SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 01/10/19 Anaheim Ducks 1125053 Ducks see losing streak stretch to franchise-record nine 1125085 Avalanche’s rally comes up short against Flames consecutive games in overtime loss to Senators 1125086 A Canadian superstar, Nathan MacKinnon is just fine 1125054 Ducks set franchise record with 9th consecutive defeat, an flying under the radar in Denver OT loss to Senators 1125087 Five Takeaways from the Avs 9th loss in 10 games 1125055 Ducks send Josh Mahura, 20, to minors to continue 1125088 Five takeaways from Avs’ 7-4 loss to progress 1125089 Tale of two in Avalanche loss to Jets 1125090 Colorado Eagles continue to make moves, adjustments in lineup 1125056 How can the Coyotes cope in wake of 's 1125091 Avalanche goaltenders remain confounded by puck in loss season-ending injury? to Flames 1125057 Arizona Coyotes recall Michael Bunting from Tucson 1125092 Avs-Flames player grades: Goalie sabotage Roadrunners 1125058 Arizona’s Corey Schwab keeping Coyotes alive, one Columbus Blue Jackets goaltending success story at a time 1125093 Anthony Duclair accepts ups, downs of playing for Tortorella 1125094 Nick Foligno back, ready to play 1125059 Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy still recovering from foot infection 1125095 Another round: The inside story on distillery’s billboard 1125060 McAvoy close to returning from infection offer to keep Artemi Panarin with Blue Jackets 1125061 Bruins looking to 'get over that hurdle' vs Capitals team 1125096 G42: In search of marquee win, Blue Jackets don’t that's dominated them measure up against the best 1125062 Bruce Cassidy 'leaning toward' starting Jaroslav Halak vs 1125097 Lightning 4, Blue Jackets 0: Five takeaways Capitals 1125063 Charlie McAvoy says tardiness issue with Bruins is "a learning opportunity" 1125098 Analytics have this year's Dallas Stars all over the NHL 1125064 Why Patrice Bergeron doesn't want your vote for 2019 map. But what numbers really matter? NHL All-Star Game 1125099 Is Allen Hurns’ injury worst in DFW pro sports history? 1125065 Bruins hope 's opening can get him Here are some other contenders going 1125100 How a group effort helped a 16-year-old with Cerebral 1125066 Two centers, one All-Star right wing: Playing tug-of-war Palsy meet his hockey hero, Tyler Seguin with David Pastrnak Detroit Red Wings Buffalo Sabres 1125101 Andreas Athanasiou proves to be prolific X-factor in Red 1125067 Longtime Sabres executive Mike Gilbert, HarborCenter VP Wings' offense Nik Fattey resign 1125068 C.J. Smith scores first NHL goal; now he wants to remain Edmonton Oilers with Sabres 1125102 WATCH: Oil Spills: Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid 1125069 Sabres' Scott Wilson clears waivers, assigned to endures flagrant fouls Rochester 1125103 TAKE 3: Dissecting a rebuild, and a season, and the 1125070 In three games without Jack Eichel, Sabres stick to future keeping it simple 1125104 Trade from Edmonton Oilers blindsided Drake Caggiula 1125071 Sabres prospects update: Luukkonen shows gold medal 1125105 JONES: Chiarelli has largely left himself as a lame duck mettle at World Juniors general manager 1125106 Protecting McDavid: NHL won't do it and his teammates' Calgary Flames hands are tied 1125072 Flames make it count against Avs 1125107 Willis: Analysing the risk of heaping heavy minutes on 1125073 The Flames have one of the clearest paths to the Stanley Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Cup and they’re awesome Florida Panthers 1125108 Hyde: We lead the leagues in losing — but this South 1125074 This is how you get to five in a row. Streaking Canes find Florida team disappoints the most | Commentary the net, and ways to win. 1125109 Preview: Panthers at Oilers, 9 p.m., Thursday 1125075 Blackhawks climb back from 2-goal deficit but fall to the 1125110 Jake Muzzin has been a tower of strength for the Kings Predators 4-3 in OT through a turbulent season 1125076 Blackhawks' Dylan Strome no longer has to worry about a 1125111 Dion Phaneuf’s blunt assessment of his season: ‘I haven’t benching when mistakes happen had a very good year’ 1125077 Blackhawks Q&A: Is Patrick Kane skating at top speed? 1125112 FINAL – SAN JOSE 3, 1 – NOTE, BRICKLEY What other ex-players should get One More Shift? INJURED IN THIRD PERIOD 1125078 Predators 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT): Toews, Seabrook, Bears 1125113 “GOOD CHANCE” MARTINEZ PLAYS VS SENS; LB Roquan Smith MUZZIN, FORBORT; TECMO BOWL AND 1125079 Blackhawks' Alex DeBrincat rising to star level, eclipsing 1125114 SEPARATING BODY FROM PUCK: THE EVOLUTION rookie season OF HITTING, AS WEIGHED BY THE KINGS 1125080 Kane keeps hot streak alive in Blackhawks' loss to Preds 1125081 Kane reaches out to Schmaltz after Coyotes center goes down for season 1125082 Four takeaways: Blackhawks claw back but come up short in overtime loss to Predators 1125083 What's the latest on Blackhawks star goalie Corey Crawford? 1125084 Are the Blackhawks under-utilizing Alex DeBrincat? Minnesota Wild Philadelphia Flyers 1125115 Wild vs. Jets gameday preview 1125145 Will the Flyers trade Wayne Simmonds, or keep him for a 1125116 Eric Staal just one of several Wild forwards not finding the chance to lure Joel Quenneville? net 1125146 Flyers-Capitals observations: A backup goalie stands out 1125117 The good, the bad and the lingering question marks from yet again the Wild’s first half 1125147 Flyers' turmoil won't hinder Carter Hart's development 1125148 Leading up to Eagles-Saints playoff matchup, Sean Montreal Canadiens Payton provides Flyers trivia 1125118 Julien considering splitting up Max Domi and Jonathan 1125149 Wayne Simmonds deserves better than what the Flyers Drouin if they're not more productive are giving him 1125119 Stu Cowan: 'Paul Henderson helmet' was on many kids' 1125150 Are players thinking about outside factors as Flyers sink wish lists near bottom of NHL? 1125120 Analyze This: Canadiens are a better team when Brett 1125151 Flyers can’t trade their way out of losing streak worse than Kulak is on the ice last year’s 1125121 Junior team trades Canadiens prospect Nick Suzuki 1125152 Capitals 5, Flyers 3: 10 things we learned from a team that 1125122 What can the Blues take from the Canadiens’ success can’t right the ship following their leadership changes? 1125123 A snapshot of what it’s like to struggle in the Montreal Pittsburgh Penguins fishbowl 1125153 Penguins once again need to tighten up with lead 1125124 Melnick’s GBU: Faith in Niemi, vintage Gallagher and 1125154 Penguins' Evgeni Malkin makes donation to victims of Petry gets back on the horse apartment explosion in his hometown 1125155 Penguins place Zach Aston-Reese on injured reserve Nashville Predators 1125156 Bryan Rust's resurgence powers Penguins' turnaround 1125125 Wednesday's recap: Predators 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT) 1125157 Ex-Penguin Kevin Stevens’ radio show is coming to 1125126 Predators' Mattias Ekholm proving his worth and then Pittsburgh some 1125158 The Penguins have had an eventful first half. Let's look 1125127 LeBrun Notebook: The year of the UFA winger, ‘Nashville back. dollars’ and where Matthews and Marner stand 1125159 Penguins place Zach Aston-Reese on injured reserve, recall Garrett Wilson 1125160 Anthony Angello accepts the consequences that come 1125128 The biggest issues plaguing the NJ Devils this season with playing physical 1125161 That 70s guy: Matt Cullen has again found his form as New York Islanders Penguins remain hot 1125129 Islanders bring new status into latest showdown with Rangers 1125130 Safety, emergency response time concerns raised at 1125162 Sharks’ DeBoer explains why playoff seeding will be Islanders arena hearings especially important this year 1125131 Islanders hope an intense practice gets them ready for 1125163 Sharks’ GM considering a different approach at trade Rangers deadline this year 1125132 Chemistry, resilience and trust in the system: Islanders 1125164 Erik Karlsson's hot streak keeps pushing Sharks in right midseason review in their own words direction 1125165 Three events that helped point the Sharks’ ship in the right New York Rangers direction 1125133 James Dolan close to selling team (unfortunately, it's neither the Rangers nor Knicks) St Louis Blues 1125134 Why Tony DeAngelo is proving to be a puzzle for Rangers 1125166 Blues' Sammy Blais stays ahead of the posse in St. Louis coach 1125167 Preview: Blues vs. Montreal 1125135 Islanders bring new status into latest showdown with 1125168 Blues at the midpoint: Too much frustration, too little Rangers success 1125136 Islanders hope an intense practice gets them ready for 1125169 Hochman: It might be time for Blues to move on from Allen Rangers 1125170 What can the Blues take from the Canadiens’ success 1125137 Rangers bringing positive attitude into Islanders rivalry following their leadership changes? game NHL 1125171 Lightning’s Mikhail Sergachev puts together strong 1125138 NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says Seattle will get offensive performances All-Star Game ‘within seven years’ of team launch 1125172 The Lightning is a runaway success. Now comes the hard 1125139 NHL commissioner Bettman says new Seattle hockey part. team will host draft, all-star game within years 1125173 Lightning blocked all kinds of shots against Columbus 1125140 Bettman: Seattle will host NHL draft and All-Star weekend 1125174 Lightning-Blue Jackets: Rewinding Tampa Bay’s win Senators 1125175 Smitty’s Seven: How Lightning Andrei 1125141 WARREN GAME REPORT: White ends Senators' losing Vasilevskiy got his groove back streak in overtime 1125142 WARREN'S PIECE: It's a boy for the Duchenes, Senators embracing Cali, mastering the mind 1125143 Game Day: at Los Angeles Kings 1125144 Three teams in three days — Inside Mike McKenna’s week with the Senators, Canucks and Flyers 1125176 Short-circuiting Maple Leafs’ power play leads to Babcock splices 1125177 Leafs’ Auston Matthews a victim as the balance of the power play changes 1125178 Hyman is back for Leafs, Andersen is close, and Nylander ... well, here’s hoping 1125179 Thursday game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at New Jersey Devils 1125180 Game Day: Maple Leafs at Devils 1125181 Auston Matthews moved off Leafs' first power-play unit 1125182 Leafs Locker: Hutch still in the crease picture 1125183 Maple Leafs making big changes ahead of Devils game 1125184 As games watched from the press box pile up, Justin Holl tries to keep frustration at bay 1125199 Ben Kuzma: Gaudette gets recall, then call to spark Canucks’ struggling offence 1125200 Q&A with Judd Brackett on using data at the draft, the development process and adding to the Canucks’ core 1125201 Three teams in three days — Inside Mike McKenna’s week with the Senators, Canucks and Flyers Vegas Golden Knights 1125185 Golden Knights’ schedule ramps up starting with San Jose 1125186 Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves answers the bell against Rangers 1125187 Stastny’s vision, feel for game make impact for Golden Knights 1125188 Goalie Maxime Lagace gets call from AHL, could be active Thursday vs. Sharks 1125189 The Capitals’ fourth-line talent is spilling into the press box: ‘There’s one too many guys’ 1125190 Caps surprise Maryland hockey team that defended black teammate after racist taunts 1125191 Jakub Vrana's speed, work ethic give Capitals a blossoming young star 1125192 Capitals think larger than hockey with game invite to youth team fighting racism Websites 1125202 The Athletic / Early projections for Team USA’s 2020 World Cup of Hockey roster 1125203 Sportsnet.ca / Rittich steals win for Flames against NHL's best line 1125204 Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Pettersson, McDavid could test year-end awards thinking 1125205 Sportsnet.ca / What should the Canucks do with upcoming UFA Alexander Edler? 1125206 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs hope line shuffling sparks 'stale' power play 1125207 Sportsnet.ca / Edmonton Oilers first half report: Subpar depth still a key concern 1125208 Sportsnet.ca / Sportsnet’s 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: January 1125209 TSN.CA / Leafs shake up power-play units at practice 1125210 USA TODAY / Capitals invite youth hockey team that stood up for player who heard racial taunts 1125211 USA TODAY / NHL All-Star jerseys will be made out of ocean garbage 1125212 USA TODAY / Distillery offers Blue Jackets' Artemi Panarin a lifetime supply of vodka if he re-signs Winnipeg Jets 1125193 Jets riding No. 1 goalie while stats leader Brossoit rides bench 1125194 Jets prepare for Wild's suffocating style of play 1125195 From red-hot to ice-cold: Laine trying not to think about scoring drought 1125196 MacKinnon likes look of deep Jets 1125197 JETS SNAPS: Hockey hard again for Laine 1125198 Jets Gameday: Five keys vs Wild

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1125053 Anaheim Ducks LA Times: LOADED: 01.10.2019

Ducks see losing streak stretch to franchise-record nine consecutive games in overtime loss to Senators

By MIKE COPPINGER

The mood in the locker room darkens with each loss. The puzzled faces abound; the melancholy atmosphere.

Hampus Lindholm acknowledged that right now, hockey isn’t as fun as it’s meant to be. How could it be?

The Ducks have dropped a franchise-record nine consecutive games. Really, there’s no end in sight.

Even a date with the last-place Ottawa Senators wasn’t enough to return the Ducks to the win column.

Even the return of their top goal scorer from last season, Rickard Rakell, wasn’t enough to propel them to victory.

The Senators themselves were riding an eight-game losing streak. That skid ended when center Colin White converted on a two-on-one rush 1:34 into overtime.

The Ducks lost Wednesday, a 2-1 setback in front of 17,174 at Honda Center. The game featured two struggling offenses.

With Rakell and Cam Fowler back, the Ducks are near full strength. The Senators were missing their best player from each unit. Top-line center Matt Duchene (42 points in 37 games this season) was with his wife, who was expected to give birth at any moment.

Starting goaltender Craig Anderson was sidelined by a concussion, replaced by journeyman Anders Nilsson. No. 1 defenseman Thomas Chabot (38 points in 38 games) missed the game with an upper-body injury.

Yet the Senators found a way to win in the most damning indictment of the Ducks’ struggles during this nine-game trudge. Perhaps most alarming of all, the Ducks are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They play host to the high-octane Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday before beginning a five-game trip.

Coincidentally, it was the Penguins whom the Ducks beat on Dec. 17, the last time they enjoyed a win. A feeling that’s long escaped them. Twenty- four days and counting.

“At the end of the day, hockey is about having fun, so we just need to get back to that, “ said Lindholm, who is often cheery but was solemn as he spoke at his locker.

“Try to go out and play with some joy. That’s usually when you play your best hockey. I think if you ask any player in the league, the best games you’ve had, they just fly by, you don’t even think about it. You just have a smile on your face.”

The smiles turned to frowns, although it appeared for a moment Wednesday the Ducks would finally turn them upside down. Jakob Silfverberg finished a one-timer off a drop pass from Brandon Montour almost nine minutes into the opening period.

The Ducks stayed out of the box the entire game and led until the midway point of the third period. John Gibson was again excellent in goal, but old problems came back to haunt the Ducks.

Against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, the Ducks consistently allowed the opposition to reach the critical areas of the ice. Rebounds were an issue too. Dylan DeMelo drove to the net, and former Ducks winger Bobby Ryan was there to bury the rebound.

The Ducks’ 27th-ranked power-play unit again failed to capitalize on three chances. The opportunities were there all night, but they just couldn’t find the touch.

“Over the season you’re going to have some highs, you’re going to have some lows,” Lindholm said. “Good teams find a way to keep the mood up and keep going because it’s not like we’re going to lose every game of the season. It’s going to turn around at some point.” 1125054 Anaheim Ducks “In the offensive zone, we’re standing still,” defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “If you look at the high-scoring teams in the league, it feels like they have guys flying everywhere. They involve the ‘D’ a lot and Ducks set franchise record with 9th consecutive defeat, an OT loss to have forwards coming up. It’s hard to defend teams with guys always on Senators the move.

“A lot of times, we get stagnant. We need to find ways to get through (the opposing defense).” By ELLIOTT TEAFORD Drop it for that @jsilfverberg33 heat. pic.twitter.com/wbwgPgIbrj

— NHL (@NHL) January 10, 2019 ANAHEIM — If not Wednesday, then when? : "If you look at the high-scoring teams, it feels like they have guys If not the Ottawa Senators, then who? flying everywhere. They involve the D a lot, have forwards coming up. It’s hard defending teams with guys always on the move. A lot of times, we The Ducks’ losing streak reached a franchise-record nine consecutive get stagnant. We need to find ways to get through." games with a 2-1 overtime defeat to the Senators at Honda Center that pic.twitter.com/wF1VTldPFo ended Ottawa’s eight-game skid and set off a joyful on-ice celebration after Colin White scored 1:34 into the five-minute extra period. — Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) January 10, 2019

Tempting though it might be to say the Ducks found another way to lose : "Right now we’re playing at the end of our sticks, and our shots might a game, that wouldn’t be accurate. They simply repeated their pattern of not be as well-placed as before. It’s definitely something we’re working recent games by generating plenty of scoring chances and even on. We talk about it every day, and we try to improve on it." dominating play for extended periods, but they failed to score enough to pic.twitter.com/kGMUtcUeNW win. — Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) January 10, 2019 One goal wasn’t going to cut it Wednesday, and the Ducks’ streak continued. Orange County Register: LOADED: 01.10.2019

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“We had some pretty decent looks,” said right wing Jakob Silfverberg, who scored the Ducks’ lone goal. “It’s just a matter of getting that first one out of the way and getting the whole team going. Right now, we’re playing at the end of our sticks and our shots might not be as well-placed as before.

“It’s maybe a little too much throwing the puck at the net instead of picking a corner. It’s something we talk about every day. It’s got to end at some point. It’s a matter of bearing down and making it happen instead of waiting for it to happen.”

Rickard Rakell returned to the Ducks’ lineup after sitting out for 13 games because of a sprained ankle. It would be an understatement to say the Ducks missed his speed and skill with the puck on his stick blade. They also missed his creativity and his ability to make something from nothing.

The Ducks were 4-7-2 while he was sidelined, and they were outscored 42-30.

No one expected Rakell to be a savior in his first game since he was hurt in a Dec. 5 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. He was credited with two shots on net, two that were blocked and two that missed the mark in 19:25 of ice time. He also was on the ice for both of the Senators’ goals.

Ottawa’s Bobby Ryan tied the score 1-1 at 9:23 of the third period, making the Ducks pay for their inability to increase a one-goal lead. Silfverberg had given the Ducks a 1-0 lead 8:52 into the first, but despite an edge in shots and a territorial advantage, they couldn’t pad it.

“We’re not creating enough of the offensive chances that are consecutive and when we do we seem to be snakebit around the net,” Coach Randy Carlyle said. “We hit a post or we throw it into the goalie’s glove. We’ve had ample chances. We haven’t been able to find the back of the net consistently.”

The reeling Ducks haven’t won since defeating the Penguins on Dec. 17 in Pittsburgh, a head-scratching stretch of games in which they have been shut out twice and held to two goals or less six other times while going 0-6-3 and falling from 19-11-5 to 19-17-8 overall.

Pittsburgh is the final visitor to Honda Center on the Ducks’ six-game homestand, a make-or-break part of the schedule wedged between six consecutive games away from home leading into and coming out of the Christmas break and a five-game trip that begins Sunday in Winnipeg.

When the Ducks win again is anyone’s guess. They seemed to have gained the upper hand Wednesday with a first-period goal from Silfverberg and a solid second period that netted sustained pressure in the attacking zone and several quality scoring chances, but no more goals. 1125055 Anaheim Ducks For the record, the Ducks defeated the Senators in five games.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 01.10.2019

Ducks send Josh Mahura, 20, to minors to continue progress

Team prefers the promising rookie defenseman plays in San Diego as opposed to sitting on the bench with Anaheim

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD

ANAHEIM — The Ducks sent Josh Mahura to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL on Wednesday morning. Ben Street went with him as the Ducks activated Rickard Rakell from injured reserve, after Rakell was sidelined for 13 games because of a sprained ankle.

Mahura, a 20-year-old rookie defenseman, could be back sooner or later.

Eventually, he’s going to be with the Ducks to stay. No question, the team’s executives and coaching staff liked what they saw after his first 17 games in the NHL. There were a few things they expected and a few they didn’t.

Most of all, they could look down the road a few years and envision a capable, puck-moving defenseman who fits comfortably into the new NHL. In fact, that was perhaps the thing they liked most about their third- round draft pick (85th overall) in 2016.

“He’s a modern-day NHL defenseman, puck-mover, can skate, join the play, good first pass, real smart hockey player,” Coach Randy Carlyle said, listing Mahura’s best qualities before diving into some of the elements of his game that could use some fine-tuning.

“I think just physically, if you look at the size and strength of some of the guys he’s had to play against, it’s been kind of an eye-opener for him,” Carlyle added. “The bottom line is Josh has come in and played very well. He’s surprised everybody.”

The team’s media relations department lists Mahura at 6 feet, 192 pounds, which means he is not only the youngest of their defensemen but also their slightest. It’s expected he’ll gain some bulk in the form of muscle and that he’ll become stronger in the years to come.

The Ducks are nothing if not patient when it comes to developing their prospects. Their track record, particularly with defensemen such as Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Brandon Montour has been good during Bob Murray’s tenure at general manager.

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“He has the credentials and the makeup behind him and we think he’s going to make a contribution,” Carlyle said. “It’s just that, as we’ve always stated, you want to make sure players are overcooked in the versus exposing them to some of the rigors of the NHL.”

In other words, Mahura’s reassignment shouldn’t be viewed as a demotion.

Mahura scored one goal and five points and had an even defensive rating while averaging 14:18 of ice time. He was a caught in a numbers game once Fowler returned to the lineup Sunday after a 23-game absence because of fractures to his orbital, cheek and jaw bones.

The Ducks would rather Mahura play in San Diego than sit in Anaheim.

“That’s not to say he won’t be back,” Carlyle said. “We’re only 60 miles away.”

Actually, it’s closer to 90, but you get the idea.

REMEMBER WHEN?

Carlyle didn’t wish to go down memory lane when an Ottawa reporter reminded him the Ducks and Senators met in the Final in 2007. Carlyle had his reasons, chief among them an eight-game losing streak going into Wednesday’s game against the Senators.

“There’s a lot of water that’s gone under the bridge or through the river since the ’07 time,” Carlyle said, smiling. “There’s been lots of games played. It’s always a fond memory, but I’ve got a lot more on my plate right now to be thinking about than worrying about what happened in ’07.” 1125056 Arizona Coyotes “I think, as a coach, we’ve taken the approach a little while ago where if you think about other stuff you lose focus as a staff,” Tocchet said. “If somebody says, ‘This guy can’t play,’ then (Michael) Bunting comes in How can the Coyotes cope in wake of Nick Schmaltz's season-ending and we’ve got to make sure Bunting does the stuff we want him to do. injury? “You have to have that approach as a coaching staff otherwise you’ll drive yourself crazy.”

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 4:28 p.m. MT Jan. 9, 2019 If both Kevin Connauton, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and Josh Archibald, whose wife is days away from giving birth, are forced to miss Thursday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Coyotes will be without eight regulars from their 23-man roster. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A key member of the Coyotes is expected to be out for a significant amount of time with a knee injury. As Christian Fischer said after a recent game, the Coyotes are “at a point where we need every point.” As the injuries continue to pile up on this It’s a statement the Coyotes have had to make on several occasions this team, those points will get tougher and tougher to come by. season, the most recent being center Nick Schmaltz, whom the team announced Tuesday will miss the remainder of the season. Other key Coyotes' Christian Fischer (36) misses a chance to redirect a shot on players in the organization such as Antti Raanta, Jason Demers, Jakob Canucks' goalie Anders Nilsson (31) during the first period at Gila River Chychrun, Alex Galchenyuk and Nick Merkley have missed a significant Arena in Glendale, Ariz. on October 25, 2018. amount of time due to knee injuries this season. Still, the Coyotes aren’t hanging up the skates just yet. Three of those players (Chychrun, Galchenyuk and Merkley) have since returned to game action, but Raanta and Demers are out indefinitely and “Each injury is a bigger chunk and a bigger chunk and a bigger chunk,” neither are guaranteed to return this season, though Demers is more Stepan said. “Obviously ‘Schmaltzy’ really balanced out our lineup really likely. Christian Dvorak (torn pectoral) and Michael Grabner (eye) are well and added an element that we didn’t otherwise have. … With all that also both out indefinitely. going on, it’s next man up. It seems like the cliche thing to say, but we don’t have a choice. This is our situation and we have some big roles Schmaltz’s absence hurts just as much as any of them and could open. represent the nail in the coffin that holds the Coyotes’ already-slim playoff chances. “If we’re going to compete for the playoffs, everyone needs to grab a chunk of the rope and pull.” Since being acquired in a trade with the Blackhawks that also sent Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini to Chicago, Schmaltz has amassed 14 Thursday’s game points (five goals, nine assists) in 17 games serving as a top-six center Coyotes at Canucks with the Coyotes. When: 8 p.m. Not only did Schmaltz serve as a ballast for the team’s lineup during 5- on-5 play, but the 22-year-old was a dangerous presence on the Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver. Coyotes’ top power-play unit and displayed palpable chemistry with Clayton Keller on the man-advantage. TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7).

Schmaltz is likely the most versatile forward in Arizona’s fold, possessing Outlook: The Arizona Coyotes (18-21-3) begin a three-game road trip speed, skill, creativity, intelligence and defense, among other things. when they visit the Vancouver Canucks (20-21-4) on Thursday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. … The games will all be against Pacific Division “(Schmaltz) came in and was basically what we had hoped for,” Coyotes rivals in western Canada, also featuring games in Edmonton (Saturday) President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka and Calgary (Sunday). … The Canucks, who have lost two of their last said. “He was a difference-maker. He made high-end plays, came with three games, will begin a six-game homestand with Thursday’s game speed and made plays down the middle of the ice. That combined with against the Coyotes. … This is the second of four meetings between the his ability to be an elite half-wall guy and bring that dynamic, it really teams this season, with the Coyotes taking a 4-1 victory over the gave us a boost. Canucks on Oct. 25. … The Canucks are led in scoring by rookie Elias Pettersson with 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) and center Bo Horvat “It’s a tough loss, but we’ve now experienced a few of these injuries and with 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists). guys have stepped up and done a nice job.” Arizona Republic LOADED: 01.10.2019 Chayka mentioned rookie Conor Garland as a player who has seized the opportunity presented with so many regulars out of the lineup.

The Coyotes have, perhaps surprisingly, managed to tread water in the Western Conference playoff race. They enter play Wednesday just six points off the playoff pace and at least one game in hand on most teams in front of them in the standings.

“Every team faces some sort of adversity throughout the year and ours just seems to be injuries,” Coyotes assistant captain Derek Stepan said. “It’s the world we live in right now. We’ve got guys banged up, but I feel like we’ve left points out there. … As we sit now, we’re in the hunt. Realistically, we’ve got to win a lot of hockey games. It’s not easy to make the playoffs, and I’m not saying it’s impossible, but you never know what will happen.

“I think our group has faced the adversity extremely well and has had that hard-working mindset. Those things are a good formula.”

According to @ManGamesLostNHL, a Twitter account that tracks the amount of total games lost by injury for each team, the Coyotes currently rank second behind the Anaheim Ducks for the most man-games lost to injury this season. Forecasting suggests the Coyotes will likely surpass the Ducks in a few weeks for the NHL lead.

While the Coyotes are trying to control what they can, it’s becoming more and more challenging each day to ignore the growing list of players on the injury report. For Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet, the simplest approach seems to be the appropriate one. 1125057 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes recall Michael Bunting from

BY ARIZONA SPORTS

The Arizona Coyotes recalled forward Michael Bunting from the Tucson Roadrunners on Tuesday.

Bunting was last recalled from Tucson on Dec. 7, and Arizona sent him back to the AHL club 10 days later.

With Arizona, he has appeared in four games and scored a goal.

Bunting has tallied 6-12-18 and 28 penalty minutes in 22 games with the Roadrunners this year as well.

Bunting was a fourth-round pick by the Coyotes in 2014.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125058 Arizona Coyotes For Kuemper, the relationship immediately clicked with a geographical connection. Both he and Schwab are from Saskatchewan, with Schwab’s hometown of North Battleford just a few hours northwest of Kuemper’s Arizona’s Corey Schwab keeping Coyotes alive, one goaltending childhood home in Saskatoon. success story at a time “We’re from the same province, so I guess it’s a personality thing,” Kuemper said, giving a quick grin. “We got along really well from the start, we had that in common being from the same part of the country.” By Cat Silverman Jan 9, 2019 There’s a geographical tie for Hill, too, although he’s from farther west. The 22-year-old Comox, British Columbia, native said that when he was playing for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, Schwab was nearby and Corey Schwab doesn’t do well talking about himself. It’s one of the first often came to watch him play. things that jumps out when sitting down with Arizona’s current goaltending coach, as he deflects the conversation from what he’s “He wasn’t my coach, but we’d talk after my games a lot,” he said. “He’d personally done and toward the players he’s overseeing. come and watch me play, then talk with me just about what he saw, or how I was doing, that kind of thing.” Even looking back just a decade, that would have left him shrouded in mystery within an organization. Goaltenders — and their coaches — It gave Hill a familiar face when he went pro in 2016, as Schwab was were considered to be an essential but inexplicable part of every team, already working for the Coyotes organization as a development coach. capable of making or breaking the game but without much understanding He spent nearly two full years under Schwab’s direction before he and from the rest of their colleagues of how they went about their jobs. Head now-Toronto goaltending coach Jon Elkin swapped places, sending coaches would shrug at the thought of talking goaltending, while players Schwab up to the NHL and leaving Hill to work under Elkin in Tucson. applauded their in-net teammates without being able to give much of an explanation for why the pucks went in or stayed out of the goal. Elkin’s more rigid coaching style was still appreciated by Hill, who was quick to praise his new coach’s work on depth management and playing Times have changed, though. Goaltending has become a more the puck when discussing Elkin’s tenure last season. integrated part of every team, with players studying goaltender habits and adapting their systems in an effort to beat them. Practices no longer He seems to work best with Schwab, though, who brings an unorthodox consist of the goaltender just standing in as a shooter tutor for skaters, video approach to how he coaches his goaltenders that gives Hill plenty but instead have skaters pulled aside to help the goaltenders with their to think about as he strives to improve his game. own drills, too. For all the work goaltenders spent in recent years learning Nearly all goaltending coaches now use video in some form to coach about their teammates’ habits, those teammates are now returning the their players, either going over game footage or reviewing on-ice favor — and the goaltending coaches are becoming tools for everyone sessions after the fact. It gives the goaltenders an eagle-eye view of their on the ice, as well. own style of play, explained Hill, and helps them see elements that they The shift may seem like something that wouldn’t sit well with a may have missed while in the heat of the moment on the ice. personality like Schwab’s. If you don’t know to look for him, he can sneak It can improve understanding of puck trajectory, showing where the shot out of team practice without a sound; where head coach Rick Tocchet release started and providing a better visual of the path it traveled prior to has a personality tailor-made for press sessions and assistant coach a save or a goal against, and it can eliminate some of the uncertainty Scott Allen is a boisterous extrovert always ready with a smile, the team’s surrounding timing and distance by showing better paths to take for save most mystifying position is overseen by a soft-spoken man content to go recovery or lateral movement. about his business and then go home. While all goaltending coaches use the footage to help in some way, The quiet demeanor doesn’t come with an isolation from the rest of the though, Schwab uses it as an entire portion of his coaching lessons. team, though. Few within the Coyotes organization have more pull than Practices often begin with a video session, where Schwab sits down with Schwab — and it’s been more and more apparent with each year he Kuemper and Hill separately and goes over each frame of their game to spends with the team. show them how their movement progressed, where they got sloppy, and In a season almost incomprehensibly riddled with injuries, even a what they’d been doing right. devastating loss of the team’s starter in net has been less of an issue It sounds like a lot of information, but Hill was quick to clarify that most of than many feared it would be. what Schwab shows him and Kuemper is reinforcement. They’re Antti Raanta remains, far and away, the team’s best chance of winning expected to take only a few lessons from each video session and bring among the goaltenders signed by the team, but his loss to a season- them onto the ice for practice, breaking down their necessary ending knee injury hasn’t sent the Coyotes on the tailspin it was expected improvements into manageable bits while avoiding information overload. to. Raanta, who put up Vezina-worthy numbers last season in an “I don’t think he ever gives us too much information,” Hill explained. “We abbreviated 47 appearances for the club, played his last game on Nov. go over all of it but then take just one or two things that we need to work 25 against Calgary — but since then, the team has held on for a 9-10-1 on and focus on them during practice, take the time to get those right record to remain just outside of the league’s Western Conference playoff before moving on to the next thing we need to address. He’s not hunt. They’ll likely be a lottery team come April, but their goaltending overloading you at all, he just gives you what you need to really won’t have been what got them there. understand your game by maybe showing you where you could have A large chunk of that has to be attributed to the team’s resiliency, moved more efficiently or cut down an angle differently. And then you get bouncing back to score when needed in key wins such as their overtime just one or two areas that you need to concentrate on more and you work road victory against the New York Rangers or their shootout win against on those during practice, focus on those specifically.” San Jose. Kuemper is much newer to working with Schwab, arriving with the team Even more has been due to the ease with which both Darcy Kuemper in spring of 2018 after getting dealt by the Los Angeles Kings to his and Adin Hill have stepped into their new roles as a true NHL tandem, second NHL sunbelt team. The video work was one of the first things he splitting starts nearly down the middle in an effort to give both noticed, though; in his early weeks with the Coyotes, Kuemper got to goaltenders chances to grow and improve while still helping their team. know Schwab by going over video of his games with LA to help his new coach better understand his style and get a sense of what he was Their workload management has been incredibly smart, which deserves working with. a major nod to Schwab as one of Tocchet’s more valuable mentors in the organization. He helps Tocchet decide whom to start and who needs Their communication isn’t entirely secondhand via video sessions, of more rest, going beyond the strategy of riding the hot hand. course. Schwab gives both Hill and Kuemper plenty of individualized attention, letting one spend time with the other coaches to stand in for Schwab’s relationships with Kuemper and Hill have played a large part. skater drills while focusing on the other’s in-net game before swapping Both goaltenders view their coach as a huge asset, feeling far more them out midway through practice. comfortable singing his praises than he did talking about himself. He’s certainly not loud or outgoing, but his methods make the goaltenders feel no less appreciated — and in a tough season like this one, it seems to be paying off. Hill’s .916 and Kuemper’s .914 save strong belief that anything a goaltender can do to stop the puck more percentages have been good enough that it’s hard to tell, just from their often is useful. numbers, that the team is missing another four key players in front of them. “You look at a guy like Brodeur,” he said, “and you got to see such a different way of playing the game, and his game changed over the years Schwab’s influence extends beyond the net, as well. to really stay with the way the rest of the game was changing, too. He wasn’t married to one style or one way of making the save. He did Tocchet and Schwab are incredibly close off the ice, with Tocchet listing whatever he needed to and stopped the puck. I think every goaltender his fellow coach as one of his bigger sounding boards in decision- has his own best way of stopping the puck; I’m here to help him find that making. Schwab’s quiet demeanor comes with a keen sense of and work on that, not to try to make every goaltender look the same in observation, and he’s proved to be an invaluable asset for his head every situation.” coach when it comes to managing the mental side of the game — not just for the goaltenders, but for all of the players. Kuemper explained that with Schwab, there’s always something new that he’s being taught or shown, something that helps him better understand “I’ll get a text from him sometimes, and it’s like, a philosophical quote he his position. Hill agreed, pointing to the video and the way his coach uses read,” said Tocchet. “I’m really big into quotes, learning from other that as another tool in developing Hill’s game; prior to a few years ago, people; he’ll send me something he read or heard that ties into he hadn’t seen much video used at his position at all. something that we’re trying to work through or something that maybe we need to focus on, something that he noticed that he has a solution for.” The question now, of course, becomes how Schwab’s influence can get the Coyotes through the remainder of the season without plummeting The Coyotes have a staff that describes itself, from top to bottom, as down the standings. The incentive of getting the first overall pick and collaborative. At the top is general manager John Chayka and Tucson highly coveted prospect Jack Hughes is outweighed by the need to Roadrunners GM Steve Sullivan, who also serves as assistant GM for engage fans and keep the team motivated, especially with so many the Coyotes organization under Chayka. They’ve created a unified on-ice young and developing players in the lineup, and Schwab’s position is one vision for both their NHL and AHL rosters, with head coaches — Tocchet of the more crucial in getting the team over the hump of their final few in Glendale and Jay Varady in Tucson — sharing a vision and systems months of play. method to keep everything consistent. To ask Tocchet, though, that’s hardly something that needs questioning. Schwab is as crucial to Tocchet as he is to assistants Allen and John MacLean, and he’s in constant contact with his AHL counterpart Zac “He makes me a better coach, he really gives a perspective on the Bierk down the road in Tucson. His serious demeanor works well with mental side of the game that helps the team as a whole,” he said. Simple Bierk’s more laid-back attitude, but the pair are of a similar mind when it as that. comes to how their goaltenders should be developed and how they fit into Tocchet and Varady’s similarly deployed systems. The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019

Bierk and Allen explained that Schwab’s close-to-the-vest personality is more about being even-keeled than anything else.

“As a rookie in Tampa, Darren Puppa had to pick me up after a bad start. He gave me the simple but impactful advice to ‘not get to high with the highs or low with the lows,'” Bierk said. “To me, Corey has that ability as a coach.”

He challenges the players to think about the “why” of a save, discouraging robotic technique, but doesn’t add panic or urgency in his demeanor. He’s a stabilizing presence, and it resonates throughout the organization.

Allen, who works with Arizona’s defenders and oversees the elite penalty-killing unit iced by the organization, spends a decent amount of time collaborating with Schwab — something that works surprisingly well, considering their contrasting personalities. Allen’s immense respect for Schwab shows in how he describes his fellow defensive zone instructor.

“He’s an absolute professional,” Allen said. “He’s a real hardworking guy, a good family man … he notices so much about the team and what’s going right and what needs improvement. He’s always thinking about what to do and how to do it.”

Like Tocchet, Allen uses Schwab as a sounding board for improving the team’s play even with the skaters that aren’t necessarily under Schwab’s direct oversight. He’ll take a few players with him to work on drills for the goaltenders, reversing the roles once seen so often during practice to give the goaltender the primary chance to improve, but he’ll talk to everyone working with him on the ice for the drill about how things are going and what they’re thinking to make sure everyone is always on the same page.

“He’s a great communicator,” Allen said. “He’s so incredibly important to the organization. I mean, just look at what our best position has been since he came on board, that’s not a coincidence.”

While some of the league’s other teams are seeing their goaltending instruction bring new technology to the ice during the year, introducing colored pucks and unique vision-impairing glasses during practice, Schwab still stays fairly old-school in that respect. He’s seen the technology and he won’t talk about specifically what he thinks of everything, but he was insistent that tools like that are best utilized during the long stretch of offseason.

His lack of technological affection doesn’t come paired with a disdain for new coaching techniques, though. Schwab’s pro career began with the New Jersey Devils, and playing alongside Martin Brodeur left him with a 1125059 Boston Bruins “This team has had our number now for however many years it is,” Cassidy said. “We’ve got to get over the hurdle. They’re the defending Stanley Cup champions. If you want to be the best, generally, you’ve got Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy still recovering from foot infection to beat the best. I know it’s a long season, but we’re playing good hockey. I’d like to think our guys will be confident going into the game, not thinking about what happened opening night and over the years.”

By Matt Porter Count David Backes as one of the confident ones.

“It’s time we turned the tide and got the best of them,” he said. “With our lineup playing the way it is, I like us against anybody.” Charlie McAvoy was on the ice and smiling, getting loose before practice, feeling good, and then . . . he took a puck to the leg. The upper, inner Halak gets call part of his leg. Cassidy confirmed Jaroslav Halak will start against the Capitals. It is a “Hit me in a more sensitive area than that,” he corrected. chance for the netminder, who has been so-so of late, to build confidence. Halak was the NHL’s best goalie in October (4-0-2, 1.51 McAvoy was fine, but he feels like the Bruins’ Wile E. Coyote at this GAA, .947 save percentage), but his numbers slid in November (4-3-0, point. The next time he warms up for a real game, he might look skyward 2.53, .928), December (4-3-0, 2.74, .910), and are not trending upward to check for descending pianos. after his lone January start (1-0, 4.00, .892 last Thursday against “I mean, what are you going to do, right?” he said. “2018 was definitely Calgary). Halak has started two of Boston’s seven games since Dec. 23, not my year.” giving up four goals in each . . . Future opponent WATCH: Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen told reporters in Toronto he hopes to return After Wednesday’s practice in Brighton, McAvoy made public the details for Saturday’s home game against the Bruins. Andersen (20-9-1, 2.50, of the December injury that has kept him out for the start of 2019: a foot .923) has missed the last six games because of a groin injury . . . After infection, which will cause him to miss his seventh game in a row, and Tuesday’s blanking of Minnesota, is three wins from 27th of the Bruins’ 44, on Thursday when the Washington Capitals visit passing Tiny Thompson (252) as the all-time winningest goalie in Bruins TD Garden. history. Rask previously eclipsed FrankBrimsek (230), Gerry Cheevers (226), and Tim Thomas (196). The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. Boston Globe LOADED: 01.10.2019 On Dec. 17 at Montreal, the standout second-year defenseman blocked a shot with the inside of his right foot. In McAvoy’s words, the puck “exploded the skin” inside his boot. He didn’t miss time in that game, got stitches afterward, and “tried to make it work” through Christmas, the Bruins playing well and McAvoy, 21, eager to reclaim his game after missing 20 games because of a concussion over the previous two months.

McAvoy, who took pain-numbing shots in the area during a career-worst minus-4 performance Dec. 23 in Carolina, said doctors hoped the injury would heal over the three-day Christmas break.

Sorry, Charlie.

“Unfortunately on the 24th, 25th, started to notice signs of an infection,” he said. His family time cut short, he returned to Boston for antibiotics. Once complete, he returned to full practice Wednesday.

“It was good to get on top of it because I didn’t really know much about it,” he said. “It could have been way worse.”

Coach Bruce Cassidy said McAvoy (1-10—11 in 17 games) is on track to play Saturday at Toronto if he reports no setbacks Thursday morning. His return will push a defenseman out of the lineup. The choice will be difficult, given the five-game winning streak Boston (25-14-4) brings into its date with the Metropolitan Division-leading and defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals (26-12-4).

“This team, we’re starting to pick up some heat,” McAvoy said. “Everyone’s playing for each other. It’s been fun to watch. There’s an element of a little bit of sadness, you miss the guys, and kind of unfortunate to be out. At the same time, they’re playing really well, and that’s so exciting because no matter how many games I miss, the goal when I get back is to join a team that’s playing really well and be in a playoff position. These guys are definitely taking care of that right now.”

Another D.C. shutdown

As far as non-divisional games in January go, this date with the Capitals carries a fair amount of significance.

Not only did Washington hand Boston its worst loss (7-0) in three years in the season opener, the Bruins haven’t beaten the Capitals in 13 games (0-10-3). That streak — seven road losses and six at home — includes four . The Bruins haven’t been a bottom-feeder in that stretch, either. Since their most recent win over the Capitals (a 4-2 road victory on March 29, 2014, in which the Bruins held Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom scoreless), they are 169-101-38.

Cassidy was more concerned about the big picture than revenge for Oct. 3, which was the sixth time in the last 25 years the Bruins lost by a touchdown or more, regardless of opponent. 1125060 Boston Bruins The B’s take their five-game winning streak into a tough game against the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals at the Garden on Thursday. Not only did the Bruins get embarrassed by the Caps on McAvoy close to returning from infection opening night in Washington, 7-0, they have not won in this series since March 29, 2014. That’s 13 straight tries without a win.

“We’re more concerned about overall,” Cassidy said. “Opening night? It By STEVE CONROY happened. It could have been anybody that night. It’s more about this team has had our number for however many years it’s been, and we

have to get over the hurdle. They’re the defending Stanley Cup Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is inching closer to a return. He champions. If you want to be the best, you know, you’ve got to beat the participated fully in Wednesday’s practice at Warrior Arena, and, though best. I know it’s a long season, but we’re playing good hockey, so I’d like coach Bruce Cassidy said he won’t play Thursday against Washington, to think our guys would be confident going into the game and not thinking McAvoy could get back in the lineup on Saturday in Toronto. about what happened opening night or over the years, yet still have a bit of that enough’s enough kind of attitude as well. The nature of McAvoy’s injury finally was disclosed. He blocked a shot in the B’s 4-0 victory in Montreal on Dec. 17, and the puck broke the skin on “But again, you don’t want to overthink it in case it doesn’t go your way his foot, a cut that required stitches. He played through it for three more the first 10 minutes and you starting thinking, ‘Here we go again.’ That’s games but developed an infection during the holiday break that knocked what you have to guard against. Because I know when you’re on the him out of commission. other side and you’ve beaten a team a lot, you have that feeling, ‘Oh, we’re going to get ’em tonight.’ We have to make sure we do our thing, “Just tried to get through it (until the break), and we were excited for do it well and do the things you’re supposed to do when you beat them. those three days for it to heal,” McAvoy said. “And then, around the 24th, And that’s win our puck battles. They seem to get through the neutral 25th, it showed signs of infection, and I came back to Boston. Got on top zone pretty good against us, so we have t address that and make sure of it right away with antibiotics. Our doctors did a great job of getting on we’re checking with our legs and closing lanes in the D-zone. They’ve top of it right away. Unfortunately I had to cut my time short with my made plays through us. That’s how they started the game out there last family, but it was good to get on top of it because I didn’t really know time. They get a lead and then all of a sudden, you’re chasing it.” much about it. NO CHANGES “But (David) Backes has gone through it, (David Pastrnak) has gone through it. Ultimately, it could have been way worse, but I’m fortunate to Cassidy had the same forward lines and defense pairs in practice that he have the doctors be really sharp on it and have our trainers care for it it used the past two games. as good as they have and ultimately avoid a bigger scare.” Boston Herald LOADED: 01.10.2019 McAvoy said he finished his antibiotics a couple of days ago.

He hasn’t played since the Bruins’ 5-3 road loss to Carolina, which is a bad memory. It was McAvoy’s worst professional game, as he struggled to a minus-4 rating. But he said he was good to go that evening.

“We were using numbing shots, and it was pretty painful, but there was no doubt I was playing. We were playing well, and I felt like I was playing well,” McAvoy said. “But I think it was the culmination of a couple of things, playing back-to-back, a little bit of fatigue. Obviously some pain, but that one is long behind me now, and I’m just looking forward to the next game I can play in.”

During this latest stint on the shelf with an injury that was somewhat of a mystery, a murky story line emerged about McAvoy’s habits around the rink. It started with a Carpool Karaoke-type bit from NBCSN in which Brad Marchand joked that McAvoy needs an alarm clock. Harmless enough, right? The guess here is if Marchand or anyone else had a serious issue with McAvoy’s behavior, it would not be fodder in that type of forum.

But the next thing you knew, fair or not, McAvoy was being labeled some sort of a problem child in certain corners. The 21-year-old did concede he has much to learn about being a pro, but the issue — if it can be called that — seems to have been blown out of proportion.

“There was definitely a learning opportunity, and I’m trying to be receptive of that. And I think I am. I don’t think it was a big thing that was going on. I think everyone figured that out when people were surprised to even hear about such a thing,” McAvoy said. “But we had a conversation among the young guys and the veterans and, like I’ve said before, we’re very fortunate to have them.

“I get to walk into the locker room every day with guys like (Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Marchand), just really consummate pros, guys who I at least idolized. And if I can learn their habits at a young age, I’ll be so much better off for it.”

The greater concern is McAvoy staying healthy. In the most recent calendar year, McAvoy missed time after undergoing a procedure to address an irregular heartbeat last January, then sat out a month with a knee injury near the end of the 2017-18 regular season. He battled through a vestibular issue in training camp before a concussion knocked him out of the lineup for almost two months. Now this. He’s played just 17 of the B’s 43 games this season.

“Yeah,” McAvoy said. “2018 was definitely not my year.”

SIX NOT EASY 1125061 Boston Bruins

Bruins looking to 'get over that hurdle' vs Capitals team that's dominated them

By Joe Haggerty January 09, 2019

BRIGHTON – The Bruins were doing a pretty good job of making it seem like Thursday night’s game against the Washington Capitals will be business as usual.

But it will be anything but that after getting shellacked by the Capitals in Washington on NHL’s opening night, which continued a string of dominance for the Caps over the Bruins dating back for years. The Capitals are 10-0-3 in their last 13 games against the Bruins while pushing and shoving the Bruins all over the ice during those games, and if it isn’t their brute force or deadly scoring then it’s been Braden Holtby dominating them between the pipes.

Halak likely to start for B's vs Caps

“It’s more about that this team has had our number for the last number of years, and we need to get over that hurdle,” said Bruce Cassidy. “We’ve got to get over the hurdle. They’re the Stanley Cup champions, and if you want to be the best then you’ve got to beat the best. I know it’s a long season, but we’re playing good hockey and I’d like to think our guys are going to be confident going into the game. Not thinking about what happened opening night or over the years, but still have a bit of an ‘Enough is enough’ type of attitude as well. You just don’t want to overthink and go ‘Here we go again’ if the first 10 minutes don’t go your way.”

The Capitals have beaten the Bruins in pretty much every way you can beat a hockey team in recent years, but the Bruins have also won five games in a row with a healthy lineup that’s just starting to click on all cylinders.

“We’re feeling good right now and feeling good going into this game,” said David Pastrnak. “Obviously we’ve had a tough time the last few years against this team, so we’ll try to stick to our plan and play the same way that we did the last couple of games.”

It’s in the B’s heads enough that they’re going to switch things up in goal and start Jaroslav Halak rather than Tuukka Rask to maybe change their luck, and the Bruins are going to try and pretend like it’s just another game.

Good luck with that against a Capitals team that’s treated the Bruins like the 98-pound weakling over the better part of the last five seasons.

“I think it’s the next one on our schedule so it’s got to be all hands on deck and all synapses firing to try to beat this Capitals team that obviously won the Cup last year,” said David Backes of the Capitals, who smoked the Bruins by a 7-0 score in that opening night debacle in DC. “They took it to us on opening night when they raised their banner, so now it’s time we turn the tide and get the best of them, especially at home. With our lineup playing the way it is and not missing many people, this is going to be a good test for us.”

Why Bergeron doesn't want your All-Star vote

In fact, the rest of the week is going to be a good test for the Black and Gold with the defending Stanley Cup champs on Thursday night, and then the final divisional showdown of the season with the Maple Leafs set for this weekend. The B’s should have a much better idea of where they stand within the Eastern Conference power structure after weaving through the Capitals and Maple Leafs over the next couple of days.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125062 Boston Bruins

Bruce Cassidy 'leaning toward' starting Jaroslav Halak vs Capitals

By Justin Leger January 09, 2019

Unless Bruce Cassidy has a sudden change of heart, it looks like it will be Jaroslav Halak getting the start in net for the Bruins versus the Capitals on Thursday night.

Cassidy spoke Wednesday about the goaltender situation, implying Tuukka Rask will be the main starter going forward but Halak likely will get the starting nod vs Washington.

"Well, that’s a bit of the plan going forward. He played the last game, so now he has two," Cassidy said of Rask being the B's primary starter. "Washington coming in is a little different. We haven’t had much success against them, so we’re leaning towards, I’ll tell you flat out, [Jaroslav] Halak because he hasn’t started against them in a Bruins uniform, so kind of like Anaheim – throw a different guy in there and get a result. That would just be a switch and getting Jaro his games, but yes, Tuukka’s now earning the – I don’t want to say the net back. I don’t think that’s the appropriate term but more starts. So, we’ll see how he runs with it."

It's safe to say Rask's history against the Capitals probably is a major factor in Cassidy's decision to roll with Halak. The 31-year-old is 1-11-5 with a 3.30 GAA and a .883 save percentage against the Caps.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125063 Boston Bruins

Charlie McAvoy says tardiness issue with Bruins is "a learning opportunity"

By Joe Haggerty January 09, 2019

BRIGHTON, Mass – Charlie McAvoy called it “a learning opportunity” in retrospect when asked after practice Wednesday about his discussion with Bruins veteran players about reports of lateness incidents with the team this season.

The Boston Globe reported there were a couple of instances this season where McAvoy had been tardy to a team bus, and a special teams meeting, and that Brad Marchand, among others, had pulled him aside to discuss nipping it in the bud.

It was something Marchand joked about during his interview on “The Pick Up” with NBCSportsBoston.com last month, which was clearly done in a light-hearted manner rather than in tongue-lashing style.

“The kid always seems to find himself in trouble being late for everything,” said a joking Marchand on “The Pick Up” when asked who should get coal in their stocking for Christmas. “I’d get him a clock, or a watch. He is late for everything. I’ve never seen anybody more late for planes, buses or meetings than that kid.”

McAvoy, 21, confirmed there was a discussion between the younger players and the veteran players about punctuality and what it means within the NHL profession, and that he was being receptive to all of it while it’s been a Bruins talking point the past few days.

“It was a learning experience nonetheless...I don’t think it was really a...you know. There was definitely a learning opportunity and I’m trying to be very receptive of that,” said McAvoy, who practiced fully on Wednesday after being out since Christmas with a foot that got infected after blocking a shot in the Dec. 17 road win over Montreal. “I think I am. It wasn’t really a big thing that was going on. I think people figured that out when people were even surprised to hear of such a thing. But we had a conversation amongst the young guys and the veterans, and like I’ve said before we’re very fortunate to have them.

“I get to walk in a locker room with guys like [Zdeno Chara], Patrice Bergeron and [Brad Marchand], just really consummate pros. Guys who I have idolized and want to be just like. So, if I can learn their habits and learn things like that at a young age, I’ll be so much better off for it.”

The defenseman certainly can’t be in love with the attention that his punctuality has received the past few days when he’s simply trying to heal from an infected foot, and get back on the ice potentially this weekend against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Still, there are learning curves for all young players when they get to the NHL and this certainly qualifies as one of those lessons for McAvoy as he continues his development into a No. 1 defenseman.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125064 Boston Bruins

Why Patrice Bergeron doesn't want your vote for 2019 NHL All-Star Game

By Darren Hartwell January 09, 2019 1:18 PM

Patrice Bergeron is one of the NHL's 31 "Last Men In" candidates to make the 2019 NHL All-Star Game, and he needs your help ... to lose.

That's right: The Boston Bruins center openly admitted Wednesday he'd rather not participate in the Jan. 26 All-Star Game in San Jose. He has a valid excuse, though.

"No, not really," Bergeron told 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Toucher & Rich" when asked if he cared about winning the "Last Men In" vote. "I just had a newborn baby boy. He's a month old, so obviously that time would be nice to be home."

There you have it.

Here's how the "Last Men In" process works: The NHL picks one player from each team as a candidate, and the player with the most fan votes from each of the league's four divisions earns a trip to the All-Star Game.

Bergeron's competition in the Atlantic Division includes seven other players: the Buffalo Sabres' Jeff Skinner, the Detroit Red Wings' Dylan Larkin, the Florida Panthers' Aleksander Barkov, the Montreal Canadiens' Shea Weber, the Ottawa Senators' Mark Stone, the Tampa Bay Lightning's Brayden Point and the Toronto Maple Leafs' Morgan Rielly.

Bergeron certainly has played like an All-Star of late, with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in eight games since returning from a rib injury in late December. But if you'd like to do the 33-year-old veteran a solid, head to NHL.com and vote for one of those other guys.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125065 Boston Bruins

Bruins hope Danton Heinen's opening goal can get him going

By Joe Haggerty January 09, 2019

BOSTON – It was Danton Heinen who got the ball rolling for the Bruins offense Tuesday night in the 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Wild and the B’s could use a lot more from him moving forward. Heinen had struggled mightily with just four goals in his first 40 games after scoring 16 goals as a rookie last season.

Heinen got to the front of the net and managed to get a tip on a John Moore shot from the point to push the puck past Minnesota backup goalie Alex Stalock to kick off a three-goal outburst. That kind of secondary scoring is exactly what was so inconsistent for the Bruins in the first half of the season.

Perhaps it can catapult Heinen moving forward for a B's team that badly needs diversified scoring.

“We’re having contributions from everyone right now and the fourth line is kind of leading the way with that and they’ve been great,” said Brad Marchand. “Even tonight, Heino [Danton Heinen] getting a big goal early on to kind of get us going and that’s what we need. We need everyone to chip in. Different nights, we’re getting different guys stepping up and being big for our group.”

Some of that was about young players not playing to offensive expectations and some of it was injuries that have picked at the B’s overall performance. Heinen certainly is part of the first issue for the Black and Gold and the hope is that the patience shown in him will start paying off with more goals and points in the second half.

“We played downhill, so I think that was a big key. We got some breaks around the front of the net. I think we earned them. We got to the front. [Minnesota] is a good, defensive, slot-coverage team, very good there,” said Bruce Cassidy. “So, you have to get to the top of the crease and, like I said, a few went our way.

“But by the same token, we were able to get there, get pucks there. So, I thought, especially Danton’s [Heinen], was a real good start for us and good for that line.”

Certainly the Heinen, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Ryan Donato “kid line” could use some confident starts and offensive boosts, and Heinen himself could use a hot streak while on pace for just 10 goals and 21 points this season. A little more production in the second half could mitigate some of the B’s need to go outside the organization for a trade to soup up their third line, but it remains to be seen if Heinen can be that guy.

He showed he’s capable of it last season. Now, it’s up to him to step up and start playing with a little more consistency and a lot more playmaking and production.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125066 Boston Bruins first-line role. Bergeron and Marchand, along with Mark Recchi, drew the tougher defensive assignments.

The situations have reversed the last two seasons. Cassidy has tried to Two centers, one All-Star right wing: Playing tug-of-war with David free Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak for attacking shifts. Krejci, Pastrnak meanwhile, has had to groom DeBrusk while seeing a parade of candidates audition on his right side.

By Fluto Shinzawa Jan 9, 2019 Last year, Cassidy tried Pastrnak, Bjork, Backes, Heinen, Ryan Donato, and Ryan Spooner as second-line right wings. Rick Nash appeared to be the solution, but a concussion laid waste to that plan.

In Tuesday’s 4-0 laugher against Minnesota, David Backes rode on The rotation has required Krejci to be mindful of different styles on his David Krejci’s right side for the second straight game. In so doing, right side. Backes joined a not-terribly exclusive club. “I feel like the important thing is to kind of stick with someone, create Backes is the sixth Bruins player to serve as Krejci’s right wing this some chemistry, and get to know the feel for the forecheck and D-zone season, joining David Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, Jakob play, especially being in the right spot,” Krejci said. “Being in the spot Forsbacka Karlsson and Anders Bjork. Of the cluster, Krejci has made it they expect me to be in, I expect them to be in. With Backs also being in clear there is one he prefers. the league a really long time, he’s, for the most part, in the right spots. Most parts, he makes the right decisions with the puck. We know that he “He would like to play with Pasta,” Bruce Cassidy said. “So would JFK. knows he’s not creative as, like, Pasta. But he brings other stuff. On the So would Noel (Acciari). All kidding aside, of course, he’d love to have forecheck, he makes lots of room for you.” Pasta on his right wing. And he may get him at some point.” It is unlikely that Backes will be Krejci’s final right wing this year. For now, Krejci will be left wanting. Pastrnak belongs to somebody else. Meanwhile, chances are good that Pastrnak will stick to Bergeron’s right Krejci understands that when healthy, Patrice Bergeron is Cassidy’s first side. Bergeron is not complaining. choice to center Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. “Chemistry is a big part of hockey, right?” Bergeron asked, rhetorically. “I’m OK, 100 percent,” Krejci said when asked if he’s at peace with this “When you know these guys are bringing it every night and we’re on the arrangement. “As long as the team’s winning, I’m fine with that. For me, same page, it’s definitely comforting knowing that. It helps me with my it’s about trying to create chemistry with Backs and JD and try to stick game, not trying to force things or thinking too much. You just execute together. If we do that, we’ll have more good nights than mediocre nights. and use your instincts because you know that’s the way we’re playing That’s what the team needs from each line to be good on most nights.” together.” Cassidy’s job is to optimize his lineup. He must do so while keeping his This may seem like a straightforward lineup decision. It is not. players informed, bought in and satisfied. The tug-of-war over Pastrnak between the organization’s two longest-tenured members is a good While Krejci may offer his approval of the current setup, there is no example of how it’s not as easy as it seems. denying he’d like Pastrnak, his World Championship linemate on the Czech Republic team, to himself. It requires Cassidy to communicate his Top-line ride thinking to Krejci and keep his highest-paid player content. And it makes For seven games in December, Krejci took the wheel of the line Bergeron Bergeron and Krejci, the two alternate captains, contend with one usually drives. The pleasure Krejci took from playing with Marchand and another for the lineup’s lone All-Star. Pastrnak was reflected in his output: four goals and six assists, all at Internal competition even strength. The Bruins won five of the seven games. Cassidy is not too concerned about the consequences of moving young “Everything was great,” Krejci said. “Obviously they’re great players and players around. Forsbacka Karlsson, Heinen and Donato are more make plays sometimes out of nowhere. You’ve just got to be in the right focused on staying in uniform and out of the press box and don’t pay spot at the right time and the puck’s going to find you.” much attention to the line they’re on or the role they’re filling. Bergeron was watching while he healed from his rib injury. He did not It is different with veterans. They are humans, not widgets. They are mind that somebody else was in his spot. Less than a year ago, subject to happiness, disappointment or confusion over their deployment. Bergeron handed the keys over to Riley Nash while he recovered from a As such, Cassidy takes their well-being into mind when moving them or cracked foot. their linemates around the lineup. “Really happy for him,” Bergeron said of Krejci. “I’m not surprised either. “He’s been here a long time,” Cassidy said of Krejci. “How do you get the Playing with Brad and Pasta is a pretty nice spot to be in. I think Riley right winger with him? So I talk to him about that. Yet, ‘Listen, you’ve just proved that last year. He came in and played well with them. David got to play some nights. If we don’t have the perfect guy for you, it’s still (Krejci)’s a great talent, a big part of our team. I was happy. I think it just your responsibility to go out and play and give us the best you’ve got.’ gives us depth when I come back, whether I go back in that spot or if I go We’ve got to work together on that.” down and play with (DeBrusk) and whoever’s with him. We’re a team. You want to compete, obviously — compete for your spot and earn your Bergeron and Krejci have many things in common. They are right-shot ice time. That being said, there’s no jealousy when that happens.” centers. The Bruins selected both in the second round of their respective drafts (Bergeron in 2003, Krejci one year later). They recently welcomed According to Natural Stat Trick, Krejci and Pastrnak have shared 215:18 sons to their families. They are alums of the QMJHL. English is their of five-on-five play. The Bruins have outscored opponents by an 11-6 second language. They are reserved, especially Krejci. margin during that time. The tandem has posted a 58.5 Corsi For rating. Because they are centers, they do not share much ice time. Bergeron is In comparison, Bergeron and Pastrnak have been together for 292:51. on the No. 1 power-play unit. Krejci is on the second. They play together Over these segments, the Bruins hold a 17-13 goal advantage. The duo in select situations: five-on-three when the Bruins run a spread power has recorded a 55.7 Corsi For rating. play and lead protection when Krejci replaces Pastrnak as a defensive Cassidy has always wondered how his team, when healthy up front, presence. would perform if Krejci centered Pastrnak. He tried it on Dec. 22 when Perhaps because of these variables, they are not considered particularly Bergeron returned against Nashville, using Danton Heinen as the No. 1 tight. right wing. Pastrnak skated with Krejci on the No. 2 line, flanked by Joakim Nordstrom. “When you have that many guys in the room, personalities will click with other personalities and be closer,” Marchand said. “I wouldn’t say they’re It did not last long. One game later, Cassidy put Pastrnak back on the the best of friends, but they certainly get along very well.” No. 1 line. Krejci finished the 5-3 loss to Carolina centering Nordstrom and Heinen. Krejci and Pastrnak have not played together since. It is only natural, given the similarities of their job descriptions, that they consider each other their closest competition. Krejci wanted to jack up his Earlier in his career, Krejci enjoyed stability on his wings. During the numbers when he had the opportunity to center Marchand and Pastrnak. 2011 Stanley Cup run, Krejci ran with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton in a “I think it’s a healthy competition,” Krejci said. “Everyone wants to do well. You go in the game, you go in and you want to score. You want to do things good defensively. You also want to score every game. Obviously, no one’s going to score in 82 goals in 82 games in this league. But that’s your expectation. I think it’s just a healthy competition. At the same time, I know if Bergy’s line is going well, then it’s kind of like a domino effect. Same thing for us and other lines as well.”

As soon as Bergeron returned, he pushed to reassert himself as the No. 1 center.

“It’s not trying to get back what you think you deserve. You’ve got to earn it,” Bergeron said. “It’s one of those things where that healthy competition within the team is always there and is needed in order to be successful. That’s not going to change. That being said, I’m never going to look at something like that and be mad or be rattled that my teammate’s doing well.”

It may have been a coincidence that Krejci went scoreless in Bergeron’s first four games back. It’s easier to score points with a 25-goal man like Pastrnak on one side and a perpetual wingman like Marchand on the other. It’s not as easy when linemates change from game to game.

“I think we’re trying to be professional about it,” Bergeron said of the approach while Cassidy searches for his preferred lineup. “It’s not easy to always be shuffling around and playing on different lines. It’s a testament to the guys that have been doing it and being successful this year. We’ve had a lot of injuries and we had to do it. I don’t think Bruce wants to do it every time. I think he has to do it.”

By nature, Cassidy is a tinkerer. But he acknowledged the Bruins, having advanced past the halfway point of the regular season, will require a more stable lineup.

Against the Wild, Bergeron recorded three points (1-2—3): a goal and assist on the power play, and a helper at even strength. The Wild had no pushback against the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak trio.

In that way, Pastrnak is likely to remain at Bergeron’s side. Krejci will have to be satisfied with somebody else.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125067 Buffalo Sabres Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 out of Notre Dame. Dennis Gilbert is currently playing for the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL.

Buffalo News LOADED: 01.10.2019 Longtime Sabres executive Mike Gilbert, HarborCenter VP Nik Fattey resign

Mike Harrington | Published Wed, Jan 9, 2019

Longtime Buffalo Sabres executive Michael Gilbert has resigned as senior vice president of administration and general manager of HarborCenter, the team announced Wednesday.

“Terry and I would like to personally thank Mike for his 21 years of commitment to the Buffalo Sabres, and for his dedication to the growth of amateur hockey in Western New York. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors,” Sabres co-owner and president Kim Pegula said in a statement.

The resignation of Gilbert, a Tonawanda native who joined the Sabres in 1997, comes on the heels of the departure of Nik Fattey, who served as the general manager of the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League as well as the vice president and director of hockey at HarborCenter. A source confirmed Wednesday that Fattey resigned on Tuesday but insisted the two departures are unrelated.

Gilbert, who joined the Sabres after two years with the New Jersey Devils, served in a variety of roles with the club. He was the team's longtime director of public relations and its most prominent media contact before transitioning to a vice president role in 2011 and his new jobs with HarborCenter in 2016.

In a statement also issued through the Sabres, Gilbert said he was looking at other job prospects.

“I would like to thank Terry and Kim Pegula for all they have done for my family and me over the past eight years," Gilbert said. "I would also like to thank all of the Sabres and Harborcenter employees, as well as all of the players, coaches and hockey staff that I have worked with during my 21 years at the Buffalo Sabres. I believe now is the best time for me to explore some other opportunities in the private sector here in my hometown of Buffalo.”

Gilbert did not respond to text messages from The Buffalo News. His community endeavors included a spot on the Buffalo Place board of trustees.

"I am shocked. Mike is a great guy, and was great to sit with and work with on the Buffalo Place board," said local architect and fellow board member Steve Carmina. "I hope whatever he’s doing and wherever he’s going, he lands on his feet."

Said developer and board member Carl Paladino: "He was a good guy. Mike Gilbert’s one of the big stand-up guys for Buffalo."

Gilbert was assistant director of public relations for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1991-1995 and had spent three years with the Buffalo Bills (1988-1990) as a graduate assistant while a student at Canisius College. Gilbert became Terry Pegula's right-hand man for PR during the quest to buy the Bills and escorted the Pegulas to the NFL owners meetings in New York when their $1.4 billion purchase of the team was finalized in October, 2014.

Gilbert also operated the public and community relations departments of the Sabres and Bandits, supervising the youth hockey and fan development initiatives of the organizations. He also helped the lead the organization's effort to bring the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship to Buffalo last year.

But the efforts of Gilbert and the local organizing team for that event were sharply criticized. High ticket prices, unsold ticket packages and brutally cold weather combined to produce thousands of empty seats in KeyBank Center for many games, a major departure from the sold-out crowds when the World Juniors were here in 2011.

Gilbert was currently a key cog in the organizing group for the NCAA Frozen Four, which is slated to return to Buffalo for the first time since 2003 when it's held in KeyBank Center on April 11 and 13.

Gilbert is a graduate of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute. His nephew, Dennis, was also a St. Joe's grad and was a third-round draft pick of the 1125068 Buffalo Sabres Last season, Smith tied for the Amerks' team lead with 17 goals. His 44 points were tied for 10th among AHL rookies. And he was named MVP of the league's All-Star Classic.

C.J. Smith scores first NHL goal; now he wants to remain with Sabres This was despite missing more than a month with an ankle injury that continued to hamper his production over the final 15 regular-season games and playoffs. Jason Wolf | Published Wed, Jan 9, 2019 “I worked really hard to get back here in Buffalo and I think I had a good season in Roch last year, with a little injury that hurt me along the way,” Smith said. “But you know what? You’ve got to stay positive and keep C.J. Smith always dreamed about scoring his first NHL goal. working and I came out to a hot start in Roch this year and we were But he never pictured it quite like this, the puck dribbling in slow motion playing really well, and I was excited to get the call-up and get that first past New Jersey Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid, it momentarily coming to goal.” rest just inside the far post, a question rippling through the arena as to Smith signed a one-year contract extension with the Sabres in July and whether defenseman Sami Vatanen had dug it out with his stick before it participated in training camp before being assigned to Rochester. crossed the goal line. Smith had no doubt. It’s possible Smith will be sent back as soon as Friday should Eichel “When I shot it and went behind the net there, I saw it was in,” Smith return from an upper body injury that has caused him to miss the last said. “It’s kind of funny, nobody else really knew it was in, so I kind of three games. But Smith intends to stay. celebrated by myself there. But it felt good.” “I’ve got to do whatever I can to help contribute to the team, help them The shot, called a goal on the ice and upheld on review, gave the Buffalo win,” Smith said. “Some nights that may not be scoring, but I’ve just got Sabres a 2-1 lead 4:14 into the second period and helped spark an to do whatever I can to stay up, and that’s my goal for the rest of the explosive and unanswered five-goal middle stanza, as the Sabres buried year.” the Devils in an avalanche of secondary scoring, 5-1, Tuesday night at KeyBank Center, no small feat without injured captain Jack Eichel. Buffalo News LOADED: 01.10.2019 Buffalo has been preaching about the importance of secondary scoring since its 10-game win streak ended in late November. The Sabres have since mustered a 6-8-4 record while hanging on to playoff positioning. The Sabres scored five goals on 15 shots in the second period against the Devils. Jeff Skinner’s blast to put Buffalo on the board was followed by goals from Smith, Casey Mittelstadt, Jake McCabe and Lawrence Pilut, Smith's roommate in Rochester who also recorded his first NHL goal Tuesday night.

No one I’d rather share it with! Roommates in roch and now scoring our first together. Congrats buddy! @LPilut https://t.co/lzH0k3i2Vt

— CJ Smith (@_CJ_Smith_) January 9, 2019

“We know what he can do,” Johan Larsson said of Smith after centering the Sabres’ third line between the rookie and veteran forward Kyle Okposo. “He’s a smart hockey player and you can see he’s got skills. He’s a guy who knows where to go on the ice, works hard and it was nice to see him rewarded with a first goal.”

It was the Sabres’ most prolific period at home in a decade – since they scored five in the third period against Carolina on Nov. 28, 2009. They had scored only 15 goals in their previous eight games.

Smith, 24, was playing in just his fourth game since being called up from Rochester to make his season debut against the New York Islanders on New Year’s Eve after Zemgus Girgensons had been placed on injured reserve. At the time, Smith led all Rochester forwards in scoring with 29 points, 13 goals and 16 assists in 33 games.

The Sabres hoped Smith would provide a spark, and though he’d been skating well, he hadn’t done much, recording six shots in three games before taking the ice Tuesday night.

Smith attempted three shots against the Devils, two of them on goal, one ricocheting off the post on the first shift of the game.

Buffalo Sabres 5, New Jersey Devils 1

“I just think he attacked the game,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said. “I think everybody was in attack mode and paying attention to detail when the puck got turned over. They’re one of those teams that a possession change in the offensive zone, they’re getting out to attack. But I just liked (how) he was poised, he was composed, he found a way to get that one by Kinkaid, and it was a big goal, the second (Sabres) goal of the game, and it’s good to see him contribute.”

Smith signed with the Sabres as an undrafted free agent out of UMass Lowell in March 2017. He had 56 goals in three seasons in college and was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2015.

Smith appeared in two games with the Sabres to end the 2016-17 season, recording his first NHL point on an assist in his debut against the Islanders, and had starred for Rochester ever since. 1125069 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres' Scott Wilson clears waivers, assigned to Rochester

Jason Wolf | Published Wed, Jan 9, 2019

Scott Wilson cleared waivers and was assigned to Rochester for a conditioning assignment on Wednesday, the Buffalo Sabres announced.

The forward, who hasn’t played since breaking his ankle during a late September practice, was expected to be medically cleared for game action this week. The Amerks host the defending champion on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at Blue Cross Arena.

Wilson, 26, resumed practicing with the Sabres, but he has not played in an NHL regular-season game since April 7, 2018. He had six goals and 14 points with a minus-20 rating in 69 games between Pittsburgh, Detroit and Buffalo last season.

Wilson won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins, recording three goals and six assists in the 2016-17 playoffs. He is under contract through next season with an annual cap hit of $1.05 million.

The Amerks assigned Judd Peterson to Cincinnati of the ECHL to make room for Wilson.

Buffalo News LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125070 Buffalo Sabres your role and doing your job has been something this year’s Sabres have made their mantra.

“The players that are out, they have the potential to make some real In three games without Jack Eichel, Sabres stick to keeping it simple high-end plays and with high-end plays their risk/reward… they can probably execute those a little better than some guys,” Bogosian said. “I think it’s just getting back to our team game knowing that we’re not going By Joe Yerdon Jan 9, 2019 to be having a few of those guys in the lineup that are used to making those big time plays and maybe we can simplify it a little bit and have a

good team structured game.” Anytime an NHL team loses a key player to injury, it’s going to challenge Younger players sometimes don’t get a lot of leeway in how they’re the resolve in the locker room. When a team like the Sabres loses a supposed to play, especially if they’re adjusting to the NHL on the job. player of Jack Eichel’s caliber, it could downright swing the psyche of the entire roster. “You want to be able to make plays, but if there’s no play to be made, not forcing it,” forward Tage Thompson said. “If there’s nothing there, you’ve The Sabres have played the past three games without Eichel due to an got to be smart with the puck and manage it at times in the games. upper-body injury and while he’s on track to return Friday in Raleigh Playing simple is making sure to get pucks out of your zone and getting against the Carolina Hurricanes, figuring out how to win and balance the pucks behind their ‘D’ and when you have a chance to make a play, lineup without him has been a test for coach Phil Housley. make a play. I think it all comes down to execution, but yeah, you don’t Although the lineups changed through each game, the message was the want to force things that aren’t there.” same: Keep it simple. If Tuesday’s 5-1 win against the Devils was any indication, the message Keeping an uncomplicated game plan when there’s still Jeff Skinner and worked. While the Sabres struggled for a good part of a 2-1 loss to the Sam Reinhart (despite an illness nearly keeping him out against the Bruins, they took care of business against the Panthers in a 4-3 win as Devils on Tuesday) is a little easier, but losing the dynamic play of a guy well. like Eichel is hard to overcome even for a team that’s dealt with losing Going 2-1-0 with Eichel out of the lineup is a good sign for a team that is him for an extended time in each of the previous two seasons. lacking in NHL-ready depth. Seeing five different players score a goal Sticking to simplicity makes sense in theory, but can be made more and 14 in all earn points against New Jersey shows that the message of difficult under the circumstances. The playoff race has tightened up in the simplicity got through. Eastern Conference and since the Sabres’ 10-game win streak, success “This was exactly like (what I’d draw up),” Housley said after the game. has mellowed out (6-8-4) and the goals have been a little harder to come “(New Jersey) is very good in the neutral zone and their checking and it by. was just a straight-line north-south mindset tonight and I think the guys “There’s only one Jack Eichel and there’s nobody here trying to play like did a really good job of that just managing in that area. When we did get him, just I think as a group, knowing your role and guys are going to get pucks behind them, everybody was getting up the ice; even our ‘D’ would bigger roles now continuing to strive for the opportunity to play more,” slide the walls to keep pucks in the offensive zone. Simplicity in our game defenseman Zach Bogosian said. “I don’t think guys think about it too, was really important tonight.” too much but everyone knows there’s only one Jack and he’s a real The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 special player… I think it’s just important that we a play a team-structured game.”

Clichés run rampant when players are asked about how they deal with losing a star player. Players know they have to “play a team game” or “get pucks in deep and go to work” and stress the need to “put in a full 60 minutes.” You’ll hear that kind of stuff even if a star player is in the lineup, but when a point-per-game player goes out, the game is about “keeping things simple.” But what does that even mean?

“If you’re facing different forechecks, neutral zone forechecks, part of game plan is managing that part of the game,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said Tuesday morning. “Obviously we want to get back as five and break out, we want to transition quickly and there are times that we can’t, but we have to pull it back, there might be a line change. But from that point we have a set plan that when that happens we’ve got to make the right decisions and we have to execute.”

Star players can dictate how much of the game is played on their whim. Great teamwork can nullify their effects, but for a player to simplify their game means different things depending on their position.

“For me it’s moving my feet and making the next play and being aggressive when I do get my opportunities. For some guys it’s chipping a puck out, for some defensemen it’s making a first pass, it’s just different things,” right wing Kyle Okposo said. “When you’re kind of in that zone and you’re playing at that high level like someone like Eichs has been the whole year, things are just coming to him. They’re coming to him naturally and you just find yourself in that zone and it’s not an easy place to get to as an athlete. That’s something you have to work at and then you play well and then you find yourself in it. For most guys, you kind of go through those peaks and valleys, but you have to stay as even-keeled as possible and keep it simple when times aren’t going well and just play when you’re having success. I think it’s different for everybody.”

When it comes to defensemen, keeping it simple can just mean playing the game as straight up as possible and doing your best to not be noticed by anyone. After all, if you’re getting noticed as a defenseman it’s generally not for positive reasons. That’s how things used to be though. The Sabres have had more success this season from the blue line seeing guys jump into the play and take risks offensively. Still, knowing 1125071 Buffalo Sabres opening to jump forward to the right faceoff circle with his stick cocked. The puck came to him and he rifled a one-timer home.

Defensively, Laaksonen was more than adequate in averaging 20:45 of Sabres prospects update: Luukkonen shows gold medal mettle at World work through the seven-game stanza. He was not successful with every Juniors zone-clearing attempt, but other than that he was strong with his coverage and very disciplined with his stick.

By Kris Baker Jan 9, 2019 For a prospect that was deemed “slight” or “waifish” when drafted, the 165-pound Laaksonen also put his physical game on display by initiating a heavy hit on Swiss forward Sandro Schmid in the quarterfinal victory. The energy and engagement level were exactly where scouts needed The 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship was a meaningful experience them to be. for its various participants, but for Sabres goaltending hopeful Ukko- Pekka Luukkonen (2017, second round), it was all about redemption. Laaksonen’s performance was a welcome breath of fresh air for a Sabres organization searching for quality right-handed defensive depth. There is A year removed from the 2018 event in Buffalo where Luukkonen still growth to be had prior to making a push for a North American job, but performed lukewarm at best with an .879 save%, the prized prospect all signs point to the Sabres having themselves a calculated risk-taker progressed by posting a 5-1 record, 1.80 GAA, and radically improved that will pinch in the offensive zone, take the ice that’s given to him to .932 save% to backstop Finland to their third gold medal in the last six advance the puck, and rotate into position to generate a high volume of years. shot attempts. The erudite Luukkonen, who missed the opening week of the Ontario Simple Samuelsson Hockey League season to attend to educational obligations back home in Finland, graded out highly in five of his six appearances at the In an era of fleet-footed, pace-pushing defensemen (and intense social tournament. His weakest outing came in a 4-1 loss to the U.S. when he media debate), the methodical, defense-first style of Mattias Samuelsson had a few lapses with his tracking that allowed pucks to get through him (2018, second round) is going to be a polarizing topic for Sabres fans. and saw his large five-hole exposed by the American shooters in the final game of group play. While he is not a track star with the straight-line speed of a Laaksonen, Samuelsson’s skating fundamentals and pivoting are in line with most That learning experience against Team USA set the stage for a test of high-caliber prospects of his size. His feet aren’t world class by any his bounce-back ability, one which he passed with flying colors by means, but they didn’t hold him back from doing his job at the stopping a combined 40 of 42 shots in quarterfinal and semifinal victories tournament and likely won’t be a barrier to success down the road either. over Canada and Switzerland, and culminating with a stellar 26-save outing as the Finns exacted revenge against the Americans with a 3-2 The Sabres’ scouting staff drafted Samuelsson to be a territorial, victory in the gold medal game. shutdown defender that can use his size and reach to push plays to the edge and impose some nastiness on opposing skaters. That’s essentially Luukkonen’s calmness and poise was put on display in overtime of the what he did while averaging 16:42 in the tourney’s seven games. He was quarterfinal matchup with Canada when he held firm and did not sink good with his positioning and willing to sacrifice his body to block shots, deep into his crease when flashing the right leg to stop Maxime Comtois along the way being a key component to Team USA’s second-ranked (ANA) on a penalty shot. One could sense that the Finns were the 87.5 penalty kill percentage. He kept his game simple, rounding off his favorite to claim gold once that save was made. effort with 10 shots on goal and a plus-3 rating.

When drafted two summers ago, Luukkonen was an aggressive There were some flaws to critique, however, the largest of which came in netminder with a need to scramble less. Now he is one that exhibits Team USA’s 5-4 overtime loss to Sweden, when Erik Brannstrom (VGK) exceptional positioning. The training he’s received has him getting his full blitzed down the left side and breezed right past Samuelsson on his way body squared to the shooter, limiting instances of reaching and flopping to cutting to the front and scoring a backhand goal. to make a stop. While it would be beneficial for him to become a shade quicker moving post-to-post, he’s become much less susceptible to It’s hard to understand what exactly Samuelsson was thinking on the getting beat on backdoor plays. play, as he didn’t defend the body, yet he didn’t fully commit to stripping the puck either. It was an indefensible moment for an otherwise steady The biggest takeaway from Luukkonen’s game, though, is that he’s defender, and frankly the goaltender may have been better off if become a large goalie that can play compact. That’s not always an easy Samuelsson wasn’t there guarding the post. A puzzling play for sure, but task, yet he is starting to introduce some of the same elements that regardless it will serve as a teaching moment for a player that should be fellow big-bodied Finn Pekka Rinne has leveraged to become one of the in line to take another run at World Junior glory next winter. most successful netminders of the last decade. Pekar limited With his game clearly progressing and the big international win on his resume, the next steps for Luukkonen involve him resuming his A surprise addition to the Czech Republic’s roster, winger Matej Pekar excellence back in Sudbury, where he is ranked among the top five (2018, fourth round) was noticeable in limited duty as a checker in what goaltenders in wins, goals against average, and save percentage in the should be considered a precursor to a larger role in the 2020 tournament . next winter.

Lots to like with Laaksonen Pekar saw his usage increase as group play progressed, receiving 10 shifts in the opening day win over Switzerland before playing games of With Luukkonen performing at a high level in the Finnish crease, 14, 18, and 18 to close out the group stage. He peaked with 11:23 of defenseman Oskari Laaksonen (2017, third round) executed with equal work in a 5-1 loss to Canada. He slid back down to just 9:41 of action in excellence during their march to the gold medal. the 3-1 quarterfinal loss to the United States.

Aside from showing himself as a well-rounded player, the biggest The sample size was small given his role, but he did what he was asked standout attribute in Laaksonen’s game was his pace, and it wasn’t just to do. His shifts often saw the puck chipped deep into the offensive zone the way he moved with the puck. He was quick to react defensively and with Pekar doing yeoman’s work along the walls to kick the puck back to fast to assess options and make decisions. He played quick both with his the point before crashing towards the goal. He was strong in pursuit and feet and his mind as he fed the attackers at even strength and on the made the most of his limited time with a total of 10 shots on goal in the second power-play unit. The tempo and more importantly, the efficiency five-game set. Early in the tilt versus Russia, a rebound of his shot on that Laaksonen displayed in the intense environment was noteworthy goal forced a defender to take a penalty. given how he’s relatively inexperienced playing on the smaller North American ice surface. The most interesting observation is that Pekar has been a dangerous short-handed player in Barrie this season with four of his 12 goals (prior Laaksonen’s only goal of the tournament, scored in a 5-1 group stage to leaving for the tournament) coming on the penalty kill, yet he wasn’t victory over Slovakia, was the result of a smart read. As the Slovak given the chance to work in that capacity. defenders were drawn to the puck carrier circling behind the net, Laaksonen, who was following the play in the neutral zone, saw an For a player relied upon as a top-six offensive producer in the Ontario Hockey League, the adaptability that Pekar showed as more of a grinder, not dissimilar to how he was used at the Prospects Challenge, should be an encouraging development for the Sabres staff.

