats Sundin and into a tie with Bryan Trottier for 34th all-time.

The Leafs play 12 of their next 16 on the road, so it’s likely that he sees quite a bit more time at centre in the near future. But given their initial intentions it hardly seems like a long-term fix, especially come playoff time. If Bozak, a pending free agent who turns 32 in March, isn't able to turn things around, the club might have to pursue other options ahead of the Feb. 26 trade deadline.

That’s a long way out, though, and for now, Marleau's got no problem either way.

“Wherever they want me is fine,” he said.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085080 Toronto Maple Leafs What Borgman's quick rise to becoming a capable NHL defenceman likely reflects, however, is how hockey is changing in North America. And

how the way Swedish defencemen are trained to play the game fits well Mirtle: The surprising rise of Andreas Borgman – and what it says about within a style that covets good skaters and puck movers above all else. where the NHL is headed That push toward Swedish defencemen has been slow and steady in the 25 years since Nick Lidstrom entered the league as an unassuming third- round pick. By James Mirtle 20 hours ago But those numbers are on pace to take a big jump this season. Including Borgman, the NHL currently has 29 Swedish defencemen on pace to play 30 games or more this season — an all-time high. It is a lesson that has stayed with Andreas Borgman every game these last few years. Including Timothy Liljegren and Calle Rosen, two newcomers with the Marlies, there are 27 Swedish D-men in the AHL right now, the second The coach was named Martin Filander, who at the time was the bench highest total ever for that league. boss of Vasteras in Sweden's second division, the Allsvenskan. And his orders — with no exceptions — were that no player could dump the puck Somehow, a tiny European country of under 10 million people is now out of the zone. producing about 12 per cent of the defencemen in the top two North American leagues. Borgman smiles remembering the edict. Players who have come up in Sweden's development system credit the “He actually said we couldn’t rim the puck (around the boards) or nothing way they are taught to play the game from a young age. like that,” he recalled. “So we had to play it. We had to try to figure it out. “Sweden’s doing such a good job of developing defencemen,” explained “He had a good influence on me. We still keep in touch sometimes. He’s Christian Folin, who along with Oscar Fantenberg is one of two undrafted still watching me.” Swedish defencemen playing a regular shift with the L.A. Kings this Watching how he exits the zone, no doubt. season. “It’s a combination of fundamentals of the game. Skating really well. We have a lot of good puck-moving defencemen.” At the time, Borgman had just turned 20 years old. He had been passed over in the NHL draft several times and bounced around several teams “We focus on skating a lot when we grow up and start playing hockey,” and leagues in Sweden. The fact he is now playing a regular shift in the added Coyotes star Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who raved about Borgman's NHL, with the Maple Leafs, stuns some of his former coaches overseas. “unbelievable” play in the SHL last season. “Most of the Swedes are good skaters and skilled guys. It’s a matter of getting a chance over here He came from a long way back to get this far. and getting used to the game over here.”

“He has only one season in the SHL in Sweden,” said Thord Johansson, Sweden started to introduce a new nationwide training protocol for the coach who first discovered Borgman as a 16-year-old and brought defencemen about 15 years ago. Ekman-Larsson said he noticed it as a him to Timra, a small timber town four hours north of his hometown of teenager, in some of the new concepts that were being brought in by Stockholm. “I’m very surprised he made it so far. But he’s always been coaches to his small club team in Tingsryd. determined.” The Swedish Ice Hockey Association also developed what journalist Uffe Borgman's rise has been both unusual and under the radar. Few Bodin says is known as the “hockey bible for defencemen,” a training undrafted Swedish defencemen make much of an impact in the NHL, manual specifically aimed at teaching players good routes for breakouts after all. But Borgman has seamlessly stepped in and played all but two and outlet passes. games for the Leafs this season on their third pair, logging an average 14 minutes a night and rarely looking out of place. “I haven't seen it myself, but it has become kind of legendary now that they're basically producing the best defencemen in the world,” Bodin His underlying numbers — or analytics — also have stood out, with said. positive marks in puck possession metrics like Corsi and scoring chances right from his first game in the league, despite his unfamiliarity with the The Swedish hockey federation was kind enough to pass along a copy of ice surface and many of the very basics of the NHL. the defenceman's bible a couple weeks ago. I obviously can't read Swedish, but the few passages that I translated online were pretty That side of his success, apparently, is not by chance. Those were the interesting, especially when paired with some of the diagrams. exact same metrics he excelled at in Sweden last season, when he was named the league's rookie of the year with HV71. Below is one that was based entirely on what defencemen did during the gold-medal game at the 2006 Olympics, Sweden's second triumph at the “Borgman had fantastic numbers last year,” said Simon Brandstrom, Games. whose firm SBPL Sports Data Analytics AB handles data analysis for HV71. “HV destroyed possession wise last year.” “Overview of the modern defenceman's attack actions” reads the headline in this section of the manual. Note the diagram features the This kind of analysis is still in its infancy in the Swedish Hockey League, word anfall — or attack — in capital letters on the far glass. but it has so far mimicked the early days in the NHL, with a focus on countable measures like shot attempts, zone exits and entries. According “The diagram shows offensive technical skills performed by the Swedish to Brandstrom, Borgman was a 60.4 per cent Corsi player in the SHL and defencemen during the 2006 Olympics,” it explains. “Overall it describes closer to 62 per cent in situations when the score was close. 30 situations where different variations of these skills are used. By training our young Swedish defenders in these skills, we can prepare The biggest reason, he explained, was how he came out of his own zone them for the challenges they will face.” with the puck. If it looks like something out of a science textbook, that's because it “He had really good exit numbers,” Brandstrom said. “Carried the puck should. Using more scholastic methods to teach hockey has become the insanely well.” norm in Sweden. They did it first with goaltenders and now have Some of that information made it down to the players. implemented similar systems for every position in the game.

“I saw some statistics, but not all of it,” Borgman said. “But I didn’t focus Some Swedish coaches now have considerable educational background, on that. I was just trying to play good and that would show up… On those as teaching hockey is tied in with teaching in a more general sense. teams, we almost never chipped the puck out or anything like that. We Pedagogy has become key. always tried to keep it and play through the middle (of the ice). We never “(Sweden's success has) always been about the education and having actually go the boards and out. We always have to play it out.” Nick Lidstrom as a role model,” Bodin said.

Andreas Borgman's story isn't really one about analytics. As he states “They must be good at handling the puck,” Johansson explained of the above, it's more about trying to play well and that showing up in the data. philosophy being preached to defencemen in Sweden. “That’s something that’s very difficult when you work with juniors, as I do, because they’re afraid to make a mistake. But we let them do it. “(We want) good skaters who are good with the puck. They’ve got to be talking to some Swedish guys, I felt like Toronto was a pretty easy good at defending, of course, but they’ve got to set up the play very decision actually. It feels pretty good. I like the city, too.” quickly and have good hockey sense.” “I’m very surprised he made the (top) six or seven defenders with the Which relates back to Borgman learning not to clear the puck. And HV71 Maple Leafs,” Johansson admitted. “I’m very impressed about that. I dominating Sweden's top league last season. thought maybe he going to start in the AHL or something. But he made it.” And, likely, all of the Swedish defencemen flooding into the NHL and AHL at a time when the game is opening up and getting away from relying on brute strength on the back end. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 “It’s a good development thing, especially for D-men,” said Connor Carrick, Borgman's regular defence partner with the Leafs. “Create that poise with the puck. I think that’s where the game’s changed, too. That’s why you’re seeing more European defencemen having success. There is a skill element.

“The best black-and-white answer for me was when I played for U.S. national teams. We played Sweden, and they’d go D to D, back to D, hinge it back, go to the far forward, bring it back. It seemed like they did a really nice job of holding onto it. It was certainly something that was coached. Whereas we were more chip it in and go get it.”

What is Borgman's ceiling in the NHL?

A lot of the attention on Borgman initially in Toronto was on his physical play and toughness. It was unmistakable right away in training camp how fit he was off the ice and fearless he was on it.

“He’s kind of surprising,” teammate Jake Gardiner said. “You don’t really see a lot of Swedish guys being that physical and aggressive.”

As the season has worn on, however, what the Leafs other defencemen have gained a greater appreciation for is Borgman's play with the puck. He has made some highlight-reel moves in traffic that few expected and led breakouts with authority.

His adjustment to a new league and a smaller ice surface has also been relatively painless, despite the fact he admits he knew almost nothing about the NHL before agreeing to join the Leafs back in May.

“He’s a great skater,” Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly observed after one recent practice. “Good first pass. When you look at his edges and the way he can skate and forecheck, I think that’s one of his best assets. The adjustment period has been pretty short. He looks right at home. And I think the more he plays, the more comfortable he gets, the more offence you’re going to see.”

“I think that's his identity as a player — he relies on his puck skills,” Carrick added. “He sees the ice well.”

Johansson, Borgman's old junior coach, marvels at the progress his young protege has made. When Borgman first arrived at Timra, he had a bad knee and was overweight. His skills were also very raw, and he wasn't big for a Swede.

The organization wasn't sure if he would last the season.

“We thought 'My god, what is this?' ” Johansson recalled. “Okay, we’ll give him a chance until Christmas or something. But he improved. He improved very quickly. The next year, he was already on the under-20 team. He moved very quickly up on the teams here.

“Andreas has got something on the ice that we call the ‘pondus’ in Sweden. (Editor's note: It translates roughly to mean poise.) His body language is very strong. He’s very intense. If there’s an attack against the boards or something, he’s there 100 per cent. Doing the job right now. He’s very determined. When you see him on the ice, he’s confident. I think he’s very strong in his mind. Mentally strong.”

What remains an unknown is how good Borgman can be. At 22, he is the youngest defenceman on the Leafs blueline and one of the youngest playing pro in the organization.

He has been caught out of position or turned the puck over at times this season, in part because his aggressiveness has gotten the better of him.

Given his quick progression over the last five years, however, it's plausible he continues to make rapid strides in his game and earn more ice time on Toronto's blueline.

It's possible that, as the NHL becomes more and more focused on speed and skill, he will be the perfect fit.

“I didn’t know anything about any of the teams here,” said Borgman, who was heavily pursued by Nashville and several other NHL clubs. “After 1085081 Toronto Maple Leafs “As an import, you’re expected to be better — and you're expected to play a lot,” said Luc Chabot, an Ottawa native who was one of the three

imports playing for the Warriors that season. “You basically know you The year that made Mike Babcock a coach: A season with the Whitley have to get four or five points. Some guys would show up, they’d play Warriors in the British Hockey League two games, they’d have a bad weekend, and they're sent back home.”

In order to shut down opposition forwards, Babcock spent his share of time in the sin bin. He showcased a ferocity that garnered 88 penalty By Joshua Kloke 20 hours ago minutes in 36 games.

That was just fine by his coach.

Terry Matthews had many Canadian hockey players come and go over “Any defenceman that doesn’t get penalty minutes,” Matthews said, the years. The Whitley Warriors coach knew it was customary for “there’s something wrong with him.” talented players to head over to the British Hockey League and treat the season as a holiday. Back then, Babcock was a shell of the bullish coach the hockey world has come to know. Matthews described him as “a quiet lad.” But when a 24-year-old defenceman named Mike Babcock arrived in Whitley Bay in northeast England 30 years ago, Matthews immediately “He didn’t have an outgoing personality,” said Ord, Babcock's roommate knew he had someone different on his hands. on road trips. “He was definitely one of the more focused Canadians that had come over.” “He wasn’t here to enjoy himself and piss up like a lot of them do,” Matthews said. Instead of talking to British players about what he had done back in Canada, as so many of the Canadians were prone to do, Babcock As the Warriors travelled north and south along the A1 highway, the team instead tried to appeal to British players about what they could do. would drink bottles of beer and play cards on the bus. The Canadian players, who usually led the team in scoring, were no different. “He gained the guys’ respect by talking to them in a more knowledgeable way,” Ord said. “He brought a different dimension. He had this art of Except for Babcock, who was already planning ahead. making you interested in what he was saying.”

“When we were on the buses and stuff, he was quite a studious type,” Babcock was originally brought to Whitley Bay just to be a player, but his Matthews said. “Always reading and studying.” interest in the technical elements of the game spilled over. It was in his nature to try to help the team improve. It was in Whitley Bay — a quaint, British, seaside town — that Babcock discovered how to make the transition from player to coach and begin At one point, he approached Matthews about running some of the team's one of the most illustrious careers behind the bench. Babcock had just drills. His biggest influence ultimately came through the changes he graduated from McGill University in 1987 after playing four seasons as a implemented in practices. defenceman and was originally drawn to England for a teaching job at Northumberland College. “We didn’t practice the way we should have,” Matthews explained. “It was more scrimmaging and then pulling different players out during the But Babcock's proposed teaching gig wasn't to be. The Warriors owner scrimmage and giving them advice.” caught wind he was coming over and immediately signed him. Matthews was more of a motivational coach than a technical one, a Babcock knew he wouldn't be playing long. master of the rah-rah pre-game speeches. Having only picked up what he learned from other coaches and having never attended any hockey “I had promised my folks by 1990 I'd get a real job,” Babcock once said in schools, he was not a coach who could help improve a player’s an interview. “It was just one of those things. You've got to get on with it technique. eventually. Sometimes growing up isn't as much fun. The college life — even being a pro hockey player and single — the responsibilities aren't That didn’t suit Babcock. After a few weeks, he got to work implementing quite there.” drills that would help teammates improve their games. Babcock immediately lifted the standard for the Warriors, using his own knowledge The BHL was then sponsored by Heineken, and the influx of cash meant and passion. owners of the arenas decided which import players would be brought over. Each team was allowed three imports. “He made the drills a lot more intense,” Ross said. “He didn’t expect anybody to just coast through the drills. You had to be going 110 per cent British defenceman Terry Ord had been playing for the Warriors since with Mike when you were going through drills.” 1983. He knew most Canadian players came to the league and didn't give the local players the respect he thought they deserved. Still, Babcock made sure to respect Matthews and his role behind the bench. “They thought they were the dog’s bollocks!” Ord said. “He didn’t overpower the coaches,” Ord said. “He would run drills — but Matthews himself had little say in players arriving and, having coached you always knew Terry was the coach.” the team for 15 years, was getting to the point where he was beginning to accept that any Canadians given to him would arrive expecting a walk in Much like the Toronto Maple Leafs when Babcock signed on as coach in the park. 2015, he viewed the Warriors as a project that required fixing. He couldn't help himself. On the dodgy ice surface of Whitley Bay Ice Rink, Babcock “Most of the time, we used to get the rubbish,” Matthews said. “Mike was first learned how to master what has become a hallmark of his coaching a revelation.” style: getting the most out of individual players. In Whitley Bay, Babcock stood out immediately. He began to understand While Babcock tried to lead by example on the ice — and regularly how to effectively assert himself as a respected voice in the dressing played 45 minutes a night — he knew he couldn’t do it alone. If Ross was room and on the ice. But he would never talk down to players, according going to be paired with Babcock, he was also going to learn from him. to defenceman Dave Ross. The Warriors practiced twice a week, from 10 p.m. to midnight. Babcock “He knew we all had to go to work the next day,” Ross said. wanted more. Babcock also had the talent to talk a big game, as his 132 points over 36 “Most of us had to go to work the next day, but when the team got off the games proved. And those points were imperative to staying employed. ice at 12 a.m., he would tell me, ‘You’ve got to stay on with me,’ ” Ross Babcock’s salary — estimated by teammates to be between £150 and said. “We’d do little drills because he was my defence partner. We’d do £200 a week — was much higher as an import player than that of the extra drills for 20 minutes after practice with specific skills. He made me locals. become a lot more professional as well in my outlook.” It was the equivalent to between £400 and £540 today, or $35,000 to It wasn’t just Ross. $47,000 (Canadian) for a full 52 weeks. “He made me a more confident player,” Ord said, “through the support he gave me while I was playing.” In what should come as no surprise to anyone that’s watched Babcock “Basically what it did for me is it gave me a chance to put on my resumé coach the Leafs or Team Canada, one of his top priorities was improving that I’d coached,” Babcock said of his season with the Warriors. “I could the Warriors defensively. High-scoring games were a reality of the BHL put it on my application for the job at Red Deer College.” at the time, with double-digit outcomes not uncommon. Babcock has kept in touch with some of his former teammates. He “Because of the amount of goals scored, the discipline among some of returned to England four years ago for a trip with his family, visiting the teams wasn’t what it should be in defensive zones,” Matthews said. , just 16 kilometers from Whitley Bay. There, he met up with Ross and some of the other former Warriors. One of the first things Ross noted when Babcock began running practices was that he was “very, very dedicated to defending the net.” After dinner, Babcock invited the group back to his hotel to reminisce about their one memorable season together. “That’s what he’d grown up with, and he was using these drills to improve our positional play: how to defend correctly, man mark and how to take Even though he was on holiday, Babcock still loved to talk hockey. The players out,” Matthews said. “I learned a lot from him in that regard.” conversation eventually turned toward Ross' recent role coaching Great Britain’s youth teams. Whitley Bay's arena could fit approximately 4,000 spectators, but even back in 1987 it was a relic of a bygone time. The Warriors owner didn’t Babcock wanted to hear about Ross’ experiences and, naturally, share a believe in spending money to keep the rink — which was built way back few tips. in 1955 — up to what it could be when Babcock played. “When he came over,” Ross said, “he hadn’t changed at all.” “He was a cheap bastard,” Chabot recalled.

The boards were crooked and the two teams’ benches were on different levels. Everyone — players and coaches alike — described the ice The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 surface as “terrible.” Still, fans packed the arena. The low roof meant that it felt as if spectators sat directly on top of the players. For Sunday “Derby” games against local rivals like the Durham Wasps, Ross said players would enter the rink and be greeted by thousands of fans lining up around the corner to get in.

Games were played on Saturdays and Sundays, with one home and one road game. Late Sunday road games often saw the team returning by bus at 6 a.m. Monday morning. Many players then had to head to their day jobs.

Babcock lived in a three-bedroom Victorian house with Chabot and Scott Morrison, the team’s other high-flying import, who led the team in scoring with a ridiculous 224 points in 36 games. The imports' bills and housing were paid for by the team, which meant Babcock could dedicate even more time to studying coaching and pursuing his own interests.

To earn extra cash, Babcock would pile into a car with some of his teammates and head north to Scotland, where they would buy used cars at auctions and then sell them back in England.

By the end of his year in Whitley Bay, Babcock had become a recognizable figure in and around the town. He often spent off days at a variety of local golf courses.

“The year was a riot — the place was great, a lot of fun,” Babcock said when asked about his time in the BHL earlier this week. “I would’ve loved to have gone back.”

Though he played in England for just one season, Babcock changed the perception of the Warriors. The club was a mid-level team when he arrived, but they finished two points back of the league title that season. As in European soccer, the championship is awarded to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season.

Ord benefitted from Babcock’s direction, registering 62 points that season, the most of his 14-year BHL career.

“He was always trying to find ways to open up the ice for us to get out of our zone,” Ord said.

But toward the end of the season, Babcock began confiding in Ord his desire to leave England and return to Canada. “He had said his heart was in coaching,” Ord said.

In the playoffs for the league cup, the Warriors lost in the semifinals. The small-town club suffered from stage fright. That marked the end of Babcock's playing career.

The Warriors celebrated the end of the season by driving to the coastal resort town of Blackpool for a two-night stay. They visited the local amusement parks, played soccer on the beach and spent the evenings blowing off steam at local bars and nightclubs.

“That was the first time I saw (Babcock) really let his hair down,” Ross said.

Babcock returned to Canada soon after for his first head coaching position at Red Deer College. 1085082 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Edge: Sharks erase lead, but Knights prevail in OT, 5-4

Staff Report

Las Vegas Review-Journal November 24, 2017 - 9:04 PM

With a 4-1 lead in the second period, the Knights were on their way to a win over the San Jose Sharks Friday night at the T-Mobile Arena. But the Sharks changed goalies, and gave the Knights all they could handle, pushing to overtime before Jonathan Marchessault got the 5-4 victory for Las Vegas in overtime. Bryan Salmond, Steve Carp and David Schoen go over the Knights’ overtime win against the San Jose Sharks despite a three goal lead early in the game.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085083 Vegas Golden Knights Most people don’t realize the misfit toys were never saved in the original “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” television movie. But then people across the country went nuts and inundated NBC with nasty letters, and Misfit group of Golden Knights continues improbable start the network shot a different ending to the classic Christmas tale. As for the misfit Knights, well, Santa Claus himself was in the stands Friday. By Ed Graney Las Vegas Review-Journal His magic wasn’t needed. November 24, 2017 - 8:23 PM Saint Nick was relegated to just another amazed spectator to the Knights’ Updated November 24, 2017 - 10:06 PM winning at home. “We’re one of those blue-collar teams that works hard and different guys are scoring,” Gallant said. “Everybody chips in, and that’s the only way It usually goes like this: About an hour before each game, Golden we’ll be successful. For us to get those two points was big for the guys. Knights coach Gerard Gallant meets with media to preview the opposing They could have given up, but they didn’t. The guys are battling, and team. we’re playing together as a team. He is asked about how his side will deal with and contain those leading “When we picked our team in the expansion draft, we got a lot of players sure to be a handful on the ice, how it will combat, on a given character people and hard-working guys. They’re a meat-and-potatoes night, names such as Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel or John Tavares or type of crew. I hope it continues, because I really like our team. We Patrick Kane or Joe Thornton or whoever the superstar of the moment compete and find ways to win.” happens to be for the other guys. There’s a reason for that. The opposing coach also talks to the media. Um, yeah, pretty much everyone. I can only imagine his answer when questioned about who worries him most on the Knights. Um, everyone? “We are a group of misfits who all came to this organization hungry,” said LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.25.2017 center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. “What is happening is bigger than hockey right now. It’s all about the town, and it has been like this since the beginning. “It doesn’t matter who is going to score the goal, make the pass, block the shot. We don’t care about any of that. The only thing that matters, at the end of the day, is getting those two points.” They did so again Friday on an afternoon when the Knights were anything but their best, losing all of a three-goal lead before making San Jose their latest T-Mobile Arena victim in a 5-4 overtime win. The Knights, first place in the Pacific Division, are 9-1 at home. Who is most responsible? Um, everyone? It actually makes sense in a season during which nobody can comprehend how an expansion team has become one of the great stories in sports. The theory is when you collect a group of players that, for various reasons, other teams were willing to lose, things such as character and a craving to prove others wrong can create success. Here’s an even better part: It’s not as if the Knights are stealing wins or relying on some sort of hockey voodoo to win. There’s no witchcraft involved. They led San Jose 4-1 and weren’t even playing well, tired legs and being on the wrong side of the puck more than not, far from the near flawless effort in a victory Wednesday at Anaheim. The Knights played well in overtime, but were hardly great in the preceding three periods. But good teams — and it’s fairly evident this is one — discover ways to overcome shoddy stretches. Good teams respond. “It’s always different guys jumping in and helping, everyone playing hard for the guy sitting next to him on the bench,” Bellemare said. “This is a different situation. The organizations we were all with, whether it was a good or bad situation, decided not to protect us. “The (Knights) went through a hell of a lot to create a team and take the best 23 guys. It wasn’t about who was going to be the best player. It was about connecting us all together, and with that comes loyalty from us and the desire to fight for the organization every night. This doesn’t feel like a start. It feels like we have been here a long time.” How else can you explain the Knights having already played five goalies and yet having 29 points through 21 games? Or five players having 18 or more points and eight others at least 10? Or a guy such as center William Karlsson, whom his teammates insist isn’t the fastest skater and doesn’t have the most powerful of shots, having already scored three more goals (12) than his career high? 1085084 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights forward David Perron injured in win

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal November 24, 2017 - 8:04 PM Updated November 24, 2017 - 9:15 PM

The Golden Knights had to dig deep to earn two points Friday, and they did it without their second-leading scorer for half of the game. David Perron suffered an upper-body injury in the second period against San Jose and is listed as day to day, according to Knights coach Gerard Gallant. “Juggled the lines up a little bit, and that’s part of coaching,” Gallant said after the Knights’ 5-4 overtime victory at T-Mobile Arena. “You do the best you can when you lose a player, and the guys responded pretty good.” Perron appeared to be injured when he collided with the Sharks’ Timo Meier less than a minute into the second period. Meier was given a minor penalty for interference, and Perron stayed in the game for a couple of shifts before heading to the Knights’ locker room. Without Perron, who has six goals and 19 points, Gallant used Brendan Leipsic with Erik Haula and James Neal. Oscar Lindberg took Leipsic’s place on the line with Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch, as Gallant shortened his bench for most of the second period and all of the third period. Also, goaltender Maxime Lagace was replaced by Malcolm Subban to start the third period. Lagace allowed three goals in the final 11:52 of the second period, and Gallant said Lagace “wasn’t feeling good.” Subban made three saves and got the victory in his first appearance since being activated from the injured-reserve list Nov. 17. “That’s what my goal is right now, obviously, to get back in there and pick up where I left off,” Subban said. “Obviously the boys are playing unbelievable. It’s not like we’re stealing games or anything.” The Knights left for Arizona after Friday’s game and take on the last- place Coyotes at 5 p.m. Saturday at Gila River Arena. Rookie forward Clayton Keller had a team-high 11 goals and 20 points for Arizona heading into Friday’s game against Los Angeles. Goaltender Antti Raanta suffered an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s home loss to San Jose and was ruled out for the remainder of the Coyotes’ three-game homestand. Scott Wedgewood started in net for Arizona against the Kings, and Marek Langhamer was recalled from the minors on an emergency basis. Sharks starting goalie Martin Jones was pulled 10 seconds into the second period after allowing three goals on 14 shots and replaced by Aaron Dell. It was the third straight home game the Knights have chased a starting goalie. Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick also were yanked in losses at T-Mobile. The Knights won their eighth consecutive game at home, joining the 1917-18 Toronto Arenas as the only teams to win eight straight home games during their inaugural NHL season. … Eakin played in his 400th career NHL game.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085085 Vegas Golden Knights Last year, the Buchanan-led team took in 30 semi-trucks with toys and 6,700 bikes. The toy total, bike take and cash haul of $442,669 were records for the event. We’re planning a KATS! Bureau visit with the Vegas stars present for ‘Toys for Tots’ show at Westgate Chetster again this year.

By John Katsilometes Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.25.2017 November 24, 2017 - 6:28 PM

The KATS! Bureau at this writing is T-Mobile Arena, where the Vegas Golden Knights played the hated San Jose Sharks. Earlier I did some holiday shopping, picking up some Golden Knights attire for the family (I’m not concerned with spoiling any Christmas surprises; they stopped reading my column about seven years ago). The Knights dubbed the day Golden Friday, for their logo, though black is also a team color. Regardless, it’ll feel good to outfit the clan in Idaho in authentic Vegas pro-sports gear, repaying them for all the Boise State hoodies I’ve accumulated over the years. And as I watch the pregame video highlights on the T-Mobile LED screen, I see Celine Dion outfitted in a Golden Knights game helmet. Terrific look for her. Alliteration aside, a pair of toy-gathering holiday events are on fast approach. The ninth annual “Toys for Tots Celebrity Benefit Show” for the United States Marine Corps toy-donation program is set for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at Westgate Las Vegas’ International Theater. Tickets are $20, available at Westgate’s box office. Supporters can also receive a ticket by dropping off a new, unwrapped toy worth at least $20 at show sponsor Findlay Cadillac at 993 Auto Show Drive in Henderson. Navigated by bandleader David Perrico and his Pop Strings Orchestra (still kicking it up at 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Cleopatra’s Barge at Caesars Palace), the event is just stacked with VegasVille favorites. Listing away, it’s Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and ex-Heart guitarist Howard Leese of “Raiding the Rock Vault” at Hard Rock Hotel; Chris Phillips of Zowie Bowie; “Magic Murray” Sawchuck of Sin City Theater at Planet Hollywood; Lorena Peril of “Fantasy” at Luxor; Lily Arce of Pop Strings “The World’s Greatest Rock Show” at Stratosphere and “O” at Bellagio; the Lon Bronson Band horn section; comic Lenny Windsor, late of the “Benny Hill Show”; Neil Diamond tribute artist Rob Garrett; “Sexxy” at Westgate creator and star Jennifer Romas; Paul Shortino of Quiet Riot and “Raiding the Rock Vault’; Robin MacAuley of Survivor and, also, “Raiding the Rock Vault”; vocalist Serena Henry of the Smokey Robinson band; Vegas jazz great Michelle Johnson of Sonny Turner’s Platters and solo shows at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz; Kenny Fletch of Pop Strings; Adrian Zmed (from “Grease 2,” “Dance Fever,” and “T.J. Hooker”); Skye Dee Miles of Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas; Vegas comic Kathleen Dunbar; KISS tribute performers from “The World’s Greatest Rock Show”; Vegas country artist Sam Riddle; and vocal ensemble Mo5aic. Jon Lindquist, better known as Jon The Announcer, is the emcee. Still with me? Perrico and Findlay exec L.J. Harness (who will also rock it out from behind the drums) are co-producers, with media support from Sherry Swensk of KLAS Channel 8, J.J. Snyder of KTNV Channel 13, and yours truly. The goal is to deliver 5,000 toys to the USMC Toys for Tots program and raise $200,000 in this year’s campaign through ticket sales and direct donations. Also this week, the USMC announced its record haul of $45,000 from its 16th annual Toys Tor Tots Golf Classic at Painted Desert. Organizers of the fundraiser, including USMC Toys For Tots President Thomas J. McGrath and TFT Coordinator Will Ryder, accepted a record $45,000 check from event secretary and treasurer Gerry Brodeur. The donation was made at the USMC Leatherneck Club, home of the famed (at least, it is now) camouflage-felt pool table. This was a real check, too, not one of these comically giant, photo-op checks. This baby was ready for deposit. And, to close the toy talk: At 8 a.m. Thursday, esteemed radio personality and event emcee Chet Buchanan of KLUC 98.5-FM begins his 19th annual toy-drive residency from his 30-foot-high scaffold in the parking lot of NV Energy at 6226 West Sahara Ave. Buchanan will hold forth in his tented residency for 12 days, through 9 a.m. Dec. 11, collecting toys for needy kids through the holidays. 1085086 Vegas Golden Knights

Jonathan Marchessault’s OT goal lifts Knights over Sharks, 5-4

By Steve Carp Las Vegas Review-Journal November 24, 2017 - 5:59 PM Updated November 24, 2017 - 11:03 PM

The team that led by three goals early in the second period thought it was on the wrong side of the puck most of the game. The team that came back only to lose was grateful to leave with a point. Yes, it was a crazy game Friday at T-Mobile Arena, where the Golden Knights remained in first place in the Pacific Division with a 5-4 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks. A crowd of 18,094 saw both starting goaltenders fail to finish, a goal wiped out by a coaches’ challenge and a broken stick help determine the outcome. Jonathan Marchessault’s goal 1:21 into overtime broke a 4-4 tie. The Golden Knights benefited from a broken San Jose stick of defenseman Brent Burns that led to a 3-on-1, and Marchessault kept the play alive and eventually jammed the puck past San Jose backup goaltender Aaron Dell. “I was actually looking to make a pass,” Marchessault said of the goal, his seventh of the season. “But when I saw they had a guy without a stick, I decided to take it and shoot.” William Karlsson scored twice, and James Neal and Shea Theodore also scored for the Knights, who won their fourth in a row, improved to 14-6-1 and have a division-leading 29 points. But they made life hard on themselves by squandering a 4-1 second- period lead, which might have coincided with the loss of forward David Perron to an upper-body injury earlier in the period. Perron did not return, and his availability for Saturday’s game at Arizona is unknown. He was listed as day to day. “For us to get two points when we didn’t have our legs says a lot about our guys,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “I thought when we went up 4-1 we were still making turnovers and didn’t have the same legs and the same jump we had the other night in Anaheim.” The Sharks, who pulled starting goalie Martin Jones 10 seconds into the second period after Karlsson scored his first goal, rallied with goals from Burns, Chris Tierney and Mikkel Boedker. San Jose scored what appeared to be the go-ahead goal early in the third period when Logan Couture beat backup Malcolm Subban 2:40 into the period. But the goal was taken away after it was ruled Joonas Donskoi had interfered by being in the crease. Subban, who was seeing his first action since being injured Oct. 21, started the third period in place of Maxime Lagace. Lagace appeared to have been injured during a scrum in front of the Knights’ goal during a San Jose power play late in the second period, but Gallant said the goalie just didn’t feel well. “It felt good to get back in there,” Subban said. “I just tried to play solid and keep my focus on what was going on.” Lagace was not on the bench at the start of the third period. He probably won’t start Saturday after making 11 straight starts in the net. “We’ll see,” Gallant said when asked who will start. “I don’t want to do the homework for (the Coyotes).” In the end, the Sharks’ rally was wasted because they couldn’t cover in their own end during OT. “It was a track meet; it was pond hockey out there,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “The offense came because everything was loose. We don’t want to play that type of game, but we were forced to because of our slow start. “We got a point, and that’s about the only good that came out of it.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085087 Vegas Golden Knights LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 11.25.2017

Golden Knights’ hot start could lead to playoffs if NHL’s ‘Thanksgiving rule’ holds

By Jesse Granger (contact) Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 | 10:23 a.m.

