SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 12/10/18 1120177 Ducks get shootout win over Devils, who have three 1120210 Inside the Avs’ Locker Room: Fumbling questions after a own-goals blowout lossAdrian Dater 1120178 Ducks wrestle a shootout victory away from unsteady hands of Devils 1120179 Andrew Cogliano says Ducks getting better at their new 1120211 Failure at home leaves John Tortorella at loss for words speed game 1120212 Coaches emphasizing defensive play with Zach Werenski 1120180 Duck Tales: Analyzing GM Bob Murray’s two-year contract 1120213 Capitals 4, Blue Jackets 0: Five takeaways extension with Anaheim 1120214 Late too many men on the ice sinks Stars' 1120181 Arizona Coyotes starting goalie out comeback attempt: 'It's one of those things that shouldn't h indefinitely 1120215 Jim Montgomery concerned about energy and effort as 1120182 ‘I gave everyone a year’: In revamping scouting process, Stars' four-game win streak snapped in Vegas Coyotes hope to avoid mistakes of past 1120216 Stars 20/20: Lackluster effort dooms win streak in Vegas 1120183 Torey Krug’s overtime lifts Bruins over Senators 1120217 Detroit Red Wings stand up for one another but fall to 1120184 Charlie McAvoy returns to lineup against Senators Islanders 1120185 Toronto’s Zach Hyman has hearing Sunday for hit on 1120218 Kronwall turns back the clock with his play, devastating hit Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy 1120219 Projecting who the Red Wings will protect in the 2021 1120186 Bruins notebook: Defense raises its game Seattle expansion draft (Version 1.0) 1120187 Torey Krug, Bruins skate past Senators in overtime 1120188 Maple Leafs’ Hyman suspended for hit on McAvoy 1120189 Bruins pregame notes: B’s look to carry momentum in 1120220 WATCH: Oilers take a game from the Flames Ottawa 1120221 Oilers make a statement with victory over Flames 1120190 Talking Points from the Bruins' 2-1 OT win: A grinding win 1120222 Old time hockey a thing of the past as players walk the is what the B's deserved edge in today's NHL 1120191 Zach Hyman suspended two games for hit on Charlie 1120223 Oilers Flames Game Day: Oilers running hot, Flames McAvoy facing adversity 1120192 Highlights from the Bruins' 2-1 win over the Senators 1120224 I have seen the future of Edmonton’s power play, and the 1120193 Danton Heinen snaps 12-game slump, Bruins hope 'it'll quarterback is Evan Bouchard. Or Joel Persson. Or bot start clicking with him' 1120194 Credit Bruins for defending themselves, but they aren't scaring anybody 1120225 ‘I think we gave away some points.’ Panthers’ homestand 1120195 Bruins' impressive win over Leafs one 'that can bring the ends with disappointing defeat group together' 1120196 Late, high hit knocks Charlie McAvoy out of Bruins win over Leafs 1120226 Kings' leaders struggle to come up with answers for team's hardships 1120227 Kings coach Willie Desjardins likes what he sees on 1120197 Sabres hopeful for turnaround following 'tough special teams conversations' in team meeting 1120228 AUSTIN WAGNER RECALLED BY KINGS 1120229 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: DECEMBER 9 1120230 GOOD MORNING, DETROIT 1120198 Flames snuffed in shutout to Oilers 1120231 Assessing (and perhaps obsessing over) playoff chances 1120199 Goalie Scott Darling back with Canes, recalled from for Vikings, Wild, Wolves and Gophers Checkers 1120232 With Koivu hurt, Wild call up Kunin 1120200 Is Canes’ Justin Faulk more driven to succeed this 1120233 With Mikko Koivu injured, Wild recalls Luke Kunin from season? Iowa 1120234 With Boudreau concerned, Wild look to pick up pieces of Blackhawks their shattered game 1120201 Blackhawks drop 7th straight as Canadiens score winning 1120235 Projecting who the Wild will protect and expose in the goal in final 2 minutes Seattle expansion draft (version 1.0) 1120202 Fading Blackhawks in no rush to seek help from top prospects in Rockford 1120203 Free-falling Blackhawks get two from Patrick Kane, lose 1120236 Tomas Tatar’s late goal lifts Montreal Canadiens over 3-2 to Canadiens anyway 1120204 Hawks coach Colliton scratches Perlini for not enough 1120237 In the Habs' Room: 'We weren't at our best' in win over 'RPMs' away from puck Blackhawks, Julien says 1120205 Tatar's late goal lifts Canadiens over Blackhawks 1120238 About last night ... Canadiens win 3-2 in Chicago 1120206 Hawks fall again, 3-2 to Canadiens 1120239 Tomas Tatar scores last-minute winner as Canadiens beat 1120207 Blackhawks' Perlini scratched vs. Montreal as struggles Blackhawks continue 1120240 Canadiens at Chicago Blackhawks: Five things you should 1120208 Four takeaways: Blackhawks power play can't crack know Carey Price in third period 1120241 Cracking the win: The Canadiens play with fire but avoid 1120209 How the 2021 Seattle expansion draft could affect the getting burned Blackhawks 1120242 Predators goalie Juuse Saros says he has a lot to prove, 1120285 Canucks prospects tracker, Dec. 9: Dahlen catches fire for improve the Comets 1120286 Canucks Post Game: Green’s gang has a red-letter day against Blues 1120243 New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Ducks: LIVE score 1120287 Ben Kuzma: Josh Leivo has ‘jaw dropping’ day with updates and chat (12/9/18) dynamic duo of Pettersson, Boeser 1120244 Why NJ Devils' is confident his luck will 1120288 Canucks 6 Blues 1: Pettersson has his way, Boeser has turn hat trick, Markstrom has moxie 1120245 NJ Devils score 3 times on own net in 6-5 shootout loss to 1120289 Canucks Game Day: Virtanen’s goal plateau, chasing Ducks Allen, Boeser’s beat, Dekey Pete 1120246 What NJ Devils' Kyle Palmieri learned from former 1120290 The Athletties: The story of Dekey Pete and The Flow teammate Ryan Getzlaf story and radio wars 1120247 Devils doomed by three own goals and lose to Ducks in shootout 1120274 Golden Knights hold off Stars for 5th straight home win New York Islanders 1120275 Golden Knights’ Oscar Lindberg takes advantage of 1120248 Islanders recall Josh Ho-Sang from Bridgeport playing time 1120276 GAME DAY: Golden Knights host Stars to finish back- to-back 1120249 Young forward facing uncertain future as Rangers get 1120277 Golden Knights take down Dallas, 4-2 healthy 1120278 No fatigue for Marc-Andre Fleury in Knights win over 1120250 Rangers are already giving up on their latest experiment Dallas 1120251 Rangers' experiment with Kevin Hayes at wing is over for 1120279 Zappos Giveaway at Golden Knights’ 4-2 Win Over Dallas: now $25 Gift Card Washington Capitals 1120252 Zack Smith embracing the role of being a shutdown 1120280 The Capitals wanted more offense from the fourth line. agitator They’re starting to get it. 1120253 Sens backup McKenna stands tall in OT loss to Bruins 1120281 A pair of firsts: Dmitrij Jaskin, Travis Boyd score first goals 1120254 67's finish off Petes, finishing weekend with a pair of for the Capitals victories 1120255 DeMelo and Jaros join Ottawa Senators' injury list Websites 1120291 Sportsnet.ca / Takeaways: Battle of Alberta rematch a much tamer affair 1120256 Jets ground Flyers to start Canadian swing 1120292 Sportsnet.ca / Pettersson building early case as greatest 1120257 Fish: Repeating Minnesota goaltending miracle would be Canuck in team history good start for Chuck Fletcher 1120293 Sportsnet.ca / Beyond Headlines: Expect trade action 1120258 Claude Giroux front and center as Flyers down Sabres before NHL’s holiday freeze 1120259 Jets 7, Flyers 1: Michal Neuvirth pulled in disastrous first 1120294 Sportsnet.ca / Hellebuyck's steady play provides Jets' game back offence chance to wake up 1120260 Flyers reportedly may take a run at Sergei Bobrovsky this 1120295 Sportsnet.ca / Takeaways: Carey Price steals a win for summer upward-trending Canadiens 1120261 Flyers at Jets: Live stream, storylines, game time and 1120296 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers must keep cool in heated Battle of more Alberta 1120262 Ivan Provorov’s growing pains a hurdle Flyers never 1120297 TSN.CA / Canucks visit Blues looking for back-to-back planned for wins 1120263 Penguins' Sidney Crosby refuses to criticize teammates 1120282 Sanheim beginning to shine 1120264 Penguins excited for return trip to 'nostalgic' Nassau 1120283 Jets embarrass Flyers with 7-1 drubbing 1120265 Jean-Sébastien Dea is 'excited to be a Pittsburgh Penguin 1120284 Hellebuyck looks familiar…Tanev trending towards again' career-highs…Jets get contributions throughout the lineup St Louis Blues 1120266 Blues call up goalie Jordan Binnington from San Antonio SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1120267 Once again, Blues find a way to flop after big win 1120268 Blues call up goalie Binnington from San Antonio 1120269 Lightning’s Ondrej Palat scores his first goal of the season … and the second 1120270 Lightning-Avalanche: How did Tampa Bay shut down the NHL’s top line 1120271 Leafs’ Zach Hyman suspended two games for hit on Bruins’ McAvoy | The Star 1120272 Leafs need to add some ‘bite’ to their game, John Tavares says | The Star 1120273 Maple Leafs’ Hyman suspended two games by NHL for ‘predatory’ hit 1120177 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks get shootout win over Devils, who have three own-goals