Pekar seems better for the experience. Upon returning from Vancouver, bench boss Dale Hawerchuk tossed the young forward right into the lineup on just two days rest. He didn’t score in his first game back, but he potted a pair of goals plus an assist the very next night to earn First Star honors in a 3-2 win at Kingston.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125072 Calgary Flames Gaudreau, riding a six-game point streak, was credited with two assists when he chipped in on Mikael Backlund’s game-opening marker at the 5:34 mark of the first period and fed Lindholm for the second-period Flames make it count against Avs power-play strike.

Mark Jankowski had given the Flames a two-goal lead in the opening frame, which was erased by the end of the period. MacKinnon had Kristen Anderson, PostmediaMore from Kristen Anderson, Postmedia capitalized on a brain fart by Monahan, who blindly backhanded the puck in the slot area which went off Noah Hanifin’s skate while Rantanen and

Landeskog hovered. Wednesday’s game was all about the top lines. With 18.4 seconds left in the first, Erik Johnson made it 2-2 by going The Calgary Flames’ big three (Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and stick-side on Rittich off the rush. Elias Lindholm) versus the big three from the Colorado Avalanche The second period didn’t start off any better for the home side. (Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen). The Flames had an early power play with Sheldon Dries off for holding “If you ask us, we’re going to say our (first) line (is better),” Mark and couldn’t score. Giordano had been saying in the morning at Scotiabank Saddledome. “If you ask them, they’re going to say their line.” Later, Backlund turned over the puck as he tried to exit the zone and Tyson Barrie took advantage, unleashing a slapper on Rittich, which he Biases aside, the puck had barely dropped before MacKinnon inserted repelled to his left. MacKinnon snapped up the rebound and tried to himself into the game with two shots on net, including one on an early sneak another one past the Flames netminder but he made another key power play. At the end of 20 minutes, the Avalanche had 11 shots on net. stop. Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen accounted for nine of them. Right after, TJ Brodie took a hooking penalty and gave the visitors some As for Calgary’s top line, Lindholm’s power-play marker in the second momentum, briefly putting a hold on their own momentum. At that point, period had looked like it was going to hold as the game-winner until the Avalanche were out-shooting the Flames 7-0. In fact, Calgary didn’t Rantanen scored short-side with 38 seconds left on the clock. Then, with register a shot until the midway mark of the middle frame. 10 ticks left, Matthew Tkachuk scored an empty-netter to seal the deal in a 5-3 victory over the Avalanche. Turns out, it didn’t matter in the end. By the time Michael Frolik deflected Giordano’s point shot halfway through the third to go up 4-2, the ice tilted. Heading into this clash, all the focus was on the best two lines in hockey. The 3M line, by the way, had done their part by shutting down Colorado’s But there were other pertinent storylines that emerged. top trio which had been their mission all evening. The fact the Flames, fresh off a four-game road trip which saw them post Earlier in the day, Giordano had explained the difficulty in this task. a 3-1-0 record, had a good start, fell off the map for stretches, made mistakes, and were out-shot 21-11 after two periods (and 35-16 in the “It’s probably the most impressive thing — teams are going to match end) was eyebrow-raising. against our top line,” Giordano said. “They’re going to give them the hardest matchups. And the other guys on the other side get the hardest “We were a little worried about it, coming off the trip,” admitted Flames matchups night in and night out and figure out a way to produce.” head coach Bill Peters. “That first game home is usually a little bit tough. But we found a way to grind it out. The power-play goal was huge … I And it wasn’t just Calgary’s purple Gatorade-drinking trio that produced thought their pace throughout the lineup gave us a hard time, at times. against the Avalanche …

“We turned some pucks over and it allowed them to be quick.” HOME SWEET DOME

But with some timely goals, great netminding from David Rittich and a The Flames are settling in for a lengthy stretch of sleeping in their own solid penalty kill which went four-for-four, they managed to walk away beds. with this one. Including Wednesday’s game against Colorado, six of their next seven “I thought we started really well, obviously at the start of the game but we games are at the Scotiabank Saddledome, which gives them a chance to weren’t sharp throughout the middle part of the game,” Giordano said. continue to improve their already impressive home record. “Then we got a big power-play goal by Lindy there and a good third. It’s tough, they’re a great team with a lot of speed and were throwing It also gives Peters and his staff a chance to dig into some practice ice everything at us. times, which may mean the occasional scrapping of morning skates.

“We weren’t as sharp as we’d like to be but we scored some big goals “We’ll probably get into a routine where we’ll play and practise and not and it was a good win.” pre-game skate,” Peters explained on Wednesday, the Flames’ first appearance at the Dome since they beat the San Jose Sharks 8-5 on Avalanche netminder Semyon Varlamov, returning after missing the last New Year’s Eve. “Practices are invaluable. They’re going to be hard to three games with a lower-body injury, allowed three goals on nine shots come by once we get through this little stretch, so we’re going to take by the second period, which proved to be the difference. Struggling at advantage of it.” this point in the season, Colorado, playing the second half of a back-to- back after losing 7-4 in Winnipeg, dropped to 1-5-2 since the Christmas There is still some debate over whether or not the morning skate is a break. dated concept. Typically, it’s a 30-minute window for a quick skate to run through lines and pairings and to lightly prepare the starting netminder. Meanwhile, Calgary continues to prove it is one of the hottest, dominant Teaching, for most teams, usually happens by way of reviewing video teams in the NHL with a 28-13-4 record and improved to 13-4-4 on home and data or during a practice. ice. Rittich, meanwhile, is 16-4-3 on the season and is 5-0-1 since the Christmas break. Some teams abandon them altogether. Others evaluate their schedule to determine whether or not a morning skate can “It’s huge, to win those ones,” Giordano said. “We’ve had great be beneficial for their group. Others keep the routine simply because it’s goaltending all year and we had it again (Wednesday). We took the way they’ve always done it. advantage of it, you take advantage of those ones. You’re up early, they have a good team and they’re going to push. They’ve got a lot of talent The Flames practise Thursday, host the Florida Panthers Friday, practise over there. Then, we were up late and they were really pressing towards Saturday. Rinse and repeat, alternating practices and games against the end and sending everything. Arizona (Sunday) and Buffalo (on Jan. 16).

“I thought we did a good job, making sure we got the two points.” That’s over a week’s worth of play-practise-play schedule.

Giordano, by the way, had three assists and moved ahead of Joe With or without the morning skate, it doesn’t bother Matthew Tkachuk Nieuwendyk for eighth in Flames franchise history and fifth in Calgary either way. Flames history with 303 career apples. “Normally, it’s sometimes nice to get a skate in the morning but I do have a routine if we don’t skate in the morning,” he said. “When you play this many home games, you ask any coach or player that skating in the morning and the day before, it can kinda wear on you. But, honestly, I’ve done it enough that it’s not a huge deal to me.

“Sometimes going out there in the morning, it’s good to feel the puck. But I’m also one of those guys, if we’re not skating in the morning, I like that too.”

BLUELINE UPDATE

Calgary’s injured blueliners went for a twirl before Wednesday’s morning skate.

Juuso Valimaki (high ankle sprain) and Michael Stone (blood clot) both skated before the team hit the ice, a good sign as both continue down recovery road.

Their timetable for a return is not clear but Peters indicated the pair could see a stint in the American Hockey League with the Stockton Heat to get their groove back.

“I think what’s going to have to happen for those guys, they’ve missed about half a season, they’re going to have to play some games somewhere,” Peters said.

Peters was critical of their third defence pairing’s performance in Chicago and, as such, decided to play Rasmus Andersson with Dalton Prout, while Oliver Kylington took a seat in the press box against the Avalanche.

“It’s good to step back and watch the game from above and really watch,” Peters said. “(Defence coach Ryan) Huska has already met with him and he’ll have specific things to watch and look at his game and see how that pertains to what’s going on (Wednesday).”

AROUND THE BOARDS

After indicating that Andrew Mangiapane would be activated off injured reserve and be sent to Stockton, the Flames decided to hang onto the speedy left-winger. He, along with Kylington, were Calgary’s only healthy scratches against the Avalanche. “I’d like to get him in, at some point,” Peters said. “Sooner rather than later. Then, it becomes the million-dollar question, someone goes in and someone’s gotta come out.” The Flames are 20-9-2 against Western Conference opponents this season … D Mark Giordano needs two more games to hit 800 in his NHL career.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125073 Calgary Flames writing, neither of the Sharks goalies has a save percentage above .900. Most of those “top-end veterans” I referenced are past prime age. They’re a good team. But good hasn’t exactly been fear-worthy in The Flames have one of the clearest paths to the Stanley Cup and playoffs past. they’re awesome The Vegas Golden Knights are in the midst of a “Hey, we’re still here guys” surge, but as most people who read my work know by now, I’m very pro “difference-maker.” It’d be difficult for anybody to sell me on a By Justin Bourne Jan 9, 2019 team without a top-20 forward (let the debates rage!) or a big name defender — with a 34-year-old goalie — as being some insurmountable

obstacle. A few weeks ago I became a pioneer, I believe, in that I got a little So in terms of coming out of the West, the situation looks pretty shiny for aggressive with an opinion on Twitter. It wasn’t aggressive in a mean the Flames. Anaheim, Vancouver, Edmonton … none of the other way or anything, but it was definitely “sports take aggressive” in a way potential Pacific threats seem particularly intimidating. A No. 1 seed in I’ve actually deployed a few times in the past with a relatively high the West likely means getting a team that screams mediocre in success rate. The general process for pushing out these Skip Bayless- Minnesota or Dallas, then they’d be off to face one of the two teams I just esque hot takes is as follows: mentioned in the paragraphs above. The odds of moving on through *I believe an NHL team has overachieved based on their roster versus those teams to the Conference final seem pretty darn decent. their results. After acknowledging all that, it’s probably worth noting why I tweeted my *Said team continues to win and public discussion around the team skepticism in the first place, and addressing those doubts. becomes annoyingly favourable. We’ll start with the obvious: Mike Smith — the presumed started in the *I decide to push my “I just don’t see it” chips in online, I make a fan base early going — has been terrible, and I didn’t know Big Save Dave Rittich angry, then for the large part, I get proven right, and the angry dissenters from a hole in the ground until this season. In general, it’s easy to be lose their connection to the internet forever (or so it seems). They just go skeptical of players who don’t have much of a track record. So quiet. goaltending gave me my first concerns.

Buuut, I’m here hat-in-hand to admit that I done messed one up. I called Then there’s the forward depth. As far as having my much-beloved out the Calgary Flames for not being as good as their record 10 games difference-makers goes, Johnny Gaudreau is among the league’s best at ago, because I’m a big dumb idiot who couldn’t see the Flames have as producing offence, and combined with Sean Monahan, they form two- good a chance as anyone in the NHL not named the Lightning at winning thirds of one of the league’s best lines. But if you honestly look around the Stanley Cup. And of course, as the headline says: they’re also the league and consider the forward talent other top-end teams have, awesome. most can at least hang with those top guys. Pastrnak-Bergeron- Marchand in Boston. Tampa has names like Stamkos, Kucherov, Point The scandalous tweet I’m referencing: and Johnson. The Leafs have Matthews, Tavares and Marner. Winnipeg has Scheifele, Wheeler, Laine, Connor. You get the idea. FLAMES NEXT 10 GAMES: 4 HOME, 6 AWAY, VS. TEAMS W/ .510 POINTS-EARNED PERCENTAGE THIS YEAR. THOSE GAMES SPAN So when Calgary was getting talked about with the big boys, it made me ABOUT THREE WKS. FLAMES CURRENT PEP IS .676. IF IT’S STILL look beyond the top-tier talents, and it was this part of the roster (from ABOVE .650 IN THREE WEEKS, I PROMISE, I’LL WRITE THE MOST DailyFaceoff.com) that made me think “Boy, I’m not sure about this FAWNING FLAMES PIECE EVER WRITTEN. POSITIVELY GLOWING. squad.”

— JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) DECEMBER 18, 2018 I’ve thought that James Neal has been nothing short of straight-up bad so far this season, and while I’ve liked Frolik, I felt like he’s on the wrong I set the bar intentionally low here in trying to make a point, which burned side of the aging curve as well. From there the bottom of the Flames me. The Flames got exactly 12 of the 20 potential points they needed to forward group just seemed pretty generic. No team is too stacked up at stay above .650. the bottom of their roster, but I just felt like too much was being asked of But when I praise the Flames here, don’t assume it’s simply because I’m their top guys (who have answered that skepticism by staying on an paying off a debt I incurred with a particular fan base. That’s certainly absolute tear). part of it, but I genuinely believe that three-weeks-ago me was wrong But the more I watch them play, the more I’m forced to give the Flames about the Flames. They’re really good, and in a great position to do legit credit. They’ve built a team that, even if you don’t love the players at the damage. Let’s discuss. bottom of their roster, you have to acknowledge they can play. Those Here are the realities: guys can kill penalties, eat minutes and actually make some skilled plays. They’ve responded to the play of their goaltenders by giving the right guy *The Flames currently have the most points in the Western Conference, more opportunities, which is a good read. Bill Peters has them playing full stop. The season is halfway over, so that’s not some anomaly that’s what looks like organized, structured hockey, while also allowing their going to flip in a major way. best players to be creative.

*They have the best goal differential in the Western Conference by a The best part if you’re a Flames fan, is that they seem to have a number wide margin, which means a lot to me when it comes to evaluating of elements that tend to play well in the postseason. A guy like Matthew teams. Tkachuk is the type that thrives in those tight, physical environments. The ridiculous depth of their D means that, even if they do have to endure an *They have one of the most dangerous first lines in the league, a Norris injury or two, they’ll still have one of the better D corps going. candidate on D and a back end top-four that’d be the envy of nearly every team in the NHL. The Flames play Colorado on Wednesday night, then they embark on a stretch of 10 games where they play three playoff teams total. It seems THE @NHLFLAMES ARE THE FIRST TEAM TO FEATURE FOUR like a soft spot on the schedule where they could reel off enough wins to PLAYERS EACH WITH 50+ POINTS WITHIN THEIR FIRST 45 GAMES distance themselves atop the Western Conference standings, which OF A SEASON SINCE THE PENGUINS IN 1995-96 (RON FRANCIS, would position them to have a couple favourable postseason matchups. MARIO LEMIEUX, JAROMIR JAGR, TOMAS SANDSTROM). It’s a freeing feeling as a player knowing your team has enough points in #NHLSTATS #CGYVSCHI PIC.TWITTER.COM/WUSHUOJ1WR the bank that every moment of every game isn’t make or break, and that — NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS (@PR_NHL) JANUARY 8, 2019 just breeds further success.

Damn. That’s also a very good stat. So in all, I think it’s very possible that the Flames are a true talent .650 winning percentage team. Their underlying numbers back that idea up as Beyond the fact that the roster has a generous amount of talent, a closer well. What I’m trying to say here is … if you’re ever looking at the Flames look at their path going forward made me realize there’s another reason roster, and feeling skeptical that they’re as good as their record says they to like the Flames odds: it’s hard to be sold on anyone else in the Pacific. are, it might be time to become a believer. As long as Rittich stays The San Jose Sharks have some top-end veterans, but there’s little healthy and continues to look like the real deal, there’s no reason to reason to believe they’re some unbeatable powerhouse. As of this believe any other team has a better shot at coming out of the West. And as shocked as I am to be writing that just a few weeks after my open Twitter skepticism, I actually do believe that to be true.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125074 Carolina Hurricanes Talk about an instant impact. McKegg had a goal and assist, and was named the game’s first star in his first game, a 4-2 win over Columbus on Friday. Moved up to center the third line Tuesday, he also had a goal and This is how you get to five in a row. Streaking Canes find the net, and assist against the Islanders in the third game since his recall from the ways to win. Checkers. The defense also has done its part in finding the net. Dougie Hamilton, frustrated offensively much of the season, scored in three straight games BY CHIP ALEXANDER and Slavin has goals in the past two. “Our D need to be on the scoresheet,” Brind’Amour said of the defensemen. Rod Brind’Amour, as much as anyone, knows how fickle hockey can be. The Canes continue to have the lowest shooting percentage in the And winning streaks. league (7.6 percent). But they’re 12th on the penalty kill and now tied for 22nd on the power play. Hours before the Carolina Hurricanes’ road game Tuesday against the New York Islanders, Brind’Amour was asked what the Canes were doing The goaltending, with Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek, has been solid differently in winning four in a row. enough. The two have faced 146 shots during the winning streak, allowing 13 goals for a .917 save percentage. “Nothing, really,” the Canes coach said. “I wish I could say, hey ... The puck’s just decided to go in. We’re not getting more chances. We’ve The Canes need Staal back in the lineup but his return, after a actually gotten less. It’s very strange how this game works. concussion, remains indefinite. A week, two weeks, two months? No one can say. “But we’ve capitalized. I think that’s the difference. The first 20 to 25 games we didn’t capitalize. The last three or four the puck’s gone in for That uncertainty makes Brind’Amour uneasy, but the Canes move on, as us.” he said, trying to “scratch and claw our way back into it.” The Canes (20-17-5) did it for a fifth time Tuesday in a 4-3 victory over News Observer LOADED: 01.10.2019 the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. They now have 21 goals on 145 shots in the winning streak -- 14.5 percent -- despite being outshot in three of the five games. The Islanders had 31 shots to Carolina’s 24. Talk about timely goals. While the first period wasn’t the Canes best, it ended with a centering pass from Micheal Ferland hitting forward Greg McKegg in front of the net, the puck then nicking the skate of Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech and sliding past goalie Thomas Greiss. In the Canes’ first three games against the Isles this year, all Carolina losses, Greiss was nearly flawless, nearly impenetrable, allowing three goals. In the first period Tuesday, he gave up a goal to rookie forward Saku Maenalanen -- the Finn’s first in the NHL -- and then the McKegg goal with six seconds left in the period as Carolina took a 2-1 lead to the locker room. Brind’Amour said the game would test his team’s mental toughness and it did. With the score tied 2-2 late in the third, the Isles had a power play after a Justin Williams penalty but the Canes killed it off and Williams scored soon after leaving the penalty box. The Canes then scored on a power play, Jaccob Slavin with the shot, for a 4-2 lead. After a stretch when the Canes went seven games without a power-play goal, they have scored five during the winning streak. They’ve allowed three power-play goals but picked up a shorthanded goal from Brock McGinn in the 5-4 road win Sunday against the Ottawa Senators. The Canes’ mental toughness also was tested in that game. A 4-2 lead quickly evaporated but a power-play goal by Williams won it. Williams said he likes the confident vibe the team has, saying, “It’s good because we haven’t really played our best hockey yet we’re finding ways to win games. That’s what good teams do. Hopefully we’ll wind it up and be better next game.” Carolina Hurricanes’ Dougie Hamilton (19) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates Brock McGinn (23) and Sebastian Aho (20) during second-period NHL hockey play in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. The Canes’ next game is against the best team in the NHL in terms of record (33-8-2) and points (68) -- the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are 18- 4-0 at home. That will finish up a three-game road trip for Carolina in which the Canes have continued to play without center Jordan Staal, who is recovering from concussion symptoms. Staal has been out since Dec. 22, when he left the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was first sidelined with a concussion for five games, returned to play against Detroit and then the Penguins, and now has missed the past eight games. Brind’Amour has often noted how much the Canes miss the veteran forward, their best checking center and face-off man. Staal’s absence has caused center Lucas Wallmark to take on more of that defensive responsibility and Wallmark, for the most part, has handled it well. Center Clark Bishop, recalled Dec. 26 from the of the AHL, was injured during the Jan. 3 game at Philadelphia -- a 5-3 Canes win. That resulted in McKegg being called up from the Checkers. 1125075 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks climb back from 2-goal deficit but fall to the Predators 4-3 in OT

Jimmy Greenfield

The Blackhawks have struggled to put together more than two strong lines for most of the season, which is why coach Jeremy Colliton found a home for Alex DeBrincat on the third line several weeks ago. It appears to have been a good idea, with DeBrincat scoring six goals in that new role. But that statistic is a bit misleading. Three of DeBrincat’s last four came on the power play, and the fourth came one second after a power play had expired. On Wednesday, Colliton mixed things up. He put DeBrincat back on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kahun during a 4-3 overtime loss to the Predators at the United Center. “I think he’s been playing well for a while,” Colliton said. “Tried a little something different with the combos, tried to spread the ice around a little bit, also. Think we got a good response.” The Hawks fought back from a two-goal deficit to tie the score 3-3 on Artem Anisimov’s eighth goal with 2 minutes, 21 seconds remaining in the third period, but Filip Forsberg’s second goal of the game a minute into the extra session gave the Predators the win. Forsberg fought past Toews down the right boards and lifted a shot over Collin Delia to send the Hawks to their fourth loss in their last five games. DeBrincat and Patrick Kane kept up their formidable chemistry on the power play, connecting on a goal that didn’t seem possible until the puck was in the back of the net. Kane was controlling the puck in the right faceoff circle, seemingly unable to find a pass, when he suddenly zipped a pass through several defenders to DeBrincat, who one-timed a shot past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne. “Just try to find the seam and you know he’s going to pass it there,” DeBrincat said. “He’s going to put it right there in my wheelhouse. That’s just my work, I got to get open and find that seam and he’s always looking for me.” DeBrincat’s 21st goal put him on pace to finish with 37 after he scored 28 as a rookie last season. Kane’s two assists to gave him 19 points in his last 10 games, and he has had the primary assist on DeBrincat’s last four goals. The Predators took a 1-0 lead with 13:11 left in the first period. Erik Gustafsson turned it over behind his own net, which started a chain reaction that led to Kevin Fiala finding Colton Sissons alone in front of the Hawks’ net for his ninth goal. After DeBrincat’s goal, the Predators went back ahead a mere eight seconds later on Viktor Arvidsson’s 13th goal. Forsberg added a power- play goal to make it 3-1. The Hawks got to within 3-2 on a shorthanded goal by Toews with 20 seconds left in the second. Marcus Kruger chased down a puck in the Predators’ zone and threw a backhander to Toews, whose wrist shot from the slot beat Rinne. “It’s a nice play by Krugs,” Toews said. “I just tried to throw it past the defender, get it on net, and nice to see it go in. Sometimes it’s nice to get a bounce and a short-handed goal like that that you don’t expect. Nice for us to kind of slow their momentum down.” Delia’s second straight start was the shakiest of his six this season, but he still stopped 33 of 37 shots. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125076 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Dylan Strome no longer has to worry about a benching when mistakes happen

Jimmy Greenfield

The times have changed for Dylan Strome. Not too long ago, making a mistake or having a bad game could turn into a benching. That's not the case anymore. Strome, who took three minor penalties in less than one period during Monday's loss to the Flames, has already established himself as one of the Blackhawks' key players since coming over in a trade with the Coyotes. "It's one of those games you try to forget," he said before Wednesday's game against the Predators. "Before if I did that I might be scratched. Now, I feel like I'm helping the team win and contributing and trying to win faceoffs. I'm just going to shrug it off and go out there (against the Predators) and forget it ever happened." Strome has seven goals in 21 games with the Hawks after scoring seven goals during the first 48 games of his career. Hayden back in the lineup: Exactly where John Hayden fits into the Hawks' lineup is something coach Jeremy Colliton is still trying to figure out. He's tried him on several lines, given him power play time and, like the last two games, made him a healthy scratch. Hayden was back in against the Predators, and Colliton knows what he wants to see. "When he's playing his best, he's skating," Colliton said. "He's pressuring the puck. He's getting to the battles early — on time. And then he's able to use his size and his grittiness and comes up with some pucks and forces turnovers. We want him to play in the offensive zone because then he's forechecking, he's causing havoc. He protects the puck really well and he's great cutting back and taking the puck to the net. That's where we want him to be." One-timers: Defenseman Gustav Forsling (upper torso) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 5. ... Brent Seabrook sat out Wednesday's game with an illness and was replaced by Henri Jokiharju, who played his first game since returning from the World Junior Championships. ... Former Hawk Nick Schmaltz will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. "I talked to him yesterday a little bit," Patrick Kane said. "Feel bad for him for sure." ... Corey Crawford (concussion) was spotted at the United Center on Wednesday but there was no update on his condition. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125077 Chicago Blackhawks Agreed on the UFAs, and none of them are even close calls. As far as the RFAs, let's break them down by position. Blackhawks Q&A: Is Patrick Kane skating at top speed? What other ex- Goalie: Delia is a no-brainer to bring back. I can see Forsberg possibly players should get One More Shift? coming back because there isn't much depth in the organization. But there are others out there like Forsberg, so it's not vital he returns.

Forwards: Perlini, Sikura and Kampf should definitely be kept. Of the Jimmy Greenfield players who are at Rockford now, I'd keep Ejdsell, Johnson, Louis and Nilsson. Iacopelli hasn't shown enough to warrant a second contract. There were no calls for Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman to Defense: First of all, here is my guess for the Hawks' blue line in 2019- be fired or for Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to be traded. 20: Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Erik Gustafsson, Connor Murphy, Henri Jokiharju, Adam Boqvist and Carl Dahlstrom. That's barring any Not even sure if it's legal to write a Hawks mailbag without at least one trades, of course, and I'd be stunned if there aren't any involving question on those topics. But I'll try anyway. defensemen. I don't hear the announcers talking so much about scrambling lines in the So in addition to Dahlstrom, I'd keep Forsling if the price was right and blender anymore, yet I still don't feel like there are settled combinations give Hillman another deal as well. for the forward lines. Is Jeremy Colliton still working on "final" combinations, or is he just as likely to scramble up the forwards as Joel What do you think is the Hawks’ plan with John Hayden? I suspect if they Quenneville was? — Margaret L. put him on waivers with the hope of sending him to Rockford, some team will pick him up, but he hasn’t been playing very consistently. — Kevin P. The announcers aren't talking about it because the lines haven't changed much over the past 10 games. There's no question they'd lose Hayden if he was put on waivers, which tells you the Hawks still think highly enough to not risk losing him. The first line has been Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews, Dominik Kahun. The second line has been Dylan Strome, Artem Anisimov, Patrick Kane. It's been an interesting year for Hayden. He's been a fourth-line winger On the third line, Alex DeBrincat and David Kampf have been together much of the time, which helps explain having only three points (1 goal, 2 consistently with some swapping of right wingers and there's been your assists) in 31 games. But he was getting time on the power play for a standard changes on the fourth line based on healthy scratches. stretch and has moved around to the top three lines as well. That's about as settled as the Hawks have been this season whether the Hayden also has been a healthy scratch about a dozen times so he coach has been Quenneville or Colliton. Whether Colliton is as likely to hasn't been able to nail down a position. scramble things as his predecessor remains to be seen. I think what the Hawks want is for him to become a more consistent Giving lines different looks during his first 20 games as coach had a lot to player and score more. The Hawks have many options at forward so do with the team not producing as well. He just needed to see how Hayden will have to convince them he's part of the future. He hasn't done different players play together. The decision to put Kane and Strome that yet. together is looking like a great move. They haven't quite been Kane- Do you think Erik Gustafsson is foundation piece of the future with the Artemi Panarin, but there's definitely chemistry. young defensemen coming through the system? If not, would moving him Patrick Kane is amazing, but do you think his stats would be even better now when his value would be high be the right move, or wait and see if he upped his intensity and skated at top speed more often? — Jonny L. how the others develop? — Ian C. This question would have been on target a month ago when Kane Colliton believes Gustafsson could be one of the best defensemen in the seemed anguished after Colliton took over from Joel Quenneville — and league if he can just figure out how to handle the defense part of it better. his numbers suffered a bit. There's no incentive to moving him when he's signed for only $1.2 million But Kane has been lights out for nearly a month. He has 24 goals and 32 next year. Maybe some team blows them away with a trade offer, but that assists and is on pace to finish with 45 goals and 59 assists for 104 doesn't seem likely. points. That would fall just short of the 46-60-106 stat line he had during Suggestions for One More Shift? — Michael J. his Most Valuable Player season of 2015-16. The Hawks gave Dennis Hull the One More Shift treatment this week, He's one of the most competitive athletes on the planet and is playing a adding him to a list comprised of Denis Savard, Steve Larmer, Jeremy career-high 21 minutes, 55 seconds per game. The idea that he isn't Roenick, Ed Belfour, Bryan Bickell, Al Secord, Eric Daze, Troy Murray, skating at top speed or needs to up his intensity is ludicrous. Stan Mikita, and Ed Olczyk. How would you rate Jeremy Colliton's progress as coach, now that he's Bobby Hull's inability to skate is probably the biggest factor in not giving settling in? — Charles S. him the honor yet. The obvious choices to get it at some point are Chris I like that the question is about progress because that's a fair way to Chelios and Tony Esposito but I'd like to see them go with steadier assess him at this point. On a scale of 1-10 I'd give him a solid 7. The players who aren't members of the organization. team has turned a corner and much of that can be credited to Colliton You also have to figure Doug Wilson and Bob Murray would get it if they persevering and then bringing the team along with him. weren't running the Sharks and Ducks, respectively. Colliton insists that players know where they stand, which means when So here's my top five I'd like to see get One More Shift: Dirk Graham, lines are changed and players are moved or healthy scratched he's Keith Brown, Murray Bannerman, Steve Smith and Tony Amonte. talking with them. What is the Hawks’ overall philosophy for the rest of the season? Do you All the things he tried during the first month gave him a chance to get to think that halfway through the season management sees the team as a know the players better. realistic playoff contender? If so, on what basis? If not, will they dump But 30 games is not a lot and the Hawks are going to succeed by finding veterans if other teams show the requisite interest? - John C. better talent. So since this topic has been about progress, I'm giving Officially, it's take things game by game and hope the points pile up Bowman a perfect 10 for the Strome trade and for somehow dealing enough to get closer to a wild-card spot. But they're not dumb, they know Brandon Manning to the Oilers, who played him three games before it's likely a lost cause and are playing for next season. making him a healthy scratch two games in a row. I would expect trades but nothing that will blow your socks off. Perhaps That the Hawks got a player with potential in forward Drake Caggiula in Brandon Saad gets dealt, though they're not going to sell low when they the deal and didn't have to pay any of Manning's salary next year is a can easily afford his salary now and he's still such a potentially minor miracle. dominating two-way forward. Honestly, I can't imagine what more he could do for this team. Thanks for all the questions. We’ll do this again just before the All-Star Don't think any of the nine unrestricted free agents are re-signed. But break. which restricted free agents should be retained? Collin Delia, Brendan Chicago Tribune LOADED: 01.10.2019 Perlini, Dylan Sikura, David Kampf, Carl Dahlstrom, Jacob Nilsson, Victor Ejdsell, Gustav Forsling, Luke Johnson, Blake Hillman, Anton Forsberg, Anthony Louis, and Matheson Iacopelli? — Jeff B. 1125078 Chicago Blackhawks

Predators 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT): Toews, Seabrook, Bears LB Roquan Smith

Jason Lieser

Hardly anyone thinks the Blackhawks have a shot at saving this season. They’ve been ruled out repeatedly and looked like they were finally cooling down Wednesday against the Predators. But they won’t fold. With about 2½ minutes left in the third period, Artem Anisimov rescued the Hawks by flipping a loose puck past Pekka Rinne to tie the game. Predators forward Filip Forsberg ended it with a goal one minute into overtime to hand the Hawks a 4-3 defeat. Nashville won the opening faceoff and essentially played keep-away to wear down the Hawks’ top line, then came at them with a fresh line. Seconds later, Forsberg slipped by Jonathan Toews to get the game- winner. Toews yelled and slammed his stick on the crossbar. “Thought I could snag the puck, but their forward is obviously a pretty good puck-carrier and strong on it and managed to beat me,” he said. Pushing the Predators to overtime extends the Hawks’ run of avoiding back-to-back regulation losses to nearly a month, and they’re 7-4-3 since the last time it happened. They held it together thanks largely to Toews cutting the deficit to 3-2 near the end of the second period. He got the puck 10 seconds into a Nashville power play and made a long pass to Marcus Kruger, who was heading to the net. Kruger chased it down and dropped it to a trailing Toews for a wrist shot that beat Rinne for the team’s fourth short-handed goal of the season. “Things really got dark there for a few minutes . . . then Toews finishes,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “That changed the game, put us in a situation to come back.” It was Toews’ 18th goal. He has six points in the last five games. Collin Delia saved 33 of 37 shots. Jokiharju jumps in The Hawks got rookie defenseman Henri Jokiharju on the ice for the first time since Dec. 16, and he had one hit and one blocked shot in 16:45. The team loaned him to Finland for the IIHF World Junior Championship, where he helped his country win gold Saturday. Jokiharju, 19, had two goals and three assists in seven games for the Finnish team, and Colliton thinks the experience will pay off. “It’s confidence that he can be a difference-maker,” Colliton said. “Hopefully, he can bring that swagger. We know he has the ability. When you’re a young pro, sometimes you don’t assert yourself. We want him to do that.” Quick hits Brent Seabrook didn’t play because of an unspecified illness. The team is off until Saturday’s home game against Vegas. † Corey Crawford was at the United Center in the morning, but Colliton said there’s no change in his status, and he remains in the concussion protocol. He has been out since Dec. 16. † The league’s Last Men In vote for the upcoming All-Star Game ends Thursday at 10:59 p.m. Toews is one of seven candidates to be added to the Central team. † Bears linebacker Roquan Smith was at the game in a customized Hawks jersey and took part in a second-intermission contest with three shots from center ice. He made none. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125079 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Alex DeBrincat rising to star level, eclipsing rookie season

Jason Lieser

It seems like Alex DeBrincat is always in the right spot for the Blackhawks. He has to be. Muscling through the defense isn’t much of an option at 5-7, 165, and neither is banging around in front of the net. He needs to be quick and opportunistic, and he’s finding more ways to capitalize on those abilities in his second season as he grows into a premier scorer. He sniped his 21st goal in the first period of Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime loss against the Predators, and it was classic DeBrincat — if that phrase can apply to a 21-year-old. As the defense drifted toward Patrick Kane on the right side, he zipped it to DeBrincat, who was camped out to his left waiting to fire home the one-timer. It was almost identical to the one he buried against the Flames two nights earlier. “The big guys can fend off a few guys and still make a nice move at the net, but that’s not really my game,” said DeBrincat, one of the three shortest players in the NHL. “Maybe I’ll do it once or twice in a season. Just trying to find the soft areas is my game.” He has been finding a lot of them lately. DeBrincat has seven goals and three assists in his last 10 games. That run coincides with coach Jeremy Colliton shifting him from the second line with Kane to being the primary threat on the third line. Colliton views the forwards as a top nine rather than a top six and wants to allocate one fearsome scorer to each unit. The move meant reduced ice time for DeBrincat, who had played 15:03 or less in four of the previous seven games, but Colliton sees that evening out as he improves. If DeBrincat keeps rising, the three lines would theoretically be treated as equals. “We have tried to find a little balance in the lineup,” Colliton said at the morning skate. “As we get more depth — as we improve as a team, have more competition — hopefully we get to the point where we say, ‘Which is the third line? We don’t know what the third line is.’ He can be part of that.” After all that dreaming, Colliton proceeded to stack the Jonathan Toews line by moving DeBrincat up with him and Dominik Kahun against Nashville. No matter where he plays, at 21 goals and 15 assists, DeBrincat is tracking toward better numbers than the 28 and 24 he put up as a rookie. He’s among the top 45 goal-scorers of the last three decades through their first 128 games. For context, Toews had 52 at that point, and Kane had 38. Those are huge numbers for a guy who went No. 39 overall in the 2016 draft. The Hawks have had some personnel flops the last few years, but they hit the jackpot with DeBrincat. He’s fourth in his class in goals, trailing a trio of top-six picks. DeBrincat ranks fifth in points (88), and he and New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt are the only non-first-rounders in the top 11 in that category. The best part of it for the Hawks is DeBrincat’s approach, which suggests the hot start to his career isn’t an empty promise. His humility is genuine and serves him well. Just as he laughed off the possibility that he was entering the All-Star conversation this season, he came off that strong rookie year believing he had a lot more to prove. “I think with a lot of guys that come out after their first season and have a good season, it’s easy for them to kind of expect the same the next year and maybe their work ethic falls to the side or whatever it may be,” Toews said. “But I don’t think you’ve seen any of that with Alex. He’s definitely a mature kid, and his priorities and his focus are all in the right place.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125080 Chicago Blackhawks

Kane keeps hot streak alive in Blackhawks' loss to Preds

John Dietz

When it comes to most players in the NHL, hot streaks tend to come and go. But for the truly elite -- the Nikita Kucherovs, Alex Ovechkins, Connor McDavids and Patrick Kanes of the world -- hot streaks tend to come … and stay. Those four forwards are tearing up the league once again, with Kucherov on pace to record the first 135-point season in more than 20 years, Ovechkin threatening to hit 60 goals, McDavid a near lock for his third straight 100-point campaign and Kane almost on pace to hit numbers from his 2015-16 MVP season. As often has been the case during his career, Kane's doing it without the help of a star winger or centerman on his line. Opponents know who they need to stop, yet are often powerless to do so. "I've said it all along -- even when he's scoring a ton -- it's almost not even that impressive because you just kind of expect it from him," said Jonathan Toews before Nashville defeated the Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime at the United Center on Wednesday. "Regardless of what our team's doing … he's producing no matter what and that's the most impressive part." Kane picked up 2 more assists against the Predators, including the primary one on Artem Anisimov's tying goal with just 2:21 remaining in regulation. Filip Forsberg notched the game-winner 60 seconds into OT and also gave Nashville a 3-1 lead late in the second period. Alex DeBrincat (21) and Jonathan Toews (18) also scored for the Hawks, and Collin Delia made 33 saves. Toews, after taking a gorgeous pass from Marcus Kruger, made it 3-2 on a short-handed goal with just 20 seconds remaining in the middle frame. The Hawks (16-22-8) are now tied with the Avs for most overtime/shootout losses this season. As for Kane, it's not like he's been perfect. But, remember, he was getting used to a new coach and a new system, so we probably should have expected a few rough patches. To wit: Kane managed just 2 goals and 9 assists in Jeremy Colliton's first 13 games behind the bench. But, thanks in large part to a power play that's found its groove, Kane has 11 goals and 17 assists in the last 18 games. "Sometimes you just kind of feel it," said Kane, whose 58 points rank sixth in the league. "Sometimes plays open up and you see things a little bit clearer than maybe you would other times. I think our power play's been a lot better, which has helped for sure. Excited about that." Kane has also settled in nicely with linemates Dylan Strome and Anisimov. The trio started their 11th straight game together against Nashville. "We've had some chemistry and I think we can be even better too," Kane said. "It definitely helps when you're playing with the same guys. You kind of know what to expect." Unless the Hawks make an unlikely playoff run, Kane probably won't be a serious MVP candidate. But unlike other years when one could argue Corey Crawford was the Hawks' most important player, there's no doubt who holds that title this time around. It's Kane. By a landslide. "We can talk about what he brings to the table for a while," Colliton said. "But I do think he's sticking with it. When he gets a point early, typically those games he really racks it up. "But recently he's been able to produce even when it doesn't start perfectly for him. And that will only benefit him if he can produce in those games where he maybe has to wait until 1:57 (remains) to really break through. "Puck finds him in important times of the game." Daily Herald Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125081 Chicago Blackhawks

Kane reaches out to Schmaltz after Coyotes center goes down for season

John Dietz hello When Patrick Kane heard that Nick Schmaltz was going to miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury, the Blackhawks' superstar picked up the phone to check in on his good friend. "I talked to him yesterday a little bit," Kane said before the Blackhawks hosted Nashville on Wednesday. "Feel bad for him for sure." Schmaltz, who was traded by the Hawks to Arizona for Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini on Nov. 25, was hurt during the Coyotes' loss to Vegas on Dec. 30. He was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 4 and was considered week-to-week, but Arizona on Tuesday announced Schmaltz would not play again this season. After notching just 2 goals and 9 assists in 23 games with the Hawks, Schmaltz had 5 goals and 9 assists in 17 games with the Coyotes. "You never want to hear with half the season left that somebody's going to miss the rest of the season," Kane said. "Hopefully he can come back stronger and get everything figured out. "(I) just let him know that I was thinking of him. I know he was doing well there for a while with the new team. It seems like it could be a good spot for him." Deal him in: Collin Delia earned his sixth start in nine games when the Blackhawks hosted the Nashville Predators at the United Center on Wednesday. Delia (.947 save percentage and 2.19 goals-against average in his five previous contests) made 33 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to fall to 3-1-2. "He's done a great job with the opportunity he's been given," said coach Jeremy Colliton. "The circumstances of it -- you never want to see that, but that's a lot of times how young guys get a chance. Last year he did a really good job preparing himself for this. … "He came in here with belief that he can do the job. He's shown that when he gets in. He's super calm and never looks like it's too much for him." Slap shots: The Hawks placed defenseman Gustav Forsling on IR (retroactive to Jan. 5) with an upper-torso injury. ... Corey Crawford walked behind coach Jeremy Colliton during Colliton's morning media session, but the Blackhawks coach gave no update on how the goalie is doing. "He's in the (concussion) protocol," Colliton said. "From my perspective, there's no difference." ... Brent Seabrook (illness) did not play against Nashville. The Blackhawks are 9-for-25 on the power play in the last eight games. Alex DeBrincat (4 goals), Patrick Kane (3 goals) and Brandon Saad (2 goals) have accounted for all the goals. He said it: "I felt I was terrible today. ... I struggled with the puck in my own zone. Passes (weren't) there. I just felt off." -- Erik Gustafsson after the Hawks' 4-3 OT loss to the Predators He said it II: "I told him I was rooting for the U.S. He kind of looked at me like I had three heads. But I think he understood too." -- Patrick Kane on a conversation with Henri Jokiharju, who helped Finland win the World Junior gold medal in Vancouver last week. Finland beat the U.S. 3-2 in the title game. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125082 Chicago Blackhawks It was time for DeBrincat to get more ice time because he deserves it. He logged 17:01 of ice time, his second-highest since Dec. 16, scored a goal on the power play and recorded a team-high seven shots on goal in the Four takeaways: Blackhawks claw back but come up short in overtime loss. loss to Predators "I thought we played well," DeBrincat said. "Can definitely be better. Made a few plays, probably could have scored a few more times. There's always room for improvement." By Charlie Roumeliotis January 09, 2019 Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019

Here are four takeaways from the Blackhawks' 4-3 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators at the United Center on Wednesday: 1. Clawing back but falling short Despite falling behind 3-1, the Blackhawks fought back like they often have this season and forced overtime. Jonathan Toews scored a crucial shorthanded goal with 20 seconds left in the second period, giving the Blackhawks a lift going into the third period. Artem Anisimov potted the equalizer with 2:21 left in regulation thanks to a great feed by Patrick Kane, who finished with two assists for his fifth multi-point outing in seven games. But the Predators finished the job in overtime when Filip Forsberg, fresh off a line change, took advantage of three tired Chicago defenders to score his second of the night exactly one minute into it. The Blackhawks have picked up at least a point in 10 of their last 14 games, and haved played well against two of the best Western Conference teams (Calgary and Nashville) and hottest Eastern Conference team (Pittsburgh) in their past three contests. "We expect even more out of ourselves," Toews said. "We’re playing well, we’re in games. When you get to overtime, we have that feeling that we can get the two points. It’s unfortunate we haven’t gotten it done in our building. We want to get that energy and get that crowd into it and give them something. Just falling short a few times here and there, but overall our team game’s been getting better. For us, we know the expectation’s even higher. We can go for those two points every night.” 2. Falling into old trap? For the third straight game, the Blackhawks allowed the first goal after they had scored the first one in the previous seven games. It was a good run and a much-needed one too after the Blackhawks went through a tough stretch in November where they gave up the first goal in 11 straight. But now they have to make sure not to fall into that same trap. Colton Sissons scored first, the Blackhawks eventually responded towards the end of the first period, but the Predators answered right back eight seconds later. The Blackhawks also gave up 17 shots in the opening frame, their third-highest of the season. Erik Gustafsson, who was on the ice for the first goal and overtime winner for Nashville, was self-critical about his performance and the role he played in those two goals against. "For myself, I felt I was terrible today," he said. "But the team played well. I think that we can be better in our zone. But for 60 minutes I think we played well." 3. Power play stays hot The Blackhawks power play is on an absolute roll right now. They've been near the basement of the NHL for a large portion of the first half in that department, but have quickly found themselves flirting with the middle of the pack after their recent hot stretch. With another power play goal — by Alex DeBrincat, who extended his goal streak to three games — against the Predators, the Blackhawks are now 10-for-29 (34.5 percent) in their last 10 games with the man advantage. They were 13-for-108 (12.0 percent) in their first 36 games of the season. It's come a long way. "Obviously [DeBrincat's] been finishing his chances on the power play, which is nice to see," Toews said. "When we’ve got a guy that can shoot like that, a guy that can pass like [Kane], we just have a lot of good things going for our power play right now.” 4. New top line The Blackhawks made some changes going into Wednesday's game. DeBrincat was promoted to the top line with Dominik Kahun and Toews while Brandon Saad was moved to the third line with Drake Caggiula and David Kampf. 1125083 Chicago Blackhawks

What's the latest on Blackhawks star goalie Corey Crawford?

By Charlie Roumeliotis January 09, 2019

It's been nearly a month since Corey Crawford left the game after smacking the back of his head on the post and was put in the concussion protocol. So what's the latest on the Blackhawks star goaltender? Well, there's good news and there's non-news. The good news is, Crawford was seen at the United Center on Wednesday after Blackhawks morning skate and appeared to be a high spirits, smiling and saying hello to several people in the hallway. It's the second time he's publicly been seen in the building, with the first being on Dec. 23 — exactly one week after his injury. Those are both positive signs. The non-news is, there's no update on his playing status. "No change," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "He's in the protocol. From my perspective there's no difference." Crawford's health is the No. 1 priority, and if and when he returns to playing hockey isn't on the forefront of anybody's minds. But there hasn't been any indication from the Blackhawks that Crawford is considering walking away from the game. In fact, they've said a couple times now that they expect him to play when he is cleared for action. At this point, there's no rush to get him back between the pipes. Even if he was ready to go right now, the Blackhawks probably want to continue giving Collin Delia a strong look to see what they have in him going forward. And while doing so, it’s even more important that the Blackhawks are overly cautious about Crawford’s situation and make sure he isn't showing any noticeable symptoms over a long period of time before he is cleared to make the decision for himself about the possibility of coming back. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125084 Chicago Blackhawks against per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 play — but he’s simply lacked offensive production. He has three goals and 10 assists in 41 games this season and seven goals in 87 career NHL games. Are the Blackhawks under-utilizing Alex DeBrincat? Kampf has been with DeBrincat for 148:48 of 5-on-5 play this season, most of which has come recently, and they’ve been on the ice together for just three goals for and two against. Kampf has zero goals, zero By Scott Powers Jan 9, 2019 primary assists and two secondary assists while on the ice with DeBrincat this season. You’ll certainly take that defensive stinginess from the third line, but you’re probably hoping for more offensively, especially if you’re moving arguably your second-best offensive player to the third My former bald and cheery podcast partner Brian Hedger held a running line to create balance. joke about doubting Alex DeBrincat’s game would translate to the NHL. To compare, Strome centered DeBrincat for 145:28, so just a little less Part of it was Hedger’s schtick, but some of it was his true belief. Like a than Kampf, and they’ve been on the ice for 10 goals for and 13 goals lot of people in and around the NHL, Hedger didn’t believe DeBrincat against. Sure, the second number is alarming, but there’s definitely been would be able to make it in the NHL at his size. It’s largely why he was offense there. It’s a matter of finding a sweet spot in-between Kampf and bypassed 38 times in the 2016 NHL draft before being selected by the Strome. Blackhawks in the second round. One possibility is to reunite DeBrincat with Toews and Kahun on the top Now that DeBrincat is 127 games into his NHL career, it’s safe to say line. The trio flourished to begin the season. In 177 minutes together this Hedger and many others were wrong. DeBrincat assured himself of his season, the line had a 54.97 Corsi percentage and 52.94 goals for second 20-goal season on Monday and is on pace to exceed the 28 percentage. It was on the ice for nine goals for and eight goals against. goals he scored during his rookie season. So far, he has 48 NHL goals to DeBrincat scored four goals in 5-on-5 play in his first seven games. his name. The Blackhawks’ lines have changed so much that the DeBrincat-Toews- To put DeBrincat’s goal-scoring into perspective, over the past five years Kahun line is still their most-used line this season. The next is Saad- (minimum 500 minutes) he’s tied with David Pastrnak for 10th in the NHL Toews-Kahun at 161 minutes, and the Anisimov-Strome-Kane line is with a rate of 1.44 goals per 60 minutes. The nine players ahead of them third. are Elias Pettersson, Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews, Alex Ovechkin, Brock Boeser, Evgeni Malkin, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and DeBrincat does seem to flourish with linemates who can see the ice and Vladimir Tarasenko. In other words, the who’s who of goal-scoring. get him the puck. Kane has been the best at that. He’s had seven primary assists (four on the power play) on DeBrincat’s goals this I texted Hedger on Tuesday to ask if he had finally accepted he was season. Some of that chemistry was created by playing and training wrong about DeBrincat. He replied, “No. He’s still short. Hasn’t grown an together in the offseason. inch.” Aside from Kane, Kahun has been the best at teeing up DeBrincat. You gotta love Hedge. (He was joking, by the way. Please don’t kill him Kahun has five primary assists off DeBrincat’s goals, and four of those on Twitter. Well, at least for that.) were in 5-on-5 play. Toews also set up three DeBrincat goals. The one difference right now between DeBrincat and those previously Colliton is in a tough spot. He’s tried to make up for a lack of offensive mentioned goal-scorers is they’re all top-six forwards and DeBrincat is depth in his lineup and put mismatching pieces together. The not. Over the past 10 games, DeBrincat has played on the Blackhawks’ Blackhawks are 17th in the league with 2.91 goals per game. Of their 112 third line and averaged the eighth most 5-on-5 minutes among the team’s goals scored by forwards, 73 goals, or 65.2 percent of them, have come forwards. from Kane, Toews, DeBrincat and Saad. The overall results have been positive for the Blackhawks — they’re 6-3- This offseason, it appeared the Blackhawks would have scoring depth 1 in their past 10 games. But does it make sense to continue to limit the with Sikura, Vinnie Hinostroza and Victor Ejdsell potentially rounding out team’s second-leading goal-scorer to a third-line role? the top nine. Hinostroza was traded, and Sikura and Ejdsell haven’t lived Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton had been playing DeBrincat in a top- up to expectations. Strome’s acquisition has helped, but he’s basically six role. Colliton was especially optimistic DeBrincat and his old OHL contributing what they had hoped to get from Nick Schmaltz. Anisimov’s linemate Dylan Strome would flourish together when Strome arrived in production is down, and he’s only been useful alongside Kane. Kahun is late November. They joined Kane on the second line, and the line was a more of a distributor. No one else has more than four goals. wild ride, scoring lots of goals and allowing lots of them too. Eventually, Colliton has also been attempting to allow fewer goals. Their recent Colliton decided he wanted something more stable. success has come while creating fewer chances and giving up more than Ten games ago, Colliton opted to place Artem Anisimov with Strome and before, but ultimately allowing fewer goals. Their goalies have played a Kane and moved DeBrincat to the third line, which has been centered by large part in recent weeks. David Kampf and has had a few different wingers. Since then, the The Anisimov-Strome-Kane line has been on the ice for more goals for Blackhawks have become more stabilized, but it’s also meant much less (six) than against (five), but the possession has been lopsided against it. 5-on-5 ice time for DeBrincat. The line has a 39.6 Corsi percentage. Over time, that could lead to more Before the lineup change, DeBrincat was averaging the third most 5-on-5 goals and maybe re-open the door for DeBrincat. ice time among the team’s forwards behind Kane and Jonathan Toews. A season ago, DeBrincat went through a similar ice-time issue under Joel Over the last 10 games, he’s averaged the eighth most. There have been Quenneville, but for different reasons. He had to earn Quenneville’s trust two games in that span in which he was among the top six forwards in 5- to play a top-six role. DeBrincat did that over time and was eventually on-5 ice time. There were also two in which he was ninth. slotted on the top line to begin this season. In total, over the last 10 games, Kane has played 168:10 of 5-on-5 ice Now it appears DeBrincat is caught between what is deemed best for the time, Strome 149:43, Toews 148:39, Anisimov 147:48, Dominik Kahun Blackhawks and what might be best for him. Colliton might stick with 145:10, Brandon Saad 142:00, Kampf 128:33 and DeBrincat 120:21. what’s working throughout the rest of the season. In time, though, the DeBrincat is still scoring, but it has little to do with his diminished ice time Blackhawks need to create a permanent place in their top six for or new linemates. He has six goals in the last 10 games. Three of them DeBrincat. came on the power play. One was a 5-on-5 goal set up by Kane and Even if Hedger might question it. another was a 5-on-5 goal set up by Kahun. Just one of the goals came with his usual linemates, and that was created by a faceoff win by Kampf The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 and a setup by Dylan Sikura. DeBrincat is probably capable of more with more 5-on-5 ice time — he averages 1.09 goals per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 play, which is second on the Blackhawks to Strome’s rate of 1.2 — and with more skilled linemates. Aside from the lack of ice time, another part of the equation is Kampf and DeBrincat haven’t been an offensive dynamic duo. The Blackhawks believe in Kampf’s potential to be a top-nine center, but one side of his game is definitely stronger than the other as of now. He is proving to be an effective defensive center — he’s 39th among NHL forwards in goals 1125085 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche’s rally comes up short against Flames

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CALGARY, Alberta — Mark Giordano had three assists and the Calgary Flames kept on rolling with a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. Mikael Backlund, Mark Jankowski, Elias Lindholm, Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk, into an empty net, scored for Calgary (28-13-4), which is 6-1-1 in its last eight games. The Flames have a two-point lead over Vegas atop the Pacific Division. Johnny Gaudreau added two assists to extend his point streak to six games. Giordano has 303 career assists, moving him past Joe Nieuwendyk into fifth on the franchise list. Nathan MacKinnon ran his point streak to eight games with a goal for Colorado. Erik Johnson and Mikko Rantanen also scored as the slumping Avalanche dropped to 1-6-2 in their last nine games. Calgary snapped a 2-all tie at 12:57 of the second period on Lindholm’s power-play goal. After a hooking penalty on Tyson Barrie, Sean Monahan won the faceoff and the Flames maintained possession. Lindholm took a feed from Giordano and wired a shot past goalie Semyon Varlamov. Colorado has killed off only 10 of 19 power plays over the last six games. Meanwhile, the Flames’ penalty kill had a big night, going 4 for 4 against an Avalanche team that came into the game ranked fifth with the man advantage. Calgary has also been scuffling, entering the game having given up seven power-play goals on the previous 20 chances. Frolik’s goal at 9:14 of the third, when he deflected in Giordano’s point shot for a 4-2 lead, ended up the game-winner after Rantanen scored with 38 seconds remaining and the goalie pulled. Calgary got off to a fast start when Backlund buried James Neal’s rebound at 5:34. The Flames doubled their lead five minutes later on Jankowski’s seventh. But the Avalanche got back to even before the period ended. Consecutive giveaways by Calgary goaltender David Rittich and Monahan resulted in the Avs getting a tic-tac-toe goal from their top line with MacKinnon completing the passing sequence with Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen. Johnson’s shot just inside the post tied it with 19 seconds left in the period. Rittich, who was sharp all night, had 32 stops to improve to 16-4-3. Varlamov, tested only 15 times, fell to 11-9-5. UP NEXT Avalanche: Colorado is 0-2-0 on a five-game trip to Canada that continues Saturday night in Montreal. Flames: Host the Florida Panthers on Friday night. Denver Post: LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125086 Colorado Avalanche This leads the 66-year-old McNab, as has become custom, to offer a story few have publicly heard regarding why Denver is a haven for hockey players. A Canadian superstar, Nathan MacKinnon is just fine flying under the McNab spent several seasons with the Bruins and played alongside a radar in Denver then-young, promising defenseman named Ray Bourque. Bourque is one of the greatest figures in Bruins history. He is also one of Ryan S. Clark Jan 9, 2019 the most popular athletes to ever play in Boston. The five-time Norris Trophy winner spent the majority of his career in Boston before he was traded to Colorado so he could capture what would be his first and only Stanley Cup. Nathan MacKinnon has come home. Not to Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. That trip to his hometown will come later this summer. No, for a 10-day “When Ray got here to Colorado, we were just talking. His wife period, MacKinnon is back in Canada, where everything he has done (Christiane) and the kids were going to come out to visit. He said to me, since the age of 13 receives national interest. ‘Macksy, where can I go in Colorado?’” McNab recalled. “I was like, ‘Ray, what do you mean where can I go?’ because I had got used to the Compare that to his life in Denver. MacKinnon has lived here for six Colorado lifestyle and the way they treat their athletes. He said because years. You will not see his face on billboards. He is not doing local in Boston you have to go in the back door of the restaurants. Sometimes television commercials, inviting viewers to refinance their mortgages or you have to go (through the back door) if you’re going to the movies. trying to sway voters on a state ballot initiative for an upcoming election. “I said, ‘Trust me. This is the best place to be an athlete.’ (The) team they MacKinnon could score five points in a game and those highlights will had was as good of a hockey club as they had in the world. … One day I appear on the nightly news broadcasts and will receive some air time on saw (Adam Foote and Patrick Roy) at Park Meadows Mall at Christmas sports talk radio. But it won’t dominate headlines like a Broncos’ second- and not a single person even looked twice. I think maybe a couple people string defensive end who remains in the dog house of a lame-duck recognized them but they were just Christmas shoppers just like coach. everybody else.” And you know what? MacKinnon is OK with that. Reporters in Winnipeg and Calgary, the first two stops along the Avalanche’s trip, will likely crowd MacKinnon’s dressing room stall after “It’s very different. Every time I leave my house back home, I am kinda morning skate and games. Media in those cities have already talked to thinking about if people are watching me or recognizing me or someone MacKinnon earlier this season but he is still expected to draw a large is going to come up and speak to me. But here, I never get recognized,” crowd. MacKinnon told The Athletic. “I go to the mall for Christmas shopping and no one stopped me. Grocery store? No one recognizes me. It’s nice. I Then comes the eastern trek to Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, where the mean, I really enjoy that part of it. But back home, it’s definitely different.” attention from both fans and media will likely be at a fever pitch. Use this interview as an example. MacKinnon was able to have an “For sure, you go out East to Canadian cities and they only see you uninterrupted six-minute conversation with a single reporter after a once,” MacKinnon said. “So it’ll be busy but it’s good. It’s always nice to Saturday practice. That’s the same amount of time local media used to have some recognition for our whole team. It’s obviously different when interview rookie Logan O’Connor, the former University of Denver you go to different markets and things heat up a little bit.” forward who was making his NHL debut. MacKinnon said Toronto is the kind of market where there will be “20 In fact, O’Connor did more media requests last week than MacKinnon. cameras around you” but he added how being in the public view his whole life has helped him navigate those situations. Something like that does not happen if he is playing in markets such as Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal or Toronto. Whatever MacKinnon says in Hockey fans know a good bit about MacKinnon’s origin story. Being from those locales would be recorded by several cameras and audio the same hometown as Crosby created comparisons and questions recorders. It would then be analyzed, discussed and talked about some about whether MacKinnon could live up to those expectations. more until MacKinnon speaks again the following day. “I don’t know how young I would have been but I would have been very Playing in Denver affords MacKinnon a way of life that many players in young. But as far as I can remember, everyone would say he’s the next his position would covet. Crosby,” said Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves, a Nova Scotia native who is the same age as MacKinnon. “That’s a big title and big shoes to Think about where the NHL is at the moment. Alexander Ovechkin and fill. I mean, it’s natural to say, ‘He’s not as good as Crosby,’ but when you the other guy from MacKinnon’s hometown — a player by the name of play against him, you say, ‘Wow, this guy might be as good as Crosby.’ Sidney Crosby — have served as the faces of the league for more than a decade. Neither one appears to be drastically slowing down, but there is “He dominated at every level. He dominated minor hockey, spring an extremely noticeable collection of young, dynamic players ready to hockey. Dominated in (the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League). He’s carry the mantle. basically been the best player on every team he’s been on. As far as I can remember, he’s been the biggest name around and everyone has More specifically, there’s three: Auston Matthews. Connor McDavid. had eyes on him at a very young age.” Nathan MacKinnon. Graves grew up in Yarmouth, about a three-and-a-half hour drive from Canada’s organic love for the game, plus a highlight-worthy natural Cole Harbour. He said that having Crosby and MacKinnon come from ability, is what makes Matthews and McDavid high-profile figures Nova Scotia gives him an immense amount of pride because they are all throughout the nation. Matthews, the American-born Maple Leafs center, from one of the smaller provinces. plays in a city that’s comedically or sarcastically referred to as “the centre of the universe.” McDavid is the face of an Oilers organization that has Ontario has the most active NHL players with 169, according to waited decades for another all-world center who could help restore them QuantHockey. That’s followed by British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, to league-wide prominence. Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. Every time Matthews or McDavid do something, it’s news. Matthews There are six Nova Scotians in the NHL. It’s Crosby, MacKinnon, Graves, performing in “The Nutcracker” with teammate Mitch Marner? Granted, Alex Killorn, Andrew MacDonald and Brad Marchand. it’s unusual to see hockey players doing ballet, but that is the type of story that everyone in and around Toronto and the rest of Canada Graves was reminded of when he and MacKinnon played together for consumed with great interest. Nova Scotia during the 2011 Canada Games, which were held in Halifax. Graves said MacKinnon was “clearly our best player” and they ended up McDavid told GQ last fall how Oilers fans around town were “chirping at finishing fourth in the competition. you all the time,” because the team missed the playoffs after reaching the postseason the year before. “It’s always a sense of pride when you play teams like Ontario and Alberta and the bigger provinces to show that the littler provinces like As for MacKinnon, he can walk his dog around Denver with no attention. Nova Scotia can play too,” Graves said. “Even though we lost, it was a sense of pride showing there were players coming out of (Nova Scotia) “I think it’s very easy for fans here. You can imagine being John Elway in who could play.” Denver. That’s what Nathan MacKinnon is in Canada,” said Avalanche television analyst Peter McNab. “No matter where John Elway goes in Sharing Cole Harbour with Crosby amplified MacKinnon’s profile in the Denver, every single person knows who he is. No matter where Nathan beginning, and that makes them commercially appealing whenever Tim goes (in Canada), no matter where Connor McDavid goes, certainly Horton’s comes out with a new advertisement. Sidney Crosby, everybody knows.” The Canadian coffee and doughnut colossus has marketed Crosby and MacKinnon as the two local boys-done-good who just happen to be two of the game’s biggest stars. Normally comical in nature, they took it to a new level when they appeared in a recent ad entitled “The Away Game,” where they surprised the Kenya Ice Lions by skating alongside them in the club’s first competitive contest against a group of Toronto-area firefighters. MacKinnon also has an endorsement deal with hockey manufacturer CCM, which counts Crosby, McDavid and Ovechkin among its clientele of NHL luminaries. He’s also done acting work beyond those commercials. In his first episode of “Mr. D,” MacKinnon was a student at the school who could not finish a test because he had to leave early for a hockey game. The dim-witted teacher played by comedian Gerry Dee lets MacKinnon and another student out of class with the promise they can finish their tests at home. MacKinnon made another cameo in the show’s fourth season. Perhaps his most notable acting credit to date came in the 11th season of “Trailer Park Boys,” when he was falsely lured to a youth hockey camp only to discover marijuana was being grown there instead. He was famously introduced to one of the main characters by a child who said, “That’s Nathan MacKinnon, you dumbass!” before MacKinnon then told the kids to stay away from drugs. Again, those have all taken place in Canada. MacKinnon mentions how Broncos superstar linebacker Von Miller, one of the NFL’s most marketable players, is really the only Denver-based professional athlete he sees with endorsements around town. He has a point. Rockies star third baseman Nolan Arenado has an IMDB page but it lists sports shows such as ESPN’s “Sunday Night ” among its credits. Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic, who can count the NBA-crazed MacKinnon among his fans, does not have any known restaurant endorsement deals throughout North America. It is not that MacKinnon views the lack of public visibility as a personal slight. “All I’m thinking about is being the best I can on the ice,” MacKinnon said. “It’s nice. I don’t have to worry about distractions and things like that.” But in the event he seeks attention, he will find plenty of it over the next two weeks. “Everyone around Canada, let alone Nova Scotia, knows who he is. They know who Sid is,” Graves said. “So when those guys go around, they are recognized. I think people in The Maritimes are nice people, and in general, they respect to a certain extent his privacy. There will be pictures and certain things like that. Kids at the rink idolize him. I think he can still live his day-to-day life, and there are still things that are probably hard for him, you know? “It’s in a good way. People really look up to him around there, but everyone knows who Nathan MacKinnon is.” The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125087 Colorado Avalanche

Five Takeaways from the Avs 9th loss in 10 games

By Evan Rawal January 9, 2019

In yet another frustrating game where they likely deserved a better fate, the Colorado Avalanche fell to the Calgary Flames by a score of 5-3, despite outshooting them 35 to 15. It was their 9th loss in their last 10 games, and the team is now in very real danger of losing their playoff spot. What did we learn from this game? Different goaltender, same result. Semyon Varlamov started the game for the Avs tonight and managed to only stop 73% of the shots he faced. Considering he only faced 15 shots, that’s not good at all. After a fantastic start to the year, his game has fallen off a cliff in since November. The Avs desperately need one of their goalies to right this ship. The Avs have heavily depended on their top 4 on the blueline since the injury to Nikita Zadorov, and some of those guys might be running out of gas. Patrik Nemeth and Ryan Graves both failed to hit the 10 minute mark in ice time tonight because the staff is running the top 4 into the ground. Mark Barberio is nearing a return but the Avs could use Big Z to help spread out the ice time. He’s a luxury to have on the third pair. On the plus side, Erik Johnson has picked up his game a good bit in the last week. He’s rushed it up the ice a bit more and is now picking up some points offensively, which the team badly needs from their defense. His defensive partner, however… …is struggling to provide any real offense. Samuel Girard is used heavily in offensive situations, leading all of the defensemen in offensive zone starts, so the coaches are giving him plenty of chances to produce, but it just isn’t happening. In 44 games, he now only has 5 even strength points. He clearly has the talent to produce more than this, but it’s not happening. The weird thing about the last two games is that the Avs went into buildings that they have traditionally struggled in, and were clearly the better team on both nights, but have not been able to get a save. The frustration level has to be rising for this team, and you can’t get these points back at this time of the year. They now sit in a Wild Card spot when a month ago they were comfortably in the top 3 in their division. Things need to pick up and fast. The Avalanche continue their road trip when they head to Montreal on Saturday night. The game starts at 5 PM MST. milehighsports.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125088 Colorado Avalanche

Five takeaways from Avs’ 7-4 loss to Winnipeg

By Evan Rawal

The Avalanche played well enough to win, but poor goaltending and the familiar mistakes cost them on their way to a 7-4 defeat at the hands of the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets. What did we learn from this game? Every time Philipp Grubauer has had a chance to run with the starting job this season, he has faltered. He was a disaster in net tonight for the Avs, and once again falls below .900 with his save percentage. Colorado needed a save at the start of the third period, and he let in a major softy to a Jets forward with a poor angle. It’s safe to say he’s been a major disappointment to date and surely not what the Avs expected when they traded for him in the summer. Overall, the Avs were the better team at even strength tonight. They controlled the majority of the shot attempts and had the puck a heck of a lot more than the Jets. There are good things to take from this game. But… Something needs to be done about the penalty kill. You need your goaltender to be your best penalty killer, but the Avs are giving up the seam pass way too often. On the Jets’ fourth goal, the amount of room Tyler Myers had to hit Bryan Little cross ice was enormous, with no one even close to getting a stick in the lane. It’s been that way since the start of December. Nolan Pratt has his work cut out for him. Gabriel Landeskog has already surpassed his career high in goals in a season with 27. It’s only Jan. 8. There is a legitimate chance he hits 45 goals with how that line is going. On a positive note, Ryan Graves is creating some internal competition on the blueline. He scored for the second consecutive game, making a nice read, jumping in and scoring on a wrap around. His game is a little reminiscent of Nick Holden in his early Colorado days. There are still limitations to his game, which is why he’s failed to crack an NHL roster to date, but he’s done everything the staff has asked of him so far. The Avs are right back at it tomorrow night against the Pacific Division leading Calgary Flames. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. MT. milehighsports.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125089 Colorado Avalanche

Tale of two goaltenders in Avalanche loss to Jets

By Jeremy Jerez January 9, 2019

The Avalanche haven’t gone into Winnipeg and beat the Jets since January of 2016, and after Tuesday night’s meeting between the two, that streak lives on. Colorado lost 7-4 to the Central Division point leaders. It was the story of two polar opposite nights for the goaltenders. Philipp Grubauer got the start for Colorado and had a night to forget, allowing six goals on 20 shots faced. In the crease for Winnipeg was Connor Hellebuyck, who played a major role in Colorado’s struggles, stopping 37-of-41 Avalanche shots. The Avs enjoyed a strong start to the game. But on an end-to-end rush that started off of with a Hellebuyck kick save, Mathieu Perrault caught a pass from Brandon Tanev and walked in all alone on Grubauer to finish with a backhand. At 13:57 into the game Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor made it 2-0 scoring a power-play goal on Colorado’s first penalty of the game. The Avalanche managed to put one on the board before the period ended on a power-play goal of their own. Much like the goal he scored last Friday against the Rangers, Gabriel Landeskog added his 26th goal of the year deflecting a Tyson Barrie shot from the point into the back of the net. Shortly after the second-period puck drop, the Avalanche went on the power play again. Considering how dangerous and important to the Avs’ success on the power play had been, this was their best chance to get back in the game. Instead, a Blake Wheeler shorthanded goal found its way past Grubauer giving the Jets a 3-1 lead. A power-play goal from Bryan Little came about three minutes later and Winnipeg had a firm 4-1 lead. Up to that point, the Avalanche had much more of an offensive threatening game. However, it felt as though the three-goal deficit would be too much to for Colorado to overcome considering recent performances. Hellebuyck was having himself a stellar night, but to the Avalanche’s credit, they continued to fight. Carl Soderberg added a goal with 3:50 left in the second period and Ryan Graves would build off of that and put one in of his own on a gutsy wraparound goal just 1:33 later. A 4-3 deficit seemed manageable for Colorado as they continued to pepper the Jets’ goaltender with shots and quality chances. But the Avalanche took another shot to the heart when Andrew Copp squeaked in a cheeky goal between Grubauer’s five-hole on a shot he would likely love to have back. Playing in front of a confident goaltender, the Jets skated comfortably throughout the first half of the third period with their two-goal lead. Then, on a defensive lapse from Colorado, Mark Scheifele was all alone on a breakaway. Grubauer made the first save, but with tremendous hand-eye coordination, Scheifele batted the rebound out of mid-air for Winnipeg’s sixth goal of the night. With an empty Avalanche net and over three minutes remaining on the clock, a Nathan MacKinnon shot from the point deflected off a Landeskog for his second goal of the night. Winnipeg eventually scored on the empty net and the Avalanche losing streak in Winnipeg was officially still alive. The Avalanche turn around and play another back-to-back as they head to Calgary to face the Flames on Wednesday night. Calgary is another city that has been rough to the Avalanche, having not won in the Scotiabank Saddledome since a shootout win in March of 2016. Puck drop against the Flames will be at 7:30 p.m. MT. milehighsports.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125090 Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Eagles continue to make moves, adjustments in lineup

Samuel Mustari

The Colorado Eagles continue to do what minor-league hockey teams do — shuffle the lineup. This week, the Eagles welcomed goaltender Pavel Francouz has been reassigned to be in net for them after sending Joe Cannata to the Utah Grizzlies, their affiliate in the East Coast Hockey League. Francouz Francouz, 27, has gone 13-7-2 with a 2.65 goals-against average, a .919 save-percentage and has posted one shutout with the Eagles. He also spent two games with the team’s National Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Avalanche, recording 33 saves on 35 shots. Cannata did not appear on ice for the Eagles, but helped lead them to the ECHL Kelly Cup Championship last season. Also being reassigned to the Utah Grizzlies was defenseman Josh Anderson, who had already played 19 games for the ECHL club, posting two assists. The Eagles return to the ice at 7:05 on Friday night when they play host to the at the Budweiser Events Center. Greeley Tribune LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125091 Colorado Avalanche helped created several quality scoring chances and was very good defensively. He snagged the quietest assist imaginable on the Johnson goal. Avalanche goaltenders remain confounded by puck in loss to Flames Speaking of which, welcome back, Erik Johnson. He’s been a completely different player the last couple of games and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Avs have desperately been waiting for their highest-paid AJ Haefele defenseman to start playing like he was worthy of all that cash. He’s finally started to show the level of play we’ve grown accustomed to seeing more often than not the last few years. I don’t even know what to say about this anymore. The Avalanche play a His partner, however, might need changing. I understand the Ian Cole- hell of a game on the second night of a back-to-back in a building that Tyson Barrie pairing has really worked out solidly this year so there’s a hasn’t treated them kindly against a team that has been on fire and they reticence to make any changes to the group but Sam Girard looks like find a way to lose. he’s totally stalled out right now. He’s making poor decisions and isn’t creating anything offensively, especially at even strength. This isn’t a call A night after giving up seven goals on 21 shots, Colorado held the to sit him down, just maybe reduce his role a bit, especially when Nikita Calgary Flames to a shockingly low shot total of 16…and five went in. Zadorov gets healthy. A reuniting of the “ZJ” pairing might be something The Avalanche managed to score three of their own in a game that will that could help jump-start Girard a bit. only serve as a lightning rod for this season. How can a team roll into Winnipeg and Calgary and give up 12 goals on 37 shots on goal? What Ryan Graves continued to show well. He’s now overtaken Patrik Nemeth the hell? in ESTOI the last two nights. With the way people talk about Bednar and Nemeth, you’d think that would never happen. But here we are. Good for With noted puck matador Philipp Grubauer sitting this one out, longtime Graves, whose decision-making continues to help him outpace his Avalanche starter Semyon Varlamov got back into the comfy confines of physical limitations. the Colorado net and immediately proceeded to destroy all hope he was back to his early-season form. It’s drastic given your top goaltenders are healthy but I think it’s time to give Pavel Francouz a look over the struggling duo in place. A shakeup Calgary scored two goals in the first period but the Avalanche found of some kind is appropriate when you’ve lost 14 of 20 games. equalizers before the first intermission. Okay, great, something to build off of. Colorado’s skaters certainly did as they dominated the play in the Not really any kind of analysis here but just an appreciation for Matt second period, even killing off a penalty while allowing zero shots on Calvert. I enjoy watching him play hockey. He works hard and while he’s goal. It took 13 minutes for the Flames to get their second shot of the not a super talented player or anything, he maximizes his talent through period and wouldn’t you know it, it went in. Sports are cruel, y’all. force of will and I always love those guys. He’s a great locker room guy, too. I remember chatting with him earlier this season and his greatest Then the Avalanche entered the third period chasing yet another game lament about the Avalanche schedule was not getting to see his kids despite being the better team. A fourth goal, a total fluke of the highest more. How can you not root for a guy like that? proportions, pushed Calgary just far enough ahead that Colorado’s predictable late-game goal to make it 4-3 didn’t ultimately matter when BSN DENVER LOADED: 01.10.2019 the Flames scored an empty-net goal seconds later. A 5-3 loss despite giving up just 16 shots on goal. The Avalanche need an injection of competence in net in the worst way. Looking at you, Pavel Francouz. Do the Batman thing cause Gotham is burning. Takeaways from the game Semyon Varlamov gave up four goals on 15 shots on goal. The Avs needed better than the .700 goaltending they got from Grubauer last night. Technically, they got it with Varlamov giving them .733. Cool story. Tonight was billed as a matchup between two of the best lines in the NHL. Just like when Colorado and Boston met earlier this year, Colorado’s top players rose to the occasion and shredded. They scored two of the three goals and were absolute monsters in shot share. Anytime these two teams matchup, Mikael Backlund is tasked with trying to slow down MacKinnon and he’s had success. Tonight, Backlund got taken to the woodshed and embarrassed. Shots on goal favored Colorado 11-1 when MacKinnon was matched against Backlund. Against Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, shots favored Colorado 10-1. There isn’t anything more Nathan MacKinnon and his linemates could have done. Gabe Landeskog had 12 shots on goal on his own. Calgary, as a team, had 16. This loss is the stuff that makes you hate sports. Colorado’s top line outshot Calgary on its own 23-16. If I wasn’t already bald, I’d be tearing my hair out. The more I look at this stuff, the more it drives me insane. The Avs have to try to do something different with their fourth line. I know we spend more time on it than it really deserves but this weirdly built trio of Andrighetto/Dries/O’Connor isn’t getting anything done and outside of drawing a penalty against Winnipeg they haven’t been close to a positive. They’re a weird mixed group of talents and I think this experiment needs to end. I’m not sure why O’Connor is even here, to begin with. Dries makes sense in light of the Kamenev injury but he’s been far less effective at center than he was on at wing earlier in the year. And Andrighetto…I’m just not sure what more there is to say about Sven. They’ve tried and tried with him and it just doesn’t seem destined to work out. There was a lot to like from Colorado’s second line the last two nights. Kerfoot made an ill-advised pass that helped lead to Calgary’s second goal but if Varlamov dares to be great and stops a very stoppable shot, it’s not something we even remember. I did like Kerfoot overall but I thought Tyson Jost was actually the best player on that line tonight. He 1125092 Colorado Avalanche Semyon Varlamov (F) – Dude. Come on. BSN DENVER LOADED: 01.10.2019 Avs-Flames player grades: Goalie sabotage

AJ Haefele

Player grades from Colorado’s loss to the Calgary Flames. Sven Andrighetto (D) – There hasn’t been anything with going on with this guy for a while now. Fourth line life is hard but he’s still seeing some time on the second PP unit and he’s just not getting anything done. Tyson Barrie (C-) – You just can’t take penalties right now. The PP he quarterbacks produced zero goals again tonight. This just isn’t good enough when the team is struggling this much. Matt Calvert (B) – There was some good PK work and a nice little play to Johnson for his assist. He was just fine tonight. Ian Cole (B-) – A big jump forward from his problematic performance last night. Cole was much tighter in his gaps and didn’t get caught in no man’s land covering nobody in particular. J.T. Compher (C+) – I just didn’t notice JTC too much tonight. There were moments for his linemates but I thought he was pretty close to passenger status tonight at even strength. Really good PK work though. Sheldon Dries (C) – This is usually the grade I give to guys who I just don’t have a strong opinion on. Dries hasn’t done much of anything since his last recall but the lack of quality options for the 4C job likely provide him with ample job security for right now. Samuel Girard (C-) – For a player who made his bones in junior as an offensive dynamo, his puck management sure can get wonky at times. I liked what he did defensively tonight but he just can’t continue to be a complete non-factor offensively. He needs to take a significant step forward in that aspect of his game. Ryan Graves (B-) – I really didn’t have a problem with anything he did tonight. He was just fine again and his decision making continues to be what carries him. His physical abilities look a bit limited to me at the NHL level but his smarts are helping him be successful. I’m enjoying watching him play. Erik Johnson (B+) – I loved a lot of what I saw from EJ tonight. He was moving his feet and activating offensively and that’s when he’s absolutely at his best. The goal he scored was good stuff and the Avalanche definitely need more of that from him. Tyson Jost (C+) – The process definitely outpaced his results both tonight and last night. He was involved in some high-quality chances for the team but the lack of finish continues to be a concern. Alexander Kerfoot (B-) – I really loved Kerfoot’s effort tonight. He was all over the place at times and I think he’s really starting to come into his own as the 2C. Gabriel Landeskog (B) – It’s hard to ask for more from this top line but they needed just a little extra juice tonight. Of course, had they gotten some help maybe I feel differently. Nathan MacKinnon (B) – Some flashes of greatness but not enough finish. The process was absolutely excellent though. Patrik Nemeth (D+) – I liked some of his game but not nearly enough. He’s just so limited. When he’s the sixth D, it’s fine, but they’re using Graves as that guy right now so Nemeth slots up a bit and I just don’t like it. Bednar tends to shorten it down to heavy usage of his top four and that’s frustrating in different ways. Matt Nieto (C) – He played, they tell me. Logan O’Connor (C-) – There’s nothing happening with LOC on the ice right now. No good, no bad, just a lot of nothing. I’m not sure how this is an improvement over what A.J. Greer could be bringing. Mikko Rantanen (B) – There were some moments from Mikko. His puck retrieval on Colorado’s first goal was perfection. The rest was a frustrating cavalcade of missed opportunities. Sneaky goal to make the final score a little closer. Just shoot, Mikko. Carl Soderberg (C+) – I like when Carl puts his head down and plays hard. He’s a blast to watch when he’s going but with two offensively limited linemates it can be a struggle. Of course, it wasn’t his linemates fault he missed the net entirely on a golden scoring chance. 1125093 Columbus Blue Jackets

Anthony Duclair accepts ups, downs of playing for Tortorella

Brian Hedger

Among the lessons Anthony Duclair is learning as a Blue Jacket is how to take what the head coach says. John Tortorella doesn't sugar-coat his assessments. He’s blunt. He’s honest. He’s direct. And some of his analogies carry high potential to rankle rather than cajole. His “up and down like a toilet seat,” assessment of Matt Calvert’s play last season, offered during Calvert’s impressive playoff performance against the Washington Capitals, didn’t go over well. Calvert even chirped back during his own season-ending news conference, saying the only thing that was “up and down like a toilet seat,” was his ice time. Tortorella apologized, the situation was defused, and Calvert wound up signing with the Colorado Avalanche as an unrestricted free agent. The “toilet seat” analogy reappeared Tuesday in Tampa, Florida, though, as a descriptor for Duclair’s first 41 games and for the Blue Jackets. It’s not the first time Tortorella has mentioned what he’s also called the “warts” in Duclair’s game, and it probably won’t be the last. Already on his fourth NHL team at age 23, Duclair knew what he was getting into after signing a one-year contract with the Blue Jackets worth the league minimum of $650,000. After the Chicago Blackhawks opted not to make him a contract offer, Duclair knew he needed a hockey school of hard knocks — the kind he could get playing for Tortorella. “I knew it was going to be tough,” Duclair told The Dispatch. “I was ready for it, and I don’t take anything personally. (Tortorella) says he’s got my best interests (in mind), and (it’s) for my own good to make me a better player. If he says something, I just listen.” That’s exactly what Tortorella wants from him: Listen to the message, not necessarily the delivery. “That’s one of the main reasons I signed here, to learn how to play under Torts and just how to grow my game,” said Duclair, who has nine goals and 14 points. “This is the big season, personally, and I think I’m making some strides. I just want to continue with that.” Tortorella wants that, too, as does the front office. Duclair’s natural ability is enticing. He’s a blur at top speed, his hands are nimble, and he can be a real problem for defenders when the puck is on his stick. It’s the other situations that he’s trying to clean up. If he does, Duclair could become one of the NHL’s top steals. If not, the Jackets will just go down as the latest team that tried. Duclair has already through half a season in Columbus, and it has been a bumpy ride, but he is still around. That alone says something. “He’s coachable,” Tortorella said. “He has a long ways to go, but you can see the upside. I just don’t think he knows how to play the game. I think he needs, absolutely, right from the bottom of how you play in this league, to be taught. And that’s what we’re trying to do. That’s our job.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125094 Columbus Blue Jackets

Nick Foligno back, ready to play

By Brian Hedger

Nick Foligno is back home, along with his family, and the Blue Jackets’ captain is expected to play Thursday against the Nashville Predators. Coach John Tortorella, speaking during his weekly radio appearance on WBNS-FM on Wednesday, said the Folignos returned early Tuesday from Boston, where his 5-year-old daughter, Milana, had surgery Dec. 31 related to a congenital heart condition. “His family is situated,” Tortorella said. “His daughter has been just an absolute warrior through all of this. That’s the most important thing. His family has gone through some stuff, and they’ve hung in there. I’m just so thrilled they are back together here, back in Columbus.” Foligno has missed the past four games, staying with his family in Boston as Milana recovered. The Blue Jackets kept them in their thoughts, but will gladly welcome back their emotional leader. Foligno has 20 points on 10 goals and 10 assists, making an impact on forechecks and using his physical style to gain puck possession. “The longer you don’t have him, the more you feel it,” Tortorella said a day after the Jackets’ 4-0 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning. “We miss his speed. We miss that little bit of his grind. He’s one of our guys that bangs and does a lot of things for this team — carries the puck, is a north-south player. So, we miss him as each game goes on, especially when you play a top team like (the Lightning). There’s certainly a hole there.” The Blue Jackets didn’t practice Wednesday, but Tortorella said Foligno skated through an individual workout with an assistant coach. After a morning skate Thursday, the expectation is he’ll return against the Predators. It would be just in the nick of time, too. The Jackets will be without fourth-line forwards Brandon Dubinsky (lower body) and Markus Hannikainen (upper body) for “a while,” according to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who hopes to learn more about their injuries Thursday. Each was injured against the Lightning: Dubinsky left after one shift in the second period, and Hannikainen missed the third. Foligno’s return would give the Jackets 12 available forwards, including Lukas Sedlak, but a 13th forward could be recalled from the Cleveland Monsters, who played Wednesday in Belleville, Ontario. Home cooking The loss to the Lightning dropped the Blue Jackets’ road record to 13-7- 1, but that’s still better than their 11-8-2 record at Nationwide Arena. Tortorella would like to see the home record improve. That kind of home- road disparity also contributed to their first-round playoff loss to the Washington Capitals in April. The Jackets won the first two games on the road, lost the next two at home and lost the series in six games, dropping all three played on their home ice. “That’s where our consistency has to improve,” Tortorella said. “If we’re going to have any opportunity to (keep playing) in April and May, that has to get straightened out.” One-timers The Lightning’s shutout ended Artemi Panarin’s season-high point streak at seven games. He had four goals, seven assists and 11 points during the streak. ... Tortorella needs one win to reach 600 coaching wins in the NHL, which will make him the 19th coach in league history — and sixth active coach — to reach that milestone. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125095 Columbus Blue Jackets offer their own vodka, gin and blended whiskey to go along with a fully stocked bar.