As everyone recovers from their Thanksgiving food hangover, here’s an interesting NHL stat to chew on. Since the salary-cap era began in 2005, 78.4 percent of teams in playoff position by the fourth Thursday in November have qualified for the playoffs at the end of the season. Last year, 13 of the 16 teams in playoff position on Thanksgiving made the playoffs, and 12 of them made it in 2015. It’s significant because one of the teams currently in the playoff picture are the first-place Vegas Golden Knights. The team wasn’t expected to make the playoffs for years, and certainly not in their inaugural season, but 20 games into the season they are atop the division with two games in hand over the Los Angeles Kings. “It’s a big step for us to be there right now but we also know we have so much work to do,” said Golden Knights’ forward David Perron. “We aren’t even close.” Perron, who leads the Golden Knights with 19 points, remembers playing as a rookie on a St. Louis Blues team that was in playoff position at Thanksgiving and didn’t make it to the postseason. “We just want to compete,” Perron said. “When I talked with Flower (Marc-Andre Fleury) during the summer, I told him I just want us to be in it the whole year. We come to the rink, it’s almost December and we are in the hunt. We are having fun playing hockey and we are in a good mood.” A huge reason why the Golden Knights find themselves in this spot is their spectacular start to division play. Vegas is 5-1 in the Division including wins in their last three games over the Canucks, Kings and Ducks. “You have to get up for your games and you want to work for home ice, especially the way we play on our home rink,” said Golden Knights leading scorer James Neal. “Divisional games have a little extra motivation to get up for to try to earn that.” Which brings us to the next reason, and that’s an NHL-best 8-1-0 record at home for the Golden Knights. “It’s a good, intimate building for sure,” Neal said. “The way it’s set up the fans are right there. It’s a tough building to play in for opponents and our fans have been loud and into it.” Tonight the Golden Knights host the San Jose Sharks, who are currently fifth in the Pacific Division. It’s another big game in a long line of them if the Golden Knights want to keep from being the 21.6 percent of teams that falter down the stretch. “I think right from day one when we looked at our lineup we knew we were going to be competitive and push for a playoff spot, but it’s really hard to make the playoffs,” Neal said. “Teams are close and you can’t have off nights.” Another thing that could hurt the Golden Knights’ chances of making the playoffs, is general manager George McPhee trading key players. McPhee’s still has to do what’s best for the future of the team and that could mean trading players that are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after this season for draft picks. TSN’s Bob McKenzie said last week that McPhee is already getting calls for Neal and Perron. The one thing that could force McPhee to hold on to his veterans is continued success, and the players know that. “We know what kind of team we have,” Perron said. “We have to keep winning if we want to maybe force a few decisions from George (McPhee) to maybe keep a few guys around.”

1085088 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Karlsson ‘playing the best hockey of his life’

By Jesse Granger (contact) Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 | 8 p.m.

Golden Knights forward William Karlsson has been so hot over the past month, it’s a wonder how they keep the ice frozen beneath him at T- Mobile Arena. “You just have to laugh at it because I’ve literally never seen someone as hot as he is right now,” fellow Vegas forward Erik Haula said. “I just hope he continues it because it’s fun to watch.” The 24-year-old Swede admits he’s playing the best hockey of his life, and the numbers back it up. Karlsson scored two goals in the Golden Knights' 5-4 overtime win over San Jose Friday night, bringing his season total to 12. It’s three more than his previous career high, and took him a quarter of the season to do it. “I’ve been scoring so many goals lately, so for sure I’m playing the best hockey of my life right now,” Karlsson said. “I play with two great linemates who help a lot so I think it’s a combination of everything.” Karlsson played 162 games over the last two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but scored only 15 goals combined (0.09 goals per game). Through 21 games in Vegas, he’s scoring 0.57 goals per game. “I don’t know what he’s doing different but he’s playing a good, solid game at both ends of the ice,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “That usually happens. If you play hard on one end you get rewarded on the other.” It has a lot to do with opportunity. After playing only 13:23 per game last year with Columbus, Karlsson’s time on ice with the Golden Knights has jumped to 17:52 this season. “That’s pretty much the story of all of us,” said Karlsson’s linemate Jonathan Marchessault, who scored the overtime winner on Friday. “We are all guys that didn’t have the chance to play on the top two lines and some didn’t play at all like (Brendan) Leipsic who is playing big minutes for us. It’s just fun that we can give everyone an opportunity and I think everyone is making the most of it.” Karlsson has had his share of spectacular goals: his first of the season was a beautiful one-timer to beat the Blues in overtime. But many come because he’s willing to battle in front of the net. “I mean, everything he touches goes in,” Marchessault said, laughing. “I think it’s great to play with a guy like that. He’s a hardworking guy and he’s the identity of our group. He’s not flashy but just makes the plays.” Karlsson’s first goal on Friday came on a rebound following a shot by Alex Tuch. He pushed the puck to the right of the goaltender to put Vegas up 3-1 at the time. The second came when he redirected a shot from Marchessault past San Jose’s netminder to make it 4-1. “I just positioned myself there in front of the net and it was a perfect shot from Marchessault so I just had to tip it in,” Karlsson said. “I’ve had some puck luck for sure. It seems like the puck is always there for me.” It’s hard to equate it to luck when Karlsson is shooting with pin-point accuracy. His shooting percentage with the Blue Jackets was 7.7 — just below the league average of 8.9. This season it has spiked to an otherworldly 24.5 percent, which is good enough for sixth in the entire NHL. Of the five above Karlsson in shooting percentage, only one (Mark Stone) has more goals. It’s highly unlikely Karlsson can keep this pace up for 82 games (he’s on pace for 50 goals, which would have led the NHL last season), but the Golden Knights are enjoying it while they can. “When you’re hot, you’re hot, and he’s got a hot stick right now, so we want him shooting as much as he can right now,” Gallant said.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085089 Washington Capitals “We’ll see where we are after tonight,” Trotz said. “Good chance he could get in tomorrow. We’ll see how the game goes.”

The Capitals’ game against Tampa Bay on Friday is the front end of a Capitals pass NHL’s Thanksgiving standings test, but they know the race back-to-back set, and while Braden Holtby usually starts the first game is tight with Philipp Grubauer in net for the second one, Washington has decided to flip the order this time. Grubauer will be in net against the first-place Lightning while Holtby will start in Toronto on Saturday night. By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 24 at 12:15 PM “Just to change it, maybe just change things a little, the order,” Trotz said. “[Grubauer] has worked hard. He gets an opportunity at home here. More than anything, he just deserved it.” Thanksgiving holds significance around the NHL, a sort of litmus test for how the upcoming postseason might look. Just three teams who were in Saturday is Grubauer’s 26th birthday, and his father will be in attendance a playoff position a year ago fell out by the end of the season, holding for Friday’s game. He has yet to win a game this season, and he was in true to a trend: Since the league expanded to 30 clubs in 2000, roughly net the last time the Capitals played the Lightning. Grubauer allowed four 80 percent of playoff teams on Turkey Day ultimately make the goals on 40 shots with Washington losing in overtime. postseason.

Though the Washington Capitals have had a rocky first 23 games, their 12-10-1 record for 25 points has them in an Eastern Conference wild- Washington Post LOADED: 11.25.2017 card position. In years past, Washington hasn’t had to survey the standings much on Thanksgiving, poised to comfortably make the postseason as the NHL’s best regular season team over the past three years. While the Capitals have to be more mindful this season, the jam- packed nature of the standings also has them looking at this Thanksgiving marker with some skepticism. Just eight points separate first and last place in the Metropolitan Division, and even that’s deceiving because not every team has played the same number of games. The Capitals have more points (25) than the Carolina Hurricanes (22), but they’ve played 23 games to the Hurricanes’ 20. “I think everybody’s aware of how tight it is,” Orpik said. “I don’t think anyone thinks that’s going to change throughout the year. I think it’s going to be that way right until the end.” The only team to truly separate itself in the Eastern Conference is the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Capitals’ opponent on Friday night. Tampa Bay’s 34 points in 21 games lead the league, a five-point cushion over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs in the conference. The St. Louis Blues have been the class of the West to this point, with 33 points in 22 games. “I just think it’s a product of the salary cap,” Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said. “Teams lock up their core people, and if you’ve had to lock up people lately, it’s cost you a lot more money than it did three years ago. Teams that got those core people signed to good deals are probably in a pretty good window and teams that have had to sign some of their people lately, it probably forces people out of your lineup, like ours.” The salary cap went from $72 million last season to $75 million this year, a meager increase. As Washington re-signed Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie and Dmitry Orlov to long-term deals, the team had to part with forwards Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams and defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner. An expansion draft also took its toll on teams, and the Capitals lost smooth-skating defenseman Nate Schmidt to Las Vegas. That was a hit to a blueline that’s been the main source of the team’s struggles this season. Washington isn’t the only club weathering those kind of roster turnover blues at the quarter-pole. But while it may be difficult to glean much from the standings right now, there’s still value in holding an early playoff position. “You can’t make the playoffs in the first couple of months, but you can definitely knock yourself out,” Orpik said. “It definitely seems like to me that in the second half of the year, there’s a lot more three-point games and tighter-scoring games. So, it seems like when teams are trying to catch up, you can go on like four- or five-game winning streaks and you gain like one point on teams you’re trying to catch. It can be really frustrating.” Defenseman Christian Djoos and Andre Burakovsky skated on their own for a second time this week, a good indication both players are progressing in their respective injury rehab. Djoos has missed the past four games with what the team is calling an “upper-body” injury. Trotz was recently asked if Djoos has a concussion, and he declined to answer the question. Burakovsky had surgery on his left thumb a month ago, and he’s expected to miss another two to four weeks. Trotz said Burakovsky is wearing a different cast now which gives him increased mobility, but he’s still expected to “wear it for a little bit,” Trotz said. The Capitals recalled forward Tyler Graovac from his conditioning stint in Hershey. He’s been out of the lineup for 16 games with a shoulder injury, but he’s now been activated from injured reserve. Graovac won’t play against the Lightning, but he could see game action soon. 1085090 Washington Capitals But after the Lightning scored just 1:22 into the game, the Capitals controlled play for the rest of the period, peppering goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy with 16 shots on goal. Tampa Bay’s high-powered top line Capitals’ Philipp Grubauer earns first win of season — against NHL’s top has rightfully gotten a lot of hype, but it was Washington’s No. 1 trio that team was most noticeable. Alex Ovechkin’s nine shots on goal were more than Kucherov, Stamkos and Namestnikov had combined (four).

Center Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin were reunited in Wednesday’s By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 24 at 7:54 PM 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators after playing on separate lines for the season’s first 22 games, and along with right wing Tom Wilson, the threesome had another strong performance Friday night. On a three-on- two with less than two minutes left in the first period, Backstrom drove It was so low that it could have been mistaken for boos, the sound of down the center of the ice, enabling Wilson to get a pass over to Capital One Arena uniformly belting “Gru” after every save as Ovechkin in his left-faceoff-circle office. encouragement. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer had had a rough start to the season, skating off as the loser every time he had been in net. His Ovechkin’s one-timer made it a tie game after an eventful first period. 26th birthday is Saturday, and tapping him to start against the NHL’s best And that was the 573rd goal of Ovechkin’s career, moving him into a tie team Friday seemed like Coach Barry Trotz’s cruel idea of a present. with Mike Bossy for 21st on the all-time scoring list. But with his father in town from Germany, Grubauer recorded his first win “We just continued pushing,” Ovechkin said. “We moved our legs. We did of the season, 3-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Washington the right things.” Capitals seemed to turn a corner of sorts.

Consistency has been an issue for Washington, good wins often followed by bad losses. This marked the Capitals’ second straight win, a second Washington Post LOADED: 11.25.2017 game in a row in which they have shown flashes of the talented team that won the most regular season games over the past three years. On Friday night, they did it against this season’s early Stanley Cup favorite. “The team did unbelievable,” Grubauer said. “If we play like this the whole year, we are going to be really tough to beat.” For how well Grubauer has played in some losing efforts this season, it was sort of poetic that his first win came in a game in which he didn’t have much work. He faced just 16 shots through two periods, while the Capitals put up 30. But after a good start, Washington flatlined in the third period, failing to record a shot for the first 9:30 as the Lightning fired away at Grubauer. That’s when he was at his best, the recipient of several low and appreciative chants of his name from the stands. He finished with 25 saves. “It’s not an easy position to be a backup goalie,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “He’s kept a good attitude throughout this, even though we haven’t played well in front of him. I think everyone’s smiles were a little bit bigger tonight for him. He played really well, and he earned it, too.” Grubauer typically starts the second game of back-to-back sets, when the team in front of him often is fatigued and sluggish, but Trotz said the goaltender “deserved” a start at home, so he put Grubauer in net against the NHL-best Lightning, with Braden Holtby slated to play at Toronto on Saturday. In Grubauer’s previous five starts, the Capitals never played with a lead or supplied more than two goals. On Friday night, Washington did both. After the score was tied at 1 following one period, forward Devante Smith-Pelly gave Grubauer a lead to work with late in the second. He drove to the net as Jay Beagle unfurled the shot, and he was in perfect position to swat in the rebound. That marked Smith-Pelly’s first goal in nine games and his first point in eight. Beagle then added much-needed insurance, an empty-net goal with 2:08 left. The Lightning had been averaging 3.95 goals entering this contest, and Grubauer allowed just one. “He’s been standing on his head,” Beagle said. “It’s just unfortunate the way it’s been going for him at the beginning of the season, but he’s been standing on his head and playing unreal. He obviously deserves a big win, and he was huge again tonight. Made some big saves at some big times.” While the Capitals find themselves in the middle of a crowded standings picture in the Eastern Conference, the Lightning is the only team to have separated from the pack. Entering Friday’s game, Tampa Bay had 34 points in 21 games — nine more than Washington in two fewer games. Its top line has MVP candidates in Steven Stamkos (league-leading 36 points) and Nikita Kucherov (league-leading 17 goals). Tampa Bay has dominated the start of the season the same way Washington did the previous two. When Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik was called for hooking 44 seconds into the game and Kucherov banked in a power-play goal off Vladislav Namestnikov, it looked like it could be a long night for Washington. “It went through my mind where it’s like, ‘We can’t let this happen to Grubi again,’ ” Niskanen said. 1085091 Washington Capitals

Grubauer finally picks up first win of the year with Capitals

By Matthew Paras - The Washington Times - Friday, November 24, 2017

Less than a minute into the Washington Capitals‘ 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik picked up a hooking penalty — putting goaltender Philipp Grubauer in another unlucky situation. Shortly after, Tampa Bay converted a power play goal, off the chest of Vladislav Namestnikov no less. The goal was the exact type of ridiculousness that plagued Grubauer in his previous six winless starts of the season despite his quality goaltending. “I was laughing, ‘Here we go again,’” said Grubauer, who was starting on the front end of a back-to-back. Instead, the opposite happened. The Capitals found their offense against a team leading the NHL in points. In Grubauer’s last five starts, the Capitals never had the lead. The poor results started with an 8-1 shellacking in Philadelphia on Oct. 14. (The Flyers’ loss was so bad that Capitals coach Barry Trotz said his defense couldn’t even throw Grubauer a raft.) Each outing forced Washington to chase the game, which resulted in some sloppiness on the Capitals‘ end. During those starts, the Capitals‘ reworked blueline was still figuring out each other, too. Last year, Grubauer had consistency when filling in for starter starter Braden Holtby. This year required more of a learning curve. “When [Friday’s game] was 1-1, I thought Gruby made real key saves for us,” Trotz said. “There was a shorthander, there was one right in front of the net. He made a couple of big saves and I think he settled in really well right there. … We got him more than a goal! “I know the guys were thrilled to get a win for Gruby because they know he shows up as a pro for every game.” Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly broke the tie when he pushed in a rebound after a Jay Beagle breakaway. For once, the Capitals finally gave Grubauer a lead. He laughed when it was pointed out to him. “The team did unbelievable,” Grubauer said. “If we play like this the whole year, we are going to be really tough to beat. Everybody was working. Gaps were good. We didn’t give a lot up and we blocked a bunch of shots. It was an awesome win.” The win was a strong, and more importantly, a consistent performance for a Capitals team that has failed to string wins in a row. Trotz said his team neutralized Tampa Bay’s speed and pressure. The Capitals earned the victory with all four lines clicking, too. Since reuniting Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin on the team’s top line on Wednesday, Tom Wilson has emerged as a solid option next to the two. On the Capitals‘ first goal, Wilson found Ovechkin on a breakaway for a one-timer at the top of the left circle with less than two minutes left in the first period. The pass was perfectly timed. “It’s not surprise because I see him every day, what he can do in practice and in the game,” Ovechkin said of Wilson. “Again, I think he have a skill that he can make that pass and make that play. It’s a different role for him right now. He’s playing top six and it’s different hockey.” Beagle added an empty-netter late to put the game out of reach. Not only did the Capitals give Grubauer his first victory of the season, the win gave him an early present ahead of his 26th birthday on Saturday. Grubauer’s parents from Germany were also at the game for the occasion. “They should have come more often,” Grubauer said.

Washington Times LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085092 Washington Capitals

The Capitals' presence was felt at the Redskins' Thanksgiving game

By J.J. Regan November 24, 2017 9:48 AM

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday that tends to be dominated by football. Even with the Redskins hosting the New York Giants on Thursday, the Capitals' still had their presence felt. Andre Burakovsky decided to spend his Thanksgiving night at FedEx Field at the game to cheer on the Redskins. He tweeted out a picture from his seat. Just as Burakovsky was there supporting the Redskins, Redskins offensive lineman Morgan Moses was showing love for the Caps with an Alex Ovechkin jersey. The Redskins pulled out a critical 20-10 win over the division-rival Giants on Thursday giving everyone something to celebrate on the holiday. The Capitals will try to keep the hometown fans happy as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

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Game 24: Capitals vs. Lightning Date, Time, How to Watch, Game Thread

By J.J. Regan November 24, 2017 6:30 AM

Live Stream: You can watch the Capitals-Lightning game on NBC Sports Washington's live stream page. You can also stream the game online with no cable TV subscription on fuboTV (try for free!). WHEN IS THE CAPITALS-LIGHTNING GAME? The Capitals (12-10-1) take on the Lightning (16-3-2) Friday, November 24 at 5:00 p.m. ET in Washington. WHAT CHANNEL IS THE CAPITALS-LIGHTNING GAME ON? The Capitals-Lightning game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington. Coverage kicks off with Capitals FaceOff at 4:00 p.m. followed by Capitals GameTime at 4:30 p.m. Stay with NBC Sports Washington following the game for Caps Extra, Caps Overtime at 8:00 p.m. and Caps in 30 at 9 p.m. for all your postgame coverage. (NBC Sports Washington channel Finder) WHERE CAN I STREAM THE CAPITALS-LIGHTNING GAME? The Capitals-Lightning game, as well as Caps GameTime and Caps Extra, is available to stream live here through NBC Sports Washington's live stream page and is available to authenticated NBC Sports Washington subscribers on desktops, tablets, mobile devices and connected TVs anywhere in the United States. The game is also available to stream, along with all the pregame and postgame shows, on fuboTV (try for free).

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Philipp Grubauer earns his long-awaited first win of the season after another strong performance

By J.J. Regan November 24, 2017 9:26 PM

Less than 90 seconds in, Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning very much had a feeling of déjà vu. With Phillipp Grubauer getting the start against the best team in the league, the Caps took a penalty just 44 seconds into the game. Grubauer failed to freeze the puck on two different opportunities allowing the Lightning to keep the puck in play and score the early goal to go up 1-0. “I thought early, they score a minute basically into the game and you're like, OK here we go,” Barry Trotz said. “I was laughing, here I go again,” Grubauer said. Wins have been hard to come by for Grubauer this season. Coming into Fridays’ game, he had none. An early goal against a team as good as the Lightning could have been a backbreaker. But not this time. Alex Ovechkin tied the game at 1 in the first period and that’s when Grubauer took over. “When it was 1-1, I thought Gruby made some real key saves for us,” Trotz said. He added, “They were getting people to the net and they were dangerous all around. He made some real huge saves for us and we got him more than a goal.” For the first time since Grubauer’s first start this season back on Oct. 9, the Caps gave Grubauer a lead to protect in the second period courtesy of Devante Smith-Pelly. That not only gave Grubauer confidence, it also allowed his teammates to focus more on playing well in front of him rather than taking chances in the offensive zone in search of a goal. Bottling up a team as explosive and talented as the Lightning is not easy, but Grubauer was up to the task. Friday’s 3-1 win was Grubauer’s first of the season. His record now sits at 1-5-1, a record his teammates know is not reflective of how well he has played for them. “I know the guys are thrilled to get a win for Gruby because they know he shows up as a pro every game,” Trotz said. That was evident after the game as Grubauer's teammates were effusive in their praise for the German netminder. “Not an easy position to be a backup goalie and he's kept a good attitude throughout this even though we haven't played well in front of him,” Matt Niskanen said. It was hard to figure out afterward just who this game meant more to, whether it was Grubauer whose family is in town for his birthday Saturday and who was in attendance Friday, or his teammates. “My parents were here so I'm really, really proud to give them a good game and get the win for the boys,” Grubauer said. Said Niskanen, “Everyone's smiles were a little bit bigger today for him. He played really well. He earned it.”

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Tarik's 3 stars: Caps beat the NHL-leading Bolts, 3-1

By Tarik El-Bashir November 24, 2017 7:37 PM

If Friday’s game against the NHL-leading Lightning was the barometer many considered it to be, the Caps’ 3-1 victory certainly proved this much: Despite an uneven recent stretch, Alex Ovechkin and Co. are still capable of beating any team in the league on any given night. Washington has won two games in a row, three of the last four overall and seven of the last eight on home ice. The Caps now head to Toronto for a Saturday showdown with the Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada. Tarik’s three stars of the game: 1- Alex Ovechkin, Capitals The Caps’ captain had some good chances early but passed them up. Then, late in the first period, he called his own number. On an odd-man rush, Nicklas Backstrom moved the puck to Tom Wilson on the right wing, and Wilson fired a perfectly-placed setup to Ovechkin, who drilled a one-timer past Andrei Vasilevskiy. The goal was Ovechkin’s second in two games and moved him into a tie with Mike Bossy for 21st on the all- time goals list (573). Next up is Mark Recchi at 577 and Jari Kurri at 601. 2-Philipp Grubauer, Capitals After a rough start—he allowed a power play goal just 82 seconds into the game—the Caps’ backup rebounded and had an excellent game. A bunch of big stops in the second period, highlighted by a point blank save on Ondrej Palat, likely was the difference for the home team. The victory was Grubauer’s first in seven starts this season. Grubauer (25 saves) is now 4-0-1 all-time against the Bolts. 3-Jay Beagle, Capitals The fourth line center finished with a goal, a primary assist and a dominant percentage in the faceoff circle. Beagle’s goal was scored, backhanded, into an empty net late to clinch the win. The assist came on a shot that kicked off of Vasilevskiy’s pads right out to Devante Smith Pelly, who buried the rebound for a 2-1 lead. Beagle also won 13 of his 17 draws (82-percent). With a pair of points, Beagle now has 101 career points. Agree? Disagree? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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3 reasons why the Caps beat the Lightning

By J.J. Regan November 24, 2017 8:17 PM

The Caps started a daunting back-to-back on a high note with a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. Tampa scored first, but the Caps would score the next three goals to earn the win. Here's why Washington won. When Alex Ovechkin tied the game at 1 late in the first period, it felt inevitable. Tampa Bay took an early 1-0 lead off a power play goal by Vladislav Namestnikov. Rather than spark the Lightning, however, it seemed to wake the Caps’ up from their turkey coma. When Tampa scored, they held an early 3-0 shots-on-goal advantage over Washington. For the rest of the period, the Caps outshot the Bolts 16-4. Ovechkin was a man on a mission as he was all over the ice. In recent weeks, we have seen the Caps at times lack energy at the start of games, but their response to Tampa’s early goal was impressive. It's been rare this season for Grubauer to protect a lead. So rare in fact that it has not happened since his first start of the season on Oct. 9 which also came against the Lightning. When you are playing from behind, the skaters have to take more chances offensively which can sometimes leave goalies out to dry. Grubauer knows all about that from some of his recent games. When the Caps took a 2-1 lead on Friday, defense became the priority and Grubauer played with a level of confidence we have not seen since his strong performance in a 2-1 loss to Calgary. Philipp Grubauer While the Caps could afford to give Grubauer more defensive help as they protected the 2-1 lead, Grubauer himself made some top-notch stops to earn his first win of the season. After a shaky start in which he failed to freeze the puck on two opportunities allowing Tampa to keep the puck in play and score the power play goal, Grubauer was dominant in the crease. He made two especially key saves as he stoned Ondrej Palat in the second period on a one-timer from the slot and denied Vladislav Namestnikov in close midway through the third when a blue line shot from Anton Stralman was deflected behind the defense right to Namestnikov's stick.

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Barry Trotz explains why Philipp Grubauer will get the start vs. the NHL- best Bolts

By Tarik El-Bashir November 24, 2017 11:16 AM

Coach Barry Trotz did not make any changes to his forward combos or defensive pairs of ahead of Friday’s showdown with the NHL-best Lightning. He did, however, make a significant change elsewhere: Philipp Grubauer will get the nod against the Bolts as the Caps begin a tough back-to-back set that wraps up Saturday night in Toronto. It’ll be Grubauer’s second start on home ice this season. “Just to change a little bit of the order there,” Trotz explained. “Grubi has worked hard. It gives him an opportunity at home.” Grubauer, who turns 26 on Saturday and has family in town, is still searching for his first win of the season. He’s 0-5-1 with a 3.86 goals against average and a .876 save percentage. In fairness, though, he’s drawn some tough assignments. In fact, four of his six starts have been the backend of a back-to-back. “More than anything,” Trotz added, “he just deserved it.” There’s also this: Grubauer is 3-0-1 vs. the Lightning in his career, with a .923 save percentage and a 2.61 goals against average. Asked how much matchups factor into goaltending decisions, Trotz said: “A little bit but not really. I wanted to give him a home start, so why not now?” With Grubauer set to face Nikita Kucherov and Co., Braden Holtby figures to get the Leafs at Air Canada Centre on Saturday night.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085098 Winnipeg Jets Wheeler, who is tied with his centre Mark Scheifele for the club lead in points (25).

"You just focus on the next game... it’s just trying to keep that one-track Plenty to be giving thanks for mind, worry about the day you have in front of you and do that every single day. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself, because you start doing that, you’re going to slip up and wonder what happened," he said. By: Jason Bell Durable blue-liner Josh Morrissey, who played all 82 games of his 2016- Posted: 11/24/2017 3:00 AM | Last Modified: 11/24/2017 6:25 AM 17 rookie season and has been present for all 21 this year, has bought in | Updates | Comments: 3 to the same approach. "Obviously, you’d rather be in a good place right now than not sure, but at the same time, there’s a lot of hockey left. There’s a lot of points on the ANAHEIM, Calif. — It’s really no one’s business — except, perhaps, their table in the next three-quarters of the season," Morrissey said. "For us, bosses’ — what the Winnipeg Jets had planned late Thursday for the rest we wanted to have a good start, and at the start of the year, if we would of American Thanksgiving here in sunny, sweltering southern California. have said this is where we’d be, we’d be happy. Whether they had a team dinner complete with all the trimmings, split into "As a team, we know we have a lot of areas to improve, and we want to smaller groups and scattered to enjoy steak or sushi, or simply keep pushing that envelope to get better and better and get to where our barricaded themselves at the hotel and ordered room service, the Jets goals are." have much to be thankful for right now.

The Central Division club is walking tall and looking good as one of the NHL’s premier clubs just past the quarter mark of the 2017-18 season. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.25.2017 On Wednesday night, Winnipeg gutted out an impressive 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings — buoyed by a sensational 38-save effort from goalie Steve Mason — to improve to 13-5-3 and remain second in the Central Division and Western Conference. After 21 games, the Jets find themselves No. 3 overall in the league behind only the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning (16-3-2) and the Central Division-rival St. Louis Blues (16-5-1). The Jets have accumulated the same number of points (29) as both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs, but have games in hand on those clubs and get the third perch based on winning percentage. Indeed, Winnipeg still has 61 games left on the schedule, and much could change before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin the second week of April. But if recent history means anything, an NHL team’s position in the standings on U.S. turkey day is a reasonably accurate indicator of whether or not it qualifies for the post-season. Since the 2011-12 season — the Jets’ inaugural campaign after relocating from Atlanta — 78 per cent of squads occupying a spot north of the magic playoff line when the holiday hits wind up making the sweet 16. While the numbers might be on Winnipeg’s side, Paul Maurice likely didn’t carve off an extra drumstick or treat himself to another piece of pumpkin pie to celebrate. In fact, the Jets head coach won’t even entertain the notion his club’s playoffs hopes appear to be favourable with December fast approaching. He’d much rather his coaching staff and players focus on the task at hand, whether it’s a video session to review the penalty kill, a new forechecking drill in practice or, like today, an afternoon battle with the host Anaheim Ducks at 3 p.m. CT. "What we want to get really good at is handling our day, handling where we are right at that specific time. Spending any time thinking about where we’re at as a permanent thing, that somehow any of this gets easier, is a really dangerous place to go mentally, I think," Maurice said Thursday, following an afternoon skate at the Honda Center. "There’s nothing to say a small sample size doesn’t change. I can’t use that... ‘Hey, fellas, we’re good. It’s Thanksgiving, we’re in.’ I can’t use it." The Jets, who rebounded in L.A. after losing 5-3 to the Nashville Predators on Monday, wrap up a four-game road trip with games on back-to-back days. Connor Hellebuyck returns to the net as Winnipeg faces the Ducks, and then the team collides with the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. Winnipeg 2.0 has only qualified for the playoffs once, and that was during the 2014-15 season — Maurice’s first full season behind the bench. That year, U.S. Thanksgiving fell on Nov. 27 and the Jets, fresh off back-to- back victories that week over Columbus and the Buffalo Sabres, boasted a 12-9-3 record and were above the playoff threshold. They were one of 13 teams in a playoff spot at that point in the 2014-15 season and were there at the end. A dozen teams out of 16 remained locked in during the 2015-16 campaign, while 13 of 16 did it last year. Those are intriguing numbers for fans of the club eagerly anticipating a repeat of the hysteria that hit Winnipeg’s downtown rink during that playoff appearance, but meaningless to the men charged with making it happen, it seems. "You focus on the next game. You don’t read headlines, you don’t focus on where you are in the standings," said captain and right-winger Blake 1085099 Winnipeg Jets Anaheim territory, while doing another fine job limiting quality scoring chances against them.