By MIKE COPPINGER

DEC 09, 2018 | 10:10 PM

It was the Kyle Palmieri show in the early going.

The New Jersey Devils forward tormented his former squad with two goals in the game’s first 11 minutes, bringing his season total to 16. The Ducks could sure use him now. Their 30th-ranked offense features only one player with double-digit goals: Pontus Aberg.

Palmieri was sent packing to New Jersey by general manager Bob Murray in 2015, and he’s eclipsed the 20-goal plateau in each of his three seasons since. Luckily, the Ducks didn’t need their own offense to grab the victory Sunday. The Devils did most of the work for them.

A head-scratching three own-goals committed by New Jersey allowed the Ducks to erase one-goal deficits on three occasions in a 6-5 shootout victory at Honda Center.

Ducks Ryan Getzlaf laughed when asked if he ever witnessed such a thing in his 14 years playing in the NHL. Of course, he hadn’t.

“Our guys did a good job sticking with things,” said Getzlaf. His shootout goal in Round 3, coupled with Daniel Sprong’s earlier success, denied the Devils another opportunity.

“When you get a few of those bounces, it’s big. We didn’t get any in the first two months of the season. It’s nice to get a couple tonight.”

Aberg couldn’t believe it, either. He tied the score in the third period with the help of another former Ducks player. The Swede pitch-forked the puck into the zone, and it collided with Ben Lovejoy’s glove before it caromed into the net.

“I don’t think I’ve ever scored with someone else putting it in for me, but it counts,” said Aberg, a revelation for the Ducks this season after being scooped off the waiver wire.

“I mean, I’ll take it. I felt pressure coming down so I just tried to put it toward the net, and he did the rest for me.”

Incredibly, that wasn’t even the only such mistake by the Devils in the third period. Minutes after that error, Devils blue-liner Andy Greene batted a puck past Cory Schneider to push the Ducks ahead 5-4.

The Ducks also grabbed the lead in the first period following a costly miscalculation by their opponents. And yes, it was another ex-Ducks player who was at fault. Stefan Noesen attempted to deny Kiefer Sherwood’s pass to Carter Rowney, and he succeeded. Just one problem: he pushed the puck into his own net.

Even with all the help the Devils afforded the Ducks, Anaheim needed to scratch and claw its way to two points.

With the extra attacker on the ice, Marcus Johansson fired a puck past John Gibson with 58 seconds left in the contest. Gibson was enjoying a rare night off until his backup, Ryan Miller, exited in the third period with an injury. Miller was limping after the game.

“It was a bizarre game,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “It was one of those games that seemed like the last would win it. The positive for us is we were down going into the third, and we found a way to get back.”

The Ducks have wins in six of their last seven games. And they’ll be hard-pressed to get this much help from their foes again.

LA Times: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120178 Anaheim Ducks Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.10.2018

Ducks wrestle a shootout victory away from unsteady hands of Devils

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD

PUBLISHED: December 9, 2018 at 8:07 pm

UPDATED: December 9, 2018 at 9:35 PM

ANAHEIM — Maybe it was better not to over-think it, dive too deeply into it, or try to make sense of it.

The Ducks’ 6-5 shootout victory Sunday over the New Jersey Devils at Honda Center was many things at many times. In the end, it was another two points in the standing for the surging Ducks, who won their sixth game in their past seven and for the eighth time in their past 10.

Bottom line: The Ducks found a way to win.

No question, the Devils played a key role in providing aid and comfort to the Ducks, scoring not one, not two, but three own-goals. One went in off a skate, another off a glove and the third off a stick as the Ducks rallied from deficits of 2-1 and 4-3 to take a late 5-4 lead.

Daniel Sprong and Ryan Getzlaf scored for the Ducks in the shootout and John Gibson stopped ex-Duck Kyle Palmieri and got a some help from the goalpost as Taylor Hall’s bid ricocheted out of harm’s way at the moment of truth.

“Obviously, it was a weird game,” Getzlaf said in the postgame understatement of the evening.

Neither team could gain the upper hand in a wide-open game that featured six goals in the first period, three for each team, and enough strange bounces to drive a goalie or the coach of a goalie batty. The Devils took a 4-3 lead into the third, but then gifted the Ducks a 5-4 advantage.

Pontus Aberg was credited with a goal that made it 4-4 at 8:35 of the third, a backhanded shot from the perimeter that New Jersey defenseman Ben Lovejoy, a former Duck, tried to glove only to have the puck escape his grasp and flutter into the back of Cory Schneider’s net.