While the billboard features a vodka bottle, a signed Blue Jackets Another round: The inside story on distillery’s billboard offer to keep contract for Panarin, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, Artemi Panarin with Blue Jackets entitles him to anything on the menu. “If he stays, we’ll find a way to make all this work,” Helman said. “We’re By Tom Reed Jan 9, 2019 keeping it general.” It’s more than just a publicity stunt for Helman, the High Bank president. His family has owned Blue Jackets season tickets since the club’s COLUMBUS, Ohio — If Jordan Helman and Adam Hines can’t make a inception in 2000. He was thrilled to partner with the franchise this living in the ultra-competitive restaurant and distillery businesses, the season, putting a pair of High Bank concession stands in Nationwide Blue Jackets should make room for them in their marketing department. Arena. Not since Sam Gagner produced 50 points on a league-minimum Helman also knows how much Panarin means to the Blue Jackets. The contract two seasons ago has anyone with interest in the club gotten a winger has recorded 127 points in 121 games since being acquired via better return on their investment than the owners of High Bank Distillery. trade with the Blackhawks in June 2017. Thanks to a bit of cash and a lot of patience, the two Blue Jackets fans Milstein and Blue Jackets management are supposed to meet later this have made headlines across the continent with their creative pitch to month. If they can’t agree on a new deal — many believe Panarin likes keep Artemi Panarin. The distillery paid for a billboard near Nationwide Columbus but wants to play elsewhere next season — the team might be Arena, offering free food and drink for life at its Goodale Boulevard forced to move him prior to the Feb. 25 trade deadline. location if the star winger re-signs with the Blue Jackets. Helman and Hines are quite familiar with the pain of losing a superstar. The sign on the corner of Neil Avenue and Vine Street went up Tuesday Both are fans of the Cavaliers and LeBron James. Hines said the and immediately attracted the attention of the player’s agent, Daniel billboard idea came out of seeing other cities such as Los Angeles, Milstein, who had some fun with it on social media. Houston and Philadelphia run similar ads trying to woo LeBron. View image on Twitter After news broke last summer of Panarin’s initial unwillingness to commit to the Blue Jackets, Helman and Hines started to brainstorm. Dan Milstein-Hockey “We were kicking around the idea and Adam thought I was a little crazy,” ✔ Helman said. “But we kept hearing local talk radio discussing Panarin and we thought, ‘We might be on to something,’ ” @HockeyAgent1 Hines had the concept for the billboard done in August, but tabled the That’s a start  #AreYouGoldStar idea for months. He was waiting for the ad space at the Neil and Vine intersection to become available. The billboard is visible in the Arena 958 District and is just 1 mile from High Bank Distillery. 9:50 PM - Jan 8, 2019 If the Blue Jackets opt to keep Panarin through season’s end, the 220 people are talking about this billboard likely will remain up, Helman said. Twitter Ads info and privacy On his Instagram post, Panarin wrote: “Columbus, you keep amazing me. Thank you for your brilliance. Now I have a new spot to dine at.” This exposure alone might have been worth the $1,500-per-month investment High Bank made in the billboard. In fact, Panarin already has eaten at High Bank. The entire team dined together at the establishment at the end of training camp. But the fun-loving and unpredictable Panarin also showed his appreciation by not only posting the billboard on his Instagram account What if Panarin re-signs and starts showing up every day at the distillery but also having his picture taken in front of it. The team’s Twitter account a la Cosmo Kramer after winning free caffe lattes for life from Java World posted the photo Wednesday. thanks to the litigious Jackie Chiles? And, what if he brings his friends? View image on Twitter “Technically, we only offered Panarin,” Helman said laughing. “We still have to turn a profit to run a business, but we will honor our pledge to View image on Twitter provide free High Bank to Panarin for life.” Columbus Blue Jackets The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 ✔

@BlueJacketsNHL

Looks like  found his billboard.#CBJ

4,939 6:52 PM - Jan 9, 2019 744 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy North American sports aggregators went wild. Stories appeared on USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo and sportsnet.ca websites, among others. The owners of High Bank Distillery, which opened in June, could not believe the exposure. “We were hoping it might go viral locally,” Helman said. “The national attention has been totally unexpected. We are humbled and excited that so many people have picked this up and ran with it.” Jordan Helman and Adam Hines, owners of High Bank Distillery, came up with the Artemi Panarin billboard idea last summer. (Courtesy of Adam Hines) The boys over at High Bank wear more hats than P.K. Subban. Hines serves as chief marketing officer and master distiller. The proprietors 1125096 Columbus Blue Jackets • The Blue Jackets played without fourth-liners Brandon Dubinsky and Markus Hannikainen in the latter stages of the game. Dubinsky played one shift of the second period before leaving the game with a lower-body G42: In search of marquee win, Blue Jackets don’t measure up against injury. Hannikainen was absent for the third period because of an upper- the best body injury. • The Jackets went 0-for-1 on the power play and are now in a 0-for-25 nosedive since Dec. 13 versus Los Angeles. That’s 11 games without a By Aaron Portzline Jan 9, 2019 power-play goal. • Tonight marked the fourth time this season, and the second time in three starts, that Bobrovsky has been pulled from a start. Keep in mind, TAMPA, Fla. — Outclassed by Tampa Bay and Toronto. Overwhelmed last time the Jackets played here Bobrovsky allowed eight goals and by Washington. Awed by Pittsburgh. The Blue Jackets’ recent play wasn’t pulled for Korpisalo. against the Eastern Conference’s muscle teams has not gone well. • One of Tampa Bay’s tendencies that makes them so hard to defend is The Jackets are on pace for a 100-point season. In the past, when they how much faith they have in each other, especially in the defensive zone. were measured only against their horrid beginnings, a 24-15-3 record It looked like Lightning players — sometimes two at once — were flying would have been celebrated. the zone early to create offensive chances. Their reward was a series of odd-man rushes, but they didn’t pay a big price for their risk. Here’s Now it’s picked apart. Jones on how hard they are to defend: “They fly the zone when they see Against non-playoff teams in the East (as of today), the Blue Jackets are they can take advantage of a mistake. If your F3 (high forward) gets 13-4-1. Take that Florida (3-0), Philadelphia (3-0) and New Jersey (2-0). caught even for a split second, they’re going to take advantage of that with an odd-man rush. You saw that tonight.” But against current playoff teams in the East, the Jackets are 3-6-0, including a 1-5 mark in their past six games. • Remember last season when Tortorella clearly irritated left winger Matt Calvert by describing his play as “up and down, like a toilet seat”? The The Blue Jackets did not play horribly Tuesday in a 4-0 loss to Tampa comment was made early in the playoffs, and Calvert fired back just after Bay in Amalie Arena. They dominated the second period against the the season ended, saying that his ice time, thanks to Tortorella, was up NHL’s top team, outshooting the Lightning 17-3, but failing to break and down, too. Calvert signed with Colorado as a free agent over the through against goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. summer. Well, Tortorella said those exact words again Tuesday. Twice! The first was describing the play of winger Anthony Duclair. The second But the Lightning were always in charge. was a comment on the Blue Jackets’ first-half performance. “For 15, 16, 17 minutes, I think they probably outplayed us,” Blue Jackets • Here’s Tortorella, asked to describe Duclair’s first half of the season: coach John Tortorella said. “They need 15, 16, 17 minutes to score four “Up and down, like a toilet seat. Work in progress. He’s coachable, but goals, and when we’re on top of them like we were in the second period, he has a long ways to go. You can see the upside, so we’re going to their goalie was just outstanding. keep on working with him.” “That’s the way it’s going for them right now. They don’t need much time • More on Duclair: “I just don’t think he knows how to play the game. I’m to score goals.” not sure how other coaches have dealt with him, and I’m certainly not Tortorella has bristled in recent days when asked whether this game second-guessing any other coach that’s coached him. But he needs — against the Lightning was a “measuring stick” game, the implication being absolutely, right from the bottom of how you play in this league — to be that the Blue Jackets could use a “marquee” win to give the players some taught, and that’s what we’re trying to do. That’s our job. I’m not swagger and the fans some calm. complaining about it. That’s our job. And, like I’ve said, he’s worth it, because there’s a tremendous upside to him.” Tampa Bay also has beaten the Blue Jackets 8-2 in the fifth game of the season. Tuesday’s game wasn’t nearly as ugly, but it never felt close, • And Tortorella’s comment on the team’s inconsistencies: “Up and down either. The Lightning landed the knockout punch with two goals less than like a toilet seat. But we’re right in the middle of things. Fifty-one points. I three minutes apart midway through the third. give our team credit. Throughout our inconsistencies, we’ve found a way to win games.” It marked the second time the Jackets have been shut out this season. The previous one was exactly one month earlier, a 4-0 loss to • The Jackets’ scouting staffs and hockey operations departments held Washington in Nationwide. the annual midseason professional and amateur scouting meetings over the past 1 1/2 weeks in Florida. Some big weeks ahead for the Blue “We have to move on, move forward,” defenseman Seth Jones said of Jackets. Tuesday’s game. “I wasn’t here the first go-around (in October) with that disaster. We can keep saying (Vasilevskiy) won the game in the second • No practice for the Blue Jackets on Wednesday. It was canceled. (period) for them, but we have to play 60 minutes that way.” They’ll take a morning skate Thursday before they host Nashville. The Blue Jackets’ “good” is not going to be good enough the rest of the • Here’s The Athletic Tampa Bay’s Joe Smith breaking down the games way. of Panarin and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov through their own words: Just this week alone, the Blue Jackets have two more marquee COMPETITIVE FRIENDS NIKITA KUCHEROV AND ARTEMI PANARIN opponents: They host the Nashville Predators on Thursday in Nationwide BREAK DOWN EACH OTHER’S GAMES and play at Washington on Saturday. • Columbus fans helped save the MLS’ Crew from being shipped to Further, they have 14 games remaining against current playoff teams in Austin with an amazing grassroots effort. Now a Columbus company is the East and 14 remaining in their division. making a plea to keep Panarin in town, too. High Bank Distillery, on Goodale Boulevard in Grandview, paid for a billboard at Vine Street and An 82-game schedule provides plenty of chances to prove yourself … or Neil Avenue near Nationwide Arena, promising Panarin “free High Bank not. for life” if he signs a contract to remain with the Blue Jackets. No word on whether Kekalainen was an underwriter. Notebook Analytically speaking • Fox Sports Ohio’s Bill Davidge reported that captain Nick Foligno and his family are “back home … getting care back in Columbus” after The Athletic’s hockey data dynamo Alison Lukan provided these insights daughter Milana’s heart surgery late last month. The club has not said into the Blue Jackets’ loss: when Foligno might return to action. First things first. • When it comes to making evaluations, we are big proponents of making • What kind of night was it for the Blue Jackets? The top line — Panarin- sure to never rely on just data, and this game is a big reason why. On the Dubois-Atkinson — and the top defensive pair — Jones-Werenski — whole, the Jackets won the shot share battle (61.86 percent) and scoring were each minus-3. chance contest (53.19), but they were decimated when it came to high- danger attempts (26.67), and that’s our first sign something was amiss in • The Jackets have lost five in a row to the Lightning with an aggregate the team’s game. Not only could the Jackets not get into the high danger score of 24-6, including 12-2 this season. Vasilevskiy has shutouts in areas, but they also couldn’t control the game consistently. Digging in three of those five games. Brayden Point has 4-2-6 in the two games so further, the balance of Columbus’ statistical advantage came in the far this season. second period. They lost the advantage in each of our key metrics in the remaining 40 minutes of play. The final expected goal total, according to moneypuck.com, more accurately displays the projected outcome of the game, giving Tampa Bay the 2.44-to-1.59 edge. • Vasilevskiy was outstanding by any measure. When it came to saving unblocked shots, according to evolving-hockey.com, Vasilevskiy was 3.44 percent above expectations resulting in 1.41 goals saved above average. Bobrovsky was 7.89 percent below expectations, resulting in 2.21 goals allowed above average. • We often use the expected goals measure to tell us at least a little bit about shot quality, and it further informs what happened in this game. According to evolving-hockey.com, Cam Atkinson had the highest individual expected goal total of all Jackets skaters (.24). Only one other Columbus skater was above .2 (Artemi Panarin). Compare that with Tampa Bay, which had five skaters above the .2 threshold, and Yanni Gourde led the way with a .45 tally. All that is to say, while the Jackets got a lot of attempts, they didn’t have the quality advantage overall. The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125097 Columbus Blue Jackets Point’s three-point game on two goals and one assist pushed his career numbers against Columbus even higher, and they were already good. Point now has five goals, four assists and nine points in seven games Lightning 4, Blue Jackets 0: Five takeaways against the Blue Jackets. His goals were the Lightning’s second and fourth of the game, while his secondary assist helped make it 3-0 on a goal by Nikita Kucherov at 6:05 Brian Hedger of the third. If the Blue Jackets want to avoid being swept by Tampa Bay for the second straight year, they must find a way to contain Point in the February series finale. TAMPA – There is no intended malice saying it. 4) What a stop The Blue Jackets just aren’t as good as the Tampa Bay Lightning, which Vasilevskiy made some difficult saves, but his sprawling leg stop against was proven again Tuesday at Amalie Arena. The Lightning didn’t Artemi Panarin with 7:05 left in the second was the highlight of the night. dominate their guests from Ohio, like they did Oct. 13 to win 8-2 here, but they didn’t need to. After getting a pass from Cam Atkinson during a 3-on-2 rush, Panarin let loose a one-timer from the top of the left circle. Vasilevskiy read it, They just popped in two goals late in the first period, popped in two more extended his right leg out just far enough and stopped it, which Panarin to start the third and rode to victory, 4-0, on the back of goalie Andrei couldn’t believe. Vasilevskiy (31 saves). He was caught on video gazing in disbelief, first at Vasilevskiy and then That’s what makes Tampa Bay so scary. at the replay on the video board. Vasilevskiy went 17-for-17 making saves in the second, when the Jackets outshot the Lightning 17-3 and Join the conversation at Facebook.com/columbusdispatch and connect got nothing for it but frustration. with us on Twitter @DispatchAlerts 5) Injury bug Even when the legs were a little rubbery, coming off a long flight home from the West Coast, the ’Bolts were capable of delivering knockout Columbus hasn’t needed to patch its lineup with too many injury fill-ins, punches at both ends of the rink. but it might be getting closer to that point. The Blue Jackets were the better team for significant stretches, including The Jackets lost two-thirds of their fourth line to injuries, as veteran much of the second period, but still flew home empty-handed. center Brandon Dubinsky (lower body) and left wing Markus Hannikainen each left the game early. It’s unclear what happened to either, but it It’s just not a fair fight right now, between the Lightning and 30 other NHL creates a sizable void if one or both cannot play Thursday. teams. Tampa Bay is just shredding its way through the league right now, winning nearly every game in a multitude of ways, and there’s no shame Dubinsky, who left after one shift in the second period, was seen walking in admitting they’re on a different level. on his own power toward the bus. Hannikainen did too, with his right arm either partly immobilized or wrapped in ice under the sleeve of his sport Closing the gap is the trick, which the Jackets will have a little more than coat. a month to do before Lightning strikes again in Columbus. Lukas Sedlak would draw back in Thursday if either one can’t play and Here are five takeaways from another tough night in Tampa for the the Jackets might also need to recall somebody from the Cleveland Jackets to swallow: Monsters. Stay tuned. 1) It’s getting ugly Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.10.2019 This was Tampa Bay’s fifth straight victory against the Blue Jackets dating back to last season’s sweep of the three-game series. The Lightning have already clinched the season series again, winning the first two games by a combined 12-2 margin, and they’ll go for the sweep Feb. 18 in Columbus – where Tampa Bay won, 5-0, on Dec. 31, 2017 in a New Year’s Eve romp last season. During the Lightning’s streak against the Jackets, they’ve won by a combined margin of 24-6, which works out to an average final score of roughly 5-1. “I thought we had some really good minutes, in not just the second period but other times of the game too,” coach John Tortorella said. “But they don’t need much to score goals.” 2) Tough stretch Players and coaches are quick to point out that any team can win on any night in the NHL, and they’re not wrong. It is, however, a little misleading. There certainly are tougher stretches than others throughout an 82-game slate and the Blue Jackets are right in the middle of one. Coming off a 1-2-0 road trip, their first sub-.500 trip of the season, they’re skating right into two more daunting challenges this week. Nashville’s up next Thursday in Columbus followed by a game Saturday in the nation’s capital – where the Jackets defeated the Washington Capitals, 2-1, Nov. 9 at Capital One Arena. Nashville leads the Central Division and the Capitals are atop the Metropolitan, three points ahead of the Jackets. The Blue Jackets will get a day off Wednesday, but will quickly be tapped on the shoulder by two more powerhouses. “It’s always fun playing against the good teams and if you want to win – or go far in the playoffs and so on, you’ve got to beat the best teams,” forward Oliver Bjorkstrand said. “Right now, they’re at the top of the league, so we’ve got to win those games.” 3) Point production Brayden Point doesn’t always get his last name when he plays the Blue Jackets, but it sure feels that way. 1125098 Dallas Stars the league with 2.66 goals against. No team since the 2005-06 Minnesota Wild has ranked as high and missed the playoffs.

Montgomery said the Stars needed to do a better job of creating Analytics have this year's Dallas Stars all over the NHL map. But what extended possessions by corralling rebounds and loose pucks in the numbers really matter? offensive zone with screens at the net. "That's how you score more goals 5-on-5 in the offensive zone is from Matthew DeFranks rebounds, the second or third shot attempts generated at the net because you're converging, you have traffic at the net," Montgomery said. PHILADELPHIA -- Different teams win different ways. For the Stars this The Stars have done a good job creating high-danger scoring chances, season, it's been a mix of superb goaltending, strong defensive play from according to Natural Stat Trick, and their 51.4 percent high-danger a mishmash of 12 defensemen, and streaky performances from their top chances for share is fifth-best in the Western Conference entering line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. Wednesday. They led the NHL last year at 55.7 percent. The formula has gotten the Stars to third place in the Central Division, six Center Jason Spezza is a self-proclaimed hockey nerd. He studies all points behind first-place Winnipeg and five points up on a playoff spot. aspects of the game, and he said he prefers to use analytics in short- While the Stars have been winning -- they are 5-1-1 since Christmas term burst to show trends rather than across an entire season when break -- their underlying metrics have told a different story. factors can change. ("Will we be able to recover from our zone entries or whatever we're talking about with John Klingberg out, now that we have Some possession numbers label them as one of the worst teams in the him in?" Spezza said. "No, because he missed 20 games. That's why I Western Conference, if that title were based solely on a 46.3 percent think it's more important to look at small chunks for us as a team.") shot-attempt share (worst in the West) and a 48.1 percent shots of goal share (fourth-worst in the West). They generate only 47.8 percent of He also pointed to different styles leading to different analytical results. scoring chances at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, fifth-worst figure in the Western Conference. "Some coaches value some things," Spezza said. "Lindy [Ruff] valued shot attempts. I've heard some coaches talk about how when they get 70 "We're not happy with our offensive numbers," coach Jim Montgomery shot attempts, they win the game. Some coaches say when they get 15 said after practice Wednesday in St. Louis. "We made a lot of plays scoring chances, they win the game. Everybody has their beliefs. I think yesterday, nice passes on the rush, but we didn't finish on them. At least it's all important. I think it's all just part of a puzzle. we're making the right decisions now, so that's becoming a little bit better. But shot generation, shot attempts, possessing pucks in the "But at the end of the day, it comes down to executing under pressure. offensive zone, still isn't at a consistent level that we need to be at." There's no stat or no analytics that's going to judge why Esa Lindell can break the puck out clean when they're pressing towards him. That's the But the broad possession numbers fail to account for two tenets of the x-factor of sports. I know everybody wants to quantify it, because we Stars' play: their goaltending and shot selection. have all this data now and it's only going to start getting worse because we're going to start wearing tracking things. But I hate I to break it to The Stars can absorb other team's pushes because of Ben Bishop and people, but it's sports. Anton Khudobin between the pipes. Their combined .916 save percentage ranks third in the NHL and tops in the Western Conference. "You can't quantify poise. There's no number for poise. Esa Lindell Boston -- with Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak -- is the only team with carries the puck out of the zone last night to calm the play down, and two goalies who each have goals-against averages of 2.52 or less. then we have three good minutes where they don't get a chance on us. I equate it to a hockey player deciding to calm the game down. There's no Montgomery has often praised his goaltenders but also said that the number for that. It's one zone exit, the same as if Julius Honka skates it Stars' identity has become one that "is very responsible defensively." out." "Our rush defense has been very consistent here, besides the Briefly: Montgomery said Anton Khudobin will start against the Flyers on Blackhawks game, for three months," Montgomery said. "Our d-zone, we Thursday night after Ben Bishop played against Winnipeg and St. Louis know where our help is, so those two areas have been the most during the first two games of the road trip. ... Julius Honka is also likely to consistent besides our goalies. I think the goalies have been called upon re-enter the lineup after he was a healthy scratch Tuesday in St. Louis. to make a lot of big saves, but they also know where the shots are During practice Wednesday morning, he skated on the third defensive coming from." paring with Taylor Fedun. Montgomery also prioritizes high-danger scoring chances instead of shot Dallas Morning News LOADED: 01.10.2019 attempts. The Stars count those as any chances inside the "house" (from the tops of the circles to the dots to the goal posts). He puts less of an emphasis on firing shots from everywhere -- like Carolina and Montreal do -- and more on trying to work for a good chance. "Yesterday, in the game, after two periods, St. Louis had 40 shot attempts and we had 30," Montgomery said. "But we had the better scoring chances because we were playing together and creating odd- man rushes and/or finding people open in the slot. For me, it's more about the grade-A chances that we create than it is how many you put towards the net." In the last two seasons, the league leader in shot-attempt share missed the playoffs. Los Angeles missed in 2016-17, and Carolina missed last season. The Hurricanes lead the league this season in shot attempts per 60 minutes, and they are outside the playoff bubble. Last year, Washington won the Stanley Cup despite ranking 24th in shot- attempt share and 27th in shots on goal share. But they focused on making plays and moving pucks laterally instead of flinging them at the net. Dallas is not Washington. They don't have the league's best scorer in Alexander Ovechkin, nor do they have a 50-point scorer such as Niklas Backstrom on the second line, nor an 18-goal scorer such as Lars Eller on the third line. The Stars haven't scored like the Capitals have, but that doesn't mean their approaches are vastly different, and Montgomery said the Stars were more similar to Washington than a team such as Montreal. The Stars entered Wednesday ranked 26th in the NHL in goals per game at 2.70. In a full season, no team since the 2011-12 Los Angeles Kings has ranked as low and still made the playoffs. Dallas also ranks fifth in 1125099 Dallas Stars

Is Allen Hurns’ injury worst in DFW pro sports history? Here are some other contenders

BY PETER DAWSON

Allen Hurns has talked about the injury and the surgery he underwent to begin the process of repairing his broken fibula. Fans and teammates have talked about it, too. It might go down as the most-remembered moment of the Cowboys’ 24- 22 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night in the NFC’s wild- card round. Here are a few of the worst sports injuries in DFW pro sports and of all time. And, if possible, video of how they happened. WARNING: some of these can videos are extremely graphic. Cowboys: During the 2018 NFL Playoffs this past weekend, wide receiver Allen Hurns suffers broken ankle versus the Seattle Seahawks. Star-Telegram LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125100 Dallas Stars to make it to Dallas in time for the game against the Washington Capitals on Jan. 4.

Traveling isn’t easy for Bryce. His parents, Roland and Michelle, were up How a group effort helped a 16-year-old with Cerebral Palsy meet his with him at 2:30 on Thursday morning to help him prepare for the flight. hockey hero, Tyler Seguin There were slight complications with the flight due to concern about whether Bryce’s chair would fit on the plane, but after a connection in Chicago, the Desrochers family made it to Dallas on Thursday. By Sean Shapiro Jan 9, 2019 “Just think about that, we get worried about the difficulties with this trip, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what his parents do every day,” Rademan said. “It’s eye-opening when you think about it, and it’s Bryce Desrochers has been a Tyler Seguin fan since the 2010 NHL the type of thing that — how could we not do our best to help him get Draft. down here?” He watched Seguin win a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011 The next day Desrochers was the guest of honor at the Stars’ morning and rooted hard for that team. When Seguin was traded in 2014, the skate. It was an optional skate and Seguin didn’t practice, but he spent Bruins also traded Desrochers’ fandom to the Dallas Stars. about 15 minutes with the family talking about hockey, gave Bryce a signed, game-used stick, and the Stars gave Desrochers a white Stars When the Stars signed Seguin to an eight-year extension this summer, jersey, which of course had Seguin’s name and number on the back. they locked up Desrocher’s long-term fandom. “It’s exciting,” Seguin said. “One of those things where you see he’s been Desrochers is a 16-year-old from Ottawa with Cerebral Palsy, a disability through so much and for him, just how happy he is to be around his that affects movement and posture which is caused by damage to the favorite team and his favorite player. It’s kind of neat talking to them brain during development. He’s a fan of all sports, but after Seguin, all about how he’s a fan and how they’ve gone to the rink near my other teams or athletes are competing for second place. When hometown, and how they’ve gone to that rink just because I played there Desrochers played sled hockey, the team numbers only went up to No. at some point. So to be able to finally meet him is great.” 15. They made an exception to give him No. 91. Desrochers got to meet most of the team at the morning skate, and Watching a Stars game in Dallas and meeting Seguin had always been a afterward, Jason Spezza gave Bryce his own stick from practice. dream for Desrochers, but unfortunately, reality can get in the way. Traveling from Ottawa to Dallas isn’t easy, and traveling with Desrochers’ “I told you you’d need an extra bag for the flight home!” Helms told wheelchair, which he controls with his chin, is both extremely difficult and Desrochers, watching Spezza sign an autograph for Bryce. expensive. There are programs that put trips like this together for children, but Desrochers had aged out of his eligibility for the Make-A- That evening Seguin scored twice as the Stars defeated the NHL’s Wish foundation. defending champions. This is where the baseball community came together to help Desrochers “How great was that?” Michelle Desrochers said the next day. “It was like realize his hockey dream. a movie, you couldn’t have scripted that better, right? Bryce gets to meet Tyler and he scored twice, and Tyler told him he would score for him.” Matt Helms was a left fielder for the Ottawa Champions of the Can-Am League, an independent baseball league in Canada and the Desrochers was a guest at practice the next day in Frisco before the Northeastern United States, when he met Desrochers during the 2016 Stars flew to Winnipeg. Wearing his new Seguin jersey he was given a season. The Desrochers family would frequently be at games, and tour of the locker room, met some of the players that he hadn’t yet on players on the Champions got to know the teenager who zipped around Friday, and took a group picture that Seguin orchestrated with his in his wheelchair and cheered the team on to a Can-Am championship in teammates. 2016. “This was important for me to do, and I can’t thank the Stars and the Helms also learned about Desrochers’ dream of meeting Seguin, and in Foundation enough for helping make this happen,” Helms said. “Seeing 2018 he set a goal to help the family get to Dallas. In October, Helms the smile for Bryce when he met his hero, that was one of the greatest launched a GoFundMe page with the goal of raising enough money to fly things.” the entire family to Dallas for a Stars game. The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 “He’s such a great kid and you see what the family is going through,” Helms said. “You wanted to do something to help him get his dream, this was important to me.” Helms started sharing the crowd-funding page on Facebook and Twitter, doing a little bit of everything to bring attention to the cause. And one of those Facebook posts caught the right person’s attention. Helms is from Eufaula, Oklahoma, a small town about 90 minutes south of Tulsa. Eufaula is also the hometown of Britny Rupp, the wife of former Philadelphia Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp. Rupp is from Plano and grew up rooting for the Stars. Four years ago he met and started a friendship with Jason Rademan, the Stars’ Director of Team Services. “He’s from Philadelphia and when I was playing with the Phillies I reached out to the Flyers guys about going to a game when they were in town playing the Stars,” Rupp said. “And I ended up getting connected with Jason then.” When Britny showed her husband Helms’ Facebook post he called Rademan, who started working with the Stars organization to help get Desrochers to Dallas. “I’ve never met Matt, and really I’m just a middle man here,” Rupp said. “But when I saw this and heard a bit about the story I called Jason. If there was something I could do to help this kid live his dream, I would do my part. And realize, I really only did a small part.” While Rupp says he played a small part, the best-laid plans sometimes need a push to get everything in motion and that’s what he provided. Soon the Dallas Stars Foundation was communicating with Helms and the Desrochers family about making Bryce’s trip a reality. Through the foundation, the Stars paid for the family to fly to Texas. A local hotel donated a room, and transportation was set up for Desrochers 1125101 Detroit Red Wings That speed that’s been Athanasiou’s weapon against opponents has been starkly on display on several of his recent goals, Athanasiou simply out-racing a defender, and establishing space for himself.

Andreas Athanasiou proves to be prolific X-factor in Red Wings' offense “It seems like out of nowhere he can make something happen,” goaltender Jimmy Howard said. “He’s talented, he’s got great hands and a great shot. He’s finding ways to get open using his speed.” Ted Kulfan, Jan. 9, 2019 But, mainly, it’s been a different sort of Athanasiou, able to make an impact on a game-to-game basis and not becoming invisible.

Detroit — Admit it, you’ve been waiting for Andreas Athanasiou to go into “How you approach every day ultimately tells you how you’re going to a lengthy slump. play,” Blashill said. “He’s done a good job of that.”

As Athanasiou was apt to do the previous two seasons, going through Detroit News LOADED: 01.10.2019 stretches where he’d be red-hot, then out of sight in terms of the scoresheet.

That was one of the larger knocks against Athanasiou, his lack of consistency.

But if you’ve been waiting, well, you may keep on waiting.

The halfway point of the schedule has passed, and Athanasiou keeps rolling along, Tuesday scoring both Red Wings’ goals in a 3-2 loss to Montreal.

“You’re seeing more of him doing it on a nightly basis,” defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “In the past, his early years in the league, it was more bits and pieces.

“He’s doing it more on a consistent basis and that’s really paying off. He could have had a hat trick (Tuesday).”

Statistics don’t always tell the tale of situation, but the stark numbers do in Athanasiou’s case.

His 17 goals this season have come in only 39 games (and Athanasiou has six in the last seven games). Compare that to the 16 goals he had all of last season –— in 71 games.

Athanasiou appears headed to easily shatter his career-high, which was 18, in 2016-17.

“We talk about guys who have an X-factor,” Kronwall said. “He’s a guy that can score a goal out of nowhere, just the way he skates.”

In the past, coach Jeff Blashill has benched, or made Athanasiou a healthy scratch, as a way to remind Athanasiou of the need to consistently work on the ice, and pay attention to his defensive responsibilities.

But that tough love message hasn’t been needed, thus far, this season.

Maybe it’s a more mature Athanasiou, at age 24, or averting any sort of contract issue — unlike the previous year — having signed a 2-year contract worth $6 million in July.

From day of one of training camp, Athanasiou has looked laser-focused on tapping the potential many hockey people felt he had, but simply hadn’t consistently shown.

“He was engaged and on it,” said Blashill, of Athanasiou’s training camp. “His pre-season was outstanding for the most part. I just think he’s done a good job of taking septs in the right direction.

“It comes from his daily approach in practice, which has been very good. His engagement and work ethic from day one has been very good and witih that, when he does that on a consistent basis, he’s a real good player.

“And that shows up in games.”

Athanasiou, for his part, has mostly brushed aside the talk about consistency, or his offensive production, or ability to generate a scoring chance out of nothing because of his sizzling speed.

But the shot, too, is becoming noticed for his velocity and accuracy, able to find holes in any goaltender's stance.

“Pucks are bouncing the right way,” said Athanasiou of his hot streak. “Just keep working hard and generating those opportunities and try to make the most of them when they come.

“Just play hard every night and bring my game. Do what I have to do to be ready come game time.” 1125102 Edmonton Oilers

WATCH: Oil Spills: Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid endures flagrant fouls

CRAIG ELLINGSON, EDMONTON JOURNAL

NHL beat writers Jim Matheson and Derek Van Diest talk to Oil Spills host Craig Ellingson about the grabs, holds, shots, interference, etc., Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid endures many times per game and why referees are seemingly ignoring most of the fouls.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125103 Edmonton Oilers Fans in Edmonton would like to see the Oilers do something to help the roster, but they are also deathly afraid the Oilers might do something to help the roster.

TAKE 3: Dissecting a rebuild, and a season, and the future Not saying they’ve lost faith in GM Peter Chiarelli, but a segment of the population is genuinely worried that he might trade the Oilers’ first round pick for somebody’s second round pick. Robert Tychkowski It’s very likely, with the season teetering on the brink, but still salvageable, and a pink slip or two waiting for Chiarelli and Bob Nicholson if this thing goes sideways, that something is coming. It’s sad, sometimes, the talent that gets wasted on the Edmonton Oilers. Between the pieces that have already been moved over the years and Watching Connor McDavid trying to drag this organization into the the players who are untouchable, there isn’t much left to tempt the other playoffs is like watching Secretariat attached to a plow. You can’t take GM’s, but there are still two bullets left in Chiarelli’s chamber: The first your eyes off a spectacular horse, but it’s hard to look at. round pick and Jesse Puljujarvi. And it’s nothing new. There have been some great young players come A deal or deals involving one or both is very intriguing, and potentially through here during the 12-year rebuild, most of them asked to do too catastrophic if they screw it up. much too soon with too little help. I’m not sold that Pulujarvi will ever be what the Oilers hope. He has a lot Instead of getting the kind of support that blue chip prospects in Calgary of tools, but I’m not seeing much difference between Puljujarvi today and and Toronto get, they’re patted on the back and told to be patient while the kid they took out of the box two and a half seasons ago. At least not the owner and his management teams attack this problem with all the as much you’d expect. efficiency of a gorilla in ski gloves trying to untangle headphones. Yes, players develop as different speeds, and as we’ve established There have always been good, honest, hard-working grinders earlier, Edmonton isn’t the easiest place to be a young player. But this is surrounding the young stars in this organization, but for more than a a move the Oilers might consider, so long as — wait for it — Chiarelli decade now the skill and experience needed to help them turn this team gets something really good in return. into a winner has never been provided. In an era where you need your top nine players to be offensively gifted, Edmonton can’t get much past It’s a delicate, risky play, but it could really help. the top four. Of course, if they lose the deal and Puljujarvi goes somewhere else and The result is 12 years of losing. scores 30 goals it could haunt them for years.

So there was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest serving player on the Either way, it’s in management’s hands now. team, after his 500th game as an Oiler: plus one in a 7-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Sleep well, Oilers fans.

On what should have been an especially proud moment, he didn’t even Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 01.10.2019 crack a smile.

“You don’t really think about it throughout your career,” he said. “Then, all of a sudden, it happens and it hits you a little bit. That’s quite a few games, I guess, but right now it’s nothing.”

Sad. With a foundation made up of McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Leon Draisaitl, it shouldn’t be this hard to build a better team.

Boys under the bus

Despite a six-game losing streak, and another 1-6 swan dive, despite getting a coach fired, despite trading their fifth leading goal scorer for a healthy scratch, despite going 2-8 in their last 10, despite proving that they are thinner than airport toilet paper and that one injury can bring the whole thing crashing down and despite moments when they looked like a men’s league team that took a wrong turn on the way to an 11 p.m. ice time at the Knights of Columbus Sports Complex, the Oilers are still in the playoff hunt.

You can look at how things have been trending and the moves that led them here and be justifiably angry and afraid that this is the beginning of the end, but fans demanding Daryl Katz clean house right now, in mid- season, when they are two points out with 39 games to go, are jumping the gun.

Nobody likes what is happening here, but maybe wait till the Oilers are actually dead first.

They’ve gone 8-2-1 twice this year, so beating out three of four teams (Vancouver, Anaheim, Colorado and Minnesota) for one of those two wild card spots isn’t far fetched.

I wouldn’t bet a whole bunch of money on it, but it’s possible.

If they crash and burn over the next week or two (there is also every chance it could go that way) there will be plenty of time to scream for change.

But trust me, I know what a dead season looks like. This one isn’t there yet.

Moving day

So what do they do? 1125104 Edmonton Oilers been better but he played with an edge, and could play with star players and not be intimidated.

“Early in my (NHL) career I knew I had to be more consistent but as time Trade from Edmonton Oilers blindsided Drake Caggiula went on I thought I had started to play better. I was gaining a lot of trust with Todd (former coach McLellan),” said Caggiula. “I was playing some heavy minutes, sometimes with Connor and Nuge (Ryan Nugent- Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal Hopkins). But I had trouble finding consistency of role. I couldn’t find a home (on one line).”

His versatility was a plus, although every NHLer wants security and When Drake Caggiula was traded to Chicago 10 days ago in a move that consistency more. came out of left field for him, he found himself in a state of limbo, not in the state of Illinois because of work visa issues. “It’s hard to play to play like that where you’re on a fourth line playing six minutes and next game you’re playing 18 minutes, then next nine. It’s The Oilers had dealt Chris Wideman and a third-round pick to Florida hard on your mind and body, hard to get into a groove,” said Caggiula, earlier on Dec. 30 for Alex Petrovic, something Caggiula was oblivious to who then had to win over new coach Ken Hitchcock. because he was one of the last guys off the ice at practice along with Jujhar Khaira. That one caught him off guard, and when he moved an “Early on, he (Hitchcock) kept me playing with Connor and I was playing hour later along with defenceman Jason Garrison for blueliner Brandon 18 minutes and he let me play a career-high of almost 20 minutes one Manning, he admittedly was gob-smacked. night…then I hurt my thumb and came back and I was on the fourth line and couldn’t get out of the rut,” he said. “I saw Wideman packing up his stuff, saying his goodbyes and leaving the rink and I didn’t even realize he had gotten off the ice early “You can’t blame anybody, there’s nobody to point fingers at. I have to (practice),” said Caggiula, who had played 156 Oiler games since he was find a way to be better.” signed as a college free-agent in the summer of 2016 and was probably the most portable of all their forwards — a fourth-liner one night, on Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 01.10.2019 Connor McDavid’s wing two games later.

“I was thinking ‘oh, wow, didn’t see that (Wideman) coming,’ and I headed home and was playing Xbox with a couple of buddies from back home.”

He was chilling in his apartment when his agent texted him.

“He was on his way to the Dominican Republic for a family vacation and he texted me saying he’d heard some rumours but said he didn’t expect anything to happen while he was away, especially on holiday. He said ‘don’t worry about.’ Then half an hour I got a call from Peter (Chiarelli),” said Caggiula. “I texted my agent back and said ‘uh, done deal.’’’ I absolutely had no idea my name was being thrown around. But I guess Chicago had been trying to get me since I signed with Edmonton instead of Chicago.”

After the trade Caggiula became a nowhereman, though, because he had to get new work papers. He couldn’t get out of town. It took him almost a week as he packed clothes and boxes and practised with the Sherwood Park Crusaders.

“You’re part of another team (trade) but you’re not really part of any team at that point. You’re stuck in no-man’s land. One team is pretty much done with you and the other team is trying to start with you but they can’t because they’re waiting for all the paperwork. It becomes a bit of a crapshoot,” said Caggiula, who had to find a team to workout with, to stay in shape.

“I couldn’t skate with the Oil Kings because the Oilers own them so I ended up skating with the Crusaders for two days … somebody in Chicago knew their GM but also Matt Benning’s brother Michael (committed to Denver University) plays for Sherwood Park. Matt texted me and said maybe I should go there,” he said.

He had one team practice with the Blackhawks last Saturday in Chicago and played Sunday in Pittsburgh and Monday at home against Calgary. He played about 11 minutes on the fourth line with a mixture of players both nights, on the wing and at centre. “Little tough on the lungs and the leg but a good building block,” said Caggiula, who was on left-wing, still wearing No. 91, but on the third line with centre David Kampf and winger Brandon Saad Wednesday against Nashville at United Center.

Caggiula had seven goals, which was fifth most at forward. He hadn’t scored in a month but he had missed games with sprained ligaments in his thumb, hurt in a practice. Chiarelli wanted Manning and the Hawks held firm on Caggiula.

“There were a lot of defencemen in Edmonton already and I thought they might want to bring in another forward (trade) but I’m not the one making the decisions.”

Caggiula had a stretch of 82 games over two seasons where he had 18 goals so he was always a possible 20-goal man in time here but he also had struggled with consistency, something he readily admits, and an array of medical problems also dogged him. Defensively he could have 1125105 Edmonton Oilers Petrovic — have yet to show they are any less incompetent than anybody else back there.

And who knows what you are going to get on any given night in goal from JONES: Chiarelli has largely left himself as a lame duck general Cam Talbot or Koskinen, especially behind the defence as it is currently manager constructed.

When the Oilers are good, they can look very good. But when they are Terry Jones bad, they can be very, very bad. Evidence the recent road trip. In Phoenix and Anaheim the Oilers were good. In Los Angeles and San Jose, they were very, very bad.

Dead ahead for the Edmonton Oilers could be dead ahead. They’re an insane team to cover.

For the 11th time in 12 years — and third time in four years featuring the Just when things start to look good this team dives into the toilet. Just greatest player in the game in Connor McDavid — the Oilers appear to when things look bleak, they rise from the depths of despair. be a sinking ship. But dead ahead is quite likely the stretch of games that will likely tell the Every once in a while you have to remind yourself that it’s Jan. 10 and tale. the Oilers aren’t dead yet, which in itself is an accomplishment. This ‘Love Me, Love Me Not’ team has so far managed to avoid mopping up HOME IS WHERE THE OPPORTUNITY IS another season and dropping into draft lottery position yet again. There are seven games between now and Jan. 22 when the Oilers hit the But don’t look down. All-Star break. Home to Florida Thursday with visits by Arizona, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina and Detroit with a game in Vancouver in there — you’d On one hand, the Oilers return from their four-game road trip to the figure surely this team can find some success in there somewhere. American southwest only two points south of a wildcard playoff spot. And the team begins a final seven games with six of them at home before the Indeed, it looks like just when they need it most, opportunity may have CBA-extended 10-day All-Star break. Five of these next seven games presented itself. are also against teams currently outside of a playoff position. The problem with that is the last time opportunity presented itself, the But despite the fact it’s early January not mid-March, watching them play Oilers had five consecutive games at home to end December and lost all in putting together two wins in their last 10 games tells you it’s now five. Survival Season. So it’s a fair question.

Edmonton is 21st overall in the NHL and went into last night’s play only Is “dead ahead” dead ahead? six points ahead of the 31st place Ottawa Senators. They’re a team that once had an 8-1-1 run, hit a 1-6-1 skid that got Todd McLellan fired, went Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 01.10.2019 9-2-2 under Ken Hitchcock when he showed up and is now 2-8.

CONFIDENCE IN CHIARELLI NEXT TO NIL

Public confidence in the general manager, who less than a month ago looked like he had saved himself, has dropped to next to nil.

With that 9-2-2 start under Hitchcock, the emergence of Alex Chiasson from a PTO look at training camp to produce 17 goals and the success of $2.5-million KHL goalie Mikko Koskinen, who won seven straight at home until the league figured out he can’t stop anything high glove side, Chiarelli looked like was might be putting his sorry season of generally managing the Oilers out of the playoffs last year behind him.

If Chiarelli had looked like he’d rediscovered his genius from the 103- point playoff year two years ago, the house of cards he’d built came tumbling down with injuries to defencemen Oscar Klefbom and Kris Russell.

Chiarelli didn’t do anything to fix the need for a top defenceman and right-winger in the off-season and left himself with no remaining salary cap room and it suddenly bit him in the ass.

Now Edmonton fans fear his only remaining option is to pull the trigger on another terrible trade involving a talent like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

After his $6-million a year deal to sign Milan Lucic that has four years to run, and the deals that saw him trade away Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle and what he gave up to get Griffin Reinhart, the inescapable conclusion is that half-way into his make it or break it season, Chiarelli has largely left himself as a lame duck general manager.

He went into the season knowing he needed to make the playoffs to save his job. The Oilers come home with 43 points in 43 games. That projects to 82 in 82 and that doesn’t get you a playoff position.

Everybody in town can tell you that the Oilers have three of the very best players in the game in McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins along with one of the better stories of the year in Chiasson. But they can’t get on track because most of the supporting cast Chiarelli has supplied continues to be mostly flailing and failing.

AN INSANE TEAM TO COVER

Klefbom is unlikely to be back until the Oilers complete this next stage of their schedule and Chiarelli’s latest expenditures with the final few dollar available from his mismanaged salary cap — Brandon Manning and Alex 1125106 Edmonton Oilers heavyweights) and drilling him in a face a few times is a suspension waiting to happen.

And if Lindholm is injured by the street justice, then a player who was just Protecting McDavid: NHL won't do it and his teammates' hands are tied trying to stick up for his captain is in serious trouble. Lucic had a player safety hearing for giving Mathieu Joseph a good shake, for heaven sakes. Imagine what they’d do if he really hurt someone. Robert Tychkowski “Hitch has talked about it a lot, the non calls on Connor, especially behind the play,” said Lucic, adding the Ducks always seem to get away with more than they should against Edmonton. “It seems like it’s like that SAN JOSE, Calif. — Edmonton Oilers fans had two burning questions in every time we play them. And it’s not like they’re the cleanest team in the the wake of Hampus Lindholm’s dirty and dangerous hit on Connor league. McDavid Sunday night: Why isn’t the NHL doing more to discourage incidents like this and why wasn’t Lindholm beaten up? “We just have to play through those things and if it comes down to it, and we have to, then we have to police it ourselves.” Two very good questions to which there aren’t any satisfying answers. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 01.10.2019 A day after referees Kyle Rehman and Jake Brenk embarrassed themselves and the league by shrugging off a boarding penalty that could have had catastrophic results if McDavid hadn’t braced himself in time, the NHL department of player safety doubled down on the mistake, refusing to hand out even a fine.

After watching the video and listening to the outcry from fans around the league, George Parros and his crew backed the referee and ruled it a good hockey play.

The same guys who gave Milan Lucic a $10,000 hit for cuffing someone and grabbing him by the scruff of the collar decided that because McDavid put the brakes on and initiated contact as he and Lindholm headed toward the corner, it become OK to crosscheck him across the numbers and send him tumbling face first into the boards.

Cool.

Is this the part where we act surprised that a guy who spent his career punching people in the face might not be the best person to be in charge of player safety?

“Connor isn’t a guy who falls down easily,” said teammate Jujhar Khaira, as the Oilers, who had Monday off, returned to work for the first time after the decision came down.

“It had to have been a decent enough push to get him off balance. I’m not on Player Safety, and the refs make their calls on the ice, it’s a fast game. it’s not easy. At the same time, on a play like that, you have to protect the player.”

Lucic was in the penalty box at the time and didn’t see the play from a good angle, but he knew it was bad.

“Because I was on the same side of the boards I definitely felt the impact of it,” he said.

“You knew it was a hard play. Then I saw the video. I don’t want to comment too much on the Player Safety people because they do their best to police the game as well as they can. You have to respect in what they do, but that was one of those plays, five feet away from the boards in the danger zone, where if he doesn’t brace himself it could have been very bad.

“You don’t want to see that, especially when it’s your best player.”

On a team with Zack Kassian, Darnell Nurse, Lucic and Khaira on it, it’s not like the Oilers didn’t want to take justice into their own hands, but in a league that sometimes appears to be more concerned with public image than player safety, that can be a dangerous road, too.

In better days, Dave Semenko would simply skate up and lay the guy out. That’s why Gretzky rarely got touched. Now? Forget about it.

“That’s the grey area now,” said Lucic. “It’s not a very good sign when you don’t jump in there for a teammate when he is hit like that, but it’s the retaliation guy that they (NHL) get now. That’s where the grey area is.

“Sometimes the coach is on you, the fan base is on you, the media is on you for not jumping in there, but …”

But that’s a minefield these days. Taking the instigator in the third period of a 4-0 game is no big deal, but that’s only the start.

Skating up to somebody who doesn’t agree to a fight (Lindholm didn’t even answer the bell when Joseph Gambardella arrived on the scene, so there’s no way he was throwing down with one of Edmonton’s 1125107 Edmonton Oilers big-picture sense if the hockey operations department is convinced that it has a competent top-four with everyone healthy, but a third pairing badly in need of shoring up.

Willis: Analysing the risk of heaping heavy minutes on Connor McDavid That doesn’t mean those were good trades, of course. The arrival of and Leon Draisaitl Caleb Jones, along with the possibility of Ethan Bear or William Lagesson helping to shore up the bottom end means Edmonton had internal options, and the long-term contract ramifications on the Manning By Jonathan Willis Jan 9, 2019 deal remain lousy. But at least looking at it this way offers a partial defence of the move.

Taking all that into account, there isn’t much outside the norm on the For a coach with a top-heavy roster, there is an obvious appeal to ride blueline in terms of usage. Klefbom is playing a lot when healthy, but not the best players available. The Oilers are such a team and both Ken so much that he’s a real outlier. The lack of trust in the third pair is the Hitchcock, and Todd McLellan before him, have embraced that only real find here. temptation. Between Jones and Petrovic, that may already be resolved. If the Oilers The trade-off seems obvious. Playing good players more helps the team return to a Klefbom-Larsson top pair and a Nurse-Russell second win in the short-term. It comes at a cost, though: diminished performance tandem, that will leave the puck-moving rookie Jones with the heavy due to fatigue, increased risk of injury, and the potential for a bad second veteran Petrovic, an arrangement which at least on paper has some half and/or playoffs. promise. “Seems” is the important word here, because all of these concepts are The forward usage is as extreme as expected, though, and especially so fuzzy. How extreme is Edmonton’s player usage? How much of a short- at even-strength. term boost is it creating? What are the injury and fatigue effects? All of those questions need a relatively clear answer before we can draw a McDavid is averaging 18:45 per night at even-strength. This is nearly 20 properly informed conclusion on the overall policy. seconds more per game than previous cap era record-holder Martin St. Louis, who played 18:26 per game for Tampa Bay in 2011-12. How extreme is Edmonton’s player usage? Draisaitl’s 17:10 per game is just eight seconds less than 2016-17 Entering action Tuesday, just 26 forwards in the NHL were averaging McDavid and represents a cap era high for Oilers forwards not named more than 20 minutes per game. Three of them play for the Oilers. In a McDavid. 31-team league, this marks Edmonton as an outlier. Nugent-Hopkins is in a different position. His even-strength minutes are Similarly, 30 defencemen were over the 23 minutes-per-game mark, with actually quite a bit lower than they were a few years ago when he was two of them playing for Edmonton. A third Oilers defender also ranks the Oilers’ No. 1 centre and even his overall ice time is under what it was inside the top-50, with an average of 22:25 per game. when he was Dallas Eakins’ favourite forward workhorse. Clearly, Edmonton is running a more top-heavy rotation than most NHL Given that Nugent-Hopkins was often cited as Edmonton’s most valuable teams. The brunt of it naturally falls on its best players. player in those years, it’s probably reasonable to dismiss him from the To get a feel for the effect, I looked at the average ice time among equation. This means all we’re really left with are McDavid and Draisaitl players with more than 20 games played. Anyone who spent more than at the far end of the usage spectrum. We can refine the picture further, half of their games with Edmonton (e.g. Drake Caggiula and Ryan too: neither player is much over the NHL norm on the power play or Spooner) was included as an Oiler, while anyone who spent more than penalty kill, so the thing that makes them outliers is how much they are half of their games elsewhere (e.g. Ryan Strome) was counted toward used at even-strength. the NHL average. How much of a short-term boost are the Oilers getting? Notice where the big differences are between the Oilers and the NHL’s Thankfully, the difference in use between McDavid/Draisaitl and the other 30 teams. typical top-two forwards on any other NHL team approximates to Edmonton is loading the minutes on three forwards: Connor McDavid, something very simple: two extra minutes at 5-on-5. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. All are averaging between 1.8 McDavid averages just over two minutes more per game than the and 2.6 minutes more per game than is usual for forwards in their lineup average No. 1 forward. Draisaitl comes in just a touch less than the same slots. amount over the average No. 2 forward. On balance, the Oilers take two Those minutes are being taken from the club’s second- and third-line minutes away from their middle-six forwards (with the exception of talent. The biggest gaps are in the Nos. 5 and 6 slots (Drake Caggiula, Nugent-Hopkins) and give them to their two best forwards. Milan Lucic) though Nos. 4, 7 and 8 (Alex Chiasson, Tobias Rieder, Zack Sustained over 80 games (let’s assume one or both players miss a game Kassian) are also at least a minute below the league average for their or two but are otherwise healthy) that works out to 160 minutes on the respective slots. Kyle Brodziak (No. 9) is just under a minute shy of the season. average forward in that position. It’s relatively easy to define what happens when McDavid and Draisaitl At the end of the roster, Nos. 10 and 11 (Jesse Puljujarvi, Jujhar Khaira) come on the ice, but isolating Edmonton’s middle-six is more difficult. hover around the NHL average while Nos. 12 and 13 (Ty Rattie, Ryan Most teams have a more pronounced step down from their second, to Spooner) come in above it. third, to fourth lines than the Oilers do. For the sake of comparison, I’m This reflects the overall failure of Edmonton’s middle-six. Their minutes going to lump all the non-McDavid/non-Draisaitl minutes together. have at times been given to players lower on the depth chart (some of This year McDavid and Draisaitl have been really hot together and the whom, like Chiasson, never gave them back) and at other times handed team without them has been really bad, which only encourages the over to the players at the top. coach to go back to his stars again and again. The defence is a different story, though we have to account for injury. If If the numbers from the start of this year were to be sustained over the the team’s No. 1 and No. 4 defencemen (Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell) course of the season, running McDavid and Draisaitl at this pace would are healthy for the entire first half, Nos. 2 and 3 (Adam Larsson, Darnell result in an expected swing of more than seven goals: 4.52 by virtue of Nurse) both end up a lot closer to the NHL average. having McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice, and 2.77 by not having lesser If we take a snapshot on Dec. 10, the day before the loss of Klefbom and talent out there. Russell in Colorado, we find Larsson ticking along at a league-average Additionally, to some extent, the coach gets to decide when to hit the rate and Nurse a bit above it. We also find Nos. 5 and 6 (Kevin Gravel, boost button. If the Oilers have a big lead or big deficit, Hitchcock can go Matt Benning) well below it. easy on his stars. In a close game, he can run them ragged. That means That usage probably represents the best defence of general manager not just a seven-goal swing in overall goal differential, but that most of Peter Chiarelli’s roster tinkering this season. The early addition Chris that swing gets concentrated in high-leverage situations. Wideman and later Alex Petrovic and Brandon Manning make a lot more However, I think that probably overstates things a bit. Over the longer haul, the goal differential of the McDavid/Draisaitl combination is 3.27 per 160 minutes and I’d be inclined to use that number over this season’s total. Even so, six extra goals over the course of the year still represent a lot of value.

In a vacuum, every coach in the game would take that kind of swing. It shows how much difference a superstar can make even in just a few extra minutes. The question is whether that boost comes with a downside.

What are the injury and fatigue effects?

Injury and fatigue are the hardest items to measure, especially without behind-the-scenes information. We can but try.

For each of the past four years, I identified the 30 players with the highest average ice time at 5-on-5 as of Jan. 1. Before getting down to that group of 30, I eliminated all players who were traded in-season, all players that didn’t play in the second half, and all players who missed 15 percent or more of their team’s games as of that date.

That left me with 120 player-seasons. I divided that set of 120 into three 40 player-season groups, ranked by average ice time. Then I went looking for performance and injury information.

For performance, I settled on simple points-per-hour. There are pretty small swings across the board here, but it is interesting to me that the 40 most-used players (all of whom averaged at least 15.0 minutes per game through Jan. 1) as a whole had strong second-half performances. That nine percent increase in scoring rate suggests to me that fatigue was not much of a factor.

The injury information is something else, though. Seven of the 40 most- used players missed 25 percent or more of their teams’ post-Jan. 1 games. Five of the middle 40 missed 25 percent. Just two of the final 40 missed 25 percent.

This is hardly conclusive. There just aren’t enough players who log these kinds of minutes to feel really confident in the numbers. But seeing 17.5 percent of that minute-munching group miss at least a quarter of their teams’ post-Jan. 1 games suggest that the risk of injury does go up for the players being asked to do the heaviest lifting.

If so, it means the choice the Oilers are making with McDavid and Draisaitl is indeed a trade-off.

Edmonton is going to get a substantial goal differential benefit in the short-term, and probably doesn’t have to worry about either player’s scoring going away as the season carries on. The downside would appear to be a greater chance that one of those star players misses significant time to injury.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125108 Florida Panthers If anything, the Panthers have added to their list of questions this season. They’re ranked 13 of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference (and, yes, Stockholm Syndromers, they’ve played fewer games than most). They’ve Hyde: We lead the leagues in losing — but this South Florida team fallen behind in the opening minutes in nine of the past 10 games. disappoints the most | Commentary They’ve given up a league-high nine short-handed goals.

On Tuesday night, Boughner benched the team’s top scorer, Jonathan Huberdeau, All-Star defenseman Keith Yandle, big off-season acquisition Dave Hyde Mike Hoffman and legendary goalie after Pittsburgh’s second, short-handed goal made it 4-0. None played in the third period of

the 5-1 loss. In other, different, shall-we-say more successful sports regions, today’s This is the core of the Panthers. They rank among the team’s highest- debate is which team is winning the market by winning fans by winning paid players. If they can’t be ready to play, who can? If they can’t stop the most. another season from sinking, who will? If Boughner can’t get through to Here in South Florida, during our Era of Losing, where wins are scarce them this way, when will he ever? and optimism fleeting, we ask a different question: It’s like kicking a baby seal, criticizing the Panthers at this point, Who’s disappointing us the most? considering they last won a playoff series more than two decades ago. That’s a staggering statistic in a random sport like hockey. Even the Study the teams, align the seasons, pop a Prozac and cast your vote. Dolphins last won a playoff game in 2000.

It can’t be the Heat, who are exactly as expected this year, a repeat of Even the Marlins last won in the postseason in 2003. last season from the same roster to the same .500 team to the same wonderful Dwyane Wade moments to surely the same sixth seed and And, dare we remember, the Heat won the title in 2014. same playoff cameo in the Eastern Conference. That was five years ago that seems like five decades by now. It’s not just It could be the Marlins, except they’re systematically trying to fail, and not that no team is winning in South Florida. None of our teams appear on only had the worst team in the National League last year, but have done the road to winning, and the only way to measure them is by defining the nothing to improve it this off-season. Nothing. Since they want to fail, biggest disappointment. does that make them a success? A lot of worthy candidates. But the Panthers win that award. Or lose it. Our most disappointing team always could be the Dolphins, except this Sun Sentinel LOADED: 01.10.2019 year they simply confirmed everyone’s prediction that they weren’t very good and the only place they’d go was the unemployment line.

It also could be the University of Miami football team. It started the season ranked in the top 10 and lost successive games to Virginia, Boston College, Duke and Georgia Tech en route to losing the national ranking, coach Mark Richt, top recruits and any future relations with Temple.

But after careful consideration no team is having a disappointing year like the Panthers. You know, the hockey team? Just checking, because former coach Doug MacLean entered a sports bar in Delray Beach and asked to watch the Panthers game.

“It’s not football season,’’ the waiter said, thinking the Carolina Panthers.

But our Panthers aren’t just lost halfway through a season that began with playoff expectations. They don’t just have all their homegrown kids now in their prime years. They didn’t just bench four top players in a 5-1 loss Tuesday night in Pittsburgh in a manner that left coach Bob Boughner fuming.

No, it gets much worse than that.

No one in South Florida even notices.

And, by no one, I mean: No one. OK, technically, there are some never- die Panthers fans who will send irate e-mails saying they noticed. And bless them. They put up with so much. They’re also suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, which is the medical name given for fans who enjoyed suffering with a dysfunctional Swedish hockey team in the 17th century.

This year was to be different. The Panthers got their front-office dysfunction out of the way and finished a point out of the playoffs last year. But the more things change, the more the Panthers are followed by losing and apathy.

Hurricanes fans at least followed the normal course of emotion in a bad year: patience, denial, frustration, anger, disavowal and, finally, flying planes overhead demanding someone be fired.

Think of the furor if the Heat or Dolphins benched four top players in a game. There would be questions, debates, fan outrage, a cycle of statements, fuel for talk shows and, generally, a fun time for everyone involved.

What’s to say about the Panthers? Their narrative hasn’t changed since 1997, the year after John Vanbiesbrouck and Brian Skrudland invented hockey in South Florida. 1125109 Florida Panthers

Preview: Panthers at Oilers, 9 p.m., Thursday

Juuso Riikola, Mike Hoffman

Panthers at Oilers

When/where: 9 p.m./Rogers Place, Edmonton

TV: Fox Sports Florida; Radio: 560-AM; 640-AM (Palm Beach)

Scouting report: The Panthers are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first game of their five-game road swing. … Florida has lost three consecutive games. … Through 41 games, the Panthers (17- 17-7) are 10 points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. … Florida beat Edmonton, 4-1, on Nov. 8. … The Oilers (20- 20-3) are coming off a 7-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. … Edmonton is 2-2 so far in January. … Edmonton center Connor McDavid has tallied 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists), fifth best in the NHL this season. … Leon Draisaitl has 52 points (23 goals, 29 assists).

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125110 Los Angeles Kings Sturm and Desjardins both said they were surprised at Muzzin’s offensive potential. He has a sneaky good shot and an ability to keep the puck in the zone at the blue line. All four of his goals this season are in Jake Muzzin has been a tower of strength for the Kings through a five-on-five play. turbulent season He might never be an offensive machine, but Muzzin takes pride in an overall game.

By CURTIS ZUPKE “I’ve definitely been more consistent this year, which has always been a focus of mine: to be consistent every game. Try to provide that stability [as] a good strong defender for the team,” Muzzin said. “It’s been a focus of mine and it’s been better this year.” Jake Muzzin has been a tower of strength for the Kings through a turbulent season Muzzin was on the ice for two even-strength goals in a 3-1 loss Monday to the San Jose Sharks. But he made his presence known with a hit on Jake Muzzin has a lot on his plate these days, so much so that he Logan Couture in the third period. sometimes leans on teammates for advice. That could sum up Muzzin’s intent this season: It’s about the details, until But this has nothing to do with bodying up the best forwards in the NHL the horn sounds and the opposition’s world gets rocked. every other night, killing penalties or blocking shots. Muzzin and his wife, Courtney, are expecting their first child, a daughter, in April. Many of the UP NEXT Kings are fathers, notably four-time dads Dustin Brown and Ilya Kovalchuk, so Muzzin can ask them what to expect when you’re VS. OTTAWA expecting. When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

“Everyone has just said, ‘Get ready for your world to be rocked,’ ” Muzzin On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: iHeartRadio (LA Kings Audio Network). said. Update: Martinez could return Thursday after Desjardins said, “I think It’s a joyous personal time for Muzzin, in contrast to a season of there’s a good chance he’ll be able to go,” following a 14-game absence uncertainty for him and the Kings in which Muzzin has turned into the one because of an upper-body injury. Ottawa center Matt Duchene is not with setting the example from the back end. Muzzin leads the Kings in hits the team because of the impending birth of his first child, according to the and blocked shots and a plus-eight rating, in addition to looking like their Ottawa Sun. Jean-Gabriel Pageau made his season debut Sunday. He best shutdown defenseman on some nights. was out with an Achilles tendon injury. The Senators beat the Kings 5-1 That’s heady talk considering the Kings boast regular Norris Trophy with 36 saves from Craig Anderson on Oct.13. candidate Drew Doughty, again their All-Star representative. But for LA Times: LOADED: 01.10.2019 some stretches this season, such as December, Muzzin’s play has been impressive and his voice loud. At least twice, after losses, Muzzin has uttered an expletive to reporters in describing his frustration. He’s been equally raw owning up to and breaking down those losses.

Doughty has taken notice, especially when Dion Phaneuf was injured. “We lack a lot of that,” Doughty said. “He’s done a good job of being vocal and doing it the right way.”

Doughty points to Muzzin’s successful partnership with rookie Sean Walker because “that just shows big-time leadership because it’s not easy to play with a first-year guy and show him the ropes.”

The irony is that Muzzin’s assertiveness coincides with his name among those Kings veterans mentioned as the subject of trade speculation. General manager Rob Blake isn’t commenting on such talk, but the Kings are believed to be taking a hard look at moving some of their older players as the Feb. 25 deadline approaches.

Muzzin represents a part of their last championship, the mountaintop of a resourceful, stick-with-it career path that began with his free-agent signing eight years ago.

He beat a path to former coach Darryl Sutter’s doghouse in those first seasons and eventually forged a strong partnership with Doughty and Alec Martinez. ,,

Muzzin sees that progression as natural because of injuries and the organization’s development of future defensemen like Walker.

“There’s been a need for veterans to step in and help and be more vocal and try to help these young guys develop their game in the NHL,” Muzzin said. “It’s been a learning experience for me. Some guys learn differently. Some guys need a kick in the [rear]. Some guys, you can’t be too hard on. You kind of have to kind of observe the personality of the guy and what makes them go.”

Kings coach Willie Desjardins coached against Muzzin with the Vancouver Canucks and said he didn’t fully know Muzzin’s game and personality until he got to the Kings. The same goes for assistant coach Marco Sturm, whom Desjardins handed defensive responsibility.

“For a coach, he’s unbelievable, because he’s in the game every game,” Sturm said. “He wants to be the difference. He knows when he screws up, that he has to be better. Those things really bother him, too.

“I think that’s something [that], especially the younger guys, will definitely learn from him. It’s just how they can see how he is, even on the bench, just because he wants to be good. That’s the thing. That’s his mentality.” 1125111 Los Angeles Kings season, so far. The 33-year-old Phaneuf, meanwhile, has two years left on his contract. He may still be an NHL player, but his price is high for what he has offered this season specifically.

Dion Phaneuf’s blunt assessment of his season: ‘I haven’t had a very “If Dion Phaneuf was making $1.5 million, would you have him on your good year’ team? Would he play on L.A.?” asked Mike Johnson, an analyst on NHL Network. “I think so. … So it’s not necessarily that he can’t play. Would you rather have him or Paul LaDue on the ice or him or Sean Walker or By Josh Cooper Jan 9, 2019 Oscar Fantenberg or Derek Forbort? So it’s more a return on investment than it is a straight return on the game.”

Johnson brought up former NHLer Wade Redden as an example of what EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Kings defenseman Dion Phaneuf gave a simple Phaneuf is facing. Redden signed a six-year, $39 million contract with the and blunt assessment when asked about his play this season. Rangers, and when his game fell off, the team felt he wasn’t worth “I haven’t had a very good year,” Phaneuf said recently after practice as playing in the NHL over other players. So Redden played parts of two he stood in the hallway outside the Kings dressing room at Toyota Sports seasons in the AHL before New York bought him out in 2013. Center. “I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t played well enough. I Redden’s situation was under a different CBA, where it was fine to bury expect more of myself and my game.” veterans in the minors and not feel salary cap pain by doing so. In the Phaneuf noted that he felt he had improved of late and that he had put in current CBA, players who have no movement clauses – like Phaneuf – a lot of work to make strides, but noted, “I’m disappointed in my year can’t be waived to be put in the minors without their permission. personally and I have to be better for our team.” Also, the Rangers were able to shed themselves of the deal because of a This year, his first full season in Los Angeles, has been challenging for compliance buyout that came with the 2013 CBA. Phaneuf. If the Kings go full rebuild and decide to buy out Phaneuf this summer, He has one point and is minus-15 in 37 contests. His 14:52 ice time they would have to absorb some salary through 2022-23, per Cap average is the lowest of his career. These mediocre numbers come Friendly’s buyout calculator, which wouldn’t be ideal. despite being sheltered by the Kings coaching staff, starting him 61 It’s unclear if the Kings see some of their players in the minors, like percent of the time 5-on-5 in the offensive zone, according to Daniel Brickley, as being blocked by Phaneuf, but odds are, if that was Naturalstattrick. the case, they’d try to figure out a solution to have one of those guys Considering the struggles of the Kings as a whole, it’s hard to tell if all playing in the NHL potentially over Phaneuf. So far that hasn’t been the these issues can be heaped on Phaneuf’s play or if L.A., in general, has case. made him look worse. “I don’t know Daniel Brickley well enough to know if that guy might be the “Losing and entering into a possible rebuild is tough on veteran players,” case. But you need to have that conversation,” Johnson said. “If there is an NHL team scout said. no answer there then ‘not really, we need those guys in the minors anyway,’ then that lessens the urgency to maybe make space for a guy In some respects, this has created a bit of a conundrum about his overall that needs to move up.” future. Considering Phaneuf’s contract and the type of year he’s had, finding a Would he be better on another team? At his salary, is he even tradeable? trade partner probably isn’t feasible either … or is it? Is he OK being in L.A., with a group that seems to be heading toward a rebuild or a retooling, while he doesn’t have a lot of years left to take a Los Angeles could pick up the remaining 50 percent on the contract for run at a Stanley Cup? its last two seasons, which would bring the cap hit down to a more manageable $2.65 million for next season and the year after. At that “I always said I want to play as long as I can. As long as my body will price, Phaneuf is a far more attractive player. allow me to play. Right now, you come, you do your job and no one’s happy where we’re at. No one’s happy where we’re at in the standings. I Plus, putting Phaneuf on a better team could be a game-changer for him. think everyone here, we had a lot higher aspirations and a lot higher “When you’re 30 something years old and 1,000 games in, you don’t expectations of ourselves as a team,” Phaneuf said when asked about have that same kind of energy available when you’re in last place. That’s his future, later adding, “I don’t look too far ahead, to be honest with you. normal. And Dion specifically at this point in his career – I would say he’s I’ve got a couple of years left on my contract and I want to play as long I almost definitely a guy who will look much better on a good team,” can. That’s what I said.” Johnson said. “Some guys are meant to play on mediocre teams. They Almost a year ago when the Kings traded for Phaneuf from the Ottawa can kind of thrive. Some guys are meant to play on bad teams. Some Senators, the deal was seen as a win for the organization. Los Angeles guys are meant to play on good teams. And I think Dion is a guy at this thought Phaneuf’s loud, rough and tumble style would be somewhat of a point in his career the more support he has around him, the more team Matt Greene replacement – referencing the emotional blueline leader on success he has, the more his game will blend in. When you’re losing and their Stanley Cup teams who retired after 2016-17. you’re looking for reasons why, he’s probably not benefited by a team that’s kind of struggling like that.” Plus, the Senators retained $1.75 million from his $7 million annual salary as part of the trade, which also saw L.A. acquire Nate Thompson It’s not like Phaneuf hasn’t been important for Los Angeles in some ways and give up Marian Gaborik’s albatross of a deal ($4.875 million for the this year. Though he’s struggled he has certainly had an impact both in next two seasons) that was negotiated by former general manager Dean practice and with younger players. It may be cliché to say that a proud, Lombardi. well-traveled veteran near the end of his career always plays this role but Phaneuf legitimately has been good for player development. Phaneuf was no longer putting up the offensive numbers he had earlier in his career, but he was still a 20 minute per night type guy and helped the His work ethic sets an example and his personality has at least kept up Senators to the Eastern Conference final the season before. With L.A., some level of positivity around the youngsters who are trying to become he had 10 points in 26 games while averaging 19:28. Overall he looked pros as the older players deal with trade rumors and the frustration of like a good fit and the location worked out for him as well personally – losing. since his wife Elisha Cuthbert is an actress. Those who know him “When I was first called up, he was my D partner and stuff so he was thought he was in the right place at the right time in his career. talking to me a lot and really made me feel comfortable and stuff and “I went fishing with him in August. He’s ecstatic to be in Los Angeles. He overall,” Walker said. “In the dressing room and stuff, he’s one of the thinks he died and went to heaven,” former Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, loudest guys every day. He’s talking a lot and making sure everyone’s who traded for Phaneuf, said in an interview before the start of the upbeat and ready to go. He’s been great in the room and, as a leader, season. “He loves living there. He loves the guys. He loves being where he’s been awesome.” his wife works. He thinks he died and went to heaven. He really does.” Said backup goaltender Jack Campbell, “I have to go in the cold tub Then this season happened with Phaneuf struggling and the 36-year-old every day because the guy brings every shot as hard as he can, which is Gaborik stashed on injured reserve with a back injury for the entire awesome because it gets you ready to go for a goalie, seeing hard shots but also he’s trying to bury it so in a game when he gets a chance he’s going to make the most of it.”

There’s certainly value in that – value that can have an impact as Los Angeles starts to hand over the keys to its franchise to the youngsters.

“I mean everything is new to them when they come to this league and you try to give them little pointers here and there. Whether it’s being early for a meeting. Just little things you wouldn’t think too much about or that are behind the scenes,” Phaneuf said. “You try to teach that because I think it really pays off in the long run for them.”

Though the year has been trying for Phaneuf as a player, there have been some positive personal moments. He played in his 1,000th game and was honored in a touching ceremony at Staples Center. His wife and young daughter were both present, which brought out some emotions in the normally stoic Phaneuf.

“I think seeing my daughter at center ice was something that was very special to me,” he said. “She’s pretty young. She wasn’t one year the time. She’ll have the picture. … It’s something that I’ll remember and to have that picture with her at center ice is pretty special.”

It doesn’t completely shake the issues of this season, but in a year that has brought some uncertainty to the Kings and Phaneuf’s future, it’s a nice memory to have.

“It happens pretty quick in the sense of you hit the game and then you got the ceremony. I really enjoyed it. I had a lot of family and friends in town. I made a point to really enjoy the whole experience of it,” he said. “My wife threw me a nice party and all my friends were there and my teammates. It was a special, special milestone and I enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun with it and it’s something that I really am proud of.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125112 Los Angeles Kings needed to. We will continue to stress the positives and battle to get to the net.

On Mike Amadio’s play since re-joining the Reign FINAL – SAN JOSE 3, ONTARIO 1 – NOTE, BRICKLEY INJURED IN THIRD PERIOD Mads makes plays. He has the puck in the middle of the ice. He distributes to both wingers. He reads the opposition and makes the proper plays according to what he is up against. We have missed that ZACH DOOLEYJANUARY 9, 2019 this season. That being said, I don’t want Library Mike to be here. In my opinion he should be with the Kings. But that’s up to Mike. He has to make those plays in the NHL on a regular basis. The way he plays at this level is what he needs to do when given the opportunity with the Kings. The Ontario Reign and San Jose Barracuda squared off for the second Right now he is a tweener, too good to be in this league and not time in five days, with tonight’s meeting taking place at SAP Center in consistent enough to be a regular in the Kings lineup. We will do San Jose. For the better part of both games, Ontario was the better everything we can to get Mads ready for the next opportunity. team, creating chances and controlling the play. However, for the second time in as many games, the Reign were only able to beat goaltender LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.10.2019 Antoine Bibeau once, dropping tonight’s game by a 3-1 final.

The Barracuda are the top team in the Western Conference and showed an ability to capitalize on Reign mistakes on Saturday and tonight, capitalized on a pair of bounces that went their way. San Jose opened up a 2-0 lead this evening before a Brett Sutter tally midway through the third brought the visitors back within a goal. Ontario created some chances down the stretch but the Barracuda found the empty net with exactly one minute to play for the 3-1 final.

San Jose was the better of the two teams out of the gate and capitalized with the game’s first goal 5:41 into the game. Forward Jayden Halbgewachs carried the puck from the corner to the high slot and sent the puck towards the net, a pass that appeared to deflect off of a Reign skate and in for the game-opening goal.

Following Halbgewags’ tally, Ontario started to settle into the game and control the play for the better part of first and second periods. San Jose struck next, however, as forward Jonathon Martin capitalized off of a fortunate bounce for his sixth goal of the season. Martin attempted to dump the puck entering the offensive zone and his flip hit off of a Reign skate, off of his own foot and into the air, before he knocked it down to spring himself down the right wing. Martin moved in on Petersen and shot a rolling puck through the fivehole for his team’s second of the evening.

The Reign pulled a goal back 7:39 into the third as Sutter collected his eighth of the season. With the Reign shorthanded, forward Sam Herr forced a turnover in front of Bibeau, which forced the puck to Sutter in the slot and the Ontario captain hit his shot first time past the San Jose netminder, to pull his team within a goal. I don’t believe Herr got a touch on the puck, and thus was not credited with an assist, but his tenacious forecheck created the opportunity for the Reign.

Ontario had its opportunities down the stretch, with perhaps the best opportunity coming from Sheldon Rempal at the back post, but he wasn’t able to get everything on the shot and Bibeau kicked it out with the left pad. San Jose ended the game with 60 seconds to play on an empty-net goal.

Cal Petersen posted his third straight solid performance between the pipes, stopping 26-of-28 shots in defeat. Petersen is now 0-3-0 since returning from the NHL but the record doesn’t do his play justice. He has compiled a .920 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average in that span.

After a practice day tomorrow, these two teams will square off again on Friday evening in San Jose with another 7 PM puck drop at SAP Center.

A brief update – Daniel Brickley is "hurt" per Stothers, but nothing past that as of now. Brickley did not return to tonight's game after leaving with what appeared to be a lower-body injury in the third period.

— Zach Dooley (@ReignInsider) January 10, 2019

Bus Texts With Stothers

On what looked like another strong effort and whether he was pleased with the performance, despite the outcome

The guys played hard and matched up well versus a very strong hockey club. We fell short in the goals scored department but had some good looks tonight. It will come.

On whether he feels the group is poised for a breakthrough

Yes I think we are. Right now, the margin for error is not great because we are not scoring but I think we played better in some of the areas we 1125113 Los Angeles Kings This begs a follow-up question to anyone fitting squarely inside the two venn diagram circles of Those Who Own A Nintendo and Those Who Enjoy Football: who was the best player in Tecmo Bowl? Was it “GOOD CHANCE” MARTINEZ PLAYS VS SENS; MUZZIN, FORBORT; Lawrence Taylor? Bo Jackson? John Elway? Martinez, as would anyone TECMO BOWL AND ESPORTS from Southeastern Michigan, cast his lot for Barry Sanders. “A thousand percent. I don’t even think that’s a question,” he said.

Martinez dabbled in some hockey video games, but no one currently on JON ROSENJANUARY 9, 2019 the team is a fanatic of the NHL series. “The one that I did play was NHL 93 on Sega. That’s what I played all the time going to hockey

tournaments,” Martinez said. “I remember I was always Montreal INJURIESPRACTICE NOTES because Patrick Roy was in net. Kirk Muller was just nasty in that game. If I played against my dad, he’s from New York, up around Buffalo, INSIDERS. The sweet hum of fluorescent lights welcomed us back to Niagara Falls, so he would be the Sabres. I remember Pat LaFontaine in Toyota Sports Center on a quiet weekday morning. The LA Kings held a that game, it was pretty cool.” lengthy practice with contact the morning after a recovery day, and notes were taken. “But for the most part we weren’t inside playing video games. We were outside, and he was pitching me or feeding me passes in Notes! hockey, stuff like that,” he added.

–Expect Alec Martinez to get back into the lineup Thursday against the Two players known to spend time playing video games are Adrian Ottawa Senators. “I think there’s a good chance he’ll be able to go Kempe and Jonny Brodzinski. They’re not necessarily playing NHL, or tomorrow,” Willie Desjardins said. “We’ll see at the morning skate, but I even Red Dead Redemption II, but rather FIFA, Call of Duty, and, of think there’s a good chance. We’ll see.” course, Fortnite. “I like to variate and play sports games and video games. … I play NBA – I still do that today,” Kempe said. “…It’s a Martinez skated alongside Jake Muzzin during the morning skate, so hobby.” He’s even gotten into a few Madden games, even though that’s there’s a good chance their partnership will be reprised against the not exactly a popular franchise in Sweden. Living with a huge Minnesota Senators. This would be his first game since the 5-1 win over Vegas on Vikings fan in Brodzinski might’ve been an influence there. December 8. As always, he’ll look to get his skates underneath him and establish his reads early, because there’s no substitution for an actual If there’s a figure in the Kings family who gets some good mileage out of game. “No one in this room’s going to come down and bury me into the the NHL series, it’s someone who falls into more of a literal translation of first row [in practice],” he said. “family” than a metaphoric one. It’s Willie Desjardins’ 19-year-old son, whom the Los Angeles coach referred to as a “high-end” gamer. “He beat His activation could push rookie defenseman Sean Walker either down some of the guys that ended up going to the All-Star Game,” he said. the lineup or out of the lineup altogether, though a better indication of who’ll be in and who’ll be out will be learned at the morning skate. Of course, there was a silly story with some legs at the start of the Though there were changes defensively, the team didn’t appear to show season about the Vancouver Canucks banning Fortnite on the road. This any changes to their forward groups at practice. I sat down midway isn’t a surprise; there are many hours of the day, only so many of which through the rotations, though, so let’s wait until game day to project the are allocated for practice, meetings and treatment. When the team lineup. Or project away, it’s a free country. traveled to China last year, several players invested in Nintendo Switch systems to keep them entertained during the long flights and down time. (The Kings roster currently sits and 22, so they wouldn’t be obligated to make a corresponding move should they activate Martinez tomorrow.) Desjardins chuckled when answering if he had ever considered enforcing video game ban in an NHL dressing room. –Jake Muzzin, who is among the most likely players on Los Angeles to be traded in advance of the deadline and should fetch a handsome return “It’s funny – we were in the room the other day and we were asking guys – he’s on trade boards here, here and here – is enjoying one of his finest who takes their stuff with them on the road, and it doesn’t sound like seasons as a pro. He drew notice in Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts many guys take anything with them on the road,” he said. “It certainly can column today: “Drew Doughty got the All-Star nod, but Jake Muzzin has be pretty addicting. It’s interesting, because my son’s a really good been Los Angeles’s best defenceman. The price is high, but someone is gamer – like, he’s a high-end gamer – so I understand it well. But, no, going to seriously consider it,” Friedman wrote. I’ve never had a policy. It’s like anything, you hope that gets monitored inside the room itself. To me, the policy is winning, and if you’re doing Here’s how Desjardins views Muzzin, updated amidst a reputation things that take away your chances to win, then you can’t do it. I think our gleaned as an opposing coach: “He’s underrated in lots of ways, I think. group’s pretty committed trying to find ways to win, so I think they monitor He’s a good player. There’s one game where he logged about 30 it themselves pretty well.” minutes I think in Buffalo. Offensively, got a breakaway, a goal, and they had the breakaway in overtime. He’s more offensive than people think, Willie Desjardins, on whether Drew Doughty is still “trying to do too and then he’s big and strong defensively, so he has a lot of things that much”: we think are underrated with his game.” You’ve got to love guys that try to do too much. It just shows how much “I thought he was more of a big defender, that he didn’t have that offense they care. Like, it’s so easy not to let other people do it. You’ve got to to him. He’s worked at his game – and he’s like Drew, too. Like, I talked admire Drew for the energy he brings every night. I think maybe some about Drew and how valuable he is on the ice, but off the ice he’s huge at other guys have helped relieve a little bit of that pressure so he’s not keeping the team together and helping the young guys. He’s good at that having to do as much, but every night he brings a lot to the game. His as well, so he’s been good.” energy level and his drive on the ice is pretty contagious and it’s a big reason we’re playing better, I think. –More from Desjardins on defensemen. I’ve really liked Derek Forbort’s game over the last two or three weeks, which has coincided with Desjardins, on areas that need to be improved for the Kings to continue Doughty’s most elevated and consistent play of the season. What, taking steps: specifically, has Forbort recently graded well in alongside the top defensive defenseman on the planet? I think we’ve done some addressing in the specialty teams, and I think they’ve been a little bit better. But saying that, we need to find ways to “He’s a good defender,” Desjardins said. “He defends well, he’s good score more. Like, we have to find ways to create more, and there are so [against] the rush, makes good reads in the D zone. What I like with many different ways to look at it. Like, one of my [inaudible] is if you Forbie, a lot of times Drew gets into match-ups with the top line, and defend well, then you win off your transition game, and I think that’s still whoever plays with him has to be a good defender, and Forbie, he’s [inaudible]. But then we’ve got to be quicker on our strikes. When we get defended well for us.” our chances, we’ve got to go quicker, we’ve got to be after it. So, it’s ‘how can we create more scoring chances,’ and a lot of your chances come off –Alec Martinez was only two years old when Tecmo Bowl was released your power play, so we’ve got to draw more power plays. We’ve got to in the United States, but like many who reached a certain age in the early get to the net more, we’ve got to make teams take penalties. Because if 1990’s, the Nintendo game – the first video game to be licensed by the you get a power play, usually you get two chances at least on a power NHLPA and feature actual players – helped cement his Detroit Lions play, maybe three if it’s a good power play. All of a sudden your chances fandom. “Lions til I die, and Martha Ford knows that,” Martinez said. go way up. I think last game San Jose got six shots on their power plays. Like, if you would’ve switched that, if they took six away from them and gave us six, that’s our game. We’re in the game. You’ve got to create more power plays. I think our D are way better at joining. I think we’ve got lots out of our D that join and more movement in the offensive zone, so I like that part of the game. We’ve got to find a way, though, to keep probably a little bit more sustained pressure in their zone. Everybody get up, and when we get pressure, we’ve got to keep it. There’s lots of areas we can improve on, and even if you improve a little bit, it can make a big difference. Things for us to look at, for sure.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125114 Los Angeles Kings to describe because as a fan you’re sitting there, you’re looking up, you’re like ‘oh, that was totally avoidable,’ when you see the play happen. But as a player, you’re only seeing so much. You’re not seeing SEPARATING BODY FROM PUCK: THE EVOLUTION OF HITTING, AS everything. You don’t see a guy coming in on your blind side, and it’s on WEIGHED BY THE KINGS the offensive and the defensive player, too. It’s hard for both guys to see it.