It’s the eighth time this season Winnipeg has given up just one goal, Jets down Ducks 4-1 in Anaheim producing eight of the team’s 14 triumphs. Protecting leads is becoming second-nature to the second-best squad in the Western Conference and the third in the NHL, which has won 10 of its last 13 games by having all four lines and three sets of blue-liners By: Jason Bell getting into the action. Posted: 11/24/2017 5:51 PM | Last Modified: 11/24/2017 10:23 PM "We don’t have to hide a line and we don’t need to run one line too | Updates | Comments: 33 heavy, so we get to the end of the game everybody’s got pretty good legs," Maurice said. "When it gets into the real serious and tight time of the game, they have the energy to do it." ANAHEIM, Calif. — Angst over a recent lack of scoring punch from the Despite the trio’s recent struggles, Maurice stuck with the combination of Winnipeg Jets’ second forward line has been alleviated, for now. Little, Ehlers and Laine, believing chemistry would come. He’d been vocal lately in his reluctance to break up his third- and fourth-line units, Nikolaj Ehlers snapped an eight-game goal-less skid with a pair in the equally effective since centre Adam Lowry and winger Mathieu Perreault first period and his centre, Bryan Little, ripped his first tally in five games returned from injuries earlier this month. and just his third in 22 contests this season as the Jets put in a thorough effort to dump the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 Friday afternoon. The trio made him look good Friday. Winnipeg (14-5-3) also received a strong 30-save performance from "Nik Ehlers skated and that’s the reason that line looked fast. The other goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who returned to the crease after giving up a two moved everything a little bit quicker," Maurice said. "It’s a good line. bunch to Nashville on Monday in a 5-3 loss to the Predators. We’ve got two leading goal scorers, fairly close. We’ve got Scheif at 11, Patty at 11, Nik at 10, right? So, for goal scoring that line should be right Forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, who give the Jets fits every and they were (Friday afternoon), so it’s there." time the clubs meet, were absent for the Ducks (10-9-3) because of long- term injuries. Down by two in the second period, the Ducks scored on a high knuckler from blue-liner Francois Beauchemin with heavy traffic in front of The Jets have won two straight after rebounding with a 2-1 victory over Hellebuyck at the 5:46 mark. But Little beat Gibson at 12:06 to regain the the Los Angeles Kings Wednesday. The Central Division team concludes two-goal lead. a four-game road trip tonight against the San Jose Sharks, capping the club’s third of nine back-to-backs this season. Some bad blood spilled over late in the second frame as Jets defenceman Ben Chiarot looked to catch the Ducks’ Corey Perry with the Jets head coach Paul Maurice said he’ll turn to goalie Steve Mason to butt end of his stick as the two came together. Perry was cut on the play start against the Sharks. Mason was a force in L.A. earlier in the week, and a scrum ensued but only Scheifele received a minor penalty when he blocking 38 shots. got a late shot in on the Anaheim star forward. Ehlers, who netted his ninth and 10th goals before the five-minute mark Gibson blocked 32 shots for the Ducks, who were a Ryan-less flock of the opening period at Honda Center, said there was definitely some Friday. Ryan Kesler is out indefinitely after having off-season hip surgery. relief for he and his linemates, Little and Patrik Laine. Ryan Getzlaf missed his 11th straight game and could be shelved for "For sure, it’s always nice scoring goals and getting the win. I think our another month as he recovers from surgery to repair a broken facial line, especially, hasn’t been producing and playing the way we’ve wanted bone, an injury suffered Oct. 29 in a game againt the Carolina Hurricanes to," he said. "Last game against L.A. was a step in the right direction and when he was struck by a puck. Veteran goalie Ryan Miller, meanwhile, (it’s) another step in the right direction (in Anaheim). It’s great for our line was sidelined by a lower-body injury for his sixth straight game. and great for the team." Forwards Shawn Matthias and Marko Dano and defenceman Tucker The Danish-born left-winger’s first of the afternoon was critical, coming Poolman were healthy scratches for Winnipeg. just one shift after Mark Scheifele’s goal at the 34-second mark was waived off after video review clearly showed Blake Wheeler was offside during entry into Ducks’ territory. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.25.2017 "The start was huge. A lot of credit to Scheif’s line, they got us going on the first shift. We ended up scoring on the second one," said Little. "It was big. Getting another quick one gave us a lot of momentum. That first 10 minutes, we came out of the gates really hard." What a difference a day makes. On Thursday afternoon, Ehlers sat at his stall in the visitors’ dressing room at Honda Center, lamenting a nearly three-week stretch devoid of offensive production. The 21-year-old was down on himself, noting he’s driven by the desire to be a key performer for the surging Central Division squad. "For me personally, I can’t score right now," he said after a practice on U.S. Thanksgiving. "I’m just trying to work hard and play a simple game. And I’m sure that at some point, hopefully, they’ll go in again." Ducks goalie John Gibson can attest to Ehlers’ immediate reversal of fortune. Ehlers beat Gibson just 40 seconds in and then ripped his second at 4:59 with the Ducks (10-9-3) a man short. Little helped orchestrate both goals and then scored a power-play marker of his own in the second period. Winnipeg Jets left wing Nikolaj Ehlers, of Denmark, loses an edge with the puck, as Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. Defenceman Tyler Myers also had two assists and now has six points in his last six games. Kyle Connor’s empty-netter was his sixth goal of the campaign. The Jets outshot the hosts 36-31 and led 2-0 and 3-1 at the period breaks. At several points in the game, the Jets had sustained pressure in 1085100 Winnipeg Jets Somehow the Jets elevated their defensive game and — with the addition of Tyler Myers in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres and the surprising play of Ben Chiarot and Adam Pardy — made their only The Charlie Effect appearance to date in the NHL playoffs. Maurice says that’s when Huddy’s worth to the organization really came to the forefront. By: Jason Bell "Not many teams could survive that and not just make the playoffs, but Posted: 11/24/2017 4:46 PM | Comments: 2 set a franchise record (43-26-13, 99 points). Charlie’s ability to manage people in and out of that lineup that year was spectacular, as good as I’ve ever seen in terms of running a bench," Maurice says. ANAHEIM, Calif. — He’s been a part of the NHL landscape for nearly "He’s very talented at it, and, as our our team got better and the talent four decades, 17 years on the ice and 19 more behind the bench, pool increases back there, his experience becomes even more of a factor including the last seven as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets. for us." He was one of the Edmonton Oilers’ true unsung heroes as the steady, Entry to the league’s post-season party looks entirely possible with a reliable defensive partner of free-wheeling future NHL hall-of-famer Paul current blue-line corps that includes Byfuglien, Enstrom (currently out Coffey, hoisting five Stanley Cups with a team that dominated hockey until the new year with a leg injury) Chiarot, Trouba, Josh Morrissey, through the 1980s. Myers and off-season free-agent addition Dmitry Kulikov, with impressive rookie Tucker Poolman waiting in the wings and continued solid The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, still considers him one of the most goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck and Steve Mason. inspirational teammates he played with during his illustrious career. Maurice credits Huddy’s quiet, sensible approach to coaching as a huge His bosses in Winnipeg have leaned on him heavily to run a much- asset, particularly on a team with rising-star rearguards Trouba and maligned defensive group that, over time, has undergone an overhaul Morrissey. and is now, unarguably, the most talented the city has witnessed to date from Jets 2.0. "He fits my personality well because we’re not the same," he says. "Charlie’s a relaxed guy, and I would be less so. (Jets assistant coach) There’s something to this Charlie Huddy guy. Jamie (Kompon) has a really good head for the game... Charlie’s got a "Listen, he knows the game as well as anyone, he loves the game and I great heart for the game, a great feel for it. So when I lose my mind, I’ve know he loves working for the coaching staff there and loves being part got that support." of the Winnipeg organization. Those young guys are learning from one of Maurice also has the help of assistant coach Todd Woodcroft, goalie the nicest, smartest people who ever played," says Gretzky. "I know he’s coach Wade Flaherty and video coach Matt Prefontaine. doing a great job coaching that young defensive group. He’s smart, he’s always positive — he’s not a guy that hollers — and he’s been through "As the head guy, you need some anchors there, too, so when you start the battles. They couldn’t have a better guy." flying off the handle you have a guy who can make sure you don’t lose touch with it," Maurice says. Huddy, 58, has been with Winnipeg from the very beginning, introduced as part of former head coach Claude Noel’s staff during the summer of Big, rugged, mobile Byfuglien — whose time in Winnipeg is a constant 2011, not long after the Dallas Stars cut ties with its coaching staff. balancing act of risk and reward — says Huddy’s experience, style and demeanour are key reasons for the back end’s slow but steady strides He was an interesting hire in these parts and has been under scrutiny over the years. ever since, working with a defence that has had more than its share of struggles. An integral player with Edmonton during a time when the "He’s just an unbelievable guy to be around. Who he is, what he’s done Gretzky-led club was running roughshod over Winnipeg in the old and what he’s accomplished in his playing days, that’s important. He has Smythe Division, would Jets fans forgive and forget? a real knack for the game," says the 12-year NHLer, from Roseau, Minn. "I’ve really enjoyed having him behind the bench at all times for us. "We did give it to the Jets a few times," Huddy says, chuckling. "We had a special team in Edmonton, winning those Cups. Almost right from the "He’s handles himself well and knows how to push you to get better in start you could feel it, the way the team was built by (Oilers’ former the right way without pushing you away. He’s been great back there. For scouting director) Barry Fraser and Slats (former GM and coach Glen me, it doesn’t take much to keep me going but he always seems to say Sather). Everybody was close to being the same age and we were driven the right things." by some really great players, with Wayne leading the way and, obviously, Mess (Mark Messier) close behind and then Glenn Anderson and (Paul) So, what makes the 58-year old father of two (he and wife, Karen, have a Coffey. daughter, Amanda, and son, Ryan) and grandfather of eight tick? What spurred the only child of Lucy and Bill Huddy, an elevator installer in "Edmonton’s always going to have a special place in my heart. But it’s Scarborough, Ont., to settle on hockey as a lifetime career, win five NHL like anything in this game. You go to a new place and now you’re hoping championships and share a locker room on three different teams — to be able to do the kinds of things with that organization that you did with Edmonton, the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers (as an the Oilers. I work for the Jets, and my No. 1 goal has always been to assistant coach) — with No. 99, the best of them all? work with players and share my experiences of how we won… bring that knowledge and experience and get us moving on to the next level." Huddy maintains he was just another Canadian kid in the 1960s and ‘70s who fell in love with the game watching Bobby Orr rushing up the ice and His popularity mattered little. Most critical was whether he could help scoring in spectacular fashion. mould a winning culture within a franchise that had done a pile of losing in its time in Atlanta before relocating north. "I wanted to play and I was pretty fortunate that I had parents who were supportive and took me to all my games," recalls Huddy, whose folks The results certainly weren’t apparent overnight as the first-year Jets — have since passed away. "Pretty soon, before you even know it, you’re boasting a D-core of Dustin Byfuglien, Toby Enstrom and Mark Stuart, moving up in hockey and playing junior in Oshawa with some pretty good along with long-departed Ron Hainsey, Zach Bogosian and Johnny hockey players. " Oduya — finished 26th in the league in goals-against and did not make the playoffs. He spent two years there with the ’s Generals, registering 20 goals and 58 points in his final season in 1978-79 on a Midway through the team’s third season, mired in a slump, Jets GM squad that included future NHLers Steve Konroyd, Tom McCarthy and Kevin Cheveldayoff fired Noel and brought in Paul Maurice in an effort to Lee Norwood, and also current Montreal Canadiens’ bench boss Claude right the ship. Assistant coach Perry Pearn was also relieved of his Julien. duties. Huddy, however, was retained, completed the season with Maurice and then returned in the fall to run the back end. Undrafted, Huddy signed his first pro contract with the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League and played one season, catching the eye of It wasn’t until Year 4 — the team’s first full season with Maurice behind the Oilers and signing with the NHL team in time for the 1980-81 the bench — that the team demonstrated real signs of improvement on campaign. defence. Quite frankly, the opposite should have transpired; at various points, and with plenty of overlap, Enstrom, Stuart, Bogosian, Byfuglien Playing with Edmonton’s farm club in Wichita, Kan., Huddy got called up and newcomers Jacob Trouba and Grant Clitsome were off the ice, midway through the season to skate with the Oilers. At Maple Leaf nursing long-term injuries. Gardens, of all places. A day after that memorable debut, something special happened in Chicago. "I scored in my first goal in my second NHL game on a slapshot, beat He would go on to assist John Muckler with the Rangers for two years Tony Esposito five-hole," Huddy recalls fondly. "That was pretty cool, and was by the side of former teammate Craig MacTavish on the because as a kid you’re watching hockey and Tony’s one of the great Edmonton bench for eight years before moving on to Dallas. goalies and then, all of a sudden, you’re playing against him and scoring your first goal." Huddy says he wasn’t driven to have the final say on an NHL coaching staff, preferring to fill a crucial supporting role, not unlike his successful Huddy dressed for a dozen games that winter and 41 the next season, playing days. bouncing between Wichita and Edmonton, finally becoming a fixture on the Oilers’ blue line in 1982-83. That’s when Sather created one of the "I always enjoyed working with the D. That’s my passion, I guess," he game’s all-time great defensive pairings. says. "When I was in Edmonton with MacT, I pretty much had the freedom to run the defence the way that I saw fit through the course of Huddy and Coffey were pretty much inseparable, on and off the ice, for the game. Now with Paul, it’s kind of the same deal. I run the D, we talk five seasons in Edmonton, winning Cups together in 1984, 1985 and between periods or if he wants to make some changes. He’s always the 1987 before Coffey was traded to Pittsburgh just over a month into the guy in charge, obviously. He’s got the trust in me to do the job." 1987-88 season following a contract dispute. And the job is one in which his superiors and a legion of fans conduct an A stay-at-home type of defenceman, Huddy found a niche partnering with 82-game (and beyond, if the team continues to roll) performance review. the game’s premier skating rearguard. He submits to his own, as well. "He was instrumental in my career, on and off the ice. He was a just lot of "At the end of the day, people look at the goalie and see if the goals are fun to be around," says Coffey. "He was huge for us because he was so good or bad, and the next place they’re going to look is at the defence. steady. He wasn’t flashy, but he didn’t go unnoticed. He made me what I ‘How could they allow six or seven goals?’ So, you always take it was, allowed me to be loose and have fun. I liked to play a risky game personally, you always feel like, ‘Did I have the right guys out there?’ and he was always back there. "For me, it’s fortunate to have this group of guys back there. Absolutely, "And D-to-D (passing), the puck was always on the stick from Charlie. when you go through most games you can almost roll any of the six guys There was nobody better back then. He’d get that puck, draw a couple of out because they’re all good NHL players," he adds. "We have some guys in and get it back to me and I’d go up the ice." young guys, it’s the NHL and they’re going to make some mistakes. But they’re learning. We’ve got good pieces." The Oilers’ sheer dominance regularly resulted lopsided numbers on the scoreboard, and that set up some shenanigans courtesy of the tandem’s Morrissey, averaging just under 19 minutes of ice time per game, often point-producer. against opponents’ top forward lines, says he’s like a sponge when it comes to listening to Huddy and learning what he needs to do to be "If we were up 4-1 or 5-1, I didn’t mind throwing the puck into Charlie’s successful. feet just to see if he could get out of it before he got run over," Coffey says, laughing. "That’s actually true. I laugh about it to this day because "We Watch video all the time, we’re always talking on the bench and he’s it’s actually mean, but that’s the stuff we used to do. always shaping your game," says Morrissey, 22, from Calgary. "You look what he was able to accomplish as a player, it’s pretty insane. He’s a "And he handled it perfect, made the play and yelled something funny great mentor to have, the situations he’s been in, the big games he’s back to me." been through, the teams he’s played on, the individuals he’s played with. Paired with a 100-point guy, Huddy knew exactly what his job was on the "We’re very lucky to have him, for sure." explosive Oilers.

"I knew that if I played my game, it would let Paul be free to do more of his thing," says Huddy, who dressed for the Oilers’ alumni team during Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.25.2017 the Heritage Classic weekend at Winnipeg’s Investors Group Field 13 months ago. "I was pretty quiet in the room. We had enough leaders. When you have Gretz and Mess, we didn’t need much more after that. Those guys could take charge of a room." Huddy was badly injured during the third round of the 1987-88 playoff run against Detroit and had to undergo emergency surgery to drain blood from his leg, miraculously returned to play the fourth and deciding game of the Stanley Cup final against Boston and got to raise hockey’s holy grail over his head again. "It’s a corny story, but it’s so true. You grow up dreaming of playing in the NHL and winning a Stanley Cup. And then for a short period of time you get to skate around the ice with it. It’s all yours for 15 or 20 seconds and then you hand it off to someone else. It’s a special feeling," he says. Huddy played parts of 11 seasons with Edmonton before signing as a free agent in Los Angeles and reuniting with Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Marty McSorley. The crazy days working as one of the parts that made up then- owner Bruce McNall’s plaything, were indeed memorable. "We were around celebrities all the time but they weren’t coming to see me. They were coming to see Wayne," he says. "(Former golf great) Craig Stadler was there. (Beloved Canadian comedy actor) John Candy was around. He was there during the run in ‘93 when we lost to Montreal in the final. "I remember against Toronto in Game 7 (of the conference final), he came into the locker room with maybe five minutes to go before warmup and just starting going on with a little speech. He just walked in on us and he this big beard growing and he was like, ‘You guys gotta win this series and move on and get to the Stanley Cup final so I can shave off this damn beard.’" Huddy says he was drawn to coaching almost immediately once his splendid 1,017-game, 453-point playing career ended after the 1996-97 season in the Buffalo organization. He dressed for just one game with the Sabres, while spending 63 with the club’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, as a quasi-playing coach for John Tortorella. 1085101 Winnipeg Jets at least less of a grimace, on the boss’s face in this one… Perry almost beats Hellebuyck early, and the Ducks are the ones carrying the play. The Jets top line starts to turn the tide, a textbook, short-pass breakout Jets hot out of the gate ... Upon further review, afternoon games not so leading to a chance for Kyle Connor at the other end, but Gibson holds bad ... Still sore at Perry ... Black Friday only for Ducks his ground… Byfuglien’s the most high-profile Jet yet to score this season, and he comes close a couple times on one shift. No. 33 hasn’t over-pressed for his first, so far. No need to start now…. Josh Morrissey takes the body on Antoine Vermette and gets a peculiar two for tripping. Paul Friesen The Jets PK survives another… The Ducks are desperate now, the Jets content to ice the puck and hang on, until Connor’s empty-netter seals it. November 24, 2017 Overall, another solid road win. Eyebrow-raising stat: eight of the Jets’ 14 wins have been by three goals or more… Black Friday? Only for Carlyle and the Ducks. Paul Friesen avoided the mall and Black Friday madness and settled for a little afternoon Jets action on TV. Let the shoppers fight the crowds in the malls and the traffic on the Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.25.2017 streets, I’m spending a good chunk of Black Friday in front of the old picture tube. It’s the Jets and Ducks, live from Anaheim, and judging by the rows of empty seats they’re not thrilled with the 1 p.m. start in southern California. Either that or they’re caught in Black Friday traffic. KITTY WON’T LIKE THIS This looks to be a very winnable game for the Jets, as Anaheim’s without top centres Ryan Getzlaff and Ryan Kesler… Ducks coach Randy Carlyle was even snarlier than usual after his team’s last game, an unenthusiastic, 4-2 loss to Vegas that he described as a kick in the head. “I don’t know any more words to describe how poorly we played,” Carlyle had said, adding it could have been a 10-2 final. He’ll probably come up with a few more words after the way the Ducks have started this one… Mark Scheifele’s line is buzzing on the first shift, and it produces what looks like the game’s opening goal, a mere 34 seconds in. But Carlyle suspects Blake Wheeler was offside by a toe, and sure enough, he challenges and gets it overturned. Momentum boost for the Ducks? Nope… On the very next shift, the Jets No. 2 line picks up right where the No. 1 left off. It takes Bryan Little and Co. just 28 seconds to get the goal back, Nik Ehlers pouncing on a rebound just as Scheifele had done on the disallowed goal… The Ducks are handling the puck like it’s a live grenade, and now they’re starting to take penalties. On their second, Ehlers strikes again, beating goalie John Gibson, short side, with a wrist shot and it’s 2-zip, just five minutes in… At this point there’s nothing for Carlyle to challenge, except maybe his team’s manhood. AFTERNOON DELIGHT At the break, Ehlers tells the TV audience he’s not a big fan of afternoon games. “But it doesn’t feel too bad right now,” he adds, grinning. Ehlers hadn’t scored in eight games, managing just three assists in that time, as the struggles for this second line had no end in sight. At some point you just have to acknowledge there’s no chemistry there. This game might mark the beginning of the end of that discussion. There’s nothing wrong with the chemistry on that line on its first shift of the second period. The Jets come out of the gate hard, again, and Ehlers’ impressive cross-ice pass to Little nearly produces their third goal… The Ducks still have moments where it looks like they’re playing with garbage mitts on. They get an ugly one back, though, when 37-year-old Francois Beauchemin sends a combination knuckler/sinker in from the point that fools Connor Hellebuyck, who may or may not have seen it… Good to see Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba get a little fired up a few shifts later. Some nights you don’t notice Trouba nearly as much as you would expect to at this point in his career… The Jets get another power play, but it’s Hellebuyck who’s called on to make a big save, after Dustin Byfuglien loses his stick and the Jets get a little loose in front of their own net. That’ll just go down in the stats as another save, but it’ll loom even larger after Little walks in from the point and wires a wrister past a partially- screened Gibson. That’s two power-play goals for the Jets today, which won’t hurt their seventh-place NHL ranking in that department. GOING AFTER PERRY Scrum time behind the Jets’ goal, now, and Anaheim’s Corey Perry’s in the middle of it. Perry isn’t a favourite of the Jets – you may recall he broke Mathieu Perreault’s thumb with a slash last season — and it shows when Wheeler drops his gloves and tries to get a piece of him while he’s tied up with Scheifele… The Ducks get the man advantage out of it, but the Jets penalty kill survives, and it’s still 3-1 after two periods. The second intermission reveals Little, with three points, is no fan of afternoon starts, either. Go figure. PROTECTING THE LEAD Head coach Paul Maurice liked the way his team played with the 2-1 lead against the Kings two days earlier. We’ll see if they can leave a smile, or 1085102 Winnipeg Jets “We don’t have to hide a line and we don’t have to run one line too heavy,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “So, we get to the end of the game and everybody has got pretty good legs. Our four lines would Little line provides big contribution as Jets win again probably all like to play a little bit more and that means when it gets to the real serious and tight time of the game, they have the energy to do it.”

Ehlers extended the lead at 4:59 of the first period, catching Ducks goalie Ken Wiebe John Gibson cheating off his post and firing a shot past him. November 24, 2017 Then after Ducks defenceman Francois Beauchemin scored on a knuckle-puck from the left point, Little scored a power-play marker that restored the two-goal cushion. ANAHEIM – It’s been a frequent topic of conversation for those who Kyle Connor supplied an empty-netter with 100 seconds to go in follow the Winnipeg Jets. regulation to round out the scoring. When will the Jets’ second line start producing more? It was another impressive bounce-back game for Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who made 30 saves and improved to 12-2-2 on the season. The answer was Friday afternoon, when the trio combined for three goals and seven points in the 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. In the three starts this season after allowing five goals, Hellebuyck has given up only only one goal the next time he got between the pipes. Although two of the three goals for the trio came with the man- advantage, it was a dominant performance from Ehlers (two goals, one Having that ability to bounce back from a sub-par effort is a club every assist), Little (one goal, two assists) and Laine (one assist). goalie wants to have in his bag, though they don’t want to have to lean on it too often. Ehlers let out a sigh of relief to go with his fist pump as he snapped an eight-game goal-less drought. The expression on Little’s face was similar when his high shot found the Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.25.2017 back of the net to give him three goals on the season. “I should have had one earlier in the game where Ehlers made a nice cross-ice pass to me and I kind of whiffed on it a bit. We stuck with it and had a good game. Now we hope to get something rolling with us three,” said Little. “That’s the way it goes. We realize that we need to be playing better, especially five-on-five. We have been the last couple of games, getting more chances and more time in their end. That’s what you need. You need all of the lines going and when one line has an off night, the other ones pick it up. “You’re going to have stretches where things aren’t going your way and things aren’t going well. Then there are games when things go your way and the puck ends up in the back of the net.” With the victory, the Jets improved to 14-5-3 on the season, with 31 points already in the bank. The Jets close out a four-game road trip on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. Steve Mason, who has allowed only four goals during his past three starts, will start in goal for the Jets against the Sharks. Earlier this week, Ehlers spoke about the need to contribute more offensively, to play a more simple game and not be as cute. Laine agreed with the assessment, noting it was important for each member to be a bit more selfish with the puck on their stick and look to shoot more, rather than attempt to make a perfect pass. Mission accomplished on that front. “Our line hasn’t been producing or playing the way we’ve wanted to,” said Ehlers, who is up to 10 goals and 17 points in 22 games this season. “The game against (the Kings on Wednesday) was a step in the right direction and another step (Friday). It’s great for our line and great for the team.” It took only 34 seconds for the Jets to score what they thought was the opening goal of the game, as Blake Wheeler found Mark Scheifele all alone in front. But after video review, the goal was disallowed, since Wheeler was offside when the initial rush entered the zone. The clock was wound back to 12 seconds, but 28 seconds later Ehlers buried a rebound after a low shot from Laine, building on what was already a hot start out of the gate for the Jets. “The start was huge. A lot of credit to (Mark) Scheifele’s line, they got us going on the first shift and we ended up scoring on the second one. Getting another quick one gave us a lot of momentum,” said Little. “We know it’s a tough building to play in. These guys are known to come out hard and stay in games. We did a good job of playing with the lead, even when things got tight. We’re just getting better and better at closing games out like this.” Closing out games can be a difficult thing to learn how to do. And unlike in past seasons, the Jets seem to be getting more and more comfortable when playing with the lead. 1085103 Winnipeg Jets recently from Steve Mason, who has allowed only four goals during his past three starts.

“It’s a good feeling in the locker room,” said Jets forward Patrik Laine. Can Jets sustain early success? Narrow focus has been instrumental so “It’s nice to come to the rink in the morning because you know that every far night you have a chance to win. You’re expecting to be winning the game. The atmosphere is so much different than last year, where we were always battling between losing streaks and winning a couple of Ken Wiebe games. Now we’re expecting we can win every single night. It’s a whole different situation and it’s way more fun.” November 23, 2017 8:31 PM CST The scary thing for their opponents is as well as the Jets have played to reach this point, there’s another level they can reach. ANAHEIM — Is this hot start a mirage or a sign of things to come for the “There’s always things we can improve,” said Laine. “It tells you a lot Winnipeg Jets? about our team, that even though we’re not always playing our best game, we can still win. “That’s the sign of a good team.” It’s a question worth investigating further as the Jets reached American Thanksgiving not only in a playoff spot, but tied for third in the entire NHL with 29 points. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.25.2017 No, that’s not a misprint. Through 21 games of the 2017-18 season, only the Tampa Bay Lightning (34) and St. Louis Blues (33) have more points than the Jets, who sport a record of 13-5-3 as they prepare to face the Anaheim Ducks on Friday afternoon at the Honda Center. After years of talking about building for the future, the early indications are the Jets have more than just potential this season. They’re finding ways to win games where previous incarnations may have folded under pressure. Instead of crumbling after a disappointing 0-2 start where the Jets often looked lost defensively, they found a way to band together. The Jets haven’t lost consecutive games in regulation since Oct. 7, a span of 19 games. That’s impressive. The topic of the Jets becoming more comfortable in their own skin as a “winning team brought some interesting answers following Thursday’s quick workout at the Honda Center. “We can be happy with how we’ve approached everything,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “We can be happy with the strides we’ve made in the first quarter, but the realization is there are three quarters ahead of us. We’re excited about where we’re at, but I think we’re even more excited about the fact we can get better every single day. That’s been our focus so far this year, we continue to do that and hopefully, we can keep this going.” That singular focus is essential, since it’s easy for a team that hasn’t enjoyed much success to get off track or temporarily forget the importance of paying attention to the little details that have been an important part of this resurgence. “If there was something you could grab hold of and say it’s permanent, then the game would never humble you — and it always will,” said Maurice. “If you spend any time thing thinking about where we’re at as a permanent thing or that somehow any of this gets any easier, that’s a dangerous place to go mentally.” Although being in a playoff position at American Thanksgiving is a good indicator of the teams that actually qualify for the post-season, it’s still not anything close to a guarantee. “You don’t read headlines, you don’t focus on where you are in the standings, you just focus on the next game,” said Wheeler. “It’s trying to keep that one-tracked mind. Worry about the day you have in front of you. And do that every single day. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. If you start doing that, you’re going to slip up.” To put it bluntly, the Jets don’t want to become a statistic or be part of the roughly 20% of teams that don’t hold onto their playoff spot after American Thanksgiving. With 61 games left on the regular-season docket, it’s not like the Jets can afford to put things on cruise control. Not even close. Despite having only five regulation losses through the first quarter of the season, the Jets hold only a one-point lead over the Nashville Predators in the chase for second spot in the Central Division. There’s something different about this Jets team – and not just the elite- level goaltending it is receiving from Connor Hellebuyck and more 1085104 Winnipeg Jets What happened, Leah, was we opened the building in '04 and we had some success. I let the commissioner know what was going on and there would be occasions to keep him apprised of what was going on and how Hextall: One-on-one with Mark Chipman on how he brought the Jets we were doing, and we were doing well. back to Winnipeg In '07 he invited us to make a presentation to the executive committee in New York along with four other cities. I learned that because I read the guest book and learned we weren’t the only ones there, but we were the By Leah Hextall 17 hours ago last ones to go that day. We made a presentation to the executive on why we thought Winnipeg could support an NHL team, and immediately

after that there were a few different opportunities presented to us — Mark Chipman’s first hockey memory is being dropped at Sturgeon some opportunities more real than others but it was obvious to us then, Creek Community Club in Winnipeg. It was a Saturday afternoon when the league was taking us seriously. he was five years old and he was dressed in hockey equipment he Over the next few years, we looked at a couple different opportunities, borrowed from a neighbor. most seriously in 2010 when the Coyotes went into bankruptcy and the While his skill set didn’t turn him into an all-star his passion for the game league took the team over. It was then they asked us if we would buy the came naturally. team and we said we would. We spent a week in New York and we bought the team with the understanding that Glendale had the right to Growing up a Boston Bruins fan, just like his dad, Chipman vividly recalls keep it. There was a financial requirement that if they met by a certain watching Bobby Orr soar through the air after he scored the game- date they would get a chance for one more year. We went down there winning goal to defeat St. Louis in the 1970 Stanley Cup final. knowing that but we spent the whole week around the clock working on the deal. Now 57, Chipman not only owns his hometown hockey team, he is the man many Manitobans credit with bringing the Jets back to Winnipeg. Hextall: Were you heartbroken when it didn’t happen?

A buddy of mine — obsessed Jets fanboy Derek Wolfe — suggested I Chipman: No, not really, because I felt like we were going to get a team. find the backstory of how it all happened from Chipman himself. I liked It was a bit of a blessing because it gave us another year to get ready. the idea but the chairman of True North Sports and Entertainment When we got introduced to Phoenix in 2010 it was late. We would have doesn’t like a lot of fanfare and I wasn’t sure he would be up for it. pulled it off but it was late. We were going to do it because you’re not going to miss these opportunities. So, we went through the entire Life lesson: always ask, because the worst they can say is no and process and it’s a pretty egregious process. We were literally going sometimes, like this time, they say yes. around the clock. I remember talking to (NHL deputy commissioner) Bill Hextall: When was the first conversation you had with somebody about Daly in the middle of the night because he was in Glendale working on buying an NHL team? that end of it and we were handicapping how this was going to work out. I knew there was a good chance that we weren’t going to get it. That Chipman: The first time I ever had the courage to say it was at the Salt Friday came and we went to the airport waiting to hear and I got the call Lake City Olympics in 2002. I had met Gary (Bettman) prior to that and they said the team was going to stay in Phoenix, but I got a strong through the efforts of putting the IHL and American League together. signal from Gary, if it wasn’t this one we were going to get the next one. (The IHL and AHL merged in 2001.) We said we were willing to wait and that was a blessing because it gave us another year to get ready, and that year really helped. I knew him to say hello but it wasn’t like we were buds. So, I said hello to him and he asked how I got there and I told him I came down with a Hextall: It’s interesting to me you speak of Gary being open and friend to watch the Games. He was very gracious to us and gave us transparent and positive about Winnipeg because there seems to be a credentials to access the NHL hospitality. So, that was an incredible narrative in Winnipeg there was resistance by the NHL to bring a team week, we win gold in men’s and women’s and I told him we were building back. Is that a misconception? a building and we would really love to have the NHL come back. Gary was very cordial, he said, “You’re building a building. That’s important.” Chipman: Very much so. From 2007 on, they were the ones that invited He was encouraging, he didn’t dismiss and said let’s stay in touch and so us to go make the presentation. They were serious about it. Gary we did. We opened the building later than we hoped. We were delayed a frequently pointed out to me through the process he was hopeful it would year as there were people against it, so that took a year out of our materialize because he felt that they could right a wrong. It was schedule and we ultimately opened it in 2004 and when we did that we unfortunate the team ever left here in the first place but it just didn’t work had started to have some success as a hockey team. The Moose were a in 1996. They didn’t have a building; the economics of the league were good team and we had a solid organization. Zinger (Craig Heisinger) was dramatically different and in the wrong way. doing a great job running the hockey club, getting consistent playoff runs I had a good look at it in 1996 and it was nobody’s fault. Everybody was and when we opened the building that carried on. The plan wasn’t a looking for someone to pin this on but there was no blame to be had in written plan but once we got in that building we tried to think of ourselves 1996. It wasn’t Barry Shenkarow’s fault; it wasn’t the city of Winnipeg’s as the 31st NHL team and I think we were. fault; it wasn’t the NHL’s fault. You just couldn’t bring those interests In all due respect, I think we were running the team and the business of together in a way that worked back then. It was probably a good thing for the team, in a way that was superior to some of the teams that were our city that we sat it out awhile and let things correct themselves. operating in the NHL at that time. We had more people working for us Hextall: All right then, Phoenix doesn’t happen but a year later Atlanta here than Atlanta did when we bought the team. That’s what we were becomes a possible team to relocate. How is that brought to your trying to be. We thought if we’re ever going to get there may as well start attention? behaving that way now. Chipman: Gary indicated that might be the next opportunity that would Hextall: After the building was built, it seemed at the end of every NHL come up and if I was patient I would get a crack at it. So, we waited, and season the great debate in Winnipeg was if the Coyotes were relocating in February the following year it was still uncertain whether Phoenix was back to Winnipeg. Was that a real possibility? going to stay, so we worked on both parallel through the spring in 2011, Chipman: The chairs were set up here on the floor for a press quietly obviously. We were maybe overly protective, but we didn’t want to conference… get anybody’s expectations up, the rumors were just non-stop.