Ondrej Kase was then credited with a goal that put the Ducks in front 5-4 at 13:58, a shot that defenseman Andy Greene tried to swat away but ended up smacking into Schneider’s net. Kase’s goal should have sealed the deal and made the Ducks winners.

Earlier, Kiefer Sherwood scored when Stefan Noesen accidentally kicked the puck into Schneider’s net to give the Ducks an all-too-brief 2-1 lead at 2:47 of the opening period. One own-goal is rare enough in the NHL, not to mention two. But three?

“I’ve never seen that (three own-goals), but we’ll take it,” Aberg said after scoring his team-leading 10th goal of the season. “I don’t think I’ve ever scored when someone has put it in for me. I felt pressure from the defenseman, and he did the rest for me. It was more luck.”

If the Ducks thought they were destined to win after Kase’s go-ahead goal, they were wrong.

New Jersey’s Marcus Johansson tied it 5-5 with 58 seconds left in regulation, capping a wild scramble in front of Gibson, who entered the game after Ryan Miller exited with a lower-body injury with 12:47 remaining in the third. Ducks defenseman Josh Mahura collided with Miller.

After a scoreless OT, Sprong and Getzlaf beat Schneider in the shootout.

“A weird game, definitely, but the guys stuck to it and we played our game good enough to get two points,” said Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour, who scored a first-period goal that tied the score 3-3. “We made some silly plays, some turnovers, they gave them some opportunities.

“Every game is entertaining for us, whether it’s 1-0 or like (Sunday).”

Elliott Teaford

1120179 Anaheim Ducks Elliott Teaford

Andrew Cogliano says Ducks getting better at their new speed game Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.10.2018

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD

PUBLISHED: December 9, 2018 at 6:52 pm

UPDATED: December 9, 2018 at 6:52 PM

ANAHEIM — The Ducks went into Sunday’s game against the New Jersey Devils with victories in five of their past six games and seven of nine and with points in nine of 11. It’s been the Ducks’ best and most efficient stretch of hockey by far. They’ve piled up the points, and they’ve played well.

What’s changed?

“Before, it seemed like we wanted to do things really fast and get up the ice as fast as possible,” Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano said. “But a lot of times we were trying that and we weren’t in the right spots to really execute it.

“That’s why I think it looked really disjointed a lot of the times. Now it looks much cleaner and we’re focusing on the breaking out and the defensive side of it. It’s seems naturally that up-tempo style and stretching the zone and that speed game has kind of come along.”

For starters, the Ducks have grown accustomed to the speed game they’ve been asked to play by Coach Randy Carlyle, who was asked during the offseason to ratchet up the tempo and join the rest of the NHL in adopting a more offensive-minded style.

Adapt or die, right?

After an unexpected and perhaps undeserved 5-1-1 start to the season, it seemed the Ducks were incapable of adapting and their chances of competing in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference were on the verge of dying a painful death.

A seven-game losing streak (0-5-2) prompted speculation about Carlyle’s dismissal, although Murray said Saturday he had no intention of making a coaching change while the team was hamstrung by a string of injuries to key players and while it was learning to play a new way.

Slowly but certainly, the Ducks grew more comfortable playing the up- tempo style. They also seemed to pick their spots better. Faster wasn’t always better, and they discovered that frantic was not the ideal pace of their game. They began to play a smoother game and they began to win.

Plus, several injured players returned to the lineup.

“Sometimes it feels like previous years, where we’ve gotten ourselves into a rhythm,” Cogliano said. “You have some continuity with lines that have played together before, which always helps. Sometimes when you have different things going on you have time to adjust.

“We’re creating a little bit more of an identity for ourselves. I think that’s the one thing I’ve seen over the last little bit. I feel like we’re working really hard on the puck. We’re forechecking like we used to in terms of creating pressure and turning pucks over.”

DUCKS HONOR O’REE

The Ducks honored Willie O’Ree on his induction last month into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. O’Ree participated in the ceremonial opening faceoff before the Ducks faced the Devils, and he received a rousing ovation from the Honda Center crowd.

O’Ree played only 45 games with the Boston Bruins, the first black player to play in the NHL in in 1957-68. But he played for 21 years overall in the league and in the minors, including a lengthy stint with the , starting in 1967-68. He retired in 1980.

For the last 21 years, he has served as a good-will ambassador, working extensively with the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everyone” program, which aims to use hockey and its global influence to “drive social change and foster more inclusive communities.”

1120180 Anaheim Ducks His current club has scraped together a 15-11-5 record, which has put them in the division mix. It has mostly been achieved through great goaltending and, more recently, opportunistic third-period scoring that Duck Tales: Analyzing GM Bob Murray’s two-year contract extension has often covered up mistake-prone and turnover-laden play. with Anaheim The Ducks have been better in recent weeks, but not nearly good enough to where the straight-shooting Murray is going to try to convince his fan base that they are close to being a real power in the West, much By Eric Stephens less the entire NHL. “Every night you can’t get out-chanced, scoring chances,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do, on and off the ice.” Dec 9, 2018 The off-the-ice part is looking to improve an offense that ranks next-to-