Clifford, on whether league intervention and education has helped JON ROSENJANUARY 9, 2019 change player behavior:

When I first came in, you could definitely get away with a lot more, and now I think you’re just watching some of the hits, and a big thing is just PRACTICE QUOTES trying to keep your hands and elbows down. That’s where guys get in a There was a dangerous and controversial hit in the Edmonton-Anaheim lot of trouble. For guys that are big hitters, that’s how they make their big game Saturday night that drew some attention around the league but hits – they get their hands up and they lunge a little bit. Sometimes it’s went unpenalized. The attention to that hit – Hampus Lindholm’s shove in better not to have as big of contact, it’s just making contact and slowing the numbers on Connor McDavid, who was skating at high speed in a the player down. [Reporter: Separating body from puck.] Yeah, I mean vulnerable area near the corner boards – has largely dissipated some that’s what it is now. You can run around and kill guys, but you’re going five days later, but it remains an interesting topic in a league looking to to find yourself in trouble eventually because some of the way the remove the most dangerous hits from the game while regulating offensive players are, they’re really gifted and shifty, whereas before, you engagement as players have become more conditioned and faster, know the guy’s coming down the wall and you’re going to line him up and equipment is stronger, and hits more jarring. it’s going to be shoulder-on-shoulder, where now, they will be shifty and their head’s moving from one direction to another, and it’s like a split Ref looking right at it. pic.twitter.com/qEkg3tJ6RT second.

— Phil Landry (esksfans.com) (@esksfans) January 7, 2019 Clifford, on hitting while being respectful of your opponent and avoiding injuring them: Lindholm’s a hard player, not a dirty player, but whether or not it’s a superstar on the receiving end, that’s still the type of play that the league I think it’s changed with the game. You either figure it out, or you sit in the would like to eliminate. It’s a player adding force to someone vulnerable box and you hurt your team. The way the game’s played, special teams and off-balance in a dangerous area near the boards where an injury are a huge factor. You either learn the hard way or you don’t. There have may occur. Thankfully, the most exciting player in the game today was been players where their careers are shortened because they didn’t learn able to shake off the collision – which came less than 24 hours after to change the style of play. I remember there’s one guy on San Jose, he McDavid had been elbowed by Drew Doughty behind the play and was a really effective player, he played hard but he just got himself in weathered a heavy and legal open-ice hit from Jeff Carter. trouble a lot. It’s tough when you’ve got a guy that’s going to continuously be suspended. It hurts the team taking penalties, and you just can’t do It’s part of a seemingly effective effort across all levels of the sport to that to your team. reduce the frequency and severity of head injuries, a nebulous process that requires adjusting rules and re-programming players’ habits and Jake Muzzin, on the lightning-fast thought process of deeming whether a behaviors. player is eligible to be hit, and following through:

“I think the rules are huge,” Willie Desjardins said. “It seems like all of us It’s a judgment on the player, too. Sometimes things get heated in a will push the rules as far as we can, but I think they’ve done a good job of game where you’re not thinking straight, you’re thinking you want to get putting the rules in and putting them all the way through at all levels, and payback, right? I think a lot of injuries that are bad hits come from I think that’s making players more and more aware. And, the other thing, emotion that takes over the proper way to think of when you’re going into too, is just the respect for each other. The head injuries, for sure. You’re a hit. I think that has a big effect on it. I don’t know how to say this – going to have hard hits, you’re going to get injuries, but that can happen some younger guys, too, try to play tough, and it’s not really their style. in a game, but I think they’ve done a great job with targeting in the head They don’t know how to [regularly hit cleanly], so when they go to do it, and they’ve been pretty strict on it, and I think it’s good for hockey all the they do it the wrong way and it hurts someone. So, I think a lot of that way through.” has some input into it. But I think for myself, going into a hit, I’ve found myself this year not letting up, but just getting in the guy’s way as But this behavior is designed to affect decision-making as players have a opposed to taking advantage of a player that’s in a vulnerable position to tenth of a second to make decisions that affect the health and livelihood get hit. It’s different when it comes to playoff time and you’re trying to of other players, all of whom are constantly in motion. This is an make a statement and play hard – you’re still playing hard, but you’re extremely challenging process, and though the desired effect appears to playing the right way. Guys are getting fined all over the place and you be taking root, it’s non-linear and difficult to gauge exactly how and don’t want to cause injury and stuff like that, so there are a lot of different where behavior has evolved. factors that go into a hit. To discuss these nuances in hitting, I spoke with several “heavier” Muzzin, on whether the NHL’s intervention has helped change players’ members of the LA Kings who’ve been on both the sending and receiving habits: sides of heavy hits. One is Kyle Clifford, who already missed time this year as he went through protocol following an elbow to his face by There are ways of going about it where you can still play physical and not Vegas’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Clifford has also sustained be dirty. Some hits, it happens so quick. The game is so quick. A lot of it, documented head injuries in a March, 2011 fight with St. Louis’ Ryan too, sometimes the hit is going to be clean, and the guy who’s getting hit Reaves, on Byron Bitz’s boarding major in the team’s 2012 first round turns, and then it forces an injury. We talked about that with the NHL, the series against Vancouver, in November, 2013 when he “got his bell rung” safety – those situations happen, too. It’s not just a hit. There’s a lot that against Vancouver, as well as a “protocol”-requiring injury when he was goes into a hit. You want to play hard and physical, but you want to be elbowed in the face by Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman in December, 2015. safe at the same time. Jake Muzzin, also queried, has never been suspended or fined because of a hit, but did have a match penalty from the 2015-16 season rescinded Via Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts: and was fined two seasons ago for diving/embellishment. Here’s what 4. When there was no penalty on Hampus Lindholm for driving McDavid they had to say about the topic: into the boards during that game, I wondered if the Oilers captain had a Kyle Clifford, on Hampus Lindholm’s hit on Connor McDavid amidst bad reputation among officials or something. In fact, I’m told it is the efforts to eliminate bad hits: exact opposite — that he barely says anything and just goes about his business like a true professional. That penalty has to be called, though. That hit, like, McDavid’s super-fast, and Lindholm’s probably like, ‘I can’t Thankfully, there was no injury. You can’t call everything, but McDavid let this guy beat me, because he’s just burning everybody,’ so that’s just deserves better protection from the officials than that. the type of respect McDavid gets. You let up for half a second with him, and you’re on the wrong side of it. So, I think with that one, he was LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.10.2019 coming in fast and it kind of looked like McDavid lost his balance a little bit, and then that shove makes it look really bad. But it’s so fast, it’s hard 1125115 Minnesota Wild

Wild vs. Jets gameday preview

JANUARY 9, 2019 — 9:16PM

Preview: The Jets, who beat the Wild in five games in the opening round of last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs, led the Central Division heading into Wednesday’s games. The Wild is on the playoff bubble at the season’s midpoint. Minnesota leads the season series 2-0, winning 4-2 at the X and 3-1 at Bell MTS Place. Players to WATCH: Winnipeg’s scoring leaders are All-Stars Blake Wheeler (7 goals-48 assists—55 points) and Mark Scheifele (23-30—53). G Connor Hellebuyck has a 2.52 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 12 games vs. the Wild. … Wild D Ryan Suter (26 minutes, 23 seconds) is second in the NHL in average time-on-ice, behind Kings D Drew Doughty. Numbers: Wild C Mikko Koivu has 199 career goals; Marian Gaborik (219) holds the team record. Wild G Devan Dubnyk is 4-1 with a 2.01 goals-against average and .937 saves percentage in his past five starts. Injuries: Jets D Dustin Byfuglien (lower body) and W Nikolaj Ehlers (shoulder) are out. Wild D Matt Dumba (pectoral surgery) is out and C Eric Fehr (upper body) is questionable.

Chris Miller Star Tribune LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125116 Minnesota Wild Pioneer Press LOADED: 01.10.2019 Eric Staal just one of several Wild forwards not finding the net

By BRIAN MURPHY | [email protected] | Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: January 9, 2019 at 12:09 pm | UPDATED: January 9, 2019 at 4:58 PM

Eric Staal stared ahead blankly in the visitor’s dressing room at TD Garden in Boston, searching for the right words to account for his scoring drought and his responsibility to pull out of it. The veteran center certainly has had his opportunities. His 13 goals are second behind Zach Parise’s 19 for the Wild this season. He leads the Wild with 129 shots on goal. He routinely has the puck on his stick with a good look at the net, only to misfire or be stymied by the goaltender de jour. With just one goal in his past 11 games, Staal is one of several Minnesota forwards squeezing their sticks into sawdust as the second half of the season commences. Mikael Granlund has one goal in 16 games, Jason Zucker one goal in 14 games and Nino Niederreiter none in his past 11. “It’s frustrating because I’m generating a lot of chances — as much or more as I have in the last few years being here,” Staal said. “It’s just right now they’re not going in. I have to stick with it and try not to let it creep into other parts of my game because it can be difficult.” The Wild return to Xcel Energy Center for games against a pair of division rivals, the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday and the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. “I’m counted on to contribute offensively and be a difference-maker here,” Staal said. “Right now it’s not going in, but back to work and stick with the compete (level) and it’ll come.” Staal had a golden opportunity in the first period of Tuesday night’s 4-0 loss to the Bruins. He cut to the net from the right wing and was muscled wide by a Boston defender. Still, he managed to get off a backhander that forced Tuukka Rask to make a snazzy glove save to keep the Wild scoreless. It was one of Minnesota’s best scoring chances as the Wild spent most of their time chasing the speedier and well-rested Bruins around the ice. Staal has scored 408 goals in 1,334 games spanning 15 seasons, so he hasn’t forgotten how to produce. “I thought he had some legs tonight,” coach Bruce Boudreau said Tuesday. “I thought he had a couple of good chances, but he’s gone through this before — in my tenure, anyway — and he’s bounced right back out. I think it was last year or the year before he had a real long streak of not scoring and then all of a sudden he picked it up. I assume he’s going to do that as well again.” Joel Eriksson Ek had a 4 a.m. wakeup call Tuesday in Des Moines, Iowa, where he had to get on plane and fly through Detroit to Boston in time for Tuesday’s game. He replaced the injured Eric Fehr on the Wild’s fourth line while the veteran center recovers from a head injury suffered Monday in Montreal. Ek played 13 minutes, 16 seconds against the Bruins and did not record a shot — and was on the ice for two Boston goals. “In my head I was evaluating him,” Boudreau said. “He traveled all day to get here and was playing with a tired team; it’s not the best evaluation you can give him.” Ek was demoted to the Wild’s American Hockey League team in Iowa on Dec. 28 and made an immediate impact, scoring four goals among six points with 20 shots during a five-game point streak that included two power-play markers and a pair of game-winning goals. “I was playing, playing a lot, playing real big minutes with really good players, playing power play, PK, everything like that,” he said. “It was good.” Ek had only one goal and three assists in 27 games with Minnesota before he was sent down. The Wild are being patient with their 2015 first- round (20th overall) draft pick. Only 21, he already has logged 117 NHL games. “I’m still young. I’m 21 years old,” he said. “Still have to learn a lot every day and work hard and play better.” 1125117 Minnesota Wild Notice where the majority of those shots and goals (the goals are the larger logos) are coming from. His average shot distance (22 feet), according to Tierney’s numbers, comes 10 feet closer to the net than The good, the bad and the lingering question marks from the Wild’s first Minnesota’s team average (32 feet), and six feet better than the NHL half average for a forward (28 feet). Kunin, since completing his rehab and working his way back from Iowa, and Jordan Greenway, since his little cameo in Iowa, have also proved By Evan Sporer instrumental to the Wild’s success. Jan 9, 2019 The former has already been touched on for his contributions on the Wild’s newly-formed topped line. The latter, since that weekend with the decaf Wild, has seven goals in 32 games. If Wild fans can take solace in anything, it’s that Minnesota finds itself in Greenway has proven himself comfortable with any number of linemates. virtually the same position (at least according to the standings) that it did With the Wild not skating teams out of the building, his frame and puck- a year ago — the rest of the script notwithstanding. retrieval abilities are crucial at 5-on-5 in creating and saving offensive zone possessions. At the halfway mark of 2017-18, the Wild sported a 22-16-3 record, one victory better than this season’s Wild after 41 games. That team was tied The bad for eighth, as is this Wild team. If you just opened up his season totals with no context, you would see And maybe that’s about where those comparisons end. Mikael Granlund is on pace for 23 goals and 76 points, the latter of which would shatter his career high. After losing four of their first five contests this season (1-2-2) the Wild took a complete U-turn, reeling off a 13-5-0 stretch that saw them jump to But before Granlund scored the lone goal in that Canadiens victory on second overall in the West and Central and fifth overall in the NHL. Monday, he had gone 15 games without hitting the back of the net, and had one goal in his past 23 games. (Though, in fairness to Granlund, he But since then? The second half of the first half has been quite different had 14 and 19 assists over those respective stretches.) for Minnesota: a 7-11-1 record, an injury to a key skater, and falling outside of the top-eight in the conference before defeating the Canadiens Other Wild forwards are similarly finding themselves in big-time slumps. on Monday to jockey back into position, where they remained even after Eric Staal has one goal in his past 11, Jason Zucker has one in his past Tuesday’s dismal loss in Boston in Game 42. 14, and the struggles of Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter have been well documented. Now winners of four of their past six, the Wild appear to have the ship at least pointed in the right direction as they prepare for an important The Wild have all the talent to roll three scoring lines, but most recently, second half that will determine their playoff fate. it’s only been that aforementioned Parise unit that has found consistency. Minnesota desperately needs to get another trio going, and put pressure Here are some other highlights of their first half, and factors that should on opposing teams with offensive depth. influence how the final 40 games go. A season ago, the line of Zucker-Staal-Granlund was so dynamic and The good offensively effective. It hasn’t found the same success in terms of It would be incredibly difficult to pen a first-half synopsis and not start off producing those raw numbers in 2018-19, though it should also be noted by gushing over the play of Zach Parise. Minnesota has outscored the opposition 16-11 with that line on the ice — very good results. But most recently Zucker has skated with Mikko Koivu Given how serious Parise’s back injury was and the pain he endured to and Nino Niederreiter. Back in the beginning of the 2015-16 season, that get to this point, it’s quite remarkable how far he’s come, and probably a line was immensely good for the Wild. story that’s flying a bit under the radar in most NHL circles. With the first half of their season behind them, the Wild rank 21st in the It was only just prior to the 2017-18 season that Parise underwent NHL in 5-on-5 scoring. Losing Matt Dumba obviously hasn’t helped, and microdiscectomy surgery to repair a herniated disc that was causing him even when the Wild reeled off that 13-5-0 stretch early in the season, severe leg pain. Pain so bad that he had to literally lay down in the back they came out ranked barely in the top half of the league in 5-on-5 of his car because it was too uncomfortable to sit. scoring. It may not be their identity, but it’s an area in need of improvement, especially from those players whom they’ve leaned on in That same player currently leads the Wild in goals (19), is tied for the the past. lead in power-play goals (6) and game-winning goals (3), and is averaging the most ice time per game (18:21) among Minnesota The question marks forwards. Simply put, there’s no replacing what Dumba did for the Wild. At 34 years old, a healthy Parise has found the Fountain of Youth, and will need to keep his feet wet should Minnesota be successful in the No, he wasn’t on the way to the Norris Trophy, but he is still a vital piece second half. to Minnesota’s game plan. Parise has most recently been on a line with Charlie Coyle and the also The Wild, with Dumba in the lineup, were converting on over 25 percent recently-mended Luke Kunin. The line, in its some 78 minutes together at of their power-play opportunities, and ranked seventh in the NHL in that 5-on-5, has been by far Minnesota’s most effective offensive trio this category (Dumba still holds a share of the team-lead with six PPGs). season, with the Wild scoring 4.62 goals per-60, the highest rate of any Since Dumba’s injury, the Wild have scored on one of 20 power-play Minnesota line. opportunities, and you don’t need a PHD in hockey math to know that’s That line also has a whopping 67.15 expected goals-for percentage as of not-so-fantastic. the 41-game mark. Each of those ranks them pretty high among their It isn’t just Dumba’s ability to score from above hash marks, but also how NHL peers: 12th overall in scoring rate (a few spots ahead of a line that he distends penalty kills with the threat of his shot. He creates lanes and features Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point in Tampa) and 11th overall looks for his teammates simply by occupying his spot in the zone, and his in expected goals (a little bit ahead of a line that touts Filip Forsberg and activity and movement constantly forces the penalty kill to readjust. Ryan Johansen in Nashville). Where Dumba was a focal point for the special teams, Minnesota needs Again, all good stuff. to find a new way to create scoring chances in that phase of the game. Down the stretch, Parise needs to continue to score for the Wild, and if Granlund, who is a magnificent passer and often the maestro of one unit, that line can continue to play like a top unit, that would be an even bigger will be instrumental to that. development for Minnesota. At 5-on-5, Dumba’s spot in the top-four has been occupied by Greg And it’s not just that Parise is producing line a bona fide first-line winger Pateryn. When he’s been on the ice with Jonas Brodin, Minnesota has once again, it’s that he looks healthy, and is playing a style we’re been outscored 8-3. And barring Paul Fenton going out and acquiring accustomed to seeing from him — the physically taxing one — and another defenseman, this is the group Minnesota will move forward with, thriving in it. sans Dumba until late in the regular season at the earliest. Sean Tierney — @ChartingHockey on Twitter and a contributor at The It seems like a safe assumption that Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon will Athletic — does some fantastic work with data visualization. This, via his once again be surgically attached by the hip. That leaves Brodin and Tableau page, is a shot map of Parise’s season. Someone to assume the second-pairing duties, an important job given the forward depth the Wild is tasked with defending. One of the interesting performance trends about the Wild over the past few seasons has been the team’s expected goals percentage. A great indicator of future success, expected goals weigh the probability a shot has of scoring based on its location and league averages. Which is to say, the spray chart Minnesota has produced over the past few seasons has been expected to produce favorable results. In 2017-18, the Wild led the NHL in that stat, and the season prior, finished second overall. This season, Minnesota ranked fifth in the league in xGF% at the halfway point but only held the slimmest edge in raw 5-on-5 goals: 79 for, and 78 against. The discrepancy comes on the defensive end, where Minnesota’s expected goals-against per-60 sits 1.98 (the lowest in the NHL) while their actual mark sits at 2.37 (tied for 10th). The Wild rank 22nd in the NHL in 5-on-5 save percentage and 24th in the NHL in PDO, the sum of shooting percentage and save percentage. Both of those are likely to regress a bit over the second half. It’s an aspect of the game that has hurt Minnesota, and something that feels more bizarre than a source for concern. Over the past three seasons, Devan Dubnyk ranks sixth among NHL goaltenders (minimum 2,000 minutes played) in 5-on-5 save percentage. It hasn’t been so this year, where his .915 percentage ranks 20th among goaltenders with at least 1,000 minutes. He turns 33 in May, and is very good at identifying in-season adjustments that need to be made, and then incorporating them. If Dubnyk had been playing at his 5-on-5 average (.931) over those past three seasons during the first half, we’re talking about a difference of 12 goals across Dubnyk’s 34 games, worth roughly four points in the standings. A 32-save shutout in Montreal in which Dubnyk looked like his old stoic self was a nice way to cap off the first half. If Dubnyk gets trending in the right direction, Minnesota will start winning some of those one-goal games and should have no problem getting back to the postseason.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125118 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.10.2019 Julien considering splitting up Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin if they're not more productive

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: January 9, 2019

ST. LOUIS — Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin have been the Canadiens’ leading scorers since they were paired in the fourth game of the season, but a dry spell has coach Claude Julien thinking he may have to break up what has been his most productive line. “We feel that duo has done well, but lately they haven’t been doing as well and I have to consider if doesn’t get better down the road we’re going to separate them,” Julien said after the Canadiens practised at the Enterprise Center in preparation for Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Blues (8 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). “That’s not out of the question,” added Julien. “Nobody said they’d be together all year. I think if they want to stay together, they have to be more productive as a line, not necessarily as a duo but as a line.” Domi has gone 14 games without a goal but does have eight assists in that span. Drouin has three goals in the past 16 games and one of those was an empty-netter. Julien said he had no immediate plans to split the pair, who will start Thursday’s game with Joel Armia at right wing. “The motto of a coach is patience and repetition,” said Julien. “Does that mean we don’t get frustrated? Your job is always to try to make it better. There are different ways to do that. Jonathan has had a good season, but the last little while has been tough for him and I can see the same thing everyone else does. Our work is ongoing. We know he has the talent but the compete level and how much he wants to get involved, that’s the stuff that makes a difference in his game. Trust me, we work hard with individuals and groups, but a portion of it has to come from the players.” Julien referenced his experience in 2011 when he guided the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup. “Everyone made themselves accountable, they pushed each other,” Julien recalled. “The players need to understand that you don’t want to let your teammates down. Sometimes as a teammate You have to say ‘you can do even more for the team.’ Coaches coach and give that message, but sometimes it helps coming from a teammate.” One problem may be that Drouin doesn’t see a problem. “We’ve had a bit of a dry spell, but sometimes you don’t score but it’s one of your best games,” said Drouin. While Drouin and Domi will be together to start the game here, there will be some changes from the lineup that beat the Red Wings Tuesday in Detroit. Carey Price will start in goal and if Wednesday’s practice was any indication, Nicolas Deslauriers will be back on the fourth line in place of Charles Hudon. The Canadiens practiced for about 50 minutes Wednesday without captain Shea Weber. He took time off to nurse his bruised cheek, but you can expect him to play his usual 25 minutes Thursday. There was an emphasis on the power play in practice, and that’s no surprise because the Canadiens have the worst power play in in the NHL and are 0-for-11 in their last five games. Montreal is hoping for a sweep of their two-game road trip. The Canadiens have a better record on the road than they do at home.The Canadiens are 12-7-3 on the road for for a winning percentage of .613. The team’s record at the Bell Centre is 11-9-2 for a winning percentage of .545. The Canadiens had their most successful December in a decade and that was because the team came up big on the road, winning six of nine games. The Canadiens opened the new year by losing two of three games at home but they bounced back with a 3-2 win Tuesday in Detroit. The Canadiens didn’t get to bed until 3:30 a.m. the morning of the Detroit game after a storm delayed their charter flight from Montreal, and it was suggested the Canadiens stay up late the night before home games. “Not in Montreal,” replied Julien. 1125119 Montreal Canadiens “That model probably went out of circulation a long time ago, when I come to think of it,” Henderson added. “It turned out to be a good deal for CCM. I thought they were overpaying me at the time. But CCM was so Stu Cowan: 'Paul Henderson helmet' was on many kids' wish lists good to me. When I jumped to the WHA (leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Toronto Toros in 1974), they kept paying me for another two years when I was right out of sight here. It turned out good for both of us. STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE “I still have people come up to me and tell me: ‘I wore the Paul Henderson helmet.’ Kids called it the Paul Henderson helmet.” Updated: January 9, 2019 They certainly did — and they felt fortunate if they got to wear one.

There was a time in the NHL when helmets were more about “the look” than protection. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.10.2019 The most cool helmet was the CCM HT2 model — better known as “the Paul Henderson helmet.” The really cool way to wear it was with the chin strap hanging well below the Adam’s apple and, of course, no visor. If you grew up playing hockey in the 1970s and you didn’t have a CCM HT2 helmet, you probably wish you did. I was lucky enough to have one. Henderson made the CCM HT2 model really popular after scoring the winning goal in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union while wearing it and then jumping into the arms of Yvan Cournoyer for one of the most famous photos in hockey history. It became by far the most popular helmet in the NHL after the league made them mandatory for incoming players starting with the 1979-80 season. But now the Paul Henderson helmet is gone from the NHL, replaced by newer models with better protection. All the helmets today basically look the same, whether they’re made by CCM, Bauer or Warrior, the three main companies. Former Canadien Sheldon Souray might have been the last NHL player to wear the CCM HT2 helmet. Gone are the days when a helmet was part of a player’s personality, whether it be the bubble “Stan Mikita helmet” made by Northland, Wayne Gretzky’s Jofa — which was basically a margarine bowl with a chin strap — Mark Messier’s big WinnWell model or the SPAPS helmet Butch Goring received from his father as a 12-year-old and continued to wear throughout his 16-year NHL career, putting many coats of paint on it. Henderson wore the CCM HT2 for the first time in March 1966 — when almost no NHLers wore a helmet — after suffering a bad concussion while playing with the Detroit Red Wings. “I was told I had to put a helmet on for the rest of the season,” Henderson recalled in a phone interview Wednesday from his home in Mississauga, Ont. “So they gave me a CCM helmet. I didn’t ask for it … I hated the bloody thing. I never, ever thought that I would keep it on because nobody wore one and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be the guy.” That summer, CCM approached Henderson and offered him a substantial amount of money at the time if he would continue to wear the helmet the following season. Sid Abel, who was the Red Wings coach and general manager, told Henderson he didn’t want his players wearing helmets. Henderson explained that CCM was offering him money to wear it and added that his wife wanted him to wear a helmet since he had already suffered four concussions. Abel didn’t believe Henderson that CCM was going to pay him, so he showed the coach/GM the contract he was offered. “That’s the only way he believed me,” Henderson recalled with a chuckle. “So I said to him: ‘If you don’t think I’m playing well, I’ll take the helmet off.’ But I said: ‘I think if I’m playing OK, I should have the right to wear the helmet. He said: ‘OK, that’s reasonable.’ “About four games later, New York came in and we beat them 5-3 and I had four goals and an assist that night and he came up to me after the game and said: ‘Paul, I got no problem with you wearing a helmet.’ ” The “Paul Henderson helmet” was officially born. I never had that ugly Cooper helmet as a kid – thankfully – but I did have that mouth guard https://t.co/vYHZk2Ghcj— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) January 9, 2019 “The thing that saved me is that Mikita put one on the year before,” Henderson said. “It was that round thing — it looked like an igloo. But that’s the story. I had no intention of leaving it on until CCM came on and wanted to pay me to wear it.” Surprisingly, Henderson said other NHL players didn’t tease him about wearing a helmet. “Not one person,” he said. “I was amazed. When I went to training camp, I thought even some of my guys would have teased me. But I can’t ever remember a guy ever saying anything. I thought I would get it, for sure. But I was a pretty clean hockey player. I wasn’t a fighter or anything like that. If I was a fighter, I think it would have been a lot more difficult. 1125120 Montreal Canadiens Based on his play, don’t expect him back in Laval any time soon. Kulak has made his mark in the NHL, and has proven he has what it takes to stick. Analyze This: Canadiens are a better team when Brett Kulak is on the ice Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.10.2019 MARC DUMONT, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE Updated: January

When the Canadiens acquired Brett Kulak from the Calgary Flames last October for Rinat Valiev and Matt Taormina, few anticipated he would become a key presence on the Montreal blue line this season. At 25 years old and with 100 games of experience under his belt, NHL trends suggested Kulak had already hit his statistical prime. Most people hoped he would play sound hockey for the Laval Rocket and provide a solid depth option if injuries occurred. While GM Marc Bergevin is fond of saying you can never have enough defencemen, few experts thought much of the move at the time. But his statistics last season suggested there was more than met the eye with Kulak — some untapped potential. He recorded strong underlying numbers despite partnering with Michael Stone, who has had his struggles when it comes to controlling the play over the years. And that strong play is exactly what he’s brought to the Canadiens since his call-up in late November. Kulak has been the best defenceman on the team in that time when it comes to controlling shots (Corsi For %), and he’s second, behind captain Shea Weber, in terms of controlling scoring chances (Scoring Chances For %). He has taken his best opportunity to play meaningful minutes in the NHL and has run with it. Oftentimes, that’s all a young player needs. A chance to shine. Kulak has done exactly that. But he hasn’t just shone, he’s excelled. Another incredibly revealing aspect of his results are the raw numbers, or rates, if you will. No other Canadiens defender has been on the ice for more shot attempts per 60 minutes of even-strength ice time than Kulak. And no other Canadiens defender has been on the ice for fewer shot attempts against per 60 minutes of even-strength ice time than Kulak. His ability to mitigate shot attempts ranks sixth overall in the NHL among defencemen who have played 300 or more minutes this season, an incredible feat for someone who was acquired in exchange for two minor- league players. And though we’ve seen his role on the team change through his 21 games this season, going from top-pair duties with Weber to third-pair duties with Jordie Benn, Kulak’s numbers have remained consistently excellent. In addition to playing well in both roles, Kulak has also improved the results of both veteran partners he was paired with, proving that not only can he produce good numbers, he can hold his own in tough minutes and provide defensive versatility to Claude Julien when called upon. As is common with defenceman in the NHL, Kulak has made his fair share of mistakes during his baptism by fire, which has included a rather steep learning curve. But so far, the results are undeniably fantastic. He’ll lose the puck once in a while or make an errant pass, but the overall numbers don’t lie. When Brett Kulak is on the ice this season, the Canadiens are a better team. And it’s not just in terms of shots or scoring chances, either. Montreal goes from controlling 53.4 per cent of the goals to 59.4 per cent during his shifts. Though he’ll probably never put up high offensive numbers — he has one goal and three assists this season — Kulak provides offence in other ways, with quick puck retrievals, smart passing, and an ability to drive the puck up the ice with control. Statistically speaking, he’s been the best partner for Weber this season, and should be the go-to player for the top pairing if Victor Mete is given an easier assignment. Considering the cost to acquire Kulak was two minor-league throwaways, his impact on the roster has not only been significant, but the return value on the deal has been tremendous as well. 1125121 Montreal Canadiens

Junior team trades Canadiens prospect Nick Suzuki

STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: January 9, 2019

Canadiens prospect Nick Suzuki has a new junior team. The Ontario Hockey League’s announced on Wednesday that they have acquired Suzuki, fellow forward Zachary Roberts and defenceman Sean Durzi from the in exchange for forwards Zachary Poirier and Barret Kirwin, defenceman Mark Woolley, and four picks at future OHL Priority Selection drafts. Suzuki was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round (13th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft and was acquired by the Canadiens last September as part of the Max Pacioretty trade. In 30 games this season with the Attack, Suzuki had 22-23-45 totals. He was also part of Team Canada at the recent World Junior Hockey Championship in Vancouver, where he had three assists in five games. “Nick is one of the premier players in the CHL and possesses elite offensive tools,” Storm general manager and head coach George Burnett said in a news release. “His world-class, game-breaking skill is a very exciting thing to add to our lineup.” The Storm have a 20-12-7 record this season and are in second place in the OHL’s Midwest Division, while the Attack have a 21-15-3 record and are in third place in the same division. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin acquired Suzuki, forward Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick at this year’s NHL Draft in exchange for Pacioretty. Tatar has 14-19-33 totals in 44 games with the Canadiens this season, while Pacioretty has 12-10-22 totals in 33 games with the Golden Knights. 222 games played. 129 goals. 150 assists. 3rd All Time in Attack Scoring. After making the trade, Bergevin said Suzuki was the key player in the deal for the Canadiens. “Obviously, for us Nick Suzuki was the key piece because we like a young ‘A’ prospect that was picked 13th overall, which I believe at the time we had him No. 11 on our list,” Bergevin said after making the deal. “(Golden Knights GM George McPhee) went through a thing he mentioned to me in the past (that) trading a young player he was not very keen on that. But at the end of the day, to get you have to give and we were able to get a deal done and I hope it works for both parties. I really do.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125122 Montreal Canadiens Gallagher admits that the good vibes early led to a positive response to leadership, but he also feels the Canadiens are better equipped to deal with defeat. The Habs endured a five-game losing streak in November, What can the Blues take from the Canadiens’ success following their but responded by winning six of their next eight games. They have three leadership changes? three-game winning streaks this season, while the Blues remain the only team in the league without one.

“It probably goes hand-in-hand with having a little bit more success,” By Jeremy Rutherford Gallagher said. “I think last year that was probably something that we got away from when you’re not getting the results that you want. I think this Jan 9, 2019 year we’ve just been a little bit more committed to the message, so regardless if you’re going through ups or downs, we’ve just stayed on

point and I think that’s probably made a difference this year. One player was one of the most dynamic in the NHL, but some “There have been a lot of things that went wrong this year, but it’s just questioned whether his focus was himself or the team. The other player responding to a loss with a good effort the next night. That’s something was solid, but maybe not captain material after all. we’ve handled well this year. Last year we gave up back-to-back goals Now, former Montreal Canadiens P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty are in the most in the NHL, but this year, that’s something we’ve been better at, Nashville and Vegas, respectively. and it’s little things like that. We’re going to deal with a lot more going down the stretch, but we’re just better off and better prepared for it this In the past three years, Montreal has made a conscious decision to year.” change the complexion of its locker room. But rather than an overhaul, the Canadiens found a considerable amount of success by altering their In order to better compare the parallels between the Blues and leadership group. The Habs finished with 71 points in 2017-18, and they Canadiens, I solicited the help of The Athletic Montreal’s Arpon Basu are on pace for 95 heading into Thursday’s game against the Blues at after the Habs wrapped up their practice Wednesday. Here is that Enterprise Center. conversation … In 2016, Montreal acquired Shea Weber from Nashville in exchange for Rutherford: The situation here in St. Louis is that a lot of people have Subban and appointed the veteran defenseman, who played just 26 questioned the Blues’ leadership group and whether they’re all pulling in games last season because of a knee injury, captain last summer. The the same direction. Montreal kind of went through a similar situation the Canadiens have gravitated toward Weber, who took over the “C” from past few seasons, trading Subban, and then last year moving Pacioretty. Pacioretty, along with longtime staple, Carey Price, in net. Take me back in time and tell me what the Canadiens were facing? “There’s been a few changes, but the core has kind of remained the Basu: I think in a really similar way, Montreal’s season went south right same,” Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher told The Athletic after the off the bat last year. I wouldn’t say the expectations were quite as high in team’s practice Wednesday. “Everyone that we have, we’re kind of Montreal last year as they were in St. Louis this year, but they were still working toward the same goal and I think that’s really important. pretty high. They were coming off winning their division and there was an Obviously leadership starts from up top, but when the coaches leave the expectation they would make the playoffs. So when the season went room, I think the leadership core plays a big role in keeping the message south immediately, that’s when the leadership stuff starts to spring up. It going. was Pacioretty’s third season as captain and two of those three seasons were disastrous, and his own play was suffering so much that he found it “I think when you look at (Weber and Price), those are probably two guys difficult to lead. It was never clear who was actually leading the team at that have had success on the national level, winning championships, and any given moment. The leadership question was a big one and I think they bring that to our group. When you look around and you know that what it came down to was they began to accept what was happening to you have those two faces in your locker room, it gives you a lot of them too quickly. It became acceptable that they would lose and it confidence because they’re extremely competitive guys. They’re wouldn’t be that big of a deal, or they would take it hard but they wouldn’t obviously great players, but their leadership, it’s at a very high level as do anything to change it. I think that’s what really bothered Marc well and that’s important for our group.” Bergevin. When he came out at the end of the season and pinned it all on attitude, I’ve come to realize that that’s what he was talking about. No two situations are the same, but several NHL sources have compared the Blues’ current state to the one in Montreal in recent years. Vladimir Rutherford: In St. Louis this year, we hear a lot of players saying in post- Tarasenko is one of the NHL’s most dynamic players, but like Subban, game interviews, “We’ve got to get better and we’ll fix it.” I’m sure they’re he’s long been viewed as being on his own island, and while Alex not saying everything they’d like to say to the media, but fans get tired of Pietrangelo is solid, like Pacioretty he’s seen as someone perhaps not the same song and dance. I’m curious whether there was a lot of that in cut out to be a captain. Alexander Steen’s influence in the locker room Montreal last year when the losses piled up? also continues to be a concern. Basu: Yeah, it was interesting to watch that because you could pinpoint No one expected Canadiens coach Claude Julien to comment on the the moment in the season where their responses after losses changed. Blues, so we asked him Wednesday what kind of impact he believes the They kept thinking they could turn it around and get back in the playoffs, changes at the top of his club have had on its performance. and at some point that stopped. Then in January they went to Boston for Claude’s first game back in Boston as coach of the Canadiens, and they “Well, I think we’ve got good leadership,” Julien told The Athletic. “I think just totally laid an egg. After the game, Claude started talking about how it’s just a matter of putting things together, and at the end of the day, the coaching staff still had belief, but he didn’t know if the players had every team is kind of different. I don’t know what’s going on on the other belief. You could already see it splintering among the players in the room side, whether the issues on other teams are different or the same, I don’t and then you saw the coaching staff separating themselves from the know that. I just know what was going on in our room and that’s what we players and it just became toxic. But there was a transformation and it addressed. was interesting to see them say, “It’s important that we compete and “We came in with a plan this year. I remember our GM (Marc Bergevin) have pride in our play, and that we build on something for next season.” saying we needed a better attitude as far as our approach to the game. Rutherford: What was the feeling of Montreal fans when the team traded It’s tough because when you go through a season like you did last year, Subban because the Canadiens had maybe grown weary of him and everything becomes heavy. It’s hard to see the light, it’s hard to see the wanted to create more of a united atmosphere. Were they OK with that? positive signs and it just keeps dragging you down. We started the season this year bringing in some new things that we thought were good Basu: I don’t think the fans felt that way because they didn’t really see, for our group. We brought in some younger players and faster players and the media didn’t really see, to what extent the whole P.K. situation because we wanted to play a different way. was a situation. He was really good on the ice consistently. You could see how he would be irritating at times as a personality goes, but it didn’t “I think it excited everybody, I think everybody believed in it. We had to seem to be such a dire situation that they absolutely needed to trade him. do a good selling job for the guys to feel like this was going to be a lot of And frankly, if he didn’t have that no-trade clause kicking in when it did fun, and that’s what happened. The expectations weren’t very high from (July 1, 2017, three days after he was traded), they probably would have the outside, but on the inside we felt that if we played it well, we could kept him for another year. But with the no-trade kicking in, I think it definitely be a team that could be fighting for the playoffs and that’s became very clear to management that they did not want him to finish where we are right now — we’re fighting for a playoff spot. As much as that contract here. But the no-trade was what it was and it had reached things keep pushing you down, you get excited to try and get better, and the point where the GM and the player didn’t see eye-to-eye, and in that’s where we are right now.” those situations the GM usually wins. But it was an important moment in The Blues had high expectations coming into the season, but went just 2- the evolution of the team because you’re replacing Subban’s persona 4-3 in their first nine games, while Montreal was 7-3 after 10 games. with Weber’s persona. They’re basically polar opposites. Weber has no social media. Like when he wanted to send a message to Nashville fans difficult situation and I think it’s probably affecting their ability to succeed. thanking them, he had to have the Predators tweet it out. Subban is the Everyone loves the Blues’ prospects. In Montreal, everyone wanted total opposite — he documents his entire life on social media. It became Thomas or Jordan Kyrou for Pacioretty. They were No. 1 on the wish list clear in a game last year when Nashville played in Montreal and Brendan when it became clear Pacioretty would be traded. If you do have good Gallagher voiced how Subban always makes it about him. That was the young players, which the Blues do, it doesn’t take long for those guys to first time anybody really vocalized what the problem was with P.K. mature. The Blues are likely to get a pretty good draft pick, and they Subban, and that was the start of a real transition because not only was already have this stable of young players, which the Canadiens really Weber replacing Subban, but then eventually he replaced Pacioretty as didn’t at this time last year. So the Blues are ahead of the Canadiens in captain and it’s really become his team. that sense, and then if you make a couple of trades, all a sudden you’re a young team. It can happen quick. I’ve got to give Marc Bergevin credit. I think it’s hard for outsiders to understand the impact of culture. You They kept talking about what Vegas did, what Colorado did and what hear things like “culture” and “good in the room” and everyone thinks it’s New Jersey did, and I rolled my eyes and said, “You can’t do that!’ Well, bull and not really that important. What I’ve come to realize is the more they’re doing it. you’re around hockey players how big of an impact that actually does have. I think the level of respect that Weber and Price have from the whole team — they’re both very mild-mannered but intense and command respect — and so it’s gone from a guy in P.K., an excellent, The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 excellent player, but didn’t command that respect to Weber and Price. I think the important thing is the respect those two have in the room, it’s universal, and that’s really united the team. Rutherford: That’s interesting because Tarasenko’s no-trade clause kicks in next July and folks in St. Louis are wondering if that might lead the Blues to make a move with him. Anyway, the reason I asked is I believe the situation might be similar with Tarasenko and some of his teammates. What has it been like for the Canadiens to move out a player like that and now you don’t have that factor of a superstar who’s kind of like his own company? Basu: I think the problem guys had with P.K. is that they never knew if he was in it for them or himself. I personally think that he was in it for the team and that he would do everything he could for the team, and that when he wasn’t on the ice, that’s when he was worried about his own stuff. But I never saw anything in his game that wasn’t driven by wanting to win the game. I don’t think he did things to rack up points, the typically selfish things guys do because they’re only worried about their own contract. I think that’s what made it such a dilemma because they loved what he did on the ice, but off the ice it was a different vibe. No one was crying when he got traded. There were very few guys, kind of the marginal guys, that did, but the real core group didn’t appear all that bothered and actually saw the logic in it. Rutherford: It seems like a similar parallel could be drawn between Pietrangelo and Pacioretty — both good players who by many accounts aren’t ideal captains. I’m not sure that Blues players gravitate toward Pietrangelo. Did teammates do that with Pacioretty? Basu: I just think the leadership was a burden for Max, and I think he would admit that now, too. It sort of took away from his game. He took the captaincy very seriously. When he took the “C,” he cried at the press conference. It’s something he cherishes, he will always have been captain of the Montreal Canadiens. So it was important to him, but I think it was so important to him it led to a dip in his play. Slumps that used to last maybe four or five games all of a sudden started lasting seven or eight games. For him, it was too big of a burden to bear, and he had the added element that they went out and got Weber. The first day of training camp after the trade for Weber, Pacioretty was asked if he’d be willing to give the “C” to Weber. Who wants to hear that as captain? It was just a bad situation all around. I think Max was well-liked and appreciated in the room, but did people gravitate toward him? His confidence swings might have an adverse effect on the team, maybe not, but it didn’t lend itself to people gravitating toward you. Rutherford: So all in all, as we touched on earlier, the moves the Canadiens made, and the unification of the locker room, is what has led them to play for each other in your mind? Basu: Yeah, and I think what might be a good lesson is that maybe some teams need to go through a situation where they see what happens when they’re not all pulling on the same rope. I think that’s what happened in Montreal. Now they see, “OK, if we’re not all on the same page, that’s what can happen, and we can’t let that happen again.” I think there’s something to that. It’s rare that you see intangibles manifest themselves on the ice so strikingly, but team unity and just being together is one reason the Canadiens have been a surprise so far. Rutherford: And as Montreal has shown, it can turn around quickly if the Blues make the right decisions like the Habs have apparently done? Basu: Well yeah, and I think you’ve seen that with other teams. With Colorado, that Matt Duchene trade turned that whole team around. Montreal already had a youngish core. They traded Pacioretty and got younger (with Tomas Tatar); they traded Alex Galchenyuk and got younger (with Max Domi). So those two trades, for the elements we discussed why were they were made, also made the team younger. It appears to me from the outside looking in at the Blues, there are a lot of young pieces, like a Robert Thomas, who have been injected into this 1125123 Montreal Canadiens “When it comes to that line, they’re having a bit of trouble and I think it’s important for them to support each other a little better,” Julien said. “We talked to them about it and told them the same thing. Playing east-west is A snapshot of what it’s like to struggle in the Montreal fishbowl something that’s not easy in today’s game. More than anything else it’s about supporting the puck-carrier. That’s where I think they can help themselves as a line to get better.” By Arpon Basu In English, each of the five questions he was asked by Montreal reporters were either about Drouin or Domi or the duo. So we are up to nine Jan 9, 2019 questions in total about Domi and Drouin. By the ninth one – asked by me, full disclosure – Julien had kind of had enough and saw there was a

storm brewing. ST. LOUIS – On the day Jonathan Drouin was traded to the Canadiens, “I know this is going to make the headlines, but at the end of the day it June 15, 2017, he said being a Francophone playing in Montreal was shouldn’t make the headlines,” Julien said when asked if he felt Domi something he embraced. How the pressure that entails would drive him. was getting enough scoring chances to mitigate his lack of goals. “It’s just How he craved it. a line that’s going through a rough patch here and we’ve got to get them When Max Domi was traded to Montreal a year later, to the day, he said going. That’s what I feel. I get what you guys are telling me. I get it. I see how playing in a real hockey market is something he also craved after the same thing. But at the same time, my job is to try to get them going. growing up watching his dad Tie play in Toronto. When you’re leading your team in scoring, those two guys, it’s not because they’ve had a bad year. They’re going through a bad stretch Both players wanted this, and both players knew what it meant. They right now. And we need them to be better. I agree with that part.” wanted the passion, the constant attention. When things would go well, life would be grand. When things went less well, it would be difficult. Once Julien was done, the dressing room opened and Domi was there waiting. Drouin got a crash course in the latter of those scenarios last season, when nothing went well for the Canadiens, but he was largely shielded “The only numbers that matter are where you’re at in the standings, from criticism because he was playing a position that was not well suited right?” Domi said when asked if he looks at numbers a lot. “Individual to him and the problems the Canadiens went through appeared well stats are the most overrated thing in sports. I don’t think it does anyone ingrained, dating to a time before Drouin arrived. any good. If you’re doing well, you’re doing well. If you’re doing not well, then you find ways to do well. So break it down and keep it as simple as Domi, for his part, hasn’t known what the other side of it is like because possible. If you’re not scoring, then find ways to do other things to help the Canadiens are still exceeding expectations. He hasn’t scored a goal the team out and that’s all you can do.” in 14 games after opening the season on a total heater, but it hasn’t hurt the Canadiens, who have a record of 8-6-0 since Domi’s last goal, a Earlier in the season, whenever Julien was asked about how well Domi points percentage of .571, or just a shade under Montreal’s .580 points was playing, he made a point of mentioning how well Drouin was playing percentage for the season. beside him. The message couldn’t have been clearer. But while Domi is scoring at the same rate as before – he still has eight assists over his 14- But when you don’t score for 14 games, or in Drouin’s case when you game goal drought – his effort has not waned, and Julien has noticed. have three goals in that same span, eventually the attention is going to shift to that. It will shift to how your production is suddenly a disaster, no “When you look at Max Domi, he dumps pucks in, he skates hard, he matter how the team is doing. goes after pucks,” Julien said. “There’s no problem there if (Drouin) needs an example.” This is the other side of playing in Montreal. There’s the passion you feel every time you step on the ice in the Bell Centre, the warmth of the fans Just as Domi finished answering questions, Drouin slipped in to his when you run into them in restaurants or malls, but there’s also this. locker and sat down. As Domi also sat and bent down to take his skates off, a scrum formed around Drouin that was so large, Domi no longer had The scrutiny. room to continue what he was doing. So he just sat there as Drouin took questions on what was going wrong, questions Domi couldn’t understand A few years ago, while working on a story on what makes playing in because they were asked in French, but there’s no doubt he could Montreal unique, I asked former Canadiens sniper Mike Cammalleri for understand the gist of them regardless. his take on it. He was playing for the New Jersey Devils at the time and began the season with three assists in his first 10 games. He didn’t do a “I don’t think we’re playing that bad,” Drouin said in French. “Sometimes single interview about his slow start. He then scored nine goals in his it just doesn’t go in. But we still need to find a way to help the team.” next eight games. He didn’t do a single interview about that, either. As Domi sat there, waiting to remove his skates, there was one thought “That’s the difference,” he said. that immediately came to mind. That difference between what Drouin knew in Tampa Bay and definitely “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Arizona anymore.” what Domi knew in Arizona came to a head Wednesday in St. Louis.

The struggles of the duo that have been joined at the hip since the fourth game of the season, got off to a scorching start and have tapered off of The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 late became the story of the day, or at the very least the past few days. Such as here, here, here, here, here, here, here and probably many other places on top of the very story you are reading now. It has not gone unnoticed, and this day in Missouri was the day they were going to have to talk about it. First, a disclaimer: I am very aware that I am writing this story and am therefore a part of the phenomenon. But I felt the phenomenon itself is something that often goes unexplained, so this is an effort to do that, to get a sense of what a day like this is like. The Canadiens, in the midst of a stretch of three games in four nights and eight games in 13 days, held a short practice Wednesday to iron a few things out. Unusually, Claude Julien decided to fulfill his media duties immediately after practice, whereas he normally takes questions from reporters once the players are done. Julien always takes questions in French first, then English. His first question was a general one, inquiring as to whether he felt his team had areas for improvement. He didn’t bring up Domi and Drouin. So it was done for him. His next four questions were about the struggles of the duo, then he was asked two other questions – one on Nicolas Deslauriers and another on Charles Hudon – and that was the end of his French availability. His first answer on Domi and Drouin was probably the most revealing. 1125124 Montreal Canadiens check to the back. But you can’t forget about how it feels. It’s what Gallagher goes through almost every night. It’s supposed to spur you on, not keep you to the outside. Hopefully Drouin realizes that getting hit and Melnick’s GBU: Faith in Niemi, vintage Gallagher and Petry gets back on occasionally abused physically is the price most proven goal scorers are the horse willing to pay. You know, no pain, no gain. Plus, to his credit, when the Habs got stuck late in the game with Drouin and Domi on the ice while Detroit had a sixth attacker, Drouin made a couple of strong defensive plays and eventually managed to get the puck out. Domi, meanwhile, By Mitch Melnick took a terrible penalty behind the Detroit net early in the third period with his team seemingly in control of the game. The Red Wings pounced and Jan 9, 2019 it turned into a much hairier final 15 minutes for the Habs than it should have been. I miss Pavel Datsyuk. · Claude Julien: He finally got Charles Hudon back in the lineup (missed 16 of 18 games) and Matthew Peca, who had been scratched for eight of Every time I watch the Red Wings these days I wonder how many other the last nine games. Nicolas Deslauriers and Michael Chaput both sat hockey fans feel the same way. Until last season, Henrik Zetterberg this one out, as I figured they would. I like the makeup of a Peca-Hudon- made me think of Datsyuk. Now it’s Niklas Kronwall. Oh, I know speedy Kenny Agostino trio at the bottom of the lineup, depending on the Darren Helm was also a part of the last Detroit team to win the Stanley opponent. They didn’t get a lot of ice time (less than 10 minutes) but Cup in 2007-08. But he just doesn’t take me there. Julien did give them a couple of chances in the third period, in a tight and vitally important game, to make a difference, including a final shift with They weren’t as spoiled as we were in Montreal in the 60s and 70s, but I just six minutes to play. Just imagine if they had been able to pop one. know Detroit hockey fans appreciated what they had for as long as they had it. · Shea Weber: A swollen face is going to keep him out of the lineup? Shea Weber? A full cage to protect his swollen face? Shea Weber? Ha Seeing Kronwall at age 38 deliver a prototypical hard and clean body ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. check late in the game to Brendan Gallagher brought a smile to my face, and maybe even to Gallagher’s as well. THE BAD I’m going to miss Kronwall too when he’s gone, probably after this · Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Artturi Lehkonen-Paul Byron: They’ve all been firing season. Not just because he’s been such a solid, effective defenceman mostly blanks since before Christmas. Byron didn’t even get a sniff at the for 15 years. net. Which means he’ll likely follow Gallagher’s lead and snap out of a slump Thursday in St. Louis. Who else will make me think of Datsyuk? · PA in Detroit: Am I missing something? Why is it necessary for an THE GOOD original six franchise to follow up a penalty call with a further · Antti Niemi: Oh ye of little faith. A must win game against a division rival announcement of “…that’ll put the Red Wings on the power play!!!”? I on the road after a home ice loss the night before screamed out for can only imagine what 93-year old Ted Lindsay would say. I think it Carey Price. But you must not be paying attention. Price himself has said rhymes with puck. they’re going to have to “manage” his health status. (inflammation, right THE UGLY Marc Bergevin?) Don’t go looking for anymore back-to-back starts for Price anytime soon. Besides, wasn’t Niemi coming off perhaps his best · Power Play: Not even a trip away from home ice could solve the issue. start as a Hab on New Year’s Eve in Dallas? Beaten only by the dynamic The Habs actually discovered an opponent that was having a tougher Andreas Athanasiou, who is a treat to watch (but, no, he does not remind time on home ice than Montreal’s 0-for-24 stretch. Athanasiou’s second me of Datsyuk). In order for Niemi to stay sharp he’s going to need to goal with Domi in the penalty box snapped an 0-for-28 drought by Detroit play, and that means at least two more starts prior to the All-Star break. in their own rink that dated back to late November. So how do the He’s fine again. Canadiens snap out of it? Maybe they should sign Marie Phillip Poulin. Or if they close their eyes and concentrate real hard, maybe they can · Brendan Gallagher-Tomas Tatar-Phillip Danault: It’s uncanny how often channel the NHL ghost of Pavel Datsyuk. Gallagher is in the middle of things whenever his team desperately needs something good to happen. Following a scoreless first period this line wasted no time once they hit the ice to start the second. Tatar got it going when he stripped Athanasiou of the puck in the neutral zone and passed The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 it to Danault, who took a shot that handcuffed Jimmy Howard (who only settled down after the Habs’ third goal) while Tatar went to the net where he found the loose puck and slapped it in front. Gallagher sniffed it out and outmuscled Luke Glendening to fire it home after just 30 seconds. How did Gallagher celebrate his 16th goal of the season and first in nine games? While lying on his back in front of the crease. Hardly his first and a long, long way away from his last. But when you want to show undersized players how to get it done, just hit “play” on this vintage Gallagher moment. · Jeff Petry: Game-winning goal in front of his family after his disastrous giveaway to Mikael Granlund handed Minnesota a 1-0 win at the Bell Centre on Monday night is the epitome of a bounce back effort. The goal was the 30th point of his all-star calibre season. Only nine defencemen have more. · Brett Kulak: The primary reason David Schlemko is now in Laval. Kulak is a real good find. Even when he makes a mistake there is no panic in his game. And he doesn’t allow a bad shift to carry into the next one. · Max Domi-Joel Armia-Jonathan Drouin: Armia’s first goal since returning from his knee injury was a strong snap shot from the slot after his pass to Domi was kicked right back to him. Intentional or not, it was a moment perfectly timed, just 66 seconds after Gallagher’s goal to give the Habs a 2-0 lead. Domi and especially Drouin needed a better effort and, while there was still a hiccup or two, they were much stronger than Monday night at the Bell Centre. It started early when Domi showed a lot of jump and carried the puck deep into Detroit territory. It ended up in the crease directly to the right of Howard. And guess who was standing there waiting for it to pop loose? Drouin is one of the very few members of the Canadiens who has the ability score from the outside. But even he knows by now, egged on no doubt by the coaching staff, that he’d score a lot more goals if he moved a lot closer to the net. By the time Howard froze the puck, Drouin had been knocked off his feet. Nobody likes a cross 1125125 Nashville Predators

Wednesday's recap: Predators 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 9:41 p.m. CT Jan. 9, 2019 | Updated 10:10 p.m. CT Jan. 9, 2019

CHICAGO - Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson were reunited at the United Center on Wednesday night. And it felt so good, most of the time, for the Predators' top line, which started a game together for the first time since Nov. 10. Forsberg's second goal of the game proved to be the winner a minute into overtime of a 4-3 victory against the Blackhawks. The shot came minutes after Forsberg's costly turnover allowed Artem Anisimov to tie it 3-all with 2:21 left in the third. Arvidsson also scored, and Johansen had two assists to help the Preds move to 5-0-1 in their last six games. Forsberg was playing in his second game since missing the previous 17 with an upper-body injury. Arvidsson missed 21 games with a broken thumb before returning Dec. 27. Colton Sissons put the Predators ahead 1-0 with his ninth goal of the season in the first. That tied his career high set last season in 81 games. Eight seconds after Alex DeBrincat tied the score 1-1 with a power-play goal, Arvidsson made it 2-1 with his fifth score since returning. Forsberg's power-play goal made it 3-1 before the Preds allowed a shorthanded goal to Jonathan Toews with 20 seconds left in the second. Notable: Predators defenseman Yannick Weber was on the ice for the team's morning skate Wednesday. He has been on injured reserve since Dec. 27 with an undisclosed injury. Quotable: "It's nice to get guys back in there. There's still a couple pieces out. Everybody has to deal with that. The guys that have come in have really worked hard to keep us moving in the right direction." -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette on guys returning from injury. Trending: Kevin Fiala has nine points in his last seven games. Mattias Ekholm has two goals and seven assists in his last seven games. Milestone: 150. Career points for Ekholm after his assist on Sissons' first- period goal Wednesday.

Tennessean LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125126 Nashville Predators He's not much different now. "To have a house there and to have a good living there, you don’t need to be rich or anything," he said. Predators' Mattias Ekholm proving his worth and then some "He’s right," Ellis added. "We make a lot of money. At some point, it’s about happiness, your family." Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Something Ekholm said a little more money couldn't buy. Published 3:35 p.m. CT Jan. 9, 2019 | Updated 10:54 p.m. CT Jan. 9, 2019 Tennessean LOADED: 01.10.2019

CHICAGO — Mattias Ekholm won't have to work when he's done working. Such a notion is good enough for the Predators defenseman. Ekholm will have earned $22.5 million by the time his six-year contract with the Predators expires after the 2020-21 season. By NHL standards, though, some could argue he is underpaid. Argue he is a bargain for that price. Argue that perhaps the 28-year-old should argue for more next time. Ekholm isn't the one making that argument, though. He said he makes more money than he can imagine spending. More than he ever dreamed while growing up a soccer- and hockey-loving kid in a small town in Sweden. More than he needs to care for his family, which grew by one when his baby was born in March. "These numbers, the money we get paid, it's crazy how some people discuss small details in contracts," he said. "I'm just really happy with the deal I got. I know I'm going to be set for my entire life. "I don't have to work a day in my life if I don't want to when my career is done. I'm trying to focus on that instead of trying to be sour or mad about maybe I could have made a dollar more here or there. It's not relevant in my mind at least." Ekholm might be the Predators' most invaluable player. That hasn't been more evident than the past couple of months, when the Predators have endured an orchestra of injuries, including one that kept Ekholm's partner, P.K. Subban, out for 19 games. Ekholm, who is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, has had to play on his off side. He's had to add more offensive ingredients to his game. He's been, in the spirit of coach Peter Laviolette's words, invaluable. "The way he plays at times, it's irreplaceable," Laviolette said. "If you imagine what we’ve gone through (with injuries) and (not) having him, there's nobody that can do that. He's as big a part as any part of this team." The defense has been there. The recent offensive surge – two goals and seven assists in his last six games after recording two assist in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Blackhawks – has stood out as pieces such as Subban, Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg have returned from injured reserve. His 32 points are second on the team and are three shy of tying his career-high set in 2015-16. "He's that guy you want out there no matter what situation," Josi said. Ekholm's value, Josi said, has only increased in light of all the injuries. "He plays 25 minutes a game," Josi said. "You never see him make a mistake. All the little things ... he's hard to play against." Fellow defenseman Ryan Ellis signed a team-friendly deal (six years, $37.5 million extension that kicks in next year) to stay with the Predators – and to play with guys such as Ekholm. So he understands Ekholm's perspective about money – and wanting to win. "We’ve been together for so long, the core anyway," Ellis said. "I don’t think anyone has any intentions of going anywhere. That’s a special feeling. "Decisions like that become easier. There are decisions personally guys have to make regarding whatever finances or family. All those factors that go together, we’ve been lucky with the guys we have. We want to be in Nashville together for a long time." Ekholm was raised in a small city in Sweden. His family didn't have a whole lot but never went without. 1125127 Nashville Predators underrated superstar. After trading away Erik Karlsson, the franchise needs a win. Keeping Stone long-term would be a big one.

Teams are drooling at the prospect of Stone hitting the market, both Feb. LeBrun Notebook: The year of the UFA winger, ‘Nashville dollars’ and 25 and/or July 1. I’d keep an eye on Vegas. Assistant GM Kelly where Matthews and Marner stand McCrimmon has a close relationship with Stone dating back to their WHL days together. By Pierre LeBrun Senators GM Pierre Dorion is at scouting meetings this week. The expectation is that he could get the ball rolling on Stone with the Newport Jan 9, 2019 camp as early as next week. Both sides Tuesday were trying to firm up plans to meet. The same is expected on the Duchene front. His agent Pat Brisson has already had a few chats with Dorion since the start of the season but both sides plan to talk again next week. This is an important month for a number of high-profile players on expiring contracts. New Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher and the agent for Simmonds, Eustace King, have had regular communication of late. My sense is that King will It’s decision time. To some degree. soon put a bit of heat on Fletcher to make a decision on this front. Expect From Mark Stone and Matt Duchene to Artemi Panarin, Jeff Skinner and another conversation between both sides before the end of the week. Wayne Simmonds, high-profile, pending UFAs have conversations Term will be key there if Fletcher decides to attempt to re-sign the power looming ahead of the Feb. 25 trade deadline. forward. Sabres GM Jason Botterill and veteran agent Don Meehan of Newport If he doesn’t, talk about a powerful addition for a Cup contender. Wow. Sports have traded messages this week trying to firm up when both sides Adding Simmonds to any lineup that has a chance to win is a game- can get going on Skinner, who is having a monster year after being changer. His unique skill set of physicality and offensive talent stands acquired from Carolina. alone on the market. I could make the argument of how good he’d look in Meehan is expected to be in attendance Saturday for the Tampa-Buffalo Tampa Bay, Winnipeg or Toronto. game but Botterill won’t be back yet from out-of-town scouting meetings. And what of Karlsson? There’s no bigger name, of course, among the So it’s not clear yet when exactly preliminary contract discussions will pending UFAs. My understanding is that Meehan and Sharks GM Doug begin other than both sides seem eager to get it going in the very near Wilson have traded messages this week and there could be a plan afoot future. to meet at some point after the All-Star break. What will that number look like if a deal gets done? That one is going to be fascinating. Karlsson has really played well since “He’s an interesting case because he’s been previously inconsistent,’’ some early-season struggles. Does he want to stay in San Jose? A said one rival agent obviously not involved in it. reminder that the Sharks can’t sign him to to the max eight years until Feb. 25 at the earliest as per a rule in the CBA related to acquiring Skinner is on pace for his first 50-goal season after putting up 24 last pending UFAs after the prior year’s trade deadline. year in Carolina. He had 37 goals two years ago after putting up 28 the year before that and 18 goals the season before that. Roman Josi greeted agent Jeff Jackson with a warm smile and handshake before the morning skate in Toronto on Monday. It was a But he’s found some magic with Jack Eichel and one presumes finds reminder that he had changed agents this year and his now being appealing the idea of continuing to ride shotgun with the Sabres captain. represented by Jackson and Judd Moldover. Skinner, making $5.725 million this season, turns 27 in May so term will This summer looms large for the Nashville Predators captain. He’s got figure into this negotiation just as much as the AAV. one year left on his contract next season at a $4-million cap hit and both sides will no doubt be eager to get an extension done a year ahead of Funny what varying responses I got on Skinner from other agents around time. the league. One agent Tuesday suggested $8 million a year made sense. Another said $10-million plus. “Hopefully,’’ smiled Josi on Monday morning. Said yet another agent: “Pay him ahead of Evander Kane ($7 million) but The Predators were keen to get Ryan Ellis extended one year ahead of behind Tyler Seguin ($9.85 million).’’ time this past summer and will make Josi a similar priority after this season. And it’s worth pointing out that if for whatever reason the Sabres slide out of playoff contention closer to Feb. 25 — which I doubt but you never He can’t see himself anywhere else. know — and if Skinner remains unsigned … well, the Sabres would have to consider trading him in that scenario. “Yeah definitely, it’s the only team I’ve played with my whole life, I love the city, I’ve met a lot of people there and made a lot of friends, so yeah Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that. I like the Skinner fit in Buffalo and I do I’m really happy in Nashville,’’ Josi said. “It’s a great organization and a think both sides get an extension figured out. great group of guys.’’ It’s the year of the UFA winger: Skinner, Panarin, Stone, Simmonds. Talk It will be interesting, as it always is, when negotiations begin. Veteran about some high-end talent. GM David Poile will no doubt talk to the Josi camp about “Nashville dollars.’’ Which is code for: sign for less to stay in Nashville. The Panarin’s agent Dan Milstein told us during the holidays that his plan was Predators not only have a number of under-market contracts that way on to meet with his client during the NHL All-Star break later this month and their payroll but also refuse to doll out no-trade clauses. So it’s a double get a read on the player’s future plans. whammy for agents negotiating with Poile. Normally if a player is taking Again, most fascinating to me will be if Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, less to stay somewhere, they at least get no-trade protection to ensure even if he can’t re-sign Panarin, decides to make the star winger a self- that the contract doesn’t travel. But the Predators have created the kind rental at the trade deadline in the hopes of finally seeing his team go on a of culture where it’s hard for agents to negotiate something that nobody deep playoff run. To a lesser degree, it’s exactly what he did with else has on the team. pending UFA Jack Johnson last year. Kekalainen determined that the Players and their families love it in Nashville. There’s no state income offers he was getting at the deadline for the defenceman didn’t equal the tax. And the team is a contender. As long as those three things remain worth he felt Johnson would give his team down the stretch. true, the team can probably continue to prolong that type of culture when So in this case, a lot will depend on how crazy a contender will be in negotiating contracts. terms of a trade offer to Columbus on Panarin. World Cup of Hockey in 2020? And if Stone isn’t re-signed by the deadline, suddenly Columbus would Time is of the essence if there’s ever going to be a 2020 World Cup of have competition as far as high-end wingers on the market. Hockey. I take Stone to his word in his comments with the Ottawa media recently I think the league would have wanted this decided by Jan. 1, so we’re in that he’s interested in staying put and signing an extension. Hockey overtime here. players are most often loyal, that much we know. Perhaps he sees the light at the end of the Ottawa rebuilding tunnel. The NHL and NHLPA are meeting later this week to again discuss the World Cup. I could certainly classify it as a fairly crucial meeting. But so much, of course, will depend on how much Eugene Melnyk opens up the vault. I wouldn’t screw around with this one. Stone is such an Of course when both sides meet, as they did a few times over the past few months, these conversations tend to spill over into bigger picture CBA chats, too. It’s kind of hard to avoid. The larger vision for international hockey ties both sides together. Can they figure this out? And can these World Cup chats pave the way for labour peace down the road? I know, I know, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But I’m allowed to dream. Where Matthews and Marner stand One thing I picked up on when I sat down with Leafs GM Kyle Dubas last month was the first mention that I can remember of him connecting the trade deadline to the contract talks with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Basically, Dubas suggested that it would be helpful to know at some level where those talks are going in terms of knowing what the Leafs can do at the trade deadline in terms of being able to add a contract or two. Why? Because Dubas, at least when we spoke, didn’t fancy adding a rental player. So if he makes a trade it appears it will be for a player with term past this season. Which is why it would be nice for the Leafs to know to some degree how much Marner and Matthews will cost starting next year. But I don’t think Marner’s camp is backing down from the idea of waiting until after the season to get a deal done. Agent Darren Ferris reiterated in a text message Tuesday that he will not waver on that. “Yes, 100 percent,’’ he said. “Mitch wants to concentrate on this season.’’ Again, that strategy can only bring the number up. Makes sense from Marner’s perspective to wait. There have been no such pronouncements from the Matthews camp. The sense I’ve gotten all along is that his agents Judd Moldover and Jeff Jackson are ready to negotiate whenever the Leafs want to get serious and come to the table. I should note that Moldover and Jackson are meeting later this week and obviously Matthews will be among the topics.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125128 New Jersey Devils The aforementioned issues have led to a myriad of inconsistencies. The Devils can’t string together consistent wins, especially outside of New Jersey, and they can’t string together two solid periods of consistent The biggest issues plaguing the NJ Devils this season hockey. They’ve gotten bad bounces and good goalies making good saves on good breakaway attempts.

The power play has been as streaky as the depth scoring. The one Abbey Mastracco, NHL writer consistently good aspect of their game has been the penalty kill, but no team can rely on shorthanded goals to win. Published 7:56 p.m. ET Jan. 9, 2019 | Updated 8:51 p.m. ET Jan. 9, 2019 The organization was worried about regressing this season and maybe the concerns were valid. But the Devils are far from a finished product so the only thing they can do now is take a few strides forward in the building process. One game past the midway point of the season and the Devils’ chances of making the playoffs appear to be getting slimmer and slimmer. There’s Hopefully, they’re big ones. no question that it’s disappointing considering the way they ended last season and started this one. Coach John Hynes doesn’t like to use the word frustration but it’s clear Bergen Record LOADED: 01.10.2019 the fanbase is frustrated with the turn of events this season. The pieces are in place with Hynes extended long-term and management seemingly safe right now, so where do they go from here? Is it time to pull the plug? It’s up to general manager Ray Shero and the front office brain trust to decide that. After 43 games, here are three of the biggest problems plaguing the Devils. Goaltending Dec 1, 2018; Newark, NJ, USA;New Jersey Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid (1) makes a save against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period at Prudential Center. Before the Devils called up Mackenzie Blackwood, they had the second- lowest team save percentage in the NHL. It’s currently ranked 26th out of 31 teams in the league which is improved but not good enough and definitely not what the Devils were expecting when they began the year with Keith Kinkaid and Cory Schneider. Only one team in a playoff spot has a save percentage worst than the Devils’ mark of .894 and the San Jose Sharks have the ability to make up for it with one of the best defense corps in the game. There’s no question that Kinkaid has talent and he’s a solid goaltender. But he elevated his play last season and that was the level of play we saw early in the season. Right now, that’s not what we’re seeing and Hynes doesn’t appear happy with what he’s seeing right now. He was being overplayed out of necessity and if Blackwood ends up out long- term he could be relied on heavily once again. However, that doesn’t excuse the play in front of the goalies. Organizational depth Dec 29, 2018; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils center Pavel Zacha (37) and New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (29) celebrate the Devils 2-0 win over the Hurricanes at Prudential Center. Blackwood recorded his first career NHL shutout. There just isn’t enough of Sami Vatanen to go around. Ideally, Vatanen would be a top-pairing defenseman with, well, another top-pairing defenseman. But the Devils don’t have another true top-pairing blueliner. Steven Santini has played very well in the last 10 games which has helped, but Will Butcher hasn’t been without his struggles this season and Damon Severson is still making questionable decisions in the defensive zone. The blue line is thin but so is the rest of the roster. And the Devils don’t seem to have anyone ready in the American Hockey League. John Quenneville, Kevin Rooney and Blake Pietila have yet to show they can play in the NHL every day. Blake Speers may not be panning out, Michael McLeod and Marian Studenic need more time and no one seems to know what to do with Nick Lappin. The Drew Doughtys and the Victor Hedmans of the world aren’t readily leaving their situations and their organizations would want a king's ransom in exchange for them. The Devils could package a few of their top Binghamton guys with someone like Butcher or even center Pavel Zacha to get a defenseman of the Alex Pietrangelo or Cam Fowler variety and they have the cap space to take on a multiyear contract. But they would have to sacrifice an emerging young player and the organization is trying to build a contender from within by developing players. Maybe it’s time to let go of a few of those young players. Consistency 1125129 New York Islanders New York Post LOADED: 01.10.2019 Islanders bring new status into latest showdown with Rangers

By Brett Cyrgalis January 9, 2019 | 9:56PM

Players can’t be too focused on the big picture of a season, and forget them seeing a picture that includes about a decade of the same storyline. But it seems that, at least through the first half of this season, the roles between the big-brother Rangers and the little-brother Islanders have been somewhat reversed. Again, it’s only been half a season, but going into this home-and-home that starts Thursday night at the Garden and then goes to what could be the final game between these two at Barclays Center on Saturday, the Islanders are the ones in playoff contention while the Rangers are just trying to keep their season relevant through the winter. Like that will really matter when the puck actually drops. “I think there have been years when one team is out of it, but you still get up for these games,” Islanders forward Josh Bailey said after his team’s practice on Wednesday. “They’re still exciting. It means a lot to both fan bases. There is a certain energy around the game. It definitely gets you amped up, no matter what the situation.” The situation is that the Rangers are coming off a three-game western trip that saw them lose all three, extending their losing streak to four games by an aggregate goal total of 22-5. They were brutal in consecutive 6-1 and 5-0 losses in Denver and Arizona, respectively, and then finally pulled together a semblance of pride in a 4-2 loss in Vegas on Tuesday night. “We obviously don’t feel good in here,” defenseman Brady Skjei said after the game, his team getting Wednesday off to recuperate. “But [Tuesday] night’s game was a step in the right direction.” The Islanders, meanwhile, just had their good roll come to an end. A 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes at the Coliseum on Tuesday night ended a six- game winning streak. They had won nine of the previous 10, but coach Barry Trotz expected more from his team than consecutive sloppy performances, going back to a 4-3 win in St. Louis on Saturday that was gifted to them by the emerging No. 1 goalie, Robin Lehner. “We just have to clean up,” Trotz said after he ran his team through some battle drills on Wednesday and made his players do push-ups on the ice. “We had a little meeting on our decision-making process, and worked on a couple things we need to get better at.” Trotz came in this summer soon after Lou Lamoriello was named team president, and the two have helped turn around the franchise. Without much turnover in personnel, they went from dead last in the league in goals-against per game to fourth best. They play with a defined structure that was missing for years under Jack Capuano and Doug Weight. Maybe most important, the young core of players is buying into the new culture — even if Trotz admitted they’re not exactly on the verge of being Stanley Cup contenders. “Now it’s to get ourselves to the final level, there in the playoffs, year in and year out. And grow to hopefully be a contender down the road,” Trotz said. “But we still have lots of work, and probably a year or two away. But I think this year, the guys are believing they’re a team that should be in the mix, and we will be in the mix.” The Rangers also have a new coach in David Quinn, but his résumé is quite different. Where Trotz was coming off a Stanley Cup victory with the veteran Capitals, Quinn came in from Boston University with the direct intent to help drive this rebuilding process that began in earnest around this time last year. The Blueshirts still will look to add young assets before the Feb. 25 trade deadline, but they will just as surely go into this two-game set knowing that a couple of points could be a much-needed boost in morale. Boy, that’s what the Islanders always used to say, wasn’t it? “It’s Game 42 for us, but it’s as close to a playoff-type atmosphere you’re going to get at this point in the season,” said Islanders forward Matt Martin. “We want to put them behind us, keep climbing the standings. Not that we want to worry about the teams behind us, but we don’t want to give them any life.” 1125130 New York Islanders Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.10.2019

Safety, emergency response time concerns raised at Islanders arena hearings

By Laura Albanese [email protected] @AlbaneseLaura Updated January 9, 2019 10:19 PM

Safety concerns and questions about emergency response time came to the fore Wednesday as residents spoke out about the state’s plan to build an Islanders arena and adjacent retail space at Belmont Park. About 200 people attended two hearings Wednesday at the Elmont Memorial Library to discuss the over $1 billion project, which would include a 19,000-seat arena for NHL games and concerts, along with a hotel and 450,000 square feet of retail space. If approved, the complex is set to be completed by 2021. The Wednesday forums — held on day two of three of public hearings on the project — brought out detractors as well as those who agreed with the project, while offering modifications to make it more palatable to the Floral Park, Bellerose and Elmont communities. Many of those who agreed with the project balked at the mass transportation plan, which involves only part-time railroad service, or thought the project’s retail space should be scaled back. Those against it, like Lt. William Doherty of the Floral Park Police Department, worried that emergency services would be adversely affected by increased volume. He pointed to the increased manpower and overtime needed during big Belmont race days, and said year-round events would cause an untenable strain. “Roads slowed because of traffic . . . [will affect] life and death in Floral Park,” Doherty said. Jack Sterne, a spokesman for the state’s economic development agency, Empire State Development, did not comment on the specific concerns expressed Wednesday. But in an emailed statement, he said, “ESD is committed to a robust community engagement process. Our goal is to ensure local residents’ voices are heard — that’s why we’re holding four hearings over three days and accepting comments via email through February 11th. We look forward to continuing the conversation and working with community members to ensure this transformative project — which will bring a world-class arena, improved and new public spaces, and millions in tax revenue to Long Island — is successful.” After the public comment period ends, Empire State Development will draft a final environmental impact statement. The agency’s initial 700-page environmental impact study said the project would not have a cumulative negative impact on the area, save for transportation. Michael King, who has three children and lives near the busy Plainfield Avenue intersection in Floral Park, said he already sees reckless driving in the area and believes further development will exacerbate it. “As I watch the kids in the morning, every morning, cross the street, they’re petrified [because] . . . drivers run through stop signs at speeds up to 30-50 mph,” said King. “I have seen three kids hit at the intersection, one thrown across the street onto my neighbor’s yard . . . .” Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen said the plan needs to include a full-time Belmont Long Island Rail Road stop to offset traffic issues and increase economic opportunities for residents. The current plan includes two trains each before and after events, and westbound residents heading to the arena must first go to Jamaica before returning east. Gillen also pushed for a project labor agreement, so that construction jobs are filled by residents. Lauren Boodeau, of Elmont, gave a fiery defense of the project, saying her community needs the project. Boodeau, 20, said the only significant Elmont development she’s seen in her lifetime involved new fast food restaurants. The project will renew life in a tired community and provide jobs, she said. “The most modern building [in Elmont] is a new Chipotle,” she said. “I think it’s time Elmont fights for itself.”