Hextall: Whaaat? Hextall: The secrecy of the process and not being public was your choice and not some unwritten rule by the NHL on how business is done? Chipman: Yeah, truly! The year before we bought Atlanta we went through the process of buying the Phoenix Coyotes. Chipman: They prefer these deals to be done confidentially because if they don’t work out a market could be hurt by it. We respected that and Hextall: How far in the process did you get? on our side, we didn’t want to crush people’s hopes that we were working on something. Chipman: Within minutes and that was the second time. I remember we were at the airport in Newark and I called and said, “Take nun had some hard questions for who we took in the draft that year. I’ll the chairs down” because we didn’t want anyone to think, “Why are the never forget that. I said I’m trying to get on the plane and she said, “It’s chairs up?” running late. We got lots of time.”

We didn’t put the chairs until the last minute because you never know You feel that responsibility and some days it is overwhelming, but what someone might say. So, chairs went up (and) chairs went down, whenever you lose a few games, or things aren’t going well, those real quiet. buddies of mine that I played with back then send an email or phone and I realize how blessed beyond explanation I am that this has been a part In February, we got engaged with the folks in Atlanta and we worked on it of me. through the spring. I don’t have a lot of memories of it but what I do remember was tricky about it was the Moose were still playing. We went Hextall: What do you want your last hockey memory to be? to Game 7 of Round 2, lost to Hamilton, so you're 100 percent invested in that – and at the same time you got this transaction going on and you’re Chipman: A Stanley Cup. That’s why I’m doing this. Yeah, for sure, Cup, super pumped about that and what that could mean. It was really a bit of in this city… that celebration. a blur. That’s why we’re doing this, we’re trying to win a championship. That’s I remember U2 played at the stadium a couple days before we what this is about. announced the deal and we were thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool if they made the announcement in front of 50,000 people?” We could have almost pulled that off. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017

Hextall: Can I just say if U2 would have announced the return of the Jets, that would have been epic!

Chipman: That would have been epic. The day we announced it the weather was crappy, and that night was beautiful and what if The Edge and Bono came out in Jets jerseys and said, “We got some news we want to share…”

Anyhow that didn’t work out but we knew by then it was almost a certainty. We were down to the micro technical issues of the deal and then the night before we announced it everything looked good. Now you’re saying, press conference tomorrow and you’re saying put the chairs back up, the NHL is coming — and then there was an issue in the middle of the night. I don’t remember the exact issue but it was a legal issue and we couldn’t get it resolved so there was a bit of panic at 3 a.m. as I had to tell Gary, “You’re getting on a plane or you’re not getting on a plane.” We worked through the night and about 5 a.m. we got it resolved.

Hextall: When did it feel like this is real, that the NHL is coming back to Winnipeg?

Chipman: It was about then. This whole thing, replaying this right now, I haven’t thought it about it like this in a long time and it brings back some emotion. I thought we were good to go the night before but I’d been around enough deals in my life that things can be uprooted and can go off the rails. I walked into our staff meeting at 9 a.m. and that’s when I could tell our staff we had been called up to the National Hockey League.

So that was cool.

Hextall: What was the greatest challenge in the process?

Chipman: I would say the duration of time it took. I don’t want to give you the impression this was something I was agonizing over every day for 15 years. I really enjoyed my time in the “I” and American League, I wouldn’t give back any of those years. I learned so much about the game and the business of hockey. After 2007, when I realized the NHL was looking at us seriously, it was just the duration. At times it was hard to be patient. I don’t come by that naturally but that was probably the hardest, Leah, trying to hang in there.

Hextall: Mark, I know you’re a businessman but you’ve spoken about being emotionally involved when trying to save the Jets before they relocated in 1996. So, how emotionally involved are you in your hockey club after you endured 15 years trying to get the team back to Winnipeg?

Chipman: Very. My wife would probably say too much so. I’ve been fortunate to have a phenomenal family growing up and married for coming up 32 years here, and I don’t think I knew how fortunate I was when I married my wife. We’ve had three beautiful, smart young women that I’ve watched grown up, so that’s my life, but next to my faith and my family the Jets are my life.

Hextall: What would the kid who played his minor hockey at Sturgeon Creek Community Club think about his adult-self owning an NHL team?

Chipman: It’s a tough business. The weight of responsibility some days can be overwhelming because of that passion because you know how much people care. You’re reminded of it putting gas in your car, bumping into somebody at Costco.

I remember coming home from the draft in Philadelphia, I was running for a plane and I got to the gate and a lovely woman who happened to be a 1085105 Winnipeg Jets There is no way to quantify the impact of the schedule on a team’s injuries, but Maurice believes there is a correlation.

“Dallas kind of went through the same things we did last year; they had a Duhatschek Notebook: Jets' improved schedule, giving thanks for parity, difficult stretch and then they got beat up by injuries, and you saw what Gerard Gallant already Jack Adams worthy happened to them,” Maurice said. “There was a quote from Jon Cooper (the Tampa Bay Lightning coach) last year after they’d played 14 games in 28 days and he said, ‘this is crazy.’ Well, do it twice. And they got beat By Eric Duhatschek 10 hours ago up by injuries and missed the playoffs. The schedule has a major impact on results. It’s fairly even for a lot of teams. For some, it’s a little tougher

than for others. But for what we dealt with, I’d never seen anything like it. ANAHEIM – Scheduling is almost always a bone of contention with NHL “Maybe we’ve asked too much of these men.” coaches and no one knew the ins and outs of his team’s schedule better than the Los Angeles Kings’ Darryl Sutter. Not exactly a new age man, Ken Holland, the Detroit Red Wings’ general manager, probably didn’t Sutter still paid far more attention to rest and recovery than you’d think. realize he was creating a monster when he innocently passed on an Sutter knew how demanding the schedule could be for a team dealing observation to some of us many years ago: That in his research, the NHL with West Coast travel — and how playing tired could damage a team’s standings tended to move in tandem after U.S. Thanksgiving, which playoff aspirations. Fatigue contributes to injuries. Fatigue contributes to roughly coincides with the end of the NHL’s first quarter. mistakes. Too much fatigue and a team just can’t be at its best. Holland’s point was that if you were in the NHL playoff picture by this Last year was the first time the NHL introduced the concept of the bye week, the odds were good you would qualify for playoffs by season’s week, a five-day, mid-season break nominally intended to rest and end. Detroit made a habit of making the playoffs – 25 years in a row until refresh an overworked collection of players. A good idea, in theory. But it they finally lost out last year. Nowadays, of course, it’s possible to track was also the first time since 2004 that the NHL played the World Cup, the veracity of practically every theory on a spreadsheet. Then, it was which meant that the 82-game 2016-17 regular season would be mostly an empirical observation by a GM who’d discovered something crammed into a 179-day window, rather than the 185 days it took to play you’d intuitively think anyway – if you fell too far behind early in the the year before. season, it is hard to make up that ground, even if there were 60 games or so left to play. The net effect of trying to play a full season in 11 to 12 fewer days took its toll everywhere around the NHL, but it was particularly acute in In the last five years, Holland’s opus has been proven true just under 80 Winnipeg, where the Jets found themselves playing 28 games in 50 days per cent of the time. Three times, 13 teams in the playoffs by U.S. from their outdoor game in late October until the 11th of December. In Thanksgiving held on. In the other two seasons, 12 teams did so. This that span, they played back-to-back six times and only once did they get year, sorting out the Thanksgiving Day factor is further complicated by more than a single day off between games. In early November, one road the fact that as of Thursday, there were six teams tied for the final wild- trip took them to the East Coast, brought them home to the Central time card spot in the Western Conference. Yes, Colorado, San Jose, Chicago, zone for a single game (against the Dallas Stars) and off on the road Minnesota, Dallas and Anaheim all had 23 points. The Avalanche and again to play the Coyotes in Arizona. It was like that all year – ping- the Sharks had played the fewest games (20); had identical records (11- ponging back from one trip to another, rarely getting the opportunity to 8-3) and even had the same number of regulation and overtime wins practice. (10), which is the first tie-breaker.

“Our schedule was incredibly difficult last year,” said coach Paul Maurice, But it’s a logjam, with 13 of the 15 teams able to assert they are actually in an interview with The Athletic. “I’d never been through anything like in a playoff position, if you ignore tie-breaking scenarios. that before. I’d never seen anything like it before. If you take that schedule and put us on the East Coast, maybe it’s a little more Over in the East, there was a tiny bit more separation. The three worst reasonable. But then you throw our geography in there. We have one teams all resided in the Atlantic – Montreal, Florida, and Buffalo – where team that’s an hour away (Chicago). Everybody else is two hours-plus. 20 points separated first-place Tampa from the last-place Sabres, We have a team in our division that’s not even in our time zone. A lot of practically a chasm by today’s standards. By contrast, the gap between times, we were playing an East Coast game, then playing one at home, first-place Columbus and last-place Philadelphia in the Metropolitan was and then going to the West Coast, so we tried to factor in when we just eight points. Currently, the two wild-card spots in the conference travelled back home. We don’t even worry about a one-hour time were held by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, Pittsburgh, difference; that’s just standard operating procedure for us. and last season's President’s Trophy winners, Washington, but even that is a bit of mirage, given both had played 23 games, or three more than “We played six sets of back-to-backs in that block – and we did eight- seventh-place Carolina. And while the Rangers were on the outside time zone changes and we banged out 130 man-games lost to injury in looking in, they were on an 8-2 roll in their last 10. that stretch. We were three games under .500 after we lost in Calgary and lost in Edmonton at the end of it and we had nothing in the tank. It Accordingly, if the metrics of the past five years roughly hold true again, it was tough.” means three or four teams currently in the playoff mix will fall out by season’s end. You pick. Logically, you’d have to think Vegas, slumping Accordingly, this year, while the bye weeks remain (Winnipeg’s is Los Angeles and Vancouver are vulnerable in the West; while New between Jan. 13 and Jan. 20, just past the mid-point of the season), the Jersey and Detroit would be the prime candidates to slip in the East. But schedule is far friendlier, according to Maurice, who said the Jets didn’t since there was nothing remotely logical – or predictable – about how the do much lobbying to change the schedule. Just eliminating the World first quarter played out, who knows what can happen. Cup added six additional days back into the schedule. Compared to last year, the Jets play only 14 games in November (not 16) and play only six To paraphrase my old friend Bob Johnson, Wednesday was a great day in the first 11 days of December (not seven). In that seven-week span, for hockey in southern California because it gave me a chance to speak they also enjoy one four-day break and one three-day break and only with players and coaches on four teams in one day. I went to the morning play back-to-back twice, including this Friday and Saturday in Anaheim skates in Anaheim, where the Ducks were preparing to host the Golden and San Jose respectively. But Friday’s was an afternoon game, thanks Knights; and then drove across town to see the Jets squeak out a 2-1 to the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, so there will be a few additional hours victory over the Kings at night. of recovery time. The one thing that struck me was how remarkably similar the messaging In addition to improvements in goal and special teams’ play, a more was from both Maurice and Golden Knights’ coach Gerard Gallant in reasonable schedule is a significant contributing factor to the team’s terms of keeping the focus narrow after both were off to unexpectedly early-season successes, which had them in second place overall in the good starts. Western Conference standings through Friday. “Really, we don’t talk about it,” Gallant said. “We’re not looking at it long “I would say ours is now normal,” Maurice said. “Relative to last year, term. We’re looking at the next game. We know where we’re at in the we’re happy with it. We still have a block of games, from the third week of standings, but as soon as you start looking down the road, well …” November until the third week of December, that’s really tough, but I Gallant didn’t finish his thought, but the implication was clear. The minute think everybody has their bad month.” his hard-working, fast-paced team started thinking big-picture thoughts, that’s when trouble might start. Divisional games, he acknowledged, were more important. Vegas’s best chance of actually qualifying for the be choir boys yet, or have figured out what is and isn’t acceptable in this playoffs will be to finish among the top three teams in the Pacific, which era of increased vigilance, but they are improving. is weaker in relative terms to the Central. Maurice explained to me that he came up with the idea of having an “The way I’m talking to our team, one game is not more important than experienced official at camp as part a three-pronged off-season plan to another one, but we all know it is,” Gallant said. “It’s a divisional game. I reduce the number of penalties they took. don’t want to put any added pressure on our team. We just go out and play the game, no matter who you play, and just play the best you can. If “It was clearly not a coach’s speech that was going to change it, because you keep winning hockey games, the standings will take care of we’ve had that a bunch of times,” Maurice said. “The first part was themselves.” considering a player’s original defensive position – and did your positioning put you in a place to take a penalty or not? The second part The Golden Knights then went out and produced a wonderful effort was developing the skill of defending one-on-one. And last was against the Ducks, spotted them a two-goal lead, didn’t panic, pushed understanding what the rules are and how they’re applied and why until they got back to even and then won it in the third. They are getting they’re applied. We worked on all three.” unexpected performances from a number of different players, including William Karlsson, who is getting a chance to play a top-six role in Vegas In training camp, Maurice said he ran one-on-one compete drills every and taking advantage of the opportunity. Karlsson’s 10 goals in 20 single practice, trying to teach “the skill of defending without getting your games is one behind team leader James Neal and already represents a stick up – and how do you change what you do. Part of that was career high. The Golden Knights lost their three top goalies to injuries, reviewing video on every players’ penalties that they took last year. We and while Malcolm Subban has been activated from injured reserve, went through that with them in the first week. All our repeat offenders, we which has permitted them to return Dylan Ferguson to junior, they have broke it down for them – because there’s a certain kind of player that gotten five of their 10 wins with their fourth stringer, Maxime Lagace, in takes a certain kind of penalty; and so we saw all those. goal. I’ve really never seen anything quite like it. No matter what happens “Then the last part of it was education. We are a really young team so we from here on in, it’s hard to imagine any scenario in which Gallant doesn’t needed a guy to come in, not to explain the rulebook, because that, we win the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s coach of the year. get. But Paul (Devorski) has done 1,594 NHL games – and there are This and that certain tells. He’d say, ‘if I have to think about it, it’s not a penalty. You know a penalty when you see it.’ He started talking about where your Marian Gaborik was tentatively scheduled to return to the Los Angeles stick is, where your free hand is – and can we eliminate the two or three lineup Friday; he’s been out all season, recovering from off-season knee things that in his subconscious referee’s mind, means a penalty’s surgery. You can expect Gaborik to start in a limited bottom-six role until coming? he gets his skating legs under him, but then coach John Stevens will have a decision to make. Does he put Gaborik up on the top line, with “Having Devo on the ice, I thought was really good. I didn’t have him Anze Kopitar, where they’ve had chemistry in the past? Or leave running the practice, or blowing the drills. I just had him talking to the Kopitar’s line intact, with Dustin Brown and rookie Alex Iafallo? Iafallo has guys. But I’d look over and see (Blake) Wheeler talking to him, or Buff brought speed and energy to the unit, but has managed just one goal in (Dustin Byfuglien). What we tried to do was break down all the factors 22 games. It may well be that facing lower-level defence pairs, playing that led to the penalties we took last year and tried to address them. Paul further down the lineup, might help ease Iafallo’s NHL transition. came in and he was great. He just talked to the guys and rolled around Stevens, meanwhile, has managed to resurrect Brown’s career by the ice. It was good.” playing him lots – on average, 20 minutes and 12 seconds per night. Brown’s four power-play goals leads the team. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 Gaborik scored 27 goals for the Kings back in the 2014-15 season, but the last two years have been injury-filled disasters – 22 points in 54 games two years ago; 21 points in 56 games last year. Part of being a successful NHL coach these days is being an organizational pragmatist, which is why Brown has a new lease on life under Stevens. The former Kings’ captain, Brown is signed for four more years at $5.875 million per season – heavy coin for a player whose role was diminished under Sutter last year. If a player can’t play, he can’t play, but from the Kings’ perspective, it made sense to give Brown a fair chance to demonstrate what was left in the tank – lots by the looks of the early season. The same strategy will logically apply to Gaborik, who is 35 and has three more years remaining after this year at $4.875 million. Under the new Kings regime – with Rob Blake in as GM, Stevens behind the bench – the Kings have had eight NHL rookies play at least two games this season. The decision to put Brooks Laich on waivers was presumably made to create a roster spot for Torrey Mitchell, acquired from the Montreal Canadiens Thursday.

Now in his fifth season as the Jets’ coach, Maurice tried one outside the box move in training camp, that seems to be paying dividends, by bringing in retired referee Paul Devorski. The Jets last year were assessed 275 minor penalties, second-most in the league behind Calgary (277), and gave up 62 power-play goals. Only Colorado and Dallas surrendered more. The year before wasn’t much better. They played a man short 282 times. Arizona, Anaheim, and Los Angeles were the only teams that were penalized more often. Not only did the Jets take too many penalties, but they didn’t do a good job of killing them off – finishing 26th on the penalty kill two years ago and 25th last year. Cumulatively, over that two-year span, the Jets lost the special teams’ battle by a wide margin, giving up 133 power-play goals and scoring just 86 times with the man advantage.

Turning that massive deficit into a plus, or simply having special teams offset, was their objective and so far, matters have vastly improved.

Through Friday, the Jets had scored 15 power-play goals (on 66 attempts) and surrendered 16 power-play goals (on 74 attempts). In all, 11 teams have been penalized more than the Jets. They may not exactly 1085106 Vancouver Canucks The two siblings faced off against one another in a summer league game this August, as Da Beauty League held a Unified Showcase game. Jess won the head-to-head, notching a goal and an assist, and several Five things to know about Brock Boeser, Canucks superstar rookie slashes to Boeser’s ankles. You can see footage of their battle here: Boeser is an advocate for those with developmental disabilities. In May 2016, he accepted a prom invitation from Baylee Bjorge, a Grand Forks Harrison Mooney Central High School student with Down syndrome. And this wasn’t some social media campaign where an athlete eventually caves to the Published on: November 24, 2017 | Last Updated: November 24, 2017 pressure. Bjorge’s mom deleted her Twitter account before Boeser saw 4:14 PM PST the invitation, so he tracked down her family’s contact information to see if she still wanted to go with him.

She did. Brock Boeser is on pace to obliterate several Canucks’ rookie records Nearly half of Boeser’s 11 goals this season have come against one In case you haven’t heard, Brock Boeser is having a monster rookie goalie. Boeser’s hat trick came on Nov. 4 against the Pittsburgh season in the NHL. Through the first 28 games of his professional career, Penguins. The next time Vancouver faced Pittsburgh, he scored twice he has more points than all but two players, both of whom were Calder more. And Matt Murray was in the Penguins’ net for all five of those. Trophy finalists in the 2015-16 season. Right around the time Boeser beat Murray for the fifth time, Canucks fans I bring up the Calder Trophy for obvious reasons. Right now, Boeser is were convinced: this isn’t just a player on a hot streak — Boeser sure the front-runner. But let’s not talk about how he’s doing in relation to the looks like the real deal. The rest of the NHL seemed to agree, too. rest of the league. Let’s focus on how he stacks up against his fellow Canucks (very well, thank you) and, more specifically, the Canuck But there was still one holdout: Matt Murray. No matter that Boeser has rookies of yore. scored more goals on Murray this season than every team in the NHL, save the Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers — Murray is Through his first 19 games of the NHL season, Boeser has registered 21 convinced each goal is a fluke. points — 11 goals and 10 assists. That’s a point per game average of 1.11, a better rate through the first quarter of the season than all but 17 NHL players. (Boeser is tied for 18th in the category with Toronto superstar Auston Matthews, his future 2022 Olympic linemate.) Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 11.25.2017 If Boeser can maintain that pace, he’d finish the year with more than 40 goals and nearly 90 points. If he comes anywhere near that, he’ll be the best Canucks rookie in franchise history, shattering Pavel Bure’s rookie record of 34 goals and 60 points. Granted, Bure put up those numbers in just 65 games, but Boeser is on pace to reach those totals in fewer games. Hopefully he can, sparing us several pro-Bure talk radio segments. If Boeser manages to hit 42 assists, by the way, he’ll also beat the rookie assists record, which Bure doesn’t have. That belongs, incredibly, to Dale Tallon, the Canucks’ inaugural draft pick, in case it wasn’t already clear that this franchise doesn’t come by outstanding rookies very often. Further evidence of that: earlier this month, Boeser became the first Canuck to register a hat trick before his 21st birthday since Trevor Linden did it on Dec. 20, 1990. Not only does Boeser already look like an NHL star a quarter of the way through his rookie season: he sounds like one, too. In a post-game interview from late last season just after he turned pro, Boeser dropped an unheard-of 45 y’knows in under three minutes. We should have known then that this kid was going to put up monster numbers. Boeser seems downright unflappable. He leads the Canucks in game- winning goals. Can you remember a single notable goal celebration? That’s not really his game. Rather than pumping his fists in the air or dropping to one knee or, say, riding his stick to the red line, Boeser is known for a casual point toward the teammate who passed him the puck, followed by an even more casual skate to the bench. Why is he so relaxed? Never too high, never too low. How does a 20-year-old develop that sort of emotional maturity? By going through a lot. Boeser’s grandfather died just hours before his first game in the United States Hockey League. The teenager still played, and honoured his “G- pa” by scoring a goal in his debut. A car accident involving four of his close friends in August of 2014 killed a baseball teammate, Ty Alyea, and critically injured a hockey linemate, Cole Borchardt. Boeser played a game that night as well, once again scoring a goal for his loved ones. And Boeser’s father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s seven years ago. He also survived a near-fatal car accident when Boeser was a high school freshman. “Brock grabbed me one night last fall in the parking lot outside of Waterloo and said, ‘Mom, it’s just been so hard,’ ” Laurie Boeser told the Star Tribune in 2015. “I said, ‘Honey, unfortunately, we don’t have control of what life dictates. It can be not fun at times, and there’s going to be the good and the bad.’” Right now the times are good. But Boeser knows as well as anyone that good times are just one side of a coin. Brock isn’t the only hockey player in the Boeser family. His sister Jess plays for the Burnsville Rams of Minnesota Special Hockey, a program for players of all ages with developmental disabilities. 1085107 Vancouver Canucks Will Butcher set a franchise record in his NHL debut Oct. 7 with a three- assist performance and leads rookie defencemen in scoring with 17 points (2-15). Canucks Post Game: Horvat thinks Kesler, Henrik thinks for Daniel, It was a statement about the state of today’s game and why the slight yet Devils think young highly coveted college free agent — a dozen teams chased the Colorado Avalanche fifth-round pick of 2013 — was able to make a seamless transition after being captain of the NCAA champions University of Ben Kuzma Denver Pioneers. Published: November 24, 2017 “You don’t have to be a big guy to play defence anymore and it’s good news for me,” said the 22-year-old Butcher, who is generously listed at 5- Updated: November 24, 2017 8:42 PM PST 10, 190 pounds. He said the Canucks weren’t on his signing radar, even though general manager Jim Benning talked to the player’s agent.

“The game is changing from big rugged defencemen like you see in old- NEWARK, N.J. —Points to ponder as the Canucks looked slow early and time hockey with the clutching and grabbing. You have to be able to better late to pull to within a goal in the third period before falling 3-2 to skate and move the puck and use your feet to defend.” the Devils on Friday: You also have to be with a club that has gone from chip-and-chase and Vancouver Canucks’ centre Bo Horvat scores on New Jersey Devils’ the trap, to uptempo and entertaining. The Devils have eight players 23 netminder Cory Schneider during the third period of Friday’s NHL game or younger — including first-round pick Nico Hischier (18), Jesper Braat in Newark, N.J. The Devils won 3-2. (19), Pavel Zacha (20), and now average 27.0 years of age. When Cory Schneider stoned Bo Horvat midway through the third period Three seasons ago, they averaged 30.3. it could have easily been one of those I-can’t-believe-Schneids-stuck-it- to-me-again moments. However, the centre made a deft backhand-to- “The team has made it comfortable for me to play the kind of game I forehand power-play move down low to roof the puck and pull the play,” admitted Butcher. “That’s what the results equate to. It’s starting to Canucks to within a goal. slow down for a me bit — plays are opening up and I’m starting to see lanes — and having tighter gaps because everybody is so fast and I just It looked like a move we saw a long time ago. wanted to back off.” “I’ve been working on that in practice with Newell Brown,” said Horvat, Added Hischier, who has 16 points in his first 22 games: “If you have the who hadn’t scored in three games but now has nine goals as a reward for skill, you can have success. I still need time to adjust and I think the being a force down low. “He has been giving me tips on how guys are in whole year is going to be like that. front of the net and I think I can add that to my game for sure.” “Everything is new. It’s high speed out there and each night everybody The fact that Schneider has improved to 6-1-2 against his former club just competes so hard.” since the 2013 draft-day trade to the Devils — and the ninth-overall pick which become Horvat — and the centre’s emergence as a strong-two way player, has made it a win-win deal. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.25.2017 Not that Horvat was taking any solace in a loss. “Any time you get a lot of speed coming at you on that forecheck — especially for our defence — we’ve got to counter that and find a way to shut them down in the neutral zone,” he said. “We countered and that’s the only way we got going. We had some good looks and chances to make it a tie game. “Any point now helps. You’re one loss from being out of a wild-card spot. But we can take something from this and take some momentum into New York (Sunday).” Henrik Sedin, tied up Friday by Pavel Zacha of the New Jersey Devils, is excited that his brother Daniel is only two points away from joining the prestigious 1,000 NHL points club. Daniel didn’t want to talk about it after Friday’s 3-2 loss. How about 1,000 points at MSG? Daniel Sedin didn’t want to talk about it. Henrik did. As a consummate team-first guy, Daniel would prefer to dwell on the collective effort — win or lose — and not draw attention to himself. But with a goal and an assist Friday to reach 998 career points, he could hit the grand plateau on Sunday. Imagine, two points in the mecca of sports at Madison Square Garden? Imagine doing it in front of former coach Alain Vigneault? Daniel can’t. “I told you guys before — if it happens, it happens,” said Daniel. “This year is obviously different with our role on the team and it can happen next game or it can happen in six games. I’ll take it when it happens.” Regardless, Henrik knows what it means to hit the 1,000-point plateau and how if may affect this brother. “It’s exciting,” said the Canucks’ captain. “When it happened to me, I didn’t realize how big a thing it was for me until it happened. I’m sure it’s going to be the same thing for him. “He never talks about it or thinks about it and maybe not until today. But two points away? When it happens, it’s going to be fun for him.” Will Butcher of the New Jersey Devils tries to push Markus Granlund of the Vancouver Canucks off the puck Friday night at the Prudential Center. These are not your daddy’s Devils. 1085108 Vancouver Canucks “When both teams play a pretty structured game, those little details usually separates who wins and loses. And it wasn’t just the defencemen’s fault. Up the ice we weren’t in the formation we wanted.” Devils 3, Canucks 2: Hall of a win for Devils who outlast Green's gang A second-period shot by New Jersey Devils’ forward Taylor Hall, not pictured, beats Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom on Friday in Newark, N.J. The Canucks lost 3-2, their first setback on their six-game road trip. Ben Kuzma Back to the future? Published: November 24, 2017 You could have made a solid case for Anders Nilsson getting the start in Updated: November 24, 2017 7:59 PM PST net after a sparkling 43-save effort Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Green made the argument that decisions are made on performance but, more importantly, Markstrom seems to be his guy. Even though Nilsson was ranked seventh in saves percentage (. 934), 11th in goals-against NEWARK, N.J. — How did Taylor Hall get faster to finish with a three- average (2.25) and tied for second in shutouts (2) heading into Friday. point night? Nilsson’s stoic Shooter Tutor style is more calm than the athletic How did rookies Nico Hischier and Will Butcher acclimatize so quickly to Markstrom, who was 23rd in GAA (2.59) and 32nd in saves percentage (. the NHL? 912). And after the loss, Markstrom was frank about the difference And why did the Vancouver Canucks often look a step slower despite Friday. getting the agile Chris Tanev and Troy Stecher back from injury Friday “Special teams and goaltending,” he said. “They (Devils) play a pretty against the New Jersey Devils? structured game and have some pretty fast players and a soon as we Then again, the gritty Canucks didn’t quit in a 3-2 loss and that’s what shoot, they have a lot of guys who blow the zone and are looking for sets them apart from previous seasons. breakaways.” After Bo Horvat was stoned by Cory Schneider midway through the third OVERTIME — Daniel Sedin‘s second-period goal and third-period assist period, the centre pulled the Canucks to within a goal with a deft gave the winger 998 career points. Green said Erik Gudbranson (upper backhand-to-forehand, power-play move. body) is expected to be sidelined day-to-day. He was injured in the second period Wednesday in Pittsburgh and although he clenched his “I can definitely add that (goal) to my game,” said Horvat. “We had lots of wrist when doubled over, it could have been because of a shoulder chances to make it a tie game and you still get confidence that way to strain. Derek Dorsett will be examined Monday in Los Angeles by the take it into the next game. surgeon who performed his cervical fusion procedure last December. “But any time you get a lot of speed coming at you as fast as they come on the forecheck — especially for our defence is tough. We have to find ways to counter that and shut them down in the neutral zone.” Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.25.2017 After a U.S. Thanksgiving feast a day earlier, it looked like the Canucks were going to be fed humble pie by the Devils. They started strong and scored three second-period goals but had to hang on for the win against the pressing Canucks. That’s a moral victory after two wins to start this six-game slog. Here’s what we learned: New Jersey Devils’ defenceman Will Butcher, centre, celebrates Brian Boyle’s second-period goal with Taylor Hall during Friday’s NHL game against the visiting Vancouver Canucks. A dozen teams chased college free-agent Butcher in the spring. Now we know why. He had three assists in his season debut and leads all first- year defencemen in points with 17 (2-15). The Canucks did contact the player’s agent, but the Devils told the puck- moving defenceman that he was going to get a serious shot to help the club transition from stagnant, plodding and trapping into a freaking fast force. It sure showed on the winning goal. Butcher stickhandled past three defenders as he entered the Canuck zone on the power play, went wide to draw the traffic and then slipped a backhanded feed to Brian Boyle. Then there was Hischier. The first-overall pick in the 2017 entry draft made a deft move to open scoring. He slowed the game down, he got a read on the flow, then went behind the net and feathered a quick feed to Hall. The winger went far glove side on Markstrom, who was on his knees. On paper, it looked good and made a lot of sense. Stecher returned from a knee injury and was paired with Michael Del Zotto. Tanev was back from a left-thumb injury and aligned with Ben Hutton while Alex Edler and Derrick Pouliot stayed intact. Maybe it was an early brain cramp by Edler — throwing the puck up the middle and forcing goalie Jacob Markstrom to make a tough early save and Pouliot doing the same — that was a precursor to a challenging night. It was Tanev who Hall blew by on the third goal before putting a backhander off the post before an unchecked Damon Severson easily deposited the loose puck. “They (Tanev, Stecher) are going to be rusty when they miss that much time,” said Canucks’ coach Travis Green. “I don’t expect our team to go away and I liked how we pressed in the third, but I wasn’t crazy about some of our details in the second period. 1085109 Vancouver Canucks Flow’ T-shirts to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Boeser bought one.