last in the league. The Ducks were held to one goal or fewer for the ANAHEIM, Calif. — Bob Murray is one of the NHL’s longest tenured eighth time this season Friday in their home loss to Carolina. Even with general managers, and when you have been at a job for what equates to his third assistant coach in three years presiding over the power play, its an eternity in a what-have-you-done-lately-for-me business, you get ineffectiveness continues to bother Murray. They went scoreless in five those who feel you might have lasted past the expiration date. tries against the Hurricanes, with a rare 5-on-3 advantage that they did little with early in the third period that could have cut into a two-goal Being a GM can be a polarizing gig when it comes to its fan base. None deficit. have a perfect record when it comes to the trades they make, the free agents they bring in, the prospects they draft. Some moves work, others Trading young homegrown defenseman Marcus Pettersson for former don’t. The best executives tip the scales — and, most importantly, the Pittsburgh hot prospect Daniel Sprong last week was specifically done to team’s results — in their favor more often than the alternative. They’ve address their too-often popgun attack. got a plan to keep a team competitive over the long haul. “That doesn’t mean we’re stopping there,” said Murray, who noted that Rare is the one who has earned universal praise. And if the moves that he remains in active mode on searching for outside help that front. “We are made within the team don’t ultimately deliver a championship, it can have to find ways to score more goals. It’s a problem. The power play is sour those who won’t be satisfied until there is someone who can. While an issue obviously. Even as bad as we played last night, you had a the Ducks have had a consistent level of success under Murray in his 10 chance to get back into the game. And the power play wasn’t very good. years steering their ship, the news of an additional two years to his It’s on our minds big time.” contract Saturday wasn’t heartily accepted by all. There were more problems in their game during a John Gibson-led 5-1-1 A GM’s extension often brings about interesting responses in this age of start, which served as a mask for a subsequent seven-game losing the 24-hour news cycle and instant social media reaction. Murray’s deal, streak and overall 3-8-4 swoon that was the real penalty for continued which takes him through the 2021-22 season, brought some favorable poor play. Fellow struggling teams in the West — Los Angeles, St. Louis, responses for the job he has done in Anaheim. But it wasn’t all positive. Edmonton and Chicago — changed coaches. Murray did not follow suit, sticking with Randy Carlyle. One simply wrote, “No!!!!!!!” Another typed, “A decade of mediocrity shouldn’t be rewarded. Bummed by this.” There was no thought to fire him. Not when it was painfully clear how Carlyle and his staff struggled with the players to implement a more up- The latter is an interesting one, if you consider a run of five straight tempo brand of hockey. But Murray hasn’t abandoned the onus he Pacific Division titles, six playoff appearances, eight trips to the placed on them over the summer and didn’t absolve the coach whom he postseason over those 10 years and a couple of marches to the Western brought back for a second tour of the issues with playing faster in a Conference finals within the last four as making up a decade of league in which he sees scoring going up and the pace only becoming mediocrity. Other organizations might take that in a heartbeat. You can’t more rapid. ignore the fact that Murray has never brought the Ducks to the finish line. However, you shouldn’t discount the fact that he has kept them in the “Some things worked, and a lot of things haven’t worked,” Murray said. “I race. have to give them a little bit of time to figure some things out with our group. You can blame some of that on the coaching staff. Some of the “Bob has created a winning organization with his commitment and things we tried early in the year didn’t work. Some things just didn’t work expertise,” Ducks CEO Michael Schulman said in a statement. “We are with our group. very pleased to be in a position where expectations are high virtually every season, thanks in large part to Bob and his staff. We passionately “That’s not always the coaches’ responsibility, when things don’t work. share a common goal – bringing another to Orange County.” So, they need to find a way to make things work with our group. It’s a work in progress. We’re in a transition stage at the moment.” Outside of 14-year beacons Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, the 64-year- old Murray has turned over the team since he took it over from Brian Firing a coach has always been Murray’s last resort. He has had two Burke in November 2008. Unlike Burke, his gig in Anaheim wasn’t a firings during his decade as GM in Anaheim. Granted, the Ducks have steppingstone to something bigger. Working at the corner of Katella had a good amount of regular-season success, so there haven’t been Avenue and Douglass Road has become his spot of choice since he many times to consider blowing out his bench boss. He stuck with Bruce joined the organization for good as Burke’s right-hand man in 2005. Boudreau when Anaheim started 1-7-2 during the 2015-16 season until discord between the two and a fourth straight Game 7 loss at home — In discussing his extension Saturday, Murray — who has the dual title of that one a first-round defeat to Nashville — gave Murray the reason to executive vice president — said he began talking with Schulman and hand out a pink slip. Ducks owner Henry Samueli over the summer. His advancing age was a topic, as well as the vision of the club’s future that he laid out. Consider And he has stuck with Carlyle (above, with Murray) through the rough, that when Arizona GM John Chayka was born, Murray was in his 14th early stretch of this season. You have to imagine that Murray didn’t want and penultimate NHL season in Chicago’s defense corps. A team a second firing of a friend on his conscience (Carlyle first coached spokesman said there is no succession plan that has been put in place. Anaheim from 2005 – 2011) unless it was absolutely necessary, especially when Carlyle is widely expected to remain in the organization “They wanted to know, they first asked how I was feeling and if I wanted in what could likely be a scouting capacity. The easy move is to switch to keep going for more years,” Murray said. “If I wanted to slow down a out the coach when a team is in a bad way. But Murray never makes that bit and I thought about it for a while. I love my job and really enjoy the his first move. people I work for. They get what we’re doing. They understand the business. And they’re a pleasure to work for. “I think it’s just how I’ve evolved in what I do,” Murray said. “And I’ve become a very much more patient person. If you’re talking about “I’m in a great market with good fans. We talked about it and decided, coaching or players, I’m just much more patient than I used to be with yeah, I still feel good. Let’s continue. We took a little while to get an everything. I’ve found that it’s working a little bit better than when I was extension done for a number of years and what age I’ll be, and all those much younger … I tell myself all the time, be patient with everything to do things plays into the extension. Again, I’m excited. This organization is in with my job.” a little bit of a transition stage. It’s wonderful to have their backing going forward.” Years ago, Murray once said that rebuilding was not in his vocabulary. Sure, he’d love to go into a June draft with a top-five pick for once. And if his team was really out of it by February, he would look at his best trade Corey. He loves being around the rink, and he’s here all the time. This pieces and try to collect solid assets for them. could be very good for him and his career.”

But while the middle might be the worst place to be when dealing with a It has been more of a struggle for Eaves. The club recently revealed that team in transition, Murray will not go the “tanking” route to reload. Getzlaf he had been playing with a rib fracture, which was related to the back appreciates that. Besides, with a younger core in place to take over and spasms that forced him out of the lineup after only five games. a group of talented forwards in the system now not needing to be rushed ahead of time, there won’t be a need to burn the ship down and bottom “I really have no timetable on him right now,” Murray said. “I think he’s out. feeling better. It’s not one of the lower ones. It’s up higher, so it affects his back. Affects your shoulder. We have to wait for that to heal.” “I think we’ve done a good job at bringing our young players along in the minors so that when they’re here, they’re ready to play,” Getzlaf said. What did you think of this story? “And we’ve had that system in place for a while now where we’ve been able to develop some players as well as push from the bottom up here. It means a lot for our organization. Means a lot for us as players not to Eric Stephens have to go through that full rebuild mode.”

Getzlaf has been captain throughout most of Murray’s tenure. They’ve The Athletic LOADED: 12.10.2018 had a multitude of conversations on a variety of topics. Some of them have been about his own play, and the chats can be direct and critical. Other discussions have been about what the center feels is missing with the team and possible needs.

What he does appreciate is a general manager who cuts to the chase and sticks with his vision.

“He definitely doesn’t want to beat around the bush when we have conversations,” he said. “It’s not dancing around issues or anything like that. He definitely wants to know where things are at in an honest capacity for sure.”

Part of the team’s 25th anniversary season has been bringing back players such as Teemu Selanne and Francois Beauchemin from the Stanley Cup club. Scott Niedermayer will have his number retired later this season. All are enjoying life after hockey, and 2007 does seem like a distant memory now.

Who knows if the Ducks will again scale those heights? Murray was able to sell ownership on his plan for their future. Some of that has already taken place with recent drafts focused more on incorporating more speed and skill within the organization. Like him or not, like his moves or lack of moves, he has been able to keep the Ducks relevant.

And when it comes to Southern California’s sports landscape, you must be that or you are ignored beyond the dedicated.

“There’s been ongoing discussions about where this organization is heading and how I’m going to do it,” he said. “Obviously, the goal is to get back to the where we’re a true Stanley Cup contender. Not just this team. There’s playoff teams, and then there’s Stanley Cup contenders and we want to get back to being a contender to win the Stanley Cup. That’s what we’re talking about.