1125131 New York Islanders

Islanders hope an intense practice gets them ready for Rangers

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday Updated January 9, 2019 7:58 PM

There were few breaks in Wednesday’s 50-minute practice, with the Islanders concentrating on battle drills, managing the puck properly and working effectively in tight spaces. It was an attention-grabber after two sub-par performances, just as the start of a home-and-home series against the rival Rangers should be on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. The teams conclude their regular-season series Saturday afternoon at Barclays Center. “We battled pretty hard out there today,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said after the practice in East Meadow. “I think it’s good to realize that even though we had a nice winning streak, we’ve got to be prepared every night. We need everyone, every single game. We can’t have lines or defensemen taking nights off, because it affects our chances.” The fierce rivalry between the Rangers and Islanders started back on their first meeting at Nassau Coliseum on Oct. 21, 1972. Players and fans from both teams have changed over the years, but the level of play and competitive fire between these teams has never faded. (Credit: Newsday Staff) The Islanders (23-14-4) had their season-high six-game winning streak snapped in Tuesday night’s 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum. It was a marginally better performance than Saturday night’s 4-3 victory at St. Louis. They have split their first two games against the Rangers this season, rallying from a two-goal deficit for a 7-5 win in Brooklyn on Nov. 15 as Anthony Beauvillier notched his first career hat trick. But the Rangers snapped the Islanders’ eight-game winning streak in the recently one- sided New York rivalry with a 5-0 victory on Nov. 21 at the Garden, the only time they’ve been shut out this season. The Islanders still are 12-2-0 against the Rangers since Dec. 2, 2015, but the team is more concerned with its recent play, knowing it needs to correct the mental errors of the past two games. “You can tell the way the [practice drills] were designed it was to get the puck deep and make smart decisions,” captain Anders Lee said. “It’s just reinforcing the things we need to work on and the areas we’ve gotten away from a little bit.” All four of the Hurricanes’ goals were marked by either poor defensive efforts or bad puck management decisions. The worst came on Greg McKegg’s deflating goal with six seconds left in the first period to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead after Mathew Barzal turned the puck over in the Islanders’ zone rather than getting it out and letting the clock run out. “We had a little meeting on our decision-making process and we just worked on a few things I think we need to get a little bit better at,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. While the Islanders are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Rangers’ 4-2 loss at Las Vegas on Tuesday night was their fourth straight defeat. They’ve fallen to sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, nine points behind the Islanders. “It’s going to be an intense game,” Lee said. “No matter where each team is in the standings or whatever part of the year it is, it’s always an exciting game. The fans are into it. There’s that rivalry factor. You have no choice but to be dialed in.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125132 New York Islanders 40 GP, 11-5-16, 15:04 TOI, 51.3 SC%, 50.2 HDC% What I’ve learned about the Isles: “We’ve learned what’s going to make us win games — playing as a team, sticking with the system. We can’t be Chemistry, resilience and trust in the system: Islanders midseason really fancy, we have to grind, be greasy to get some wins. It’s been a review in their own words fun first half, everyone’s been buying in and learning how to win.” What I’ve learned about myself: “It was a tough first 15 games but you By Arthur Staple always learn a little bit more about yourself when you go through those slumps. Just learned how to get through it. It’s going to be good for me Jan 9, 2019 moving forward, especially when I get older to be able to help the younger guys when they go through it. It’s not something you want to go through, but it can help me get stronger and know a bit more how to get out of those bad stretches.” EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — The Islanders are at the halfway point of a surprising 2018-19, having adapted to all sorts of offseason change to Casey Cizikas form a team that’s on a 100-point pace. 34 GP, 10-7-17, 13:08 TOI, 47.1 SC%, 59.8 HDC% Instead of doling out awards, platitudes and criticisms, we’ve decided to let the Islanders tell you what they’ve seen from their team and What I’ve learned about the Isles: “We’ve realized our potential as a themselves through the first half of the year — and give their votes for group and what we can achieve when we play as a team. It’s pretty team MVP and Unsung Hero through 41 games. Statistics are courtesy obvious that when we’re doing the right things, we have success. When of Hockey Reference and Natural Stat Trick. we don’t, we’re turning pucks over, giving teams second chances and momentum for no reason. I think we’ve done a good job of that.” Anders Lee What I’ve learned about myself: “It’s a good first half for myself and for 41 GP, 15-16-31, 17:27 time on ice/game, 52.7 scoring chance our line. We’ve done a good job of keeping it simple and being effective. percentage, 56.7 high-danger chance percentage Our confidence is building every game. We’re taking care of our own end, not forcing anything, being hard on the other team, creating a little What I’ve learned about the Isles: “We’ve proven a little bit, not only to havoc out there. Something to build on for sure.” ourselves but others, what we can be and who we are. We had that feeling coming into the year of not a lot of belief outside our room. I think Jordan Eberle we’ve shown that what we believed we could do and the work we’ve put in has come to fruition a bit. And that we really are a good team.” 37 GP, 8-10-18, 16:39 TOI, 49.0 SC%, 50.0 HDC% What I’ve learned about myself: “Halfway through, things are settling in, What I’ve learned about the Isles: “Obviously we’re a lot better getting into a bit of a groove with the coaching staff, understanding how structurally. We’re not a team that can win without all four lines going, we everything works with them. I think the more time we spend together after win by committee.” the changes that happened, we get more and more in tune with each other and things become easier.” What I’ve learned about myself: “These are deep questions! I like to think I know most of it about myself.” Brock Nelson Valtteri Filppula 41 GP, 15-14-29, 18:04 TOI, 49.4 SC%, 53.3 HDC% 39 GP, 9-10-19, 14:08 TOI, 42.0 SC%, 43.4 HDC% What I’ve learned about the Isles: “It’s been pretty good. The biggest thing is we’ve found a couple different ways of winning. Good What I’ve learned about the Isles: “I think we’ve gotten a lot better as the goaltending is probably the No. 1 reason, but everyone’s buying in, season has gone. Our game has improved, but also handling different believing in each other, believing in the system. We’ve had some bad situations. Earlier in the season if we got behind, I think we got a little games and still gotten points. It’s the sign of a good team and we want to down. Maybe two goals behind, we would think, ‘This sucks, we’re going continue to build.” to lose.’ Now, we keep playing the same way and we’ve been able to win some games. We’ve matured a lot during this season.” What I’ve learned about myself: “A little bit different opportunity for me, a little different role, more minutes and just trying to take advantage of that. What I’ve learned about myself: “You don’t learn too many new things at Create a little more offensively, playing with Ebs and Anders. We’d like to my age (34). But I’ve played with a lot of different wingers besides Leo a do more, but we’ve had good looks. Overall, pretty good start but a lot of lot this season, the adjustment to that has been going well. It’s happened hockey left.” a little more this season than I’ve had in the past.” Mathew Barzal Matt Martin 41 GP, 12-26-38, 18:34 TOI, 52.6 SC%, 52.4 HDC% 30 GP, 5-3-8, 10:45 TOI, 46.6 SC%, 56.7 HDC% What I’ve learned about the Isles: “We have a few new faces and the What I’ve learned about the Isles: “As a team, we’ve always believed in chemistry we’ve developed from last year, just a combination of things — ourselves and that we could be in the position we’re in right now. I like everyone’s having a blast off the ice and that helps the on-ice. I’d say our our resiliency, the way we’ve responded in games when things haven’t chemistry is the biggest thing and we’re a really solid team, on and off been going well. We’ve stuck with it, found a way to win those games. I the ice.” wouldn’t say we did that in the past. As a group, we’re still a pretty good team in here and we can get the job done. There’s still a long way to go, What I’ve learned about myself: “For me, I’m playing my best when I’m nothing really comes easy — the run we’ve been on and we haven’t doing everything right, 200-foot, playing for the team, not deviating from really moved much in the standings. You have to be ready to go every that. I have certain things I can bring to the game, but it’s about playing night.” for the team. Once I do that and we do that, that’s the biggest thing. Keep on doing that, everything’s for the win and it doesn’t matter who scores What I’ve learned about myself: “I’ve always believed in myself. I know — all about getting those two points. That’s our mindset and that’s my what I bring to the table, what I’ve brought to the table for the bulk of my mindset.” career. I am happy as a line we’ve picked up where we left off a couple years ago and in some ways we’re better than we were. We’re motivated Josh Bailey to continue to get better. In our minds, it’s gone the way we felt it would and we want to improve on it.” 41 GP, 8-23-31, 17:28 TOI, 53.0 SC%, 53.0 HDC% Cal Clutterbuck What I’ve learned about the Isles: “I just think we’re a resilient group. We’ve continued to get better from training camp until now and it’s going 37 GP, 2-5-7, 13:20 TOI, 49.5 SC%, 59.8 HDC% to have to continue. We’ve had a lot of guys that have been pleasant surprises, a lot of guys who have really elevated their play and it’s led to What I’ve learned about the Isles: “What you learn is that different more and more wins.” people, different dynamics of skill sets are very capable of being successful in this league. We’ve learned that in the absence of a star What I’ve learned about myself: “I don’t know — I haven’t really given player, when you have that sort of loss, guys obviously didn’t take it as that one much thought.” big of a negative as was being talked about around the league. There was a sense of opportunity to be a group of guys that’s equal to each Anthony Beauvillier other and we just had to go out and do it. And I think we’ve been doing a pretty good job of doing it.” What I’ve learned about myself: “Even offensively, personally I haven’t What I’ve learned about the Isles: “We’re defying expectations for sure. put up the numbers I’d like. But there’s a lot less anxiety and frustration We’ve come together and played a system that’s laid out for us — there’s surrounding that whole situation when you have yourself a job to do a blueprint for everything. From Lou up top to Trotzy, down to us, it’s every day and that job contributes to team success. It really takes the really come together as a full group. It’s showing in the results we’re pressure off any individual, not just me. Guys are more about winning getting. Our goaltending has been huge, we’ve stolen some games there. games. Maybe it’s cliché and that stuff only comes up when things are Barzy’s having another good season and the D corps in general, coming going well, but there’s some truth behind that. I think it’s a big reason why off last season we wanted to be better. It’s something we strived hard for we’ve been pretty consistent the last two months. Guys are taking care of at the start of the season and it’s pretty much the same group from last their own areas, doing what they need to do and it’s translated into good year, so it’s great that we’ve started to work that out.” defense and offense that comes from that. It’s been interesting to see what a group of guys pulling on the rope together can actually produce.” What I’ve learned about myself: “I’m trying to gain trust with a new coaching group. You want to be playing big minutes every night, be out Leo Komarov there in the big situations and it’s something I’ve learned I can do and that I want to keep doing. The points have been coming, I just have to 41 GP, 5-9-14, 14:09 TOI, 41.1 SC%, 41.5 HDC% keep getting pucks through, keep moving pucks and keep it simple at the What I’ve learned about the Isles: “I don’t know, man. I think we’ve got a same time.” good team, but I think I knew that when I came here. We’re playing good, Nick Leddy but like I’ve been saying, it’s early, 41 games. You have to keep going every day.” 41 GP, 1-13-14, 21:59 TOI, 45.4 SC%, 47.4 HDC% What I’ve learned about myself: “About myself, I haven’t learned What I’ve learned about the Isles: “Just with our structure, when we play anything. It’s never too late to learn, but I’m good with what I do.” the right way, within our structure, you see how good of a team we truly can be. When you look at our best games, we don’t really give up that Josh Ho-Sang much. That’s what you need.” 10 GP, 1-1-2, 14:31 TOI, 53.7 SC%, 57.6 HDC% What I’ve learned about myself: “The big thing for me was the plus/minus What I’ve learned about the Isles: “Things have been good. We’re from last year was a big thing. It is your job to be good defensively. That winning, the team’s good. We’ve got really good goalies. I’m starting to wore on me a little bit. Now, I know you have to play it game by game. notice how frustrating we are to play against — it stuck out to me against You can’t worry about flukes, little bounces that may come your way and Dallas and Toronto. I think this team this year has shown a resilience it start to get in your head. Put it in the past, worry about your next shift.” didn’t show last year. And it’s the same guys, which is the best part — Adam Pelech that means we’re all growing. Last year if we were down a couple, the game was probably over. Now, it’s a tribute to the coaching staff and the 38 GP, 3-5-8, 17:20 TOI, 49.0 SC%, 48.8 HDC% resilience of this team not abandoning ship, freaking out when we go down 1-0, 2-0. Taking a breath, just our team sticking to the plan and it What I’ve learned about the Isles: “We always had confidence that we works.” were a good team, but we’ve started to prove it on the ice, especially defensively. Which was obviously a big turnaround from last year. Just What I’ve learned about myself: “Nothing really.” having the confidence that we’re a team that’s capable of competing with the top teams in the league, that we can be one of the best defensive Michael Dal Colle teams in the league, it’s something we take a lot of pride in.” 7 GP, 0-1-1, 9:56 TOI, 49.1 SC%, 47.6 HDC% What I’ve learned about myself: “For me, I guess I’ve learned that What I’ve learned about the Isles: “I think I got here at a really good time, sometimes if I play a simpler, more hard-nosed game, that’s what’s best that game in Toronto. The team’s been clicking. It was a huge win and it for the team. A big part of it is the system and the way we play as a team, shows the way this team plays — hard-nosed. When we play that way, but it’s also individual guys making hard plays to get pucks out, being we can play with anyone in the league. Trotzy tells us if we buy in, we hard to play against and really good in the D zone. The main thing is can play with anyone. I’m happy just to be a part of it.” being simple, being firm.” What I’ve learned about myself: “It was a big offseason for me. A Johnny Boychuk bounce-back year, last year wasn’t great for me, but I think I put the work 40 GP, 3-7-10, 18:22 TOI, 50.0 SC%, 53.9 HDC% in. Worked on a lot of aspects of my game, pace and stuff like that. It’s paid off. Had some great chemistry with my linemates in Bridgeport and What I’ve learned about the Isles: “So far, things have been going pretty it’s carried through.” good. It was an adjustment at the beginning of the year. We stuck with it, tried to learn our system and trust it. Once we started doing that we Ross Johnston started to play better. Our defensive game has been a lot better than the 11 GP, 0-3-3, 7:14 TOI, 30.1 SC%, 40.9 HDC% last year or even previous years. It’s a good transition. We don’t give up as many opportunities. Once we cleaned up our defensive game, our skill What I’ve learned about the Isles: “Just our resiliency. Coming to the rink, up front has been able to succeed. We’re a pretty dangerous team that playing, we’re never out of it. We’re a team that’s always battling for one we don’t get credit for. And I think we’ve surprised people, which we another and that’s invaluable as the season goes on.” really shouldn’t have, as nice as it is. And we know when we stray from it, it always comes back to haunt us.” What I’ve learned about myself: “It’s been a little different of a season personally. I’ve learned a lot by watching, by working with the coaches in What I’ve learned about myself: “For me, at the beginning of the year it practice and there’s some season left to go. I’m looking forward to it.” was an adjustment too, just to be using two legs again. It was a hard transition, going from one leg to two. It’s been pretty good — you’d hope Ryan Pulock it would. Trying to do the right things at the right time. It’s been a good year for everyone.” 41 GP, 3-15-18, 22:38 TOI, 44.8 SC%, 46.6 HDC% Devon Toews What I’ve learned about the Isles: “When you can play with structure, play the right way — we know we have to keep going north, play simply 7 GP, 2-1-3, 17:40 TOI, 63.4 SC%, 72.2 HDC% — when we do that, we’re in every game and we give ourselves a chance to win every game. It’s a good feeling knowing before a game, if What I’ve learned about the Isles: “When we stay committed to our we play the right way, we have a good chance to win. We have enough structure, our effort level’s high, our work ethic’s high, we’re tough to skill to score some goals so if we continue to do the right things every beat. That whole stretch outside of St. Louis, we’re just hard to play night, we’ll get our chances.” against. Any team, no matter the skill level, is going to have a tough time getting through us with our structure and our layers.” What I’ve learned about myself: “The big thing this year has been getting more time on the PK and in late-game situations. The confidence in What I’ve learned about myself: “Individually, I guess I’ve learned I can myself, knowing I can get the job done in those big moments, that’s been play at this level. That was really the question — I always felt like I could the biggest thing for me this year. Just being put in those positions and and now I’ve gotten to do it for a short while. I feel really good, I feel like trying to do a good job.” I’ve had a good year all the way through and made some good strides.” Scott Mayfield Robin Lehner 39 GP, 3-12-15, 19:00 TOI, 51.9 SC%, 56.0 HDC% 19 starts, .927 save percentage, 2.18 goals-against average, 11-6-3, .935 even-strength save percentage What I’ve learned about the Isles: “Going into the season, knowing what this team was before — a highly-skilled team but if you stick with it, play the right way you get chances. They’ve always been dangerous scoring goals but pretty open defensively. And I think the whole mindset has changed. Sticking to the details, going from camp and then to see over the course of the season it’s getting better and better. To see we can be a very responsible team has been great. “Me personally coming to this team, in the beginning of the year, you look around the room and it’s a mature team, a lot of experience. I think that’s helped a lot. Having a lot of accountability. And I truly believe we’ve given away 5-7 wins this year — small mistakes, late mistakes from goalies all the way through the lineup. Some close games where we didn’t stick to the structure and we let a few points go. The last 12 games or so, those key moments have been the difference. We stick with it more and trust that it’s going to happen. Other teams are cracking instead of us cracking. “Just being patient, structurally sound, that’s what I’ve learned we are.” What I’ve learned about myself: “It’s hard to say … I had my crash in Buffalo, a month there before I went down. And I had all my other issues. It’s done, it sucks. But I feel I put on some good stretches before that. Maybe I didn’t get the winning result, but I still felt I put up certain numbers consistently. Before I started hitting my wall, I had some good numbers. Coming into this season, the consistency of myself, of the team has really helped. It’s helped me and Greisser. I felt not that great in camp, still felt like I needed to get going. Then I got on a bit of a roll and had my back issue, Greisser played amazing for a long stretch. Then I had a stretch where I felt I played good, but when you don’t win it doesn’t feel that good. I had good efforts, made a lot of saves but not many results. I think we all put up a good first half, but it’s just a half. Got to keep working.” Thomas Greiss 22 starts, .914 SV%, 2.69 GAA, 12-8-1, .925 EV% What I’ve learned about the Isles: “For the team, I think we’ve made great progress. Our defense has evolved a lot, we’re much stronger there, our structure is getting better and better, our commitment to it is better. Everyone learned to trust each other and play in that team concept.” What I’ve learned about myself: “With new goalie coaches there’s always new ideas, new perspectives, different ways to play certain situations. You can always improve and learn. When I look back to my first couple years it’s a different style of playing goalie to now, totally different hockey even.” One of the league leaders in save percentage, he’s been on a remarkable streak over the last month, having allowed one goal or fewer in six of his last nine starts. Considering where he came from this offseason, he was the clear choice of his teammates. “He’s gotten us some points we probably didn’t deserve,” one Islander said. Lehner — 10.5 votes Barzal — 3 Greiss — 2.5 Lee — 2 Unsung Hero: Casey Cizikas With a career-high 10 goals at just the halfway mark, Cizikas is the engine that makes Trotz’s defense-first system go on the rebooted version of the best fourth line in hockey. “He does it all for us and never takes any credit,” one teammate said. Cizikas — 7.5 votes Filppula — 6 Mayfield — 2 Boychuk — 2

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James Dolan close to selling team (unfortunately, it's neither the Rangers nor Knicks)

By MARK FISCHER JAN 09, 2019 | 11:50 PM

James Dolan is ready to sell, sell, sell. But before dancing onto Broadway, take note of this sour caveat: Neither his Rangers nor Knicks are included in the package. Rather, the impenitent owner is close to unloading the Liberty to Nets minority owner Joseph Tsai, a month after not ruling out selling his two prime properties in a curious interview with ESPN. “I could never say that I wouldn't consider selling the Knicks,” Dolan told ESPN. “Now, my family is not in that position, and they are the majority shareholders. They hold the majority of the vote. ... As a majority owner, I don't want to sell, either." Dolan then walked back his comments hours after publication in a statement that read, “We have no plans to sell the Knicks.” Meanwhile, Tsai bought a 49 percent interest in the Nets in April. Dolan put the team up for sale in November 2017. There had been several potential buyers and a few had gotten close to purchasing the team over the past 14 months, but all the deals fell through for various reasons. Liberty said before last season that it had "lost money every year since its inception and cumulative losses exceed $100 million." The franchise played most of its home games in 2018 at the Westchester County Center, which saved the team a lot of money. Operating costs were nearly 20 times less than playing a game at Madison Square Garden. The WNBA already has released its schedule for 2019, and the Liberty are set to play in suburban Westchester again, with the two school and camp-day games listed without a venue. With dates locked in, it could be difficult to move games to Brooklyn's Barclays Center if that's what the new ownership group wanted. The team dropped from fourth in attendance in 2017 to last in the league last season, averaging 2,823 fans. That number was even smaller when the two kids' day games at MSG were taken out, with just 1,886 fans coming to the 15 Westchester dates. The Liberty couldn't routinely fill the arena, which was configured to hold only 2,319 fans. Improved play on the court could help draw more fans. The Liberty struggled last season, finishing with the second-worst record in the league. They have the No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft in April.

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Why Tony DeAngelo is proving to be a puzzle for Rangers coach

By Brett Cyrgalis January 9, 2019 | 10:17PM

If Tony DeAngelo deserved to be in the Rangers lineup every night, he would be. Instead, coach David Quinn is dealing with the mercurial nature of his 23- year-old defenseman, still here in part because of his inability to be sent to AHL Hartford without clearing waivers (which he wouldn’t). At times, DeAngelo has shown the talent mixed with grit that make for a great player. Other times, he has shown unbridled emotion that easily overflows into undisciplined decisions. So Quinn is likely going to keep his blueline carousel moving when his team plays host to the Islanders for the first game of this home-and-home on Thursday night at the Garden. It’s then anyone’s guess which six defensemen Quinn will dress for the finale on Saturday in what could be these two teams’ final game against each other at Barclays Center. Quinn put DeAngelo back into the lineup for the team’s 4-2 loss in Vegas on Tuesday, the final game of a three-game western trip that extended the team’s losing streak to four games. DeAngelo had been scratched for the previous three straight and six of the previous eight, and for 16 of the first 42 games. DeAngelo started the game early in the first period by being planted face- first into the boards by Max Pacioretty, no penalty called and forcing DeAngelo to go to the locker room for medical inspection — en route, ripping his helmet off and smashing it on the floor. When he returned for the second period, he found William Karlsson and got his revenge by planting him into the boards in a very similar manner. Yet DeAngelo got called for a boarding minor, and then as he took his gloves off to fight anyone in sight — and no one obliged — he got a 10- minute misconduct. “I’m going to hold judgment on that penalty,” Quinn said of the original call on DeAngelo. “Nothing I can do about it. He took the penalty. Then the 10-minute misconduct, we certainly don’t want. We need him on the ice. That was disappointing.” Quinn had scratched Freddy Claesson and Brendan Smith to make room for DeAngelo, and it’s more likely that Claesson would come back in against the Islanders if Quinn decides to make a change. That is, unless he wants the snarl of Smith in a game that is more than likely going to be contentious. If Quinn does decide to keep DeAngelo in, then at least it’s hard to see him paired with Kevin Shattenkirk again. Both righty-shooters are offensive-minded, and they often looked confused making reads on Tuesday night. It also means one of them has to play his offside, which in this case was DeAngelo — even though, again, they looked confused on who was playing where. Claesson has had some chemistry with Shattenkirk in limited time together, so that might make the most sense. The Marc Staal-Neal Pionk duo seems to be inseparable at this point, while the pairing with stay-at- home righty Adam McQuad has seemingly had a calming effect on Brady Skjei. When Quinn was asked if he has three guys rotating in and out for one spot — DeAngelo, Claesson and Smith — he just reiterated his weary refrain of believing the club has eight defensemen who can play. “I know it seems like that now, but that’s not the way I look at it,” Quinn said. “That’s just the way it’s been over the past three weeks. So that could change in the next week or two.”

New York Post LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125135 New York Rangers New York Post LOADED: 01.10.2019 Islanders bring new status into latest showdown with Rangers

By Brett Cyrgalis January 9, 2019 | 9:56PM

Players can’t be too focused on the big picture of a season, and forget them seeing a picture that includes about a decade of the same storyline. But it seems that, at least through the first half of this season, the roles between the big-brother Rangers and the little-brother Islanders have been somewhat reversed. Again, it’s only been half a season, but going into this home-and-home that starts Thursday night at the Garden and then goes to what could be the final game between these two at Barclays Center on Saturday, the Islanders are the ones in playoff contention while the Rangers are just trying to keep their season relevant through the winter. Like that will really matter when the puck actually drops. “I think there have been years when one team is out of it, but you still get up for these games,” Islanders forward Josh Bailey said after his team’s practice on Wednesday. “They’re still exciting. It means a lot to both fan bases. There is a certain energy around the game. It definitely gets you amped up, no matter what the situation.” The situation is that the Rangers are coming off a three-game western trip that saw them lose all three, extending their losing streak to four games by an aggregate goal total of 22-5. They were brutal in consecutive 6-1 and 5-0 losses in Denver and Arizona, respectively, and then finally pulled together a semblance of pride in a 4-2 loss in Vegas on Tuesday night. “We obviously don’t feel good in here,” defenseman Brady Skjei said after the game, his team getting Wednesday off to recuperate. “But [Tuesday] night’s game was a step in the right direction.” The Islanders, meanwhile, just had their good roll come to an end. A 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes at the Coliseum on Tuesday night ended a six- game winning streak. They had won nine of the previous 10, but coach Barry Trotz expected more from his team than consecutive sloppy performances, going back to a 4-3 win in St. Louis on Saturday that was gifted to them by the emerging No. 1 goalie, Robin Lehner. “We just have to clean up,” Trotz said after he ran his team through some battle drills on Wednesday and made his players do push-ups on the ice. “We had a little meeting on our decision-making process, and worked on a couple things we need to get better at.” Trotz came in this summer soon after Lou Lamoriello was named team president, and the two have helped turn around the franchise. Without much turnover in personnel, they went from dead last in the league in goals-against per game to fourth best. They play with a defined structure that was missing for years under Jack Capuano and Doug Weight. Maybe most important, the young core of players is buying into the new culture — even if Trotz admitted they’re not exactly on the verge of being Stanley Cup contenders. “Now it’s to get ourselves to the final level, there in the playoffs, year in and year out. And grow to hopefully be a contender down the road,” Trotz said. “But we still have lots of work, and probably a year or two away. But I think this year, the guys are believing they’re a team that should be in the mix, and we will be in the mix.” The Rangers also have a new coach in David Quinn, but his résumé is quite different. Where Trotz was coming off a Stanley Cup victory with the veteran Capitals, Quinn came in from Boston University with the direct intent to help drive this rebuilding process that began in earnest around this time last year. The Blueshirts still will look to add young assets before the Feb. 25 trade deadline, but they will just as surely go into this two-game set knowing that a couple of points could be a much-needed boost in morale. Boy, that’s what the Islanders always used to say, wasn’t it? “It’s Game 42 for us, but it’s as close to a playoff-type atmosphere you’re going to get at this point in the season,” said Islanders forward Matt Martin. “We want to put them behind us, keep climbing the standings. Not that we want to worry about the teams behind us, but we don’t want to give them any life.” 1125136 New York Rangers

Islanders hope an intense practice gets them ready for Rangers

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday Updated January 9, 2019 7:58 PM

There were few breaks in Wednesday’s 50-minute practice, with the Islanders concentrating on battle drills, managing the puck properly and working effectively in tight spaces. It was an attention-grabber after two sub-par performances, just as the start of a home-and-home series against the rival Rangers should be on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. The teams conclude their regular-season series Saturday afternoon at Barclays Center. “We battled pretty hard out there today,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said after the practice in East Meadow. “I think it’s good to realize that even though we had a nice winning streak, we’ve got to be prepared every night. We need everyone, every single game. We can’t have lines or defensemen taking nights off, because it affects our chances.” The fierce rivalry between the Rangers and Islanders started back on their first meeting at Nassau Coliseum on Oct. 21, 1972. Players and fans from both teams have changed over the years, but the level of play and competitive fire between these teams has never faded. (Credit: Newsday Staff) The Islanders (23-14-4) had their season-high six-game winning streak snapped in Tuesday night’s 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum. It was a marginally better performance than Saturday night’s 4-3 victory at St. Louis. They have split their first two games against the Rangers this season, rallying from a two-goal deficit for a 7-5 win in Brooklyn on Nov. 15 as Anthony Beauvillier notched his first career hat trick. But the Rangers snapped the Islanders’ eight-game winning streak in the recently one- sided New York rivalry with a 5-0 victory on Nov. 21 at the Garden, the only time they’ve been shut out this season. The Islanders still are 12-2-0 against the Rangers since Dec. 2, 2015, but the team is more concerned with its recent play, knowing it needs to correct the mental errors of the past two games. “You can tell the way the [practice drills] were designed it was to get the puck deep and make smart decisions,” captain Anders Lee said. “It’s just reinforcing the things we need to work on and the areas we’ve gotten away from a little bit.” All four of the Hurricanes’ goals were marked by either poor defensive efforts or bad puck management decisions. The worst came on Greg McKegg’s deflating goal with six seconds left in the first period to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead after Mathew Barzal turned the puck over in the Islanders’ zone rather than getting it out and letting the clock run out. “We had a little meeting on our decision-making process and we just worked on a few things I think we need to get a little bit better at,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. While the Islanders are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Rangers’ 4-2 loss at Las Vegas on Tuesday night was their fourth straight defeat. They’ve fallen to sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, nine points behind the Islanders. “It’s going to be an intense game,” Lee said. “No matter where each team is in the standings or whatever part of the year it is, it’s always an exciting game. The fans are into it. There’s that rivalry factor. You have no choice but to be dialed in.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125137 New York Rangers

Rangers bringing positive attitude into Islanders rivalry game

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinASteph Updated January 9, 2019 5:52 PM

As the old saying goes, when these two teams play, you can throw the records out. Rivalry games between teams such as the Rangers and Islanders have been known to energize a struggling team and spark a turnaround, or, conversely, to knock a high-flying group back down to earth. In the case of the Rangers, who have lost four straight entering this home-and-home against their archrival, they aren’t looking to the sight of the “NY’’ on their opponent's crest hoping it can get them going. No, the Rangers actually left Las Vegas feeling pretty good about themselves despite their 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights that closed out a winless three-game road trip. The improvement in the Rangers' game against last year’s Stanley Cup runner-up had them thinking that they are poised to turn their fortunes around. “We’re amped,’’ Chris Kreider said after the Rangers battled and scored a pair of goals in the third period against the streaking Golden Knights. “We don’t need [the rivalry]. We could be playing a matinee against a West Coast team. It wouldn’t matter. We’re going to be up for that game, regardless." The fierce rivalry between the Rangers and Islanders started back on their first meeting at Nassau Coliseum on Oct. 21, 1972. Players and fans from both teams have changed over the years, but the level of play and competitive fire between these teams has never faded. (Credit: Newsday Staff) The teams are trending in opposite ways. The Islanders, despite their 4-3 home loss to Carolina on Tuesday, are one of the league’s hottest teams – “They’re the best team in the area right now,’’ Henrik Lundqvist said – while the Rangers have been outscored 22-5 in their last four games (all regulation losses). But after a penalty-filled, 6-1 loss to Colorado in the opener of the road trip, and a no-show 5-0 loss to lowly Arizona in the next game, the Rangers were much more lively against Vegas, one of the Western Conference’s elite teams. They played with speed and physicality and attitude, and the feeling in their locker room afterward was hopeful – even confident – that there is light at the end of the tunnel. "No one felt good in here, but tonight’s game was definitely a step up from the previous two,’’ defenseman Brady Skjei said after the Vegas game. “I thought we played with the speed that we have, and we made some plays.’’ Coach David Quinn acknowledged the extra intensity rivalry games can bring out in a team, but he was less interested in what the Islanders could do for his team than what it appeared his players started to do for themselves Tuesday night. “You know, anytime you play a rival, it certainly gives it a little more juice, but we’re focusing on the fact that we’ve got to get out of this rut that we’re in,’’ Quinn said. “I thought we took a step forward tonight – certainly not the result we wanted, but I thought our play was geared in the right direction, and if we can build on what we did tonight, we’ll have a much better chance on Thursday.’’ “Our game’s going like this,’’ Kreider said, flattening his hand like a knife, and driving it diagonally upwards. “The worst thing we can do is take a step back against the Islanders.’’

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125138 NHL On that practice venue, with three sheets of public ice: “This is going to be a state-of-the-art facility, which will be good for the community.”

Bettman said he’d toured the ticket preview center near KeyArena and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says Seattle will get All-Star Game that it’s almost completed. ‘within seven years’ of team launch He added that he’s excited to see the rest unfold. While he understands the local “frenzy” that’s built up around what the team name will be, he Originally published January 9, 2019 at 2:27 pm Updated January 9, cautioned that it can’t be rushed. 2019 at 7:18 PM “We need some lead time for the branding and creating a logo and an By Geoff Baker identity,” Bettman said. “This is an era where trademarks, even in sports, but anywhere, there are a lot of hoops you have to jump through to make Seattle Times staff reporter sure you’ve got a good trademark. “So, they’ve got to come up with the branding that they’re comfortable with. And I think they’re going to go through a process that involves all NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, in a one-day visit to Seattle on the constituent groups. And then, they can come up with a name that Wednesday, vowed the league plans to bring some “big events” to they think is the greatest name ever and it will turn out that they can’t KeyArena once it undergoes an $850 million renovation so a team can trademark it. play there starting October 2021. “So, this is going to be a process that is going to take time to do it right. Bettman met with members of the future team’s ownership group, But it’s got to be done right.’’ additional prospective investors and Mayor Jenny Durkan and toured the site of the team’s planned $70 million practice facility at Northgate Mall. Then, in an afternoon news conference at the Space Needle, he said the league has already promised the NHL Seattle group that the city will be Seattle Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 awarded an All-Star Game and will likely get to stage either an entry or expansion draft before that. “We’ve promised an All-Star Game to Seattle within seven years of playing,’’ Bettman said. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to wait seven years. We’ve got to look at scheduling — both ours and in terms of the city’s availability to host all of our guests in our hotels and everything. But we’re going to be bringing big events here. This is where we want to be.’’ Bettman also said: “We’re looking at when it would be appropriate to bring the draft here. Obviously, we need to have an expansion draft, so we’re looking at the possibility.’’ The NHL Seattle group has also asked the league to stage an outdoor game. Bettman said the rainy weather could be an issue with that and — while not ruling anything out — seemed cool to the idea of holding it under the retractable open-air roof at T-Mobile Park. An expansion draft would take place in June 2021 ahead of the Seattle team’s first season. NHL Seattle president and CEO Tod Leiweke has been adamant he’d like to host the expansion draft as the Vegas Golden Knights did in 2017 before making their league debut. Leiweke, seated next to Bettman and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on the podium Wednesday, said his group plans to put out a computer portal within 60 days where about 33,000 season-ticket deposit holders will get a detailed look at the timeline of how things with the team — including its name choice — are expected to progress. “We’re going to have them weigh in on all sorts of things,” Leiweke said. “If I have my way, their fingerprints are going to be all over this franchise. Certainly team name, but they’re going to help us build this up.” Bettman and Daly arrived in town just after midnight Wednesday and left for Las Vegas after the news conference. It was their first visit since the league last month awarded a team to a Seattle group headed by David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer. “If you talk about it in the terms of kicking the tires — the tires are in great shape,” Bettman said. He added: “This is going to be great not just for Seattle but for the NHL as well.” Bettman said the league has long wanted to be in Seattle. During a 2014 visit here, he met with city leaders to gauge the time frame for completing a proposed arena in the city’s Sodo District. But that proposed venue didn’t materialize — nor did other proposals in 2015 for arenas in Bellevue or Tukwila — and the league went in to a yearslong holding pattern. “The problem was there was no place to play,” he said. “Lots of people came to us with notions or ideas to have a building and none of those buildings ever materialized.” That changed, he added, when Tim Leiweke and the Oak View Group proposed renovating KeyArena in 2016. “The vision, with the reality of having a building that was actually going to happen is what made this possible.” Bettman said he’s aware of the recent change in general contractors from Skanska Hunt to Mortenson and that costs of the renovation have ballooned up toward $850 million — and $1.5 billion when the team cost and practice facility at Northgate are factored in. 1125139 NHL Also Wednesday, Leiweke did something not every sports executive would do. He had Bettman join him in meeting with workers and staff at Seattle Center and KeyArena, the people and building the NBA left NHL commissioner Bettman says new Seattle hockey team will host behind 11 years ago. Leiweke thought that was important, to explain his draft, all-star game within years vision for the team, the arena and the city park to the workers there who have been, as he put it, in limbo and “through a lot” since the Sonics left Seattle Center in 2008. BY GREGG BELL The longest-serving commissioner in sports sounded wowed by what he saw in Seattle Wednesday. JANUARY 09, 2019 06:30 PM “You talk about in terms of ‘kicking the tires,’ Bettman said. “The tires are in great shape. SEATTLE “We couldn’t be more excited. When the (NHL’s) board (of governors) made the decision to come to Seattle (this winter), we knew it was the The NHL is bringing more than an expansion team to Seattle. right decision, that it would be a great decision. And everything that has League commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday took the occasion of transpired has not only lived up to expectation but has exceeded our visiting Seattle and sitting inside the Space Needle, next to what will expectations. become the new hockey arena in Seattle Center, to promise the city will “We know as the arena gets built, as the team gets built, as the training host the league’s all-star game plus the draft in the coming years. center gets built and the connection with the community gets deeper, this The puck drop for Seattle’s still-to-be-named new NHL team will be in the is going to be great not just for Seattle but for the NHL, as well.” fall of 2021. Bettman reiterated what the NHL announced on Dec. 4 when its board of “We’ve promised an all-star game to Seattle within seven years of governors unanimously approved Seattle to become its 32nd franchise: playing. Doesn’t mean we’re going to wait seven years,” Bettman said, the Seattle team will get the same expansion rules Vegas got when it had sitting next to NHL Seattle chief executive officer Tod Leiweke its inaugural draft 19 months ago. “We are going to be bringing league events here. This is where we want “It was important to us to ensure that every team in our league, including to be.” an expansion team, come in with a team that can be competitive,” Bettman said. The draft date that makes sense to be in Seattle to kickoff its arrival in the league is the summer of 2021. That’s when the new team will have its “As with Vegas, the existing 30 teams—because Vegas doesn’t expansion draft to round out its roster four months ahead of its first participate—the prior 30 teams will be able to protect one goaltender and game. In the past the expansion draft has been separate from the seven forwards and three defensemen, or one goaltender and eight general player draft for all other NHL teams. skaters and players two years (in the league) or less don’t have to be protected.” ‘We are looking at when it would be appropriate to bring the draft here,” Bettman said. “Obviously, we need to have an expansion draft. So we Those are the rules Vegas used to have the most wildly successful debut are looking at the possibilities. Nothing has been decided (on a date).” season in league history in 2017-18. He did say the draft would come to Seattle before the All-Star game Using deft acquisitions and management from experienced hockey does. executives, Vegas advanced all the way to last summer’s Stanley Cup finals in its first season. The last time the league expanded, to Las Vegas, the NHL conducted its expansion draft over three days the week before the league’s regular “What happened, there were other things at play last year in Vegas,” annual draft. The Vegas franchise’s selections in that expansion draft Bettman said. were announced in Las Vegas two days before the general draft, in its He was referring chiefly to the killing of 58 people and injuring of more city during the NHL’s annual season awards ceremony. than 850 during a mass shooting into the Route 91 Harvest music festival Bettman and Leiweke met with the Seattle team’s local ownership group. along the Las Vegas Strip on Oct. 1, 2017. They met with Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan. They met with many among That was nine days before Vegas played its inaugural home game in the the tens of thousands who put down deposits on season tickets for the city. team’s first season, within minutes of that opportunity becoming available online early last year. “There was a lot of energy and drive and emotion that wasn’t typical (last season for Vegas). Although they are playing well this year,” Bettman Leiweke, the former president of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, the CEO of said. the Seahawks from 2007-10 and CEO of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning from 2010-15, also detailed more for Bettman the new Seattle hockey “Who knows what’s going to happen? There’s a reason we play the team’s training facility and headquarters. games. But this team will have the opportunity, under the rules that were the same for Vegas, to accomplish whatever they are capable of. I have “The mother of all training centers,” as Leiweke called it. The facility will no doubt that the organization, from a hockey standpoint, that is going to have three full-sized ice sheets for city- and recreational-league use in be put together will be first-class in terms of development, scouting, addition to the team’s. The main sheet will have a seating capacity of training. And they are going to be able to compete.” 1,000. Leiweke said nothing to discourage hockey fans in Western Washington The complex will be at Northgate, part of that mall’s reinvention into a from expecting something approaching Vegas-like success in the Seattle combined transit-living-shopping community along Interstate 5 north of team’s expansion season. downtown Seattle. “We have great admiration for what they did there (in Vegas),” the former “It’s one thing to tell a commissioner how good things are going to be,” CEO of the Seahawks said. “And it didn’t happen by chance. Leiweke said. “It’s another thing to have that commissioner come to Commissioner Bettman has talked more than once about the tragedy that town, and kick the tires, and see what we are really talking about. happened there about a week and a half before the puck dropped. And I “And that’s what’s happened today.” don’t think opening night was what they anticipated. But an amazing thing happened...That team, they owned... Leiweke is absolutely intent to make the Seattle NHL team an integrated an invested member of the Puget Sound community. “That’s why I love sports, and why I specifically love hockey. There’s inspiration in this game, and they found it there... One example of that is the portal he said the team will have up and running in about two months. Season-ticket depositors will be able to “I watch games every night. And I look and dream that, you know, some suggest and vote on the team name, see details and progress on arena of those players are going to be wearing “SEATTLE” across their chests. plans, transportation projects for getting to and from its Seattle Center And it’s a pretty cool thing.” location and more.

“If I have my way their fingerprints will be all over this,” Leiweke said of News Tribune LOADED: 01.10.2019 season-ticket depositors, calling them “the wings” that allowed this team to take off. 1125140 NHL

Bettman: Seattle will host NHL draft and All-Star weekend

BY TIM BOOTH AP SPORTS WRITER JANUARY 09, 2019 04:30 PM

SEATTLE On his first trip to Seattle since the city was granted the NHL's 32nd franchise, Commissioner Gary Bettman announced a couple more rewards for the future franchise's investment. Bettman said the league has promised Seattle it will host All-Star weekend within its first seven seasons, with the team slated to begin play in 2021-22. Bettman also says Seattle will host the NHL draft, and that event will likely be awarded before the All-Star Game arrives. "It doesn't mean we are going to wait seven years," Bettman said. "We're going to be bringing league events here. This is where we want to be." Bettman's unexpected and informal announcement was part of his first visit to Seattle since the franchise was approved by the league's Board of Governors in early December. Bettman met with members of the ownership group, political leaders in the city, fans who have placed deposits on season tickets and reviewed the status of the massive renovation of the arena at Seattle Center where the team will play. Seattle's ownership group has put up over $1.5 billion in expansion fees, upgrades to the building formerly known as KeyArena, and a state-of-the- art practice facility that is expected to open in time to host the first training camp. "If you talk about in terms of kicking the tires, the tires are in great shape," Bettman said. "We couldn't be more excited. When the board made the decision to come to Seattle, we knew it was the right decision, it would be a great decision and everything that has transpired has not only lived up to expectation but has exceeded our expectations." The franchise initially hoped to open for the 2020 season, but it is using the additional year to ensure the arena is operational well ahead of the team's home opener. It also gives the team more time to put together its hockey staff. The team still doesn't have a name or color scheme. Bettman said the league would mostly stay out of the selection process, aside from working with the Seattle franchise in colors, trademarks and other logistical parts of the expansion name. Seattle team president and CEO Tod Leiweke said the goal is to have a name announced by the middle of 2019. The franchise will be taking major input from fans that have put deposits down on season tickets. Leiweke said the team's goal is to have a portal launched within the next 60 days for season-ticket depositors to provide feedback and to inform them of the timeframe for decisions and announcements moving forward. "If I have my way, their fingerprints are going to be all over this franchise. Certainly a team name, but they're going to help us build this," Leiweke said. Some fans are hoping to see a return of the Seattle Metropolitans — a historic name in Seattle, since the Metropolitans won the Stanley Cup in 1917. That name might be off the table, though, since the NHL has a division with that name. Bettman was asked if that name can be ruled out. "Viscerally, yes," he said, "but I never say never to anything."

News Tribune LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125141 Ottawa Senators Senators coach Guy Boucher found something special in a line featuring Mark Stone with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zack Smith, a unit that had success several years back. So much for easing Pageau back into the WARREN GAME REPORT: White ends Senators' losing streak in lineup. In his second game since returning from a torn Achilles, Pageau overtime played 17:58, had four shots on goal and went 14-4 in the faceoff circle. Ducks goaltender John Gibson, who has kept Anaheim close in countless games this season, was especially sharp in the third. He Ken Warren stopped Magnus Paajarvi on a breakaway and robbed Ryan Dzingel with a left pad save. January 10, 2019 1:59 AM EST The struggling Senators began the game in tough against the struggling Ducks, playing without Duchene, top goaltender Craig Anderson (concussion) and star defenceman Thomas Chabot. ANAHEIM — Anders Nilsson might have overstated the situation a little bit, suggesting that the fight between two teams battling eight-game Considering the circumstances, the Senators recognized they would losing streaks had a “playoff feel” to it. have to play as mistake-free as possible to compete with the Ducks, who have had their share of problems in the past three weeks, as well. But you can forgive the Ottawa Senators goaltender amid the euphoria of the shorthanded Senators finally ending a pair of ghastly losing slides Indeed, it was a tale of two teams riding horrendous eight-game losing with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks: the franchise’s streaks, but for drastically different reasons. longest losing streak in 22 years, dating back to Dec. 17, and his own personal losing streak that went all the way back to Oct. 17. The Ducks have now scored all of 12 goals during their nine-game losing streak. Leading up to the game, the Ducks had spent days emphasizing It was well past midnight back in Ottawa when Colin White scored the any and all ways to find an offensive spark. The addition of winger winning goal, tapping home a Mark Stone pass at the 1:34 mark of Rickard Rakell, who had missed 13 games with a sprained ankle, was a overtime. huge boost. Bobby Ryan also scored for the Senators while former Senator Jakob The Senators, on the other hand, had yielded 37 goals during their Silfverberg scored the lone Ducks goal. plummet down the standings. “It felt really good for everyone,” said Nilsson, who outduelled Ducks THE NUMBERS GAME goaltender John Gibson. “For the whole team and me personally. It was pretty tight game on both ends. A fun game to play and even more fun to 1-Goals allowed by the Senators, the least since Dec. 8 get the two points.” 5-Shots on goal by Cody Ceci, the most by any Senator Nilsson allowed the game to go to overtime, stopping Ducks winger Ondrej Kase from just outside the crease with 1:07 remaining in 10- Number of hits credited to Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki regulation. 28-Saves made by Ducks goaltender John Gibson “It actually hit my paddle and then dropped down between my legs, so I 32-Saves made by Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson was happy to see that,” said Nilsson, who is still wearing his Vancouver Canucks gear after being acquired in a trade last week. The win came with number one centre Matt Duchene back at home in Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.10.2019 Ottawa. Duchene’s wife, Ashley, delivered the couple’s first child — Beau David Newell — Wednesday afternoon and the game puck will go the baby boy. It served as some inspiration as the Senators battled back against a desperate Ducks squad that is now starting at a nine-game losing drought. It’s only one win, of course, but the Senators had some renewed enthusiasm as they boarded the bus immediately following the game, for the one-hour drive north to Los Angeles, where they will face the Kings Thursday. “We talked about it before, coming out here, a fresh start out on the Cali road trip,” said White, who ended a season-high four-game pointless drought by scoring the game winner. “I can’t say more about what a great play it was by Stone. It was a team win and everyone bought in and did a great job. Any time you win 2-1, you know it was a great game and we didn’t give too many shots inside.” It took a lot of little things for the Senators to hang around in the game against the Ducks. Former Senator Jakob Silfverberg opened the scoring in the first period when his shot deflected off the stick of defenceman Ben Harpur over Nilsson’s shoulder. The physical Ducks appeared to be in control of the game in the second period, leaning on the Senators during the middle frame, owning an 18- 11 edge in shots. Nilsson made several key saves to keep the margin to only one goal and the Senators pushed back in the final minutes of the period. Come the third period, Senators coach Guy Boucher made major changes to his forward line combinations and it paid off when Bobby Ryan broke Gibson’s shutout bid, tying the game by banging home a loose puck in the slot. The goal announcement was greeted by a chorus of boos from the Ducks faithful. Ryan is on a bit of a roll, with two goals and four assists in his past five games. The way he saw the victory, it was all about maintaining patience against the Ducks. “We feel like we were in a lot of games lately but let them go in the third period,” he said. “We just kind of stuck with it and grinded it out to get ourselves to overtime. When you play a heavier team, you’ve got to outskate them and it took us a little while to find our stride.” 1125142 Ottawa Senators “That’s the one thing I’ve been talked with my family about. You can’t control 95 per cent of the things that happen up here. You’ve just got to have a good attitude and work hard.” WARREN'S PIECE: It's a boy for the Duchenes, Senators embracing Wolanin, incidentally, had never before set foot in California, either on a Cali, mastering the mind family vacation or as part of hockey tournament as a youngster. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I was a little star struck by LAX and the beaches and stuff like that. It’s cool to be here for sure.” Ate at a place called The Ken Warren Breakfast Bar, where, between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. the price of Bloody Marys and Screwdrivers were $3. How is it possible that my glass of January 9, 2019 11:35 PM EST orange juice (yes, bosses, just orange juice) was $4.50? Surprise, surprise. John Gibson was in the Ducks net against the Senators, making his 36th start and 37th appearance of the season – ANAHEIM — Matt Duchene’s absence left a colossal hole in the Ottawa second only to Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights on both Senators lineup here Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks, but the fronts. message from the organization was loud and clear. Gibson leads the league in shots faced and saves made and his .923 The Senators fully appreciate that Duchene is where he should be, with save percentage ranks fourth in the NHL among goaltenders who have wife Ashley. played more than 20 games. Duchene announced the arrival of the couple’s first child — Beau David “It’s what I prepare myself for in the summer time,” said Gibson, pressed Newell Duchene — in a tweet Wednesday. into extra duty due to the injury problems of expected back-up Ryan “It’s probably the most important moment in their lives. We’re wishing Miller. The Ducks have traded for Chad Johnson, but he has gone 2-8-0, them the best,” said Senators coach Guy Boucher. with a 3.36 goals against average and .888 save percentage. Duchene won’t be in the lineup for Thursday’s battle of the basement “Stuff happens and maybe you end up playing more games than dwellers against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. expected, but we have that All-Star break coming up, so hopefully we get back on track before that.” It’s also highly unlikely that he would be able to make the long trek out here for Saturday’s game against Erik Karlsson – incidentally, he’s now Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf and the currently injured Corey Perry are the the proud owner of a franchise-record 14-game point scoring streak – only two players remaining in either lineup who played in the 2007 and the San Jose Sharks. Stanley Cup final between the two clubs. (The impressively-bearded Patrick Eaves, who was in the Senators lineup 12 years ago, is currently Fortunately for the Senators, the return of Jean-Gabriel Pageau has on the Ducks injury list). given Boucher some confidence that he has a veteran centre to try and plug the Duchene dilemma. “There’s a lot of water under the bridge since 2007,” said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, who has gone from Anaheim to Toronto and back again Boucher went into the game against the Ducks hoping to bump up since then. “It’s always a fond memory, but I’ve got a lot more on my Pageau’s ice time to the 15-16 minute range after he played just over 13 plate right now to be thinking or worrying about what happened in 2007.” minutes in his first game back from his Achilles tear, Sunday against Carolina. While Ryan Dzingel inherited Duchene’s first-unit power play minutes Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.10.2019 Wednesday, Pageau’s return should also eventually allow the Senators to stop double-teaming Mark Stone in penalty killing situations. Stone regularly plays between 21-24 minutes per night – he hit 26:17 against Nashville on Dec. 11 – but in situations where the club plays games on consecutive nights, the toll of too much ice time adds up. For most of the Senators young players, the current trip marks the first time they’ve experienced big-league life on the west coast. “I’m loving California,” said Colin White, who says seeing the sun and the surf has provided a welcome breath of fresh air in the long season. White went into Wednesday’s contest without a point in his past four games, his longest slump of the season, but he still believes in his line (with Stone and fellow rookie Brady Tkachuk) and the rest of his teammates. “It hasn’t been great (on the scoreboard) lately, but we’ve been right there,” he said. “We’re all still close. Nobody is pouting. We’re still having fun at practice, we still like each other’s company.” While rookie winger Nick Paul was back in the lineup against the Ducks – he had been a healthy scratch in the previous three games and five of the previous nine contests – rookie defenceman Christian Wolanin was a healthy scratch. Boucher’s rationale was that Ben Harpur, who had sat out against Carolina Sunday, was needed because of his size and strength against a physical Ducks squad. Wolanin had played in five consecutive games since being recalled from Belleville following Thomas Chabot’s injury, registering one goal and two assists. As tough as it is to be in and out of the lineup, he understand the nature of the business, too. “It’s the first time where I’ve had to root for two teams,” said Wolanin, talking about the yo-yo ride between the NHL and AHL. “I don’t know where I’m going to be, so I want Belleville to do well and I want these guys to do well.” Wolanin also says it’s dangerous to over think the situation. 1125143 Ottawa Senators

Game Day: Ottawa Senators at Los Angeles Kings

Ken Warren January 9, 2019 8:25 PM EST

Five Keys To The Game Questioning what’s next? The Senators are in full rebuild, giving their youngsters plenty of ice time in the hope of a better tomorrow. The Kings, on the other hand, have hit rock-bottom with an older squad, needing to change directions ASAP. Using what’s available: Without their No. 1 goaltender, top centre and elite defenceman, the Senators are trying to fill holes the best they can. Wednesday, Anders Nilsson drew the start in goal, which could mean Marcus Hogberg starts against the Kings. Initiating control of the game: Typically, teams that played the night before, such as the Senators, are more prepared at the outset, but tend to fade as the game goes on. The Kings have been idle since losing 3-1 to San Jose on Monday. Catching up to the time zone: Don’t overestimate the travel problems. The Senators have now been on West Coast time since Monday and the post-game bus ride to Los Angeles was a mere 60 minutes up the highway. Kopitar and his off-season: Anze Kopitar was a finalist for the Hart Trophy last season, but he’s nowhere close this time around. Like the team around him, his offence has dried up. Just the same, he remains a shutdown presence. Ilya Kovalchuk versus Bobby Ryan: The Kings’ Kovalchuk gamble has been anything but a success. Kovalchuk, who signed a three-year contract after his foray into the KHL, has scored only seven goals in 34 games with the Kings and he’s carrying a plus/minus of minus 15, tied with former Senator Dion Phaneuf as the low-water mark on the squad. The Senators, meanwhile, appear stuck with Ryan and his lofty contract. Ryan also had only seven goals going into Wednesday’s game at Anaheim. At times, Ryan can have an impact and he is back in his old home in California.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125144 Ottawa Senators “When they traded for me they told me it was for a reason, they told me they wanted to give Thatcher Demko a chance to see what he could do,” McKenna said. “And I understood that, I was good with that. I don’t know Three teams in three days — Inside Mike McKenna’s week with the Thatcher more than just seeing him at center ice and playing against him. Senators, Canucks and Flyers But by all accounts he’s a great kid and I was happy for him; here is a young guy who is getting his chance to play in the NHL.”

Demko arrived in Toronto and actually met McKenna at the team hotel. By Sean Shapiro McKenna, however, wasn’t headed to Utica. Jan 9, 2019 “I was sitting around with (Vancouver goalie coach) Ian Clarke drinking coffee, talking about life, it turns noon and he goes, ‘You’ve been claimed,'” McKenna said. “I said, ‘Clarkey, stop messing with me. We just ordered a new arm and chest (protector) and new gear, stop it.’ And he PHILADELPHIA — Sitting at the corner of a restaurant bar and finishing said, ‘No, Mac, I’m serious, Philly.’ up a Cobb salad in downtown Philadelphia, the Flyers newest goalie starts to discuss what’s been one of the strangest weeks of a career “We had no idea there had been another injury (in Philadelphia), then that’s really seen it all. sure enough on Twitter Elliott Friedman said Philly and the ball started rolling.” “Never had anything like this, I’ve been doing this for 14 years and I’ve seen a lot in 14 years,” Mike McKenna said. “This, this was something After three days as a Canuck, he was now a Flyer. completely unexpected.” “And I felt like I was building a really good rapport with the guys,” Exactly a week ago at this time McKenna was eating his pregame meal McKenna said with a laugh. “But seriously I had tried to get to know in Ottawa, prepping to be the backup that evening for the Ottawa everyone as well, because the plan was for me to stick with the Senators against the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver organization in Utica.” It was around noon when Senators goalie coach Pierre Groulx walked McKenna joined the Flyers on Jan. 4 and in the five days since the over and told McKenna that he needed to come with him, he had some waiver claim he’s backed up twice, and then Tuesday he became the news. seventh goalie to play a game for the Flyers this season, tying an NHL record for most goalies used in a season. “I didn’t know what the news was,” McKenna said. “That type of stuff happens, it’s kind of odd. Instinctively you think, what did you do wrong? I After wearing mismatched gear in his Vancouver stint, the Flyers walked in and assistant GM Peter MacTavish was there and I was equipment staff helped McKenna fit in aesthetically with the Flyers colors. informed I had been traded to Vancouver.” The equipment staff used pad wrap on his black and red pads to turn them black and orange, and McKenna’s mask that was painted in an McKenna hadn’t just been traded, he’d been traded to the team the Ottawa scheme was completely wrapped up in black stick tape to Senators were about to play that evening, launching a locker room complete the look. shuffle to the visitor’s room for the 35-year-old goalie. The Senators and Canucks equipment staff handled moving McKenna’s equipment, “They look amazing, that was cool,” McKenna said. “I’m hoping new stuff swapping it for Anders Nilsson’s gear, McKenna carried his personal shows up soon, but you can’t forget that you can’t just pull stuff off the belongings from one locker room to the other in a trash bag. shelves. Our stuff is all custom and it has to go to through the NHL to be cleared. So they have to make it, they have to send it to the NHL, and “The Canadian TV was nice enough to show me walking down the then they send it to you, a week and a half is really the quickest it can hallway holding the trash bag, which was really unfair to people in the [get] done.” building, it kind of made them look like it was not handled great,” McKenna said. “I was moving stuff 20 feet, you got to put it somewhere, McKenna has a new mask on the way, he had actually planned on and you don’t want to put personal belongings in a hockey bag.” getting a second one painted in Senators colors, by Bishop Designs, but it’s now being painted in Flyers colors. On each mask McKenna has a McKenna has a sense of humor and is able to laugh about the locker tiny character on the backplate, on the new mask that character is going room exchange a week later, but it was an emotional evening for the to be dressed like Gritty, the Flyers mascot. McKenna family. McKenna’s wife, Rachel had driven up from Bellville, home of the Senators AHL affiliate, with their two daughters, Kenlin and McKenna has always been an activist for style in goaltending equipment, Adeline, the night before. but his next set, which should be headed to the NHL offices soon, is going to be a pure white set because he has no idea what will happen “We were going to have six days together as a family (in Ottawa), and we next. hadn’t had any all year. We had a couple days at Christmas and I had gone back to Bellville a couple times, but only for about 10-hour spans,” “I’ve never been a pure white guy, but white matches anything,” McKenna said. “So they get there and the second day they are there I McKenna said. “So I’ll just have to go with it.” got traded. So it was a big surprise to everyone involved, especially then when we were looking forward to having a bit of time. But it’s the nature It’s fun laughing and talking about equipment, and really discussing those of the business, it could happen at any time if you don’t have a no-trade details makes it a bit easier to laugh and comprehend everything that’s clause.” gone on for McKenna. The McKenna family watched the game that night as McKenna wore McKenna went into this season planning to play in the AHL, he only had Senators gear in a Canucks jersey as the backup goalie. After the game one contract offer in the summer, and if he was going to spend any time it was an emotional goodbye where Mike had a long hug with Kenlin and in the NHL, it would have been a brief call-up for injury. But then Mike Adeline, who had tearfully realized their six-day stretch with dad was Condon struggled and got hurt in Ottawa, and an injury call-up launched getting cut short after 24 hours. a whirlwind. McKenna backed up the next night for the Canucks against the Montreal “Usually with injuries and with being a No. 3 you know how long you are Canadiens and flew with the team to Toronto, but he knew his time was going to be there,” McKenna said. “For instance, last year when Ben short with the Canucks. Vancouver made the trade for McKenna because Bishop was injured (in Dallas) it was pretty clear that I would be up a it was ready to give its top goalie prospect, Thatcher Demko, his NHL week to 10 days. Then when he was re-injured I was told to plan to be opportunity. there until the end of the year. So usually you can put a sunset date on how long you are going to be somewhere. That never happened this That would have left Vancouver’s AHL team, the Utica Comets in a lurch, year, which was great for myself at least, and played well to keep myself so when making this deal Vancouver intentionally sought out McKenna there. I left on a road trip on Oct. 29 with the American League team and for their No. 3 goalie role. McKenna has a reputation, which is well never went home.” earned, as an AHL goalie that can carry your prospects deep into the playoffs. Two seasons ago he helped the reach the The sunset date in Philadelphia isn’t set, but it’s there. McKenna knows Calder Cup final, last season he took the to Game 7 of the that he’s a short-term fix and a rental for the Flyers, and it’s something championship series. that he’s not holding against the organization. So on Jan. 4, McKenna was already planning on heading to the airport to “You never know what could happen, I could stay here and it would be fly to Utica. Demko was already on his way up to the NHL, the only thing great, but I’m also realistic,” McKenna said. “I’m going to end up on that needed to happen was McKenna needed to clear waivers before the waivers again, whether that means I’m headed back to Vancouver and to move could be official. Utica or somewhere else, I realize what’s happening.” At this point McKenna’s biggest want is some stability for his family, which is living back in Ontario as a placeholder until there is a better sense of where the goalie will actually end up. “We are waiting for the end game, whether it’s at the NHL trade deadline or through waivers into the AHL,” McKenna said. “We need to find out where that is, and then we have to figure out where the family is going. Do we want to transfer my daughter with school and everything else to a new place or do they just go back home to St. Louis? A lot is still up in the air.” Hockey may be McKenna’s job, and he realizes he chose this path, but it’s been tough watching his young daughters try to cope with dad being away. He has a 5-year-old that is learning to skate and wants to be a goalie, she keeps asking for dad to be at her skating lessons. His 3-year- old doesn’t understand and asks her mother why dad isn’t there all the time. “You can’t explain to a kid that’s 3 what’s going on, and my older one understands a bit, but she’s in kindergarten,” McKenna said. “You miss that and you miss that every day, hugs, and cuddles, and dinner, and the part about being a parent. It’s so short-sighted and easy to just say, ‘You are making a pile of money, just shut up.’ No, I’m missing my children growing up here, too, and I signed a contract knowing this could happen. And I’m going to do my job the best I can, and I freely admit that’s part of it. But it doesn’t take away the human aspect that these are my kids and I want to be there for them.” McKenna gives a lot of credit to the Flyers organization for doing their part to make the family feel welcomed, even if they are sitting back in Ontario. Earlier this week McKenna came into the Flyers practice rink and there were two Flyers jerseys in his stall from the team to send to the girls. In the past McKenna has had to buy official jerseys for the girls. Thanks to the unprompted gift, Kenlin and Adeline were proudly wearing No. 56 McKenna jerseys around the house on Tuesday. “Vancouver and Philly have been remarkable through all of this,” McKenna said. “Both organizations have done a great job of making myself comfortable and making it known they valued my family.” And McKenna has a pretty good sample size when it comes to judging organizations. In his career he has been part of the organizational depth chart for 15 of the 31 NHL teams. “There are franchises I’ve been a part of that people even forget I was there,” McKenna said. “I was a draft pick by Nashville and was there for rookie camps, even if they never signed me, at the start of my career. I’ve seen a lot of this league, and seen a lot from the inside. And that’s something I end up talking to quite a few people about, if someone’s a free agent or wants to know how an organization is run, I often get a call.” Someday this long-winding playing career is going to come to an end for McKenna. He’ll be 36 in April, his entire career he’s craved stability, and this past week has just been the best possible example of how unstable his career path can be. “It makes you think about the cost benefit to certain things, it makes you think about your place in the game,” McKenna said. “Being 35 years old, being a No. 3 facing the chance that your life can get flipped any second. Those are things you have to take into consideration. “The funny part of my career is all I’ve ever craved is stability. At the middle point of my career if someone would have offered me a three-year American League deal, I would have taken that in a heartbeat. Just stay in the same place. The one time I thought I had that I signed a two-year deal with Florida, so I would have been in Florida or Portland three years straight and the team (Portland) gets sold and moved. So the only constant is change in this for us, and so you factor those things in. You have to have the right scenario, if the right scenario keeps popping up for me, I don’t know what the future holds. But I also have a clear cut in my mind of what I need in the future for me to keep doing this.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125145 Philadelphia Flyers Seguin and Jamie Benn, publicly chastised recently by Stars CEO Jim Lites, each have 17 goals, tops on the team. They have been productive since Lites’ stinging comments. … The Flyers’ challenge Thursday: Will the Flyers trade Wayne Simmonds, or keep him for a chance to lure containing the Benn-Seguin-Alexander Radulov line. … Entering Joel Quenneville? Wednesday, the Flyers’ minus-37 goal differential was the worst in the NHL.

by Sam Carchidi Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 01.10.2019

Will the Flyers trade Wayne Simmonds, or keep him for a chance to lure Joel Quenneville? With the NHL’s Feb. 25 trade deadline approaching, new Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher has a difficult decision: Does he deal Wayne Simmonds, a highly dependable right winger who is the Flyers' most vocal leader, or give him a contract extension before he reaches free agency on July 1? The Flyers have lost eight straight and have tumbled out of the playoff race, making it more likely Fletcher will be a seller in the upcoming weeks. Then again, if he trades some of his core players for prospects and draft picks, will that signify a long rebuild is in place and will that scare away prospective coaching candidates like Joel Quenneville? Decision, decisions. Fletcher has had contract talks with Simmonds’ agent, Eustace King, but the sides have not reached an agreement. As the trade deadline gets closer, Simmonds’ name will heat up because he is a player who can help a contender – and might be their missing piece. From the Flyers' standpoint, he is also the player most likely to be dealt when you factor in the contracts on the team. After playing through a slew of injuries last year, Simmonds underwent hip and core-muscle surgery in the offseason, and it usually takes about nine months before a player is fully recovered. He is at that timeframe, and in recent games, you can see his stride and quickness improving. In other words, he should be in great form for the stretch run and the playoffs. Simmonds, one of the Flyers’ most physical players, has 13 goals and is on pace to score 25, but he is also minus-16. He has scored around 28 goals a season since the Flyers acquired him from Los Angeles in a blockbuster trade in 2011. Fletcher has to decide if he believes Simmonds, 30, is going to be a core player for the Flyers in the next few years – kind of a bridge until one of the highly regarded prospects like Isaac Ratcliffe, Wade Allison, or Carsen Twarynski is ready to assume a pivotal role. If he believes Simmonds is a part of the future core, the Ontario native will get a huge raise from his current contract, which has an annual $3.975 million cap hit. If Fletcher thinks differently, he will probably try to fetch a No. 1 draft pick and a prospect in a trade. (In a best-case but unlikely scenario, the Flyers deal Simmonds and re-sign him as a free agent in the summer.) The Flyers have had mixed results on long-term contracts. They have gotten good value on contracts with Claude Giroux (eight years, $8.275 million per year) and Sean Couturier (six years, $4.33 million per year), but deals with James van Riemsdyk (five years, $7 million per year) and Jake Voracek (eight years, $8.25 million per year) have not been as advantageous. In Tuesday’s 5-3 loss in Washington, van Riemsdyk played most of the game on the Flyers’ fourth line. As for Simmonds, now in his eighth season with the Flyers, he wants to stay. He bought a house in Haddonfield and has deep roots in the area. The ball is in Fletcher’s court. Breakaways The Flyers (15-22-6) will try to end their winless streak (0-6-2) Thursday when they host Dallas (23-17-4). … According to Sports Club Stats, the Flyers have a zero percent chance to make the playoffs. They are 15 points out of a playoff spot with 39 games remaining … Dallas is coached by Jim Montgomery, who played briefly for the Flyers in the 1990s and later with the then-Philadelphia Phantoms. … During their winless streak, the Flyers have been outscored in the second period, 15-1. … The Flyers are 3-7-2 under interim coach Scott Gordon. … Voracek (goal, two assists) had his sixth multi-point game of the season Tuesday. … Tyler 1125146 Philadelphia Flyers penalty, it doesn’t logically make sense,’’ Gordon said. ``Because technically, the whistle should have blown before Ghost actually hooked him. So that’s all I can tell you.’’ Flyers-Capitals observations: A backup goalie stands out yet again Here’s what I think: When the rules committees of our respective leagues convene during the offseason, cocktails should not be served. by Sam Donnellon Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 01.10.2019 Here are five observations from the Flyers' 5-3 loss to the Capitals on Tuesday night at Washington: Where’s the shrink? I thought of this the other day. In previous eras of losing streaks — the current one now at eight games — we would have at least noted the presence of someone such as Dr. Joel Fish in the dressing room, or some other device designed to help the Flyers get out of their own heads. Once, I recall, head coach Roger Neilson presented Monty Python and the Holy Grail to the squad, in an attempt to get the boys out of a funk. I think it worked, too. Here’s interim coach Scott Gordon after Tuesday’s loss: “I think the biggest thing is you’re looking at there’s a lot of things going on in a lot of heads. Sometimes it’s your own personal success and failures. Sometimes it can be contracts. Sometimes it can maybe be who you’re playing with on any given night …" Another opposing backup goalie, another budding Vezina candidate To be fair, Pheonix Copley now owns a 10-2-2 record, with a 2.59 goals- against average and a .916 save percentage. He’s a pretty good backup. The Flyers registered 40 shots on him, although a big chunk of them, 17, came after the Caps swamped them in the second period with three straight goals and the game swung away from them. Still, considering the Caps traded Philipp Grubauer — who threatened to supplant Braden Holtby as their No. 1 last season — in the offseason, Washington keeps finding good young goaltending depth. In this case, it comes from North Pole, Alaska, population 2,107. Seriously, that’s where Copley was born. Here’s something else of note: Copley has been traded from and to the Caps in his career, the latter time as part of a deal that netted St. Louis the Capitals’ first-round pick of 2017. That pick was later dealt to the Flyers, who used it to select hot prospect Morgan Frost. Remember when that was supposed to be the Flyers' future forte, a stable of young goaltenders? Mike McKenna, the record-tying seventh goalie to play for them this season, was brilliant at times Tuesday, not so much at others, like when he deflected in a wide-angle shot off his pad for Washington’s fourth goal, which staked the Caps to a 4-1 lead. Still, among the reasons the Flyers lost their eighth straight, he was far from a list of their three non-stars. The mistakes flow upward The stars are as guilty in this streak as anyone, whether it’s a lack of finishing, or the kind of ``stupid play’’ — Sean Couturier’s words, not mine — that resulted in Washington’s third goal Tuesday. With Jakub Vrana pinching at the point, Couturier attempted a lazy drop pass to Claude Giroux that was converted into a semi-breakaway goal. ``Those are the kind of mistakes that are haunting us right now,” Couturier said. Yes they are. Another more subtle example: On Washington’s first goal, Vrana easily got past Travis Sanheim and Jake Voracek in the neutral zone to create a 2-on-1, and ultimately Tom Wilson’s poke-in goal. A good start yields … nothing The Flyers outshot Washington, 11-4, in the first period. Once they tied the game at 9:28 of the first, they registered seven shots on Copley, and saw almost as many blocked. But second opportunities, greasy goals ... well, they are theoreticals for the struggling team. Goal, not penalty, reversed Shayne Gostisbehere received a penalty on a hook that occurred after an offsides. Originally, Tom Wilson was credited with Washington’s fifth goal late in the third, but a challenge by Gordon resulted in a reversal, the replay showing Wilson clearly offsides. But Gostisbehere still went to the box, on a play that technically never happened. Gordon said the explanation he was given was that once the arm went up for a penalty, it could not be reversed or eliminated. ``The 1125147 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers' turmoil won't hinder Carter Hart's development

By Jordan Hall January 09, 2019 8:20 PM

For a lot of 20-year-olds, the environment would eat them up. Carter Hart isn't your average 20-year-old. He's precocious and together. He's different, the exact reason why he's here already and performing for the Flyers. So why worry and send him away? The Flyers are losing at a perturbing clip with performances that aren't exactly conducive for goalie success. A winless skid has ballooned to eight games, patience is being tested and frustrations are growing, possibly boiling into more drastic change (see story). With the Feb. 25 trade deadline getting closer and closer, the Flyers entered Wednesday 30th among 31 NHL teams at 15-22-6 and 36 points. The club is allowing the league's second-most goals per game (3.63), owns a minus-37 goal differential and has been outscored 96-61 since Nov. 13, a stretch in which the Flyers are 6-15-5. But Hart is the one who actually breathed some life into the Flyers. The team has won consecutive games just once since Nov. 13 and it happened in Hart's first and second career starts. His record is starting to take a hit at 2-4-1 as the Flyers haven't helped him much offensively, but he has played well enough in all but one game. If his play has been fine, then the concern is the other factors — losing, frustration, etc. — possibly becoming a detriment to the development of Hart, deemed the franchise's future in net. During a May 2018 phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia, Garry Davidson, the general manager of Hart's junior team the Everett Silvertips, described Hart in a way perfectly applicable to the current situation. People that haven't met him and don't work with him day in and day out just see what he does on the ice, but for me it's that whole maturity and professionalism that he's already completely grasped. Because there are guys his age that are going to be going to the pro game that are going to have to learn all of those things and some of them will never learn it and will come up short. But he's got that already going for him. There's been no sense of the Flyers' adverse setting becoming too much for the 2016 second-round pick in his first year of professional hockey. "I think as long as he's playing well, I don't think that should bother him," Flyers interim head coach Scott Gordon said. "Obviously he's thrilled about the opportunity." Hart prepares the same way through highs and lows. He keeps everything in perspective. He makes adjustments. Working with a sports psychologist since he was a teenager has helped him always see positives. Following a 3-0 loss Monday in which Hart could hold off the Blues for only so long, the rookie said he doesn't feel like he has to be perfect through the Flyers' struggles. "I'm not really thinking it like that," Hart said. "A lot of these games here, we're one or two steps [from it] going our way … we're not far off. I know it doesn’t look like that, but if you look at our most recent games, we're not far off. There are some games where we definitely deserved better fates and I think we just have to keep working, stick to our game and just compete." Hart will continue to do that. He should be here until he shows us he can't.

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Leading up to Eagles-Saints playoff matchup, Sean Payton provides Flyers trivia

By Jordan Hall January 09, 2019 5:30 PM

Sean Payton is the enemy this week. The head coach of the Saints is in the way of the Eagles' path for back- to-back Super Bowl championships. But give the guy some props for his Philly and Flyers knowledge. Payton spent part of his childhood living in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, about a 20-minute drive outside of Philadelphia. He was 10 and 11 years old when the Flyers won consecutive Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. On a conference call Wednesday with Eagles reporters, Payton relived some of those glory days as a kid when asked if he kept in touch with the area: I haven't talked to anyone relative to this season but, man, I've got a real good memory. I can remember the back-to-back Stanley Cups. I remember being off school on Monday after the second one. Phillies world championship, I could give you the lineup when the Russians walked off the ice [at the Spectrum]. I've had my fair share of cheesesteaks and hoagies and really was four blocks away from Marple Newtown High School. Played my first Pop Warner football there for the Marple Newtown Junior Bengals. There's a lot of close ties. My family is originally from Scranton and so I've got a lot of relatives back that way and close friends. As reporters said thank you and were ready to hang up, Payton decided a little Flyers trivia was in order before moving on to prepare for Sunday's divisional round playoff game against the Eagles. Payton: "Do you guys remember the LCB line? How many remember the LCB line? I'll bet not everyone." Reporter: "(Reggie) Leach, (Bobby) Clarke and (Bill) Barber, right?" Payton: "Yup. Who was the left-hander wing? He was in the second line? Rick MacLeish. Come on. You guys are slow." Man, talk about a tough quizzer. His Saints are also tough as New Orleans is the top seed in the NFC and beat the Eagles, 48-7, in the regular season. The Eagles have been a different team since that Nov. 18 matchup. Now they hope to add a sour memory to Payton's Philly connections — Broad Street Bullies style.

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Wayne Simmonds deserves better than what the Flyers are giving him

By John Boruk January 09, 2019 11:35 AM

Albeit in a losing effort, Simmonds had just scored his 200th career goal as a Flyer, a rare accomplishment achieved by only 14 other players in franchise history. Only one problem. The Flyers didn’t secure the puck that found its way into the back of the Capitals' net, and perhaps it wouldn’t have mattered. Simmonds was nowhere to be found afterward in the visitor’s dressing room of Capital One Arena. No one was quite sure of Simmonds' whereabouts, but perhaps this postgame tweet provided a glimpse into Simmonds' mindset after his 10- minute misconduct late in the third period. On TSN’s Insider Trading segment Tuesday, Simmonds was the first hot topic on the table and a player coveted by teams around the league, but with one caveat. “The Flyers haven’t made a decision on the direction they want to go with Wayne Simmonds,” analyst Darren Dreger said. “They know he’s a big part of the culture in Philadelphia and has been for a long time, but he’s also a high-valued commodity.” Dreger mentioned the Jets, Maple Leafs and Flames as contending teams that would have a strong interest in adding a player of Simmonds' caliber. But mired in the muck of a midseason general managerial change, you can’t fault Chuck Fletcher for attempting to gather his bearings and make well-informed decisions regarding the future of the franchise. A month ago, Fletcher was just making introductory phone calls with agents and getting to know his players on a personal level. Last week, Fletcher took time to watch the Flyers' prospects for the first time at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. But this is the fallout of an in-season GM switch when the organization is trying to hit the reset button. Fletcher may know where he’s going, but right now Simmonds is a compass without a needle, and he deserves better. The outspoken, heart-and-soul leader of this team over the past eight seasons, Simmonds shouldn’t be held in limbo like this. He saw Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek both sign long-term extensions in the summer before their contract year, and the extension Simmonds was hoping to sign this past summer was inked by James van Riemsdyk, who has clearly underperformed so far in Year 1 of a five-year deal. All of which makes you wonder how much lack of appreciation Simmonds keeps bottled up when he goes to the rink every day. Even Dreger pointed to a lack of patience on Simmonds' part. “I don’t think Wayne Simmonds wants to wait around too much longer to determine what his direction is moving forward,” Dreger said. Still, Simmonds soldiers on and tries to put this whole messy situation in some sort of perspective. Playing in the league a long time, you’ve been through it before. You bring up the trade deadline, this is my 11th year, you get used to things like this. It just is what it is. You've just got to be a professional on and off the ice. You've got to come to work and do your job.

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Are players thinking about outside factors as Flyers sink near bottom of NHL?

By John Boruk January 09, 2019 12:30 AM

WASHINGTON — Two weeks from now, the Flyers will be on a beach, a mountainside chalet or in a remote area where they can’t be contacted. Wherever they venture off during their league-mandated bye week, it will likely be far from hockey to escape the spiraling abyss that has become their nightmarish season. Then again, one can argue this team has yet to return from a three-day holiday break as it has failed to win a game during the post-Christmas portion of its schedule, now 0-6-2 following Tuesday night’s 5-3 disappointment to the Capitals (see observations). What appeared to be a solid start in Washington quickly evolved into a disastrous second period, when the Flyers have now been outscored 15- 1 over those past eight games. Against the Caps, it was their dreadful downfall as they surrendered three unanswered goals. “Second period came and we just stopped skating,” Jakub Voracek said. “They locked us in the zone a couple of times, which is going to happen. They’re one of the best teams in the league. Absolutely takes the wind out of us. How many times has that happened over the past few games where that second period was the worst of them all? Too many times.” Before Tuesday’s game in Washington, interim head coach Scott Gordon indicated some players appeared to be thinking about issues not related to the game itself or the job in hand. “There’s a lot of things going on in a lot of heads,” Gordon said. “Sometimes it’s their own personal successes and failures. Sometimes it can be contracts, sometimes it can be who you are playing on any given night.” Afterward, Sean Couturier was asked about Gordon’s quote and while Couturier didn’t agree with the coach’s assessment, he didn’t dismiss the idea either. “I don’t know. I can’t really talk for other guys,” Couturier said. “I don’t know if it is, or if it's not. It seems every night we have some guys off or we don’t have everyone going at the same time. We need to start looking at ourselves in the mirror. Maybe some guys are thinking about it. I don’t know.” If the Flyers can’t find 60 minutes of undivided focus between Thursday’s home game against the Stars and that final game in Montreal on Jan. 19 heading into the bye week, this team will establish a new standard for winless hockey. Five more regulation/overtime/shootout losses will surpass the franchise’s all-time winless standard set by the 1998-99 Flyers, who went 0-8-4 from late February to late March. Of course, the Flyers likely wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for the NHL record they matched Tuesday night as they started their seventh different goaltender — a dubious accomplishment established by the 1989-90 Quebec Nordiques. Mike McKenna had a front-row seat to what Flyers meltdown mode really looks like. “You just try to get your bearings a little bit and sort things out, but hockey is hockey,” McKenna said. “It definitely wasn’t my best game.” Welcome to the club, Mike. You’re already fitting right in.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125151 Philadelphia Flyers you have a chance, but if you play 40 good and 20 absolutely brutal like we did again, we have no chance.”

Flyers can’t trade their way out of losing streak worse than last year’s Courier-Post LOADED: 01.10.2019

Dave Isaac, NHL writer Published 12:55 p.m. ET Jan. 9, 2019

WASHINGTON — At the time, finding positives amid a 10-game losing streak seemed ridiculous. Last season, the Flyers were rallying around the fact that they were gaining points by taking five of those games to overtime and as it turned out at the end of the regular season, they needed every one of them to sneak into the playoffs. “…but that didn’t feel as bad as it is right now,” defenseman Radko Gudas said, “and it’s going to take a lot to get out of it.” When that streak ended last season, they were eight points out of a playoff spot. The Flyers then reeled off six wins, cutting that deficit in half with 50 games to go to make up the other four points. They got some help because other teams in their division lost. That hasn’t happened this season as the losing streak hit eight Tuesday night with a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals. The Flyers were eight points out of a playoff spot when Scott Gordon took over for Dave Hakstol on Dec. 17. After starting 3-1-1 with Gordon behind the bench, the team hadn’t gained any ground. The Flyers woke up Wednesday 15 points out of a playoff spot, too insurmountable to even acknowledge as a big-picture goal with 39 games left. The problems this season, unlike last, are chronic. They’re also mostly between the ears as opposed to X’s and O’s. “I think the biggest thing is you’re looking at there’s a lot of things going on in a lot of heads,” Gordon said. “Sometimes it’s your own personal success and failures. Sometimes it can be contracts. Sometimes it can maybe be who you’re playing with on any given night, but to me it’s not so much about systems because that’s one thing I did when I came here. I didn’t want to overload them with a bunch of changes. We made a couple tweaks in the defensive zone which — knock wood, here — but we’ve been doing well with that. We haven’t been getting scored on in defensive zone coverage. Our biggest failure has been off the rush, teams coming in from the offensive zone.” The team has already changed its coach and general manager. New GM Chuck Fletcher hasn’t made any trades but considering the direction the team has been going in, what kind of return is he getting for anyone who might be on the trade block? Even though Comcast Spectacor CEO Dave Scott wanted a “bias for action,” when Ron Hextall was fired, Fletcher has vowed to play this all smartly. It might not make sense for him to make a trade or two these days if the return in a deal is going to be pennies on the dollar and the season looks like a lost one. Prices always tend to go up around the trade deadline, which is Feb. 25 this season. Among the things that players get frustrated about in a season that wasn’t supposed to go like this, fearing a fire sale or total blow-up of the roster doesn’t seem to be one of them. “We all know it’s a business and at the end of the day it might happen, but you can’t worry about that,” Sean Couturier said. “You’ve got to focus on what you can do to help the team. It’s on each guy in the locker room to take responsibility and be better every night. “It seems every night we have some guys off or we don’t have everyone going at the same time. We need to start looking at ourselves in the mirror and start showing up to the rink ready to play and do your own responsibility and do whatever you can to help the team win. Maybe some guys are thinking about (individual issues like personal statistics or contracts), I don’t know, but we gotta think team-first for sure.” That team aspect has been missing and it’s usually hard to find when a team is losing. Instead there are generally individuals who try to put the team on their back and be Superman, attempt to end a victory drought in a single effort. It almost never works. “We’ve got to win the game,” Jake Voracek said. “It’s not that hard. I mean, it is hard right now for u,s but it has to end. We’ve just got to get on a roll. We need to stop it. When you play 40 minutes, you’re not gonna win many games. I mean if you play 40 great and 20 good, maybe 1125152 Philadelphia Flyers edge in shot attempts and doubled up the Capitals with regular scoring chances (Natural Stat Trick definition) 8-4. Sure, the game was tied 1-1, but this was a case of a Philadelphia coming out with real fire in the wake Capitals 5, Flyers 3: 10 things we learned from a team that can’t right the of an “embarrassing” (Scott Laughton’s word) loss the night before, right? ship Not quite. The Flyers racked up the shot attempts, but managed just 0.44 Expected Goals on those 20 shots because the average shot distance on their unblocked attempts was 51 feet away from the net, a number which By Charlie O'Connor seemed so high that I went back and rewatched all 12 attempts to confirm there wasn’t an error on the part of the in-arena tracker. Nope. Jan 9, 2019 Philadelphia took four point shots (average distance: 53.5 feet), four shots from the top or outskirts of one of the two offensive zone faceoff

circles (41 feet), two blasts from center ice (94.5 feet) and then two Slowly but surely, the Philadelphia Flyers are creeping toward the actual quality chances — Voracek’s goal and a rebound opportunity for ignominy of suffering through 10-game losing streaks in consecutive Sean Couturier. That was it. seasons. This year, however, they have six fewer weeks to recover from The first period wasn’t a case of the Flyers “carrying play.” To be sure, such a devastating skid, and only two more opportunities to prevent the they weren’t getting crushed — a positive — but their offensive attack repetition of history. remained toothless. So when Washington kicked up their game to a The Flyers delivered a more energetic performance on Tuesday night as higher gear in the second period, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that compared to their work Monday at home against the St. Louis Blues, but Philadelphia couldn’t keep up. the outcome proved similar. A horrid second period by the Orange & 3: McKenna’s first Flyers start a mixed bag Black allowed the Washington Capitals to storm out to a 4-1 lead, and the Metropolitan Division leaders comfortably held on for a 5-3 triumph, Mike McKenna’s story is a great one — a 35-year-old journeyman, giving the Flyers their eighth straight loss. bouncing back and forth between the AHL and NHL, who gets a chance with a new club ravaged by injury at the position to establish himself as a Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds all scored for viable option in the best league in the world. He’s a very easy player to Philadelphia, who took over sole possession of the second-worst record cheer on, and the fact that he seems to be a delightful person doesn’t in hockey following the defeat. Mike McKenna — the seventh goalie to hurt, either. play for the Flyers this year, tying an NHL record for a season in just 43 games — took the loss in net, stopping 21-of-25 shots. Pheonix Copley But in the end, a successful underdog story is only that if the results in earned the win for the Capitals in goal, making 37 stops of his own. the game provide extra gravitas to the proceedings, and McKenna walked into less-than-idyllic circumstances. So when he robbed Note: This article will reference advanced hockey stats. If you’re looking Alexander Ovechkin with a beautiful stop a little more than 10 minutes to better understand any of the referenced metrics, please read this into the game, it wasn’t hard to concoct a scenario where McKenna could primer, which explains the concepts behind them. be the team’s unlikely savior, an out-of-nowhere long-shot stabilizing the 1: Flyers are in no shape right now to right the ship position for Philadelphia along with phenom Carter Hart. The snowball effect. In hockey, it’s generally viewed as something that Unfortunately, McKenna’s work on Ovechkin — whom he stopped four occurs in-game — one mistake turns into three, three bad shifts turn into more times — was the only aspect of his performance that lived up to five and suddenly a game that seemed within one’s grasp slips far out of those hopes. McKenna wasn’t awful, and he made more than a few other reach. But in special circumstances, that same effect can carry over for big saves, including a huge one on Nic Dowd midway through the second days and even weeks on end. period. In addition, he had little chance on Tom Wilson’s slam dunk first- period goal, or Jakub Vrana’s deflection tally. Still, 21 saves on 25 shots Frankly, in their current state, the Flyers were at risk for a run like this. isn’t going to produce a shiny save percentage (0.840) and his poor work Ever since the firing of Ron Hextall, the organization has been in a state on Vrana’s power-play goal cemented that this wouldn’t be a night of flux, and that sense of uncertainty seems to have carried over to the without obvious blemishes. players. Dale Weise’s “craziest thing I’ve ever seen” comment regarding the team’s season after the Calgary game last Saturday was a tacit McKenna’s performance was not out of place with those of the other net- admission of that truth. And with the schedule jam-packed with games in minders in Philadelphia this year: some big, unexpected saves, at least the weeks following the Dave Hakstol firing, interim head coach Scott one weak goal allowed and ultimately underwhelming results by public Gordon hasn’t had the opportunity to place his own tactical stamp on the metrics. At the very least, he looked like a capable stopgap, but if you Flyers, meaning they’re basically just doing old things with a new voice. were hoping for a mind-blowing, Disney movie-esque Flyers debut, you likely came away disappointed. In other words, it wasn’t hard to imagine how this team could end up looking like a shell of itself if bad fortune hit again. That’s exactly what’s 4: Vrana exemplifies what Flyers need happened over this demanding eight-games-in-13-days stretch: With little The first star of this game was obvious, even setting aside the fact that to fall back on except the roster and systems that got both a GM and he produced two goals and an assist. From the start, Vrana was all over coach fired, the Flyers have proven incapable of pulling themselves out the ice, and never really let up, leading all Capitals forwards in 5-on-5 of their current malaise. Corsi For Percentage on the night. Washington’s first round draft choice The effort is still there. Down 4-1 in the third period, the Flyers didn’t pack in 2014, Vrana is coming into his own as a player this season, moving up it in — they pushed back, and eventually cut the lead to one before the Capitals’ lineup and finding himself on pace for his first 20-goal allowing an empty netter. Travis Konecny was flying all over the place. season. He’s become a key part of Washington’s depth. Simmonds got tossed for vocally disagreeing with a late penalty call. In Technically, the Flyers don’t lack for scoring depth. They have two 30- the end, Philadelphia put 40 shots on net in 60 minutes against the best goal scorers playing in their bottom-six at the moment, and they have a team in the division, and while the shot quality wasn’t fantastic, you don’t number of forwards with histories as play-drivers scattered up and down put up that kind of volume if you “don’t care anymore.” This wasn’t a the roster beyond the obvious stars. But what they lack beyond Giroux repeat of Monday, where even the proud Simmonds acknowledged the and Voracek (when the latter is at his best) are truly dynamic weapons, team’s energy was lacking. offensive creators capable of turning a game with a high-skill play out of Yet this just looks like a club out of answers. Gordon is a sharp hockey nowhere. Couturier, while effective, is more of a grind-it-out type. mind, but he hasn’t been able to make his preferred wholesale structural Simmonds and van Riemsdyk function best on the cycle despite their changes yet. Understandably, in less than a month, he hasn’t been able impressive track records. Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom project to be to jump in and figure out how each player ticks and how to get the most top-nine forwards, but neither are electric skaters and will likely end up out of all of them. What this club really needs is something that allows more Couturier-esque than anything else if they reach their ceilings. them to hit the reset button — a stretch of uninterrupted practice days, a What’s lacking in that group? A few forwards with the skill to turn simple long break, a big road trip. Unfortunately, they don’t get one of those (via rushes up ice into 2-on-1s down low with sheer speed and elusiveness. the bye week) until after five more games, and if the status quo holds The Flyers do have Konecny, who deserves such a designation, but he’s through the end of next week, even the most optimistic member of the still working through the ups and downs that come early in a career. team would have to acknowledge that the season would essentially be Philadelphia needs more players like Konecny and Vrana if they want to over for them. be taken seriously as a dangerous offensive team. Otherwise, they’ll lack 2: First period fool’s gold more than anything the ability to regularly shift games from bad to good like the Capitals did on Tuesday due to the efforts of Vrana. By some metrics, the Flyers dominated the first period everywhere but the scoreboard. They led 11-4 in shots on goal, held a whopping 20-8 5: A Gordon Special on Tuesday with early pairings Attentive Flyers fans have quickly recognized Gordon’s tendency to roll chop some points off that total. A 30/30 season from a play-driving center with one set of line combinations and pairings during practices and pre- is perfectly acceptable at first glance. As for Voracek, he’s pacing for a game skates, only to flip-flop them once the game begins. Gordon’s 21-goal, 45-assist, 66-point season — right in line with his raw totals from belief is that it gives his clubs an early matchup edge due to the 2014-15 and 2016-17. At least on the scoresheet, it’s merely looking like strategy’s inherent unpredictability, and it was a tactic he deployed a “good” Voracek year rather than a great one. regularly in Lehigh Valley with the Phantoms. But on Tuesday night, he utilized another element to that gamesmanship that was a staple of his Of course, raw point totals don’t tell the whole story. They miss the fact Phantoms days but hasn’t popped up much in Philadelphia: “fake” first- that Couturier wasn’t especially effective in October, and they ignore shift combos. Voracek’s odd 5-on-5 play-driving issues, an element of his game which used to be a major strength. Still, even with a sputtering power play and To start the game, Gordon put Ivan Provorov on the ice for the opening the club’s disastrous all-around season overall, the stars are still putting draw (not surprising), but Provorov was not alongside his regular partner up their points. Perhaps the explanation is that someone has to score on Travis Sanheim — or even a partner with whom he has any real occasion, and they remain the best equipped — both by talent and by experience skating beside. Instead, it was the No. 3 of Radko Gudas on role — to do so. the starting lineup sheet, and who would take the first faceoff of the game alongside the 21-year-old Russian. 9: Provorov-Sanheim pair with good moments and bad This was an odd choice on its face, not because it had no chance of The problem that can arise from rolling with a talented but still relatively working out (I’ve long wondered how Provorov would do alongside the inexperienced top defensive pairing (consisting of a 21-year-old and a Corsi King Gudas), but because the former had spent a total of 183 22-year-old) is that their shift-over-shift play can become erratic. That’s minutes alongside Gudas during his two-and-a-half years in the NHL — especially the case when the supposed stabilizing presence of the pair usually due to overlapping shifts or in third period hold-the-lead (actually the younger of the two) is going through serious growing pains situations. Yet Gordon had no real intention of giving it a shot. By the in his third NHL season. The duo of Provorov and Sanheim possess sky- next round of shifts, Provorov was back with Sanheim, and Gudas high potential, and might end up being the long-term top pair long after returned to his recent role beside Shayne Gostisbehere. In other words, it this disastrous season for the club is in the rearview mirror. But in the was just Gordon being Gordon, handing Flyers fans yet another reason here and now, mistakes are going to happen, such as on Washington’s to take the daily announced lineups with a sizable grain of salt. first goal. 6: So what line changes did he actually make? Neither defenseman is blameless here. Sanheim kicks off the sequence by challenging Vrana in the neutral zone and failing to come up with the Of course, Gordon didn’t just keep all of the same combinations together puck, allowing the Capitals forward to side-step him and begin chasing it from Monday night’s debacle — no coach would have. His biggest move down himself. Sanheim compounds his error by not getting on his horse at first glance was benching 3C Jordan Weal and bringing Phil Varone to provide back pressure, which leaves Provorov to face a 2-on-1 down back into the lineup, but Gordon further shook up the lines that, on paper, low. The Russian’s best play would have been to focus solely on looked to be the team’s bottom-six corps even beyond that swap. Weise covering Wilson, since Vrana would’ve had an unfavorable shooting was moved off the Laughton line and into the right wing spot with Varone, angle after retrieving the puck, even if the lack of back pressure would’ve while van Riemsdyk surprisingly took up shop alongside the AHL allowed him time to make a move. But it’s easy to understand why veteran. As for Laughton, he retained Michael Raffl as a LW, but was Provorov, watching an on-rushing forward move deep into the zone granted Simmonds on the right side, as Gordon split up his two big goal- uncovered, would instinctively move over to try and defend against scoring wingers. Vrana. Unfortunately, that gave Wilson just enough space to receive Vrana’s feed and bury it past McKenna. The new lines didn’t exactly excel — Varone’s trio failed to create a single high-danger scoring chance at 5-on-5. While Laughton opened up Yet the pair is fully capable of delivering tour de force shifts like the one some additional space for Simmonds (as compared to the Wayne Train’s below, where both Sanheim and Provorov expertly shut down two rushes partnership with Weal and JvR), they didn’t dominate, either. Clearly, including both the red-hot Vrana and the ever-dangerous Evgeny Gordon is still tinkering to try and find the best way to get extra value out Kuznetsov. That’s the upside that makes them worth keeping together, of his bottom-six. an upside they both can continue to grow into over time. 7: Patrick line used as Line 4? 10: Take a moment to appreciate Radko Gudas But were the Laughton and Varone lines truly utilized as a bottom-six in The eighth game of a losing streak isn’t going to bring many positives to last night’s game? Simply going by the Time on Ice numbers, one could the table. But what shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle is that, in his own argue that it was the apparent second line of Lindblom, Patrick and inimitable way, Gudas continues to be effective at even strength to a Voracek that was deployed as the lowest group on the even-strength fairly ridiculous degree. depth chart, not the one with Varone and Weise or Laughton and Raffl. Yet again, the Flyers dominated the shot, chance and goal differential Despite the “promotion” — and despite the fact that he set up the team’s battles when Gudas took his regular shift on Tuesday. His 73.08 percent first goal with a neutral zone interception and deft pass to Voracek — Corsi For Percentage was a defense-high, as was his 7-4 on-ice scoring Lindblom easily brought up the rear in TOI at 5-on-5, receiving only 6:12 chance differential. Despite seeing his responsibilities increase following in the situation. Just as interesting, however, was the placement of a promotion to playing alongside Gostisbehere, Gudas’ metrics haven’t Voracek and Patrick on the list. No. 93 was granted the second-fewest dipped at all, allaying concerns that his advanced stat prowess may have minutes at 5-on-5 among Philadelphia forwards (8:19), and Patrick tied been partially driven by “easy” usage. Everybody seems to drive play with Varone for third-fewest. with Gudas — Sanheim (56.85 percent Corsi with him), Gostisbehere (63.64 percent) and even Andrew MacDonald (57.60 percent) have put The impact of special teams usage can’t be discounted — if players are up stellar metrics beside the burly blueliner. getting extra shifts on the PP or while shorthanded, they need additional rest at 5-on-5. Still, Lindblom only jumps up to 8:31 with the PK time he In addition, he retains the ability to bring some old-school grit to the table, received (still last among forwards), Patrick only moves ahead of Varone as Nic Dowd can certainly attest. and Raffl, and Voracek ranks just seventh, behind players like JvR, Konecny and Simmonds. It’s fair to wonder — even though Gordon kept That’s a clean, mean hit by Gudas, delivered at a time when the Flyers that line together for Tuesday — if the head coach might be less than desperately needed a spark. The hit and ensuing fight earned satisfied with the trio’s 5-on-5 play, considering the limited usage. Philadelphia a power play, succeeding in providing intangible and tangible value to his club. The Flyers have many players delivering 8: Top forwards remain on pace for reasonable scoring expectations disappointing seasons. Gudas hasn’t been one of them. The Flyers’ late surge did more than make the score respectable — it allowed the big guns up front to add some much-needed tangible offense to their records. With the team struggling to score, Messrs. Giroux, The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 Couturier and Voracek had watched their raw point production dip in recent games. A three-point night for Voracek, Giroux’s first goal since Dec. 27 and Couturier’s first multiple-point contest since Dec. 12 went a long way toward helping their numbers. Interestingly enough, none of the Flyers’ three best scoring forwards are performing that poorly when it comes to scoring pace. Giroux is on track for 26 goals (would be fourth-best in his career) and 89 points (third- best). Couturier is trending toward 29 goals and 31 assists — a dropoff from his 76-point season last year, but regression was always going to 1125153 Pittsburgh Penguins “I give our players high marks for scoring some goals and finishing on some of the opportunities that we had in the offensive zone, but I know we’re capable of a better game.” Penguins once again need to tighten up with lead Tribune Review LOADED: 01.10.2019 JONATHAN BOMBULIE Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, 7:51 p.m.