“I think that’s pretty funny, honestly, it’s cool,” he chuckled. “And so is From hot shot to stick selection, flowing Boeser is talk of NHL donating money. “But I know if you get too confident, it can turn in a hurry if you don’t Ben Kuzma produce. I just try to stay level-headed and guys do a good job making sure I don’t get too confident.” November 24, 2017 8:04 PM PST Canucks coach Travis Green knows Boeser dipped a bit after a hat trick outing against Pittsburgh on Nov. 4. But the rookie didn’t start cheating or getting down on himself. He worked harder. And that resonated with NEWARK, N.J. — It has come to this with Brock Boeser. those in the room. Hail a New York City cab, watch television in the back seat and his name “You can have rooms where players don’t like that a young guy is getting scrolls across the bottom of screen on the NBCSports feed: “Boeser the spotlight,” said Green. “With our room, they’re happy for him because channels Bure, leads NHL rookie scoring.” he helps us win. And it’s how he acts and why veterans allow him to do his thing. With 22 points in 19 games heading into Friday’s meeting with the New Jersey Devils — including at least one goal in four-consecutive outings to “Brock is very humble about it and that’s extremely important. The team match the first-year feats of Pavel Bure and Jason King — the Vancouver is the biggest thing.” Canucks’ winger is drawing leaguewide accolades. Troy Stecher knows what makes his former North Dakota teammate tick He has even become a big deal in the Big Apple. and how to keep him grounded. Eleven goals, including six in his last four games, and 15 goals in 28 “We like to give him a hard time and have fun with it,” said Stecher, who outings since joining the Canucks last March will do that. Keep this up has been cleared to play after recovering from a knee injury. and those Prince Charming flowing locks might light up one of those giant screens in Times Square. “The Flow, The Shrek, the Prince Charming look. His freshman year was my junior year and we won it all and he led our team with 60 points (42 Coaches, analysts, teammates and the opposition rave about the manner games) which is pretty unheard of in college.” in which the mild-mannered right-winger processes the game. They gush over the way he buys time, they marvel at how he threads passes in POKE CHECKS — Boeser had one assist in Friday’s 3-2 loss against the traffic and finds seams to unleash that hard and accurate shot. Devils. He logged 19:16 of ice time. It has reached a point where the opposition wonders what kind of stick and flex Boeser uses because the 20-year-old seems to have found all the answers. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.25.2017 Boeser is good enough to use a 90 flex on his composite shaft. To you and me that may not mean much, but to players looking for any kind of shooting edge in velocity and accuracy, it means everything. It means Boeser has the strength and skill to not only get a lot on his shot, it also means the solid 6-1, 191-pound winger can pick corners because of the Patrick Kane-like curve on his blade. That only enhances his natural ability that’s reflected in a 20.8 shooting percentage. None of this microscopic investigation of what make Boeser tick surprises New Jersey Devils’ rookie Will Butcher. He was leading first-year defencemen in scoring with 16 points (2-14) in his first 21 games and playing at the University of Denver meant he faced Boeser, the strong University of North Dakota sniper who owned the best release in college hockey. So to Butcher, who uses an 85 flex stick because he was breaking those with a lower flex, the selection for Boeser makes perfect sense. “To use a 90 stick and still be snapping the puck like that, you have to be a pretty strong guy,” said Butcher. “And I know playing against him in college because he used to take one-timers. We thought it was a good night when we held him to one or two goals. “He had an NHL shot then and when a guy gets hot and gains confidence, a lot of good stuff starts to happen.” Sure, but did he have NHL stamped on him in college? “I’d say 100 per cent,” added Butcher. “It was his mind for the game, but he had the best shot in our conference and in the NCAA. He could pick corners and shoot from anywhere — he was always a threat no matter what.” Run the stick stuff by Boeser and you get that shrug of the shoulders. He feels the 90 flex allows him to handle the puck better and get them away quicker because other flexes he tried didn’t bring that combination. “I don’t like too whippy of a stick, but I do like to feel a little whip,” said Boeser. “If I have too much, I just feel that my shot is just not the same.” And there’s no magic baby powder sprinkled on those sticks in his pre- game prep. “No, no, no,” he laughed. “I just cut my sticks the same, tape them the same (on knob and bottom of blade) and that’s about it.” All the early success could easily derail Boeser if he didn’t have the right attitude and willingness to improve on a daily basis. There are even ‘The 1085110 Vancouver Canucks can help on the penalty kill and defensive situations. The U.S. attack will be led by Kailer Yamamoto, Logan Brown and Casey Mittelstadt, but a player like Lockwood would be a good depth player to have around. Canucks prospects poised to feature prominently at upcoming world Lockwood was a part of the U17 and U18 teams for the American juniors development program and did really well at the U18 tournament (he had seven points in seven games) prior to being selected by the Canucks in the draft. By Ryan Biech 13 hours ago Lockwood’s game and familiarity with USA Hockey makes me think that will see the speedy winger wearing red, white and blue this year. The holiday season is almost upon us, and you know what that means – Michael DiPietro (Canada) world juniors! DiPietro has been an interesting prospect to follow this season – he Although the tournament doesn’t start until Boxing Day, the process started the season off hot, leading the OHL in multiple categories. But begins in early December as a selection camp and exhibition games since late October, DiPietro has struggled. have been added to the schedule to help teams select their rosters. The CHL is very cyclical, with teams going all-in for a Memorial Cup run And with December fast approaching, I figured it would be good to get and then dealing with some of the repercussions in the years that follow ahead of the curve and take a look at the Canucks prospects who might after as those impact players graduate to the pros. represent their respective countries. Windsor is experiencing a bit of this with some key players graduating to Some housekeeping to get out of the way before we dive in: Adam the NHL (), traded to recoup assets (Logan Stanley) or Gaudette and Jonathan Dahlen are unable to participate because they out injured (Gabriel Vilardi). It doesn’t paint the complete picture, but it's are no longer under 20. Gaudette turned 21 in October and Dahlen turns part of the reason why the Spitfires have been struggling. 20 on Dec. 20, rendering him ineligible by 12 days. With that being said, DiPietro had a good summer showcase for Canada Dahlen did represent Sweden last season, when he was a member of the and played well for the OHL in the Canada-Russia Series a few weeks Ottawa Senators organization, and put up five goals and one assist in ago. Everett Silvertips and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carter Hart is a seven games. lock for one of the goalie spots, which leaves DiPietro to battle with Stuart Skinner and Dylan Wells (both Edmonton Oilers prospects) for the Now, onto the Canucks prospects who could be there this year. other spot. Elias Pettersson (Sweden) Both Wells and Skinner lost their games in the Canada-Russia Series, while DiPietro walked away with the win in a game where he stopped 23 He’s a lock for Sweden, which isn’t really a surprise. of the 25 shots he faced. Pettersson played for Sweden last year, was a large part of the offence Given how well DiPietro played at the Memorial Cup and the two events for them at the summer showcase and has taken another step forward in so far this season, I think he will get an invite to the selection camp and the SHL this year. get a chance in some exhibition games leading up to the tournament. He and New York Rangers first-round pick Lias Andersson have played Then it’s in his hands to show that he deserves that second spot. together fairly regularly internationally, so I would expect that to continue DiPietro is eligible to compete for Canada at the 2019 world juniors, too, this year in Buffalo. so this may help his cause. It would allow him to get a taste of what to The expectations will be high for the Canucks' most recent first-round expect for the tournament in Vancouver and Victoria in a year’s time, pick. Pettersson was held to one assist in six games last year for where he would likely be the favourite to be the defacto starter. Sweden, but he was in more of a supporting role. This year, the Swedes Kole Lind (Canada) will be leaning heavily on Pettersson and Andersson to lead the attack. Here’s where the real questions begin. Regardless of what happens, it should be fun to watch Pettersson on the international stage in his last year of world-junior eligibility. And as soon Has Kole Lind done enough to squeeze his way into one of the right wing as the tournament ends, the question will be: Can Pettersson crack spots for Team Canada? Two of those spots are presumably already Sweden's roster for the 2018 Olympics in South Korea? locked up by Taylor Raddysh and Jordan Kyrou. Florida Panthers prospect Owen Tippett is probably another player that will secure a spot. Olli Juolevi (Finland) That means that Lind is battling players like Matthew Philips (Calgary), Another lock for the tournament is 2016 fifth-overall pick Olli Juolevi. This Nick Suzuki (Vegas) and Will Bitten (Montreal). Gabriel Vilardi (Los will be the third and final time that he will represent Finland at the world Angeles) is someone who could also play that side if need be. If I had to juniors. hazard a guess, Suzuki and Lind are the front-runners for the fourth right Juolevi burst onto the scene with nine assists in 2016 as the puck- wing spot, and I would give the lead to Suzuki at this point. moving defender who gave the puck to Sebastian Aho, Patrik Laine and There could always be centres who get shifted to the wing, but with that Jesse Puljujarvi en route to a gold medal. Finland's 2017 performance being said, Lind could also secure a spot as the 13th forward. He's in the was the exact opposite. mix. Finland struggled mightily, firing their coach mid-tournament and With tournaments that are this short, teams try to catch lightning in a narrowly avoiding relegation. Juolevi wasn’t all that bad — he certainly bottle, and Lind had a very good performance in his two games with wasn't the primary cause of the team's struggles — but he didn’t stand Team WHL playing alongside Cody Glass. If Team Canada's out, either, with just two assists in six games. management feels that those two have chemistry, it could be enough for This year, it’s fair to expect Finland to better — mostly because it’ll be them to tab Lind. awfully difficult for them not to be. Juolevi and Dallas Stars 2017 first- Until then, he needs to continue to be the dominant player that he has round pick Miro Heiskanen will lead the Finns on the back end with been so far this season with the Kelowna Rockets. He’s done everything hopes of putting last year's debacle behind them. he can to make his case. Lind was a late invite to the summer showcase William Lockwood (USA) and is at the point where he has a legit chance to crack the roster. Somewhat of a forgotten prospect within the Canucks sphere, William Given Lind’s October birth date, this is his last opportunity to represent Lockwood has a legitimate shot at making a United States squad that's Canada at the world juniors. looking to defend its gold medal from a year ago. Jonah Gadjovich (Canada) Vancouver's 2016 third-round pick, Lockwood has had a strong start to On the other side of the ice is Jonah Gadjovich, the 55th-overall pick in his season with the University of Michigan. There was some concern that the 2017 draft. he may struggle after undergoing shoulder surgery this past spring but he has put those worries to rest with four goals and seven assists in 12 The rugged winger is looking to secure a spot on the left side and there games. appears to be more opportunity. Kelowna Rockets forward and Calgary Flames prospect Dillon Dube is a returnee and is a lock on the left, but What makes Lockwood such an attractive player is his ability to push the after that, it’s anyone’s guess. pace with his speed and puck control while being a versatile player who What Gadjovich has working in his favour is the type of game he plays and his chemistry with Nick Suzuki, his teammate in Owen Sound. The Canucks prospect plays a rugged, gritty game that should be effective in a short tournament; plant the big guy in front of the net on the powerplay or set him loose on the forecheck. As mentioned with Lind and Glass, getting players who have chemistry together is always a good thing – Suzuki and Gadjovich have been playing together regularly for the better part of 16 months. If there's anything holding Gadjovich back, it’s his speed and recovery from injury. His wrist seems to be OK, though, as he has five goals and three assists in six games since coming back. Health permitting, I’d be surprised if Gadjovich isn't picked for Team Canada. The world juniors are always a highlight for all hockey fans. Every year is full of drama, intrigue and memorable moments. And this year, Canucks fans have even more reason to be excited as there should be quite a few of the organization's prospects suiting up. My bet is that we will see Elias Pettersson, Olli Juolevi, William Lockwood, Michael DiPietro and Jonah Gadjovich playing this year. This isn’t to say that Kole Lind won’t be there, but at the moment the odds are stacked against him. Even if Lind doesn't make the cut for Canada, five prospects at the world juniors would be the most the Canucks have had in 19 years, when they had seven players in 1999. Should be a fun couple weeks.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085111 Websites dominoes that fall if those moves aren’t made. Milan Lucic doesn’t get signed if Hall is still an Oiler. Ditto for Kris Russell who was afforded mostly off the savings from dealing Eberle. Without Larsson (or Reinhart) The Athletic / By the numbers: How much value have Peter Chiarelli's the Oilers probably don’t deal Brandon Davidson last season. And with trades cost the Oilers? the crowded forward group, it’s unlikely they’d give a three-year, $1.95 million per extension to a bottom tier player like Zack Kassian.

Those are the big changes made thanks to the Don’t Do That person and By Dom Luszczyszyn 15 hours ago it’s hard to not see the Oilers in a significantly better position as a result. Now, that doesn’t mean Chiarelli hasn’t made some good moves as GM. The Cam Talbot trade was a great gamble on a back-up that showed a lot of promise and adding Patrick Maroon for cheap was a great value It’s been a miserable start to the season for the Edmonton Oilers, a team add that’s worked wonders so far. But those few good moves don’t make that came into the season with a lot of promise. They sit 29th in the up for how far the team was set back with some of his other moves. league with an 8-12-2 record at American Thanksgiving, and while they’re not at the point of no return, they’re dangerously close. Financially, the Oilers are arguably in a worse position now, too. The cap-hit for the alternate universe team, after including potential The season isn’t over yet – even if it feels like it – and their underlying performance bonuses, would be just under $4 million cheaper than the numbers suggest the Oilers aren’t as bad as they look, but it should’ve current iteration. They would have a pretty large hole on the right side of never reached this point. Not when you’re building around the most their defence, but they also would have had cap space and options in valuable asset in all of hockey, Connor McDavid. Edmonton is here now free agency to fix it that didn’t include trading away their better forwards. because of all the missteps since he was taken first overall in 2015 and We can’t add them in hindsight, but it’s something to keep in mind when are learning first hand that having the best player in the world (apologies comparing rosters as alternative options were available to make the team to the two guys lighting it up in Tampa, but it’s still Connor) guarantees even better. nothing for team success. Not in this sport. Now, let’s actually compare those rosters. He needs support, especially up front where the Oilers have only scored 2.68 goals per game, good for 25th in the league. They’re generating To do so we’re going to use my model which we use for our daily chances and have had a lot of bad luck offensively, but they’re also a projections. It’s based on a player’s last three years (weighted by team that’s low on finishing talent outside their star players. The worst recency) of context-adjusted Game Score to estimate player strength and part is they had support up front, they had finishing talent — they just because it’s done at the player level it can be combined to estimate team traded it away. strength. This model isn’t perfect and will be missing parts of the equation (you can read about it here), but generally speaking it does a Players that can actually put the puck in the net (or put it in a good spot pretty decent job of quantifying player value, and in effect team value. for someone else to do so) are the hardest players to acquire and that’s what made most of Peter Chiarelli’s moves as a GM so baffling. He was Before the season started, it said the Oilers were probably a playoff willing to give it all up so easily for the types of players that were much team, but a flawed one at that, one that on average hits 93 points and easier to come by as he attempted to build the Oilers in his image: a was far from the contender many thought they were. Now that we’re 20 team that was “tough” to play against. games in, their forecast has changed to 85 points thanks to their poor start, but their underlying strength has only been downgraded slightly to Looking back through his deals reveals that he placed a premium on grit, about 91.5 points. Under the hood, not much has changed. compete, sandpaper and other buzzwords that fit his archetype while shipping out “soft” skilled players who can actually play with the puck. The forward group is average, the goaltending is average (with plenty of room to regress once Talbot finds his game again), and the defence is That was the team identity Chiarelli seemed to settle on and if it meant just barely below average at 21st. The front office has paid a lot to have moving players that didn’t fit, then so be it. They built themselves in the the Oilers look the way they wanted and still end up being just average. mould of the Kings and Bruins of five years ago and it shows on the ice. It’s no surprise the Oilers have turned into a heavy, slow, trudging mess, Now, the team they could’ve had? That’s a different story and it’s especially compared to the rest of the league which has transitioned because the three forwards they could’ve had (Hall, Eberle, and let's toward speed, speed, speed after seeing the last three Stanley Cups won assume Mathew Barzal, who the Islanders took with that first round pick) in a similar fashion. That’s not to say the team can’t win with the style the are miles better than the ones that replaced them (Lucic, Strome, Oilers were after, it means the Oilers built this team while sacrificing Kassian). They’re over five wins better according to this model and that talent at the alter of identity and came out behind most of the time. shouldn’t be at all surprising given the names involved. There’s caveats to that to go over soon, but the gap is large enough that it wouldn’t matter Here are my questions for Chiarelli’s tenure as GM: how much value has too much. And the trade-off on defence is minimal, if admittedly flawed as he cost them on this quest to be “tough to play against” and how much my model isn’t as keen on Larsson (a very good, albeit, one-dimensional better would this team be if he hadn’t made some of his most defender who’s obviously better than Matt Benning) as it should be and controversial moves? tends to overrate depth defenders like Davidson, even after adjusting for Hindsight is 20/20, but not when it comes to some of the Oilers most context. notable trades of the last few years. Most of the deals Chiarelli has made This team would arguably be a true talent 100.5 point team, the best were panned immediately as it was obvious the Oilers were generally on team in the West and the second best team in the league behind Tampa the losing side. It was so obvious that all the Oilers needed was one Bay. This is what a Cup contender looks like, even if the defence doesn't. person to say “Don’t do that!” (and actually listen to him or her) and they’d be in much better shape than they are today. Alternate universe team would have the same average goalie, the same bottom 10 defence, but by far the best forward group in the league, So let’s go to that alternate universe: the universe where the Oilers had a nearly two wins clear of Tampa Bay and Toronto. When your forward “Don’t Do That” person, someone who could clearly see that what they group is that talented, it’s a lot easier to overcome a weak defence corps. were about to do was not the right move and convince their higher-ups it Forwards are the ones driving the bus on most teams, they’re where was, in fact, a bad move. And then let’s measure how much better (or teams get most of their value from. There simply aren’t many teams that maybe worse? Just kidding, it’s not worse) off the Oilers would be if can get by without a good group of forwards, and Edmonton could’ve had someone just said “don’t do that.” the league’s best by a significant margin. Here are the transactions the magical Don’t Do That wand is going to On each line they could’ve had an incredible duo and wouldn’t have to reverse. To reiterate, the moves have to be ones that did not need the worry about splitting up McDavid and Draisaitl to spread out the offence. benefit of hindsight to nix. Three trades stick out, and you probably know That’s because on line two it would have been Ryan Nugent-Hopkins which ones. with Hall and on line three Barzal with Eberle, a line that's worked pretty June 26, 2015: Edmonton trades a 2015 1st (16th overall) and 2nd (33rd well so far in Brooklyn. It’s a set of six that no team could match-up overall) for D Griffin Reinhart. against, especially when they’re balanced out over three lines, and it would’ve made their support guys look even better. June 29, 2016: Edmonton trades LW Taylor Hall for D Adam Larsson. And if you’re thinking it wouldn’t work because the lineup would be too June 22, 2017: Edmonton trades RW Jordan Eberle for C Ryan Strome. forward heavy, you only need to look at the Maple Leafs to see this exact strategy working in spades right now with Auston Matthews, William Three straight years of franchise-altering trades in late June. I’d start Nylander, Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk and a taking vacations around that time if I was an Oilers fan. decent forward support group carrying a bottom 10 defence group and Those three were obviously the most egregious ones, as you may know average goaltending. since we’re still talking about them to this day, but there are other Of course, there’s a few caveats to this analysis to iron out and they start and end with Barzal. Even if the Oilers did draft him, there’s no guarantee he’d look as good with them as he does with the Isles. A lot of his value is because he plays on a top power play with John Tavares that’s been red hot lately and there’s no guarantee he’d get the same opportunity in Edmonton. And that’s if the Oilers drafted him. He was a near consensus top 10 choice, but considering they traded that pick for a defenceman, there’s a possibility the team would’ve drafted for need and taken a defenceman with the 16th overall selection, likely leaving them with the next defender taken, Thomas Chabot. He’s a damn good prospect, but he’d be another leftie on an already crowded left side. It’s also not exactly fair to compare what Barzal is now to what Reinhart was, but even at the time it seemed rather obvious who had the much higher ceiling as well as the probability of reaching it. It wasn’t the guy the Oilers traded for who had already shown plenty of signs he wouldn't be an NHL regular. No one really wants to hear the coulda, shoulda, wouldas – especially when it comes to this team as it’s a topic that’s been beaten to death already – but there’s value in measuring just how much they’ve lost and how much the front office has cost the team. My model thinks it’s about five wins of value, and while there’s some margin of error to that (Larsson is better than I give him credit for, Barzal likely wouldn’t be as good on the Oilers) it’s not enough to overcome five wins. They have basically given up a Connor McDavid's worth of value. Any way you want to slice it, the Oilers still come out behind. Far behind. I can’t imagine anyone at this point who could, should or would defend these moves and say the Oilers are a better team for it. They’re not, and all their current problems are a direct manifestation of the mistakes they’ve made along the way. Unfortunately for Oilers fans, we don’t live in the alternate universe where they still have Hall and Eberle and maybe Barzal. We live here, in the world where they gave up a lot to get a little. But while there’s always going to be harsh reminders of what could’ve been, what they have in front of them is still very much worthwhile. Even if the present looks dim and the path that got them here is even darker, their future is still very bright with all the young talent they still have – as long as they don’t trade them away.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085112 Websites it actually is, too.) It is a little bit about teams doing a better job of putting away rebounds — 19.5 per cent of rebound shot attempts have turned into goals this year, as compared to 15.6 per cent in 2015-16. The The Athletic / Dellow: Scoring is up, and increased effectiveness on shooting percentage gap is about the same — 25.5 per cent versus 21.4 offensive zone faceoff wins is one reason why per cent. That doesn't really explain much though — the NHL is up 28 goals on offensive zone win shifts this year and that would account for about four By Tyler Dellow 11 hours ago of them. There's something else happening. It largely seems to consist of teams being a heck of a lot more efficient from a 650 square foot patch of ice. This patch of ice goes from seven feet above the goal line to nineteen feet above the goal line, extending 25 feet in either direction. In Life's hard when you work for a scrappy upstart media enterprise. You 2015-16, teams shot 12.6 per cent on non-rebound shots from that area, don't get the press releases that the big dogs get (see Thought 14) which is pretty consistent with what they've done in the past. This year, announcing that offence is up. You're forced to figure it out for yourself they're shooting 18 per cent. Let's just refer to this area as the slot, even through a complicated process of addition and division. Having done that, though it's a bit wider than the traditional slot. I can confirm (I am new to the media game but understand that confirming things that are well known to be true is part of how you add That's something. It's so weird that I wondered if I'd screwed something value): offence is up. What's more, it's up for reasons other than simply up or if the league has some sort of data tracking problem. Of course, it'd an increase in power plays: teams are scoring more goals at 5-on-5 than be a hell of a data tracking problem if they were inventing goals too and they have in the past. (Well, most of them are.) goals are up, so I think that this is actually correct. In the olden days of hockey analytics, those opposed to counting things So what does that leave? I'm wondering if teams are starting to come up would say “You can't break down a hockey game with numbers! It's a with more effective tactics after they win an offensive zone faceoff. A flow game! A series of fragmentary events wholly disconnected from surprisingly well-kept secret about offensive zone faceoff wins is that they everything that has occurred in the past and will occur in the future!” historically have resulted in a pretty low shooting percentage relative to Even people employed in hockey would say this. For reasons that other points in the game. It makes sense when you think about it, of escape me, these same people would also hire coaches. Who would course — when you win an offensive zone faceoff, the other team has watch games and tell their players to do things that they thought would five guys in position to defend. Even if you get a shot off, you're likely bring success based on what they remembered from watching them. pretty heavily defended while doing so. Historically, a lot of these shots They just weren't allowed to count things, as I understand it. come from the point, which are low probability shots anyway. One of the amazing things you realize when you start to dig into My pet theory is that, in addition to the slashing crackdown, some teams information that's recorded about the game is how much it's just a series are getting smarter with what they do after they win an offensive zone of repeating events with extremely similar outcomes that repeat over and faceoff and it's starting to show up in the results. In particular, I've got a over and over. Individual players and teams have up years and down suspicion that teams are trying to spread the opposing defence out as years but there are numerical constants. In the big picture, it's the same opposed to simply winning the puck back to the defencemen and, as the thing happening over and over. Change does occur — power plays are Brits would say, putting it into the mixer. Crashing the net sounds great, getting ever more efficient as coaches get more aggressive — but it but the puck doesn't discriminate between the legs of the attacking or tends to be pretty gradual. defending team — it will hit either of them. There are a bunch of offensive indicators that are up this year at 5-on-5. Moreover, I'm not sure that having more guys in and around the net Teams are scoring 2.39 GF/60 at 5-on-5, which is higher than at any actually helps your chances of getting a rebound and I suspect that it point this decade. It's a significant bump from 2015-16, when teams hurts your chances of getting a good shot off. A goal that St. Louis bottomed out, scoring just 2.16 GF/60 after drifting downward for years. scored against Edmonton last week illustrates this. The Blues won a faceoff to Vladimir Tarasenko, who got a shot on goal. The St. Louis Unsurprisingly, shooting percentage bottomed out in 2015-16, too, with centre, Brayden Schenn, hadn't moved toward the net until the rebound teams shooting just 7.5 per cent at 5-on-5. (Obviously, this means the came out. As a result, Connor McDavid hadn't moved either. league average save percentage was .925.) Shots and shot attempts had been trending downward for years, too – they also bottomed out in the The end result was a contest for a rebound between the left shot Oscar offensive nadir of 2015-16, with teams averaging 28.8 SF/60 and 54.1 Klefbom, whose stick is on the wrong side of his body to contest the puck CF/60. Those numbers nudged upwards last year and moved up further and Jaden Schwartz, whose stick is on the right side of his body to attack this year. Through games played Wednesday night, teams are shooting the puck and who has the advantage of being able to see what's 7.8 per cent. Save percentage is down to .922. They're averaging 30.7 happening. SF/60 on 56.7 CF/60. Consider what would have happened if Schenn goes right to the net after Everyone has theories for stuff like this. A lot of people will point to this winning the draw. McDavid, who's been getting — this is a quote — “a year's slashing crackdown. I'm sure that doesn't hurt. I suspect that gentle tickle” (!) from the Edmonton media for his defensive play of late, something else plays a bigger role though — the Darwinian processes by presumably goes right with him. If that happens, McDavid's in a pretty which coaching staffs identify things that work and discard things that decent spot to knock that rebound into the corner. Deliberate or not, don't and by which general managers identify coaches who are good at Schenn's delay seems like it upped the chances of the Blues getting that doing that and discard those who aren't. In order to illustrate this, I'm rebound simply because he didn't drag a defending Oiler towards the net. going to focus on shifts that start with an offensive zone faceoff win. I gathered some recent examples of goals scored off offensive zone wins Teams are doing better than ever after they win an offensive zone faceoff in the area that I'm talking about. Pay attention to how the movement, this year. This is due to a bunch of things, some of which have been particularly that of a forward away from the net, is pulling the defending building for a while, some of which are new this year. Goals are way up. team apart. You see it on this Ducks goal with Rickard Rakell pulling up high after the faceoff, belatedly pulling a Sharks forward with him Shots and shot attempts are up too, a trend that's been building for a while. This, along with the other two forwards crossing, confuses the Sharks defence and leads to the goal. Finally, shooting percentage is way up on shifts starting with offensive zone wins. Watch Justin Williams, the inside winger, here. After the Hurricanes win the draw, he bolts toward the boards. Two Chicago forwards move out We know that shooting percentage is pretty variable but a bump like this toward the point. When the puck is passed to Williams, the third Chicago is pretty large a quarter of the way into the season. forward comes to him, creating the 2-on-2 situation down low. If we peel the onion back a little more, we start to find some interesting Brock McGinn is able to disappear by going around the net. He pops up things. In order to do this, I've contrasted what's going on this year with on the other side for the easy tap-in. Yes, the puck bounced around a bit 2015-16, the low point for 5-on-5 offence. but the point is that the Carolina movement resulted in him being wide Let's start with what it's not. It's not about point shots being more likely to open. go in — in 2015-16, 3.1 per cent of shots from above the circle went in on That's David Pastrnak on the left wing here. Patrice Bergeron wins the offensive zone win shifts. This year, it's 3.2 per cent. An extra goal per puck back to Charlie McAvoy. Two Los Angeles forwards head out 1,000 shots. toward the points. Watch how Pastrnak's movement drags Drew Doughty It's not about more rebounds being created either. In 2015-16, 7.2 per out as well, creating more space in the middle of the ice. cent of saved shots on goal resulted in a rebound. This year, that number One final example. This one's a little different than the others because of is at 7.0 per cent. (Rounding makes this difference look twice as large as how St. Louis spreads their defence. If you look carefully, you'll notice that Colton Parayko isn't even visible in the shot when the puck's dropped — he's way off to the right. Klefbom seems to mis-read where the puck is going, which touches off a series of errors that are not unlike a building collapsing. Milan Lucic gravitates toward Tarasenko, who is otherwise uncovered and Drake Caggiula seems to decide that's a good spot to be as well. I strongly suspect that Klefbom was supposed to go after Tarasenko off the draw if Tarasenko ended up with the puck because he wanders out there like a man with a guilty conscience who knows it's probably not a good idea at this point. St. Louis ends up with Tarasenko holding the puck, with two options on his flanks, neither of which is really covered. He passes to Parayko, who used the space available off the faceoff and never ended up getting covered. Matt Benning is forced to run to him. This leaves Ryan Nugent- Hopkins all alone with two Blues and Schenn taps in the gimme putt. Obviously, there's some blown coverage from the Oilers here. It was created, in part, by St. Louis' use of space though. My best guess as to why teams are getting so much more effective on offensive zone wins is that they're getting more thoughtful about using space and movement to put the opposition on their heels. You can't really prove this from video clips — the clips I've provided above are intended to illustrate rather than definitively answer the question — but it's a quite large and broad-based change. This is, I think: a good thing. Goals are fun. Scoring chances are fun. If coaches are finding ways to create more in the offensive zone through movement and space, it makes for a more watchable game. In time, coaches might even shake the reputation that they're to suck the fun out of hockey.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085113 Websites That push toward Swedish defencemen has been slow and steady in the 25 years since Nick Lidstrom entered the league as an unassuming third- round pick. The Athletic / Mirtle: The surprising rise of Andreas Borgman – and what But those numbers are on pace to take a big jump this season. Including it says about where the NHL is headed Borgman, the NHL currently has 29 Swedish defencemen on pace to play 30 games or more this season — an all-time high. By James Mirtle 20 hours ago Including Timothy Liljegren and Calle Rosen, two newcomers with the Marlies, there are 27 Swedish D-men in the AHL right now, the second highest total ever for that league. It is a lesson that has stayed with Andreas Borgman every game these Somehow, a tiny European country of under 10 million people is now last few years. producing about 12 per cent of the defencemen in the top two North American leagues. The coach was named Martin Filander, who at the time was the bench boss of Vasteras in Sweden's second division, the Allsvenskan. And his Players who have come up in Sweden's development system credit the orders — with no exceptions — were that no player could dump the puck way they are taught to play the game from a young age. out of the zone. “Sweden’s doing such a good job of developing defencemen,” explained Borgman smiles remembering the edict. Christian Folin, who along with Oscar Fantenberg is one of two undrafted Swedish defencemen playing a regular shift with the L.A. Kings this “He actually said we couldn’t rim the puck (around the boards) or nothing season. “It’s a combination of fundamentals of the game. Skating really like that,” he recalled. “So we had to play it. We had to try to figure it out. well. We have a lot of good puck-moving defencemen.” “He had a good influence on me. We still keep in touch sometimes. He’s “We focus on skating a lot when we grow up and start playing hockey,” still watching me.” added Coyotes star Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who raved about Borgman's “unbelievable” play in the SHL last season. “Most of the Swedes are Watching how he exits the zone, no doubt. good skaters and skilled guys. It’s a matter of getting a chance over here At the time, Borgman had just turned 20 years old. He had been passed and getting used to the game over here.” over in the NHL draft several times and bounced around several teams Sweden started to introduce a new nationwide training protocol for and leagues in Sweden. The fact he is now playing a regular shift in the defencemen about 15 years ago. Ekman-Larsson said he noticed it as a NHL, with the Maple Leafs, stuns some of his former coaches overseas. teenager, in some of the new concepts that were being brought in by He came from a long way back to get this far. coaches to his small club team in Tingsryd. “He has only one season in the SHL in Sweden,” said Thord Johansson, The Swedish Ice Hockey Association also developed what journalist Uffe the coach who first discovered Borgman as a 16-year-old and brought Bodin says is known as the “hockey bible for defencemen,” a training him to Timra, a small timber town four hours north of his hometown of manual specifically aimed at teaching players good routes for breakouts Stockholm. “I’m very surprised he made it so far. But he’s always been and outlet passes. determined.” “I haven't seen it myself, but it has become kind of legendary now that Borgman's rise has been both unusual and under the radar. Few they're basically producing the best defencemen in the world,” Bodin undrafted Swedish defencemen make much of an impact in the NHL, said. after all. But Borgman has seamlessly stepped in and played all but two The Swedish hockey federation was kind enough to pass along a copy of games for the Leafs this season on their third pair, logging an average 14 the defenceman's bible a couple weeks ago. I obviously can't read minutes a night and rarely looking out of place. Swedish, but the few passages that I translated online were pretty His underlying numbers — or analytics — also have stood out, with interesting, especially when paired with some of the diagrams. positive marks in puck possession metrics like Corsi and scoring chances Below is one that was based entirely on what defencemen did during the right from his first game in the league, despite his unfamiliarity with the gold-medal game at the 2006 Olympics, Sweden's second triumph at the ice surface and many of the very basics of the NHL. Games. That side of his success, apparently, is not by chance. Those were the “Overview of the modern defenceman's attack actions” reads the exact same metrics he excelled at in Sweden last season, when he was headline in this section of the manual. Note the diagram features the named the league's rookie of the year with HV71. word anfall — or attack — in capital letters on the far glass. “Borgman had fantastic numbers last year,” said Simon Brandstrom, “The diagram shows offensive technical skills performed by the Swedish whose firm SBPL Sports Data Analytics AB handles data analysis for defencemen during the 2006 Olympics,” it explains. “Overall it describes HV71. “HV destroyed possession wise last year.” 30 situations where different variations of these skills are used. By This kind of analysis is still in its infancy in the Swedish Hockey League, training our young Swedish defenders in these skills, we can prepare but it has so far mimicked the early days in the NHL, with a focus on them for the challenges they will face.” countable measures like shot attempts, zone exits and entries. According If it looks like something out of a science textbook, that's because it to Brandstrom, Borgman was a 60.4 per cent Corsi player in the SHL and should. Using more scholastic methods to teach hockey has become the closer to 62 per cent in situations when the score was close. norm in Sweden. They did it first with goaltenders and now have The biggest reason, he explained, was how he came out of his own zone implemented similar systems for every position in the game. with the puck. Some Swedish coaches now have considerable educational background, “He had really good exit numbers,” Brandstrom said. “Carried the puck as teaching hockey is tied in with teaching in a more general sense. insanely well.” Pedagogy has become key. Some of that information made it down to the players. “(Sweden's success has) always been about the education and having Nick Lidstrom as a role model,” Bodin said. “I saw some statistics, but not all of it,” Borgman said. “But I didn’t focus on that. I was just trying to play good and that would show up… On those “They must be good at handling the puck,” Johansson explained of the teams, we almost never chipped the puck out or anything like that. We philosophy being preached to defencemen in Sweden. “That’s something always tried to keep it and play through the middle (of the ice). We never that’s very difficult when you work with juniors, as I do, because they’re actually go the boards and out. We always have to play it out.” afraid to make a mistake. But we let them do it. Here come the Swedes “(We want) good skaters who are good with the puck. They’ve got to be good at defending, of course, but they’ve got to set up the play very Andreas Borgman's story isn't really one about analytics. As he states quickly and have good hockey sense.” above, it's more about trying to play well and that showing up in the data. Which relates back to Borgman learning not to clear the puck. And HV71 What Borgman's quick rise to becoming a capable NHL defenceman dominating Sweden's top league last season. likely reflects, however, is how hockey is changing in North America. And how the way Swedish defencemen are trained to play the game fits well And, likely, all of the Swedish defencemen flooding into the NHL and within a style that covets good skaters and puck movers above all else. AHL at a time when the game is opening up and getting away from relying on brute strength on the back end. “It’s a good development thing, especially for D-men,” said Connor Carrick, Borgman's regular defence partner with the Leafs. “Create that poise with the puck. I think that’s where the game’s changed, too. That’s why you’re seeing more European defencemen having success. There is a skill element. “The best black-and-white answer for me was when I played for U.S. national teams. We played Sweden, and they’d go D to D, back to D, hinge it back, go to the far forward, bring it back. It seemed like they did a really nice job of holding onto it. It was certainly something that was coached. Whereas we were more chip it in and go get it.” What is Borgman's ceiling in the NHL? A lot of the attention on Borgman initially in Toronto was on his physical play and toughness. It was unmistakable right away in training camp how fit he was off the ice and fearless he was on it. “He’s kind of surprising,” teammate Jake Gardiner said. “You don’t really see a lot of Swedish guys being that physical and aggressive.” As the season has worn on, however, what the Leafs other defencemen have gained a greater appreciation for is Borgman's play with the puck. He has made some highlight-reel moves in traffic that few expected and led breakouts with authority. His adjustment to a new league and a smaller ice surface has also been relatively painless, despite the fact he admits he knew almost nothing about the NHL before agreeing to join the Leafs back in May. “He’s a great skater,” Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly observed after one recent practice. “Good first pass. When you look at his edges and the way he can skate and forecheck, I think that’s one of his best assets. The adjustment period has been pretty short. He looks right at home. And I think the more he plays, the more comfortable he gets, the more offence you’re going to see.” “I think that's his identity as a player — he relies on his puck skills,” Carrick added. “He sees the ice well.” Johansson, Borgman's old junior coach, marvels at the progress his young protege has made. When Borgman first arrived at Timra, he had a bad knee and was overweight. His skills were also very raw, and he wasn't big for a Swede. The organization wasn't sure if he would last the season. “We thought 'My god, what is this?' ” Johansson recalled. “Okay, we’ll give him a chance until Christmas or something. But he improved. He improved very quickly. The next year, he was already on the under-20 team. He moved very quickly up on the teams here. “Andreas has got something on the ice that we call the ‘pondus’ in Sweden. (Editor's note: It translates roughly to mean poise.) His body language is very strong. He’s very intense. If there’s an attack against the boards or something, he’s there 100 per cent. Doing the job right now. He’s very determined. When you see him on the ice, he’s confident. I think he’s very strong in his mind. Mentally strong.” What remains an unknown is how good Borgman can be. At 22, he is the youngest defenceman on the Leafs blueline and one of the youngest playing pro in the organization. He has been caught out of position or turned the puck over at times this season, in part because his aggressiveness has gotten the better of him. Given his quick progression over the last five years, however, it's plausible he continues to make rapid strides in his game and earn more ice time on Toronto's blueline. It's possible that, as the NHL becomes more and more focused on speed and skill, he will be the perfect fit. “I didn’t know anything about any of the teams here,” said Borgman, who was heavily pursued by Nashville and several other NHL clubs. “After talking to some Swedish guys, I felt like Toronto was a pretty easy decision actually. It feels pretty good. I like the city, too.” “I’m very surprised he made the (top) six or seven defenders with the Maple Leafs,” Johansson admitted. “I’m very impressed about that. I thought maybe he going to start in the AHL or something. But he made it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085114 Websites That was just fine by his coach. “Any defenceman that doesn’t get penalty minutes,” Matthews said, “there’s something wrong with him.” The Athletic / The year that made Mike Babcock a coach: A season with the Whitley Warriors in the British Hockey League Back then, Babcock was a shell of the bullish coach the hockey world has come to know. Matthews described him as “a quiet lad.”