“It’s been a little difficult because of injuries. That’s not an excuse. You kind of think you’re going to wait ’til you get healthy to see how exactly things are fitting or not fitting or not working. And we may never get healthy. The business these days in the NHL, lots of teams have got injuries. We have a game plan, and we’re going to go about it.”

Notes

Murray provided updates on the long-term injured trio of Perry, Cam Fowler and Patrick Eaves.

With Fowler, the Ducks’ GM said the defenseman’s complex surgery to repair multiple facial fractures had a best-case scenario where no infection resulted. It is allowing him to begin off-ice workouts. The club gave a potential return date of mid-January, and Murray said he could begin skating “in a week to 10 days” after doing some work in the gym over the next week.

“Barring any setbacks, I think he’s doing extremely well,” Murray said. “He’s really excited to start doing something. It’s just the nature of the beast. When you get a guy like him who hasn’t been able to do anything in three weeks, he’s chomping to get going.”

On Perry, Murray said he met with team physician Dr. Orr Limpisvasti to discuss the progress made by the winger after his knee surgery in September. He sounded highly encouraged.

“They’ve actually had to pull him back a bit because you can’t hurry some of the healing process inside the knee,” Murray said. “He’s pushed past that, so they had to back him off a little bit so that he doesn’t re-injure or hurt some things. There could be a silver lining in this when it comes to 1120181 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes starting goalie Antti Raanta out indefinitely

BY MATT LAYMAN

DECEMBER 9, 2018 AT 5:22 PM

The Arizona Coyotes announced Sunday starting goaltender Antti Raanta would be out “indefinitely,” just days after he was placed on injured reserve Friday with a lower-body injury and listed as “week-to- week.”

He was previously day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

“We just got some additional imaging, took another look at some things, he underwent a procedure to fix his lower-body injury and when they got in there it was a little more extensive than they first anticipated,” general manager John Chayka said. “The good news is that it was a great repair.”

Chayka added that the long-term outlook looks good and it’s possible that Raanta would return this season, though there’s also a “good chance he misses the entire season.”

Raanta hasn’t played since exiting early from the Coyotes’ game in Minnesota on Nov. 27. It was in that game that rookie Adin Hill entered the game and has played all of the goaltending minutes since then.

Chayka said Sunday that backup was back to good health and was nearing return “in the short term.” The team also has Calvin Pickard on its roster, who Arizona claimed off waivers and has not yet played in a game with the Coyotes. Pickard has served as the backup to Hill with the two top goalies on the depth chart out with injury.

Before the Minnesota game, Raanta had played against Calgary on Nov. 25 and Colorado on Nov. 23. Before that, he had missed eight consecutive games from Nov. 8 to Nov. 21. He also missed time on multiple occasions last year because of injury, appearing in only 47 games in his first season as a starter in the NHL.

The periods of missed time have caused some to offer concerns about Raanta’s durability.

“Yeah, I mean look, I understand he’s had a few injuries since coming here,” Chayka said. “Again, previous to that, relatively few. Even when he was playing over in Europe, playing heavy minutes and facing a lot of shots. I think this particular injury’s a bit of a fluke injury in the sense of how it occurred during the game, a bit of a weird scenario. Then obviously it’s a structural issue.

“You try to understand what you can control and what can’t you control in injuries. I think certainly this one’s unrelated to his previous injuries, and like I said the nature of it is structural. So I think when we talk about players’ ability to stay healthy, there’s just certain things that come into play in pro sports, and some things are unavoidable.”

Raanta has a .906 save percentage in 12 games played this year. The Coyotes as a team have played 27 games.

“We’ve got to get him healthy. It’s been an ongoing thing with Antti right now,” head coach Rick Tocchet told Burns & Gambo on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station on Friday. “We’ve got to get him healthy in there playing four or five games in a row. He’s the backbone of our team, he helps our team out.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120182 Arizona Coyotes It would be unfair to characterize Bernhardt’s tenure as a disappointment. The Coyotes made some good decisions on his watch. They drafted forwards Christian Dvorak (No. 58, 2014) and Christian Fischer (No. 32, ‘I gave everyone a year’: In revamping scouting process, Coyotes hope 2015) in the second round, goalie Adin Hill in the third round (No. 76, to avoid mistakes of past 2015), they drafted Clayton Keller (No. 7) and Jakob Chychrun (No. 16) in the first round in 2016, and 2018 first-round pick Barrett Hayton is having a terrific season with Sault Ste. Marie in the with 15 goals and 33 points in 20 games. By Craig Morgan Whenever there is change in leadership, however, other changes are Dec 9, 2018 common. Hofford said he has moved past the awkwardness of that transition phase.

The Coyotes decision to trade forwards Dylan Strome and Brendan “I never really got the chance to get into the process with some guys,” he Perlini to the Chicago Blackhawks for center Nick Schmaltz on Nov. 26 said. “I didn’t really know them. I don’t think some of the guys were open was an admission that neither player had lived up to previous projections. to anything I said. I was a new guy and they were running the show but The decision to abandon two first-round draft picks was symptomatic of a there is a hierarchy and people have to respect that and I didn’t really much greater problem, however — one that has plagued the franchise have time to waste trying to convince people of what we needed to do. I since its arrival in the Valley in 1996. hope those guys that left find a place and they are happy with their work.