Penguins goaltender Matt Murray covers the puck before the Jets’ Mark Scheifele can get his stick on it during the first period Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. When the Pittsburgh Penguins open a five-game western road trip Friday night in Anaheim, they will be looking to bounce back from a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. It’s a lot like last week, when the Penguins rebounded from a 7-2 win over the New York Rangers to defeat the Winnipeg Jets. This, of course, sounds like crazy talk. What team needs to bounce back from a blowout victory? It makes perfect sense to the Penguins, though. In their last three wins, the Penguins have jumped out to an early lead, then opened up the defensive floodgates and relied on goalie Matt Murray to save them from imploding. The Penguins aren’t apologizing for winning, but they know their recent form probably isn’t good enough to get them to where they want to go. “As long as we look at it like that and make sure we tighten up, then we’ll get by it and learn from it,” captain Sidney Crosby said after the victory over the Panthers. The Penguins have taken a 2-0 lead before the 15-minute mark of the first period in each of their last three games. • Last Friday against Winnipeg, Olli Maatta and Matt Cullen scored 33 seconds apart late in the first period. Murray made 33 saves, and the Penguins won 4-0. • Last Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks, Patric Hornqvist and Jake Guentzel scored in the first five minutes. Casey DeSmith stopped 26 of 30 shots, and the Penguins lost 5-3. • Tuesday night against Florida, Tanner Pearson and Bryan Rust scored in the first four minutes. Murray made 36 saves, and the Penguins won 5- 1. It’s not hard to spot the difference between the leads that were protected and the one that wasn’t. When the Blackhawks pushed back, DeSmith couldn’t stop the barrage of scoring chances he faced. Murray, who is 8-0 with a .963 save percentage since returning from an injury last month, cleaned up nearly every mess his teammates made. “It seems like when we get goals early in a game, we don’t tend to play the game as tight as we need to,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s a conversation we’ll have with our team.” Every NHL team gives up more scoring chances when it’s leading than when it’s trailing. That’s simply the nature of the way the score affects the game. For the Penguins, though, the increase is more drastic than most. When they’re trailing, they give up 27.3 shots per 60 minutes, which is 17th-most in the league. When they’re tied, they give up 32.0 shots per 60, which is 13th-most. When they’re ahead, they give up 36.5 shots per 60, which is eighth-most. When the Penguins ran into similar problems in the middle of last month, blowing two-goal leads in consecutive home games against Boston, Los Angeles and Anaheim, they responded by making their game a little more boring. They added a few offensive-zone cycles and conservative decisions with the puck at the attacking blue line, and it paid dividends. They’ll have to make similar adjustments if they hope to come home from their western road trip with a suitcase full of points in the standings. “We know our guys are so capable of playing the game hard and playing the game the right way and being harder to play against and limiting the quantity and quality of the chances against,” Sullivan said. “You have to defend in this league. You have to check. It’s hard to win consistently if you don’t. 1125154 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins' Evgeni Malkin makes donation to victims of apartment explosion in his hometown

JONATHAN BOMBULIE Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, 11:48 a.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin donated $60,000 to victims of an apartment explosion in his hometown of Magnitogorsk, Russia. Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin donated almost $60,000 to victims of a New Year’s Eve apartment explosion in his hometown of Magnitogorsk, Russia, his former team announced Wednesday. According to a statement released by Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the KHL, Malkin gave 4 million rubles to a fund established to collect donations for victims and their families. The statement said the Penguins are also taking up a collection which will soon be added to the fund. According to Russian officials, 39 people died in an explosion caused by a gas leak that leveled a block of 10-story apartment buildings. Malkin wrote messages of support on his skates when he played on a national day of remembrance for the tragedy on Jan. 2. “I want to say we support you,” Malkin said at the time. “We’re here. We’re together. Always in my heart, it’s my hometown. It’s the No. 1 city for me, for my family. I’m glad to be born in this town. I know there’s great people in this town. Something bad happens sometimes. We’ll try to help the families. Just be strong.”

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Penguins place Zach Aston-Reese on injured reserve

Jonathan Bombulie

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Zach Aston-Reese will miss at least a week and likely more with an injury suffered during a 5-1 win over Florida on Tuesday night. The Penguins put Aston-Reese on injured reserve Wednesday after he was injured in a third-period fight with Colton Sceviour. The IR designation means he’ll be sidelined at least a week. The Penguins called up Garrett Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL to take his place on the roster. A physical left wing, Wilson has two assists in 14 NHL games this season. At the AHL level, he has 18 points in 18 games. The loss of Aston-Reese is a significant one for the Penguins. He’s been an effective player on the fourth line and on the penalty kill. He has two goals and two assists in his past four games. Winger Patric Hornqvist was also injured in Tuesday’s game, leaving after taking a puck to the face in the first period, but he was not placed on the IR. If Hornqvist is unable to play Friday in Anaheim, Derek Grant would likely take his spot in the lineup. Grant was a healthy scratch Tuesday.

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Bryan Rust's resurgence powers Penguins' turnaround

JONATHAN BOMBULIE Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, 5:33 a.m.

The puck kicks out in front of Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo (1) as Pittsburgh Penguins’ Bryan Rust slides into the goal after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019, in Pittsburgh. Bryan Rust already has a job, one he’s been doing quite well lately, but if the Pittsburgh Penguins needed a mascot to represent how their season’s gone so far, he’d be a prime candidate. When the team was struggling, mired in the depths of the Eastern Conference standings, Rust had one goal, seven points and a minus-4 rating in his first 29 games of the season. Since the team has turned it around, flirting with first place in the Metropolitan Division race, Rust has eight goals, 12 points and a plus-9 rating in his last 12 games. “I think, right now, he’s feeling it,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a confident player out there and you can see it in his poise with the puck. He’s playing extremely well. “As I said earlier in the year when Rusty was not scoring, he brings so much to our team even if he doesn’t show up on the scoresheet. His skating ability and his speed and his puck pursuit, that’s the foundation of his individual game. That’s what he brings to any line he’s on. That’s what helps him create the opportunities that either his linemates get or he gets. Right now, I think he’s using his footspeed as good as I’ve seen him in all the years I’ve coached him here in Pittsburgh.” Rust scored twice in a 5-1 Penguins victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. On both goals, he got a step on a defender while skating down the slot, took a pass from a teammate and made a move to beat goaltender Roberto Luongo. On the first, the teammate was Jake Guentzel and the move was a backhand. On the second, the teammate was Matt Cullen and he went to the forehand. The goals made Rust the 91st player in franchise history to record 100 points in a Penguins uniform. He has 44 goals and 56 assists in 223 games. In general, the Penguins weren’t pleased with how they played against the Panthers. They gave up too many golden scoring chances and leaned too heavily on goalie Matt Murray. “I kind of thought it was an ugly game back and forth,” Rust said. “I thought there were a lot of chances both ways, a lot of real good chances. I think we’ve got to be happy we came away with a good win. I think Murr bailed us out a lot. I think we have to try to learn from that and get better.” That said, with Rust scoring at the pace he is, it’s hard for the Penguins to lose. “I’ve been the product of some real good plays,” Rust said. “Just try to keep my feet moving, get to open space and guys are finding me and I’m able to put it in.”

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Ex-Penguin Kevin Stevens’ radio show is coming to Pittsburgh

JASON MACKEY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [email protected] JAN 9, 2019 3:55 PM

ANAHEIM, Calif. — In September 2017, the Penguins hired former player Kevin Stevens as a special-assignment scout. On Wednesday, Stevens’ presence around the Pittsburgh area grew a little more, as it became official that his Boston-based radio show — appropriately called Crosscheck — will air on “The Answer” 1250 AM/92.5 FM Saturdays from 10-11 a.m. The show started in 2017, and it’s helped Stevens, a recovering addict, not only stay clean but aid in the battle against opioids through a different-sounding show that doesn’t come off as preachy; Stevens strikes the same sort of tone he had as a player and has even moved into more of a front-and-center role. Crosscheck is part of Stevens’ 501c3 nonprofit called “Power Forward,” which specializes in creating mainstream outreach programs that provide high-risk communities with impactful drug-prevention messages. Sidney Crosby congratulates goaltender Matt Murray after the Penguins beat the Kings on Dec. 15, 2018, at PPG Paints Arena. Working with Stevens on the show is Pleasant Hills native Andrew Bernstein, who has worked side-by-side with Stevens’ sister, Kelli Wilson, to handle the logistics of these things while Stevens has focused on staying clean and improving as a public speaker. The show cycles through weekly interviews with notable guests, in addition to Stevens usually riffing on several topics. After pleading guilty in December 2016 to conspiring to sell oxycodone, Stevens was ordered as part of his May 2017 sentencing to give motivational speeches and raise awareness about the perils of prescription-drug abuse. He’s actually grown to like the radio show and routinely counsels other people struggling with addiction, often finding it easy to relate to their problems because it’s stuff he’s experienced first-hand. “I feel good about it,” Stevens said last year. “If I can help a couple people or even if I can help one person … I guess I’m someone who can reach people someone else can’t because of what I did.” Malkin makes donation According to a report from Sputnik International out of Russia, Evgeni Malkin has donated $60,000 to a fund opened for victims of the deadly explosion and apartment-building collapse in his hometown of Magnitogorsk. Zach Aston-Reese skates up the ice against the Panthers on Tuesday Jan. 8, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena. Thirty-nine people died in the tragedy, and Malkin has been paying tribute to those affected with messages on his skates. The report also says other Penguins players are expected to donate money to the fund.

Post Gazette LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125158 Pittsburgh Penguins When Murray went out with a lower-body injury, he was 4-5-1 and ranked last in goals-against average (4.08) among qualifying goaltenders. He was next-to-last in save percentage (.877). The Penguins have had an eventful first half. Let's look back. The Penguins franchise goaltender has been impenetrable since returning. He’s won all eight of his starts with a 1.24 goals-against average and .963 save percentage. JASON MACKEY Fight night fright Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fights were an interesting thing in the first half. [email protected] The funny side was Jamie Oleksiak waving an official off during his bout JAN 9, 2019 12:45 PM with Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds. The darker side happened when Washington’s Tom Wilson concussed Oleksiak, and Zach Aston-Reese was hurt Tuesday night while tussling Imagine having spent the past three-plus months stranded on a far-away with Florida’s Colton Sceviour. island, living life alongside Antonio Brown’s team-first attitude and the Pirates’ financial flexibility. Is it still worth it to engage in that stuff? It might be worth rethinking at this point. Maybe you looked at the NHL standings Wednesday and saw the Penguins’ record — 24-13-6, good enough for 54 points and second Biggest disappointment place in the Metropolitan Division a little past the halfway mark of the regular season — and nodded your head in approval. Although general manager Jim Rutherford said recently he’s seen improvement in Derick Brassard, it’s hard to say Brassard has been the Yep, pretty much where everyone expected them to be: in the thick of a threat the Penguins thought he would be when they traded for him last playoff race, either leading or within striking distance of the division, February. aware the final exam is still several months away. At minimum, Brassard is expected to walk after the season, to get a role But for anyone who has followed this team every step of the way, you probably more in tune with what he’s experienced throughout his career, know darn well it’s hardly been that simple. With that in mind, let’s take a but he wind up leaving via trade beforehand? look back at some notable stuff that’s happened thus far and maybe hand out an award or two: Even if there’s been improvement lately, there have also been prolonged periods where Brassard — who had 27 goals in 2015-16 — simply hasn’t Kevin Stevens speaks last year during his Crosscheck radio show, which produced. is geared toward combating substance abuse. Maybe it’ll change. And Brassard’s current 15-goal pace isn’t terrible. But Most valuable player the Penguins and their fans have certainly been expecting more. Slam-dunk here: As good as Kris Letang has been, Sidney Crosby is The new guys playing at a truly elite level, even by his own lofty standards. Two key trades happened in the first half, both involving players who And it’s not just the points, either, although Crosby is on pace for 40 came to Pittsburgh from California. goals and 105 points, which would rank third and second for his career. (By the way, the most amazing Crosby stat might be this: Of the 40 Rutherford traded Carl Hagelin to Los Angeles for Tanner Pearson, and games he’s played, he has produced multiple points 19 times.) Pearson has mostly been a solid addition. He has certainly shown an ability to shoot, while it’s hard to complain about his six goals in 27 But 2018-19 for Crosby has been more about the total package. games. The 71.0 five-on-five goals-for percentage. Winning 55.8 percent of his The bigger move, though, has been Marcus Pettersson, whom faceoffs. The two-way play and again killing penalties. Rutherford acquired for Daniel Sprong. Remember when the Penguins were stupid for trading the young winger? Linemate Jake Guentzel said a couple weeks ago Crosby has been “driving the bus.” At this point, it wouldn’t be shocking if that turned out to Pettersson has stabilized their defense by allowing everyone to play be more literal than figurative. where they should be playing. He has also been huge for Jack Johnson, who struggled before the trade but has been a perfectly fine, third-pairing What, what happened again? defender who kills penalties since Pettersson arrived. The first 43 games did not come without a few head-scratchers — to Sprong might score 20 or 25 goals in Anaheim or elsewhere, and maybe which Patric Hornqvist could definitely attest. The feisty right wing he didn’t get a fair shake in Pittsburgh. But it’s hard to look at that trade endured enough head-related issues to last a couple of seasons: sticks, and think too negatively about it. pucks, a concussion. OK, so who’s buying? It’s sort of the cost of doing business when you play the way Hornqvist does, but even he has to be shaking his … never mind. Two important contracts got done over the first half. Speaking of using one’s head, what exactly was Pascal Dupuis doing? The Penguins extended Rutherford’s deal back in mid-November, Not using it, one would presume. committing to him through 2021-22, while Rutherford made a significant move on Dec. 27, signing Jake Guentzel to a five-year, $30 million His comments on TVA Sports reignited the whole Mike Sullivan, Phil extension that ensured he’ll remain on Crosby’s wing through the Kessel and — new this season! — Evgeni Malkin drama, even if Dupuis captain’s prime. didn’t mean to do what he did. The injury bug Speaking of Malkin, his first half might’ve required some migraine medication if you looked too closely at the numbers. Justin Schultz walked through the Penguins dressing room at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Monday, with signs of surgery running After producing seven goals and 20 points in his first 11 games, Malkin halfway up his (previously broken) left leg. has just six and 25 over his last 32. He’s a minus-14 during that time with just two even-strength goals. In the Penguins’ fourth game of the season, Schultz was lost to gruesome injury that required immediate surgery and sidelined the That’s the same guy? defenseman for four months — although it looks like his return could fall a little inside of that range. Remember when Bryan Rust couldn’t score, and Matt Murray couldn’t stop opposing players from scoring? Come to think of it, shouldn’t they When Schultz does come back, talk about a key trade-deadline have gone golfing together or something? acquisition. Those days feel like ancient history now. The Penguins will add a bonafide top-four guy who’s right-handed, who can quarterback the top power play, who was a NHL-best plus-49 from After scoring once in his first 29 games, Rust broke out of his slump with 2016-18 and two years ago had 12 goals and 51 points. Yeah, not bad. a hat trick in Chicago a couple weeks ago and has 10 goals in 13 games since. Best game/moment There’s a three-way tie for this one. 1) A Thanksgiving Eve win over Dallas. One of the Penguins’ best team efforts of the season came a day after Sullivan’s toughest and most productive practice, where several important tweaks were made. It also coincided with Crosby’s return from a three-game absence because of an upper-body injury, and he’s been pretty much unstoppable since. 2) A 6-3 home victory over Colorado on Dec. 4, when Patric Hornqvist scored the fastest hat trick in Penguins history — three goals in just 2:47. Beating a good team, in that fashion, at home … did a lot to propel their recent surge. 3) A 2-1 road win at Washington on Dec. 19. Although he beat the Kings four days prior, it was the first big time performance from Murray in his return to dominance. Meanwhile, Oleksiak’s fight, in a weird way, might’ve helped the Penguins, who relied on Letang and a terrific team effort to shut down Alex Ovechkin, who entered the game with goals in six straight. That win kicked off an eight-game winning streak, tying the longest of Sullivan’s tenure

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Penguins place Zach Aston-Reese on injured reserve, recall Garrett Wilson

MATT VENSEL Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [email protected] JAN 9, 2019 10:45 AM

The Penguins on Wednesday placed Zach Aston-Reese on injured reserve. The 24-year-old winger — who has secured a roster spot in Pittsburgh with a versatile mix of physicality, energy and skill — was injured in Tuesday’s 5-1 win over Florida. Aston-Reese was presumably injured in a third-period fight with Panthers forward Colton Sceviour. Aston-Reese in that bout landed a couple of roundhouse punches with his right hand. Once his five minutes in the box were up, Aston-Reese headed to the locker room for the rest of the game. After the game, coach Mike Sullivan said the belief was that Aston-Reese “might be out for a little bit,” but he was not certain at that time. The Penguins shared no further details about his injury Wednesday. Kevin Stevens speaks last year during his Crosscheck radio show, which is geared toward combating substance abuse. With Aston-Reese on injured reserve, the Penguins recalled forward Garrett Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Wilson, the captain of those Baby Penguins, has two assists and a plus-3 rating in 14 NHL games this season. We will see if the Penguins plug Wilson into Aston-Reese’s spot on the fourth line or go with veteran Derek Grant, who has appeared in just one game since Dec. 17. The Penguins on Tuesday also lost Patric Hornqvist, who has already missed games this season due to a concussion then another upper-body injury, when he took a puck to the face during the first period. He went straight down the tunnel and did not return.

Post Gazette LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125160 Pittsburgh Penguins Donatelli, are the result of Angello using his size. On those nights when he brings the physical game, Angello often supplies points as well.

And if the fights happen, well, that just means Angello is bringing it. Anthony Angello accepts the consequences that come with playing physical “He’s a little snarly, and he’s going to make people mad,” Donatelli said. “If he’s not making people mad, then he’s not playing the right way. He’s done a really good job with that.” By Tom Venesky After the fight against Samuelsson, Angello seems to appreciate the Jan 9, 2019 physical game even more. And he also sounds a bit eager to see who will be the next opponent. Shortly after Anthony Angello got into his first fight as a pro, he noticed “It’s nice to know I can do it, and do it when it needs to be done,” Angello something. said. “When you run around hitting guys and someone challenges you, says that you can’t do that, you fight them to let them know you’re going At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, the rookie forward is already an imposing to continue to do it and you’re not afraid of anything.” presence. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton notes But after he fought former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin Philip Samuelsson in a game against Lehigh Valley on Dec. 29, Angello may With 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 37 games this season, Wilkes- have earned a bit of respect to go along with his towering stature. Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Ethan Prow was selected for the AHL’s All-Star game. (KDP Studio) For the rest of the game, Angello noticed he was getting more space when he possessed the puck. • Defenseman Ethan Prow was named to the AHL’s Atlantic Division All- Star Team, the only Penguin to receive the honor. Prow has a career- And he believes the fight had something to do with it. high 10 goals and 23 points in 37 games this season, and he is tied for second among all AHL defenseman in the goals category. “Absolutely. I saw it during that game, and I’m sure it will probably be similar against other teams as well,” Angello said. Prow’s previous career highs were last season when he had four goals and 17 points in 40 games. If the numbers are any indication, other teams have already noticed. During the next three games after Angello fought Samuelsson, he totaled “I’m trying to utilize my shot more this season. It’s a shoot-first mentality,” two goals and three points. Prow said. “When I came here out of college, that was the mentality they were trying to instill in me.” Coincidence? • Overlooked for this year’s all-star contest was Teddy Blueger, who has It’s no surprise that Angello said he won’t shy away from the occasional six goals and seven points in his last six games. Blueger needs five more fight. He even expects it, now and then. goals to equal his career-best of 21, which he achieved in 70 games last season. After all, for a 22-year-old power forward still honing his skills in the pro ranks, fighting is the end result of a bigger part of Angello’s game. • When the Penguins endured a four-game losing streak at the end of December, captain Garrett Wilson took responsibility. After losing 5-1 to Physical play. Hershey for a fourth consecutive loss – a game that Donatelli said was Angello has never avoided the rough stuff at any level, including juniors the worst of the season – Wilson took ownership for the poor and college. He amassed 175 penalty minutes in two seasons in juniors performance. with Omaha of the USHL, and led his college team, Cornell, with 51 “We weren’t ready to go, and that’s on me. I didn’t have the boys ready to penalty minutes in 35 games. When he joined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at go,” he said. the end of last season, Angello was labeled as a power forward, and he knew the physical game would be as critical as putting up points. The next morning, Wilson called a team meeting before the Penguins traveled to face Lehigh Valley. Wilson was ejected in the first period for a So far, he’s done both extremely well. secondary altercation, but the Penguins cruised to a 7-3 win. Two days On the offensive side, Angello, who was Pittsburgh’s fifth-round pick in later in Binghamton, Wilson was kicked out again for a check to the head, 2014, has notched 11 goals and 18 points in 36 games this season. but the Penguins won 5-2. The hit resulted in a two-game suspension for Wilson. And he’s been remarkably consistent. With Zach Aston-Reese placed on injured reserve, Wilson was recalled Aside from a five-game stretch in late November, Angello has never gone to Pittsburgh Wednesday morning. more than three games without a point. • Goaltender Tristan Jarry has displayed a willingness to play the puck But Angello said consistency is even more important when it comes to this season, and so far it resulted in a goal and three points. During playing physical. It’s an aspect that defines his game, yet there’s more to overtime against Grand Rapids on Jan. 4, Jarry was eager to take physical play than just crunching opponents into the boards. advantage of the open ice during the 3-on-3 format. After stopping a shot with his chest, Jarry dove through a pile of players in front to pounce on “That’s something I do enjoy, and being a bigger guy it’s a little bit easier the loose puck. Rather than cover it for a whistle, Jarry threw the puck up to play physical,” Angello said. “But it doesn’t just mean running guys ice to Adam Johnson, who raced down on a breakaway but was stopped. over. How does a coach feel when they watch their goaltender dive through a “I don’t want to let my size and strength go to waste. I use it to throw hits, crowd and throw the puck up ice? maintain possession of pucks, be strong on my stick, strong on my feet. I use my physicality to have a positive impact on the game.” “You get nervous. But we kind of expect that from Jars,” said assistant coach Jarrod Skalde. “You find different ways to generate offense, and if It’s a philosophy that Angello developed during his three seasons at comes from your goaltender, why not?” Cornell, playing in the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Angello described the ECAC as a “grind of a league,” with an emphasis on Prospect tracker playing hard and being physical. The system at Cornell had a heavy focus on getting on top of pucks in the defensive end, managing the Here’s a glance at all the Penguins’ prospects, as well as other minor neutral zone and aggressive forechecking. leaguers on NHL contracts who aren’t currently on the NHL roster. Players are listed with their statistics to date this season: It turns out, Angello’s time in the college ranks provided a good blueprint for how to play the pro game. Forwards “There weren’t many guys that dangle and made fancy plays,” he said. Defensemen “Cornell was a great setup for me to play pro hockey, and I’m looking to Goaltenders continue what I did there because it worked well.” Note: Lauzon has yet to play this season due to injury. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Clark Donatelli said Angello’s success on offense isn’t a big surprise. The points, according to The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125161 Pittsburgh Penguins Before the trade deadline last February, Rutherford feverishly attempted to snatch Cullen from the Wild, but a trade wasn’t orchestrated.

Finally, on July 1, Rutherford once again got his man. The move was That 70s guy: Matt Cullen has again found his form as Penguins remain criticized in some corners because of Cullen’s age, but to the Penguins, hot the move was a sensible one. With Cullen wearing black and gold, the Penguins have never lost a playoff series. By Josh Yohe “I just appreciate what he’s capable of at his age,” said Matt Murray, who remained red hot in the victory. “He works so hard and keeps in such Jan 9, 2019 good shape. The way he looks now, he looks like he could play for a lot longer.”

The Penguins’ penalty killing has been a strength all season and Cullen The Penguins celebrated the 1970s at PPG Paints Arena during their 5-1 has long thrived in that facet. beating of the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. “The role he plays, he can make plays on that fourth line, make plays on There was disco music, the main concourse was filled with pinball the penalty kill,” Brian Dumoulin said. “He plays important minutes for us, machines and horrendous fashion was spotted everywhere. hard minutes. A guy his age still doing it, he’s still in great shape. It’s good to see. We have a lot of confidence in him. He’s still playing like A guy who was born in the 1970s even took part in the festivities. And he’s in his 30s.” thrived. And heard about it all night long. While Cullen’s play on the ice has notably been better since his return Matt Cullen, 42 years young, set up Bryan Rust’s short-handed goal and from a three-week absence, his presence in the locker room has long was a solid contributor throughout the victory, which is nothing new. remained a constant. There are few veterans as respected as Cullen. Since returning from an injury last month, Cullen has found his stride. “He’s just a calming presence,” Dumoulin said. “He’s not what I would Luckily, the veteran has some thick skin along with his ageless legs. call the most vocal guy, but if something needs to be said, he’ll say it.” “We are well aware of the fact that he’s the only guy on the team who These days, little needs to be said. The Penguins overcame that hiccup was born in the 1970s,” Rust said with a grin. “Let’s just say, we were against the Blackhawks with a dominant start against the Panthers, letting him know about it.” cruising to a victory. They’re starting to pull away from the Blue Jackets All night? and Islanders in the Metropolitan Division, and are only two points behind the Capitals, as their annual battle for Eastern Conference supremacy “Oh yeah.” against seems inevitable. In the locker room? The Penguins’ depth suddenly isn’t a relevant topic, and Cullen’s play is a substantial reason. “It was the whole time,” Rust said. “Even in the minutes leading up to the game, we were letting him have it pretty good in the locker room. We are “He’s just a consummate pro,” Sullivan said. “You can’t have enough of well aware of the fact that he was born in 1976.” those guys on your team.” The Penguins are also well aware of the fact that Cullen can still play. Ten postgame observations Scoring depth was a huge problem for the Penguins during their early- season struggles and Cullen played a role in this. He frequently starts Panthers center Jayce Hawryluk and Penguins defenseman Marcus seasons slowly and this one was no exception. Pettersson battle in the corner during the third period of Tuesday’s game at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire/USA Today) Lately, however, he’s been part of the solution. • Marcus Pettersson, everyone. This guy continues to be the real deal. Cullen has two goals and seven points in 14 games since returning to the Pettersson registered two assists and was a plus-3 against the Panthers. lineup, significant totals for a fourth-line player. He’s a plus-6 during that He even found himself in a fight and, while he didn’t appear to be horribly 14-game stretch and, as always, is a reliable penalty killer whenever eager to drop the gloves, he did so anyway. called upon. Cullen delivered a gorgeous feed to Rust on a short-handed rush during the second period against the Panthers, setting up Rust’s I can’t say enough about how impressive he’s been. The Penguins are second goal of the evening. now perfectly solid with Dumoulin, Olli Maatta and Pettersson manning the three spots on the left side of their defense. While he certainly The two have always enjoyed chemistry, as Cullen centered Rust and doesn’t deserve all of the credit for this, the Penguins are 14-3-1 since Tom Kuhnhackl three years ago, giving the Penguins a potent fourth line acquiring Pettersson from the Ducks, the team the Penguins next face on down the stretch of the 2015-16 season. Friday night. He’s made a real difference with the Penguins and, given that he’s 22, it’s reasonable to think we haven’t seen him at his best. Cullen has enjoyed recent success centering Zach Aston-Reese and Daniel Sprong has enjoyed his moments in Anaheim, but so far, it’s Riley Sheahan this season. difficult to be critical of this trade from the Penguins’ standpoint. The game between the Penguins and Panthers turned a little nasty, • How about the play Jake Guentzel made on Rust’s first goal? Guentzel which is strange, given that neither team is particularly known for received a pass from Sidney Crosby and, all in one motion, directed the toughness nor possessing any kind of mutual hostility. Such a game puck between Aaron Ekblad’s legs. Having cleanly skated around actually suits Cullen, Aston-Reese insists. Ekblad, he then made a beautiful feed to Rust, who easily beat Luongo. “It’s pretty awesome, actually,” Aston-Reese said. “He’s always stirring I’m reminded of the story I told a couple of weeks ago about a the pot a little bit, kind of getting guys going. It’s nice to have that conversation I had with Guentzel’s dad. It seems that, for all of experience. It’s that quiet confidence that he presents. Whether we have Guentzel’s hockey life, he was always a pass-first player. Only when he a good shift or a bad shift, we’re always coming back to the bench and came to the Penguins did he become a goal machine. Well, some of that talking about what we could have done better or what worked for us. intuitive playmaking still clearly remains. Sullivan noted Guentzel’s When you have things like that, it’s easy to play.” hockey IQ following the game, which is a pretty common theme. You’ll The Penguins still have some issues in their lineup, notably on their third not see a better example of it than the play he made to beat Ekblad. line. It was another quiet night for Derick Brassard and Phil Kessel, who Pretty impressive stuff. failed to connect for any offense and who were on the ice for the only • Speaking of Rust, that’s two more goals. He’s got 10 goals in his past Panthers’ goal. At some point, the Penguins need to figure out what’s 14 games. Before the season, I wrote in my preseason prediction column going on with their third line. Winning nine of 10 games makes putting that Rust would score 20 goals this season. I kept very, very quiet about such issues on the back burner easy, but they remain issues. that prediction during October and November, as you can imagine. Now, There isn’t much question who the guy leading the fourth line is, though. I boast about it proudly. All kidding aside, I don’t know if he’ll hit 20, but I It’s always been Cullen when the Penguins have been at their best in the wouldn’t bet against it now. The top line is doing some special things Mike Sullivan era. right now. “He’s still got it,” Rust said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt. He’s really • I suppose I should mention the captain, speaking of the top line. Crosby playing well right now, he can still skate. He’s doing it all right now.” remains at an elite level, even for him. That’s two more points for Crosby, who has now registered 34 points (12 goals) in 24 games since missing Jim Rutherford wanted to bring Cullen back for the 2017-18 season, but three games with a neck injury. His defensive work has been the veteran ultimately decided to return to his home state, Minnesota. outrageously good during this stretch as well. I’m not much on the plus- minus statistic, but I’ll note that Crosby is a plus-14 in those games and that he’s a plus-12 in his past nine games. He’s simply doing everything at a masterful level right now. It’s some of the best hockey we’ve ever seen him play, which is saying something. • Evgeni Malkin made a pretty pass to set up Crosby in the third period during four-on-four action. Malkin was quietly pretty good against the Panthers and, while he’s hardly in vintage form just yet, he is showing signs of escaping from this rut. About an hour after the game was over, by the way, Malkin was on the PPG Paints Arena ice, testing out new skates. Nothing horribly newsworthy there, though it’s quite unusual to see players on the ice following games. You can’t say the guy doesn’t care. • Sheahan scored his sixth goal of the season, and I believe his game is at a considerably higher level than earlier this season. It could be argued there was only one way to go for Sheahan, who really struggled in the early going. But give him credit. He’s starting to turn his season around and is playing with much more confidence. It’s always about confidence with him, I believe. Hell, it’s about confidence with all players, for that matter. But I think this is especially true in Sheahan’s case. He’s feeling better about himself. • Speaking of which, Murray is now 8-0 since returning to the lineup from a lower-body injury. He’s allowed 10 goals in those eight games. There isn’t much else to add. He appears to have completely found himself and, as a result, the Penguins look like Stanley Cup contenders again. He stopped 36 of 37 shots against the Panthers. If he keeps playing like this, look out. • Patric Hornqvist was hit in the face by a puck in the first period and didn’t return. Sullivan offered no update on his status. This is the third time in the past six weeks that he’s sustained an injury. Needless to say, his value to the Penguins is pretty much immeasurable. I didn’t get the sense following the game that the Penguins believe his injury is serious, but he didn’t return, and when someone as tough as Hornqvist doesn’t return, there is considerable reason for concern. • Speaking of injuries, Aston-Reese left the game in the third period and didn’t return. Sullivan indicated that Aston-Reese could miss some action, saying he “might be out for a little bit.” I would think the logical concern would be that Aston-Reese may have broken his right hand while clobbering Colton Sceviour in a third-period fight. Aston-Reese belted him with a number of right hands, the last which dropped Sceviour to the ice. Aston-Reese only took an eight-second shift the remainder of the period. This would be a problem for the Penguins, as Aston-Reese, in my view, has really come into his own during the past few weeks. He’s become a very effective player and was noticeably physical in this game, which prompted the fight. He answered the bell. • Don’t be distracted by the fact that the Panthers out-shot the Penguins, 37-31. I thought Florida was pretty hideous most of the evening. When you’re playing the Penguins, you better not get out-worked because, more times than not, you’re not going to win the talent battle. The Penguins totally out-worked the Panthers most of the evening. Florida absolutely misses Vince Trocheck, who’s turned into a gem of a player. But it was still a particularly bad performance from the Panthers.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125162 San Jose Sharks Vegas would go on to win the series four games to two, as the Sharks gave up home ice advantage and never got it back.

“We have the ability to go in there and win games, and we know that,” Sharks’ DeBoer explains why playoff seeding will be especially important DeBoer said. “For whatever reason we haven’t brought our A-game, or this year we’ve self destructed at different point in games in there. “Whether it’s because of the environment or what, we’re going to have to By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay get used to that. You’re going to have to win some games in that building Area News Group going forward. Not just this year, but they’re not going away.” ON THE MEND SAN JOSE — The Sharks haven’t had home ice advantage for a first Injured defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic (upper body) and Justin Braun round playoff series since 2014. They haven’t won a regular season (lower body) joined Jacob Middleton and Rourke Chartier as the only Pacific Division title since 2011. Sharks players on the ice Wednesday morning before the Sharks flew to Las Vegas. Having one or both might be critically important for the Sharks this season if they want to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time DeBoer said early Wednesday afternoon that he thought both players in four years. would be doubtful for Thursday’s game, but didn’t how either player would react to their skate. The red-hot Sharks entered Wednesday in third place in the Pacific with 57 points, one point back of both the Calgary Flames and the Vegas “The skating and everything feels good, but (you) worry about the contact Golden Knights, teams that have been on an equally torrid pace. and that next battle level,” Braun said. “Just being a little cautions right now. I’m getting close to being ready to go. It makes sense, then, that the best way for the Sharks to get back to a Cup final would be to win the division, play a wild card team in the first “The boys are rolling right now, so if they can keep that going, it gives me round, and avoid facing both Calgary and Vegas just to reach the more time to get back to 100 percent.” Western Conference final. ON THE MEND, PART II For complete Sharks coverage DeBoer said he was feeling much better Wednesday than he was the The Sharks, who have finished third in the division in three straight years, day before when he was suffering from concussion-like symptoms and play Vegas at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday. had to miss the game against the Oilers. “I think seeding is going to be important this year with our division,” DeBoer was struck in the temple by a puck while he was behind the Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said Wednesday. bench for the Sharks’ game against Los Angeles on Monday. He said he didn’t think anything of it at the time before he went to bed. “I think that’s going to be a piece, especially with the dropoff when you look at the three teams and the potential wild card teams. That doesn’t “Got up the next morning, came into the rink here and didn’t feel good,” mean there’s going to be any easy rounds. But that is a piece and that DeBoer said. “I thought it was the flu coming on, I didn’t think it had has to motivate you going forward.” anything to do with (getting hit in the head). Then as we got closer to game time, started to get a few more symptoms. It was definitely The Sharks are in the midst of their best stretch of the season as their connected, but feel better today. 13-3-2 record since Dec. 2 has put them 12 points up the fourth place team in the Pacific, the Anaheim Ducks, with 37 regular season games to “Safe to say I had a concussion. I’m out of protocol, though, My wife put go. me in the dark room.” Still, when center Logan Couture glanced at the NHL standings Tuesday It was the second time in DeBoer’s 11-year NHL coaching career that he night after the Sharks’ win over the Edmonton Oilers, he noticed missed a game. The other time was Nov. 21, 2015 when he left before a something a bit unique. Sharks game in Pittsburgh to be with his daughter, who was ill at the time. Three of the four teams at the top of the NHL table were from the Pacific Division, although Washington, Toronto and Winnipeg had a better points “I told the fathers, my relevance to what goes on around here was percentage with 56 points in 42 games, obvious last night,” DeBoer said with a smile. “I thought they did a great job. Guys played well. Coaches did a great job of jumping in and doing “It just shows how competitive this division is right now, and no one what they did. Real good team effort.” seems to lose,” Couture said, “especially the top teams.” FRANCHISE MILESTONE ALERT Even if the Sharks win the division and get past the first round, they’ll still likely have to face either Calgary or Vegas in the second round. The Sharks’ next win will be the 1,000th regular season victory in the history of the franchise. Going into Thursday, the Sharks have a record of The Sharks are 1-1 against the Flames this season, and have generally 999-842-121-149 since the start of the 1991-92 season. It’s the 13th- been successful at the Saddledome in Calgary in recent years, their 8-5 most amount of win in the NHL over that time, with Detroit leading with loss on Dec. 31 not withstanding. T-Mobile Arena just off the Las Vegas 1,178 victories. Strip, though, has not been as welcoming a destination. “It’s amazing stat and really a testament to continuity and to consistency Including their second round playoff meeting with Vegas last season, the and to excellence,” DeBoer said. “It’s a testament to ownership and Sharks are 1-4-1 all-time at T-Mobile Arena. everything that’s gone on here. And probably No. 1, the fans. It’s been a tough place to play since day one and players want to come here and In their one visit there this season, on Nov. 24, the Sharks were smoked play because of the fans and the environment.” 6-0, falling behind 14 seconds into the first period and trailing 4-0 after 16:28. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.10.2019 If you’re going to try and set a tone in advance of a potential playoff meeting and come up with a blueprint for how win games in that raucous environment, might as well start right now. The Golden Knights, by the way, have won seven straight games. “It’s a big game after what happened last year in the playoffs and earlier this season when they took it to us,” Couture said. “That game was over after the first 10 minutes or so. Looking for a better effort. We’re playing hockey at this point of the season, but they probably are as well. “They’re as hot as anyone in the league right now.” The Sharks’ one victory in Las Vegas came in Game 2 of that playoff series, as Couture scored a power play goal off a nifty pass from Kevin Labanc at the 5:13 mark of the second overtime to give his team a 4-3 victory to level the series at one win apiece. 1125163 San Jose Sharks In 2016-17, Wilson made a deal for backup goalie James Reimer before the deadline to give his team an insurance policy against Martin Jones, who’d only logged 28:13 of postseason action at the time. If Wilson Sharks’ GM considering a different approach at trade deadline this year wanted to give himself another security blanket in the goal crease with Jones ranking 40th in save percentage, veterans Brian Elliott, Jimmy Howard and Michal Neuvirth could be available. By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News But Wilson expressed full confidence in his puck stoppers, dismissing the Group suggestion that it could be an area of concern for the Sharks as the season progresses. The general manager is convinced that Jones and Dell’s numbers will go up as the team’s defense continues to improve. SAN JOSE — Doug Wilson might take a different approach to the trade “Look at their history,” he said. “We’ve seen Jones in the playoffs. He’s deadline this winter. just getting into his prime.” Over the last few years, the Sharks general manager has scoffed at the San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.10.2019 idea of pursuing high-profile rentals at the deadline, insisting he would only look for deals that work “for now and into the future.” But with the Sharks in clear win-now mode, Wilson acknowledged that he’s more inclined to add an impact player before the Feb. 25 trade deadline if his team needs an extra push down the stretch. “The answer is probably yes,” Wilson said. “We do have a focus for this year.” The shift in thinking can be traced back to last summer when the Sharks pursued John Tavares in unrestricted free agency, hoping to land a “difference maker” that could thrust the team back into the Stanley Cup conversation with the sun setting on the Joe Thornton-Patrick Marleau era. After the Sharks swung and missed, Wilson turned to plan B, pulling off a trade to acquire Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators. The deal is putting pressure on the Sharks to get the job done this season. Karlsson is a pending-unrestricted free agent and there’s no guarantee that he’s going to sign a contract to stay in teal when he becomes eligible for an extension after the deadline. As they say in Sharks territory, the time is nigh. At this point, Wilson likes where the Sharks (24-13-7) are after a wishy washy start. Still, he knows that there’s work to be done if the Sharks are finally going to bring the Stanley Cup to Silicon Valley this season. The next six or seven weeks will play a big role in determining whether he chases after another piece before the deadline. “We have to get better,” Wilson said. Though Wilson declined to go into the specifics of his shopping list, conventional wisdom suggests he’d pursue a scoring winger to bolster the team’s forward roster. Lukas Radil is giving the Sharks quality minutes on Logan Couture’s line, but is he the answer down the stretch and into the playoffs? Will Marcus Sorensen continue to perform at a top- six level? Can the forward group absorb an injury? Prior to Radil’s emergence last month, the Sharks were looking awfully thin at forward. Exhibit A is Timo Meier’s three game absence at the end of November that thrust Kevin Labanc into a top-six position. The Sharks went 0-2-1. Labanc turned the puck over often and committed a handful of minor penalties. If the Sharks need to play Labanc in a top role down the stretch, they’re in a trouble. A few names that should be on the market this winter are pending- unrestricted free agents Wayne Simmonds, Ryan Dzingel and Matt Duchene. If Wilson does go hunting for a scoring forward, he could have trouble scrapping together the assets to swing a deal. The Sharks gave up their 2019 first-round pick in the Evander Kane trade last winter and their 2020 first-round pick and 2019 second-round pick in the Karlsson deal. Regardless, Wilson is confident that he’ll be able to make a deal if he decides to go that route. He pointed out that the Sharks are loaded with talent at the AHL level as the Barracuda rank second in the league in points percentage (.710). The Sharks also have intriguing prospects at the junior hockey and NCAA level. Ryan Merkley leads all Ontario Hockey League defensemen in scoring with 44 points in 35 games. Sasha Chmelevski racked up six points in seven games for Team USA at the 2019 World Junior Championships and Ivan Chekhovich leads the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in goals and points (32, 68). “We have assets,” Wilson said. “We have all these young players. Look at all the guys leading the junior leagues in scoring. People like those players.” The biggest area of concern right now is still goaltending. After 44 games, the Sharks continue to rank 31st in even strength save percentage, raising questions about whether the team has the elite netminding needed for success in the playoffs. 1125164 San Jose Sharks

Erik Karlsson's hot streak keeps pushing Sharks in right direction

By Chelena Goldman January 08, 2019 11:34 PM

SAN JOSE – Patience isn’t something sports fans are known for, especially when it comes to wanting to see a star player go on a scoring streak. Such was the case for many Sharks fans when Erik Karlsson got to San Jose at the start of the 2018-19 season and he didn’t light the lamp in his very first game sporting a teal sweater. But anyone who was willing to wait is being rewarded at the halfway point of the season. Karlsson has found his groove, and has cemented his place as a difference-maker on this Sharks roster during his December tear. He’s not just achieving individual success – he’s developed into a catalyst for San Jose. “He’s really established his game in our structure,” captain Joe Pavelski said Tuesday after the Sharks’ 7-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, their fourth win in a row since the start of 2019. “Everybody feels pretty comfortable playing with him because he makes those plays and he makes that outlet pass and he’s got that speed to come out of our end with it. He’s been a big piece to our success lately.” Karlsson’s body of work thus far speaks for itself. He has scored 25 points over a 14-game span, becoming just the fifth defenseman in NHL history to record at least one assist in 14 consecutive appearances. In Tuesday’s win over the Oilers, he gathered three of those points. Erik Karlsson is just the 5th blueliner in NHL history to post at least one assist in 14+ straight appearances. The others: Paul Coffey (17 GP in 1985-86), Brian Leetch (15 GP in 1991-92), Phil Housley (14 GP in 1992-93) and Bobby Orr (14 GP in 1970-71). #NHLStats #EDMvsSJS pic.twitter.com/wSqyk8nJlT — NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 9, 2019 Right before everyone’s eyes, Karlsson is moving into special territory not many players do. Nobody knows that better than his teammates, particularly his partner on the blue line. “I’ve been a lucky guy to get to play with him,” said defenseman Brenden Dillon, who has visibly developed great on-ice chemistry with the two- time Norris Trophy winner. “I think just from off the ice, just getting to know each other more and more, and I think it’s translating onto the ice from practices to games. Just something where we feel like we’re getting better and better together every night.” It isn’t just the night in, night out contributions Karlsson is making on the ice, either. “What a lot of people don’t see is how vocal he is on the bench and in the locker room, too,” Sharks assistant coach Steve Spott said. “You can tell why he’s been a captain in Ottawa and brought that leadership here. You can see his game now going to the next level, both offensively and defensively.” Of course, Karlsson’s game going to that next level surely has Sharks fans even more curious how long he’s going to be with the team – especially talks of a contract extension could reportedly take place after the All-Star break. But until any of that actually comes to, it’s no doubt a blast to watch how well he’s playing. Especially if it enables the Sharks win more games. “The way he’s playing, it’s helping us win,” Dillon said. “It’s helping everybody.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125165 San Jose Sharks his tendencies. The adjustment was for him and for us. But I think when you’re seeing what he’s doing now, it’s what we anticipated, expected and hoped. (It’s) pretty well on the timeline that we thought it would take, Three events that helped point the Sharks’ ship in the right direction too.” (Karlsson wasn’t available to comment, as he declined media requests after the Oilers game on Tuesday and again on Wednesday afternoon at By Kevin Kurz Jan 9, 2019 18 the Sharks practice facility.) The emotional: Doug Wilson holds a team meeting Taken individually, it would probably be a reach to suggest any single Something had to change after the Sharks’ miserable performance one of the events that occurred during a four-day stretch at the beginning against the Senators. The team met in the visitors dressing room at Bell of December were what sparked the Sharks’ recent turnaround. Centre in Montreal the next morning, and Wilson had some things to get off his chest. But three things happened in a relatively short timespan a little more than a month ago that, collectively, have almost certainly helped the Sharks The meeting wasn’t a threatening one, according to Brenden Dillon, but turn a corner in what is essentially a Stanley Cup-or-bust season. the Sharks defenseman has been around long enough to know that if the general manager isn’t happy and things don’t quickly improve, the next One was personal. Erik Karlsson got past the return to his former home step is a change in personnel. in Ottawa on Dec. 1 and has been nothing short of one of the best players in the league ever since. “There’s definitely that mindset,” Dillon said. One was emotional. General manager Doug Wilson held a rare meeting Wilson apparently wanted to echo the message that DeBoer passed with the players the morning of Dec. 2 at Montreal’s Bell Centre, less along to his team in a meeting the day of the Karlsson trade — that this is than 24 hours after the team got spanked by the lowly Senators, 6-2. a darn good roster on paper, and the chance for them to do something memorable together is right in front of them. One was tactical. Coach Pete DeBoer announced he was changing the primary responsibilities of three-fourths of his immediate staff on Dec. 4, “He hasn’t had many meetings over the years with teams. In my five with Steve Spott moving to handle the defense, Dave Barr the forwards years with the team I can maybe count (them) on one hand,” Dillon said. and Rob Zettler going from the bench to the press box. “We respect him as a GM and as a (former) player, too. He’s been around a long time in the game, and when he speaks, guys listen. I think The result: A middling, inconsistent 12-10-5 club on Dec. 2 has gone 13- whether you’re Joe Thornton playing 1,500 games or (Radim Simek) 3-2 since and the Sharks now fully resemble the contending team that playing in his first five to 10 games, his message came across loud and many figured they were at the start of the 2018-19 season. clear. Let’s take a closer look at each of these noteworthy moments. “It wasn’t something where there was a lot of yelling or screaming, it was just, we’ve got a big opportunity with the team we have here to do The personal: Karlsson puts Ottawa game behind him something special. Let’s realize that before it’s too late and we lose out After spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Senators, it on something.” was obvious that a return to the Canadian Tire Centre for the first time as Logan Couture sensed a growing frustration among players on the team a visitor was weighing on Karlsson. He admitted that right after the trade at the time Wilson spoke, himself included. The Sharks had lost each of to the Sharks, the first date he looked at on the schedule was when they their first four games of the five-game road trip, including a 6-0 defeat in would be in Canada’s capital city. Vegas on Nov. 24. While Karlsson’s game seemed to round into form during the Sharks’ six- “We needed something. We weren’t winning,” Couture said. “Guys were game homestand in mid-November, his stat line at the time of the game getting frustrated obviously, I was one of them. I was very frustrated with in Ottawa was pretty average, at least by his standards. Karlsson had 15 how we were playing. I think everyone was just upset because we knew points (2g, 13a) in his first 26 games with the Sharks and far too often what we’re capable of, and we knew we’re a much better team than we was turning the puck over or getting beat to the outside by an opposing were showing. We needed to figure it out. Doug’s meeting definitely forward. The rumblings were growing louder that the defenseman would helped, but a lot of guys stepped up, as well.” either never regain his form from prior to his ankle surgery in the 2017 offseason, or perhaps he just wasn’t a fit in a teal sweater. Dillon said: “When (Wilson) comes down like that when we were in Montreal, I think the team responded great, and really hasn’t looked back Karlsson failed to get a point that night in Ottawa, the fourth straight since then. I think that’s a testament to this group of guys who really do game he didn’t get on the scoresheet. But since then, all he has done is understand the situation we’re in.” post at least one point in his 15 of his next 16 games, including a current 14-game streak in which he has tallied at least one assist. Karlsson is the The Sharks beat the Canadiens that night, 3-1, and won seven of their Sharks’ leading scorer with 26 points (1g, 25a) since Dec. 2, which also next eight overall. leads all NHL defensemen (Brent Burns is second with 22 points over that span). The tactical: DeBoer shuffles up his staff Has putting that emotional night in the rearview mirror helped Karlsson It’s impossible to know if DeBoer’s job was ever in jeopardy during the achieve his drastic uptick in production? Sharks’ rocky start, although I tend to think it wasn’t, due mainly to the coach signing a multi-year contract extension in the offseason as we “I think so, and thank God we had that game early in the season as originally reported on Dec. 4. opposed to maybe February or March, because it had to be on his and his family’s mind,” Spott said. “That’s not an easy situation to go into. It Further, firing the coach at that time would have been ridiculously short- was a tough afternoon not only for Erik, I think, but for everybody.” sighted, considering the success he’s had in his first three seasons with the Sharks. Evander Kane has experienced reunion games a couple times in his career, playing against former teammates in both Winnipeg and Buffalo. But DeBoer obviously sensed something was wrong, because a coaching shuffle like the one he announced on Dec. 4 was “Those kinds of things can weigh on your mind, even when they’re not at unprecedented. As NBC analyst and former goaltender Brian Boucher the front of your mind. It’s just kind of subconscious,” Kane said. “I think it told The Athletic on Dec. 5: “I’ve never seen it in-season before. Sounds was a good thing for him to put behind him, and he’s been playing some to me that someone was not having an effect on their guys they were in great hockey.” charge of.” From the general manager’s perch, Wilson agreed with a suggestion that So how has the change affected what’s been happening on the ice? the Ottawa game perhaps lifted a weight off of Karlsson’s shoulders. At the same time, he believes Karlsson is on the timeline that Wilson Let’s start with the defensemen, who now have Spott in their ears in- expected after he acquired the two-time Norris Trophy winner the day game. DeBoer’s longtime assistant in various locations — including when before training camp opened in September. he handled the defensemen for DeBoer during their time together with the junior — met with each defenseman individually “When you’re with one franchise and had to do everything, going from after the change. the East to the West, we knew coming in and expected that it would take a while,” Wilson said. “You’re seeing his comfort with how we play, with “I think any time you make a switch like that, it’s a pretty big deal,” Dillon (his teammates), and all that. When you bring in an elite level player, said. “You kind of want to look at yourself in the mirror as a player. I think players playing with him can’t be surprised by things, but they don’t know for us we had high expectations for our back end in general. “I think for us, we have a lot of respect for (Zettler), and we still do. He still has a big role on the staff, and for us in practice. I think there’s a reason he was still held (on) with the coaching staff, he’s still is a big part for me as a player. Spotter is a guy that was on the bench for the last couple of years. I think it’s just different personalities when they’re back there. There’s a lot more interaction during the game than maybe it comes off as.” Giving their opponents too many prime scoring chances was the biggest issue the Sharks were facing at the time, and many of them came due to misplays by the blueliners. They’ve gone from a 3.10 goals-against average on Dec. 4 to a 2.82 GAA from Dec. 4 through Tuesday. Up front, Couture gave Barr a glowing review for how he’s handled the forward group. “Barrsy is definitely serious, but he’s someone that you can lean on,” Couture said. “He played a lot of games in the NHL, he’s experienced it, he’s been around coaching in all different spots, different teams, done the power play and penalty kill. He’s been on the bench, up top (in the press box). He’s a guy that you can definitely lean on, ask questions to, and he’s very supportive. … I think up front for sure it’s helped a lot of guys individually with Barrsy there. A lot of times he’ll show individual video to guys, or video in tandems or in lines. That helps, as well.” The Sharks have a league-leading 75 goals since the change. Tomas Hertl said the coaching shuffle was “a little bit (of a) surprise for everybody, for sure. I think coaches do a pretty good job, it was something different. Barrsy, I think he likes to talk to the forwards after every shift, after faceoffs, (tells us) what to do. So, it’s pretty cool. And I think Spotter does a pretty good job with D-men, too. I don’t think it’s so easy on our team, having two Norris winners (as) defensemen, but I think coaches did a pretty good job with that. It’s working now.” The decision, according to Wilson, was DeBoer’s and DeBoer’s alone. Spott indicated that it wasn’t a decision the 11-year NHL head coach took lightly. “We were going through a tough time,” Spott said. “When you look at our game in Ottawa, we were struggling. I think Pete had decided at that point to make a change, and it was obviously a radical change. Just different voices, I think, more than anything. Thankfully the guys have responded. I know it wasn’t an easy choice for Pete to make.” Whatever it was, the Sharks look like a much better team now than they did just five weeks ago. They’ve built up a pretty good cushion for a playoff spot, too, sitting in third place in the Pacific Division with a sizable 12-point lead on the fourth-place Ducks. We’ll give the captain and the coach the last word on what’s been going right lately since all of those early-December happenings. “I think for us was what changed was we stopped wishing for offense at times,” Joe Pavelski said. “We started doing things the right way. We started getting more out of our game. Made it tougher on other teams, supported the puck better. I think that’s the biggest thing. The staff’s been great regardless of the direction it’s (gone). I think just the commitment of the guys to doing it the right way and playing hard, playing honest hockey that wins games.” DeBoer said: “I think it was a whole combination of things. Some of those things for sure played a role. When Doug comes down and speaks, obviously that carries a large amount of weight. But we knew we had a good team, the guys just got to a point they decided to do something about it. “So I don’t think it was any of those things in particular, it was just, ‘Hey, this is enough. We need to start doing things the right way here.’” The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125166 St Louis Blues St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.10.2019

Blues' Sammy Blais stays ahead of the posse in St. Louis

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago

Sammy Blais is back, and this time with more reason than ever to stay in the big leagues. Blais, 22, received a one-game American Hockey League suspension Monday following his recall by the Blues. He doesn’t have to serve it until his next stint for San Antonio in the AHL. So if he wants to stay ahead of the law, he needs to stay in the NHL. “Yeah, never go back down,” Blais said, laughing. “It was just a bad hit and bad luck at the same time.” Blais received the suspension for a high elbow to Chicago Wolves defenseman Erik Brannstrom during Saturday’s Rampage-Wolves contest. “But the guy was small, and I hit him like in the head,” Blais said. “It’s my first suspension ever in pro (hockey).” Brannstrom is 5-10; Blais is 6-2. This is Blais’ third stint with the Blues this season. He had six stints last season. All of which has caused some to dub the road between San Antonio and St. Louis the Sammy Blais Expressway. Blais always packs light when called up, because he never knows how long he’s staying. “You bring a couple suits and a couple pair of boxers,” Blais said, perhaps providing more wardrobe information than necessary. “I bring a couple of (things), but I don’t bring all my clothes.” Some players up from San Antonio stay in a hotel, but Blais stays with defenseman Vince Dunn. “He’s my best buddy here, so it’s fun to be back with him,” Blais said. Blais had an eight-game point streak for San Antonio snapped in that game against the Wolves on Saturday. He was a point-a-game player over his stints last season for the Rampage, and scored 26 goals two seasons ago for the Wolves, then the Blues’ AHL affiliate. He has had strong preseasons the past two Septembers with the Blues but has yet to get his offensive game going during the NHL regular season. In 28 Blues games over this season and last, Blais has one goal and three assists. “I liked Sammy early on in the season,” Blues interim coach Craig Berube said. “I thought he was an effective player. He was physical and on the forecheck working real hard. I thought that dropped off. “For me, that’s his game. He gets up the ice, he can skate. He’s gotta be physical and when he gets the puck he can do good things with it. He’s got really good hands and can make plays. He’s got a good shot.” In San Antonio, Blais played on the first or second line as well as the Rampage’s first power-play unit. So we’re talking in the neighborhood of 20 minutes of ice time per game. Not so, obviously, in St. Louis. He had a mere 7 minutes, 7 seconds of action Tuesday against Dallas. But he did throw his weight around, with a team-high four hits. “I think with me, it’s confidence maybe,” Blais said. “Down there (in San Antonio), I just play my game and maybe here I’m like more scared of making a mistake. For sure, the ice time is different here, but I’m happy to be here and every time I’m here I just want to stay here as long as I can.” INJURY UPDATE Tyler Bozak (upper body) was out early skating Wednesday at Enterprise Center. And he participated in part of the team’s optional skate. But Berube said Bozak still is not available for game action, meaning he’ll miss Thursday’s contest with Montreal, the third consecutive game he’ll be an injury scratch. Also, Dunn has a lower body issue that clouds his status for the Montreal game. It was thought that Dunn was a healthy scratch Tuesday against Dallas, but Berube said Dunn suffered the apparent injury Monday in Philadelphia and wasn’t on the ice for the final 8:03 of play. 1125167 St Louis Blues

Preview: Blues vs. Montreal

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago

Blues vs. Canadiens When, where • 7 p.m. Thursday, Enterprise Center TV, radio • Fox Sports Midwest, KMOX (1120 AM) About the Canadiens • Much improved over a year ago, the Canadiens (23-16-5) currently hold down the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 51 points and are just six wins shy of matching their victory total for the entire 2017-18 campaign. With 16 goals, Brendan Gallagher leads a balanced offense that features seven players with nine goals or more. In comparison, the Blues have just four players with nine or more goals. When the teams met Oct. 17 in Montreal, Gallagher scored the game- winner with 11 seconds remaining following an errant pass from Colton Parayko in front of the St. Louis net. The 3-2 loss gave the Blues a 1-3-2 record, the franchise’s worst start since the 1977-78 team started 0-6. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125168 St Louis Blues • At the halfway point of last season, Vladimir Tarasenko had 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points. He has 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points at the midpoint this season. Blues at the midpoint: Too much frustration, too little success • Brayden Schenn had 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points midway through last season; he’s at nine goals, 15 assists and 24 points. By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 7 hrs ago • Jaden Schwartz had 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points at the midway point of last season; he’s at three goals, 14 assists, 17 points this time around. About this time last month, the talk in the Blues’ locker room centered • Alex Pietrangelo has barely more than half as many points this season around making a run before the Christmas break. Didn’t happen. (5-10-15) than last (7-21-28) at the midpoint, although he has played seven fewer games because of injury. This month, it’s about making a run before the All-Star break. The Blues have eight games to make that happen. • Top nine forward Maroon had nine goals midway through last season for Edmonton; he has three this season for St. Louis. Perhaps at this point next month, the talk will be about making a run before the trade deadline. “For sure, they’re pressing,” Berube said. “They’ve been pressing for a while. If those guys get clicking and putting the puck in the net, that’s Pretty soon the Blues will run out of calendar. gonna make a world of difference for not only them but the team.” Strangely, though, they’re close enough to playoff contention to cling to Law of averages, sooner or later the goals will come for those players, some version of hope. Despite all the trials and tribulations of this right? season, the Blues are a modest seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They have played fewer games than “To me, lately, they’ve been working,” Berube said. “And they’re anyone in the West — three, four, even five games fewer than some. competing. They’re getting good opportunities. They just gotta finish. But I like their work ethic and I like their competitiveness.” One hot streak, say winning six of their eight games before the All-Star break, would put them back in the picture. Over the second half of the season, Berube wants to see better play at home. Who doesn’t? The Blues have lost five of their last seven at But at the exact midpoint of the 82-game regular season — 17-20-4 Enterprise. And he’d like to see signs of life on the power play, where the through 41 games — the Blues are on pace for 76 points, which would Blues are a meager four for 44 since the beginning of December. be their lowest total in a full 82-game season since 2005-06. The Blues have been above .500 only once all season — at 6-5-3 way back on Nov. Oddly enough, the Blues have won five of their last seven on the road, 9. They haven’t seen .500 since Nov. 16, when they were 7-7-3 two where they play 25 of their final 41 games. games before Mike Yeo was fired. “It’s just a mindset,” Berube said. “We get on the road, the team’s They have been stuck in a malaise of one victory, one loss. Two losses, together all the time. There’s no distractions. It can be a good thing. So one win. They haven’t won more than two games in a row. They’ve lost I’m actually looking forward to it.” as many as three in a row (in regulation) only once. They’ve hovered in a hockey’s no-man’s land, somewhere between one and four games under St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.10.2019 and can’t pull themselves out of the mud. “We can’t be doing this throughout the rest of the year,” defenseman Joel Edmundson said. “We’ve got to figure something out. It’s tough mentally winning one, losing one. ...” That was never more true than in the team’s just completed back-to- back. After Monday’s 3-0 victory in Philadelphia, there was a general sense of satisfaction — smiles and laughter in the locker room — after Jordan Binnington’s shutout in his first NHL start. After Tuesday’s 3-1 home loss to Central Division rival Dallas, it was a 180. Sad faces. Frustration. Disappointment. Yes, Jake Allen allowed an ugly third goal. The second goal allowed was no thing of beauty either. But as Pat Maroon put it following Wednesday’s optional skate at Enterprise Center: “We can’t be deflated after they score a goal.” Just minutes after the Dallas loss, David Perron wondered out loud why the Blues never seem to stage a comeback. “We’re down by two there,” he said. “I know we can talk about different scenarios but we haven’t come back in a game like that. It’s so frustrating to me like how we were flat in the third (period) for what the situation was.” Oskar Sundqvist elaborated on that theme Wednesday afternoon. “I think we need to stick with it, especially games where we’re down a couple goals,” Sundqvist said. “It feels like everyone’s getting depressed, frustrated (when that happens). We’re playing well, then the other team gets a couple of goals and everything disappears.” There seem to be comebacks everywhere around the league this season — late comebacks, dramatic comebacks — everywhere except St. Louis, that is. “Calgary, I think they’ve been down 4-0 twice and they came back and won,” Sundqvist said. “We need to help each other more. Everyone’s trying and trying to score goals, and when it doesn’t happen everyone gets frustrated and that’s when we need to help each other and get everyone on the same page again and just keep working.” While there is growing dismay among fans about Allen, who has allowed seven goals on just 31 shots over his past two starts, the Blues have a lot of big guns on offense who are misfiring: 1125169 St Louis Blues But now we’re here, January 2019, and we’re talking about Jake’s departure.

Incidentally, January has been nightmarish for Allen the past two Hochman: It might be time for Blues to move on from Allen seasons, with a 4.93 GAA last year and 4.06 the year before. Here we go again. Benjamin Hochman St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.10.2019

All these years into the Jake Allen experiment, all these second chances — be it for him in net or the other team on a rebound. What’s the word for it at this point? Fatigue. Jake Allen fatigue. It’s just an exhausting roller-coaster, forever a ratcheting and rickety ride. And Tuesday at Enterprise Center was the epitome of a “Jake” game. He allowed the softest goal of all the soft goals — on the short side of the net, the wobbly puck somehow slipped through under his armpit. Then he bounced back and made some brilliant saves late. But too often he gets himself in a situation in which a bounce- back is necessary in the first place. Going forward, the Blues have many other personnel issues besides Jake Allen. But you can’t trot him out in the fall of 2019 and say — he’s the guy. He’s too unpredictable. Too streaky. Figure out a way to move on from him before next season. Some Allen apologists like to point out how he’s recovered since his frightening first five weeks of the season. A stat says that since Nov. 15, he has a goals against average of 2.61. And that’s 15th best. Fifteenth best? And that’s the good stat? The Blues have a middle-of-the-pack, middling goalie — and that’s when he’s doing well. And remember, they got into this moribund mess because of Allen’s first five weeks. His goals against average from the first game through Nov. 3 was right around 4.0. That’s a great GPA, not so great as a GAA. The man who gambled on Allen — general manager Doug Armstrong — will have to figure out how to rid himself of Allen. Jake has two more years on his deal after this year. Two years, $4.3 million each. That’s a hefty amount in hockey money. Only eight Blues make more than that. Can you trade him? That means someone will have to actually want him. Allen entered Wednesday tied for 38th in the NHL in GAA at 3.07. His 89.6 save percentage is 41st. And you thought trading Jori Lehtera and Patrik Berglund would be tough. Of course, there are other ways to get rid of a player, and that’ll probably cost the Blues. To think, paying to not have him play goalie, after paying him all those year to play goalie. But if you’re in the business of winning, you need to make poison-picking decisions like this (the Blues’ buddies down Clark Avenue might be in a similar predicament with relief pitcher Brett Cecil this season). Is the answer within the organization? This was supposed to be the season of ascension for Finnish goalie Ville Husso. But with San Antonio, he struggled early in this season — with a GAA over 3.0 — and now he’s injured. You don’t go from that to starting in the NHL the next year. But it’s possible Husso can take some steps into the spring. And of course there’s the feel-good story of Jordan Binnington. On Monday, he logged a shutout in his first career NHL start. And he was coming off a shutout recorded in the minors. They should put him between the pipes against Montreal on Thursday. They probably won’t. The Blues don’t announce their starting goalie until after morning skate on the day of a game. Here’s thinking they’ll stick with Allen, yet again. Perhaps interim coach Craig Berube will point to Allen’s third period against Dallas on Tuesday. Or that Allen has fared well against Thursday’s opponent, Montreal (3-1-0 with a 2.50 GAA). But if there was ever a time to see what Binnington has, it’s right now. What do you have to lose? You’re the Blues — you can’t get much worse. As for the free agent market, Columbus superstar Sergei Bobrovsky is out there, but that would take massive reorganizing to sign him to the amount of money he wants. Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov is a free agent too, and perhaps more affordable. But he’s 31. It’s funny how things work out — the Blues traded Pheonix Copley to Washington, and now he’s providing stupendous goaltending for the defending champs. But the reality is, there’s plenty of time to worry about who the next goalie is. First, the Blues must decide Allen is not the guy going forward. The thing about Allen is — if the Blues stick with him for the rest of this year, he’ll probably have some good stretches. He’s maddening like that. And talk about good stretches — he had perhaps the greatest stretch this city has seen this century, when he won the Blues a playoff series, back in 2017. They sure remember it in Minnesota. In the opening game against the Wild, he stopped 51 of 52 shots in the win. Allowed one goal in Game 2. And just one in Game 3. The Blues won the series in five — Allen allowed eight total goals. It was exemplary. Jake had arrived. 1125170 St Louis Blues with defeat. The Habs endured a five-game losing streak in November, but responded by winning six of their next eight games. They have three three-game winning streaks this season, while the Blues remain the only What can the Blues take from the Canadiens’ success following their team in the league without one. leadership changes? “It probably goes hand-in-hand with having a little bit more success,” Gallagher said. “I think last year that was probably something that we got away from when you’re not getting the results that you want. I think this By Jeremy Rutherford Jan 9, 2019 2 year we’ve just been a little bit more committed to the message, so regardless if you’re going through ups or downs, we’ve just stayed on point and I think that’s probably made a difference this year. One player was one of the most dynamic in the NHL, but some “There have been a lot of things that went wrong this year, but it’s just questioned whether his focus was himself or the team. The other player responding to a loss with a good effort the next night. That’s something was solid, but maybe not captain material after all. we’ve handled well this year. Last year we gave up back-to-back goals the most in the NHL, but this year, that’s something we’ve been better at, Now, former Montreal Canadiens P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty are in and it’s little things like that. We’re going to deal with a lot more going Nashville and Vegas, respectively. down the stretch, but we’re just better off and better prepared for it this In the past three years, Montreal has made a conscious decision to year.” change the complexion of its locker room. But rather than an overhaul, In order to better compare the parallels between the Blues and the Canadiens found a considerable amount of success by altering their Canadiens, I solicited the help of The Athletic Montreal’s Arpon Basu leadership group. The Habs finished with 71 points in 2017-18, and they after the Habs wrapped up their practice Wednesday. Here is that are on pace for 95 heading into Thursday’s game against the Blues at conversation … Enterprise Center. Rutherford: The situation here in St. Louis is that a lot of people have In 2016, Montreal acquired Shea Weber from Nashville in exchange for questioned the Blues’ leadership group and whether they’re all pulling in Subban and appointed the veteran defenseman, who played just 26 the same direction. Montreal kind of went through a similar situation the games last season because of a knee injury, captain last summer. The past few seasons, trading Subban, and then last year moving Pacioretty. Canadiens have gravitated toward Weber, who took over the “C” from Take me back in time and tell me what the Canadiens were facing? Pacioretty, along with longtime staple, Carey Price, in net. Basu: I think in a really similar way, Montreal’s season went south right “There’s been a few changes, but the core has kind of remained the off the bat last year. I wouldn’t say the expectations were quite as high in same,” Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher told The Athletic after the Montreal last year as they were in St. Louis this year, but they were still team’s practice Wednesday. “Everyone that we have, we’re kind of pretty high. They were coming off winning their division and there was an working toward the same goal and I think that’s really important. expectation they would make the playoffs. So when the season went Obviously leadership starts from up top, but when the coaches leave the south immediately, that’s when the leadership stuff starts to spring up. It room, I think the leadership core plays a big role in keeping the message was Pacioretty’s third season as captain and two of those three seasons going. were disastrous, and his own play was suffering so much that he found it “I think when you look at (Weber and Price), those are probably two guys difficult to lead. It was never clear who was actually leading the team at that have had success on the national level, winning championships, and any given moment. The leadership question was a big one and I think they bring that to our group. When you look around and you know that what it came down to was they began to accept what was happening to you have those two faces in your locker room, it gives you a lot of them too quickly. It became acceptable that they would lose and it confidence because they’re extremely competitive guys. They’re wouldn’t be that big of a deal, or they would take it hard but they wouldn’t obviously great players, but their leadership, it’s at a very high level as do anything to change it. I think that’s what really bothered Marc well and that’s important for our group.” Bergevin. When he came out at the end of the season and pinned it all on attitude, I’ve come to realize that that’s what he was talking about. No two situations are the same, but several NHL sources have compared the Blues’ current state to the one in Montreal in recent years. Vladimir Rutherford: In St. Louis this year, we hear a lot of players saying in post- Tarasenko is one of the NHL’s most dynamic players, but like Subban, game interviews, “We’ve got to get better and we’ll fix it.” I’m sure they’re he’s long been viewed as being on his own island, and while Alex not saying everything they’d like to say to the media, but fans get tired of Pietrangelo is solid, like Pacioretty he’s seen as someone perhaps not the same song and dance. I’m curious whether there was a lot of that in cut out to be a captain. Alexander Steen’s influence in the locker room Montreal last year when the losses piled up? also continues to be a concern. Basu: Yeah, it was interesting to watch that because you could pinpoint No one expected Canadiens coach Claude Julien to comment on the the moment in the season where their responses after losses changed. Blues, so we asked him Wednesday what kind of impact he believes the They kept thinking they could turn it around and get back in the playoffs, changes at the top of his club have had on its performance. and at some point that stopped. Then in January they went to Boston for Claude’s first game back in Boston as coach of the Canadiens, and they “Well, I think we’ve got good leadership,” Julien told The Athletic. “I think just totally laid an egg. After the game, Claude started talking about how it’s just a matter of putting things together, and at the end of the day, the coaching staff still had belief, but he didn’t know if the players had every team is kind of different. I don’t know what’s going on on the other belief. You could already see it splintering among the players in the room side, whether the issues on other teams are different or the same, I don’t and then you saw the coaching staff separating themselves from the know that. I just know what was going on in our room and that’s what we players and it just became toxic. But there was a transformation and it addressed. was interesting to see them say, “It’s important that we compete and have pride in our play, and that we build on something for next season.” “We came in with a plan this year. I remember our GM (Marc Bergevin) saying we needed a better attitude as far as our approach to the game. Rutherford: What was the feeling of Montreal fans when the team traded It’s tough because when you go through a season like you did last year, Subban because the Canadiens had maybe grown weary of him and everything becomes heavy. It’s hard to see the light, it’s hard to see the wanted to create more of a united atmosphere. Were they OK with that? positive signs and it just keeps dragging you down. We started the season this year bringing in some new things that we thought were good Basu: I don’t think the fans felt that way because they didn’t really see, for our group. We brought in some younger players and faster players and the media didn’t really see, to what extent the whole P.K. situation because we wanted to play a different way. was a situation. He was really good on the ice consistently. You could see how he would be irritating at times as a personality goes, but it didn’t “I think it excited everybody, I think everybody believed in it. We had to seem to be such a dire situation that they absolutely needed to trade him. do a good selling job for the guys to feel like this was going to be a lot of And frankly, if he didn’t have that no-trade clause kicking in when it did fun, and that’s what happened. The expectations weren’t very high from (July 1, 2017, three days after he was traded), they probably would have the outside, but on the inside we felt that if we played it well, we could kept him for another year. But with the no-trade kicking in, I think it definitely be a team that could be fighting for the playoffs and that’s became very clear to management that they did not want him to finish where we are right now — we’re fighting for a playoff spot. As much as that contract here. But the no-trade was what it was and it had reached things keep pushing you down, you get excited to try and get better, and the point where the GM and the player didn’t see eye-to-eye, and in that’s where we are right now.” those situations the GM usually wins. But it was an important moment in the evolution of the team because you’re replacing Subban’s persona The Blues had high expectations coming into the season, but went just 2- with Weber’s persona. They’re basically polar opposites. Weber has no 4-3 in their first nine games, while Montreal was 7-3 after 10 games. social media. Like when he wanted to send a message to Nashville fans Gallagher admits that the good vibes early led to a positive response to thanking them, he had to have the Predators tweet it out. Subban is the leadership, but he also feels the Canadiens are better equipped to deal total opposite — he documents his entire life on social media. It became Thomas or Jordan Kyrou for Pacioretty. They were No. 1 on the wish list clear in a game last year when Nashville played in Montreal and Brendan when it became clear Pacioretty would be traded. If you do have good Gallagher voiced how Subban always makes it about him. That was the young players, which the Blues do, it doesn’t take long for those guys to first time anybody really vocalized what the problem was with P.K. mature. The Blues are likely to get a pretty good draft pick, and they Subban, and that was the start of a real transition because not only was already have this stable of young players, which the Canadiens really Weber replacing Subban, but then eventually he replaced Pacioretty as didn’t at this time last year. So the Blues are ahead of the Canadiens in captain and it’s really become his team. that sense, and then if you make a couple of trades, all a sudden you’re a young team. It can happen quick. I’ve got to give Marc Bergevin credit. I think it’s hard for outsiders to understand the impact of culture. You They kept talking about what Vegas did, what Colorado did and what hear things like “culture” and “good in the room” and everyone thinks it’s New Jersey did, and I rolled my eyes and said, “You can’t do that!’ Well, bull and not really that important. What I’ve come to realize is the more they’re doing it. you’re around hockey players how big of an impact that actually does have. I think the level of respect that Weber and Price have from the The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 whole team — they’re both very mild-mannered but intense and command respect — and so it’s gone from a guy in P.K., an excellent, excellent player, but didn’t command that respect to Weber and Price. I think the important thing is the respect those two have in the room, it’s universal, and that’s really united the team. Rutherford: That’s interesting because Tarasenko’s no-trade clause kicks in next July and folks in St. Louis are wondering if that might lead the Blues to make a move with him. Anyway, the reason I asked is I believe the situation might be similar with Tarasenko and some of his teammates. What has it been like for the Canadiens to move out a player like that and now you don’t have that factor of a superstar who’s kind of like his own company? Basu: I think the problem guys had with P.K. is that they never knew if he was in it for them or himself. I personally think that he was in it for the team and that he would do everything he could for the team, and that when he wasn’t on the ice, that’s when he was worried about his own stuff. But I never saw anything in his game that wasn’t driven by wanting to win the game. I don’t think he did things to rack up points, the typically selfish things guys do because they’re only worried about their own contract. I think that’s what made it such a dilemma because they loved what he did on the ice, but off the ice it was a different vibe. No one was crying when he got traded. There were very few guys, kind of the marginal guys, that did, but the real core group didn’t appear all that bothered and actually saw the logic in it. Rutherford: It seems like a similar parallel could be drawn between Pietrangelo and Pacioretty — both good players who by many accounts aren’t ideal captains. I’m not sure that Blues players gravitate toward Pietrangelo. Did teammates do that with Pacioretty? Basu: I just think the leadership was a burden for Max, and I think he would admit that now, too. It sort of took away from his game. He took the captaincy very seriously. When he took the “C,” he cried at the press conference. It’s something he cherishes, he will always have been captain of the Montreal Canadiens. So it was important to him, but I think it was so important to him it led to a dip in his play. Slumps that used to last maybe four or five games all of a sudden started lasting seven or eight games. For him, it was too big of a burden to bear, and he had the added element that they went out and got Weber. The first day of training camp after the trade for Weber, Pacioretty was asked if he’d be willing to give the “C” to Weber. Who wants to hear that as captain? It was just a bad situation all around. I think Max was well-liked and appreciated in the room, but did people gravitate toward him? His confidence swings might have an adverse effect on the team, maybe not, but it didn’t lend itself to people gravitating toward you. Rutherford: So all in all, as we touched on earlier, the moves the Canadiens made, and the unification of the locker room, is what has led them to play for each other in your mind? Basu: Yeah, and I think what might be a good lesson is that maybe some teams need to go through a situation where they see what happens when they’re not all pulling on the same rope. I think that’s what happened in Montreal. Now they see, “OK, if we’re not all on the same page, that’s what can happen, and we can’t let that happen again.” I think there’s something to that. It’s rare that you see intangibles manifest themselves on the ice so strikingly, but team unity and just being together is one reason the Canadiens have been a surprise so far. Rutherford: And as Montreal has shown, it can turn around quickly if the Blues make the right decisions like the Habs have apparently done? Basu: Well yeah, and I think you’ve seen that with other teams. With Colorado, that Matt Duchene trade turned that whole team around. Montreal already had a youngish core. They traded Pacioretty and got younger (with Tomas Tatar); they traded Alex Galchenyuk and got younger (with Max Domi). So those two trades, for the elements we discussed why were they were made, also made the team younger. It appears to me from the outside looking in at the Blues, there are a lot of young pieces, like a Robert Thomas, who have been injected into this difficult situation and I think it’s probably affecting their ability to succeed. Everyone loves the Blues’ prospects. In Montreal, everyone wanted 1125171 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Mikhail Sergachev puts together strong offensive performances

By Nick Kelly

TAMPA — For a while, it seemed as if the Mikhail Sergachev who tallied 40 points in 2017-18 was a thing of the past. In the first 25 games of the season, Sergachev had seven points, none of which were goals. The past 16 games have been a different story. Sergachev has picked up nine points, two of which came against Columbus on Tuesday. He scored his first goal of the season against San Jose this past Saturday. One assist on Tuesday came via Sergachev pinching down low to set up Mathieu Joseph's goal, the first of the game. Lightning coach Jon Cooper said this recent surge in points can serve as a confidence booster for Sergachev as the offensive production is lining up with the defensive production. "It definitely wears on guys when you don't score," Cooper said. "He went 40-plus games without one, but it's not an indication of how he's been playing. A lot of times, guys judge themselves personally on how many points they have, but that's not how coaches judge them. He has improved so much on his own end in the way he has played." Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125172 Tampa Bay Lightning Oh, yeah. But down the hall at Amalie on Tuesday was another expert: former Lightning coach Tortorella. After succinctly analyzing the Blue Jackets' The Lightning is a runaway success. Now comes the hard part. season as only he can ("Up and down like a toilet seat") Tortorella considered Cooper and the Lightning's dilemma. By Martin Fennelly Tortorella has a unique perspective, having won the Cup here in 2004. The Lightning didn't lead the league in points but won the Eastern Conference on the strength of a 10-0-1 stretch from late February to mid March. They got after it. TAMPA — The Lightning blew the roof off the NHL in the first half of the season. Tampa Bay is 33-8-2 with 68 points, just off a 15-0-1 stretch that John Tortorella thinks Martin St. Louis would make a "really good" NHL had it on track to approach season records for wins and points. coach. #TBLightning #GoBolts @tblightning @mstlouis_26 #BlueJackets @BlueJacketsNHL @TB_Times @_nickkelly https://t.co/mdNwYyuO64 Now comes the hard part. — TampaBayTimesSports (@TBTimes_Sports) January 9, 2019 There is less than half a season left. The Lightning began its second half with a 5-2 loss in San Jose. Bolts Nation, thoroughly spoiled, is in a slight "That was a really young team, a young coaching staff at that time," panic. Its heroes have allowed five goals in three of their past six games, Tortorella said. "I thought our guys were going to be in at 11 o'clock at though they won two of those three. night. I thought they were asleep in bed. As I find, as I have get-togethers with them, they were out, and they were going hard off the ice, too. So, Everyone needs to get it through their frozen skulls that the first half was who the hell knows? We didn't know what we were doing. We were just a dream. playing. "It was unrealistic," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "It was unreal." "We had a strut about ourselves, an arrogance about ourselves, that far outreached X's and O's. That's very important, especially with today's But just what will this team do with itself the rest of the way, which athlete. It's about that strut, that certain type of arrogance. We had it amounts to three months of a regular season, save for a week sabbatical then. And it carried us through." and the All-Star break? The Lightning entered Wednesday 10 points better than anyone else in hockey. It has the best home record in the Tortorella added, "Two years ago, (the Blue Jackets) went on a run. We NHL and the best road record. Anyplace feels like home when you're 33- won 16 games in a row. The way I looked at that when we were going on 8-2. that run, I knew we weren't playing very good games, that we were getting sloppy. I wasn't sure where to go. Leave them alone, they were The Lightning has been so good that we're already on to the next thing: feeling good about themselves, or knock them down and start teaching winning the Stanley Cup. structure. You have to ask 'Coop.' I don't know how he feels about it. But Does this team have a choice at this point? And how does it make use of when we were going through it, not at (the Lightning's) level, but pretty the rest of the way, which began Tuesday with a 4-0 win over coach John close, I was fighting myself. Do I coach them, or do I ride the wave? I Tortorella and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amalie Arena. chose to ride it. The Lightning wanted to make a statement and back up goaltender "I don't want to speak for (the Lightning). But to me, I think you need to Andrei Vasilevskiy. Check, and check. #TBLightning #GoBolts go through some tough times during the regular season. Come playoff @TBLightning #BlueJackets @BlueJacketsNHL @dianacnearhos time, I don't think it's a bad thing to have had some bad runs during the @TB_Times https://t.co/7Lt34xplab regular season. It's a long year. You can't always be perfect. Your guys have to be tested. Your leadership group has to be tested (about) how to — TampaBayTimesSports (@TBTimes_Sports) January 9, 2019 get (out) of some situations when you do get in trouble." "I think it will be hard to maintain that level," Cooper said. "There are a lot Scary thing: The Lightning has already been through some tough times of good teams in this league we haven't played yet. I think our schedule this season, losing defenseman Victor Hedman for eight games, then gets a little bit tougher down the stretch. But for us, it's all about making goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy for 14 games. The Lightning went 12-2-0 the playoffs. That's the process, to get there in the end." without Vasilevskiy. I've got news for the Lightning: It's already in the playoffs. It's just a "I think the boys feel like they have something special going on here. matter of whether it loses a few games to keep the fear up heading into They don't want to screw it up," Cooper said. the postseason. Tortorella smiled. RELATED: Tampa Bay Lightning schedule "I hope they get their (butt) kicked (Tuesday night), if you're asking me." Maybe the Lightning needs it. Case in point: The Washington Capitals had the most points in the league two and three seasons ago. It didn't The Lightning is back in the win column. matter in the playoffs, as they fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins both times But be brave, Lightning fans. There still may be hope. in the second round. Last season the Caps were good, but the Lightning was better — and was bumped off by Washington in the Eastern "Who knows, we might hit a 16-game losing streak," Stralman said. Conference final. That was supposed to the Lightning's year. Remember? Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 Now here we go again. Hey, guys, lose a few, will you? "If we lost a bunch in a row, everyone will go 'What's wrong with them?' " Cooper said, grinning. "I don't know if you need to top the first half, record wise," defenseman Anton Stralman said. "It's about the closeness of the team, how we grow as a team. It's how we play our game and how we prepare ourselves for the playoffs." But how does this team maintain a fighting edge through the sled-dog days? Cooper the people manager has his work cut out for him. At a recent Lightning game, I talked to Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, the king of runway trains. Bowman's Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup from 1976 to 1979 and lost only 46 games in those four seasons. I asked Bowman how those Montreal teams stayed razor sharp all the way through. Bowman answered without blinking. "We had (10) Hall of Famers," he said. 1125173 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning blocked all kinds of shots against Columbus

By Diana Nearhos

TAMPA — Block the shot or clear the lane. D Ryan McDonagh didn't put it quite so succinctly, but that was the point he got across. Those were the two options for defensemen as they tried to give G Andrei Vasilevskiy better support against the Blue Jackets in the Lightning's 4-0 win Tuesday. "We're obviously thinking about (supporting Vasilevskiy) and trying to block as many shots as we can, trying to get in lanes," D Mikhail Sergachev said. "(The Blue Jackets) have a good group of (defensemen) and good forwards who can shoot the puck. We tried to block as many as we can." The Lightning did a lot that in the win. It blocked 22 shots, led by D Dan Girardi and D Anton Stralman with four apiece. LW Ondrej Palat led the forwards with three, more than you'd expect from a top-line forward not on the penalty kill. "It's just kind of the way the game shaped up," McDonagh said about the high number of blocked shots. "We have guys that are willing; we know that. Ideally we don't want to give up that many (shot) attempts. But if we have to, it's a good sign that we're in the right lane there, blocking those and helping 'Vasy' out there." Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125174 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning-Blue Jackets: Rewinding Tampa Bay’s shutout win

By Nick Kelly

TAMPA — The Lightning left the losing in San Jose. Tampa Bay responded with a 4-0 victory over Columbus on Tuesday, after losing 5-2 to the Sharks on Saturday. Here are some odds and ends from the game: Another game, another Nikita Kucherov record. He was the first player to hit 70 points in 43 games since Jaromir Jagr did it in 38 games in the 1999-2000 season. He's the fastest player to do it in Lightning history. Martin St. Louis took 53 games in 2006-07. He is also the 10th player in NHL history to tally 50 assist within the first 43 games of the season. It's the first time since 1995-96. Kucherov is in good company. The four players to reach that mark in that season: Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Ron Francis. Vasilevskiy moves into a tie for second-place on the Lightning's all-time shutout list. His 14 shutouts tied Nikolai Khabibulin. Ben Bishop holds the No. 1 spot with 17. To earn the shutout Tuesday, Vasilevskiy had to make 31 saves, 17 of which came in the second period. Up and down like a toilet seat. That's how Columbus coach John Tortorella described his team before the game. Forget the normal rollercoaster metaphor. Tortorella is creating the cliches of the future. Tuesday was a down day for the Blue Jackets. Domination continues. The Lightning improved to 11-0-0 against the Metropolitan Division. It is also the second win this season over the Blue Jackets, whom the Lightning has out-scored 12-2. It's also the Lightning's fifth consecutive victory over Columbus and the third shutout over that span. More goals for the rookie. Mathieu Joseph scored the first goal of the game when he tapped in a Mikhail Sergachev pass to the front of the net in the first period. The goal bumped Joseph from third to second on the NHL rookie goal list with 11. He is tied for second with Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov. It's not just millennials, folks. The Lightning debuted the Oblivious Cam on Tuesday, looking for fans who had no idea they were on camera, and it was a hit. The camera operator got a pair of middle-aged men on their phones with no clue for a good 15 seconds. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125175 Tampa Bay Lightning dangerous shots, like Ryan McDonagh’s on Jones in the first period. Vasilevskiy didn’t have to face as many grade-A chances.