“He didn’t have an outgoing personality,” said Ord, Babcock's roommate By Joshua Kloke 20 hours ago on road trips. “He was definitely one of the more focused Canadians that had come over.” Terry Matthews had many Canadian hockey players come and go over Instead of talking to British players about what he had done back in the years. The Whitley Warriors coach knew it was customary for Canada, as so many of the Canadians were prone to do, Babcock talented players to head over to the British Hockey League and treat the instead tried to appeal to British players about what they could do. season as a holiday. “He gained the guys’ respect by talking to them in a more knowledgeable But when a 24-year-old defenceman named Mike Babcock arrived in way,” Ord said. “He brought a different dimension. He had this art of Whitley Bay in northeast England 30 years ago, Matthews immediately making you interested in what he was saying.” knew he had someone different on his hands. Babcock was originally brought to Whitley Bay just to be a player, but his “He wasn’t here to enjoy himself and piss up like a lot of them do,” interest in the technical elements of the game spilled over. It was in his Matthews said. nature to try to help the team improve. As the Warriors travelled north and south along the A1 highway, the team At one point, he approached Matthews about running some of the team's would drink bottles of beer and play cards on the bus. The Canadian drills. His biggest influence ultimately came through the changes he players, who usually led the team in scoring, were no different. implemented in practices. Except for Babcock, who was already planning ahead. “We didn’t practice the way we should have,” Matthews explained. “It was more scrimmaging and then pulling different players out during the “When we were on the buses and stuff, he was quite a studious type,” scrimmage and giving them advice.” Matthews said. “Always reading and studying.” Matthews was more of a motivational coach than a technical one, a It was in Whitley Bay — a quaint, British, seaside town — that Babcock master of the rah-rah pre-game speeches. Having only picked up what discovered how to make the transition from player to coach and begin he learned from other coaches and having never attended any hockey one of the most illustrious careers behind the bench. Babcock had just schools, he was not a coach who could help improve a player’s graduated from McGill University in 1987 after playing four seasons as a technique. defenceman and was originally drawn to England for a teaching job at Northumberland College. That didn’t suit Babcock. After a few weeks, he got to work implementing drills that would help teammates improve their games. Babcock But Babcock's proposed teaching gig wasn't to be. The Warriors owner immediately lifted the standard for the Warriors, using his own knowledge caught wind he was coming over and immediately signed him. and passion. Babcock knew he wouldn't be playing long. “He made the drills a lot more intense,” Ross said. “He didn’t expect anybody to just coast through the drills. You had to be going 110 per cent “I had promised my folks by 1990 I'd get a real job,” Babcock once said in with Mike when you were going through drills.” an interview. “It was just one of those things. You've got to get on with it eventually. Sometimes growing up isn't as much fun. The college life — Still, Babcock made sure to respect Matthews and his role behind the even being a pro hockey player and single — the responsibilities aren't bench. quite there.” “He didn’t overpower the coaches,” Ord said. “He would run drills — but The BHL was then sponsored by Heineken, and the influx of cash meant you always knew Terry was the coach.” owners of the arenas decided which import players would be brought over. Each team was allowed three imports. Much like the Toronto Maple Leafs when Babcock signed on as coach in 2015, he viewed the Warriors as a project that required fixing. He couldn't British defenceman Terry Ord had been playing for the Warriors since help himself. On the dodgy ice surface of Whitley Bay Ice Rink, Babcock 1983. He knew most Canadian players came to the league and didn't first learned how to master what has become a hallmark of his coaching give the local players the respect he thought they deserved. style: getting the most out of individual players. “They thought they were the dog’s bollocks!” Ord said. While Babcock tried to lead by example on the ice — and regularly played 45 minutes a night — he knew he couldn’t do it alone. If Ross was Matthews himself had little say in players arriving and, having coached going to be paired with Babcock, he was also going to learn from him. the team for 15 years, was getting to the point where he was beginning to accept that any Canadians given to him would arrive expecting a walk in The Warriors practiced twice a week, from 10 p.m. to midnight. Babcock the park. wanted more. In Whitley Bay, Babcock stood out immediately. He began to understand “Most of us had to go to work the next day, but when the team got off the how to effectively assert himself as a respected voice in the dressing ice at 12 a.m., he would tell me, ‘You’ve got to stay on with me,’ ” Ross room and on the ice. But he would never talk down to players, according said. “We’d do little drills because he was my defence partner. We’d do to defenceman Dave Ross. extra drills for 20 minutes after practice with specific skills. He made me become a lot more professional as well in my outlook.” “He knew we all had to go to work the next day,” Ross said. It wasn’t just Ross. Babcock also had the talent to talk a big game, as his 132 points over 36 games proved. And those points were imperative to staying employed. “He made me a more confident player,” Ord said, “through the support he Babcock’s salary — estimated by teammates to be between £150 and gave me while I was playing.” £200 a week — was much higher as an import player than that of the locals. In what should come as no surprise to anyone that’s watched Babcock coach the Leafs or Team Canada, one of his top priorities was improving It was the equivalent to between £400 and £540 today, or $35,000 to the Warriors defensively. High-scoring games were a reality of the BHL $47,000 (Canadian) for a full 52 weeks. at the time, with double-digit outcomes not uncommon. “As an import, you’re expected to be better — and you're expected to “Because of the amount of goals scored, the discipline among some of play a lot,” said Luc Chabot, an Ottawa native who was one of the three the teams wasn’t what it should be in defensive zones,” Matthews said. imports playing for the Warriors that season. “You basically know you have to get four or five points. Some guys would show up, they’d play One of the first things Ross noted when Babcock began running two games, they’d have a bad weekend, and they're sent back home.” practices was that he was “very, very dedicated to defending the net.” In order to shut down opposition forwards, Babcock spent his share of “That’s what he’d grown up with, and he was using these drills to improve time in the sin bin. He showcased a ferocity that garnered 88 penalty our positional play: how to defend correctly, man mark and how to take minutes in 36 games. players out,” Matthews said. “I learned a lot from him in that regard.” Whitley Bay's arena could fit approximately 4,000 spectators, but even back in 1987 it was a relic of a bygone time. The Warriors owner didn’t believe in spending money to keep the rink — which was built way back The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 in 1955 — up to what it could be when Babcock played. “He was a cheap bastard,” Chabot recalled. The boards were crooked and the two teams’ benches were on different levels. Everyone — players and coaches alike — described the ice surface as “terrible.” Still, fans packed the arena. The low roof meant that it felt as if spectators sat directly on top of the players. For Sunday “Derby” games against local rivals like the Durham Wasps, Ross said players would enter the rink and be greeted by thousands of fans lining up around the corner to get in. Games were played on Saturdays and Sundays, with one home and one road game. Late Sunday road games often saw the team returning by bus at 6 a.m. Monday morning. Many players then had to head to their day jobs. Babcock lived in a three-bedroom Victorian house with Chabot and Scott Morrison, the team’s other high-flying import, who led the team in scoring with a ridiculous 224 points in 36 games. The imports' bills and housing were paid for by the team, which meant Babcock could dedicate even more time to studying coaching and pursuing his own interests. To earn extra cash, Babcock would pile into a car with some of his teammates and head north to Scotland, where they would buy used cars at auctions and then sell them back in England. By the end of his year in Whitley Bay, Babcock had become a recognizable figure in and around the town. He often spent off days at a variety of local golf courses. “The year was a riot — the place was great, a lot of fun,” Babcock said when asked about his time in the BHL earlier this week. “I would’ve loved to have gone back.” Though he played in England for just one season, Babcock changed the perception of the Warriors. The club was a mid-level team when he arrived, but they finished two points back of the league title that season. As in European soccer, the championship is awarded to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. Ord benefitted from Babcock’s direction, registering 62 points that season, the most of his 14-year BHL career. “He was always trying to find ways to open up the ice for us to get out of our zone,” Ord said. But toward the end of the season, Babcock began confiding in Ord his desire to leave England and return to Canada. “He had said his heart was in coaching,” Ord said. In the playoffs for the league cup, the Warriors lost in the semifinals. The small-town club suffered from stage fright. That marked the end of Babcock's playing career. The Warriors celebrated the end of the season by driving to the coastal resort town of Blackpool for a two-night stay. They visited the local amusement parks, played soccer on the beach and spent the evenings blowing off steam at local bars and nightclubs. “That was the first time I saw (Babcock) really let his hair down,” Ross said. Babcock returned to Canada soon after for his first head coaching position at Red Deer College. “Basically what it did for me is it gave me a chance to put on my resumé that I’d coached,” Babcock said of his season with the Warriors. “I could put it on my application for the job at Red Deer College.” Babcock has kept in touch with some of his former teammates. He returned to England four years ago for a trip with his family, visiting Newcastle upon Tyne, just 16 kilometers from Whitley Bay. There, he met up with Ross and some of the other former Warriors. After dinner, Babcock invited the group back to his hotel to reminisce about their one memorable season together. Even though he was on holiday, Babcock still loved to talk hockey. The conversation eventually turned toward Ross' recent role coaching Great Britain’s youth teams. Babcock wanted to hear about Ross’ experiences and, naturally, share a few tips. “When he came over,” Ross said, “he hadn’t changed at all.” 1085115 Websites Doan was front and centre in helping the NHL Players’ Association negotiate the last collective bargaining agreement back in 2012, an experience which he agrees probably planted the seed in him as far as The Athletic / LeBrun: Shane Doan soaking up experience in hockey ops, him seeking to learn the business side of the game after his playing but future career prospects remain a mystery career was over. And so there he was last Friday at his first-ever GMs meeting, another learning experience. By Pierre LeBrun 13 hours ago “It’s unique and I am completely a fly on the wall because I just sit on the outside and listen,” Doan said. “There’s some incredible guys in there that have a lot of influence on the sport I love. So to just sit in there and The NHL GMs meeting had a fresh face in the room last week, one that listen, that’s something you can learn a lot from; just the way they handle perhaps may join them in the same role some day. themselves and talk among themselves. At the same time, it’s similar to a dressing room and the way that it works. Probably that cross between a For now, Shane Doan is acting like a sponge, trying to soak in as much corporate boardroom and a dressing room which makes it very unique.’’ as he can from his senior colleagues in the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department. And perhaps one day he’ll be one of those GMs. Or not. Doan, whose hire by the league was announced last month, jokes that he “Either way I will have enjoyed this.’’ just smiles and nods as he tries to take in as much as he can from hockey ops vets such as Kris King, Mike Murphy, Rod Pasma and his boss, NHL executive vice-president Colin Campbell. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 “It’s an awesome group of guys, it’s like being on a team,” Doan told The Athletic on Friday. “When you’re in that war room with them, they do an unbelievable job. The way they manage and handle everything, I’ve learned so much in a short amount of time. It’s been fun.’’ Doan is following in the footsteps of Brendan Shanahan and Rob Blake, two other former players who tip-toed into their post-playing career by joining the hockey ops group before eventually taking on bigger roles in their executive careers. “I think the experience of watching and listening to how the league works from a different viewpoint, you see it as a player through one set of eyes, and now you see it from a different set and hopefully you can get a better understanding,’’ Doan said of what he’s got out of it so far. “I enjoy working with Kinger and Collie and Murph and Rod, all the guys there, they’re really good guys. I felt comfortable when I met and spoke with them.’’ Doan actually spent some time in the Toronto war room with them at the onset of the NHL season to get a feel and understanding of what the gig would entail before deciding if he would sign on. For the league, it’s a chance to bring in a player voice that has played today’s game, something Campbell and King felt was important. “Shane is fresh off the ice and the respect level that he gets is second to none,’’ King, senior vice-present of NHL hockey ops, said. “He’s a real good resource for us with today’s players because he’s respected and all the players know him and like him. He understands the mindset of today’s player.’’ That was King some 16 years ago when he retired. But the game has changed and Doan gives the group a fresh perspective. “To have a guy that can tell us what the players are thinking or be able to pick up the phone and talk to some of the players and get their feelings on different things, that’s important. It’s good for all of us,’’ said King, who played with Doan in Winnipeg and Phoenix. Long term? Who knows where this gig will bring Doan, he honestly isn’t sure. He says both Shanahan and Blake reached out when his hiring was announced and he appreciated their feedback. Will he follow in their footsteps and one day run an NHL team? Maybe, maybe not, but Doan isn’t hiding there’s a reason he’s doing this. “Without a doubt, there’s a reason why you would do this, to have this opportunity it’s because you have a desire to do something along those lines,” Doan said. “But at the same time, the situation would have to all line up for it to work. Really, to be honest, I’m just enjoying learning. I want to learn and see a different perspective. If that leads to something else one day, it might or it might not, I don’t know, but I enjoy the learning side of it regardless of whatever happens. No one knows what you’re going to do in the future.’’ Doan is able to mostly work from his Arizona home which was a very important facet to the job, he wanted to stay close to his family. It’s similar to how Blake first got going with the league, being able to work from Southern California. Aside from going to Toronto to see how the war room worked, and to the GMs meeting in Montreal, Doan also took in some games in Anaheim. King said Doan will join him for an outdoor game to see how that works and perhaps Campbell will want him in Florida in two weeks for the Board of Governors meeting when the owners gather Dec. 7-8. 1085116 Websites (the Tampa Bay Lightning coach) last year after they’d played 14 games in 28 days and he said, ‘this is crazy.’ Well, do it twice. And they got beat up by injuries and missed the playoffs. The schedule has a major impact The Athletic / Duhatschek Notebook: Jets' improved schedule, giving on results. It’s fairly even for a lot of teams. For some, it’s a little tougher thanks for parity, Gerard Gallant already Jack Adams worthy than for others. But for what we dealt with, I’d never seen anything like it. “Maybe we’ve asked too much of these men.” By Eric Duhatschek 10 hours ago Ken Holland, the Detroit Red Wings’ general manager, probably didn’t realize he was creating a monster when he innocently passed on an observation to some of us many years ago: That in his research, the NHL standings tended to move in tandem after U.S. Thanksgiving, which ANAHEIM – Scheduling is almost always a bone of contention with NHL roughly coincides with the end of the NHL’s first quarter. coaches and no one knew the ins and outs of his team’s schedule better than the Los Angeles Kings’ Darryl Sutter. Not exactly a new age man, Holland’s point was that if you were in the NHL playoff picture by this Sutter still paid far more attention to rest and recovery than you’d think. week, the odds were good you would qualify for playoffs by season’s Sutter knew how demanding the schedule could be for a team dealing end. Detroit made a habit of making the playoffs – 25 years in a row until with West Coast travel — and how playing tired could damage a team’s they finally lost out last year. Nowadays, of course, it’s possible to track playoff aspirations. Fatigue contributes to injuries. Fatigue contributes to the veracity of practically every theory on a spreadsheet. Then, it was mistakes. Too much fatigue and a team just can’t be at its best. mostly an empirical observation by a GM who’d discovered something you’d intuitively think anyway – if you fell too far behind early in the Last year was the first time the NHL introduced the concept of the bye season, it is hard to make up that ground, even if there were 60 games or week, a five-day, mid-season break nominally intended to rest and so left to play. refresh an overworked collection of players. A good idea, in theory. But it was also the first time since 2004 that the NHL played the World Cup, In the last five years, Holland’s opus has been proven true just under 80 which meant that the 82-game 2016-17 regular season would be per cent of the time. Three times, 13 teams in the playoffs by U.S. crammed into a 179-day window, rather than the 185 days it took to play Thanksgiving held on. In the other two seasons, 12 teams did so. This the year before. year, sorting out the Thanksgiving Day factor is further complicated by the fact that as of Thursday, there were six teams tied for the final wild- The net effect of trying to play a full season in 11 to 12 fewer days took card spot in the Western Conference. Yes, Colorado, San Jose, Chicago, its toll everywhere around the NHL, but it was particularly acute in Minnesota, Dallas and Anaheim all had 23 points. The Avalanche and Winnipeg, where the Jets found themselves playing 28 games in 50 days the Sharks had played the fewest games (20); had identical records (11- from their outdoor game in late October until the 11th of December. In 8-3) and even had the same number of regulation and overtime wins that span, they played back-to-back six times and only once did they get (10), which is the first tie-breaker. more than a single day off between games. In early November, one road trip took them to the East Coast, brought them home to the Central time But it’s a logjam, with 13 of the 15 teams able to assert they are actually zone for a single game (against the Dallas Stars) and off on the road in a playoff position, if you ignore tie-breaking scenarios. again to play the Coyotes in Arizona. It was like that all year – ping- ponging back from one trip to another, rarely getting the opportunity to Over in the East, there was a tiny bit more separation. The three worst practice. teams all resided in the Atlantic – Montreal, Florida, and Buffalo – where 20 points separated first-place Tampa from the last-place Sabres, “Our schedule was incredibly difficult last year,” said coach Paul Maurice, practically a chasm by today’s standards. By contrast, the gap between in an interview with The Athletic. “I’d never been through anything like first-place Columbus and last-place Philadelphia in the Metropolitan was that before. I’d never seen anything like it before. If you take that just eight points. Currently, the two wild-card spots in the conference schedule and put us on the East Coast, maybe it’s a little more were held by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, Pittsburgh, reasonable. But then you throw our geography in there. We have one and last season's President’s Trophy winners, Washington, but even that team that’s an hour away (Chicago). Everybody else is two hours-plus. is a bit of mirage, given both had played 23 games, or three more than We have a team in our division that’s not even in our time zone. A lot of seventh-place Carolina. And while the Rangers were on the outside times, we were playing an East Coast game, then playing one at home, looking in, they were on an 8-2 roll in their last 10. and then going to the West Coast, so we tried to factor in when we travelled back home. We don’t even worry about a one-hour time Accordingly, if the metrics of the past five years roughly hold true again, it difference; that’s just standard operating procedure for us. means three or four teams currently in the playoff mix will fall out by season’s end. You pick. Logically, you’d have to think Vegas, slumping “We played six sets of back-to-backs in that block – and we did eight- Los Angeles and Vancouver are vulnerable in the West; while New time zone changes and we banged out 130 man-games lost to injury in Jersey and Detroit would be the prime candidates to slip in the East. But that stretch. We were three games under .500 after we lost in Calgary since there was nothing remotely logical – or predictable – about how the and lost in Edmonton at the end of it and we had nothing in the tank. It first quarter played out, who knows what can happen. was tough.” Viva Las Vegas Accordingly, this year, while the bye weeks remain (Winnipeg’s is between Jan. 13 and Jan. 20, just past the mid-point of the season), the To paraphrase my old friend Bob Johnson, Wednesday was a great day schedule is far friendlier, according to Maurice, who said the Jets didn’t for hockey in southern California because it gave me a chance to speak do much lobbying to change the schedule. Just eliminating the World with players and coaches on four teams in one day. I went to the morning Cup added six additional days back into the schedule. Compared to last skates in Anaheim, where the Ducks were preparing to host the Golden year, the Jets play only 14 games in November (not 16) and play only six Knights; and then drove across town to see the Jets squeak out a 2-1 in the first 11 days of December (not seven). In that seven-week span, victory over the Kings at night. they also enjoy one four-day break and one three-day break and only The one thing that struck me was how remarkably similar the messaging play back-to-back twice, including this Friday and Saturday in Anaheim was from both Maurice and Golden Knights’ coach Gerard Gallant in and San Jose respectively. But Friday’s was an afternoon game, thanks terms of keeping the focus narrow after both were off to unexpectedly to the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, so there will be a few additional hours good starts. of recovery time. “Really, we don’t talk about it,” Gallant said. “We’re not looking at it long In addition to improvements in goal and special teams’ play, a more term. We’re looking at the next game. We know where we’re at in the reasonable schedule is a significant contributing factor to the team’s standings, but as soon as you start looking down the road, well …” early-season successes, which had them in second place overall in the Western Conference standings through Friday. Gallant didn’t finish his thought, but the implication was clear. The minute his hard-working, fast-paced team started thinking big-picture thoughts, “I would say ours is now normal,” Maurice said. “Relative to last year, that’s when trouble might start. Divisional games, he acknowledged, we’re happy with it. We still have a block of games, from the third week of were more important. Vegas’s best chance of actually qualifying for the November until the third week of December, that’s really tough, but I playoffs will be to finish among the top three teams in the Pacific, which think everybody has their bad month.” is weaker in relative terms to the Central. There is no way to quantify the impact of the schedule on a team’s “The way I’m talking to our team, one game is not more important than injuries, but Maurice believes there is a correlation. another one, but we all know it is,” Gallant said. “It’s a divisional game. I “Dallas kind of went through the same things we did last year; they had a don’t want to put any added pressure on our team. We just go out and difficult stretch and then they got beat up by injuries, and you saw what play the game, no matter who you play, and just play the best you can. If happened to them,” Maurice said. “There was a quote from Jon Cooper you keep winning hockey games, the standings will take care of themselves.” The Golden Knights then went out and produced a wonderful effort reviewing video on every players’ penalties that they took last year. We against the Ducks, spotted them a two-goal lead, didn’t panic, pushed went through that with them in the first week. All our repeat offenders, we until they got back to even and then won it in the third. They are getting broke it down for them – because there’s a certain kind of player that unexpected performances from a number of different players, including takes a certain kind of penalty; and so we saw all those. William Karlsson, who is getting a chance to play a top-six role in Vegas and taking advantage of the opportunity. Karlsson’s 10 goals in 20 “Then the last part of it was education. We are a really young team so we games is one behind team leader James Neal and already represents a needed a guy to come in, not to explain the rulebook, because that, we career high. The Golden Knights lost their three top goalies to injuries, get. But Paul (Devorski) has done 1,594 NHL games – and there are and while Malcolm Subban has been activated from injured reserve, certain tells. He’d say, ‘if I have to think about it, it’s not a penalty. You which has permitted them to return Dylan Ferguson to junior, they have know a penalty when you see it.’ He started talking about where your gotten five of their 10 wins with their fourth stringer, Maxime Lagace, in stick is, where your free hand is – and can we eliminate the two or three goal. I’ve really never seen anything quite like it. No matter what happens things that in his subconscious referee’s mind, means a penalty’s from here on in, it’s hard to imagine any scenario in which Gallant doesn’t coming? win the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s coach of the year. “Having Devo on the ice, I thought was really good. I didn’t have him This and that running the practice, or blowing the drills. I just had him talking to the guys. But I’d look over and see (Blake) Wheeler talking to him, or Buff Marian Gaborik was tentatively scheduled to return to the Los Angeles (Dustin Byfuglien). What we tried to do was break down all the factors lineup Friday; he’s been out all season, recovering from off-season knee that led to the penalties we took last year and tried to address them. Paul surgery. You can expect Gaborik to start in a limited bottom-six role until came in and he was great. He just talked to the guys and rolled around he gets his skating legs under him, but then coach John Stevens will the ice. It was good.” have a decision to make. Does he put Gaborik up on the top line, with Anze Kopitar, where they’ve had chemistry in the past? Or leave Kopitar’s line intact, with Dustin Brown and rookie Alex Iafallo? Iafallo has The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 brought speed and energy to the unit, but has managed just one goal in 22 games. It may well be that facing lower-level defence pairs, playing further down the lineup, might help ease Iafallo’s NHL transition. Stevens, meanwhile, has managed to resurrect Brown’s career by playing him lots – on average, 20 minutes and 12 seconds per night. Brown’s four power-play goals leads the team. Gaborik scored 27 goals for the Kings back in the 2014-15 season, but the last two years have been injury-filled disasters – 22 points in 54 games two years ago; 21 points in 56 games last year. Part of being a successful NHL coach these days is being an organizational pragmatist, which is why Brown has a new lease on life under Stevens. The former Kings’ captain, Brown is signed for four more years at $5.875 million per season – heavy coin for a player whose role was diminished under Sutter last year. If a player can’t play, he can’t play, but from the Kings’ perspective, it made sense to give Brown a fair chance to demonstrate what was left in the tank – lots by the looks of the early season. The same strategy will logically apply to Gaborik, who is 35 and has three more years remaining after this year at $4.875 million. Under the new Kings regime – with Rob Blake in as GM, Stevens behind the bench – the Kings have had eight NHL rookies play at least two games this season. The decision to put Brooks Laich on waivers was presumably made to create a roster spot for Torrey Mitchell, acquired from the Montreal Canadiens Thursday. Now in his fifth season as the Jets’ coach, Maurice tried one outside the box move in training camp, that seems to be paying dividends, by bringing in retired referee Paul Devorski. The Jets last year were assessed 275 minor penalties, second-most in the league behind Calgary (277), and gave up 62 power-play goals. Only Colorado and Dallas surrendered more. The year before wasn’t much better. They played a man short 282 times. Arizona, Anaheim, and Los Angeles were the only teams that were penalized more often. Not only did the Jets take too many penalties, but they didn’t do a good job of killing them off – finishing 26th on the penalty kill two years ago and 25th last year. Cumulatively, over that two-year span, the Jets lost the special teams’ battle by a wide margin, giving up 133 power-play goals and scoring just 86 times with the man advantage. Turning that massive deficit into a plus, or simply having special teams offset, was their objective and so far, matters have vastly improved. Through Friday, the Jets had scored 15 power-play goals (on 66 attempts) and surrendered 16 power-play goals (on 74 attempts). In all, 11 teams have been penalized more than the Jets. They may not exactly be choir boys yet, or have figured out what is and isn’t acceptable in this era of increased vigilance, but they are improving. Maurice explained to me that he came up with the idea of having an experienced official at camp as part a three-pronged off-season plan to reduce the number of penalties they took. “It was clearly not a coach’s speech that was going to change it, because we’ve had that a bunch of times,” Maurice said. “The first part was considering a player’s original defensive position – and did your positioning put you in a place to take a penalty or not? The second part was developing the skill of defending one-on-one. And last was understanding what the rules are and how they’re applied and why they’re applied. We worked on all three.” In training camp, Maurice said he ran one-on-one compete drills every single practice, trying to teach “the skill of defending without getting your stick up – and how do you change what you do. Part of that was 1085117 Websites When the puck ends up back on Paul Stastny's stick, the Avalanche have five skaters packed into a tight area, and a tarmac-wide passing lane smack in the middle of the ice. Stastny picks his head up, and Dunn has The Athletic / The Blues' line: How St. Louis defensemen are scoring already identified the opportunity to crash the weak side and is in motion, goals by the bunches making himself a position target in the zone. On the reverse angle, you can see how out-of-position the Avalanche are. Because of aggressive plays by St. Louis defensemen — a joined By Evan Sporer 19 hours ago rush and forecheck by Bortuzzo, and a backdoor-cut by Dunn — the Blues turn this play into a goal.