It is important to note that former general manager Don Maloney was “I’m very happy with our prospects moving forward. I think we have a lot operating on a shoestring budget, which forced him to cut corners in of good young people. I think there are guys really buying into our some scouting areas, including employing a skeleton staff in Europe. It is process. It may be a little more work and a little more in-depth, harder also important to remember that plenty of teams miss on second-, third- work than it was in the past but the people that buy in are the guys that or later-round draft picks, and plenty miss on players taken in the second will continue to work here.” half of the first round, but of the 13 players the Coyotes have selected in When Chayka and Hofford examined the scouting process the Coyotes the top 15 picks of the NHL Draft, only four have become very good or had employed, two things jumped out. They needed to modernize it elite NHL players, and only one of those has done so as a member of the through available technologies and data, and they needed more data — Coyotes. much more data. As president of hockey operations John Chayka has noted many times, “One of the biggest issues I’ve had – and some of that is beyond this it’s a superstar-driven league. At the moment, the Coyotes do not have personnel’s control – was the number of viewings and sample size in any superstars. making sure we had enough information to make what amounts to a There were extenuating circumstances with a few of their high picks who multi-million dollar decision every time you pick a player,” Chayka said. have panned out. Winnipeg forward Blake Wheeler (No. 5, 2004) refused “That was one thing we had to address right away.” to sign with the Coyotes, Nashville center Kyle Turris (No. 3, 2007) held So the Coyotes revamped their process. out in a contract dispute and then was traded after signing. Montreal forward Max Domi (No. 12, 2013) wanted a change of scenery according “It’s an information age,” Chayka said. “The way you were able to collect to his agent, Pat Brisson. and analyze information twenty years ago vs. today is so different. Just think of the technological differences. Everyone has an iPad, software Despite some uneven play of late, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has become a has evolved, your ability to aggregate information to analyze it and use it top-tier NHL defenseman, but Strome (No. 3, 2015), Perlini (No. 12, to make decisions — whether we’re talking about some of the biggest 2014), Brandon Gormley (No. 13, 2010), Mikkel Boedker (No. 8, 2008), companies in the world or hockey or baseball or basketball, everyone is injury-plagued Peter Mueller (No. 8, 2006), Fredrik Sjostrom (No. 11, looking for that edge. 2001), (No. 15, 1999), Patrick DesRochers (No. 14, 1998) and Dan Focht (No. 11, 1996) were undeniable misses, given their draft “Some of it subjective data; some of it is subjective analysis. Your scouts position, even if most analysts tabbed Strome as the third best player in are going out and collecting information, but there are different ways you the 2015 draft. can utilize that and make it a lot more efficient and that was really what I was after. We’re not going to be a team that outspends others. We have “Our record is what it is in the past and it’s subjective, but there’s a to be more efficient.” reason why we haven’t been as successful as we’d like to be as an organization,” Chayka said. “Quite frankly, unless we draft better, we’re Much of the Coyotes technology is proprietary, so Chayka and Hofford not going to be better.” were reluctant to share those details, but they have also revamped the structure of the department. In doing so, Hofford leaned an old piece of When Chayka became Coyotes general manager in May 2016, he didn’t advice he got from former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello, now make sweeping front office changes immediately. with the New York Islanders. “I gave everyone a year just to evaluate and understand their jobs,” he “He said, ‘There is never a bad pick. There is only a bad process, so said. “You can make a lot of mistakes rushing into changes. Those are you’ve got to go back and tweak the process all the time,’” Hofford said. big decisions and those are people’s lives and some had been here a “We have built a pyramid here where we have a lot of people working at while. I wanted to take that year to really analyze where we were at and the bottom gathering information for us and as the process gets closer to what we had to do.” the draft we start working at higher levels with a smaller group. If you Since then, the changes have been dramatic, particularly this season in have too many people in the room, there can be too much noise and it the scouting department. The Coyotes have beefed up their scouting at can be a distraction when you’re trying to get a consensus and also get a all levels, including hiring a full-time goalie scout, Clay Adams. They have feel for the type of player you want to draft as an Arizona Coyote. parted ways with some of the old guard and there was change at the top “(Toronto Maple Leafs President) talked about that a this summer when the Coyotes hired Lindsay Hofford as the team’s lot while I was a scout with the Leafs. We might miss a guy here and assistant general manager and director of scouting. Hofford brought a there based on our philosophy but let’s not worry about it. Let’s go after diverse array of experiences as a coach in the CHL, a scout in the NHL, our type of player.” a consultant in the OHL and a development coach of players of all ages. To find a Coyotes-type player, the team had to get creative with its data His arrival precipitated the resignations of director of amateur scouting mining. Tim Bernhardt, who oversaw the past five drafts, and assistant director Jeff Twohey, director of amateur scouting, who had been with the “Just like on the ice, if we’re going to try to build our team just like Coyotes for seven years. It was clear that Hofford’s approach was not everybody else with less resources, we’re behind right out of the gate,” one that either was ready to embrace. Chayka said. “If we’re going to do the exact same thing and use the same methodology as everybody else in scouting, there’s probably “There are some new people on board and sometimes it just isn’t going teams out there like the Leafs, the Red Wings, the Flyers that have just to work out,” Bernhardt said in August. got a lot more horsepower behind what they’re trying to do, in terms of resources. “I think there are some ways to level the playing field, try to be strategic, use data, use technology. It’s not an I’m-right-and- everyone-else-is- wrong type of thing. I just have a vision and a belief of what we need to do based on our parameters as the Arizona Coyotes. I took a lot of time, did a lot of research, talked to a lot of people in different sports to understand that in football and basketball and baseball, although there are a lot of differences, there’s a lot of similarities in terms of player evaluation and where the industry is headed. I felt there was another level we could attain.”

To get around the Coyotes’ shortage of resources in comparison to other teams, the Coyotes are using an approach that Hofford said the Diamondbacks and Denver Broncos also use. They are using a lot of interns who hope to break into the business, thereby proving them opportunity while the team gains access to more data.

“We have some university students in sports management programs, all with a hockey background, and a couple guys that are scouting college free agents that are former NCAA coaches,” Hofford said. “A lot of the guys are doing the 2020 draft for us so they’re guys that know that age group in each (Canadian) province.”

The Coyotes provide them with a training manual, video instruction and a rating system to employ when viewing prospects.

When the interns submit their reports on prospects, scout Ryan Minicola reviews them and provides feedback. The Coyotes director of statistical analysis, Brad Rossen, also audits the reports and provides feedback.

“Anything we see that is not the way we want it gets sent back and they are corrected, so in fairly short order they are up to speed,” Hofford said. “It allows us a lot of extra viewings (of players), but unless that information is correct it would have no impact so we have taken a lot of measures to make sure they are trained properly and the information is good and we have been very, very happy with how it has turned out.”

There will be more changes as Chayka and Hofford identify their wish list for the years ahead. When Hofford spoke on Thursday night at Gila River Arena before the Coyotes faced the Washington Capitals, he was preparing for a multi-pronged trip that included flying to Vancouver to watch some junior games; to Calgary for an NHL game; to the World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alberta; back to Victoria, British Columbia, to watch the Coyotes prospects at the World Junior Championship; and then back to Toronto.

“We need more lieutenants in the field,” he said. “I have worked since August every day and I don’t know that I can maintain that pace. We need some more high level guys to whom I can delegate that understand the process a little more and then I can oversee a little more. It’s very hard to get everywhere on the planet and I am doing pro and amateur (scouting) so some key people in key positions would definitely help the process.”

It will take years to judge the products of Chayka’s and Hofford’s labors. Chayka has been the GM for only three drafts. Hofford will oversee his first in Vancouver in June, but there is optimism that the changes will produce better results.

“I think we have taken a step,” Chayka said. “We need to take another two or three steps and continue to evolve. It takes time to get the right people in place, work on the process and work out the kinks, but I think process-wise, we’re getting close to where we can have a sustainable competitive advantage every year.

“Unfortunately, you have to do that on the fly in pro sports. There is no pause button.”

The Athletic LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120183 Boston Bruins The hard-charging centerman put Boston on the power play by irritating Ottawa defenseman Ben Harpur. After taking two aggressive hits from Kuraly, Harpur, 6 feet 6 inches and 222 pounds, jumped Kuraly (6-2, Torey Krug’s overtime goal lifts Bruins over Senators 213), earning an instigator and a misconduct. Kuraly was game, but Harpur popped him with an uppercut to the nose, catching the Bruin bent over, head down. He needed repairs and missed several minutes, returning later in the third. By Matt Porter The Boston power play, which entered Sunday having scored five goals DECEMBER 9, 2018 in its last 30 tries, converted to tie it. Marchand snapped his eighth of the season past McKenna at 7:49 of the second, making quick work of a David Pastrnak rebound. OTTAWA — Torey Krug dropped to a knee and threw an uppercut punch, his sliding, shouting celebration well-earned after a comeback With a Bergeron-less lineup, two goals aren’t enough unless the Bruins win. keep it tight. Sunday, they followed the plan.