“We work on it in practice, boxing out,” McDonagh said. “San Jose did a Smitty’s Seven: How Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy got his good job of having guys cross in front and taking away his eyes and groove back pucks hitting bodies. You just try and clear that lane. If you’re not going to block the shot, at least clear the lane so he can see it. If he’s able to see the puck in traffic, he’s going to gobble it up and not create a rebound, By Joe Smith Jan 9, 2019 which he did a bunch of times tonight. It’s tough to do at times, but our group is working on it and we’ve got to continue to get better at it.”

Coaches were eager to see how the Lightning responded after losing TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning’s streak-snapping loss in San Jose was their first game in regulation since Nov. 27. It would be natural to have a barely over Saturday night, yet it seemed like Andrei Vasilevskiy’s work letdown, especially coming off a long road trip. But players took it to had just begun. heart, and had an “exceptional” first period, according to coach Jon The Tampa Bay goaltender had just given up five goals, including a Cooper, before needing some help from Vasilevskiy. Players say couple of softies by his standards. And after a seven-day, three-game knowing Vasilevskiy is there, in that zone, gives them an added sense of West Coast trip, it would have been understandable for Vasilevskiy to security. just shower, change and get the heck out of there. “He’s feeling it,” defenseman Mikhail Sergachev said. “When you have But here was Vasilevskiy doing sit-ups and other postgame exercises in Vasilevskiy behind you, sometimes you can risk it. That’s why we’re the hallway of the dressing room. having success: We can play risky and still play good defense.”

He was ticked off. Vasilevskiy’s numbers are worthy of an All-Star selection: 17-4-2 with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. But Vasilevskiy For a competitor who hates giving up goals in practice, allowing that was surprised to get the nod, replacing injured Canadiens star Carey many did not sit well with the reigning Vezina Trophy finalist. Vasilevskiy Price. didn’t want to wait long for another shot. “I think I got lucky on that one,” Vasilevskiy said. “Obviously our team is “You always want to bounce back and show guys you’re accountable,” playing really well this season. That’s probably the only reason why I get goalie coach Frantz Jean said. “And make sure you come back with a to play there.” solid performance.” But teammates know better. The Lightning started Vasilevskiy for the seventh straight game Tuesday night against Columbus. Part of that was due to the spaced-out schedule, “He’s super-competitive, super-focused and every day it’s a 24/7 job for but part of it was also to get their No. 1 goalie back into a rhythm. It had him,” McDonagh said. “He doesn’t take a day off. Even if we’re not been a struggle for Vasilevskiy since he returned in early December after coming to the rink that day, he’s doing a great job taking care of himself, missing a month with a fractured foot. and you want your goaltender to do that. It makes you play so much harder for him. But I just like that he keeps that even-keel focus about That’s why Tuesday’s brilliant performance by the Russian was so him, and maybe if it doesn’t go his way in one game, he doesn’t change encouraging. Vasilevskiy made 31 saves in a 4-0 victory over the Blue up his routine in practice. He continues to battle and take shots and Jackets, his second shutout of the season. comes with a positive attitude come game time.”

On the same day Vasilevskiy was named a replacement on the Atlantic Another level Division’s NHL All-Star team, he showed precisely why he’s so deserving. Vasilevskiy was in control. He bailed out the Lightning when Nikita Kucherov had his career-high 12-game points streak snapped they were outshot 17-3 in the second period. And he closed it out. Saturday. So how did he respond on Tuesday? With a goal and an assist, giving him 71 points in the season’s first 43 games. “It’s a pretty good feeling,” Vasilevskiy said. “I didn’t play that consistent after the injury and so it feels pretty good, especially for me.” Kucherov, coming off a career-best 100-point season, is on pace to shatter that. He is now in some elite company, too, the first player to hit It’s not like the Lightning, now in a remarkable 16-1-1 stretch, were 70 points in 43 games since Jaromir Jagr did it in 38 games in the 1999- worried about Vasilevskiy, who has been their backbone the past few 2000 season. He’s the fastest player to do it in Lightning history (Martin seasons. But it was important for the 24-year-old to feel good about St. Louis took 53 games in 2006-07). Only four others have reached 50 himself and to get back into that groove for the second half of the assists in the first 43 games since 1995-96. The others? Wayne Gretzky, season. Mario Lemieux, Jagr and Ron Francis.

You could tell right away Tuesday that Vasilevskiy was on his game. He We broke down last week how his elite hockey mind helps set Kucherov was at his best in a 17-save second period, including his point-blank apart. And we got his friend, Columbus star Artemi Panarin, to break stops on Columbus star Artemi Panarin. They were both game-changing. down his game.

“He played great,” Blue Jackets All-Star defenseman Seth Jones said. What shouldn’t be lost in this is that Lightning fans are witnessing a truly “He’s a big guy in there, tough to score on him, tough to get the puck by special season for Kucherov. At this point, Kucherov’s eight-year him. He takes up a lot of space around the ice and the lower half of the extension signed in July worth $9.5 million AAV will end up being a net. We had some pretty good looks around the crease and the bargain. hashmark areas. That save on (Panarin) really stood out…. If we score that goal, who knows with the pressure we have in the second? That was FEWEST TEAM GAMES TO 70 POINTS – LAST 20 SEASONS a huge save — kind of the turning point of the game.” 1999-00 JAROMIR JAGR 39 In previous games, Vasilevskiy had some issues with shots from long 2018-19 NIKITA KUCHEROV43 distances. Anytime you miss an extended period, timing can be tricky — and seeing pucks can be, too. Case in point was this Evander Kane goal 2006-07 SIDNEY CROSBY46 from Saturday that went through traffic. 1998-99 JAROMIR JAGR 46 PIC.TWITTER.COM/IF0YBWBSZN “It is reads; making sure you make the right reads,” Jean said. “There’s so many little details you have to pick up: Who is shooting? What side is — BUCCI MANE (@BUCCIGROSS) JANUARY 9, 2019 he on? Reading the puck off the blade, seeing options he has. Who is the Sergachev’s swag passer? Who is the shooter? It takes a couple games to get that back. So we wanted to make sure he had the opportunity to really jump in the When defenseman Mikhail Sergachev scored his first goal of the season water and get swimming again real quick.” Saturday in San Jose, it might have given him the spark he needed. Sergachev, 20, joked that he felt like he’d never score again. The Lightning also did their best to help Vasilevskiy out. Teammates did a better job of boxing out to clear out shooting lanes and blocked some Well, one game after Sergachev’s first tally, he made a highlight-reel setup on Mathieu Joseph’s goal Tuesday. Sergachev made his trademark dangle at the blueline to create space and then drove toward the net before dropping a backhand pass.

It could be the breakthrough Sergachev needed.

“I feel a lot better after that goal, more confidence,” Sergachev said. “I see different plays now, for some reason.”

Lightning fans had fun with Sergachev’s slick move, looking for good nicknames for it.

ALRIGHT PEOPLE. WE NEED A NAME FOR MIKHAIL SERGACHEV’S SIGNATURE MOVE. SOME SUGGESTIONS:

THE MISHA SHAKE

BLUE LINE JUKE

THE CHEVY SHIMMY

— TYLER MOORE (@THEREVTY) JANUARY 9, 2019

Medical matters

Ryan Callahan was scratched Tuesday after Cooper said he “re- aggravated something.” Callahan is listed as day to day.

Callahan had his back lock up on him during the mid-December trip to western Canada, forcing him to miss a couple of games. So that could be it. Either way, Danick Martel got to play, and he did well in limited minutes (plus-1, three shots in 12:35 of ice time).

With J.T. Miller (upper body) participating in another team skate Tuesday (in a regular jersey) and getting closer to a return, the Lightning will have to make a roster decision soon to make room. So it was good to get another look at Martel, who would have to clear waivers to get sent down to Syracuse in the AHL. Slater Koekkoek’s conditioning assignment in Syracuse ends this weekend, too, so he’ll be back.

Trade talk

With the trade deadline a month and a half away (Feb. 25), our Craig Custance wrote a very interesting, well-reported piece on the top 20 players who could be moved. It’s worth looking at.

That said, it is unclear whom the Lightning might be targeting at this point. As GM Julien BriseBois said a few weeks ago, there are not many needs at this point.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve,” BriseBois said. “We need to be diligent and can’t leave any stone unturned. I am talking to other teams, trying to see what’s out there. If something can make us better short-term, medium-term … if something does pop up that makes sense, I’d do it. I don’t know what that would be. I can’t say right now, ‘I’m not looking to do this.’

“Earlier in the year, I was looking at the deadline and could see us maybe adding a right-shot defenseman to add depth in case we had injuries. But Erik Cernak has taken that role, so now that’s less of a priority. (The depth) makes it harder for us to do something that would make sense or that would make our organization stronger because right now, we’re … scoring a lot. It just makes it hard to find something that makes sense.”

On Point

There are a few more days to vote for Brayden Point as the “last man in” for the NHL All-Star Game (voting ends Thursday at 11:59 p.m). Point put on one heck of a performance Tuesday, with two goals, an assist and a plus-3 (he won 69 percent of his faceoffs).

To vote for the “last man in,” go to www.nhl.com/vote.

Quote of the day

“It’s hard to tell with ‘Vasy’ because every game he’s locked in. His competitiveness is unbelievable.”

— Brayden Point on if he could tell Vasilevskiy was on his game early Tuesday

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125176 Toronto Maple Leafs “We’re going to make a change and see how it goes,” the coach said. “Then we’ll go from there. We can always change back at any time.”

The other notable change for the Devils game is the return of Zach Short-circuiting Maple Leafs’ power play leads to Babcock splices Hyman from a sprained ankle. His high-energy presence on the left side with Tavares and Marner should give the Leafs some of that “heaviness” Babcock likes to talk about when it comes to puck-pursuit. DAVID SHOALTS Goaltender Frederik Andersen (groin) is still not ready to play and neither is backup Garret Sparks (concussion). This means Michael Hutchinson will start his third consecutive game for the Leafs and Kasimir Kaskisuo Toronto Maple Leafs centre John Tavares stands in front of the net will be called up from the Toronto Marlies farm team to serve as backup. during a game against the Minnesota Wild, at Scotiabank Arena, in Toronto, on Jan. 3, 2019. Andersen said he hopes to play Saturday against the Boston Bruins, but Babcock said medical staff suggested a return is more likely on Monday When it comes to the hype not matching performance, the Toronto Maple against the Colorado Avalanche. Leafs’ power play is right there with the DeLorean. To make room for Hyman on the roster, forward Trevor Moore was When it was unveiled at the start of the NHL season, the Leaf power play returned to the Marlies. This means the fourth line will be Frédérik boasted nothing but star power: Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Gauthier between Par Lindholm and Connor Brown. Marner, Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly. How would penalty killers ever stop this array of scorers, us media experts pondered. Globe And Mail LOADED: 01.10.2019 Well, much like DeLorean’s famous gull-wing doors, the Leafs power play sprung a few too many leaks. The high-octane machine sputtered and stalled too often. So, with the unit falling to eighth in the NHL before Wednesday’s games with 25 goals in 112 opportunities, a success rate of 22.3 per cent, head coach Mike Babcock did some tinkering. Matthews and Kasperi Kapanen swapped places, with Kapanen moving up to the No. 1 unit and Matthews moving down to the second tier. Presumably, this was done with at least some hope Matthews could finally spark some goals from William Nylander, who is still looking for his scoring touch more than a month after finally getting on the ice in the wake of contract problems. But Babcock did the opposite for five-on-five play, moving Nylander off Matthews’s line and back to play right wing with Kadri and Patrick Marleau. Kapanen will go back to his old post as Matthews’s right wing for Thursday’s game in New Jersey against the Devils. Andreas Johnsson will stay as the left wing. “It’s up to us to do a better job of producing,” Rielly said of the power play. “When you have a long dry spell you change things up.” Looking at the power play over five-game segments, Babcock’s preferred way to break down a season, the unit was a powerhouse in just two of eight segments through Jan. 5. The Leafs exploded out of the gate with a 50-per-cent success rate in their first five games, scoring seven goals in 14 opportunities. An elite power play operates at a minimum 25-per-cent efficiency. The Leafs only recorded one stretch above that in the next seven segments, a 38.5-per-cent mark in games 26 through 30, which ended Dec. 8. In the next two segments, the Leaf power play went 15.0 and 8.3, which finally forced Babcock to act. The most obvious problem was that teams quickly figured out the key to stopping the Leafs power play was taking away its signature move – opening a lateral seam across the top of the faceoff circles so Marner could fire a pass across them to Matthews, who would be on the left side anywhere inside the top of the left faceoff circle, for his fearsome one- timer. Opponents were also moving to cut off the number-two move, getting the puck to Kadri in the slot. There was a time when the Marner-to-Matthews play would have had a longer run through the NHL. Roger Nielson may have brought video to the league in the 1970s but it took many decades before it was widely used as a scouting tool. But in the past 10 years, the NHL became a league with no secrets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW “Everybody watches video, so sometimes some things work in games and you feel good and the next game that play isn’t there,” Matthews said. “Maybe we got a bit too stale and were springing the same thing over and over again. “So I think it’s important to switch it up every once in a while and give [opponents] something different to get them back on their heels.” One difference may be more plays aimed at creating traffic in front of the net, as both Kadri and Tavares will stay with their spots in close on the top unit. The other major change is probably the ice time given to each unit. Until now, the No. 1 group often stayed out for almost all of the two- minute penalties, given the amount of talent on the line. But Babcock indicated he plans to even out the ice time because it creates more competition between the units to score and earn a little more time on the next chance. 1125177 Toronto Maple Leafs So how does it make sense to move Matthews to a unit that’s so far been getting about 40% of such opportunity? Babcock suggested it would induce better internal competition. Leafs’ Auston Matthews a victim as the balance of the power play “I still like when you have two (power-play units) and you compete to see changes who’s out there,” said the coach. Too much shouldn’t be made of such overhauls; Babcock also reserved By DAVE FESCHUKSports Columnist the right to “change it back any time.” But it’s worth noting that this is the second time in recent memory that Babcock has poked at Matthews. It was only a few days ago that the coach, asked about Matthews’s progress, suggested he needed to up his work ethic. It was only a few months ago that the Maple Leafs’ blazing power play was the talk of the NHL. Scoring nine times in Toronto’s first seven “You’ve got to keep grinding to get better,” Babcock said, speaking of games, it looked as magical as it appeared unstoppable. Matthews. “God touched you with the wand, gave you the skill. But he didn’t necessarily give you the work ethic, the grind every day to keep And as the goals piled up, so did the praise. Nick Kronwall, the veteran getting better. If you want to be the best of the best, it’s a long career.” Red Wings defenceman, spoke of Toronto’s globe-trotting fancy-pass show as being “good for escrow” — a suggestion that a high-scoring, Matthews is doing OK, so far. You can make the case he’s the most star-driven powerhouse could fuel a noticeable uptick in hockey-related efficient offensive player in the NHL. He leads the league in goals per 60 revenue that would benefit all members of the players’ union. Pierre minutes and ranks second behind Kucherov in points per 60 minutes. McGuire, the NBC analyst, likened Toronto’s 5-on-4 prowess to some of And considering Matthews ranks 85th among NHL forwards in all- the great units of all time. strengths average ice time, he can make the case his chief problem at work is a coach who doesn’t call his number enough. Kasperi Kapanen, left, and Auston Matthews have changed places on the Leafs’ power play, with Matthews dropping to the second unit. No matter. Babcock insisted Wednesday that the answer to Toronto’s man-up woes begins with a grindstone and a willing nose. “As much domination as I’ve ever seen in 31 years in the league,” McGuire told TSN radio one day in October. “The number one thing is you’ve got four penalty killers out there, and they get paid to work hard … You’ve got to outwork the penalty kill or you Scoring at a league-best 47% clip through seven games could give don’t score,” said Babcock on Wednesday. anyone the idea that the uber-talented Maple Leafs, armed with a man advantage and the murderer’s row of skilled sticks, were a weapon No doubt there are times that’s true. There are also times when a coach beyond compare. But a few months later, not so much. Since that early insisting his players need to work harder sounds like a coach out of deluge of production, Toronto has made good on just 17% of its power- better ideas. No one’s saying Babcock and his staff don’t know what play chances. The Leafs are an even-worse 5-for-43 — a sputtering 12% they’re doing; the Maple Leafs ranked second in power-play efficiency — in their past 15 games. That red-hot October seems eons in the rear just last year, they’ve been awesome at times this season. But things view. change. Opponents adjust. And when various Maple Leafs were asked about the problems with the man advantage on Wednesday, let’s just say “(The power-play) was fresh. Nobody had seen it,” Auston Matthews was on-ice hustle didn’t appear top of mind. saying Wednesday, explaining Toronto’s early success. “But everybody watches video. Everybody watches your tendencies. They adjust. That “A lot of times it gets too stale. We just do the same thing over and over forces you to adjust. And sometimes those adjustments don’t work out again,” Matthews said. “You see teams that are good on the power play, too well. Then you go a couple of games without a goal and then they’re doing different stuff. Maybe they’re going down low, behind the everybody starts panicking.” net, doing different stuff, giving the other team different looks … I think that’s something we could definitely work on.” Speaking of which, on Wednesday, in the lead-up to Thursday’s game in New Jersey, head coach Mike Babcock unveiled a bizarre tweak. The good teams do different stuff: If it wasn’t a blatant indictment of the Matthews was moved off the No. 1 unit to play the left side of a second Xs and Os, it certainly wasn’t an all-star falling on his sword. Which unit across the ice from the slumping William Nylander. seemed about right. How, after all, do Toronto’s most creative players, only a few months ago the awe-inducing darlings of the league, find What do you think? themselves so stuck in a rut? I’ll accept two answers. It’s either a) coaching, or b) overcoaching. One player agent who represents a Matthews’ replacement on the first unit? Kasperi Kapanen, he of the zero prominent Maple Leaf (not Matthews) suggested a while back that some career power-play points. players feel constrained by the scheme. There’s a fear that veering from Babcock has talked about striving for “machinelike” performance from his it could result in demotion. On Wednesday those words rang true. If team, so it follows that the robots need to be brought in for re- Matthews can be reassigned to PP2, you can, too. programming every once in a while. But even if Matthews happened to But if Toronto’s power play continues to need a reboot, here’s guessing be a nonsentient machine, you could see why the move wouldn’t management won’t be so intent on blaming the robots. compute. Toronto units Nos. 34 and 24 — Matthews and Kapanen — are hardly interchangeable parts. Toronto Star LOADED: 01.10.2019 So while Matthews took it all matter-of-factly — “I have no problem with the switch, obviously” - he wouldn’t have been wrong to be ticked. Toronto has plenty of power-play problems, starting with the fact that the Patrick Marleau-led second unit has been mostly useless, receiving about 40% of the power-play ice time while producing just 24% of the points. Matthews, though he hasn’t produced a man-advantaged point in the past seven games, is a long way down the list of concerns. He’s third on the team behind Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner with 11 power-play points despite missing 14 games with a shoulder injury. On a per-minute basis, he’s by far Toronto’s best producer of offence with a manpower edge, not to mention at all strengths. And Toronto’s top unit, on which Matthews has so far played exclusively, is by far its best fivesome. The combination that’s mostly consisted of Matthews, Marner, Rielly, John Tavares and Nazem Kadri has produced about 76% of Toronto’s power-play goals while commanding just 60% of the power-play ice time. Which is to say: The better move would be to play Matthews more, not less. Elsewhere in the league, top guns get more run with the man advantage. The likes of Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos have found themselves on the ice for something closer to 70% of the minutes on the Lightning’s league-best power play. 1125178 Toronto Maple Leafs

Hyman is back for Leafs, Andersen is close, and Nylander ... well, here’s hoping

By MARK ZWOLINSKISports Reporter

Zach Hyman is back. Frederik Andersen should be right behind him, once the Leafs put their heads together. “I feel good … but right now, we’re looking towards Saturday (against Boston), that’s the day I come back,” the Maple Leafs goaltender said after Wednesday’s practice. The struggling William Nylander will see more of linemate Auston Matthews, with the latter joining him on the Leafs’ second power-play unit. “He’s not going to (play until) Colorado (on Monday),” head coach Mike Babcock said in the scrum that followed Andersen’s. Babcock, of course, will have the final say when his starter returns from the groin injury he suffered before Christmas. And a couple more days won’t hurt Andersen, who has played more minutes the past two seasons than any other NHL goalie. He hasn’t had a break, outside of the annual all-star weekends, since joining the Leafs in 2016. So everything points to Monday. And Babcock can turn his attention to other concerns, like the power play and the play of William Nylander. The coach tinkered with his special teams Wednesday, putting Kasperi Kapanen on the first power-play unit and moving Auston Matthews to the second. While the Leafs have struggled with the man advantage recently — they have not scored on the power play in 10 of their last 12 games — part of the move was to hook up Matthews with Nylander as much as possible. The two showed good chemistry last season, when Nylander had 20 goals and 61 points, and Babcock is hoping the spark they had is rekindled. What do you think? Nylander, with a goal and two assists in 14 games, is facing a daily media group that is turning up the heat on his lack of production. It’s the white noise that comes with being a star athlete in a slump. But it is also a concern to a coach who needs one of his most skilled players to simply start scoring. “You know, I only know one way, and that’s work,” Babcock said while discussing Nylander’s struggles. “Put your work boots on and get to work. When you work, and it goes well, you know its going well, and when it doesn’t go well, you know it too, so work.” Babcock is also a firm believer in tuning out critics. “That’s what the country music channel and the hunting channel is for — Wild TV 393, I think it is, it’s dialed in, they never talk about hockey once. It’s unbelievable … beautiful animals, mountains, hiking, fishing, things of beauty,” he said. Matthews said that, when he was in a slump last season, critics on social media chimed in with negative comments and sarcasm. Nylander says he doesn’t read or listen “to that stuff.” “I just know what I’m capable of, and I know that’s going to come,” Nylander said. “Once the puck starts going in, it’s going to keep going in.” Hyman, meanwhile, took up a spot on the wing with John Tavares and Mitch Marner, his linemates before he sprained an ankle eight games ago. Toronto went 5-3 in his absence, but the noted grit and drive Hyman brings to the lineup was underlined when he was sidelined. “There’s skill, and there’s different kinds of skill, and (Hyman) is tremendous,” Babcock said. “He plays heavy, he plays on the penalty kill, takes right-hand-side faceoffs … all of that is important for us.” Toronto Star LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125179 Toronto Maple Leafs

Thursday game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at New Jersey Devils

By KEVIN MCGRANSports Reporter

PRUDENTIAL CENTER FACEOFF: 7 p.m. TV: TSN4 RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN KEY PLAYERS Zajac/Matthews Centre Travis Zajac, in his 13th season with New Jersey, is the hottest player on the struggling Devils with four points in his last four games, but has just 24 points on the season. Zajac recently moved into sole possession of fourth place on the Devils’ all-time scoring list with 485 points, passing Scott Gomez ... Leafs centre Auston Matthews has a goal and three assists to lead the team over the last three games, giving him 39 points in just 28 games. NEED TO KNOW Devils forward Taylor Hall, last season’s Hart Trophy winner, remains out with an undisclosed injury, as does forward Marcus Johansson. Hall has 37 points in 33 games ... The Devils are promoting the game as ’80s Night ... The Devils wrapped up a 1-3-0 road trip. This will be their first home game of 2019 ... The Leafs resoundingly won the first two meetings, 6-1 and 7-2 ... New Jersey has been outscored 51-42 in the second period this season. UP NEXT Saturday vs. Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. Toronto Star LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125180 Toronto Maple Leafs not contributed much on the scoresheet in recent weeks. And it’s time for William Nylander to bring some more juice to each shift. Encouraging, perhaps, is what happened for the Leafs on their most recent visit to Game Day: Maple Leafs at Devils Newark, when they tied a season-high with seven goals. 5. Fun at home Terry Koshan The Devils return home after a four-game trip that netted them just two points, going 0-3-1 and ending with a 5-1 loss in Buffalo against the Sabres on Tuesday. The Devils have played just 19 games on home ice, tied for the fewest in the league to date, but have proven to be a tough TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS out in the building nicknamed The Rock, having lost just four times in regulation and going 11-4-4. And while NHL players usually care only Game Day: Maple Leafs at Devils about looking ahead, it’s 80’s Night, so the Devils will be wearing the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS replica sweaters from that era. Matthews moved off Leafs' first power-play unit MAPLE LEAFS LINES TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS LW-C-RW Leafs Locker: Hutch still in the crease picture Andreas Johnsson-Auston Matthews-Kasperi Kapanen TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS Zach Hyman-John Tavares-Mitch Marner TRAIKOS: Lightning entrenched atop NHL power rankings Patrick Marleau-Nazem Kadri-William Nylander TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (27-13-2) at NEW JERSEY DEVILS (16-19- Par Lindholm-Frederik Gauthier-Connor Brown 7) Defence pairs 7 p.m., Prudential Center, Morgan Rielly-Ron Hainsey TV: TSN, Radio: 590 AM Jake Gardiner-Nikita Zaitsev

Travis Dermott-Igor Ozhiganov THE BIG MATCHUP Goaltenders John Tavares vs. Travis Zajac Michael Hutchinson The crafty veteran centres have seen plenty of each other in their Kasimir Kaskisuo respective careers, taking into account Tavares’ lengthy tenure with the New York Islanders before joining the Maple Leafs last summer, and are DEVILS LINES bound to meet in the faceoff circle for some key draws. Tavares has 28 points in 39 games against the Devils, including one goal and one assist LW-C-RW in the Leafs’ 7-2 win in Newark on Dec. 18. For whatever reason, Zajac has not been able to solve the Leafs in his career, recording just 13 Jesper Bratt-Nico Hischier-Kyle Palmieri points in 37 games. Miles Wood-Travis Zajac-Blake Coleman FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Blake Pietila-Pavel Zacha-Stefan Noesen 1. Leaning on Hutchinson Brian Boyle-Brett Seney-Drew Stafford Whether Michael Hutchinson has one or two more starts remaining Defence pairs before No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen returns from a groin injury, the 28-year-old will want to build off his three starts with the Maple Leafs Andy Greene-Damon Severson in which he has put up a .915 save percentage. We don’t think Garret Sparks will necessarily lose his job as backup because he has a Sami Vatanen-Steven Santini concussion, but Hutchinson, while taking into consideration it’s a small Will Butcher-Ben Lovejoy sample size, has provided the kind of depth in net the Leafs needed. Versus the Devils, Hutchinson is 2-0 in his career with a .953 save Goaltenders percentage. Keith Kinkaid 2. Short on power Cam Johnson Coach Mike Babcock has made changes to power play units that have produced one goal in the past seven games (on 15 opportunities), INJURIES dropping Auston Matthews to the second unit and promoting Kasperi Devils — LW Taylor Hall (lower body), G Cory Schneider (abdominal), F Kapanen to the top unit. Something has to give, as the Leafs have too Marcus Johansson (upper body), RW Joey Anderson (ankle), G much talent to keep coming up dry with the man advantage. Not that Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body). anything comes easy in the NHL, but it certainly won’t on Thursday, as the Devils, led by Andy Greene and Ben Lovejoy among others, have the Maple Leafs — G Frederik Andersen (groin), G Garret Sparks second-best penalty-killing units in the NHL and have killed off 25 of the (concussion), F Tyler Ennis (ankle). past 26 power plays. SPECIAL TEAMS 3. Zach on attack Power play The Leafs aren’t as pugnacious on the forecheck without Zach Hyman, so there should be a boost with the winger returning after missing eight Devils: 18.4% (19th) games with a sprained ankle, an injury which just happened to occur in New Jersey on Dec. 18. Hyman doesn’t necessarily run people over, but Maple Leafs: 22.3% (8th) he brings the Leafs closer to that heavier style of play that Babcock Penalty kill desires. You can bet Hyman, who earlier missed two games because of a suspension, will be raring to go. For the Leafs, that’s nothing but a Devils: 85.3% (2nd) positive. Maple Leafs: 79.8% (17th) 4. Production issues Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.10.2019 The Leafs have been shut out twice in their past four games, so no one presently is filling the net with regularity. A few stand out, most notably Nazem Kadri, who has scored just two goals in his past 24 games. Connor Brown and Patrick Marleau also are among the Leafs who have 1125181 Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews moved off Leafs' first power-play unit

Lance Hornby

For all the aces he could play on the Maple Leafs power play, Mike Babcock is shuffling the deck. Take away a 3-for-3 night against the Florida Panthers before Christmas and it’s 2-for-40 the past five weeks, 1-for-15 of late and ranked behind four other Eastern Conference teams overall. There have been recent dry seasons when the Leafs would consider being better than 22% productive reason to give bonuses to their assistant coaches, but not when top-drawer talent such as Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner are capable of more. So Babcock flipped Matthews with Kasperi Kapanen at practice, to play the slot and wall with Tavares and Nazem Kadri hovering down low. The switch utilizes Kapanen’s speed and might restore a bit of the Matthews- William Nylander 5-on-5 chemistry with the second group, given more real estate. Whatever the case, it can’t hurt as Babcock watched recent game video with no one home to tip point shots that went wide and exited the zone, while other teams began cutting off the Marner- to-Matthews puck pipeline. “It wasn’t going the way we wanted,” summed up the coach. “When you (stack) one group, you don’t have as much competition. I still like when you have two and compete to see who’s out there. We’ll see how it goes, we can always change back at any time.” This move comes as the second half of the season begins and the countdown to the Feb. 25 NHL trade deadline nears. The rumour mill is heating up that the Leafs might pursue hometowner Wayne Simmonds to provide bottom six muscle — and a power-play net presence with the Philadelphia Flyers. He’s no spring chicken at age 30, but has almost 100 power-play goals. In admitting their shortcomings, the power play participants do credit the opposition with using the modern tools of the pre-scout to dissect their strengths after early season success. “Everybody watches video,” Matthews said. “Sometimes, something works for one game, you feel good and next game, that play’s not there. Maybe we got a bit too stale, bringing the same thing over and over again. It’s important to switch it up, give them something different to put (the penalty kill) back on their heels. I have no problem with the switch.” Matthews will be with Nylander, Andreas Johnsson and Patrick Marleau on vthe second unit with Jake Gardiner as the defenceman. Johnsson and Kapanen are Matthews’ current even-strength wingers. Marner and Rielly lead the team with 14 power-play points, Matthews has 11. To illustrate the Leafs conundrum with the extra man, they have 13 goals in two wins so far against Thursday night’s foe, the New Jersey Devils, but are 0-for-7 on the power play against them heading into Newark. “It’s a good opportunity for both units,” Tavares said. “Whatever adjustments teams make, we’d like to believe in our ability and our foundation to overcome that. (On the power play) we’re the team with one extra guy. We want to take advantage of that.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125182 Toronto Maple Leafs teams in 1995 and 2016), who both wore 34 for the Leafs” … Matthews lent his vocal encouragement to the slumping Nylander, who plays his 200th NHL game Thursday. “It helps when you have guys around you to Leafs Locker: Hutch still in the crease picture bring you up. He’s a big part of this team, no matter what anybody says or how he’s playing. He’s a special player. It’s like we’ve been saying all along, it’s not easy to jump in during the middle of a season. You obviously want to see him capitalize on chances like he’s used to. It Lance Hornby takes time. but there is no doubt in my mind hell get back to the way he can play” … The next goal by Tavares will be his 300th in the NHL.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.10.2019 Freddy is not quite ready. After some optimism that Frederik Andersen, Toronto’s No. 1 goalie, was going to return against the New Jersey Devils in Newark — fuelled by his appearance in a couple of practices the past few days — the big Dane dialled it back after Wednesday’s workout. Groin muscle soreness has sidelined him since Christmas. “It’s progressing really well, but right now, we are looking towards Saturday (at home versus Boston),” Andersen said. “We’ve been diligent about how we’re going about it, so we’ll make sure not to rush it like we’ve been talking about.” Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, having spoken to club medical personnel, took that cautionary tone much further, saying not to expect the 20-game winner in the crease until Monday at Scotiabank against the Colorado Avalanche. “We’ll just see. He has to be ready.” Thus, it’s a fourth start for Michael Hutchinson on Thursday, plus a fifth unless there’s a dramatic change in Andersen’s condition by the weekend. The Jersey game will have Kasimir Kaskisuo as the second emergency goalie, given Garret Sparks was not on the ice Wednesday as he gets through a concussion. “Sparks hasn’t been cleared, so I imagine Kas is getting a recall,” Babcock said. One player who will be back on Thursday — and who has been practising like a caged tiger — is left winger Zach Hyman. He has missed eight games because of an ankle injury, one he initially tried to play through. Though not a big-ticket player, Hyman fills a huge role on the line with top scorer Mitch Marner and leading goal man John Tavares. Marner just went through his first two-game scoring drought since mid-November. “He’s huge,” Babcock said of Hyman. “You have different kinds of skill. His is to be able to get the puck back to the net, play with good players, be heavy, play on the penalty kill, take right-hand faceoffs. All those things are important. Obviously, we missed him, though it will take a little time to get his hands back, but we’re excited, he gives us a deeper team.” Hyman’s absence through injury was preceded by two games away on a league suspension, all of it quite frustrating to the third-year full-time Leaf. “A first for everything, right?” he sighed of his recent bad luck. “Definitely a tough stretch, it sucks. But obviously the second half of the year is more important and after that, the (playoffs) is most important. It’s hard watching, but it’s good to be back.” IN DEFENCE OF KADRI The Maple Leafs’ practice on Wednesday ended with an unusual faceoff contest, regular centre Nazem Kadri taking on defenceman Jake Gardiner with the whole team gathering to watch. Babcock hinted Kadri was getting chirped from the backliners about being slow on the draw of late, and Babcock sent in Gardiner, who played centre a bit in high school, to challenge him in about 10 faceoffs. “Naz won out in the end,” noted Babcock, “though the rumour is the coach dropping the pucks (D.J. Smith) is the one who changes the defence and he might have been sliding it on the side of them.” With Hyman back in his usual spot, William Nylander is on the move again, back to third line with Kadri and Patrick Marleau. All three are suffering offensive droughts: Nylander one goal in 14 games, Marleau none in his last six, Kadri blanked in seven. LOOSE LEAFS Winger Trevor Moore has been returned to the Marlies with Hyman back … Wednesday was the 20th anniversary of defenceman Bryan Berard joining the Leafs from the New York Islanders in a trade for Felix Potvin. In a recent chat, Berard was asked if he had followed new Leafs star Auston Matthews’ career. “I’ve never met him,” Berard said, before pointing out “we’re two American kids picked first overall (by Canadian 1125183 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs making big changes ahead of Devils game

Lance Hornby

For what had looked to be a quiet day before a nondescript road game, Maple Leafs practice was a hive of activity. * Coach Mike Babcock changed around his flustered power play on Wednesday, switching Kasperi Kapanen and Auston Matthews. One of the most potent weapons on the team, Matthews’ struggles on the top unit are representative of John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri unable to cash in, with one of the biggest breakdowns getting the puck from Marner to Matthews. As a whole, the power play is 1-for-15 of late. Matthews moves to a second group with William Nylander, Andreas Johnsson and Patrick Marleau — that comes amid rumours the Leafs will look at trade options in coming weeks with hometown physical net presence Wayne Simmonds as the Philadelphia Flyers re-assess their direction under new management. A friendly competition at the dot between @Jgardiner272 and @43_Kadri to wrap up practice. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/Y4M6Nyd3eX — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 9, 2019 * Nylander’s ongoing offensive problems and some defensive gaffes have put the hot Toronto spotlight upon him again. With one goal and two assists in 14 games, he’ll play with Kadri and Marleau on Thursday in Newark. And no, he’s not getting worked up by the grumbling outside of Scotiabank Arena at his low output after signing a six-year, US$41.4- million deal. “I haven’t been really paying attention to anything,” he said of suggested social media backlash. “I just know what I’m capable of and I know that’s going to come. You’re going to have tough times and especially now it’s a little tougher than others. Once the puck starts going in, I’ll keep on. “I’m more comfortable in tight areas. All areas of the game are starting to feel better and better.” * Frederik Andersen is not ready to play despite a couple of full practices to work through a groin injury that has sidelined him since Christmas. His goal is to be in net Saturday against the Bruins in a key divisional battle, but Babcock doesn’t have him in the plan until Monday at home against the Colorado Avalanche. That means Michael Hutchinson starts in New Jersey and with no Garret Sparks (concussion) on the ice Wednesday, that likely means Kasimir Kaskisuo gets summoned from the Marlies a fourth time to back up on emergency recall the next game or so. * Zach Hyman is back for certain, the Leafs are very relieved after an ankle injury took him from his valued left wing forechecking role with Tavares and Marner. He’s missed eight games and before that two with a suspension, none of it familiar to the third-year full-time Leaf. “A first for everything, right,” he said. “Definitely a tough stretch, it sucks. But obviously the second half of the year is more important and after that (playoffs) is most important. It’s hard watching, but it’s good to be back.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125184 Toronto Maple Leafs “I think you just look around and see where teams need help and you’re like, ‘Well, I could play there,’” Holl said.

Holl’s experience with the Leafs is not without precedent. Consider As games watched from the press box pile up, Justin Holl tries to keep former Leafs and current Marlies defenceman Frank Corrado. He played frustration at bay 39 games in 2015-16 for the Leafs after being claimed on waivers. The following season, Corrado was a frequent healthy scratch, playing just two games. By Joshua Kloke Jan 9, 2019 33 He would lament his situation before being shipped to the Penguins at the trade deadline.

The days are starting to blend together for Justin Holl. And now, Corrado can understand what Holl is going through.

After winning a Calder Cup with the Toronto Marlies in June 2018 and “You want to have a purpose,” Corrado said. “That’s what we all search signing a two-year contract with the Maple Leafs weeks later, Holl has for, to have that purpose. And when you don’t play, when you pretty spent 40 of 42 games this season in the press box. Despite his lack of much never play, you miss that purpose.” playing time, the defenceman can’t help but maintain the same motto: Keep working, keep doing what you’re doing. It’s a motto he repeats Corrado’s advice for Holl? Just stay patient. multiple times throughout our conversation. “But it’s easier said than done,” Corrado said. As the 26-year-old defenceman continues to plug along, relatively unsure One problem with not getting regular ice time is not developing close of what the short-term future holds for him, he’s beginning to cede to the relationships with teammates, Corrado said. definition of insanity being doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. “There’s a lot of relationships that are built because of the games and what you go through on the ice,” he said. “When you’re never there, and “It’s like Groundhog Day when you’re not playing and you’re just you’re not on the ice for those games in the heat of the moment, you practicing every day,” Holl said. “You’re just doing the same old thing.” miss out on those relationships with your teammates, right?” For a player that looked ready for a spot on the Leafs blueline after three What’s also often missed when a player is not consistently in the lineup is consistent AHL seasons and a fairytale NHL debut last season when he the work done to force themselves back into that same lineup. scored two goals in two games, the long and winding story of Holl appears to have hit a roadblock. He has progressed slowly after being “Getting to the rink early to do an extra workout. Getting on the ice early. drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft by the Blackhawks. Now, as Making sure you’re the last guy off every day,” Corrado said. “And then he sits eighth on the Maple Leafs’ defence depth chart, Holl is trying to there’s little things: Every morning skate, no matter what, whether it’s a balance patience and frustration as the Leafs have stayed remarkably back-to-back, you’re bag skating. And it’s not the most fun thing. healthy on the back end this season. Everyone wants to be playing the games, right? You work just as hard. The games are more fun, they’re more purposeful. That’s when your “Yeah, it’s frustrating,” Holl said of his lack of playing time. “Everyone competitive spirit is flowing.” wants to play. I think that’s just the nature of it. As a competitor, that’s what you want.” For now, Holl is trying to check all of the above boxes.

As Holl says this, fellow defenceman Martin Marincin, who has played “I can be in the weight room too, getting stronger. That’s something that I just eight games himself this season, gives him a hearty pat on the pads can work on. And I can make sure that I can spend extra time after as a sign of reassurance. practice working on different things, different skills,” Holl said.

Though the toll of not playing is beginning to weigh on Holl, he After this particular practice, Holl was indeed the last one off the ice after internalizes his grievances and has not brought up his plight to other spending time playing a rebound game against teammates. Leafs. “Scored the game winner, not a big deal,” Holl said with a grin. “Nobody really cares about your problems,” Holl said matter-of-factly. “I’ve never considered complaining being something that’s productive.” The message Holl has received from the Leafs coaching staff is that there’s simply a log jam of defenceman, but that injuries happen. Should It hasn’t been easy to get a read on what Holl could bring to this Leafs a long playoff run emerge, the team may very well require the services of lineup. In his first game this season, a 2-1 loss to the Stars on November eight defencemen. 1, Holl moved the puck up the ice well and finished with a 57.14 percent 5-on-5 Corsi For %. Holl’s camp has been in steady communication with Leafs management throughout the season as they’ve kept them abreast of the team’s His second game, a 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings on December situation on defence. 23, was one to forget: Holl lost frequent puck battles and generally looked out of place while finishing with a 5-on-5 Corsi For % of 30.77 The fact that Holl signed a two-year, one-way deal shows a level of percent. investment and reinforces the belief that he will indeed play a role on the Leafs in the future. For the Leafs, the two-year deal makes sense Holl believes with continued ice time, he could consistently play with tight because an inevitable cap crunch will emerge next season and they’ll gaps, cleanly exit the defensive zone, play on top of the opposition and need players with Holl’s low AAV ($675,000) to play. His familiarity with help the Leafs to play with the puck more. the team’s systems and the fact that he developed with the Marlies make him that much more attractive to the Leafs next season. “Maybe like a Corsi player,” Holl said. “If you’re doing the right things and staying tight on your gaps, you’re going to end up with the puck more “That’s part of their plan here,” Holl said. than you’re going to end up playing defence.” And yet, next season can feel like a long time from now for a player who Holl’s vision was evident in his three seasons with the Marlies, as he put will turn 27 later this month and has just four total NHL games to his together 48 assists in 192 regular season games. As such, he tries to name. make the most of his time in the press box by intently analyzing what his teammates do on the ice and asking himself what he would have done in Those closest to Holl marvel at how well he’s handling his lack of playing the same situation. time.

That approach isn’t just limited to Leafs games, however. Holl admits “It’s tough for anyone. You want to play here so bad. To be here, and not he’s found himself watching games around the NHL and wondering play, you’re so close, it’s probably really tough,” said fellow defenceman where he might fit in different lineups. Travis Dermott. “As a guy, I don’t think you could take it much better than (Holl) has. He comes in every day and he’s smiling probably more than He stresses that he loves being in Toronto and has not asked for a trade, most guys.” but he can’t help if his mind begins to wander. That ceaseless sense of positivity has long been a character trait of Holl’s. And it might be what keeps his mind from veering off course and losing focus of his ultimate goal of finally cracking the Maple Leafs lineup on a more regular basis.

“He’s got a positive energy about him that is great to be around both from a coaching perspective and what he brings to a locker room,” said Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe, who called Holl an intelligent and passionate player.

“He always believed in himself,” Keefe said. “He kept working to take advantage of all the resources around here.”

Now, positivity is all well and good, but Holl now has less than half a season remaining to get into the Leafs’ lineup, and possibly answer the question that has followed him throughout the past few seasons: Can he be a regular NHL player?

The question was posed to Keefe.

“I can’t answer that question,” Keefe said. “I think the players have to answer that question through their opportunities.”

Those opportunities have been few and far between for Holl. Until they do come, he has no choice but to continue on the same path he’s on, unsure of when his dream of becoming a full-time NHL player will be achieved.

“I have confidence in my ability, I have confidence that I can play here,” said Holl, “and I think it’ll happen eventually.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125185 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ schedule ramps up starting with San Jose

By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Of all the gifts the Golden Knights received this holiday season, the best one came from the schedule maker. The Knights feasted on a steady diet of middle-of-the-pack teams for the past month and a half to climb the standings in the Pacific Division. But starting with Thursday’s encounter against the San Jose Sharks at T- Mobile Arena, they’ll face a difficult six-game stretch leading into the All- Star break. “I think it’ll feel like a playoff game, for sure,” Knights right wing Alex Tuch said. “Honestly, it’s going to be hard-nosed, gritty. We don’t like them; they don’t like us. I think each team has a lot of respect for one another. But we’re going to come in and we’re going to play really hard. “We know who we’re playing against. We’ve played against them several times, last year and this year. They’re a good team, playing well right now. Divisional opponent, so it’s big. It’ll be a big game.” Since shellacking the Sharks 6-0 two days after Thanksgiving, the Knights have compiled a 15-3-3 record. That run coincided with a soft spot in the schedule. The Knights played 15 of their past 21 games against teams that were ranked in the bottom half of the NHL standings by points percentage. Washington was the lone team in the top 10. During their current seven-game win streak, the Knights haven’t faced anyone in the top half of the league standings. Colorado, which was 16th out of 31 teams entering Tuesday’s games, was the highest-ranked team. “It’s a statement game, I think, for both teams, see where we’re at right now,” Knights left wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “Obviously there’s a lot of hockey left in the season, but I think it’s going to be a good challenge for both sides. “Not to take away the game of the Devils or Rangers, but I don’t think they’re in the same position as the San Jose Sharks right now. They’re a great team, and it’s going to be a good test for us.” After facing San Jose, the Knights’ next five games include a showdown at Central Division leader Winnipeg on Tuesday and home games against Pittsburgh (Jan. 19) and Nashville (Jan. 23). The All-Star break runs Jan. 24 through Jan. 26 and is immediately followed by the Knights’ five-day bye week. “I’m happy with my team,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “If we come out and play a great game (Thursday), that’s what I expect. But if we have a tough game, nothing’s going to change. In one game, nothing changes. “I learned a lot about our team lately. Nothing that I didn’t know, but when when we’re playing good, sound hockey and we’re playing good, solid defensive hockey and keeping the goals-against down, that’s what our team is.” The second-place Knights (58 points) lead San Jose by one point in the Pacific Division, which has turned into a three-team race with front- running Calgary. The Sharks have won four straight, including an impressive 5-2 victory over league-leading Tampa Bay on Saturday. Evander Kane and Joonas Donskoi each scored twice on Tuesday as San Jose thumped Edmonton, 7-2. “I think we’re obviously playing well right now, and they’ve been crushing teams lately,” Knights defenseman Nick Holden said. “They’re just four- lines dangerous. They’re scoring a ton of goals right now, and their (defensemen) are very active, dynamic. That obviously presents the challenge that you can’t ever let down because anybody on their team can beat you and score.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125186 Vegas Golden Knights “I’ve only been here a couple days, but so far, so good,” the 23-year-old Russian said. “It’s a very entertaining city. For now, I’m just enjoying the weather.” Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves answers the bell against Rangers LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.10.2019

By Adam Hill / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves lamented earlier this week the fact he had yet to engage in a fight at T-Mobile Arena. Adam McQuaid helped change that when he dropped the gloves with Reaves during Tuesday night’s game against the Rangers. “That was fun,” Reaves said of his one-sided beating of McQuaid near center ice. “I was just saying one day I’m going to regret never having a fight there and then two days later, there it was. I definitely fed off the energy in the crowd, that’s for sure.”

Reaves vs McQuaid. Heavyweight 壘 pic.twitter.com/SZSem2shFo

— David Schoen  (@DavidSchoenLVRJ) January 9, 2019 The confrontation was building from the start. Max Pacioretty got in a big shot on Anthony DeAngelo in the first period, and the Rangers went after Pacioretty a couple times, including a big hit late in the second period. “They were a little upset because DeAngelo got hurt a little bit and that could have been a boarding penalty, then we thought it could have been a penalty when McQuaid hit (Pacioretty), but the refs called a good game tonight in my opinion,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “Nobody is going to come in on our team and try to intimidate us. Especially going after our top players, guys are going to stand up for each other.” It was the 65th fight of Reaves’ NHL career and third of the season, according to hockeyfights.com. “I think he probably knew I was looking for him so we just kind of met right there at center ice,” Reaves said. “Those are always fun. He’s a tough kid, and I think he knew he ran (Pacioretty) a little early there. There’s not a lot of guys who will answer the bell like that, so good on him.” Reaves said McQuaid actually got a good grip early in the scrap, so he allowed McQuaid to throw while he readjusted his hands. Once he realized the punches were coming up short, Reaves found his range before dropping McQuaid to the ice with several big right hands. “I thought it was a good one,” Reaves said. “I can’t complain. It got real loud in there real quick and it was good to have the fans behind me. That was only my third of the year. Back in the day, I was getting like 14 a year. I don’t think I’m going to get double-digits this year, so they’re always fun. This will be the first time I’ll have more goals than fights. It’s nice. A little easier on the hands, that’s for sure.” Love Your Melon Nights announced The Knights announced Wednesday they will host three “Love Your Melon Nights,” beginning on Feb. 20 against the Boston Bruins. Love Your Melon is an apparel brand aimed at providing hats to children battling cancer as well as supporting organizations fighting pediatric cancer. Half of the net profit from salesare donated to the brand’s nonprofit partners. Fans purchasing tickets to the three games, which also include March 21 against Winnipeg and March 29 against Minnesota, through a link on the team’s website will receive a Love Your Melon beanie with their ticket. Zykov standing by Forward Valentin Zykov has yet to play a game for the Knights since he was acquired off waivers from Edmonton on Dec. 29. He has played at T-Mobile Arena as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. “They’ve done a great job with the (atmosphere) there,” he said in meeting with reporters for the first time on Wednesday. “I see all the guys getting very excited to play home games and I understand why.” The 2013 second-round pick of the Kings is just adjusting to his new home while he awaits his opportunity. 1125187 Vegas Golden Knights The Knights are winning like crazy and Stastny is back and part of the action, having recorded points in seven of his 13 games since returning, including five of the last seven, including an assist on Ryan Carpenter’s Stastny’s vision, feel for game make impact for Golden Knights empty-net goal Tuesday. He’s showing the type of play most excepted upon his arrival. By Ed Graney / Las Vegas Review-Journal Which, I suppose, means one thing: Don’t knock your hockey playing kid for wanting to give tennis and soccer a try.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.10.2019 He played tennis and soccer growing up, too. Maybe that’s where the hand-eye coordination was developed beyond just his time on the ice, why he can make those ridiculously tough backdoor passes appear easier than lacing skates. Maybe most of it comes from Dad, because Hall of Famers have a way of passing things down. Passing being the operative word. Good genes and such. Paul Stastny has in the last several games shown those skills most assumed he would bring when signing a three-year $19.5 million contract with the Knights, when becoming the team’s highest paid player in the offseason, when arriving as a veteran center to lead the second line. But injuries have had their way of finding Stastny and did again in the season’s first week, when Sabres forward Jack Eichel slammed into Stastny’s right knee and sent him to injured reserve for two months. He’s back now, and the Knights are as hot as any NHL team, having won their seventh straight Tuesday night in beating the Rangers 4-2 before an announced crowd of 18,249 at T-Mobile Arena. It’s a daily theme, updating which current Knights are on IR, nearly four months of never consistently offering the full lineup general manager George McPhee envisioned when finalizing the roster. Consider: Stastny and forward Max Pacioretty were the team’s major acquisitions following the Knights’ trip to a Stanley Cup Final, and yet Tuesday was just the eighth game they have been active together, the latter elevated to the top line against New York with Reilly Smith now on injured reserve. You can’t quantify instinct in sports, never mind explaining why that of one athlete is so sharper than another. Stastny just sees things develop sooner and better than most, who teammates say is so engrossed with all things hockey, could tell you the exact curve and flex of everyone’s stick while also expertly dressing down the equipment choices of all Knights, piece by piece. Which means I’m not sure this guy is the life of any party but would likely be the first overall pick when teams are chosen for a game of hockey trivial pursuit. “I had heard he was a really smart player, not the fastest, didn’t have the greatest hands or anything like that, but was unbelievable in the faceoff circle and was one of the smartest guys in the league,” said forward Alex Tuch, now following Stastny’s direction of the second line. “But he has blown me away, honestly, way more than I thought. I learn something from him every game. “His hockey knowledge is through the roof. He can talk to you about hockey for hours on end. The way he’s able to see the ice, make passes, it’s amazing.” Like father, like … Tuch offered his own Stastny impression Tuesday with a no-look backhanded pass to spring Cody Eakin, who answered with his 13th goal for a 1-0 lead in the first period. There is something about great passing, about those whose mental aptitude tends to move at a swifter rate. Peter Stastny was better at this during his career and most everything else, the league’s second highest scorer of the 1980s after Wayne Gretzky. His son was the recipient of such knowledge. “He was constantly watching me and analyzing what I was thinking on certain things and what I was seeing,” said Paul Stastny, 33 and in his 13th NHL season. “He was like me in that he was a playmaker who would rather have an assist than a goal. Make those around you better. “I still find myself asking, ‘Why?’ a lot, whether it’s hockey or real estate or raising kids or eating healthy or doing treatment. The game evolves and so does life. I still want to be better at everything. If you can continue to improve just 1 percent over 82 games and into the playoffs, that can mean the difference in one or two wins.” 1125188 Vegas Golden Knights

Goalie Maxime Lagace gets call from AHL, could be active Thursday vs. Sharks

By Justin Emerson (contact)

The Golden Knights have called up goaltender Maxime Lagace from their AHL affiliate in Chicago, the team announced today. Lagace is expected to back up Marc-Andre Fleury in Thursday’s home game against the San Jose Sharks. Goalie Malcolm Subban did not practice this morning, and coach Gerard Gallant did not offer an update on Subban other to say he is “not feeling good.” Lagace fills the roster spot of forward Reilly Smith, who was placed on injured reserve before Tuesday’s game. It is not clear how long Lagace will remain with the team, as forward William Carrier is eligible to return from injured reserve in time for Saturday’s road game at the Chicago Blackhawks. Lagace played in 16 game last season for Vegas, recording a 6-7-1 record with a 3.92 goals-against average and .867 save percentage. He has played in 18 games with AHL Chicago this year, going 9-6-0 with a 2.72 goals-against average and .898 save percentage. Lagace signed a one-year extension with the Golden Knights last July. He is making $650,000 against the cap and is a restricted free agent at the end of the season, according to CapFriendly. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125189 Washington Capitals “But I don’t think it makes it any easier that guys are playing well. It’s almost harder that everyone’s playing well and you’re still sitting. I’m sure that runs through all of our heads.” The Capitals’ fourth-line talent is spilling into the press box: ‘There’s one The Capitals prefer fierce internal competition to none at all, and though too many guys’ it’s friendly, it can be awkward. The players vying for the same lineup spot are often around each other most, running through drills together. They’re still expected to cheer one another because it’s in the best By Isabelle Khurshudyan January 9 at 3:46 PM interest of the team. But a good result could mean the guys sidelined will have to wait even longer. Or in the case of Washington, even playing relatively well may not be enough lineup security. With a fourth line that has too few spots for the Washington Capitals' “It could be that the guy who takes your spot one night, all of a sudden, deep forward corps, Coach Todd Reirden tried a rotation, switching up you get to play with him the next night,” Boyd said. “And if things go well, which three players were in the lineup every game because no one ever you get a goal and he assists on it or something. We’re pushing each really deserved to be out. It’s “a good problem to have,” as center Nicklas other. If you sit out two straight games and you watch the fourth line go Backstrom put it, but after three weeks of that, it simply became a out there and score and then the next night they have another good night problem. with a bunch of chances, you know that when you get a chance to play, you better do something.”’’ “It hasn’t allowed us to come up on the right side of some of the results,” Reirden said. “It’s important that we emphasize taking advantage of your Washington Post LOADED: 01.10.2019 opportunity, and when you do, you’ll be in the lineup.” The Capitals changed little about their Stanley Cup-winning roster from last season, but the fourth line saw the most upheaval with management wanting more speed and skill there. Center Travis Boyd was promoted to the NHL after years in the American Hockey League, Nic Dowd was signed in free agency, and Dmitrij Jaskin was claimed off waivers before the season. Along with returning wingers Chandler Stephenson and Devante Smith- Pelly, Washington has five players for its fourth trio, and it seems to score no matter which combination is on the ice. The Capitals have scored 47 five-on-five goals in 17 games since the start of December, and the fourth line has contributed 10 of them, impressive considering it gets the least amount of ice time. [Caps surprise Maryland hockey team that defended black teammate after racist taunts] Reirden has plenty of options, and now that the coach has opted against a rotation, the challenge for him is settling on one. “It’s unfortunate there’s one too many guys because they all deserve to be playing every night,” goaltender Braden Holtby said. “They’re playing great, and you’ve got to tip your hat to them because sometimes they’re not in the lineup and they’ve got to wait,” forward T.J. Oshie said. “They’ve got to watch their buddies, cheer them on and then make a difference when they come back in. It seems like whatever guy comes out there and jumps on that unit, they make a difference in the game, and that’s what you need out of those guys.” Based on the past week, Reirden’s preferred fourth line is Boyd centering Stephenson and Smith-Pelly, and while Boyd and Dowd had been alternating games in the lineup, Stephenson and Smith-Pelly are relatively stable because of their importance to the team’s penalty kill. They’re often among the first forwards over the boards when Washington is shorthanded, both averaging roughly two minutes per game in that situation. Boyd has built an impressive case for himself. Skating an average of 10:10 per game, he has four goals and eight assists, tied for the eighth- best even-strength points per 60 minutes in the NHL. But Dowd has similar numbers with four goals and nine assists. He’s on pace for a career year offensively — his best season was two years ago, when he scored six goals with 16 assists in 70 games for the Los Angeles Kings. Had Backstrom not been too ill to play Tuesday night against Philadelphia, however, Dowd would have been a healthy scratch for a third straight game. With Backstrom expected back Thursday in Boston, Dowd will probably be pushed out again. [Boyd is getting comfortable and providing offensive spark] Jaskin is further down the depth chart. He’s played in just one of the Capitals’ past nine games, and it was against his former team in St. Louis. Though he has just one goal with six assists this season, his current predicament isn’t necessarily an indictment of his play. Reirden has praised Jaskin’s improvement over the past three months and said he “is not even the same player” the Capitals acquired. “Right now, it’s frustrating for all of us because we’re all playing well and we all want to play,” Dowd said. “It’s never something where you’re angry at the guy who stepped in for you because you’re going to be the guy who takes that guy out eventually. If anything, you can be upset at the situation. It does suck. Everyone wants to be playing, and all of us deserve to be playing. 1125190 Washington Capitals Full story: https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/caps-invite-team-that- rallied-against-racism-to-mondays-game/c-303715496 …#ALLCAPS #HockeyIsForEveryone pic.twitter.com/lf3yM7fgHv Caps surprise Maryland hockey team that defended black teammate 569 after racist taunts 4:48 PM - Jan 9, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy By Scott Allen January 9 at 2:26 PM Embedded video

179 people are talking about this When Devante Smith-Pelly and John Carlson heard about Divyne Apollon II, the 13-year-old defenseman for the Odenton-based Metro Twitter Ads info and privacy Maple Leafs who has faced racist taunts and chants of “Go play !” this season, the Washington Capitals teammates decided to The Capitals provided the Metro Maple Leafs 60 tickets to Monday’s invite Apollon and his entire team to a future game. game, after which the team will have the chance to meet with Capitals players. “For me to meet [Divyne] and look him in the face as someone who’s gone through it and can talk to him and share my experience is important Washington Post LOADED: 01.10.2019 to me,” the 26-year-old Smith-Pelly, who has embraced being a role model for black kids who follow and play hockey, told Taryn Bray of WashingtonCaps.com. “It’s a pretty gross thing to be happening." [Devante Smith-Pelly, a black champion in a mostly white league, embraces being a role model] "I think you feel for Divyne and what he has to go through, and as a hockey player I think we all stand up for each other,” Carlson said. “I just think it’s a good thing to do to show him we’re all with him.” At a recent tournament involving the Maple Leafs, the opposing team’s coach and referees did nothing to quell the racial animosity, including monkey sounds, directed at Apollon when he was on the ice. “Normally, stuff like that doesn’t happen directly to my face,” Apollon told The Washington Post’s Petula Dvorak. “But it was there.” [P.K. Subban reaches out to teens receiving racist taunts on the ice] Apollon’s teammates yelled at the other team and started a brawl at the end of the third period that ultimately resulted in Apollon being suspended for the remainder of the tournament. His teammates wore stickers featuring an anti-racism logo designed by a Maple Leafs player’s mom on their gear during their next game. “I was a little shocked by all the support,” Apollon said afterward. In their surprise video message personally inviting the Maple Leafs to Monday’s game against the St. Louis Blues, which the Maple Leafs' coach showed to his players on Tuesday night, Smith-Pelly and Carlson praised Apollon’s teammates for coming to his defense. "Hey Metro Maple Leafs, we heard about the unfortunate incidents that have been taking place with Divyne, but we were so happy to see your team stand up to defend and support each other,” Smith-Pelly said in the video. “To show our support and to reward you all for showing the true meaning of a hockey family, we would like to invite your entire team to the game on Jan. 14,” Carlson said. Washington Capitals

✔ @Capitals · 17h When the #Caps heard about Divyne and the Metro Maple Leafs' story, they knew right away they had to reach out:https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/caps-invite-team-that-faced- racism-to-mondays-game/c-303715496 … Caps Invite Team that Rallied Against Racism to Monday's Game Carlson and Smith-Pelly sent the Metro Maple Leafs a video message personally inviting the team to a game nhl.com Washington Capitals

✔ @Capitals Watch as the Metro Maple Leafs receive a personal message from @smithpelly23 and @JohnCarlson74 inviting them to Monday's game. 1125191 Washington Capitals

Jakub Vrana's speed, work ethic give Capitals a blossoming young star

By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Anyone who frequents the Washington Capitals’ free-to-attend practices in Arlington, Virginia, knows that Jakub Vrana is most often the last player to leave the ice. He works solo on his shot, specialty plays or whatever skill is on his mind that day. Even after posting two goals and an assist in the Capitals’ 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday — Vrana’s first three-point performance in a regular season game — the 22-year-old littered his postgame talk with reporters with variations of the same phrase: “I can always get better.” The Capitals’ youngest forward in a lineup with multiple blossoming stars won’t tap the brakes on his work ethic now. “I feel like always the young guys should stay on the ice a little longer,” Vrana said. “Unless they injured or something, they should stay longer on the ice and work on their game. … I’ve been doing that pretty much all my life. When I feel it, I’m just gonna stay out there and work on my game.” It’s easy to forget Vrana was a rookie just last season. His two goals Tuesday tied, then eclipsed his 2017-18 total of 13, and he has half the season to go to set a new career high. The Czech Republic native is second on the team in goals (14) and tied for fifth in points (24). On his assist and his first goal, in particular, Vrana showed off his breakaway speed to make the plays. He picked up a puck from a defensive zone faceoff and beat a few Flyers to the goal line, where a quick centering pass to the crease gave Tom Wilson an easy goal. Then, in the second period, he stole the puck from Philadelphia’s No. 1 center, Sean Couturier, and sped away all alone to score. “You cannot always go so fast. You have to read the situation,” Vrana said. “Obviously I try to use it as much as I can and when I see the chance to skate I do it. I think I’m a good skater and I just try to use it as much as I can.” Coach Todd Reirden certainly believes Vrana is a good skater, too. He said he likes to come up with “comparables” for some of his players, and while he wouldn’t divulge which past or present NHL players Vrana reminded him of, it came down to the element of speed. “We’ve talked a lot about how those players use speed to affect the game. Everyone can have an effect [in] a different way, and Vrana’s is definitely with his speed and his instincts to pick passes off,” Reirden said. The offseason is still a ways off, but given the flashes Vrana has shown last postseason and this year, his contract situation is worth pointing out. The winger’s entry-level deal expires after this season, when he’ll become a restricted free agent. If there’s any candidate on this team for an in-season extension, a la Lars Eller this time last year, it would be Vrana. Goalie Pheonix Copley, who picked up his 10th win of the year Tuesday, played with Vrana for a while with the AHL Hershey Bears not long ago. He hasn’t been surprised by Vrana’s NHL success. “He’s very highly skilled and very fast, as everyone can see,” Copley said. “It’s great. He spends a lot of time working on his game. So anytime you see a guy who works that hard, it means that much, it’s that much more special to watch.” And lucky for Washington, it’s not likely Vrana will slow down soon — either in his game speed or in his post-practice efforts. “It can always be better,” Vrana said with a bit of a laugh. “I’ve been saying that all the time. You can think too much about numbers and you can get into your head too much. So just try to go day by day, enjoying the NHL here with these guys and just working hard and try to bring it every game.” Washington Times LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125192 Washington Capitals

Capitals think larger than hockey with game invite to youth team fighting racism

By Bob Trosset January 09, 2019 12:36 PM

TRENDING NOW 1:07 Jeff Green proud of his scar 7 years after heart surgery 1:50 Wizards get revenge, beat Sixers behind big night from Beal 3:59 Watch BMitch help Trav Thomas in his Nats Racing Prez tryout 0:09 Bradley Beal drains his 100th three-pointer of the season 1:01 Is Ben Simmons a threat to Bradley Beal's All-Star spot? When Capitals stars John Carlson, Devante Smith-Pelly heard about one youth hockey player's story of being harassed with racial taunts and slurs during a game against another youth team from Pennsylvania, they wanted to do something to help. "It's terrible first off, I think you feel for Divyne and what he has to go through and as a hockey player I think we all stand up for each other," Carlson told the team's website. "I just think it's a good thing to do to show him we're all with him." Divyne Apollon, a black 13-year-old who plays for the Maryland-based Metro Maple Leafs youth hockey team and his team heard monkey sounds, namecalling and other chants directed at him throughout much of an early-January game, according to reports. Then, the end of the third period came. From the Washington Post: At the end of the third period, the fed-up teammates started yelling at the other team and a fight began. Divyne said he got punched in the face, and he fought back. After the kids were pulled apart, Divyne was suspended from the rest of the tournament and he finally told the adults what the other team had been saying. His teammates backed him up, telling the parents and team manager what happened. “It happened in Hagerstown earlier in the season, too,” Apollon said. “The n-word. The basketball chants. We had a team chat and he explained the history of how it happened before.” That was far from the only show of support: According to the Post, one of Apollon's teammates' moms designed and helped spread stickers with the word "Racism" crossed out. Teams across the tournament wore them in support. PK Subban reached out to the team earlier this week. And on Wednesday, the Capitals' stars personally recorded a video to invite Apollon and his entire team to Capital One Arena for the St. Louis Blues game on Jan. 14. They plan to meet with the group afterward. "For me to meet him [Divyne] and look him in the face as someone who's gone through it and can talk to him and share my experience is important to me," Smith-Pelly told the team's website. "It's a pretty gross thing to be happening." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125193 Winnipeg Jets been thrown out the window despite the fact the Jets have, statistically, the most capable backup in the NHL ready and willing to spell Hellebuyck off. Jets riding No. 1 goalie while stats leader Brossoit rides bench Frankly, it doesn't make any sense. I expect Brossoit will be in net Friday when the Jets host the Detroit Red By: Mike McIntyre | Posted: 01/9/2019 7:00 PM | Comments: 14 Wings as part of a back-to-back. After that, when might his next start come? Hellebuyck will likely get the next four games heading into the bye week and all-star game break — a pair of home dates with the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas followed by big divisional road games in Nashville and ST. PAUL — He has become Winnipeg's version of the lonely Maytag Dallas. repairman, the fictional character created by the appliance company to stress just how reliable their products were. If so, that would mean Brossoit would go a stretch of more than five weeks with just one appearance to show for it. And it's a shame, really, how little backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit has been pressed into service by the Winnipeg Jets. He should have gotten the call in Edmonton, not just for sentimental value but based on merit. The Jets have played the Oilers three times Remember Brossoit? The 25-year-old has been nothing short of brilliant this season and Brossoit didn't see action in any of them. (Hellebuyck this season, going 8-0-1 in his nine starts as he attempts to get his career gave up 12 goals in those games, which included a regulation win, an back on track following several frustrating seasons, including stints in the overtime win and an overtime loss). AHL and ECHL. (He also has one relief appearance where he inherited a 3-0 deficit from a porous Connor Hellebuyck in Calgary and was tagged Obviously, you can't change the past. But going forward, Maurice and with a loss). has staff must find a way to get Brossoit somewhere in the range of 12 to 15 games in the second-half of the season, not only for his sake based Consider this: of the 57 NHL goalies who have made at least nine starts on his strong play but for the overall good of Hellebuyck and the team. this season, Brossoit's 2.11 goals-against-average and .939 save percentage are first overall in both categories. Those are the kind of Based on how this season has played out and the fact the Jets only have numbers that should have the coach considering calling your number on four remaining sets of back-to-back games after this week, I won't hold a nightly basis. my breath waiting for it to happen. Instead, they don't appear to have earned Brossoit a thing. He was likely Sure, the Jets appear to be running as smoothly as a Maytag appliance getting nine starts in the first 42 games of 2018-19 regardless of how he right now without any major defects. But allowing Hellebuyck a little extra played, but you'd think the fact he's stood on his head on those rare maintenance along the way might help prevent a costly breakdown down occasions he takes the crease might mean a little extra rest for the road. workhorse No. 1 Hellebuyck. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.10.2019 I keep thinking back to his last start, which seems like a lifetime ago. Brossoit single-handedly kept the road-weary Jets in their Dec. 22 game in Vancouver, stopping every puck that came his way and allowing Mark Scheifele's late third-period goal to stand up in a 1-0 victory against the Canucks. It was grand larceny from Brossoit, with extra-special meaning given the 40-save shutout came days before Christmas in front of numerous family members and friends in the city he grew up in. "This is one of those games I don’t think I’ll forget," Brossoit told me that night in the dressing room at Rogers Arena. I asked him when the next special game might be, knowing full well the Jets were slated to play New Year's Eve in Edmonton against the Oilers, the team that gave up on him after last season. "That could be the next one on the bucket list," he said with a big smile. It never came to be. Hellebuyck started the first game back after the Christmas break against the Calgary Flames (4-1 loss), was between the pipes again two nights later against the Minnesota Wild (3-1 loss), and then rang in 2019 against the Oilers in a 4-3 win. Hellebuyck played again Friday in Pittsburgh (4-0 loss to the Penguins), and the last two games at home against division rivals (5-1 win over the Dallas Stars, and a 7-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche). He'll likely make a seventh straight start when the Jets play the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul Thursday night. Thing is, Hellebuyck didn't exactly look like himself Tuesday night against the Avalanche. The Vezina Trophy finalist from last season was flopping all over the ice and seemingly having trouble tracking the puck — strange looks for a guy who usually plays what can best be described as a big, boring game. Hellebuyck has been inconsistent at times this season, has yet to post a shutout (Marc-Andre Fleury leads the league with six) and his 2.86 GAA is 33rd among those 57 goalies with at least nine starts. His .909 save- percentage is slightly better at 30th overall. Is fatigue setting in? Hellebuyck has started 33 games and is on pace to exceed the 64 starts he made last season when injuries to backup Steve Mason meant a rotating cast of masked men behind Hellebuyck, which also included the departed Michael Hutchinson and Moose goalie Eric Comrie. Mason, Hutchinson and Comrie combined for eight wins in 18 starts last season — the same number Brossoit has posted in nine starts. I'm a big believer that the Jets — especially Hellebuyck — ran out of gas by the time they reached the Western Conference final last year against the Vegas Golden Knights, ultimately falling in five games. Heading into this season, Jets head coach Paul Maurice indicated they would be managing Hellebuyck's rest carefully to ensure he was in peak condition for what would hopefully be another long playoff run. And yet, now past the halfway point of the campaign, that plan appears to have 1125194 Winnipeg Jets "When your kind of sitting comfortable up high in the standings and you’re playing against teams that are desperate for points, they’re just naturally going to be more desperate and have more intensity to their Jets prepare for Wild's suffocating style of play game and that’s something we need to build towards and manufacture here as the second half goes along," said Chiarot.