It would be one thing if this was an isolated instance, but this is how the When the Blues jettisoned defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk prior to the Blues defensemen have manufactured a handful of goals this season. 2017 trade deadline, St. Louis parted ways with one of the most offensively gifted players at his position. On paper, St. Louis' blueline was Instead of gaining the zone on a transition chance, this time St. Louis worse off, even with the flexibility to give more minutes and skates it in and goes on the cycle. Because Alexander Steen ended up responsibilities to younger players like Colton Parayko and Joel making a play lower in his defensive end, Pietrangelo doesn't stay up on Edmundson. the blueline, but rather roving around, almost like a free safety. But what St. Louis lost in Shattenkirk has, in practice, not created a So when the Blues continue to cycle the puck around the wall and black-and-blue line situation. The Blues defensemen lead the NHL in Stastny gets in a board battle, Pietrangelo is close enough that he can goals scored, accounting for 21 through Wednesday's games. provide support from that middle-of-the-ice spot and get in on the play. In that specific area of the game, the Blues were certainly pegged to That aggressive pinch leads to another change in possession, at which suffer without Shattenkirk. From 2011 to 2017, Shattenkirk led all Blues point the Canucks have all five in-zone skaters tilted from the left circle defensemen in goals and goal per-game, with him and Alex Pietrangelo in. Much like the Dunn goal, a quick, aggressive play on the wall with a accounting for close to 58 percent of those goals. team over-committing to one side leaves a Blues defenseman all alone on the weak side. When Edmundson recognizes this, he cuts toward the And even with Shattenkirk for three-quarters of last season, the Blues' slot, giving Stastny a clean look. blueline wasn't the gold standard in terms of producing goals. In the 2016-17 season, St. Louis' defensemen ranked 15th in the NHL, From the reverse angle, there is one other component to this sequence combining for 35 goals, according to Hockey Reference. The San Jose that sets up the goal. Steen begins to creep down from the blue line Sharks led the league with 49, and nine teams' bluelines recorded 41 or when Stastny comes out of the corner with the puck. Though he doesn't more goals. factor into the scoring, because he puts himself in a shooting position, Sam Gagner flips his stick into that passing lane. If Steen doesn't step Yet here is St. Louis, tops in the NHL in goals scored from its blueline up, Gagner most likely occupies that space Stastny slips the puck this season, with the sum of the remaining parts sans Shattenkirk through. carrying the load and then some. One more similar Carl Gunnarsson goal, is this one against the Dallas So at this point it seems fair to ask: Are the Blues doing something Stars. A Tarasenko chance that is initially stopped by Ben Bishop leads systemically that is conducive to their defensemen scoring goals? to a change in possession, followed by a quick defensive regroup and swarm by St. Louis, creating the weak-side counter opportunity. First, one point of clarification: Of the 21 goals scored by Blues defensemen, three have come on the power play, so it's not like that stat The moment Dallas corrals the rebound and tries to turn up ice, Stastny is boosted considerably by special teams. recognizes he can cut this play off on the near wall and create some havoc. Behind him, Tarasenko is a secondary lane-plug, positioned to And now for some context: The majority of these goals, as is the case create another speed bump. with the majority of St. Louis' offense, were generated with the forward line of Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn, and Jaden Schwartz on the This play isn't identical to the previous two, but you still have Gunnarsson ice. For example, four of Pietrangelo's five even-strength goals have hopping into an offensive position on the weak side following a forced been scored with the Blues' top forward line on the ice. Four of the six turnover by St. Louis in the offensive zone (that's a lot of the same even-strength goals scored by Edmundsson were scored with those criteria). Though the puck pinballs around and Gunnarsson's shot wasn't three forwards deployed. on target, the gears to this machine are turning because the Blues make the aggressive reads that catch the opposition off-guard. Though it manifests itself in a number of different ways, there's a common thread to many of these goals scored by Blues defensemen. The Blues defensemen are shooting 8.3 percent this season at all The St. Louis blueline is opportunistic but aggressive in when it chooses strengths, not a remarkably high number, a testament to the shot quality to attack, very much a mandate from the head coach. On a Mike Yeo the unit and team are producing. These aren't lucky, fluke goals or team, the philosophy is very simple: Pick your spots, and take those risks ridiculous individual efforts, but calculated, engaged moments that catch 200 feet away from your own goal, but by all means be aggressive when teams in vulnerable moments. you can. And when it works, the Blues defensemen don't hesitate to jump into a And that mantra can be seen in how St. Louis plays, and how many of shooting lane and call for the puck, with an offensive mindset. The Blue these goals are being created. Whether it's sustained offensive zone time line very much has the green light when it sees red, and St. Louis is that fatigues the opposition out of position, or a spirited forecheck that manufacturing these opportunities through its structure and puck-hunting. creates a turnover and a quick counter-chance, these are expeditious, workmanlike sequences that are putting the defensemen in fantastic positions to score. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2017 One thing the St. Louis blueline does is make great weak-side reads when the other team is overloading in the vicinity of the puck. On this Vince Dunn goal, Robert Bortuzzo joins and leads the rush, helps win the puck back for the Blues, and in a flash, the Avalanche are caught with five skaters inside the faceoff dot before Dunn sprints into an excellent scoring position. When the Blues gain possession following a Carter Hutton save, St. Louis takes off in transition, with Bortuzzo joining the rush. The play ends up deep in the Avalanche's zone and in the corner, and Bortuzzo is still in deep, below the faceoff dot. Colorado has for skaters below the circles, and three that are directly or pretty close in puck pursuit. And while Colorado wins the puck back, Bortuzzo is still engaged in the zone, close enough to the level of the puck that he can quickly make a play with his stick. Though the Avalanche were poised to break out of the zone in one moment, in the next, an aggressive play by a Blues defenseman puts Colorado in terrible position. 1085118 Websites The experiment should continue getting a good run with the Leafs facing 12 of their next 16 games away from Air Canada Centre. It’s arguably the toughest stretch of the season and will require Babcock to lean heavily Sportsnet.ca / Leafs’ Marleau continues to live up to contract on his most trusted options. expectations It says something about Marleau that the coach would rather not play him as a centre but is choosing to do so for the betterment of the lineup as a whole. Chris Johnston “I don’t know if he’d score as much if he played in the middle all the time,” @reporterchris said Babcock. “And I want him to score and be putting the heat on D’s because you’re behind the play and coming up later, he’s not as [active] November 24, 2017, 10:13 PM on the forecheck. “His speed is so good you’d like to use that. So that’s the negative side.” RALEIGH, N.C. – There was no prolonged conversation after Mike It hasn’t negatively impacted his ability to find the back of the net so far, Babcock decided he needed to play Patrick Marleau out of position. with Marleau now sitting at five goals in the nine games he’s played at centre. He simply called his Swiss Army knife in and said: “We’ve got you in the middle. If you have any trouble with that let me know.” The one he scored against the Hurricanes made it 5-2 in the third period, but wound up being the winner when Carolina’s furious comeback fell Marleau hasn’t peeped up about it since. He’s played nine of the past 12 just short. That moved him into seventh on the NHL’s all-time list with games predominantly as a centre, including Friday’s 5-4 victory over the 102 game-winning goals – just seven shy of Brendan Shanahan, the Carolina Hurricanes, and his coach expects to continue deploying him in Hall-of-Famer turned Leafs president. that manner when the road matchups make it advantageous to do so. “He’s got to track Shanny down,” said Babcock. “I’m hoping he’s tracking “I don’t have to sell him on nothing,” said Babcock. “He likes hockey.” him down before the end of the year.” It’s an understated quality that has already made a big impact on his new team. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2017 There doesn’t need to be any cajoling with Marleau. He is as predictable as the beat of a metronome and owns the coach’s implicit trust while playing wing, centre, net-front on the power play and even killing the occasional penalty. In short order, Marleau has laid waste to much of the skepticism that followed his $18.75-million, three-year signing over the summer. He’s now on pace for 31 goals after picking up his ninth of the season in Friday’s game, camping out at the edge of Scott Darling’s crease with the man advantage and tapping home a nice feed from Auston Matthews. “I was hoping for it,” said Marleau. “He made a great play there. I just had my stick on the ice, he used me as a backboard.” That goal allowed the Leafs to escape with two points on a night where the ice was heavily tilted against them. They needed Frederik Andersen to be terrific early – a noteworthy trend of late, with Toronto having been outshot 65-38 in the first period of its last five games – before their offensive skill eventually shone through. This is a team capable of outscoring its problems thanks in large part to Matthews, James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri and Marleau. Against the Hurricanes, there were no shortage of defensive issues. Carolina applied significant pressure for long stretches and made it difficult for the Leafs to execute controlled zone exits. “Once we started flipping pucks behind them – as boring as that is – we had some more success getting out,” said defenceman Ron Hainsey. “They were on top us. We were trying to make plays and it just wasn’t happening.” Marleau’s line wasn’t immune from those issues, but it’s notable how infrequently that’s been the case. The 38-year-old has consistently managed to come out in the black possession-wise even after being flipped back and forth between centre and right wing. He started his career with San Jose in the middle before eventually being shifted to make room for Joe Pavelski. He played some games at centre for the Sharks in recent years when Logan Couture was out injured, but wasn’t originally viewed as a viable option there when the Leafs signed him. It was only after Babcock noticed opponents using last change to get their best players out against Tyler Bozak’s defensively challenged unit that he changed his mind on where No. 12 belongs. “I don’t control the matchups, so I can’t get mismatched in any situation with him at centre,” Babcock explained. “He can play against anybody and then I have more balance and I don’t have to spend my whole life sitting guys on the bench [thinking] ‘Oh, did I miss that guy.’ “When their guy is waiting to hunt your guys – they always pick someone to play against, right? And when they’re waiting for that guy and they keep getting you, you never get out of your zone and it starts wearing you out. You get tired of watching that so this way I don’t have to watch it.” 1085119 Websites The doors closed for a players-only meeting. Kyle Okposo, who stayed silent that night, believes veteran Jason Pominville’s message resonated most. When the doors finally opened, the Sabres’ faces were a pall of Sportsnet.ca / Struggling Oilers, Sabres search for answers to right thousand-yard stares. sinking ships “We’ve got to grow up, mature,” Okposo said. When Ryan O’Reilly isn’t on his game, he grows quiet and self-critical. Luke Fox He’s trying to convince himself that, as the team’s best two-way centre and highest-paid player, he needs to worry more about the group’s result, @lukefoxjukebox not his own. Pick others up. Let them reciprocate. The mental valleys are gruelling, more so when losing is what you know. November 25, 2017, 12:08 AM This isn’t even the worst feeling of losing O’Reilly has experienced.

“It’s unfortunate, but I’ve been on some bad teams in Colorado. But the BUFFALO, N.Y. – The very idea of salvaging something worth keeping expectations coming in here…” He reloads. “We were expected to be from the east-west train wreck that is Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo fighting for a [playoff] spot. It’s going to take a lot to get out of this.” Sabres hockey right now elicits deep thought, blank stares, and laughter. Rolling over a slipshod Edmonton squad in decisive fashion on a jam- Yet we asked the young faces of these struggling franchises to pinpoint packed but low-energy night is a baby step for a fan base that can easily something that’s gone right amidst all their squandered games and score hockey tickets below face value. (“I got friends giving them away shriveling expectations for 2017-18. for free on Facebook,” one Buffalonian said.) “Positives?” asked Connor McDavid, skeptically. Teammate Patrick Core Oilers Cam Talbot and Oscar Klefbom sat with the flu. Leon Maroon let loose a chuckle behind him. “Not many. We haven’t been very Draisaitl may as well have. good this year. I think everyone’s made that very clear. When I think positives? Whew… I don’t know.” Buffalo got a jolt with the healthy return of its defensive horse, Rasmus Ristolainen, who helped limit McDavid to three shots, zero points and a A full 10 seconds of silence pass when the same question is passed to 44 per cent Corsi 5-on-5. Jack Eichel, who, you may recall, shares a draft year with McDavid. The Sabres ended a seven-game skid (trench?), the oft-ripped Eichel Sunken in the stall of a pristine, expensive KeyBank Center dressing excelled at both ends and scored for the second straight game, and the room, a Sabres ballcap pulled as low over his eyes as the day’s Oilers — again — whiffed on an opportunity to link two regulation wins collective mood, Eichel thinks hard and sighs before pointing to an together. They haven’t done it all season. improved penalty kill, to which he contributes. “Same story,” said McDavid, a dash-2 in loss number 15. “We get a win, Then he star-wipes wide to wrestle with the big picture and another draft- we come back and we don’t follow it up. I don’t think it was [lack of] effort lottery pace. at all. We were just sloppy. It just felt like we were never really in sync, anyone at anytime. Little passes that are easy to make, we didn’t “We should stop feeling sorry for ourselves, complaining and making complete them. It’s just a group that’s out of whack. It is frustrating. excuses for what’s going on. We just need to come together and work harder. That’s always the key to success,” Eichel says. “We had high hopes for tonight, and we just can’t get it going.” Sabres, Oilers: They suffer from the same disease. When the going gets There are days, Darnell Nurse admits, when positivity is too slippery to tough, they crumble. Following Friday’s near-joyless 3-1 Sabres victory, hold. That’s when he looks out, to McDavid, to the group that won a the worst team in the East and second-worst in the West are a combined playoff round last spring and appeared to the world like it would win a 2-20-1 when trailing after two periods. bunch more soon. “The severity of the momentum is too much. We get deflated as a team “Games are gonna eat away at you. Plays are gonna eat away at you,” or they score a goal,” Eichel explains. “We have to find a way to ride it Nurse says. “We believe in each other. As long as that belief stays within out when the momentum swings and the other team’s pressing and we’re this room, it doesn’t matter what’s going on outside of it.” on our heels. We have to figure out a way to bend but not break.” Outside, they’re already tabulating lottery odds. You’ll have to excuse them. They’re not at their best. Outside, the Pacific-leading Knights have won four games in a row. Ditto Heading into what was derisively titled the “Pissed-Off Bowl” by one the Bruins, Edmonton’s next opponent. The Oilers and Sabres jerseyed-up fan with a drink in hand, the sides had a total of 13 wins to desperately need runs like that, yesterday. rub between them at the season’s quarter mark. Eight individual teams had that many or more, and one of those is the expansion Vegas Golden Like Eichel, McDavid says it’s pointless to lick wounds and indulge in hurt Knights. feelings. Ten minutes into a scoreless, jagged game, a lone fan booed loud in a “We’re the ones who got ourselves in this,” the captain said, “and we’re sold-out barn. Presumably he was unhappy with the level of play in the ones who are gonna get ourselves out.” general.

Black Friday, indeed. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2017 You can bet 29 GMs are wondering when the sales start. “The character was questioned about the group,” said Todd McLellan. The Oilers coach believes the dedication in practice is there and that all the right things are being said in the room. It’s just the games where things fall apart. “We can’t go on the ice and play for them. We can push them, we can prod them, we can poke them, but they need to make decisions that aren’t always easy. They happen very fast.” One could flip McLellan’s words with those of Sabres coach Phil Housley, and they’d ring just as true. “With our record, there’s a lot of questions out there about accountability and trust,” Housley said. “They have to work it out together.” That began in earnest Monday, after the Sabres lost to the Blue Jackets but before they lost to the Wild. Bit player Jordan Nolan called for more accountability in the press, pointing the gulf in attitude and approach between this and his former family, the championship Los Angeles Kings. 1085120 Websites guys you respect. He comes in and works hard and he just wants to get better. That’s been him from Day 1."

That sounds a lot like the Sedins. Sportsnet.ca / Devils’ Cory Schneider continues to dominate Canucks The Canucks needed to work smarter in the second period, when the Devils scored three times on Vancouver mistakes. Iain MacIntyre Taylor Hall found space between Canucks’ Derrick Pouliot and Sam @imacSportsnet Gagner to shoot from the slot over goalie Jacob Markstrom’s shoulder. November 24, 2017, 9:57 PM Devils’ defenceman Will Butcher was allowed to streak unimpeded up ice and embarrass Canuck blueliner Ben Hutton one-on-one before dishing to Brian Boyle for New Jersey’s second goal. NEWARK, N.J. – Daniel Sedin collected two points Friday night, and if he And Damon Severson poked a rebound from the post into an unguarded gets two more under similar circumstances Sunday, you will see the most net for the winning goal after Sven Baertschi’s giveaway at the end of a joyless celebration of 1,000 points in National Hockey League history. Canucks power play set up a breakaway for Hall. The goal and assist Sedin gathered against the New Jersey Devils hardly "I liked how we pushed in the third," Canuck coach Travis Green said. "I mattered because the Vancouver Canucks fell 3-2, losing whatever wasn’t crazy about some of our little details in the second period. When magic they had going when they opened their six-game road trip with 5-2 you play a game like this where both teams play a structured game, wins 24 hours apart against the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh those little details are usually the thing that separates who wins and Penguins. loses." Actually, those points may be more meaningful in time if Daniel and A goalie may have something to do with it, too. Henrik Sedin retire after this season because Daniel generated them against an old friend and admirer, goalie Cory Schneider, who was traded to the Devils 4½ years ago and has been crushing the Canucks Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2017 ever since. The Canucks are happy with the trade, because it fetched Bo Horvat, who has become Vancouver’s top centre and scored his team’s other goal on Friday. They’re just not happy with it any time they play Schneider, who is now 6-1-2 against them. At least the Canucks scored on Friday – Sedin’s goal was a fluke – after Schneider made 37 saves during a 2-0 shutout win in Vancouver on Nov. 1. The goalie, whose move was the most stunning twist in the Roberto Luongo trade saga on the West Coast, had to make only 23 saves against the Canucks on Friday. "I think early on (after the trade) there was some extra motivation," Schneider said. "With where we are now and where they’re at, some of that has been lost with a lot of guys moving on. I don’t know if we match up well against them or I just happen to be hot or play well against them, but they’re a fun team to play against. They shoot a lot of pucks and, maybe, I’m a little more familiar with the twins. I seem to get up a little more for these guys." By allowing two goals, Schneider’s anti-Canuck numbers actually diminished. Before Friday, he was carrying a 1.73 goals-against average and .940 save percentage against his old team. Even Canucks super rookie Brock Boeser was unable to score against Schneider – and Boeser scores against everyone. Boeser’s four-game goal streak ended, although the 20-year-old picked up a second assist on Horvat’s power-play goal that halved the Devils’ two-goal lead at 10:37 of the third period and made the final nine minutes interesting. "We should have beaten him more than once, but that’s the way it is," Henrik Sedin said of Schneider. "He’s a good goalie. He suits their system. I always saw him as a No. 1 for sure, even when we had Lou and they were battling to be No. 1. I always knew Cory would be an elite goaltender." It was not lost on Schneider that this may have been his last time facing the Sedins, who are 37 and have not decided if they’ll play beyond this season, which has seen their roles reduced. "To this day – I’m in my 11th year pro, which is hard to believe – when I think of a consummate professional, I think of Henrik and Daniel," Schneider said. "Coming into the league, it was different than it is now. Seven or eight years ago, you just watched and learned. You didn’t say a whole lot, didn’t do too much and had to earn your way. Those two guys were the best examples of that. "They were the first guys in the gym, they were the hardest working. They spoke up when they needed to and they took accountability. But they never asked for anything in return. The way they went about their business was crucial to my development." Schneider said the Sedins should finish in the . "He thinks we’re good guys, but I don’t know that that makes us Hall of Famers," Henrik, who has 1,031 points after an assist on Daniel’s bank- shot goal in the second period, said with a smile when told of Schneider’s remark. "I always enjoyed playing with Schneids. He’s just one of those 1085121 Websites If it’s not necessary to crush a guy, I’ve seen you use the bear hug. Is that something that was taught to you? Or is that just staying loyal to the code? Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: ‘Terrifying’ Matt Martin talks Maple Leafs’ “I came in the league at an interesting time where they’re were still a lot top-line cameo of the old-school tough guys. There was still touch icing. It’s made a huge Luke Fox transition over the past eight years. No more touch icing, which is a lot safer. When I hear the whistle, I’m never out there to hurt anybody, @lukefoxjukebox especially on an icing play. It’s a dangerous situation, and on a dead play there’s no reason for it. So I just grab him like that.” November 24, 2017, 3:50 PM 2. The pre-tax salaries of NHL players are public knowledge, but calculating the dollars skaters actually pocket takes work. Thankfully, the good folks at Gavin Management did the math. A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. The results tweak the way you perceive the league’s top earners. 1. Matt Martin is a healthy scratch Friday at Carolina for the first time in The first table below lists the 15 most handsomely paid players in 2017- his Toronto Maple Leafs tenure, as the club’s forward-line roulette wheel 18, ordered by gross salary; the second ranks them in terms of actual keeps spinning. take-home pay. Ironically, Martin’s benching comes on the heels of his look-see Florida man Steven Stamkos, who’s earning every penny this season, alongside Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner, who both rave about jumps from 14th to seventh after you consider his state’s soft tax hit — a how their big, tough friend has nicer hands than he gets credit for. factor well publicized as he approached free agency in 2016. I sat this week for a little chat with Martin, who’s always generous with his Dallas star Jamie Benn leapfrogs Chicago’s twin gross leaders, Patrick time. Kane and Jonathan Toews, for top spot in the net chart. Don’t mess with Texas’ capitalism. SN: Does it ever bother you that you get slapped with the enforcer tag and put into a box? Florida’s Aaron Ekblad, Chicago’s Brent Seabrook and Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel ($9 million cap hits, all of ’em) don’t make the top 15 gross but fly Martin: “It all depends what role you’re given. You see the same thing their way into the top 15 net. when Team Canada plays in the Olympics. You see John Tavares go from MVP-calibre player to a fourth-line checker that kills penalties. The only player on a Canadian team cracking the top 15 net is Montreal’s When I’m on the fourth line, I obviously don’t get as much ice time, so Shea Weber, who falls from fifth to eighth due to taxes, and he signed you’re not in the flow of the game as much. Up the lineup, you’re making that deal when he was with Nashville. plays, you feel good, you know you’re getting other opportunities to make plays. You want to make plays when they’re available, but as a fourth Difficult to scan this list and not wonder if tax rates will become a small liner, you want to get pucks in and be responsible. That’s what the factor on the decision of an impending free agent like John Tavares. New coaching staff wants and expects. Top lines are relied on to score.” York’s state income tax for those hauling more than $1.06 million annually is 8.82 per cent. Did your half-game in Montreal on the Matthews-Marner line open eyes to your offensive skills? 3. A trip through Eastern Canada is just what the Arizona Coyotes team doctor ordered. The NHL’s last-place team beat Montreal, Ottawa and “I make that [backhand] pass to Mitchy — he picks it up. Not every player Toronto back-to-back-to-back. in this league can pick up a pass that’s behind them. I know I struggle with that. That changes the way you think. Those are smart guys. They This teaches us that the Yotes aren’t as bad as you thought. It also find positions where it’s easy to make plays to them. I wanted to make reminds us that the Atlantic Division is the weakest. Here are the four the most of that opportunity.” divisions’ combined head-to-head records: How were you used differently on the New York Islanders? Central vs. other three divisions: 64-31-13 (.653 PTS %) “We played 12 minutes even strength every night. Me, Casey [Cizikas] Metropolitan vs. other three divisions: 71-49-18 (.580 PTS %) and [Cal] Clutter[buck] often got matched versus the other teams’ top lines. I don’t think here we’ve gained that trust yet [as a fourth line]. You Pacific vs. other three divisions: 60-57-11 (.512 PTS %) gotta think: That was something we earned over time on the island. We Atlantic vs. other three divisions: 55-54-17 (.504 PTS %) were together for three years. That kind of comfort level takes time.” Combined, the Atlantic clubs sport a minus-29 goal differential. That Marner describes you as “terrifying to play against.” When did you realize figure drops to minus-70 when you remove top seeds Tampa Bay and you could strike fear into your opponent? Toronto. “As a defenceman it’s not easy to go back for pucks. Even when I’m first If the Lightning and Maple Leafs don’t finish 1-2 in a division where the back for a puck, I’m looking around to see who’s coming and how I can Detroit Red Wings’ playoffs chances are real, it’s a blown opportunity. prevent myself from getting hurt. I’m aware if it’s a more physical guy or a smaller, skilled defenceman who’s not gonna come at me. 4. A very brief oral history of the Toronto Maple Leafs attending the CFL East final, which featured Marner’s Toronto Argonauts defeating Mike “Once you start thinking about that as opposed to making a play to your Babcock and Tyler Bozak’s Saskatchewan Roughriders 25-21. D partner or winger or centreman, that’s when turnovers happen. Your mind’s on the wrong thing. That’s in the backs of their minds — they Auston Matthews: “I was pretty tired so I went home [early]. Morgan always know when you’re on the ice. Look at a guy like Ryan Reaves in [Rielly] and Freddie [Andersen] and I, we all went home and then the Pittsburgh now. Everyone knows when he’s on the ice. Zac Rinaldo on game turned into an absolute barnburner … probably should have stayed [Arizona] — he’s a physical player. So you communicate. You have to be around for that last quarter. aware of who’s coming after you. I’ve caused some trouble for defencemen who are aware they’re going to get hit. They try to avoid Marner: “When I walked in today, Babs and Tyler were together at the being hit, or protect for being hit, or try to rush a play — it causes table, and I walked in wearing my Argos hat, hands up celebrating.” confusion and that’s when turnovers happen.” Matthews: “Mitch and Bozie made a bet. I don’t know if he made a bet Over the course of a game, you know when you’ve gotten into a D-man’s with Babs. I wouldn’t make a bet with Babs.” [smiling] head, then? “I still haven’t gotten my bottle of wine from last year’s world juniors [bet, “For sure. It’s a tough job for defencemen back there. They make a lot of in which Team USA defeated Canada]. You’re out of luck if you’re betting great little plays that go undervalued. It’s never easy being last man with him. I don’t think he pays up.” back, retrieving a puck, staring at the end boards and making a play the 5. “I love that fast, north-south style,” says Rick Tocchet. other way. Sometimes they slow up and let you get the puck first. A lot of times you’ll see them rim the puck when they’re not under pressure. A portion of Arizona’s early struggles can be attributed to goaltender Antti There’s a lot of things going through your mind at once, and to solve that Raanta’s injury, but another portion rests with a complete systematic and equation is not easy.” philosophical overhaul in how to play the game. I’ve asked a few NHLers how long it takes to adapt to a new coach’s scheme, and they say at least a month. You want it to sink in faster, but with rest so valuable and practice time so limited over the 82-game grind, The question is, considering his size and penchant for offence, can Keller some times it can take even longer. develop into the No. 1 NHL centre so sorely needed on this team (real talk: Derek Stepan is a No. 2 on a contender) or will he always be an “[Dave] Tippett had us playing a more defensive game. Tocc wants us to excellent winger? defend, too, but it’s more about playing with speed and going the other way,” Oliver Ekman-Larsson explains. 11. One of the main reasons I believe the Maple Leafs will try to add a defender before the trade deadline passes is because Ron Hainsey and “It’s more straight-up with Tocc than Tip. We played with the puck a little Nikita Zaitsev are being relied on too heavily to kill all the penalties. The more under Tip’s system. This is more north-south. That’s the big duo has logged 210:55 of combined short-handed ice time, which difference.” projects them to finish the season at 719:52. 6. A change of scenery doesn’t always equate to an uptick in Curious where that would rank historically, the kind folks at SN Stats did performance, but when does Matt Duchene’s lack of productivity in the math for me. Ottawa become a concern? In the past decade, no duo has put in that kind of kill time. Look back 15 Through six games, the assumed “best player in the deal” has zero years, and only two PK duos spent more time on ice than the Hainsey- points and is a minus-8. Nashville’s Kyle Turris has five points in the Zaitsev pace. same number of games. Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios logged 851:05 on the PK in Ottawa tinkered with chemistry. Let’s see Duchene partnered with the 2002-03 and 863:39 on the Babcock-coached 2005-06 team. The two red-hot Mark Stone to get him rolling. Hall of Famers bolstered a top-six PK unit in both those seasons. 7. Legendary Sabres enforcer turned analyst Rob Ray spoke highly of The Islanders’ Brendan Witt and Tom Poti logged 748:13 in 2006-07. Evander Kane during a radio interview on Calgary’s Sportnset 960 this That PK finished 18th overall. The Leafs’ PK ranks 14th at 80.8 per cent. week. 12. As much as the Coyotes bungled their goodbye to franchise icon Buffalo is in disarray, but Kane has raised his rental stock through the Shane Doan — there is still no jersey retirement ceremony on the roof with his performance: 12 goals and 21 points through 22 games. calendar — the club was wise to keep healthy its relationship with career That the 26-year-old winger can finish is no revelation, but Ray went off grinder Paul Bissonnette. on Kane’s excellent leadership skills and responsibility. That’s new. In his first season as Arizona’s local colour analyst, BizNasty still travels With Jack Eichel’s contract kicking in at the beginning of 2018-19 and on the team plane and lives the NHL life, minus the bag skates. He’s also four other forwards — Jason Pominville, Kyle Okposo, Matt Moulson, started a fun, personality-driven series of videos to help showcase the Ryan O’Reilly — already making $5 million or more next season, Buffalo current Yotes. Check out Road Trippin’ with Biz…. cannot justify keeping Kane even if he wants to stay.

8. Keith Kinkaid is the closest facsimile the NHL has to The Emoji Movie, except he’s funnier. (The nine per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating is Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2017 generous.) After each victory, the New Jersey Devils backup goaltender tweets a happy game summary so flush with emoticons, you may need a decoder ring: Kinkaid was recently gifted with a locker full of plush emojis from the Devils mascot. Fittingly, his thank-you tweet included more than just text: 9. The Coyotes have a good room of talkers, which is all a reporter can hope for. I was blown away by and appreciative of Ekman-Larsson’s candor Monday. He didn’t back away from discussing sensitive and personal subjects in the midst of a loud, crowded game-day visitors’ room. With the Argonauts having just advanced to the Grey Cup hours earlier, Max Domi got chatting about father Tie’s cameo as an Argos placekicker. 10. Following Monday’s skate and ahead of his team’s 4-1 upset of the Maple Leafs, Domi made a Clayton Keller prediction: “You guys are in for a treat watching him tonight.” Bang on. Of all the young, stud forwards in that game, Keller was easily the one who drew your gaze. He drew two penalties — and should’ve drawn a third when his summer golf partner, Matthews, got away with a trip. He set up two goals while running the point on the top power-play unit, and was generally creating every shift. “He’s got the puck a lot, right? He wants the puck. He doesn’t throw it away. That’s what I love about the kid — he doesn’t throw pucks away,” said Tocchet, explaining Keller’s knack for drawing minors. “He’s in the corner, he comes out with it, and then someone will get a stick on you and you get tripped up.” Keller is listed at 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, measurements likely taken when he was soaking wet on stilts, but he plays a huge game. “Spectacular. I mean, what he can do with the puck and the confidence he has as a young player is remarkable,” Domi said. “He wants to make a difference. Whether we’re down a goal or we’re going into the third period and it’s a power play, he wants to be the guys hopping over the bench. It’s rare to see a guy like that. We’re really happy to have him.” Ekman-Larsson all but stopped short of anointing Keller A New Hope. “He’s already a top player in the league, and he’s going to get even better. That’s the best thing about it,” Ekman-Larsson said. “When you struggle as a team, you look around this room and you feel you have enough players to turn this thing around.” 1085122 Websites Julien said one of the reasons Lindgren went down was because Niemi could be lost on waivers. We suspect the concern over losing Niemi to that process has more to do with making sure Price doesn’t suffer a Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens excited to have Carey Price back, but need him setback over the next coming days than it does with anything else. at his best The nature of Price’s injury—coupled with his recent injury history— requires Montreal to proceed with as much caution as possible. Eric Engels “We can recall Charlie at any point,” said Julien. November 24, 2017, 3:46 PM He just might want to do that as soon as Price needs rest for a game. With backup Al Montoya sidelined by a concussion for an indeterminate amount of time, Lindgren unquestionably gives them a better chance to win than Niemi. BROSSARD, Que.—The guessing game is over. It can be argued Lindgren does that regardless of Montoya’s health, Carey Price is coming off a three-week absence, caused by a lower-body considering he’s put up better numbers than any other Canadiens injury, and he’s stepping in front of the Montreal Canadiens’ net for a goaltender this season. game against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Price getting up to Lindgren’s level—and exceeding it—gives this team Now the question is, which Price are we going to see? Will it be the one the best chance of getting back into the thick of the playoff race. who built up a reputation over the past five seasons as the consensus best goaltender in the world, or will it be the one who put up the worst “We know what he’s done in the past,” said Julien. “We’re excited to see numbers of any starter with at least 10 games under their belt this him come back.” season? The Canadiens will be even more thrilled if Price can immediately offer The 8-12-3 Canadiens need the Price they expect to see—the guy who his best. they signed to an eight-year, $84 million contract extension this past summer—and can’t settle for anything in between. If he at all resembles the man who collected just three wins in 11 starts and posted a ghastly Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2017 save percentage of .877 and a nightmarish 3.77 goals-against average, they’re in even bigger trouble than they already appear to be. The team has lost five consecutive games and could be as many as six points out of a playoff spot by the time they wake up on Saturday morning. They’re getting set to play seven of their next eight games at home and four of their next five against divisional rivals. It’s fair to say they need a major boost. “Just having his calming presence back there will make a difference” said Canadiens defenceman Jordie Benn after Friday’s practice. “He’s as good as any of us at moving the puck. He saves us from having to go back and get it half the time.” Price’s ability to do that is critical, but him stopping and smothering pucks is what’s of utmost importance. All the better if he can do it without sliding around his crease with as little control as he displayed through the first few weeks of the season. “Over the time he was injured, Carey did not stop working,” said Canadiens coach Claude Julien. “When I say that, [I mean] he had treatment, he watched video with [goaltending coach] Stephane [Waite], and he kept working to improve his game for when he came back.” Price also discarded the pads he was using up until the moment of his injury and has been wearing a new pair in practice over the past week. He went back to an old pair of skates, too. “It’s just something you’re familiar with,” Price said of the change. “Technically, I think it gives me more of an advantage.” Whatever works, right? One of the other things that might help Price regain form is having a bit of a different look to what’s been a beleaguered defence unit since the season started. David Schlemko, who suffered a hand injury on the first day of training camp, is finally ready to start playing games again. He’ll dress for the AHL’s Laval Rocket on Friday, as part of a brief conditioning stint, and he’ll probably be ready to go for Monday’s Canadiens game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jakub Jerabek came up from Laval to play his first NHL game in Nashville this past Wednesday and performed admirably. He’s a sound decision-maker and a capable puck mover who can chip in with some offence, and his addition brings a new element to the team’s back end. And Shea Weber, who missed the past two games with a lower-body injury, is nearing a return. Julien said he could play Saturday after receiving treatment on Friday. Antti Niemi will back Price up for the time being, with Charlie Lindgren going back down to Laval after posting a 3-4-1 record, a .924 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average. “(Lindgren) played great,” said Price. “It’s not an easy position. It was good to see his enthusiasm, he was having a lot of fun.” 1085123 Websites Arguably the most surprising goaltender on this list is Jacob Markstrom, who used to be the ‘Next Great Goalie’ prospect for years, only to flounder in the NHL until this season when he’s been brilliant at even Sportsnet.ca / Acknowledging and analyzing the NHL’s top five goalies strength for an equally surprising Vancouver Canucks team. this season Markstrom boasts the second-best high danger save percentage in the NHL, strong numbers in the high slot, and has the lowest percentage of shots faced that turn into rebounds at just 57 per cent. Andrew Berkshire Of those rebounds, Markstrom is tied with Crawford for the lowest November 24, 2017, 1:11 PM percentage of them ending up in the high danger area at just 31.7 per cent. Markstrom’s teammates have done a great job recovering the very few rebounds he actually allows, too. After breaking down the top forward lines and defence pairings so far this I think you could make a legitimately strong argument for any of Smith, season, the natural next step is to look at which goaltenders have been Bobrovsky, and Markstrom as the top-three goalies this season. Whether the biggest difference makers for their teams. those will be the same names up for the Vezina at the end of the year, though, is anyone’s guess. Unfortunately with goalies there just isn’t the same variety of statistics to evaluate their play that exist for skaters, so it’s a lot tougher to come to a conclusion about total value, especially in small sample sizes. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2017 In the end I decided that sticking to 5-on-5 play made sense once again, because save percentage on special teams is highly unreliable in small samples. In order to qualify, goaltenders had to start at least 10 games this season and I wanted to look at not just overall performance, but signs that the performance is sustainable, and how much the goaltenders themselves are contributing to the shot quality they face. With that in mind, here’s what I came up with as the top goaltenders through one quarter of the NHL season. Be aware that in order to increase the contrast in these big numbers I started the y-axis (vertical) at 30 per cent. Over the past several years of NHL hockey, we know that future overall save percentage is normally best predicted by how well goalies are stopping pucks in the high danger area, or inner slot. So far this season, Mike Smith is leading everyone there by a wide margin, turning away 90.7 per cent of the high danger chances he faces, which is more than 13 percentage points better than league average. An interesting note on Smith’s high danger save percentage being the highest of this group: his outer slot save percentage is the lowest for him personally and below league average. That’s an odd outlier. Smith gives up rebounds on 62 per cent of the shots he faces, but those rebounds are recovered by his teammates or himself 87.5 per cent of the time. Smith has a relatively high percentage of his rebounds that wind up in the inner slot area, but 98.6 per cent of those rebounds are either recovered by his teammates or smothered by Smith before opponents get a chance to get on the puck, so it hasn’t burned him yet. Sergei Bobrovsky, last season’s Vezina winner, leads the NHL in even strength save percentage again, and is third in high danger save percentage while posting stronger save rates in the high slot than Smith. Bobrovsky has been a bit of a mess with rebounds though. A whopping 71 per cent of the shots Bobrovsky faces result in rebounds, and 39 per cent of those end up in the inner slot. The Blue Jackets also recover fewer of Bob’s rebounds than league average teams do, making things tougher on him as he faces more second chances than other goalies. That hasn’t burned him yet, but the question for Bobrovsky is whether you credit him for the extra saves or punish him for being the creator of his own increased difficulty? In a small sample size, it’s tough to say which is more important. If by the end of the season Bobrovsky still leads the NHL in even strength save percentage, you just have to tip your hat to him. Braden Holtby puts up strong numbers across the board, and he doesn’t give up many rebounds either, with only 59 per cent of the shots he faces ending up out of his immediate control. The Capitals also recover among the highest percentage of rebounds in the NHL at 90.7 per cent – and they recover 97.5 per cent of Holtby’s rebounds into the high danger area. Holtby has the easiest workload of this elite group, but you have to give him credit for helping to ease that by keeping second chances to a minimum. Corey Crawford remains one of the most consistent even strength goaltenders in the NHL, posting strong save percentages and allowing the lowest percentage of rebounds to the inner slot of anyone. The Blackhawks don’t recover Crawford’s rebounds at as high a rate as other teams, but Crawford’s own work in the high danger area leads to 97.8 per cent of those high danger rebounds being recovered. 1085124 Websites through the final 40 minutes; when they do, it makes a big difference in how busy their goaltender’s night is.