The defenseman finished a slick play by David Krejci at 3:07 of overtime “We’re not going to win a 6-5 track meet,” said Marchand. “When we take on Sunday, giving the Bruins (16-10-4) their second victory in two nights, care of pucks and we play hard and we’re good on the forecheck, we’re a 2-1 over the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. good team.”

Krug rapped a cross-crease dish past Ottawa netminder Mike McKenna, who moments before rebuffed Sean Kuraly (pad stack) and Brad Boston Globe LOADED: 12.10.2018 Marchand (glove). Marchand beat him once, during a second-period power play, but he made 42 saves in all.

Good as he was, he couldn’t recover after Krejci, the slippery veteran pivot, caused him to go paddle-down with a short-side deke, then slithered around the cage and hit a waiting Krug on the far doorstep.

“A highly, highly skilled player making a great pass,” said Krug, who potted his second goal in two nights.

After Saturday’s explosion against Toronto, the Bruins reverted to the lean, low-scoring ways of recent weeks. Including that 6-3 win over the Leafs, they’re averaging 2.08 goals in 12 games without Patrice Bergeron. Their grip on the game steadily weakening against Boston’s hungry forechecking, the Senators (13-14-4) put just three of their nine shot attempts on goal in the third period.

“We stayed patient,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I thought we were the better team the last 40, 43 minutes, whatever it was. Eventually we got one.”

For both teams, Sunday’s initial sluggishness owed to the early start time (5:08 p.m.). Puck drop in Ottawa arrived 19 hours, three minutes after the final horn sounded Saturday at TD Garden. At least the Senators, who hosted Pittsburgh, got to sleep in their own beds.

“It took us a while to kind of wake up,” Krug said. “Guys were still in their pregame naps.”

Tuukka Rask, who had Saturday off, was fresh and ready. He kept the Bruins in it early and closed strong, making 27 saves.

He had little chance on the 1-0 goal. Ottawa’s Mark Stone scored at 12:51 of the first period, finishing a two-on-one opportunity born of mistakes by freshman and sophomore Bruins.

When a linesman tossed Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson from the faceoff circle, fellow rookie Ryan Donato lost the offensive-zone draw. He was beat on the backcheck after Charlie McAvoy’s ill-advised pinch gave the Senators an easy outlet. Matt Grzelcyk was unable to stop the rush, a streaking Colin White feeding Stone for a one-timer.

“Three or four bad sticks,” Cassidy said. “We were half a second late in arriving and having good sticks to kill the play.”

Hoping to tie the game with 50 seconds left in the first, Marchand broke out shorthanded. The NHL’s active leader in shorthanded goals (23) was looking for his 24th after a Chris Wagner cross-checking penalty. But Marchand raised his elbow high as he tried to beat defenseman Maxime Lajoie on the rush.

Cassidy said the star winger — who has scored two goals in his last 15 games — was frustrated by the call, the dry spell, whatever. “Had to talk him off the ledge for a second,” Cassidy said.

He watched as the Bruins killed the resulting five on three, which lasted 11 seconds into the second period, and a minute of the ensuing four on four.

“It was good to get the period over with and have that time to refocus,” Marchand said. “Things went much better after that.”

With an assist to Kuraly. 1120184 Boston Bruins could find myself in trouble,” he said. “Sometimes it’s good if the players police it, if they take care of it in a hurry. That’s hockey.”

As the NHL’s concussion spotter was sending word McAvoy should be Charlie McAvoy returns to lineup against Senators yanked from the game, Grzelcyk went after Hyman. The two earned fighting majors and game misconducts. Later, Bruins forward Chris Wagner put a shoulder-to-chest, open-ice hit on Toronto defenseman By Matt Porter , causing Leafs defenseman to drop his gloves. DECEMBER 9, 2018 Hyman — who wrestled with McAvoy 13 seconds into the game, after

McAvoy’s cross-checking penalty on Toronto playmaker Mitch Marner — OTTAWA — Charlie McAvoy was in the Bruins’ lineup for puck drop late will miss games at Carolina on Tuesday and Tampa Bay on Thursday. Sunday afternoon, some 20 hours after a late, predatory check knocked Sharp shooter him off his skates and anguished those who feared his return from a concussion would be short-lived. Brad Marchand put a game-high nine shots on the Senators’ net . . . David Backes, more active of late, was credited with six hits . . . After “Little worried there last night, obviously, for a minute or two,” Bruins drawing a tripping call in the third period, David Pastrnak negated the coach Bruce Cassidy said, “but he’s come out of it OK.” power play with an interference minor . . . Forward Noel Acciari sat for McAvoy, playing his third game after a seven-week, 20-game concussion the second game in a row, in place of newcomer Gemel Smith . . . The recovery, started the night with ex-Boston University mate Matt Grzelcyk. Bruins, who led by five in the third period Saturday, hadn’t been that far The pair was on the ice as the Senators made it 1-0 in the first period. ahead since Oct. 13 against Detroit (8-2 win), their fifth game of the season. The Bruins relaxed too much for Cassidy’s liking during a five- Afterward, McAvoy — who was not made available for a formal interview minute stretch in the middle of the third, when Toronto scored twice. “We — said on his way to the team bus that he “felt good” after skating 21:16. haven’t been ahead by that much in a long time,” Cassidy said. “We’re going to enjoy it, to be honest with you, against a good rival. I’m sure While McAvoy was held out of the final 10:07 of Saturday’s 6-3 win over guys enjoyed it. They won’t be squeezing sticks as tight.” . . . One of Toronto, the man who clobbered him, Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman, Grzelcyk’s two misconducts, after his fight with Hyman, was for an will miss the next two games. Hyman will also forfeit $24,193.54, which equipment violation. His jersey came off. goes to the NHL Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. Boston Globe LOADED: 12.10.2018 Zach Hyman (left) of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Torey Krug of the Bruins battle for control of the puck during the second period of the game between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden Saturday night.

Zach Hyman (left) of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Torey Krug of the Bruins battle for control of the puck during the second period of the game between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden Saturday night.

The NHL Department of Player Safety ruled Sunday that Hyman delivered a “late, forceful, high hit . . . well after the puck is gone,” according to a video explaining its decision. The hit, which was called an interference major on the ice, was worth two games because of “the force of the hit and the predatory nature of the hit itself.”

With the Bruins up by four goals Saturday, Hyman — a 210-game NHL veteran with no prior suspensions or fines — blindsided McAvoy behind the Bruins’ net. The hit occurred in a dangerous area along the boards; McAvoy was at risk for injury as he tumbled backward into the dasher.

McAvoy, who was not available to speak to reporters Saturday or before Sunday’s game, apparently did not see Hyman coming as he watched his pass. That bothered some from the old school. When NESN analyst Andy Brickley played, being aware of a buzzing forechecker was the only way to stay healthy.