WHO'S MINDING THE NET? Hellebuyck, with nine starts in Winnipeg's Mike Sawatzky By: Mike Sawatzky last 10 games, has started all six games the Jets have played since the Christmas break, a number that matches his longest stretch of consecutive starts in 2018-19. The Winnipeg Jets face a familiar nemesis in Minnesota Thursday night He will start Thursday against the Wild before getting a break on Friday and they expect the hometown Wild to serve up a familiar brand of when No. 2 man Laurent Brossoit gets the nod against the visiting Detroit suffocating defensive hockey. Red Wings. The Jets dominated the Wild in 2017-18, winning three of four games Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.10.2019 during the regular season and four of five in the playoffs. Thus far in 2018-19, Minnesota has won both meetings between the teams — once in Winnipeg and once at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. "They play a good defensive game," said veteran Jets left-winger Mathieu Perreault Wednesday afternoon. "The first game in Minny, we kind of blew it. We were up, and then they tied it up and scored a late goal to win. It's always tight, not much room out there. Yeah, they've got the best of us the last two games. Hopefully we can take this one back tomorrow." What needs to change? "They came back on us one night, so it’s hard to look at that and say we didn’t have it," said goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. "... We had it for 90 per cent of it and just lost it. So I guess just putting together a full effort against them and obviously they’re going to be pretty angry because of the way the season ended last year." How does Jets head coach Paul Maurice explain the reversal of fortune? "I do think they have a bit more of a defensive posture against us maybe now than they did," said Maurice. "So much of your season isn't really necessarily about your opponent you play that night. It's the road you've travelled the week prior to it. You're catching a team that's hot. Pittsburgh would be a good example. We lost to them in here but had the lead on them, and they looked like a completely different team (there). We caught them (Minnesota) in a time when they were grinding a bit and played a pretty good defensive game." FUN FACT: Winnipeg's 7-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday night was the club's seventh win in seven tries when giving up 40 shots or more this season. The St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks all met with a similar fate as the Avs, who outshot the Jets 41-21. Head coach Paul Maurice said Winnipeg's success in those situations involves more than just good goaltending. "Goaltending, yes, especially early on," said Maurice. "(Against) Carolina, Arizona, (it was) really good. Detroit. And then there are Corsi teams that shoot absolutely everything. There's also a loss of possession if you do that. If we handle that right, there's an opportunity for us to get it back, and then the transition's good. When you're shooting the puck, you've got at least two other guys that are out there in an offensive mindset. And if it doesn't go in or it's a low-percentage shot and the other team gets it, if they move quick then, there's an advantage... "Shot quality for us would be far more important. There was a lot of scrumming action around the net, a lot of quickness in what they did. And then there was a great chunk of shots that aren't going to beat (Connor Hellebuyck) anyway. We don't mind those, because we've got an opportunity to get those back." Hellebuyck didn't agonize over the pucks that got past him Tuesday. "I thought I played very well," said Hellebuyck. "I played well enough to win. I made some key saves when I needed to. I can’t control the fluky tips and the luck that they’re getting. I like to play my fullest game and if I’m not making a mistake and making them get a lucky goal, I think I’ve done a good job." Want more on the Jets? Get all Jets coverage from the Free Press and beyond in your inbox. SUBSCRIBE TO FLIGHT CLUB FINDING ANOTHER GEAR: Winnipeg had a one-point edge over the Nashville Predators atop the Central Division heading into Wednesday's action and veteran blue-liner Ben Chiarot admitted that lofty perch can make opponents more dangerous in the heat of a playoff race. 1125195 Winnipeg Jets

From red-hot to ice-cold: Laine trying not to think about scoring drought

Mike Sawatzky By: Mike Sawatzky

Fourteen months ago, Patrik Laine was going through a crisis of confidence and wasn't afraid to admit it. "Feels like hockey is really hard right now," the 20-year-old Jets winger told reporters at the time. "It doesn’t matter if it’s offensively or defensively. Obviously, I don’t have a lot of confidence." On Wednesday, in the midst of a stretch of one goal in 10 games and having scored only three times in 18 games since Dec. 1, the Finnish phenom was asked if he had a similar feeling about state of his current game. "I would probably say the same things," said Laine, who still has a team- leading 24 goals in three 42 games after piling up an astonishing 18 goals in a 12-game period in November. "There’s been a big stretch where I haven’t scored, and so it’s kinda my specialty and it’s always frustrating when you’re not doing the right things. "There’s still a lot of things you can do well for the team and that’s kinda my focus now, try to rather do those things and not worry about the goals because eventually they’ll come when you work hard and do small things right." Laine has been keen to push himself and to that end, he joined five teammates for Wednesday's optional skate at Bell MTS Place before the team departed for Thursday's road game in St. Paul against the Minnesota Wild. "I like to skate, that’s the main thing," said Laine. "I wanna keep my touch. I feel I play better when I skate more so that’s why. I don’t like to sit in a room and wait for the plane to take off. I’d rather skate and have fun on the ice. Laine insisted he hasn't been consumed by his inability to score. "Obviously it’s in the back of your head always when you’re not scoring and you’re struggling here, but I would not say 'take it home,'" he said. "At home, I’m not worrying about hockey, just trying to think about something else. Not take these things that happen here at the rink home." With left-winger Nikolaj Ehlers out of the lineup with an upper-body injury for at least another three weeks, head coach Paul Maurice has been testing the right-shooting Laine on the left side with centre Bryan Little and right-winger Jack Roslovic, who has been promoted to the No. 2 unit. Laine is up for the change. "I think it’s a lot of fun," said Laine. "I haven’t played on the left side, just a few games in the last couple years, so I’m still getting used to it, but I feel more comfortable on that side. There’s still a lot of things I need to work on, especially playing left side in the NHL is different that I’m used to." Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.10.2019 1125196 Winnipeg Jets

MacKinnon likes look of deep Jets

Mike McIntyreJeff Hamilton By: Jeff Hamilton and Mike McIntyre

It’s customary for visiting teams in the National Hockey League to heap praise on the home club. But rarely, if ever, do you hear a player outright suggest their opponent is superior, even when the standings confirm as much. So there were a few raised eyebrows when Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon was asked to evaluate the Winnipeg Jets, and he offered up this little nugget: "They’re so deep. They don’t have a weakness and that’s why they went to the conference finals last year. They’re one of the best teams in the league," MacKinnon said. "We’re not as good as Winnipeg but we can beat anyone any night… they’re a proven team and it’s going to be tough for us tonight." ● ● ● With the season at the midway point and the NHL’s Feb. 25 trade deadline just around the corner, Jets head coach Paul Maurice was asked if it was time to start identifying areas in need of improvement and who might be available to fill those holes before the playoffs. "That happens the entire year, every year. You get into a team that’s top 16 fairly early, you think you’ve got a good enough team to make the playoffs, you’re always looking for those places," Maurice said. "What makes us unusual is that some of these players are going to look different in a month or two months. And that includes Jack Roslovic, but Kyle (Connor) as well, Patrik (Laine) as well. Their curve at this point in their career is very sharp. You’re still trying to figure out where all these young guys are going to get to, and you want to make sure there’s room for them to get to that point." Maurice said conversations with general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff about the makeup of the team happen throughout the entire season. "It’s not ‘Hey, we’re two weeks out, let’s start looking at where we’re at.’ You’re talking about your team, where guys can get to. Some of that would be where do I think I’m going to give guys opportunities to play?" Maurice said. "So we’ve got two things: where do we think our needs would be? What’s out there? But we have that third one that’s important: the people we have here, where can we get them to?" Tucker Poolman is inching closer to a return from injury, and possibly another taste of the NHL. The 25-year-old defenceman skated in Tuesday’s practice with the Manitoba Moose and could be back in the lineup as early as this weekend, according to head coach Pascal Vincent. Poolman has been sidelined since suffering a concussion on Nov. 23 while playing with the Moose. It’s been a case of terrible timing for the second-year pro, who almost certainly would have spent considerable time up with Jets as their blue line dealt with a number of injuries. Instead, the call-ups have come to Moose defenders Sami Niku, Cam Schilling and Nelson Nogier. Poolman has one goal and four assists in 13 games with the Moose this season. He had a goal and assist in 24 regular-season games with the Jets last season. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.10.2019 1125197 Winnipeg Jets The Jets were 7-2 against the Wild last season, including playoffs. Winnipeg is coming off back-to-back wins over Colorado and Dallas, after losing three of its previous four. JETS SNAPS: Hockey hard again for Laine “We’ve liked our last two games after getting a little wobbly there coming out of Christmas,” Chiarot said. Paul FriesenMore from Paul Friesen Maurice liked the 5-1 Dallas win a lot more than the more wide-open one over the Avs. Patrik Laine thought hockey was hard last season. “By far,” he said. His production lately makes that little slump look like a walk in the park. Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal, Thursday, with Laurent Brossoit facing Detroit at home, Friday. It was 14 months ago that Laine made his “hockey is really hard” comment as part of a soul-searching scrum with reporters, 11 games into WHAT STANDINGS? the season. It seems there’s little urgency around the Jets on finishing first in the Held to four goals, Laine acknowledged that day he’d lost his confidence. Western Conference and ensuring home-ice advantage through three playoff rounds. “I can’t do many positive things on the ice,” he said then. “Feels like hockey is really hard right now. It doesn’t matter if it’s offensively or “It’s never mentioned,” Maurice said. “We don’t have (standings) on the defensively. Obviously, I don’t have a lot of confidence. I don’t know why, wall. It has nothing to do with us. You want to play well and finish as high but it feels like it’s just super hard to score.” as you can because you’ve played well. We didn’t have home ice against Nashville and we beat them in seven and we had home ice against Fast forward to the present, and Laine has just three goals in his last 18 Vegas.” games, one in his last 10. FRENCHIE THE GRINDER On Wednesday I reminded Laine of his blunt assessment from last season, and asked how he was feeling now. Winger Mathieu Perreault is enjoying his role on the grinder line, with Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev. “I would probably say the same things,” he said before the Jets hopped a charter to St. Paul and Thursday’s game against the Wild. “There’s been Perreault ended a seven-game goal drought on Tuesday. a big stretch where I haven’t scored. It’s kind of my specialty and it’s “We forecheck really hard,” Perreault said. “Tanny’s one of the hardest always frustrating when you’re not doing the right things.” forechecking guys on the team, and I like to get on the forecheck. Laine’s drought since Dec. 1 is only magnified by his other-worldly “The fact I’m playing more minutes, I get more involved in the game. That November, when he scored 18 times in a dozen games. definitely helps. I love playing with those two guys. It’s a simple game. I He was on the ice, Wednesday, when most regulars took the option. have skills, but I always keep my game pretty simple.” “I’m always trying to get better and especially (when) pucks are not going If it looks like Perreault has been throwing his weight around more, well, in right now,” he said. “I try to practice and try to work on that. If you he has. leave it like that, you’re not going to score. It’s not just going to come to “Trying to. I’ve always kind of played that way, but especially with those you.” two guys. They finish their checks every time. It makes me want to do it, Moved from the right to the left side on a line with Bryan Little and Jack too. It’s been working.” Roslovic for Tuesday’s 7-4 win over Colorado, Laine isn’t happy with the Winnipeg Sun LOADED 01.10.2019 number of chances he’s getting, either. “Not really,” he said. “Last game I had a couple… as a line we can play better offence and try to support one another more. Create some O-zone time and hopefully a couple of goals.” Last season, Laine’s self-critique seemed to spark him: he scored goals in each of the next four games. “I’m not saying these things because I want to score in the next game,” he said. “I’m just saying this to you guys because this is how the thing is. I’ve had a couple of good responses in the last couple of years after I’ve said something like this, so hopefully, I can do some positive things on the ice and get over this bad stretch.” In the meantime, Laine says he’ll have to try to help the Jets in other ways. Despite some obvious troubles in his own zone, he thinks he’s gotten better at that. “So that’s a good sign. I’m still 20 years old, so I’m not worrying about that too much. You’ll learn when you get older. Just try to get better every day.” WILD ONES The Jets have had their hands full with Thursday’s opponent, the Minnesota Wild, this season. It seems the Wild, who took the first two meetings, have cranked things up against Winnipeg since last spring’s first-round playoff series, won 4-1 by the Jets. “It’s a team that we developed a bit of a rivalry with,” defenceman Ben Chiarot said. “I found that they come out pretty intense with a high compete level when we play them and that’s something we’re going to have to match.” Jets coach Paul Maurice says he didn’t see anything in the two losses this season that overly concerned him. “They have a bit more of a defensive posture against us maybe now than they did,” he said. 1125198 Winnipeg Jets Josh Morrissey-Jacob Trouba Ben Chiarot-Tyler Myers Jets Gameday: Five keys vs Wild Joe Morrow-Dmitry Kulikov Goalies Ken WiebeMore from Ken Wiebe Connor Hellebuyck Laurent Brossoit Winnipeg Jets at Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild 7 pm CT, Xcel Energy Center. TV: TSN3. Radio: TSN 1290 Forwards THE BIG MATCHUP Jordan Greenway-Eric Staal-Mikael Granlund Blake Wheeler vs Mikko Koivu Zach Parise-Charlie Coyle-Luke Kunin The two captains are under the microscope in this one. Wheeler is Jason Zucker-Mikko Koivu-Nino Niederreiter coming off a game that saw him produce a magnificent shorthanded goal and three assists for a four-point night as he’s up to 55 points in 42 Marcus Foligno-Joel Eriksson Ek-Matt Hendricks games. He also leads the Jets in road points with 22 in 19 games. One of Defence Koivu’s most important jobs is to try and limit the production of the opposition’s top line. He’s gone without a point in 11 of the past 13 Ryan Suter-Jared Spurgeon games (one goal, three points during that stretch), but has seven goals and 23 points in 31 career games against the Jets. Jonas Brodin-Greg Pateryn 5 keys to the game Nick Seeler-Nate Prosser You again Goalies After taking the season series 3-1 in 2017-18, the Jets are zero-for-two Devan Dubnyk against the Wild, with three more meetings remaining. The Jets have Alex Stalock been outscored 7-3 but the Wild scored an empty-net goal late in each game. Both of those defeats came after losses to the Calgary Flames Injuries and were part of the only two times the Jets suffered consecutive defeats this season. Prior to being blanked 4-0 by the Boston Bruins on Tuesday Jets: D Dustin Byfuglien (ankle, IR), LW Nikolaj Ehlers (upper body, IR) in the second game of a back-to-back, the Wild had won three consecutive games. Wild: D Matt Dumba (pectoral, IR), C Eric Fehr (upper body, day-to-day) What drought? Special Teams Remember that time not so long ago when the Jets seemed to be having POWER PLAY some issues scoring goals? With 12 goals during the past two games, Winnipeg: 29.4% (2nd) that stretch of five in seven games with one goal or fewer seems to be nothing but a distant memory. Going into Wednesday’s action, the Jets Minnesota: 21.3% (T12th) were seventh in the NHL in goals for per game (3.45) and they’ve scored five goals or more 15 times in 42 games. PENALTY KILLING Spreading the wealth Winnipeg 80.6% (13th) The top line led the Jets once again on Tuesday, but of those 12 goals Minnesota: 83.7% (5th) scored during the past two games, there have been 10 different goal Winnipeg Sun LOADED 01.10.2019 scorers – including seven different guys lighting the lamp against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. The only players with more than one goal during the past two games are Bryan Little and Kyle Connor, both of whom snapped double-digit goal-scoring droughts on Sunday. Warming up Jets forward Andrew Copp has battled through injuries, but he’s been contributing on the score sheet with a bit more regularity of late. What looked like an insurance marker turned early in the third period of Tuesday’s win over the Colorado Avalanche turned out to be the game- winner, giving Copp two goals and five points during his past 10 games – solid totals when you consider he’s spent a good chunk of that time at centre on the fourth line and has seen a dip in his ice time. Call for Staal After leading the Wild in scoring last season, centre Eric Staal is battling through a bit of a tough stretch when it comes to his offensive production. He’s got 13 goals and 26 points in 41 games this season, but has no goals and one assist during the past six games. However, Staal has 27 goals and 63 points in 74 career games against the Jets. GAME DAY LINEUPS Winnipeg Jets Forwards Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler Patrik Laine-Bryan Little-Jack Roslovic Mathieu Perreault-Adam Lowry-Brandon Tanev Brendan Lemieux-Andrew Copp-Mason Appleton Defence 1125199 Vancouver Canucks signed in March by Vancouver, Chicago and St. Louis respectively, and Gaudette kick-starting his NHL journey with five NHL games last spring.

Sikura has three assists in 11 games this season with the Blackhawks Ben Kuzma: Gaudette gets recall, then call to spark Canucks’ struggling and has played 27 in the AHL with 19 points (9-10). Stevens has yet to offence play an NHL regular-season game and has 10 points (3-7) in 31 AHL games this season. Ben Kuzma More from Ben Kuzma “I talk to those guys all the time,” said Gaudette. “Sikura is having the same problem, the puck won’t go in for him. You see it all over the league. Guys you played with who were top players and not getting it done right away. They’re learning. Two goals in three minutes grabs your attention. “I can’t get frustrated or let emotions get the best of me.” When they come off the stick of Adam Gaudette — even at the minor- league level — it’s a big deal. OVERTIME — Pettersson (knee) is expected to skate Thursday or Friday, while Josh Leivo (back spasms) remains sidelined. Green wants The recalled Vancouver Canucks centre found some needed offensive the recalled Thatcher Demko to refine his game through a number of mojo Saturday in Cleveland. He had two goals in 3:06, an assist and practices, which indicates Jacob Markstrom is expected to start Thursday eight shots on a line with Jonathan Dahlen and Tom Pyatt to help power against the Coyotes. the Utica Comets to a 6-2 AHL victory over the Monsters. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 01.10.2019 On Thursday, Gaudette will play between Sven Baertschi and Jake Virtanen in the absence of the injured Elias Pettersson, and also log second-unit power-play time against the Arizona Coyotes. And while the alignment doesn’t guarantee anything, effort shouldn’t be a problem. It never has been for the energetic rookie. “Put me anywhere and I’m going to go out and have fun,” Gaudette said Wednesday. “I’m getting paid to play hockey and I’m not going to complain about it. I’m pretty lucky to be here and I’m going to work my hardest and take advantage of it. I look at it that no matter where I go, I’m going to develop. “It felt good to put up a multi-point game because I had to adjust. The AHL is a little choppier and slower and with the guys up here, you’re playing with the best in the world. Down there, the players are good, but it’s not the same. “But it helped a lot to get more ice time, to play in all situations and to gain a little bit of confidence.” Gaudette’s value is treating every shift like it might be his last. When you average 10:09 per outing — and have played as little as 3:52 or as much as 16:05 depending on effort and game flow — mistakes are magnified. Diligent play without the puck comes before doing something with it Thursday. “I’m hoping we get a spark with that line,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “But does it mean he (Gaudette) is going to play 15 to 18 minutes? Not necessarily. We’ll see the temperature of the game and take it from there.” Gaudette’s six points (2-4) in 31 NHL games this season doesn’t reflect the whole story. The willingness of a Hobey Baker Award winner accustomed to scoring — 60 points (30-30) in 38 games last season at Northeastern University (Boston) — to not be an NHL liability has earned some trust from Green. He knows Gaudette’s seven points (4-3) in seven games with the Comets this season are a building block to develop a complete game at the NHL level. And he has a willing student. “I like his attitude — he’s smart and doesn’t get down,” said Green. “We’ve been honest with him with what he needs to work on, and the process to become a full-time player is different for everyone. I like that path he’s on. “It’s important that a player here at that age (22) is improving. And I think he has. He could quite easily have five or six goals and he works extremely hard. There are parts of his game that need improving if he’s going to be the player we envisioned — strength, shot release and little details — but he’s smart.” Gaudette was also able to relate and respond to Comets coach Trent Cull because the message was familiar. “He’s just like Greener,” said Gaudette. “He’ll let you know when you’re doing something wrong and he got on me a couple of times. But he gets on you to help you. You fix your mistake and he doesn’t get on you again.” Gaudette knows the transition to the NHL is far from a straight-line ascension. He’s a much better player than he was at training camp and if he needs a sounding board, he just has to reach for his cellphone. Gaudette, Dylan Sikura and Nolan Stevens combined for 76 goals and 156 points last season before Northeastern lost in the first round of the NCAA play-downs. That led to the late-round NHL draft picks being 1125200 Vancouver Canucks Yeah and I think it’s important, as an organization, top-down, whether you’re talking about our pro scouts, our amateur scouts, player development — we need to be talking in the same language, describing Q&A with Judd Brackett on using data at the draft, the development players of certain abilities, as a particular player type or what they’re process and adding to the Canucks’ core going to be moving forward. I think when you have that common ground, that way when you’re drafting a player, then passing him off to player development, then they By Ryan Biech Jan 9, 2019 17 turn pro, then the coaching staff, then we’re all talking about the players in the same light, and that helps:

For their development; How do NHL organizations get better at drafting? The widely held belief is that if a team drafts two NHL players out of their seven allotted draft It keeps us all thinking in the same perspective and hoping that their picks that it should be considered a successful draft. It can seem like trajectory is the right way so if there’s a hiccup there then, or, you know, such a low bar to pass but it is still considered the benchmark. a bit of a flaw in their development, say you know maybe at this point he’s not going to be a two-way defenceman, maybe he’s going to be Over the past few years, the rise of data available in terms of the draft closer to you know say a stay-at-home type, because that other skill set has raised the bar: an organization that can hit on three of their seven didn’t translate with him at the next level. picks or four of the seven every year has a competitive edge. When you’re passing off a player to the development side of the There are plenty of smart people throughout the league that are looking organization, it’s important to trust your development team but can it be for ways to get better at drafting and one of them is director of amateur hard to make the transition on a recently drafted player? Is it important to scouting for the Canucks, Judd Brackett, who spoke to The Athletic a few ensure that the lines of communication and that verbiage are used weeks ago about a variety of topics including the use of data, the throughout the process? development of players after being drafted and a few other topics relating to amateur scouting. Our development staff is excellent. I talk with Ryan Johnson and Scott Walker on a regular basis, whether it be, past players, future players, The following has been edited for clarity and length. we’re always talking players, how our guys are doing, what’s happening this week, what happened last week, you know when they’re going to With the rise in data being used to make decisions in amateur scouting, come in and see the players. how much has it changed since you started to scout for the Canucks and over the last few years as the director of amateur scouting? We trust them and trust their valuations and at times, cause they’re still playing CHL or college, we may still see them often and they’ll check We do significantly more now. back with us and say “hey, look for this in this player, this is our area of We’re in an information business, so whether it’s talking with coaches, or focus right now, we want to see him working on this, or when you’re in, it’s being able to generate talk to help look at things a different way, take a peek and see what you think, let’s compare some notes.” identify a player that’s in a region that we haven’t spent enough time in, There’s a constant flow of information, it’s a good back and forth, there’s or even if it’s just what we’ve already seen and the data supports it. no worry on our end. We need as much information as we can get to try and make the best- We’re excited about the players, that we get a chance to draft and educated decision we can. We’re trying to figure out what guys are going excited about what they get to do with them. to be three, four, maybe five years down the pipe, so in order to make successful decisions as a group we need as much as we can. Our skating instruction, off-ice training and these guys are really invested in it, and positive guys, and a lot of time, they’ll be in to see a prospect We’ve incorporated a couple smart guys in the office that do a lot of work too. Give us feedback on this year’s draft and we want an extra set of and support us on it. eyes on someone’s skating abilities we’ll call or get video, and say “hey You mentioned that knowing the data is supporting what you see, is there take a look you know we have some concerns on skating, what do you specific parts of that game that maybe you might not have seen while think long term?” watching the game but you look at the data and it kind of pops to So we’re top down working in one motion and always active. reinforce something that you not have been completely aware to? So it’s fair to say that you guys kind of have a symbiotic relationship Or even to the opposite, where someone might have a subtly to their where the success for both groups kind of rely on each other and that game that when you’re going and watching that maybe you don’t realize constant communication? how many good exits they had. You might not have zeroed in on that one act, but when you go back and say, you know what, next time I’m in and A hundred percent and it’s important feedback as an amateur staff. seeing this player I’ve got to watch that as I didn’t pick up on that one. If we really had our sights set on someone or a player that we drafted Or the game is on, and you know this guy is great about something, but and have expectations for and they’re unrealized, that’s also information he has other holes that I’m not sure about so, there’s a give and takes that we need. Coming back, whether a year later or three years later so there. There’s no information for us that isn’t useful. We’ll pick it apart that we can make changes so that we don’t make the same mistake trying to adjust it all to come to the best conclusions we can. twice. The application of the data in midseason then kind of adapts the way you The full information is critical for us and we’ve got to constantly make may look at players, let’s say you might be debating between a couple adjustments whether it’s you know something we overlooked or players or trying to get extra views, and then that might be presented to something we expected that didn’t happen, and then we go back and try the scout and they may change the way that they look at the game? and figure out what was the reasoning behind it and was it just, that the skill set wasn’t there, or was it a work rate issue, coach abilities? Yeah. We can revisit drafts from two years ago and try and go over the data, try As the year goes on we may have a particular player type that maybe and go over the responses from the development so that we can back we’re looking for or, by definition what we’re calling this guy a power play and look at what we missed and why, and what correction do we got to defenceman, but then when we look at the data, it doesn’t support the make going forward so we don’t do it again. offensive bent to his game that we all keep talking about, so we have to go back and revisit is this guy truly generating the offence that we think Does where the organization is in terms of their life cycle put more he is. pressure on your group? Does it excite your group to keep adding to the young players that you already have? We might call him a power play defenceman, but is he actually the driver out there on that power play, is he generating what we think he is? So it For our group, the job is the same for us each year. So wherever we makes you go back and look at the player may be in a different light. pick, whatever we have done in years past, the goal is to come back More, I suppose you think they are or maybe what they aren’t. every year and continue to hit on players. Add players that are going to be future Canucks for us. The outside view is that there have been a lot more changes in the way that you describe players, how they do things and that the verbiage used. If we have a depth area that needs to be addressed, then maybe we I think that you kind of alluded to it there, with a power play guy that’s address it through the draft but overall it’s an exciting time. But it is every been placed into a descriptive silo or binning of a certain player — has year. Hopefully, we can build on what we are doing and do it year in and that changed more recently as there’s been more scrutiny on the way the year out. That’s the expectation and I think it’s a real one. prospects are evaluated in the public sphere? How much does evaluating a draft prospect’s playing situation and deployment play into the assessment of them? It’s important to see players in their primary setting with their club or junior team. A lot of times, you will see these guys in international tournaments, so they are outside of roles but at the end of the day, we have to mesh the information. If someone is playing 32 minutes a night and having to pace themselves, then we might have to go back and review some of what we saw as an underager in a lesser role. Did they have more jump in their step? Were they able to fill lanes better? Things of that nature but we do have to use the information that is there, and if he’s playing 32 minutes, it’s going to make a good discussion in terms of hindering his mobility. Is he saving energy? Does he have enough in the tank when they need him? Those are fun discussions to have. We have guys playing from high school and all the way to pro leagues in Europe – the level of play, the roles and everything else plays into it. That is what makes the job as challenging as it is but also as exciting as it is. The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125201 Vancouver Canucks McKenna said. “And I understood that, I was good with that. I don’t know Thatcher more than just seeing him at center ice and playing against him. But by all accounts he’s a great kid and I was happy for him; here is a Three teams in three days — Inside Mike McKenna’s week with the young guy who is getting his chance to play in the NHL.” Senators, Canucks and Flyers Demko arrived in Toronto and actually met McKenna at the team hotel. McKenna, however, wasn’t headed to Utica. By Sean Shapiro Jan 9, 2019 36 GET THIS GUY @TDEMKO30 SOME SUNGLASSES #BRIGHTFUTURE PIC.TWITTER.COM/XXGRPQSDB3

— MIKE MCKENNA (@MIKEMCKENNA56) JANUARY 4, 2019 PHILADELPHIA — Sitting at the corner of a restaurant bar and finishing up a Cobb salad in downtown Philadelphia, the Flyers newest goalie “I was sitting around with (Vancouver goalie coach) Ian Clarke drinking starts to discuss what’s been one of the strangest weeks of a career coffee, talking about life, it turns noon and he goes, ‘You’ve been that’s really seen it all. claimed,'” McKenna said. “I said, ‘Clarkey, stop messing with me. We just ordered a new arm and chest (protector) and new gear, stop it.’ And he “Never had anything like this, I’ve been doing this for 14 years and I’ve said, ‘No, Mac, I’m serious, Philly.’ seen a lot in 14 years,” Mike McKenna said. “This, this was something completely unexpected.” “We had no idea there had been another injury (in Philadelphia), then sure enough on Twitter Elliott Friedman said Philly and the ball started Exactly a week ago at this time McKenna was eating his pregame meal rolling.” in Ottawa, prepping to be the backup that evening for the Ottawa Senators against the Vancouver Canucks. After three days as a Canuck, he was now a Flyer. It was around noon when Senators goalie coach Pierre Groulx walked “And I felt like I was building a really good rapport with the guys,” over and told McKenna that he needed to come with him, he had some McKenna said with a laugh. “But seriously I had tried to get to know news. everyone as well, because the plan was for me to stick with the Vancouver organization in Utica.” “I didn’t know what the news was,” McKenna said. “That type of stuff happens, it’s kind of odd. Instinctively you think, what did you do wrong? I McKenna joined the Flyers on Jan. 4 and in the five days since the walked in and assistant GM Peter MacTavish was there and I was waiver claim he’s backed up twice, and then Tuesday he became the informed I had been traded to Vancouver.” seventh goalie to play a game for the Flyers this season, tying an NHL record for most goalies used in a season. McKenna hadn’t just been traded, he’d been traded to the team the Senators were about to play that evening, launching a locker room After wearing mismatched gear in his Vancouver stint, the Flyers shuffle to the visitor’s room for the 35-year-old goalie. The Senators and equipment staff helped McKenna fit in aesthetically with the Flyers colors. Canucks equipment staff handled moving McKenna’s equipment, The equipment staff used pad wrap on his black and red pads to turn swapping it for Anders Nilsson’s gear, McKenna carried his personal them black and orange, and McKenna’s mask that was painted in an belongings from one locker room to the other in a trash bag. Ottawa scheme was completely wrapped up in black stick tape to complete the look. “The Canadian TV was nice enough to show me walking down the hallway holding the trash bag, which was really unfair to people in the “They look amazing, that was cool,” McKenna said. “I’m hoping new stuff building, it kind of made them look like it was not handled great,” shows up soon, but you can’t forget that you can’t just pull stuff off the McKenna said. “I was moving stuff 20 feet, you got to put it somewhere, shelves. Our stuff is all custom and it has to go to through the NHL to be and you don’t want to put personal belongings in a hockey bag.” cleared. So they have to make it, they have to send it to the NHL, and then they send it to you, a week and a half is really the quickest it can McKenna has a sense of humor and is able to laugh about the locker [get] done.” room exchange a week later, but it was an emotional evening for the McKenna family. McKenna’s wife, Rachel had driven up from Bellville, McKenna has a new mask on the way, he had actually planned on home of the Senators AHL affiliate, with their two daughters, Kenlin and getting a second one painted in Senators colors, by Bishop Designs, but Adeline, the night before. it’s now being painted in Flyers colors. On each mask McKenna has a tiny character on the backplate, on the new mask that character is going “We were going to have six days together as a family (in Ottawa), and we to be dressed like Gritty, the Flyers mascot. hadn’t had any all year. We had a couple days at Christmas and I had gone back to Bellville a couple times, but only for about 10-hour spans,” McKenna has always been an activist for style in goaltending equipment, McKenna said. “So they get there and the second day they are there I but his next set, which should be headed to the NHL offices soon, is got traded. So it was a big surprise to everyone involved, especially then going to be a pure white set because he has no idea what will happen when we were looking forward to having a bit of time. But it’s the nature next. of the business, it could happen at any time if you don’t have a no-trade “I’ve never been a pure white guy, but white matches anything,” clause.” McKenna said. “So I’ll just have to go with it.” The McKenna family watched the game that night as McKenna wore It’s fun laughing and talking about equipment, and really discussing those Senators gear in a Canucks jersey as the backup goalie. After the game details makes it a bit easier to laugh and comprehend everything that’s it was an emotional goodbye where Mike had a long hug with Kenlin and gone on for McKenna. Adeline, who had tearfully realized their six-day stretch with dad was getting cut short after 24 hours. McKenna went into this season planning to play in the AHL, he only had one contract offer in the summer, and if he was going to spend any time McKenna backed up the next night for the Canucks against the Montreal in the NHL, it would have been a brief call-up for injury. But then Mike Canadiens and flew with the team to Toronto, but he knew his time was Condon struggled and got hurt in Ottawa, and an injury call-up launched short with the Canucks. Vancouver made the trade for McKenna because a whirlwind. it was ready to give its top goalie prospect, Thatcher Demko, his NHL opportunity. “Usually with injuries and with being a No. 3 you know how long you are going to be there,” McKenna said. “For instance, last year when Ben That would have left Vancouver’s AHL team, the Utica Comets in a lurch, Bishop was injured (in Dallas) it was pretty clear that I would be up a so when making this deal Vancouver intentionally sought out McKenna week to 10 days. Then when he was re-injured I was told to plan to be for their No. 3 goalie role. McKenna has a reputation, which is well there until the end of the year. So usually you can put a sunset date on earned, as an AHL goalie that can carry your prospects deep into the how long you are going to be somewhere. That never happened this playoffs. Two seasons ago he helped the Syracuse Crunch reach the year, which was great for myself at least, and played well to keep myself Calder Cup final, last season he took the Texas Stars to Game 7 of the there. I left on a road trip on Oct. 29 with the American League team and championship series. never went home.” So on Jan. 4, McKenna was already planning on heading to the airport to The sunset date in Philadelphia isn’t set, but it’s there. McKenna knows fly to Utica. Demko was already on his way up to the NHL, the only thing that he’s a short-term fix and a rental for the Flyers, and it’s something that needed to happen was McKenna needed to clear waivers before the that he’s not holding against the organization. move could be official. “You never know what could happen, I could stay here and it would be “When they traded for me they told me it was for a reason, they told me great, but I’m also realistic,” McKenna said. “I’m going to end up on they wanted to give Thatcher Demko a chance to see what he could do,” waivers again, whether that means I’m headed back to Vancouver and to Utica or somewhere else, I realize what’s happening.” At this point McKenna’s biggest want is some stability for his family, which is living back in Ontario as a placeholder until there is a better sense of where the goalie will actually end up. “We are waiting for the end game, whether it’s at the NHL trade deadline or through waivers into the AHL,” McKenna said. “We need to find out where that is, and then we have to figure out where the family is going. Do we want to transfer my daughter with school and everything else to a new place or do they just go back home to St. Louis? A lot is still up in the air.” Hockey may be McKenna’s job, and he realizes he chose this path, but it’s been tough watching his young daughters try to cope with dad being away. He has a 5-year-old that is learning to skate and wants to be a goalie, she keeps asking for dad to be at her skating lessons. His 3-year- old doesn’t understand and asks her mother why dad isn’t there all the time. “You can’t explain to a kid that’s 3 what’s going on, and my older one understands a bit, but she’s in kindergarten,” McKenna said. “You miss that and you miss that every day, hugs, and cuddles, and dinner, and the part about being a parent. It’s so short-sighted and easy to just say, ‘You are making a pile of money, just shut up.’ No, I’m missing my children growing up here, too, and I signed a contract knowing this could happen. And I’m going to do my job the best I can, and I freely admit that’s part of it. But it doesn’t take away the human aspect that these are my kids and I want to be there for them.” McKenna gives a lot of credit to the Flyers organization for doing their part to make the family feel welcomed, even if they are sitting back in Ontario. Earlier this week McKenna came into the Flyers practice rink and there were two Flyers jerseys in his stall from the team to send to the girls. In the past McKenna has had to buy official jerseys for the girls. Thanks to the unprompted gift, Kenlin and Adeline were proudly wearing No. 56 McKenna jerseys around the house on Tuesday. “Vancouver and Philly have been remarkable through all of this,” McKenna said. “Both organizations have done a great job of making myself comfortable and making it known they valued my family.” And McKenna has a pretty good sample size when it comes to judging organizations. In his career he has been part of the organizational depth chart for 15 of the 31 NHL teams. “There are franchises I’ve been a part of that people even forget I was there,” McKenna said. “I was a draft pick by Nashville and was there for rookie camps, even if they never signed me, at the start of my career. I’ve seen a lot of this league, and seen a lot from the inside. And that’s something I end up talking to quite a few people about, if someone’s a free agent or wants to know how an organization is run, I often get a call.” Someday this long-winding playing career is going to come to an end for McKenna. He’ll be 36 in April, his entire career he’s craved stability, and this past week has just been the best possible example of how unstable his career path can be. “It makes you think about the cost benefit to certain things, it makes you think about your place in the game,” McKenna said. “Being 35 years old, being a No. 3 facing the chance that your life can get flipped any second. Those are things you have to take into consideration. “The funny part of my career is all I’ve ever craved is stability. At the middle point of my career if someone would have offered me a three-year American League deal, I would have taken that in a heartbeat. Just stay in the same place. The one time I thought I had that I signed a two-year deal with Florida, so I would have been in Florida or Portland three years straight and the team (Portland) gets sold and moved. So the only constant is change in this for us, and so you factor those things in. You have to have the right scenario, if the right scenario keeps popping up for me, I don’t know what the future holds. But I also have a clear cut in my mind of what I need in the future for me to keep doing this.” The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125202 Websites The coach’s favorite of the group may end up being Jaccob Slavin. He’s emerged as the untouchable on a deep Carolina defense and a tournament like this would definitely raise his profile. The Athletic / Early projections for Team USA’s 2020 World Cup of “Slavin would be like, to me, what (Marc-Edouard) Vlasic has been to the Hockey roster Canadians,” Bylsma said. “The Canadians have some dynamic players but Vlasic has always been the steady defender, great defender, great player. That would be Slavin to the U.S. team.” By Craig Custance Jan 9, 2019 132 Where my roster parts ways with Byslma’s preference is that it doesn’t have Ryan McDonagh on it. I wanted a right-handed shot in Jacob Trouba. This is certainly open for debate. If we’re being honest, the 2014 Winter Olympics feel like ages ago. Especially if you’re an American who would prefer to ignore everything “How can you not have McDonagh in the mix?” Bylsma wondered while that happened after T.J. Oshie beat the Russians. When you consider considering the defense. the roster turnover from that Winter Olympic tournament for Team USA, it feels even longer than five years. Torey Krug and Dustin Byfuglien are definitely in the mix and the bet here is that Charlie McAvoy re-emerges as an option by the time this Just look at the centers. This was the topic of a recent conversation with tournament rolls around. 2014 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey coach Dan Bylsma. His group down the middle in Sochi included Joe Pavelski, Ryan Kesler, David Backes, Goaltending Paul Stastny and Derek Stepan. Good players. But not exactly the The Americans have always had goaltending and this tournament is no fleetest of foot, a real consideration since the tournament was on big ice. different. John Gibson is the man here, immediately giving Team USA an “Looking forward, now it’s Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, put Dylan edge in nearly every game. Larkin in there,” Bylsma said, going over American center options. “Now, “I’ve always been a Gibson fan,” said Bylsma. “Four years ago, I said there’s a different dynamic there in the center of the ice.” he’s going to be a top-five goalie, shortly. He didn’t turn into that These new American centers can absolutely fly. And it’s not just them. immediately but I like him.” The entire team can. This would be the fastest U.S. team on record and And now, he has to be considered one of the league’s three best goalies. one that closes the gap down the middle with the Canadians. It’s what makes the news expected to come in the next couple weeks so crucial “I would think so,” agreed Bylsma. for Americans eager to hit the international reset button and bury the ghosts of the last World Cup of Hockey and those 2014 Olympics. Soon, It gets interesting after that. You could make a case for Jonathan Quick’s we’ll have a better idea whether or not the 2020 World Cup is going to experience and track record winning big games. He’s also getting older happen. And while we’re depending on cooperation between the NHL and is a constant injury risk. Right now, it’s a coin toss between Ben and NHLPA to make it happen, always a bit of a stretch, it could be a Bishop and Connor Hellebuyck for the backup spot. great one for the Americans. The Athletic LOADED: 01.10.2019 Let’s dive in. Here is our projected 23-player roster for Team USA 2020 and a brief explanation of how we arrived at our choices. Forwards So, would this be the best group of centers in terms of high-end skill and depth that the Americans have ever sent to an international tournament? “It’s definitely the highest speed factor with these guys,” Bylsma said. Watching Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel take on Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby when Team USA plays the Canadians is reason enough to hold this tournament. Let’s hope everyone remembers this when negotiations to put this on in 2020 inevitably go sideways in a couple weeks. This forward group is stacked in terms of speed and skill but it doesn’t necessarily have the flexibility that Team Canada can bring to a tournament, with centers in every slot. That’s a bit of a disadvantage. But Dylan Larkin can certainly move to the wing if necessary and Joe Pavelski gets the nod over Phil Kessel here because of his ability to move to the middle, too. Historically, the Americans like to have a little more size and grit than this lineup might provide, but it’s been a while since they’ve finished first, so we’re all in on a new identity. There’s youth, there’re veterans. It’s a great mix. In terms of tough decisions, it was definitely tough to keep Cam Atkinson off this team with the way he’s scoring this year and he’d be on a watch list. If Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is the coach, and he’d be my choice, you wonder if he’d make a push for Jake Guentzel, who certainly is in the conversation. Defensemen These decisions were even tougher and it wouldn’t be surprising if this group looked different in a year. The lock is Ryan Suter, in part because you want a veteran around who has been through the battles before. He’s this generation’s Chris Chelios for the Americans. He’ll have a spot as long as he wants one. The idea of plugging in Zach Werenski and Seth Jones together for instant chemistry is too hard to pass up. If this ends up being anything like that last World Cup, there won’t be a lot of time together before games start being played so that familiarity will be an advantage. “It’s natural to play them together on a team,” Bylsma said. “Those two guys for sure.” 1125203 Websites “Their pace throughout the lineup gave us trouble at times. We found a way to grind it out. That was a timely goal by Lindy for sure. That’s a dangerous group.” Sportsnet.ca / Rittich steals win for Flames against NHL's best line Johnny Gaudreau’s five-game goal streak ended, but his six–game point binge continued with two assists, giving him 15 points in that stretch. Eric Francis | @EricFrancis January 10, 2019, 1:54 AM Five-on-five, his line with Sean Monahan and Lindholm was vastly overshadowed by the Avalanche Aces, who ended the night dealing with a verbal meltdown on the bench by MacKinnon that appeared to be directed at coach Jared Bednar. Colorado has one win in its last nine. CALGARY — Matthew Tkachuk isn’t too sure how it got to this, but the brotherly love he and David Rittich have been showing ever since their “It wasn’t our A game for sure but good teams find a way to win and I trip to Philadelphia is attracting attention. think we got better as the game went on – our third period was our best period and that’s what you’ve got to do at this time of year,” said Mark At the conclusion of the Calgary Flames‘ last three wins, Tkachuk has Jankowski, who spearheaded a penalty kill that stopped all four wrapped up high-fives with every teammate with a jubilant, one-on-one Avalanche advantages. embrace with Rittich that both find hard to describe. “(Rittich) has been a star a lot of games this year – he held us in when “I don’t know how it started but a little hug turned into a big hug, turned we shouldn’t have been in there and held the door tight for us to get a into a jump and hug and now it turned into a big jump and hug – it kind of couple.” keeps going, we keep creating something,” said Tkachuk Wednesday morning, laughing when a staffer suggested he didn’t want to see how Jankowski and Mikael Backlund also scored first-period goals to open the much further their enthusiasm might take them. game. “This might be the last stage of that.” Frolik’s lucky goal midway through the third period put the Flames up 4-2 and had fans on edge in the final 90 seconds when the two top lines Hours later the Tkachittich jump/hug was executed once again after “Big faced off against each other. Save Dave” absolutely stole one for the Flames. A missed empty-net opportunity by the Flames led to a Rantanen goal They kept it civil, with Tkachuk bouncing several times before leaping that forced Tkachuk to score an empty-netter in the final 10 seconds. into Rittich as the horn sounded and teammates saluted the fans. Cue the hug. This time the whole squad likely wanted to jump into the arms of the 26- year-old goaltending godsend who has played as big a role in the Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.10.2019 Flames’ turnaround season as anyone. On this night, the ask was to make 35 saves against a Colorado team spearheaded by the best line in hockey. He made 32 of them in a 5-3 win the Flames otherwise didn’t deserve. A fluke goal off the pants of Michael Frolik wound up the difference in a game that saw the Flames throw just 15 shots at a still-struggling Semyon Varlamov. Thus, the Flames’ third-straight win with Rittich back from injury ended with man-hugs. “I did it because he saved my ass,” laughed Rittich when asked how the animated embrace came to be following a late comeback orchestrated by Tkachuk in Philly. This time Rittich was returning the favour, moving his record to a remarkable 16-4-3. Heading into the first of five straight home dates, the focus was on the top two lines in the NHL. Including Tkachuck, the game included seven of the NHL’s top 17 scorers. Only two NHL games dating back to 1992 have had as many top-20 snipers. The storyline by night’s end was how much better the Avs trio of Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon was in a game they appeared to be taking over in the second period. After one period, they were the only Avs forwards to record shots on goal. By the end of the second, only two other Colorado forwards had added to the shot count, as the top guns alone were on the verge of breaking a 2-2 game wide open with relentless pressure. The big three finished with 23 total shots, including 12 by Landeskog. If not for Rittich things might have gotten out of hand. Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. Alas, a Flames power-play goal by Elias Lindholm with seven minutes left in the second turned the entire game around. Rittich helped them hang on from there. “I think they were the quicker team from the first period right until the end and the shots would support that,” said Bill Peters of an opportunistic bunch coming off a four-game roadie on which they won three times. 1125204 Websites 1. Remember when the MLB Washington Nationals admitted in 2012 there was an innings limit for Stephen Strasburg and spent every day answering questions about it? I’ve understood since then why teams are Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Pettersson, McDavid could test year-end loathe to make any of their internal deadlines public. Ottawa GM Pierre awards thinking Dorion is not on the team’s trip to California, leading the Senators’ scouting meetings in Florida. He’s expected to meet with Pat Brisson, agent for unrestricted free agent Matt Duchene, next week. I asked former NHL GMs Brian Burke and Doug MacLean (who now ruin my Elliotte Friedman January 9, 2019, 11:29 AM Wednesday nights) how long a team needs to know before the trade deadline that a player is not going to sign. Burke said “14 days.”

MacLean agreed. So did two current GMs. So Dorion’s got five weeks, if Midway point of the season, time to start thinking about NHL awards. No he chooses to wait that long. need to make any final decisions, but make a list, figure out who’s in the 2. There is no way Anaheim GM Bob Murray would want to fire Randy running, pay closer attention. Carlyle in-season. He dislikes that route and has said he feels the coach It is also time to reflect on old habits, and consider if there is need for deserves a full roster for proper evaluation. An 0-6-2 stretch will test even change. Murray’s patience, but that’s an absolute last resort for him. This will be my sixth time voting for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke, Lady 3. As hard as Ken Hitchcock ripped the Oilers to the media after Byng and Masterton Trophies, along with the All-Star and All-Rookie Saturday’s 4–0 loss in Los Angeles, he apparently went after the players Teams. You never expect everyone to agree with your choices, which is even harder to their faces. He was angry about the poor effort and the fine. But I do try to be consistent and keep the same rationale. lack of protection for McDavid, who was elbowed by Drew Doughty and run over by Jeff Carter. Edmonton was much better physically and This year, two of those standards are going to be tested — possibly even emotionally one night later in a 4-0 win over the Ducks. Tuesday night in ignored. San Jose was a 7-2 beatdown and the season comes down to the final seven games before All-Star Weekend. Six are at home, and only two In Calder voting, I have always considered Games Played. It is hard to against current playoff teams (Buffalo, Calgary). play a full season as a rookie. The Derian Hatchers of the world may be extinct, unfortunately, but this is still a tough game played at high speeds. 4. When there was no penalty on Hampus Lindholm for driving McDavid Injuries are a fact of life, whether caused intentionally or accidentally. into the boards during that game, I wondered if the Oilers captain had a Playing a full first season in the NHL is a real accomplishment, bad reputation among officials or something. In fact, I’m told it is the considering most of those eligible are not fully physically developed. exact opposite — that he barely says anything and just goes about his business like a true professional. That penalty has to be called, though. If there was a close race, I would look at Games Played to see if there Thankfully, there was no injury. You can’t call everything, but McDavid was a major difference. It could be a factor. deserves better protection from the officials than that. For the second time, Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson is out of the lineup. 5. Second-angriest coach of the week: Florida’s Bob Boughner. During He missed six games in October, and is expected to be out Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh, the Panthers gave up shorthanded approximately two weeks after spraining his knee last Thursday in goals at 3:04 and 8:56 of the second period. Three players on the ice for Montreal. He’s going to miss at least 10 games this season. both — Mike Hoffman, Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle — didn’t His top challengers for the Calder appear to be Dallas’s Miro Heiskanen see a shift the rest of the night. Boughner said they were “out to lunch.” (probably the top contender, an all-star selection like Pettersson), 6. Carolina is not in a position to allow its potential unrestricted free Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin and Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk. The latter has the agents to walk for nothing. They are far, far apart in negotiations with same injury concerns as Pettersson; he’s missed 11 games. Micheal Ferland, so it looks like “when” not “if” for him. Pittsburgh makes Heiskanen’s been a stud on the Stars blue line, holding steady while sense, and so does Edmonton, but there will be others. The Hurricanes seemingly everyone on the Dallas defence ended up in a hospital bed. At have told teams they would prefer to wait a little longer before deciding this point, he’d be a deserving winner. on goalies Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek, although it can always change with the “offer you can’t refuse.” They are trying to re-sign But there’s something transcendent about Pettersson’s rookie year. He another good depth winger, Jordan Martinook. has breathed new life into the Canucks, altered the direction of the franchise and made his games appointment television. He leads all A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts rookies in goals, assists, points and points per game (by almost half a Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. point). There’s still half a season to play, and he’s got to be out there for 7. Here’s why I believe Dougie Hamilton could be dealt. It is well-known a good chunk of them, but, at the very least, Pettersson has me asking, the Hurricanes are right-shot heavy. That’s one. Since Dec. 11, he has “How low is too low?” more games where he’s played under 16 minutes (four) as those where The last person to lose a Calder because of Games Played was Connor he’s played more than 20 (three). He assisted on Jaccob Slavin’s winner McDavid in 2016. Limited to 45 games, he got clipped by Artemi Panarin. Tuesday night against the Islanders. Prior to that, he scored in three And McDavid is involved the second part of this discussion. straight games. He’s got value. Contenders need defencemen who can score; Carolina needs scoring forwards. There are matches out there. Hart Trophy winners do not miss the playoffs. That’s the history and that’s the standard. Taylor Hall was a deserving winner last season. 8. Add Pat Maroon to the list of available St. Louis Blues. And Tampa Claude Giroux, Nathan MacKinnon and Anze Kopitar would have been Bay is trying to find a new home for Slater Koekkoek, currently on a perfectly acceptable, too. McDavid — who was voted by his peers as the conditioning stint at AHL Syracuse. Ted Lindsay winner for most outstanding player — fell in the ballots 9. Drew Doughty got the All-Star nod, but Jake Muzzin has been Los because the Oilers didn’t get there. Angeles’s best defenceman. The price is high, but someone is going to I don’t like to tell anyone else what to do (mainly because I don’t like seriously consider it. anyone telling me what to do), but I’ve thought a lot about this since I saw 10. In a league that is starving for goaltending depth, keep an eye on McDavid on stage in Vegas recognized by those who play against him. Winnipeg’s Laurent Brossoit. He worked hard last summer under Adam The awards aren’t the same; Most Outstanding and Most Valuable are Francilia, who repaired Connor Hellebuyck in 2017. Brossoit’s been very different, but there has to be some deference to the people out there good for the Jets. One year from unrestricted free agency, teams will be actually trying to stop him. watching to see how both he and the Jets handle his future. He’ll have stiff competition from Tampa Bay (Nikita Kucherov) and down 11. Another Jet being watched? Brandon Tanev. Good depth player who the highway (Johnny Gaudreau). Both of them would be extremely is free this summer. Winnipeg will have tough choices to make. Sounds deserving if the vote happened now. like a few teams have asked about Jack Roslovic, only to have GM Kevin You’d think the Oilers were 50 points out of the playoffs the way things Cheveldayoff swat their requests Mutombo-like into the upper deck. are going in Edmonton, but it’s only two as we wake up on Wednesday. Roslovic’s getting more minutes now, with Nikolaj Ehlers injured. They might get in, rendering this debate moot. If they don’t, we have to 12. There’s an obvious connection for Toronto GM Kyle Dubas to be at reconsider the wisdom of punishing McDavid for things that aren’t his Tuesday’s Lokomotiv/CSKA KHL game: Lokomotiv’s Yegor Korshkov, fault. Entering last weekend, he had 28 points in 15 games, a lifejacket taken 31st overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2016 draft. He’s a left-shot wearing 97 keeping the Oilers afloat. winger, and they like his talent. Injured for a good chunk of the season 31 THOUGHTS and only in his fourth game back, the goal could be bringing him to training camp in September. Toronto has also dipped into the Russian free-agent market with Igor 24. It would not surprise anyone to hear that one of the most competitive Ozhiganov and Nikita Zaitsev, and there are two potential contenders players is Viktor Arvidsson, but another who got a few votes was Craig from that game. The first is 29-year-old left-winger Sergei Andronov, who Smith. He smiled, but added, “There are a lot of guys you could say that was selected by St. Louis in 2009 when current Columbus GM Jarmo about here.” Kekalainen was running their drafts. He spent two seasons in the AHL before returning home. The other is 22-year-old defenceman Alexander For his part, Smith said the most competitive guy he’s ever seen is San Yelesin. There is definitely interest in him. Jose’s Joe Pavelski. They skate together during the off-season. Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, “He’ll be on the winning teams in most of our three-on-three games. Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown When we golf, he’s usually the best. Fishing? He’ll have the best catch.” Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. Don’t you just hate guys like that? 13. Several teams and scouts left the World Juniors for a couple of days “Actually, I kind of admire it,” Smith said. to attend the Desert Hockey Classic at Arizona State. There were two free agents of particular interest: Minnesota State (Mankato) defender 25. Stunning admission from this week’s 31 Thoughts podcast: Jay Connor Mackey and Clarkson forward Nico Sturm. Beagle has an iPhone 1. Does he write with a dip pen? 14. In the days leading up to the gold-medal game, there were rumours 26. A few people have made fun of Toronto’s thank-you videos this year flying that Quinn Hughes was ready to leave NCAA Michigan for for Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov and Matt Martin. (It was a good gesture Vancouver. It never got close to that, but what is clear is the Canucks with Martin, who was very unhappy at the way things ended for him last wished to ask him if he would consider the possibility. They decided not season.) I’d much rather that than St. Louis ignoring Kevin Shattenkirk, to, choosing to honour an agreement to wait until the end of the who didn’t get any recognition when he returned for the first time. Wolverines’ season. But I suspect they really, really wanted to do it. 27. From the moment he arrived in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin plunged into 15. Michael Del Zotto didn’t want to say anything during Vancouver’s the world of promotion, trying just about anything even though English stop in Toronto, but it’s clear he craves a chance to get back into the was not his first language. As a result, I’m always inclined to give him the lineup. Players want to play. I’ve heard there’s interest, but those parties benefit of the doubt. As part of the upcoming CBA talks, expect the want to wait until closer to the deadline to save cap space. NHLPA to propose a way for players to skip All-Star Weekend without punishment. Maybe, for example, you go to five, you get the option to 16. The Canucks were marvelling at Pettersson’s blocked pass before he miss one. got injured in last Thursday’s 2-0 loss to Montreal. “Who even thinks of doing that?” one player said. The idea of increasing the penalty for missing the weekend from one game to two was brought up inside the NHL, but there wasn’t anywhere 17. When Tiger Woods quickly became the most dominant golfer of his near enough support for the idea, thankfully. I know people hate All-Star generation, other players quickly got sick of talking about him. It is the and think it’s a joke, but there’s a business aspect to this. NHL cities reverse in Vancouver. His teammates are more than happy to discuss badly want to host it. Sponsors love the event — it’s a big perk for them what he can do, marvelling about his brains and his brawn. and their clients. They love the interaction with the players. I always see “Take a look at his first goal,” defenceman Troy Stecher said. “Most a ton of kids, and even a minute with a player makes a huge difference. players, they step forward on their front foot and shoot it. Not there. He You want to grow your game and your revenues, you have to make nice reached back and ‘sling-shotted’ it. No stride change.” with your sponsors. Let’s call it a necessary evil. Stecher was even more impressed by another play he witnessed from 28. Eliminate picking forwards and defencemen for All-Star rosters. Take the bench. He couldn’t remember who it was against, but Pettersson had two goalies per division, then take whatever skaters you want. the puck at the opposing blueline. 29. Everyone’s favourite topic — escrow — comes to the forefront as “Someone was coming at him, and I was saying to myself, ‘Dump it in, talks between the NHL and NHLPA continue this week in Las Vegas. The dump it in.’ Then he looked right at the guy, who backed off and gave him NHL wanted a decision on the 2020 World Cup by All-Star Weekend. But room to make a play. I asked him about it later. He said, ‘If I look down at that’s a small part of the overall CBA discussion, so we’re getting to more the puck on the ice, he can charge right at me. But if I look at him, he has serious conversations. My sense is both sides want to extend the CBA, to respect that I could go right past him.” but there are always hurdles. Escrow is the biggest, and it’s complicated. 18. Excellent gesture: Vegas coach Gerard Gallant had replicas of the It is there to even the split between the players and owners, so capping it Jack Adams Award created for all of his assistant coaches. or re-jigging the formula will take major concessions from the NHLPA. There’s really not much wiggle room because there is little incentive for 19. John Hynes’s extension in New Jersey keeps him under contract until the NHL to budge. If I were in the union, I would work backwards, July 2021. knowing that the league would probably want to decrease the length of the maximum contract (currently eight years for your own player, seven 20. Erik Karlsson was steaming mad when hit with a two-game for someone else’s) and limit the amount of signing bonuses on suspension at Christmas. He’s unleashed his anger on the rest of the contracts. NHL. In six games since his return, he’s got one goal and 15 assists. Karlsson’s a zone-entry machine. Could the players propose something that would satisfy the league in exchange for something? Just a thought. It will take that kind of creativity. 21. One executive on Montreal: “They play so much harder than last season.” He pointed out they picked up four out of six points when Antti 30. Another way is for the players not to use their “inflator” on the salary Niemi replaced Carey Price for three straight games just before New cap. (They raised the 2018-19 number by 0.5 per cent to its current $79.5 Year’s, and should have beaten Tampa Bay — which was the loss. million. Next year’s estimate of $83 million includes this as part of the projection.) But that’s divisive. Years ago, one team was voting on 22. There was some concern when Shea Weber returned that he whether or not to use it, and a top player argued they shouldn’t. A wouldn’t fit on the newer, speedier Canadiens. Yeah, no need to worry pending free agent yelled back, “So, you get the advantage when you’re about that. The Canadiens were outscored 81-74 before Weber returned, up, but I don’t?” The difference between now and then is players have but are up 58-54 since he came back. Prior to Nashville’s 4-1 win over stopped using the full five per cent as allowed by the CBA. Montreal on Saturday, the Canadiens were first overall in shot share since he got back. (Explainer: They were taking almost 56 per cent of the 31. Friday night, NBC Sports Washington will air an “alternative feed” of shots in games they were playing. That doesn’t indicate quality, but it its Bucks/Wizards NBA broadcast. This channel will feature gambling was a higher percentage than anyone else.) information and pop-up questions allowing viewers to “bet” on the action through the station’s website, with the chance to win $500. That’s the Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and future, and it is getting closer. Meanwhile, I’ll take the over on fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the uncontested layups scored against the Wizards. country’s most beloved game. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.10.2019 23. The Predators are a great team because they have great players, but it doesn’t hurt that they practice very hard. “I can’t remember if it was last year or the year before,” defenceman Ryan Ellis said this week, “But we had a practice during the playoffs where three guys went down. The coaches stopped it and said, ‘Hey, we have bigger goals we want to accomplish here.” Ellis laughed. “It’s not unusual for guys to say to each other, ‘I’m going to get you at practice.’” 1125205 Websites It’s all a non-issue if Edler flexes his NTC. "I don’t know what their plan is but I’ll focus on what I can control and just play my best," Edler told Sportsnet. "If that time comes, then I’ll make a Sportsnet.ca / What should the Canucks do with upcoming UFA decision then. But right now I’m fully committed to this season and this Alexander Edler? team and I’m excited to be part of this group. "Whether it’s on or off the ice, I just try to do the right thing, whether it’s Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet January 9, 2019, 8:17 PM go out there and play hard or just approach every day with a positive mindset and show what I’ve been shown by leaders in the past. I’ve always said that I like it here, and I want to be part of this franchise. (But) sometimes it’s not your decision, so I’m prepared for anything." VANCOUVER – There are four things the Vancouver Canucks can do with Alexander Edler. At least two of them would be good, but both of Your browser does not support the audio element. those scenarios hinge on the defenceman returning to the National Hockey League team next season. It’s unknown how strong the trade market would be for Edler as a rental. Benning needs to explore that. But what’s almost certain is that whatever The most important meeting of Canucks on Wednesday was not the the Canucks could fetch for Edler, his departure would make the gathering of players for a morning practice at Rogers Arena, but the organization’s defence weaker next season. summit of hockey operations staff upstairs in the afternoon. Considering the impressive progress coach Travis Green’s team has General manager Jim Benning and his staff are meeting this week to plot made this season, Pettersson’s brilliant emergence, and ownership’s the Canucks’ course through the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 25. By far impatience to win, Benning can’t make moves on defence that diminish the most pressing file is Edler, who, through his full no-trade clause and the Canucks’ chances of making the playoffs next season when the looming unrestricted free agency, is empowered to severely limit franchise celebrates 50 years in the NHL. management’s options. One way or another, the Canucks need Edler back. Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown "There’s a lot of different things," Edler said of his desire to stay. "I’ve Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley lived here for most of my adult life. I started a family here and the city Cup Playoffs and more. feels like home. But the organization has been good to me, too. I’ve been treated well and given chances to improve and play a lot. The 32-year-old Swede, a career Canuck who is having one of his best seasons in years, is on an expiring contract. A majority of respondents to "My best scenario is to get that chance (to win again) here. We have a Sportsnet 650 Radio poll said the Canucks should trade Edler and some work to do and there’s a lot of learning and a lot of teaching. But for Chris Tanev, a 29-year-old whose contract expires after next season. sure, we have young, talented players who are going to keep developing. It’s no fun to lose like we did last year, but it’s exciting to go through a The poll says a lot about the market in which they play. change like this and be part of it until we get good again." Edler and Tanev are easily Vancouver’s best defencemen. The Canucks, Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.10.2019 driven by young forward stars Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser, are more competitive than anyone thought they’d be this season. But Vancouver’s defence hasn’t been rebuilt to the same level as the forward group. The Canucks need more good defencemen, not fewer of them. "We don’t have anybody in our organization right now who’s ready to step in and fill Alex’s shoes," Benning said Wednesday. "He’s probably our best penalty killer on the back end and he plays on our power play. He’s physical. He plays a good all-around game for us. We don’t have anyone in our system right now who can replace that." So, let’s start from there and proceed. The four options with Edler are: trade him at the deadline but try to re- sign him on July 1, trade him at the deadline and move on, re-sign him before free agency, or let him leave for nothing on July 1. The fourth option would be a disaster. No NHL team that doesn’t win the Stanley Cup can squander a valuable asset by getting nothing in return. Obviously, the first option is the best. Obtain something for Edler before the deadline and see it become free money when the defenceman re- signs July 1 in Vancouver. Makes sense. It’s the most popular option for armchair GMs, a win-win. But the reality is it simply doesn’t happen in the NHL very often where a traded player happily and immediately returns. Roman Polak re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016 after being traded to the San Jose Sharks. But he returned on a one-year deal for $2.25 million US. There wasn’t exactly a frenzied bidding war for Polak in free agency. The previous summer, Antoine Vermette found his way home to the Arizona Coyotes after being ransomed to the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2015 trade deadline. He signed for two years at $3.75 million. Edler leads the Canucks with 23:13 of ice time and is their best defenceman. He is on pace for 46 points, which would be his most productive season since 2011-12, and would be a highly-attractive UFA who could command a multi-year deal for at least the $5 million annually he is earning now. But he loves Vancouver. Surely he would return on July 1 if traded? Well, no matter how strong the napkin on which the Canucks write their I.O.U. to Edler if they trade him, he is beyond their control the moment he leaves. He may find playing in Tampa or Vegas quite pleasant, especially if he wins there. Or maybe he resents being pressured by the Canucks to accept a trade. 1125206 Websites “Whatever adjustments teams make we’d like to believe in our ability and our foundation to overcome that and find a way to get the production we need.” Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs hope line shuffling sparks 'stale' power play Babcock believes strongly in the importance of set schemes and the complementary role they serve in his skill players’ ability to act spontaneous on the ice. Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox January 9, 2019, 2:14 PM “If you’re not organized and you don’t have good structure, they can’t be creative because they don’t know what each other is supposed to do. What it’s supposed to do is give the creative players more room,” the TORONTO – The Voltron of power-plays has been disassembled. coach said. Yes, the much-hyped, three-centre, five-star PP1 of the Toronto Maple “You’ve got four penalty killers out there, and they get paid to work hard. Leafs — Morgan Rielly, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, And so, the other guys gotta work harder. You gotta outwork the penalty Nazem Kadri — was chopped up for the first time (with all components kill. If you don’t, you don’t score.” healthy) at practice Wednesday. Babcock on Nylander: “When you decide you want to play here, you And the new, more balanced deployment falls in line with coach Mike take the good with the bad. And sometimes the bad is, they’re pointing Babcock’s preferred man-advantage philosophy. out what you’re doing. That’s what the country music channel is for and the huntin’ channel. Wild TV, 393—it’s dialed in." “When you’ve got a total of one group, you don’t got as much competition on your team,” Babcock explained. — luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) January 9, 2019 “I still like when you have two and you compete to see who’s out there. ONE-TIMERS We’re gonna make a change here and see how it goes, then we’ll go from there. We can always change back at any time.” Zach Hyman returns to the Leafs’ top line Thursday after missing eight games with an ankle injury. “His skill is being able to get to the net, get The skill dropoff between PP1 and PP2 is now a baby step, and we’d the puck back, play with good players, play heavy, penalty-kill, take right expect the gap in ice time between the two units to shrink as well. hand face-offs,” Babcock said. “Those things are important for us.”… Frederik Andersen (groin) said the Leafs are targeting his return for Here’s a peek at the groups expected to be unveiled Thursday in New Saturday versus Boston… In New Jersey Thursday, Michael Hutchinson Jersey: will get his fourth consecutive start; expect Kasimir Kaskisuo to be Matthews, who spent the bulk of last season on the “second” unit as well recalled as his backup…. Garret Sparks skated on his own Tuesday but and leads all Leafs with seven power-play goals, is the man on the move. has yet to be cleared for practice since suffering a concussion…. And Jake Gardiner, who played some centre in high school, held his own in a It’s no secret the franchise centre enjoys being on the ice with Marner — spirited face-off contest with Nazem Kadri to wrap up the skate. the NHL leader in primary assists — but, unprompted, Matthews let it be known that he’s cool with the shuffle. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.10.2019 “I have no problem with the switch,” Matthews said, well aware that opponents began to nullify the cross-seam pass Marner was using to tee him up for that wicked wrister on the left flank. “Some things work for a couple games or one game, and you feel good. Next game, that play’s not there,” Matthews said. “Maybe we got a bit too stale and were just bringing the same thing over and over again. So, I think it’s important to switch it up once in a while and give them something different and get them back on their heels.” The numbers support a need for change. Toronto has tumbled to eighth league-wide in the category (22.3 per cent), down from when it spread its weapons across two groups in 2017- 18 (25 per cent) and 2016-17 (23.8 per cent). The club’s PP finished second overall in both those seasons. Toronto’s stacked 5-on-4 formation terrorized the league in October, faded slightly in November, and has turned bone-dry of late, succeeding only once in its past 15 opportunities. The sum has become less than its parts. The Leafs are now enduring their fourth stretch of power-play futility lasting four games or longer, and in tight, meaningful contests, special teams are often the difference. The Predators defeated Toronto Monday, in part, because they went 1- for-2 on the PP while the Leafs went 0-for-3 and watched some missed- net plays rim out of the offensive zone. “Especially in games like the one we were in against Nashville, those momentum swings can really change the game,” Matthews said. The increasing ineffectiveness of the all-star quintet can be credited to opponents’ diligent pre-scouting and ramped-up effort. “People take their penalty-killing very seriously,” Rielly noted. “Some guys, that’s their main role on the team.” Ironically, the day the struggling Nylander drops out of the top six and off Matthews’ wing (replaced by the speedy Kapanen), he welcomes the sniper to his power-play group. “For sure, that’ll help get something going for our unit,” Nylander said. Adds Tavares: “It’s a good opportunity for both units to take advantage of it, knowing we’ve got two really strong groups with a great skill-set and can move the puck around and get the puck to the net. 1125207 Websites would be a heck of a second pairing on a true contender. Edmonton needs high-end D-men, a tough find.

MOST IMPORTANT STORYLINE OF THE SECOND HALF Sportsnet.ca / Edmonton Oilers first half report: Subpar depth still a key concern This has to be about the front office, starting with Chiarelli. If the GM goes, it signals yet another do-over in Edmonton, the town that put the ‘re’ in rebuild. Head coach Ken Hitchcock is only signed through Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec January 9, 2019, 8:55 AM the end of the season, and is unlikely to return under a new GM, meaning the Oilers would hire their ninth coach in 12 seasons. EDMONTON — Two games into their second half, the Edmonton Oilers Frankly, we’re not even sure that a first-round exit would save Chiarelli sit just two points out of a wild-card spot. That could be construed as the here, when one considers the meager improvements made to this team good news. in his four-year reign as GM. A six-game losing streak has taken them nearly out of contention in the The one thing Chiarelli and right-hand man Keith Gretzky have done well Pacific however, as they trail first-place Calgary by 15 points and third- is drafting. So as much as Oilers fans don’t want to hear it, the future place San Jose by 14 points after a 7-2 loss in the Shark Tank Tuesday actually looks pretty bright with guys like Evan Bouchard, Dmitri night. Samorukov, Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan McLeod. But this is McDavid’s fourth season, and despite his heroics this team is stuck in neutral. So, lets define success in Edmonton, shall we? Either it shifts into drive in Edmonton quickly, or the guy behind the wheel Well, when you’ve missed the playoffs in 11 of 12 seasons, and have the is going to get replaced. player many consider to be the best currently playing the sport, a berth in the post-season has to be considered a must, doesn’t it? That sounds Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.10.2019 like a low bar, but here in Edmonton — where general manager Peter Chiarelli’s job security absolutely depends on a round of playoffs — you’ve got to start somewhere. A 20-20-3 record through 43 games is, as defined, pretty average. Let’s take a look at how the Oilers got there, with a series of streaks and, yes, yet another fired head coach. Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. THE GOOD The good news is a year ago the Oilers were 18-22-3, with about a 2.3 per cent chance of making the playoffs. More good news? They’ve still got Connor McDavid and he’s still hovering around Art Ross territory, fifth in NHL scoring with 62 points, while Leon Draisaitl is tied for 10th place with 52 points. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is having a career year with 38 points in 42 games, and PTO pick-up Alex Chiasson has 16 goals In goal, free-agent pick-up Mikko Koskinen allowed Edmonton to survive a slow start by Cam Talbot, and just as Koskinen cools, Talbot has found his game. So, with a few elite scorers and some goaltending, the Oilers have hung in there out West. THE BAD Where to start? • Milan Lucic has two goals in the calendar year 2018. That’s $3 million per goal. He does some other things, sure. But having $6 million tied up in a two-goal man is a cap killer. • The depth scoring — everyone below the Big 4 forwards — has let the Oilers down. The only other forward with more than four goals — Drake Caggiula — was dealt away for defenceman Brandon Manning in a head- scratcher of a deal. • The general manager has failed this team. In his fourth season, his blue line is still so thin that simultaneous injuries to Oscar Klefbom and Kris Russell paralyzed Edmonton. Chiarelli fired Todd McLellan, and within two weeks new coach Ken Hitchcock was complaining of the same lineup flaws that cost McLellan his job. And attempts to improve by picking up Chris Wideman, Ryan Spooner, Manning and Alex Petrovic have mostly fallen flat. Edmonton Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen. (Jason Franson/CP) TRADE DEADLINE LOOKAHEAD Desperate to keep his job, if the Oilers are anywhere close to a playoff spot on Feb. 25, Edmonton will be adding. The fear is that Chiarelli mortgages the future to save an average lineup today. His batting average in big trades does not inspire confidence among Oilers fans. Scoring winger: With McDavid, Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins all natural centremen, there aren’t enough compatible wingers here — especially on the right side. Edmonton needs a sniper for either McDavid’s right side, or to play with Nugent-Hopkins while Draisaitl plays with McDavid. They need a finisher, like Jordan Eberle or Taylor Hall. Top-2 Defencemen: The Oilers arguably do not have a top-pairing defenceman. Klefbom has filled in admirably when healthy, as has Adam Larsson. But certainly, neither is a legit No. 1, and we’d say that they 1125208 Websites Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. Sportsnet.ca / Sportsnet’s 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: January 16. Philip Broberg, D, AIK (Allsvenskan), 6-foot-3, 190 pounds: He’s big and he skates well, but the jury is out on his stick/puck skills. Took advantage of an injury just to make Sweden’s WJC team, but was well Sam Cosentino January 9, 2019, 12:55 PM down on their depth chart. 17. Alex Newhook, C, Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL), 5-foot-11, 190 pounds: Explosive forward missed four league games to play in WJAC and still Three more valuable pieces to the scouting puzzle have been completed has a big lead in the BCHL scoring race with 63 points in 35 games. with the World Junior A Challenge, the World Junior Championship and the USHL Top Prospects Game in the rearview mirror. 18. Jakob Pelletier, LW, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL), 5-foot-9, 161 pounds: Smaller players have to exhibit a dynamic element with off the All three events had their own storylines. At the WJAC a second tier of charts compete. Both boxes are checked for Pelletier. US-born players took gold in Bonneyville, AB. We saw draft eligibles Jack Hughes, Vasili Podkolzin and gold medal winner Kaapo Kakko take 19. Brett Leason, RW, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), 6-foot-4, 207 centre stage in Vancouver/Victoria at the WJC. And in the USHL Top pounds: Questions about pace and skating have quelled. Agility needs to Prospects Game, Robert Mastrosimone earned the East’s top player improve, but he’s got a great stick and is especially effective on the award as he continues to battle for first round attention. forecheck. Not only can he finish, but is an underrated playmaker. In a time span stretching from the world juniors through the Sherwin 20. Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie Colts (OHL), 6-foot, 172 pounds: Must prove Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Red Deer on Jan. 23, NHL there are more dimensions to his game, but his hockey IQ will keep him teams will meet with their scouts to come up with their mid-term lists and afloat until then. set a plan for whom to key-in on in the second half of the season. A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts While there are a few players who have shifted inside the top 15 this Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. month, there have also been some who have broken into the first round. Here’s a look at our January rankings. 21. Thomas Harley, D, (OHL), 6-foot-3, 188 pounds: As calm as the day is long, even when making the high risk play. 1. Jack Hughes, C, USNTDP, 5-foot-10, 168 pounds: Not at his best due Has been a pleasant surprise in an otherwise down year for the OHL. to injury at the WJC, but it doesn’t matter, he’s the top dog for 2019. 22. Victor Soderstrom, D, Brynas (Sweden U20) 5-foot-11, 179 pounds: 2. Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS (Liiga), 6-foot-4, 207 pounds: The only thing Steadiness always plays. He is like the Isac Lundestrom of defencemen. missing is a dynamic element that Hughes has shown. His WJC performance has him anchored in the two-hole. 23. Ville Heinola, D, Lukko (Liiga) 5-foot-11, 178 pounds: World junior injury notwithstanding, has continued a steady rise that has seen him 3. Vasily Podkolzin, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (MHL), 6-foot-1, 183 maintain big minutes in Finland’s top pro league all season. pounds: Continues to prove he can be leaned on when playing against older competition. He did it at the WJAC and stepped up a notch in class 24. Nolan Foote, LW, Kelowna Rockets (WHL), 6-foot-3, 190 pounds: to perform well at the WJC. Goal scoring is his calling card, but there’s been steady progression in other areas. 4. Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL), 6-foot-3, 185 pounds: Didn’t hang his head after not getting a chance to go to Canada’s WJC 25. Vladislav Kolyachonok, D, Flint Firebirds (WHL), 6-foot, 176 pounds: selection camp. Skating ability and smarts make him a legit threat every Matches high-end skating with high-end hockey IQ. Stories of his work night. ethic are legendary. 5. Matthew Boldy, LW, USNTDP, 6-foot-1, 187 pounds: Continues to 26. Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, Magnitogorsk (MHL) 6-foot-1, 167 pounds: grow, which can only help an already electric package. Works hard to create offence and is an analytics darling with ability to consistently get chances from the “home plate area.” 6. Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon Blades (WHL), 6-foot-3, 195 pounds: A beast of a man who is bound and determined to be a pro. A big part of a 27. Alex Vlasic, D, USNTDP, 6-foot-5, 193 pounds: An excellent skater long-awaited turnaround in Saskatoon. with size who plays with bite. Has a great stick to make him difficult to beat in the defensive zone. 7. Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay Ice (WHL), 5-foot-11, 180 pounds: Does being the best player on a poor team make it easier or harder for scouts? 28. Matthew Robertson, D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), 6-foot-3, 201 pounds: When he’s healthy he’s going to have to answer the question: 8. Bowen Byram, D. Vancouver Giants (WHL), 6-foot-1, 195 pounds: Has “What kind of player will he be at the next level?” done enough on both sides of the puck to project as a top-four two-way defenceman. 29. Moritz Seider, D, Mannheim (DEL) 6-foot-3, 183 pounds: Being named captain for the U20 team as an underager speaks to the 9. Alex Turcotte, C, USNTDP, 5-foot-11, 189 pounds: Just starting to get intangibles he brings to the table that complement his size. his game legs back after missing a month and a half. Details and reliability are the hallmarks of his game. 30. Philip Tomasino, RW, Niagara IceDogs (OHL), 5-foot-11, 178 pounds: Used an injury to current linemate Akil Thomas to rise to the top 10. Raphael Lavoie, C/RW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), 6-foot-4, 192 of the Dogs’ lineup and has not relinquished his spot. pounds: Truly an enigma who you’d love to see play with the urgency of a fire drill. 31. Simon Holmstrom, RW, HV71 (Sweden U20) 6-foot-1, 183 pounds: Has some ground to make up based on injuries that felled him for the 11. Arthur Kaliyev, RW, (OHL), 6-foot-1, 190 pounds: November tournaments and the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament before that. Will get a chance to play a lead role with key offensive players moving on. But that also means there’s less of a supporting cast. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.10.2019 12. Cam York, D, USNTDP, 5-foot-11, 171 pounds: Underrated in the defensive details. Puck movement, gap control and shot-blocking are above average thanks to a great skating foundation. 13. Spencer Knight, G, USNTDP, 6-foot-3, 197 pounds: Hard to argue not playing him at the WJC, but it would’ve made for some great scouting opportunities. 14. Trevor Zegras, C, USNTDP, 6-foot, 166 pounds: Plays with attitude, dangerous one-on-one and is a PP magician. 15. Cole Caufield, RW, USNTDP, 5-foot-6, 155 pounds: Continues to light the lamp, especially against college competition, which is a good indicator. 1125209 Websites have tough times, and especially now it’s tougher than others. Once the puck starts going in, it’ll keep going in.”

With Toronto having lost three of its last four, Babcock moved Nylander TSN.CA / Leafs shake up power-play units at practice off Matthews’ line at Wednesday’s practice and on to Nazem Kadri’s unit with Patrick Marleau, the latter of whom has tried to connect with Nylander since his return from a lengthy contract negotiation in early Kristen Shilton December. “I try to talk to him; I don’t know if I’m helping our not,” Marleau said. “But I think just telling him that I think he’s doing well. I think coaches are The Maple Leafs held a noon practice at MasterCard Centre. TSN's talking to him and he’s doing a lot of great things out there, so he’s just Kristen Shilton has more in her Wednesday notes. got to stick with it.” The Maple Leafs’ power play has needed a shake up for some time. Now Babcock’s advice to Nylander is even more succinct. it’s finally getting one. “I only know one way [to improve], and that’s work,” Babcock claimed. Toronto started the season scorching hot with the extra man, tallying nine “When it’s going real good, you work hard every day because you want goals in the team’s first seven games. But since Nov. 1, those units rank to keep it going good. When it’s not going good, you want to work real 15th overall in the NHL (18.5 per cent), with only 15 goals. hard because you want to get it going. It’s simple: work.” The power play has been anemic at best over the last 15 games, dating If Nylander needs any recommendations on how to avoid the negativity back to Dec. 4 at Buffalo, producing just five goals in 43 attempts (11.6 out there, Babcock has a few suggestions. per cent) – and three of those goals came in a single game against the Florida Panthers. “When you decide you want to play here, you take the good with the bad and sometimes the bad is they’re pointing out what you’re doing,” he On the heels of going 0-for-3 on the power play Monday against explained. “That’s what the country music channel and the hunting Nashville, coach Mike Babcock changed things up at Wednesday’s channel is for. Wild TV, 393, it’s dialled in. They never talk about hockey practice, moving Auston Matthews to the second group and Kasperi once.” Kapanen to the top unit. ---- “It wasn’t going the way we wanted,” Babcock said of the alterations. “When you have a total of one group, you don’t have as much The Leafs’ quest to become a heavier team will get a much-needed competition on your team. I still like when you have two and you compete boost on Thursday when winger Zach Hyman steps back into the lineup to see who’s out there. We’re going to make a change here and see how after missing eight games with an ankle injury. it goes.” In fact, Hyman will be returning to the very scene of the crime: Prudential Matthews and John Tavares currently lead the Leafs in power-play goals Center in New Jersey, where he went crashing uncomfortably into the with seven, while Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly are the top point- boards on Dec. 18. getters with 14 each. There appears to be ample talent available for those units to rebound. It’s a matter of execution now. Less than a month later, that’s all ancient history. Hyman just wants to get out there again. “[The coaching staff] probably wants to see some different results, some different looks and get us playing more efficiently on the power play,” “I’m more excited [than anything], I’m not really worried about other stuff,” Tavares said. “It’s a good opportunity for both units to take advantage of Hyman said. it and knowing we have two really strong groups that have a great skill As the team’s best forechecker and a premier penalty killer, Hyman’s set and can move the puck around.” brand of toughness will be well-received by a Leafs’ team criticized for One of the Leafs’ most lethal man-advantage plays early in the season being too easy to play against. was a seam pass from Marner to Matthews that opposing penalty kills “It’s just the way I play – go into corners, battle and try to get the puck,” have become wise to and now often take away, which has made the Hyman said. “Just part of my game.” power play predictable. Toronto has talked for weeks about making tweaks, but now the personnel rotation will force the issue. It may not amount to a pile of points at the end of the season, but Hyman’s presence is felt in ways his teammates feel is irreplaceable. “We’re working through the challenges we’re facing now and whatever adjustments teams make, we’d like to believe in our ability and our “He’s just got different kinds of skill,” Babcock said. “But his ability to get foundation,” Tavares said. “…We’re the one with one extra guy.” the puck back, get to the net, play with good players, play heavy, penalty kill, take right-hand faceoffs, I think those things are important for us. We But having the other team outnumbered hasn’t been as much of a coup missed him.” for the Leafs of late as they’d like. “His consistency and predictability for us, and the trust you have with “You’ve got four penalty killers out there and they get paid to work hard,” what he brings to the game, his contributions on a nightly basis, makes it Babcock said. “You have to outwork the penalty kill because if you don’t, easy for me and Mitch to do what we do,” Tavares said. “Great to have you don’t score. Your scheme in everything you do is important and that him back. I know he’s hungry to get back at it, and he’s an impact player frees up the players to be creative. Organization [is supposed to] give the for us.” good players more room.” Meanwhile, goaltender Frederik Andersen (groin) won’t be available for ---- Thursday’s game, but he said he’s eyeing a return on Saturday against William Nylander had hoped when he scored his first goal of the season Boston. on Jan. 3 it would get him started on a roll. So far that’s where his scoring Babcock isn’t so sure. production has started and ended. “I don’t think Freddie will be going until Colorado [on Monday] from what I In 14 games, the Leafs’ second-highest paid player has come up with hear,” he said. “We’ll just see. He’s got to get ready and he’s got to be three points total (one goal, two assists). After Monday’s 4-0 loss to the ready to stop the puck when you go in.” Nashville Predators, Babcock said the “urgency has to be there” for his winger. The team will recall Kasimir Kaskisuo to backup Michael Hutchinson in New Jersey. Like everything else about his game, that is coming along slowly for Nylander. But he’s optimistic about the direction he's headed. ---- “I feel like I’m starting to get there, starting to get confident with the puck Maple Leafs lines at practice: and being able to create stuff,” he said. “Starting to feel really good with the puck and all areas of the game are starting to feel better and better.” Hyman-Tavares-Marner Until the 22-year-old is back where he wants to be, avoiding his many Johnsson-Matthews-Kapanen critics has been the best policy. Marleau-Kadri-Nylander “I haven’t been really paying attention to anything,” he said. “I just know Lindholm-Gauthier-Brown what I’m capable of and I know that’s going to come. You’re going to Rielly-Hainsey Gardiner-Zaitsev Dermott-Ozhiganov Marincin-Holl Andersen Hutchinson TSN.CA LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125210 Websites

USA TODAY / Capitals invite youth hockey team that stood up for player who heard racial taunts

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Published 9:39 p.m. ET Jan. 9, 2019 | Updated 10:51 p.m. ET Jan. 9, 2019

The Washington Capitals had a surprise for a local youth hockey team that stood up after an African-American teammate was subjected to racial taunts. Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly and defenseman John Carlson told the Metro Maple Leafs, based in nearly Odenton, Md., via video that they would be getting tickets to Monday's home game against the St. Louis Blues at Capital One Arena. Divyne Apollon II, 13, was the player who heard the taunts at a tournament in late December. According to The Washington Post, he heard monkey sounds and chants that he should play basketball. When he was suspended for getting into a fight, his teammates wore a sticker decrying racism — featuring the word racism surrounded by a circle with a hockey stick crossing through it — at the next game. The story caught the attention of Smith-Pelley, who had heard basketball chants last season while he sat in the penalty box during a game at the Chicago Blackhawks. His video with Carlson was played for the Metro Maple Leafs, earning excited cheers from the team. Sixty tickets are being made available, and team members will get to meet with Capitals players afterward. "For me to meet him (Apollon) and look him in the face as someone who's gone through it and can talk to him and share my experience is important to me," Smith-Pelly told the Capitals' website. "It's a pretty gross thing to be happening." USA TODAY LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125211 Websites

USA TODAY / NHL All-Star jerseys will be made out of ocean garbage

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Published 4:03 p.m. ET Jan. 9, 2019

The NHL All-Star Game's jerseys will be garbage, and the league is proud of that distinction. The league has announced that the NHL All-Star weekend in San Jose, California, will feature eco-innovative Adidas jerseys made from upcycled marine debris. The ADIZERO jerseys, featuring player's team logos for the first time instead of an NHL logo, will be worn during the skills competition on Jan. 25 and the main four-division, three-on-three tournament on Jan. 26. Embracing eco-friendly projects has been an NHL mandate. Adidas has partnered with Parley for the Oceans in a bid to end marine plastic pollution and protect the oceans by using plastic waste in eco- friendly projects. Other sports teams, such as the University of Miami football team, have worn jerseys made from ocean waste. Adidas and Parley rework the ocean waste into technical fibers that can be transformed into a breathable fabric, which can be made into a jersey. The jerseys will be available for sale to the public. USA TODAY LOADED: 01.10.2019 1125212 Websites

USA TODAY / Distillery offers Blue Jackets' Artemi Panarin a lifetime supply of vodka if he re-signs

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Published 5:47 p.m. ET Jan. 9, 2019 | Updated 6:43 p.m. ET Jan. 9, 2019

Columbus Blue Jackets fans are worried about whether their team will be able to hang on to leading scorer and pending free agent Artemi Panarin. A Columbus-based distillery/restaurant has come up with a tempting offer in an attempt to keep Panarin. High Bank Distillery has a billboard near the Blue Jackets' workplace, Nationwide Arena, offering the Russian-born forward a lifetime supply of vodka if he re-signs. Panarin is in the final year of a two-year, $12 million extension that he signed when he was with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks, afraid they would be unable to sign him long-term, traded him to the Blue Jackets in June 2017 in what has become a lopsided deal. Panarin has scored 127 points over the last season-and-a-half since the trade, ranking 18th in the league during that period. He has 45 points in 40 games this season. Needless to say, his next deal will be worth much more than $6 million a year, and the Blue Jackets also have to re-sign star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. In September, Panarin released a statement, leaving open how he would handle his pending free agency next summer. "I was welcomed here with open arms by pretty much everyone in the organization, the fans and, you know, the fans love me and I love the fans," he said. "I want people to understand that it's not often that a player really has the opportunity to kind of decide the future, so I'm going to take the time to decide." No word on whether the distillery's offer might sway him, but he did spot the billboard. "Columbus, you keep amazing me," Panarin wrote on his Instagram account. "Thank you for your brilliance. Now I have a new spot to dine at." Panarin is nicknamed Bread Man, a play on words from then-Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville on the similarity of his last name to the bakery chain. Panera might have to step up, too, with a lifetime offer. USA TODAY LOADED: 01.10.2019