In their first meeting of the season, the Leafs felt that their poor night in TSN.CA / Leafs hang on for road win, snap 2-game skid the faceoff dot (47 per cent) gave the Hurricanes too many good scoring opportunities off the draw which they used to advantage in the 6-3 victory. On Friday, their faceoff numbers were actually worse by the end By Kristen Shilton (45 per cent), with three of the Leafs’ four centres operating at 50 per cent or less. But Toronto did a better job after the first period of not letting Columnist image the Hurricanes get set up off the draw and pushing pucks out of the zone or to the outside. Still, Carolina bested Toronto handily in puck

possession, dominating every period in that category and finishing at 70 The Toronto Maple Leafs nearly let one slip away in Carolina on Friday per cent. The Leafs’ best frame was the second, when they approached night, but the visitors held off a late surge from their hosts to top the 50 per cent and scored four of their five goals on the night. It was in that Hurricanes 5-4. The victory snapped the Leafs’ two-game losing streak period the Leafs recorded their only four high-danger scoring chances of and moved them to 15-8-1 on the season. the game, while the Hurricanes had 18 over 60 minutes. Too slow for comfort The Leafs have emphasized the importance of improving their starts. So TSN.CA LOADED: 11.25.2017 far, they’ve struggled to realize those ambitions. In each of their last three games, Toronto has been outshot and outplayed for most or all of the first period and relied on Frederik Andersen to keep them afloat; the same held true in Carolina. Not only were they being hemmed into their own zone and getting outshot 11-1 in the first 11 minutes of the game, but they also took two penalties in the first 13 minutes. By the end of the frame, the Leafs were trailing 14-4 on the shot counter (and 31-7 in shot attempts), and have now given up a league-worst 281 shots in the opening frame this season. The Leafs’ prospects would have been dire if not for a couple of terrific saves by Andersen in the first 20 minutes – one with the stub of his stick against Teuvo Teravainen and an even tougher glove stop on Victor Rask. Toronto found their legs early in the second period and dominated that frame, but why it’s taking them until then to start working is an issue head coach Mike Babcock is eager to uproot. As the game wore on, the Leafs held a three-goal lead twice and saw it evaporate into a one-goal win, thanks to the same lapses (turnovers, poor zone exits and clears) that put them on their heels in the first period. Andersen finished the night with 43 saves and a .915 save percentage to help hold the Hurricanes at bay. The Leafs netminder hasn’t just been their best player this month, but also the best around the league, holding a .938 save percentage in November to pace all starters and is tied for the lead in wins (seven). The Hurricanes entered Friday’s game giving up the sixth-fewest goals in the NHL (57), but once the Leafs found their footing in the middle frame, the scores came in bunches. Scoreless after the first, Toronto held a 3-0 lead after 11:37 – and it wasn’t their usual suspects lighting the lamp. Zach Hyman opened the floodgates with his fifth goal of the year, a play started by capitalizing on a Hurricanes’ miscue along the boards. Nazem Kadri had the second assist on Hyman’s goal, extending his career-high point streak to nine games. Then Josh Leivo tallied his first of the season with a top-shelf snipe over Cam Ward. Four minutes later, it was Ron Hainsey, making his return to Carolina for the first time since the team traded him to Pittsburgh last February, extending the lead for Toronto with his second of the season. Both of Hainsey’s goals as a Leaf have come against his former teams (the first was in Montreal). The trio of unanswered goals came on just six shots by Toronto. Friday was only the second time in five games the Leafs had scored more than one goal in a game, further highlighting the importance of this secondary scoring. While the Leafs want their stars like Auston Matthews (one assist), Mitch Marner (zero points) and William Nylander (one assist) in on the action, being able to get it done without them from time to time is a boost in its own right. Cause for concern? The Leafs have given up a lot of goals this season (68, tied for ninth- most in the NHL), so it’s not exactly surprising they’ve also given up a lot of shots (32.4 per game, also tied for ninth-most in the league). On Friday they’d ceded more than 40 shots on goal with over eight minutes left in the third period, marking the third time this year they’ve allowed at least that many shots. The Leafs were outshot 47-25 on the night. The last time Toronto held an opponent to less than 30 shots on net was against the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 6; in 24 games this season, only four teams have had 30 or fewer shots against Toronto. However, despite the figures, the Leafs have the most wins this season (11) when they’re being outshot. That could speak to how Toronto often jumps out to leads and opponents are chasing the game, or to how well Andersen has played, especially down this last stretch. But as they saw on Friday, a busy goaltender can also become prone to mistakes. Noah Hanifin’s goal, a soft one facilitated by a Matthews turnover in the defensive zone, brought Carolina to within one with 4:11 left in the third and was Carolina’s 46th shot on net. The Leafs did a better job in the second period of limiting the Hurricanes’ chances by winning more one-on-one battles and taking away the time and space Carolina had to establish their speed game in the first. But the Leafs didn’t do it consistently 1085125 Websites Marleau insists he's not worried about moving over to play down the middle.

"I'm good either way. I have no preference," the 38-year-old said. TSN.CA / Nylander seeks confidence boost "Wherever they want me is fine." Marleau, who started his career at centre, is quick to remind reporters By Mark Masters that he did see some time at the position as recently as last season in San Jose. Columnist image "I've always been moved around," he noted. "It has always been that way." TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes Babcock and Marleau had some brief discussions about the switch, but from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs had the coach didn't have to sell the player on the move. an optional skate at PNC Arena in Raleigh on Friday morning. "I just said, 'What do you think?' I don't sell him on nothing, he just likes William Nylander is usually cool, calm and collected on the ice, but last hockey," Babcock said. week against the Devils the 21-year-old showed a lot of frustration after failing to convert an opportunity. TSN analyst Ray Ferraro was between "He said, 'I got you in the middle, if you have any trouble with that let me the benches for the broadcast on Nov. 16 and told Nylander not to sweat know,' but it's been going good," Marleau said. "You want everyone it because, “You’re going to score.” And, sure enough, Nylander got the going at the same time. That makes it so much harder to defend for the overtime winner snapping an 11-game drought. other team." “It was nice of him to say that," Nylander recalled with a wide grin. "I was The move seems to have had the desired effect as Hurricanes coach Bill pretty rattled there after I missed that one backhand shot so he cheered Peters said he won't really try to match lines tonight. me up a little bit.” “We’re just going to play,” Peters said. “It’s going to be too fast, I think, to Nylander hasn't scored since then meaning he now has just that one goal get matchups. It’s only a matchup game when the game is slow and in the last 15 games. Is it a good sign that Ferraro will be in the building there is lots of whistles and your matching lines off whistles. I don’t tonight as the Hurricanes host the Leafs on TSN4? anticipate that happening a whole bunch tonight. I got to get my guys out in good situations where they can use their skill-set properly so that's “Hopefully," Nylander said, still smiling. "We’ll see.” what I'm going to concentrate on and they can do what they need to do and then, at the end, we'll see who wins." The Swede insists he's not superstitious, but is feeling a bit unlucky these days. "It's going to be quick for sure," Babcock agreed, "and we're balanced on the road with four lines anyway. I can't tell you which is best and which “Of course, you want to score and stuff, but as long as you’re creating isn't, so we're going to roll them out the door and then go." chances, I mean, playing at such a high level [in the NHL] you can’t expect to score all the time," he said. But Babcock made it clear he'll be focused on ensuring the right personnel is on the ice against the line of Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal Leafs Ice Chips: Nylander on verge of breaking 'slump' and Teuvo Teravainen. William Nylander has just one goal in his last 15 games, but the young "Obviously, for us, Staal's line is absolutely dominating. I think [Aho] and Maple Leafs forward feels like he is getting the chances and just hasn't [Teravainen] have 10 and 11 points apiece with Staal with six in their last been able to convert. Mark Masters has more on Nylander looking to five games. They're on fire so we had better know who's out there." break out of his slump tonight in Carolina. Patrick Marleau will be back playing centre on Friday night against the Head coach Mike Babcock is doing his part to try and get Nylander, who Hurricanes. The Maple Leafs forward insists he's happy to play wherever has four goals on the year, going again. He's given him new linemates in Mike Babcock needs him. Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk and is working on getting him easier matchups. And Babcock believes Wednesday's game against the --- Panthers was one of Nylander's best efforts of the season. For the fourth time in their NHL careers, James van Riemsdyk and “I liked that he went and got the puck and won some battles and shot it younger brother Trevor van Riemsdyk will face-off. The timing couldn't like he can," Babcock noted. "It’s hard to believe that confidence is so have been better for the family, which has seen relatives flock to Raleigh. fleeting in the National Hockey League, but it is. And we need Willie to Toronto flew into town after Wednesday's loss and the Hurricanes were get his confidence back and get feeling good. You saw it with Mitch already home this week. That means the van Riemsdyk clan got a rare [Marner], you see it all the time with different players, you need to feel Thanksgiving together. good about yourself. So, we just decided that this is a different situation, give him a different look to feel better and ideally that’s going to show "It's a million-in-one type shot," James said. "It seems like the stars here again tonight. I really thought it showed in the third period the other aligned. We had some family drive in from Atlanta to spend some time night.” with us, which was nice, because we don't see them too often." “I think it’s getting better," Nylander said. "I think I’ve been in a little slump Thanksgiving was always the big holiday for the van Riemsdyk family so I want to stay at that pace and keep playing like that ... it’s the way growing up. hockey is, I mean, sometimes the bounces aren’t going to go your way "That always seemed to be when we got a lot of family together," James and it may be that way for a little bit so you have to work even harder to noted, "We're kind of a little spread out over the East Coast so that's the get them to go your way.” one time when you got to see some people more than you usually did. What's going through Nylander's mind during drought? With our schedules over the years you don't get a chance to do that as often anymore so for it to work out like this was pretty cool." TSN Hockey analyst Ray Ferraro explains what is going through William Nylander's mind during his current drought and grades Nylander's play "It was an awesome holiday," Trevor said. "We would host it at our house through the first quarter of the NHL season. usually growing up and have a lot of relatives over and play a lot of hockey, basketball, whatever it may be, in the driveway, work up an --- appetite and then go inside and eat as much turkey as we could." For the ninth game this season, Patrick Marleau will shift over to centre Basketball? How'd that go? for the Leafs. "I'd like to think I was the better of the basketball players," Trevor said "I can't get mismatches in any situation with him at centre," Babcock with some pride. "Worked a couple basketball camps back in the day so explained. "He can play against anybody. Then I have more balance and my jump shot was there." I don't have to spend my whole life sitting guys on the bench, 'Oh, did I miss that guy?' When their [coach] is waiting to hunt your guys – they "He was probably the best athlete in the family growing up at all our always pick someone to play against, right? When they're waiting for that sports," James admitted. "He was a pretty good golfer, basketball, stuff guy and they keep getting you, you never get out of your zone and it like that, he has a natural touch." starts wearing you out. You get tired of watching that so this way I don't Trevor's teams have won two of the three showdowns with James' Leafs have to watch it." including a 6-3 triumph at the Air Canada Centre in October when Trevor picked up an assist.

TSN.CA LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085126 Websites November, Vegas ranks sixth in the league with 53.0% score-adjusted Corsi, and if that trend continues, they won’t merely be a competitive expansion team, but they’re going to make a legitimate run at the TSN.CA / TSN Hockey's Top 10 Storylines of the Week playoffs. SCHENN By Scott Cullen There is one player in the Top 40 in league scoring this season that changed teams in the offseason, and it’s Brayden Schenn, who is tied for fourth with 30 points in 22 games since joining the St. Louis Blues in a trade from Philadelphia. Teams are scoring more, Boeser, MacKinnon, Schenn, Vegas, Oilers, Habs and more in TSN Hockey’s Top 10 Storylines of the Week. Skating on one of the premier lines in the league. with Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko, Schenn is driving play and generating shots in INCREASED SCORING a way that he never did in Philadelphia, so even though his percentages are lofty right now, his improved production is not fueled solely by those One of the most notable statistics through the first quarter of the NHL percentages. season is that goal-scoring is up, currently at 6.02 goals per game, after finishing last season at 5.53 goals per game and hovering around 5.5 for Getting the opportunity to play with Schwartz and Tarasenko is a great the past seven years, so this current goal-scoring rate stands out. spot to be, but Schenn has earned his keep and the 26-year-old is already more than half way to his career-high of 59 points. What’s the reason? Overall save percentages are down from .910 to .907, so that’s part of it, but shots per game are also up a bit, from 30.2 OILERS WOES per team per game to 31.9. It’s been a brutal start to the season for the Edmonton Oilers, a team that Is this as simple as the crackdown on slashing having a positive effect? harboured Stanley Cup hopes entering the year but, before Wednesday’s That’s possible, if it means that players with the puck are able to get win at Detroit, the Oilers had one regulation win in their previous nine through the offensive zone a little bit easier and possibly create better games and had been outscored 18-7 in three straight losses. quality shots. While the Oilers do have solid underlying numbers, including 53.2% BOESER score-adjusted Corsi, that suggest a turnaround is possible, that turnaround also depends on goaltender Cam Talbot recovering from a One of the reasons that the league has lots of goals is that there is an rough start to the season. He had a .922 save percentage in 186 games influx of young talent that can put the puck in the net, perhaps most over the past four seasons, but is sitting at .901 through 20 starts this notably among the rookies is Vancouver right winger Brock Boeser. year, and the Oilers, who aren’t getting enough complementary scoring, Boeser was the 23rd pick in the 2015 Draft and played two seasons at haven’t been able to overcome those numbers. the University of North Dakota before joining the Canucks late last If the Oilers didn’t have Connor McDavid, it would be tempting to write season, scoring four goals and five points in nine games, an encouraging their season off now, because they are already five points out of a playoff start to his pro career. spot having played more games than the teams immediately above them, After he was scratched for the first two games of this season, though, but they do have Connor McDavid and that leaves open the possibility he’s become a game-breaker for the Canucks, and he has scored six that he can drag this group back into the playoff picture. goals in the past four games to take the lead in both the rookie and team HABS TROUBLES scoring races. The Montreal Canadiens didn’t necessarily have the same kind of The 20-year-old winger can still round out his game, as the Canucks expectations as the Oilers coming into the year, but they surely thought don’t drive play with him on the ice, but his ability to fire the puck is going they could be a playoff team, but they’ve gone seven straight without a to make him an integral part of Vancouver’s rebuilding effort. regulation win and that’s left them four points out of a playoff spot, which MACKINNON might not sound like much, but they’ve played three more games than Boston and Ottawa, the two teams directly above them in the Atlantic The first overall pick in the 2013 Draft, Colorado Avalanche centre Division, so that four-point deficit has room to grow. Nathan MacKinnon won the Calder Trophy in 2013-2014 after scoring 63 points in 82 games. It looked like he was well on his way to stardom. In any case, the Habs have had trouble scoring, which isn’t a great surprise, but star goaltender Carey Price tried to play through an injury, But a funny thing happened on the way to becoming a scoring star, and was ineffective, and now he’s set to return to action Saturday, with the MacKinnon shot 7.4% over the next three seasons, numbers not really Canadiens desperately needing Price to play like he’s played in recent fitting for a big-time scorer, and he managed 143 points over 218 games. seasons. The Canadiens know, as well as any team, that their The thing is, that with his combination of speed, strength and skill, that performance would look dramatically different with a goaltender stopping felt wholly underwhelming, like he hadn’t even scratched the surface on 93% of the shots that he faces, as Price has over the past four seasons. what he might be able to produce in the league. Like the Oilers, it would be tempting to write off the Habs at this point, but It looks like he might be hitting his stride this season, however, as the 22- if Price is able to play to his customary level when he returns, there is still year-old has scored 10 points in the past four games, giving him 25 time for Montreal to get back into the playoff hunt. points in 20 games. He has the percentages going in his favour this year, so the numbers are there, even while MacKinnon generates a career-low SABRES SINKING 2.7 shots on goal per game. Winless in seven, the Buffalo Sabres look like they are headed for the This is a big deal for the Avalanche because, after trading Matt Duchene, bottom of the standings, again, and frustration is starting to boil over. MacKinnon is the clear No. 1 centre on the team, expected to lead this Jack Eichel, the second pick in the 2015 Draft, has taken heat for a lack young team back from a disastrous 2016-2017 campaign. of production, and has been dropped in the lineup, but it’s worth noting VEGAS, BABY that Eichel had 24 power play points among his 57 points in 61 games last season, but this year has just one power-play point among his 18 Coming into the season, there weren’t any expectations placed on the points in 22 games. Fix the Sabres power play and Eichel’s production expansion Vegas Golden Knights. Their roster looked okay, like they will follow. Maybe getting defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen back from could be competitive, but it also looked like they didn’t quite maximize the injury will help. current value that they might have been able to extract from other clubs in the expansion draft. That won’t be enough to save the Sabres, though. They’re getting outshot on a nightly basis and don’t have good enough goaltending (or a Nevertheless, the Golden Knights got off to a great start and then their potent power play) to overcome that deficit. goaltenders started getting hurt. By the time the franchise had played 10 games, they were already on their fourth goaltender, and while they did TOUGH TIMES FOR RASKS start to drop some games, it was understandable given the There are two Rasks playing in the NHL and both are going through circumstances. tough stretches. But, they currently sit atop the Pacific Division with 27 points in 20 Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask had been dominant from 2011-2012 games, have won three in a row, are getting goaltenders back from injury through 2014-2015, posting a .927 save percentage in 187 games, but – Malcolm Subban was first to get activated from injured reserve – and, perhaps most encouraging is that they are starting to control play. In has fallen to a .915 save percentage, much closer to league average, over the past two seasons. Well, he’s down to .897 through a dozen starts this year and is losing playing time to Anton Khudobin, who started his fourth straight game on Friday afternoon. Hurricanes centre Victor Rask, who missed four games total in his first three seasons, and ranked fourth on the Hurricanes in ice time last season at 17:18 per game, has been a healthy scratch in the past couple of games. He had no points and 10 shots on goal in the previous seven games. Q1 AWARDS With the first quarter of the season in the books, I checked in with NHL award picks.

TSN.CA LOADED: 11.25.2017 1085127 Websites Shane Bowers, (C/L) Boston University, NCAA 14 GP 6-3-9 Bowers, the 28th pick, was traded to Colorado as part of the Matt Duchene trade. While he’ll never be a prolific scorer, he will produce TSN.CA / Hot Button Issues: Catching up with Canadian teams' 2017 some adequate offence and be a solid player in different areas of the first-round picks game. He became a necessary part of the trade and it reflects on his potential that he was coveted by the Avalanche. He’s the one player who won’t be a participant at the World Juniors this year but should be a solid By Craig Button candidate for the 2019 event. Columnist image Montreal Ryan Poehling, (C/L) St. Cloud State University, NCAA, 11GP, 3-10-13 Across the country we go, looking at Canadian teams’ first-round picks As a 17-year-old freshman in college hockey, Ryan was able to hold his from 2017 and how they are faring so far this season. own and progress nicely over the course of the year. He capped off his freshman season by joining the U.S. under-18 team that captured gold at Fans will get a great look at most of these players at the World Juniors in the IIHF tourney in Slovakia. He was an instrumental player for the U.S. Buffalo, as it certainly appears that at least six of them have every during the event and will be counted upon to be an important member for opportunity to be participants. the U.S. at the World Juniors. The 25th overall pick has a game similar in style to Jordan Staal. Vancouver Halifax Mooseheads at Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Sunday, Nov. 26. It’s Elias Pettersson, (C/RW/L) Växjö SHL 20 GP 11-16-27 where I’ll be and I’m excited to watch four players I feel will be first-round The second leading scorer in the SHL is on a tear and looking every bit picks in the 2018 NHL draft. The Mooseheads boast three in Filip Zadina, the creative, offence- producing player the Canucks coveted with the fifth who will play for the Czechs at the World Juniors, Jared McIsaac and pick. While projecting as a centre, he has played on the wing. But the key Benoit-Olivier Groulx. The Titan have Noah Dobson, a very good takeaway for Pettersson is that it doesn’t matter where he plays, the puck defenceman. follows him around and inevitably finds its way into the opponent’s net.

Calgary TSN.CA LOADED: 11.25.2017 Juuso Valimaki, (D/L) Tri-City Americans, WHL, 16 GP 5-12-17 The workhorse defenceman, selected 16th overall by the Flames, is expected to captain a very talented Finnish squad in Buffalo. While there is no one area that stands out for Valimaki, his whole is greater than the sum of the parts and it adds up to a player that can play any situation in the game with a very high degree of competence. Edmonton Kailer Yamamoto, (RW/R) Spokane Chiefs, WHL, 5 GP 1-5-6 Yamamoto, drafted 22nd overall, began the season in the NHL with the Oilers after a stellar training camp. He had four points in his first game after being returned to Spokane but Oilers’ fans know they have a very good young player on the horizon. His return to Spokane is good news for the U.S. junior team as he’s expected to form part of what could be a very strong line with Buffalo first-round pick, Casey Mittelstadt, and Ottawa’s first-round pick in 2016, Logan Brown. Winnipeg Kristian Vesalainen, (LW/L) HPK Hämeenlinna, SM Liiga 21GP 5-8-13 The best news for Vesalainen is that he has found a permanent spot in the lineup. One of the challenges for young players when they are playing in European professional leagues is finding a sense of belonging. Vesalainen has done exactly that and is the second leading scorer on his team. He looks like the well-rounded player who can play a skill game or a power game the Jets liked when they drafted him with the 24th pick. Vesalainen thinks he will be a point producer in NHL Jets 24th overall selection Kristian Vesalainen talks about how this day is a dream come true and explains how he believes his game will translate to the NHL. Toronto Timothy Liljegren, (D/R) , AHL 10 GP 1-5-6 Liljegren, taken 17th overall, has made the step to pro hockey in the AHL and is acquitting himself quite nicely. He’s a terrific skater who is learning how to be more patient and use that skating for greater benefit in all areas. He missed a few games with a minor injury but he has looked very steady, confident and assured in his play without feeling a need to do everything and be everywhere. Despite injury, Leafs prospect Liljegren making progress in AHL Currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, defenceman Timothy Liljegren is earning positive reviews for his performance so far with the Marlies. It's rare for an 18-year-old to play at this level and there have been some challenges, but Toronto's first round pick in the last draft is showing off a competitive nature and generating chemistry with Travis Dermott. Ottawa 1085128 Websites Adjusting to the move wasn't an issue, Schwartz was there to help ease the transition and help Schenn settle in. Plus, the experience of having been traded before gave him an understanding of the process. He was a TSN.CA / Dreger Report: How Schenn is thriving in St. Louis key piece of an NHL blockbuster in 2011 that moved Schenn and Wayne Simmonds from the Los Angeles Kings to the Flyers as part of a package for Mike Richards. By Darren Dreger Still, the 26-year-old admits there were times it was difficult to be a constant target on the TSN Trade Bait list. Columnist image "Early on, you see your name on that board and up in Canada people pay attention to it and it’s a big thing,” he said. “For me personally, early in my career maybe I looked at it and thought, ‘Oh maybe I will get Teammates Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov are 1-2 in the NHL traded.’ But after four or five or six years of being targeted, I stopped scoring race. With Vladislav Namestnikov rounding out the trio, Tampa letting it bug me and just focused on going out there, doing my thing and Bay's top line is the primary reason the Lightning are perched at the top thought, ‘It is what it is.’" of the league standings. There will be no Brayden Schenn trade rumours this season and the only Just below the Lightning sit the St. Louis Blues, a Western Conference board we will be watching with his name on it shows the list of the NHL powerhouse with a similar story of three men seemingly born to play scoring leaders. He knows he's in a great spot and intends on making the together. most of his opportunity, while staying grounded and well aware of where Jaden Schwartz, Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko occupy three a good portion of his individual success comes from. of the top 10 spots in NHL scoring, Schwartz and Schenn enter the "Just playing with those guys helps big time, but coming here, they play a weekend ranked fourth and fifth with 30 points each, while Tarasenko is team game...I don't consider it a flashy game, but guys come to rink eighth with 26 points. As deep as the Blues appear to be, this line is everyday ready to work hard, play a team game and get the job done." driving St. Louis in its quest to win the Stanley Cup. For the St Louis Blues, the job won't be complete before winning the Schenn arrived late to the party, acquired through trade during the NHL Stanley Cup. draft last June in Chicago. Blues GM Doug Armstrong says he didn't start talking to Flyers general manager Ron Hextall until a few days before the deal was made. Schenn fit what St. Louis needed: a gritty, strong, two- way forward with underrated offensive ability. TSN.CA LOADED: 11.25.2017 "I played maybe 15 games a season at centre in Philly and here, just staying in one position and getting into a groove and rhythm and playing, I guess my natural position, has made it easier,” Schenn told the Dreger Report. “Obviously I have to be responsible in both ends of the ice and I think as a young guy in Philly it takes time to learn that. I just tried to keep growing as a player and I think just being in the middle of the ice and playing with really good players has helped me a lot. It just kind of feels natural." Just prior to training camp, Blues head coach Mike Yeo informed Schenn he would play centre full-time and wanted to see how he looked between highly skilled wingers Schwartz and Tarasenko on the top line. Schenn knew this was a tremendous opportunity and felt comfortable with the challenge based on a long-standing relationship with Schwartz. "I've known him for a long time, but you don't realize how good he actually is until you see first-hand. He's hard on pucks, good at both ends of the ice, has great vision...very underrated player. Then you add Tarasenko, who's a shooter and is able to find open areas, and he has one of the best releases in the game." Schenn's scouting report on Tarasenko comes from recent experience and getting to know the talented Russian star on and off the ice. But there was no mystery to Schwartz's game or background as he and Schenn crossed paths many times while growing up in Saskatchewan. "His older brother, Rylan, was born in 1990, I'm a ‘91 and Schwartz is a ‘92, so I was always caught in the middle,” Schenn said. “At the under-17 camp as a young guy I was with his brother and then the next year I would be the older guy and play with Jaden, so we were childhood friends and would see each other around the rinks since we were like 10 years old and played a lot against him. I think it was when I was with the Brandon Wheat Kings, we actually tried to trade for Rylan during the Memorial Cup year. "I've known the family for a long time, so it's nice to finally play with him on a line." As easy as the transition from Philadelphia to St. Louis appears to have been, Schenn says he was shocked when he got the call he had been traded. His name was often thrown around in trade speculation, so the trade itself wasn't surprising as the destination. With depth up front, Schenn knew the Flyers would have to do something. He had seen and heard the chatter and knew he was vulnerable. "You guys always had me on the TSN Trade Bait board...pretty much every year, but I think I was more shocked I was going to St. Louis,” Schenn said. “Did I have a feeling I was going to get traded? Maybe a little bit, but once they got Nolan Patrick with the second pick overall, another forward on a team with a lot of forwards, I thought since they had missed the playoffs last year they would be looking to make a change or two. I just happened to be the guy. So shocked to get traded out of Philly? Probably not. But more surprised to end up coming here." 1085129 Websites

USA TODAY / 'American Thanksgiving' a key stop in journey to NHL playoffs

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports Published 3:27 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017

In the NHL, Thanksgiving means turkey, pumpkin pie and knowing where you stand in terms of playoff expectations. Although the season is only about a quarter complete, players and coaches understand that if you are not in playoff position by what Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland calls “American Thanksgiving,” it is an uphill fight to get there by April. Since the introduction of the salary cap in 2005, 78% of teams that have been in playoff position at Thanksgiving were still there when the regular season was completed. That means three or four teams in the playoffs today will not be there in April. Here’s our look at teams that can still get there and those in danger of falling out of a playoff spot: New York Rangers: After looking disorganized in the early going, the Rangers have sharpened their game. With eight wins in their past 10 games, they are performing like a playoff team. The defense is tighter, and Henrik Lundqvist looks like his old self. Ottawa Senators: Just remember how impressively this team performed during last spring’s playoffs. That confident group is still in there somewhere. Newly-acquired Matt Duchene finding his comfort zone is crucial to the Senators grabbing and holding a playoff spot. Anaheim Ducks: Despite numerous injuries, the Ducks have kept their heads above water. When this team gets healthy, it can play like one of the league’s best. It's hard to see the playoffs starting with the Ducks on the sidelines. Chicago Blackhawks: While the perception of the Blackhawks is that they are on the decline, this knows what it takes to be a playoff team. Goalie Corey Crawford’s .932 save percentage might carry them into the playoffs. Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings’ defense has been better than expected and Jimmy Howard has been strong in net. However, their hold on a playoff spot is fragile. They are trying to rebuild on the fly and need everything to go right to make the playoffs. New Jersey Devils: While the Devils’ improvement is noteworthy, they have won three of their past 10 games. It will be no easy task holding off the likes of the Rangers and Hurricanes. Vancouver Canucks: Their 11-8-3 start has been one of the Western Conference’s biggest surprises. But they haven't been sharp at home, and it’s fair to wonder whether they can maintain this level of play. The Canucks have only been the playoffs once in the past four seasons. San Jose Sharks: The Sharks have played OK, but there are five other Western teams tied with them in points. Doesn’t it feel as there will be five playoffs teams from the Central Division? If that happens, the Sharks won't make it.

USA TODAY LOADED: 11.25.2017