“When you release that puck and there’s a two-count, you don’t expect to be hit,” said Brickley, an NHL forward from 1982-94. “But I still would like him to make that pass and see him coming, step back, give him a Sher-Wood across the jaw if he wants to keep coming.”

Brickley felt the elimination of hits to the head — necessary for player safety — has been a positive, but feels too many players admire their passes.

Like Brickley, Cassidy likes the elimination of predatory hits “for obvious reasons. Concussions are a huge issue. We could talk all day about it.”

While the league takes care of the penalty, Cassidy feels the puck-mover bears responsibility on the ice.

“You can’t put yourself in those vulnerable positions,” he said. “Even if he gets suspended for two games, you’re out six weeks with a concussion. The onus is always on the player to keep his head up, but the way they’ve penalized it now is much more on the person doing the hitting. The guy getting hit is still the one getting hurt.”

Cassidy raised the issue of bringing back enforcers to police the action, but didn’t want to get too far into it. “We could be here a long time and I 1120185 Boston Bruins

Toronto’s Zach Hyman has hearing Sunday for hit on Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy

By Matt Porter

DECEMBER 9, 2018

OTTAWA — On Saturday night, with the Bruins leading, 6-2, with 10:07 left in the third period, Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman laid into Charlie McAvoy after the Bruins defenseman banked a pass behind his net. The hit was late and dangerous enough to draw a major penalty for interference. It also came in a dangerous area. McAvoy was standing far enough away from the boards to tumble backward into the dasher.

Hyman has a hearing Sunday with NHL’s department of player safety.

McAvoy was not available to speak to reporters after Saturday’s 6-3 win. It is unknown if he will face the Senators on Sunday afternoon (5 p.m. puck drop).

Coach Bruce Cassidy, scheduled to brief reporters before Sunday’s game , said after Saturday’s win he thought the Hyman hit was “late” and “unnecessary.” He also took issue with the timing.

“You’re at a point in the game, hasn’t been a lot of body checking from the other team and all of a sudden there’s a late, unsuspecting one, and it annoys you,” Cassidy said.

“Especially when it’s Charlie who just came back, so you’re wondering are they targeting him or not? You don’t know that. I’d like to think it was just a guy playing hard and got there late and didn’t pull up.”

Related: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy leaves game after hard hit

McAvoy, 20, was playing in his second game after spending 20 games recovering from a concussion. After the play, McAvoy was slow to recover, rising from his hands and knees, to one knee, as Bruins trainer Don DelNegro checked him. McAvoy leaned on his stick to get on his feet, then skated to the bench and went to the dressing room.

The NHL’s concussion spotter, the off-ice official assigned to watch for signs of brain injury, pulled McAvoy from the game. McAvoy returned to the bench in the final minutes, but did not play.

In direct response to the hit, Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk went after Hyman. The two earned fighting majors and game misconducts.

Later, Bruins forward Chris Wagner put a shoulder-to-chest, open-ice hit on Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly, causing Leafs defenseman Ron Hainsey to drop his gloves.

“They want to play hard to the final whistle, then we’ll certainly go right along with them,” Cassidy said.

Hyman and McAvoy clashed 13 seconds into the game. The pair wrestled after McAvoy committed a cross-check on Mitch Marner. McAvoy shoved Marner from behind as the skilled Leafs playmaker controlled the puck near the boards.

Boston Globe LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120186 Boston Bruins Boston Herald LOADED: 12.10.2018

Bruins notebook: Defense raises its game

By MARISA INGEMI

December 9, 2018 at 9:37 PM

OTTAWA — While the Bruins offense has struggled to find itself amidst changes throughout the lineup, defense has become the team’s trademark. Going into Sunday’s game against the Senators, the B’s 75 goals allowed were the second-fewest of any team in the league. They were scored on just once in their 2-1 overtime win against the Sens.

Given the rotating door on defense with 12 different blueliners suiting up this season, that’s more than keeping their heads above water while waiting out the return of the regulars.

Part of that is strategy. While the Bruins await an offensive breakout, like on Saturday night against Toronto with six tallies, winning close games requires top-notch defensive efforts and goaltending.

The goaltending has been there, between Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. But to allow a conference low in goals, it’s taken an entire mindset.

“I think the game up in Toronto we saw a lot more odd-man-rushes through the neutral zone, we didn’t identify,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Having a few more veteran guys helps some of that.”

Even with the few goals allowed all season, the Bruins suffered two losses by five-plus goals with their 7-0 opening night loss in Washington and a 5-0 loss to Florida on Tuesday. It’s the first time since the 2006-07 season they’ve lost by a 5-0 margin or worse more than once, but even with those results, the defense has held up for the majority of the season.

After going up 4-0 on Toronto, the Bruins allowed three late goals with the game already out of hand.

“We haven’t been ahead by that much in a long time, so we’re going to enjoy it, to be honest with you,” Cassidy said. “We’ll talk to the players and do that, but I think we collected it quickly enough. Penalties and turnovers give them easy offense, but we corrected it.”

The win against Ottawa snapped a streak of four straight games allowing three goals or more. Three of those games were losses. It goes to show how heavily they’ve had to rely on the defense when it’s been at its best.

Toronto fallout

Toronto’s Zach Hyman was suspended two games after his illegal hit on Charlie McAvoy on Saturday night at the Garden.

McAvoy was in Sunday’s game against the Senators, but after missing 20 games with a concussion, there’s always concern after taking a heavy, and late, check.

“You’re always aware of the guys coming down on you for sure,” Brandon Carlo said. “Unfortunately that happened, but it did.”

Backes is back?

After an abysmal start to his 2018-2019 campaign, David Backes found himself with five points in his past seven games heading into Sunday’s game. His goal against the Maple Leafs on Saturday was, of his three goals, his first to come on the power play.

“He’s been doing a good job for us,” Cassidy said. “He’s recovering pucks, winning faceoffs. I’m glad to see a puck found him and he’s on the scoresheet. He’s a veteran guy, has a lot of pride and wants to score goals. He was able to help us (Saturday night.)”

Backes went his first 12 games without a point and 17 before he scored his first goal. That tally, coming in Montreal on Nov. 24, seems to have turned a corner for the veteran, who has been on the power play since Patrice Bergeron was injured.

Marisa Ingemi

1120187 Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask finished the night with 27 saves. He started after Jaroslav Halak got the first game of the back-to-back. The Bruins had just 18 hours between games, including their travel to Ottawa.

Torey Krug, Bruins skate past Senators in overtime While it might have taken a little while to find their legs with the quick turnaround, the Bruins ended their five-game stretch against division opponents with consecutive wins after losing the first three. By MARISA INGEMI “It was an emotional win last night, an emotional game in Tampa. I PUBLISHED: December 9, 2018 at 7:42 pm thought we played well,” Cassidy said. “Florida, clearly not our best. We moved on, fixed some things.” UPDATED: December 9, 2018 at 9:23 PM

Marisa Ingemi OTTAWA — A night after offensive fireworks, the Bruins found themselves back in a more familiar environment playing in a tight affair.

For the seventh time this season, they needed more than three periods Boston Herald LOADED: 12.10.2018 to get a result.

Torey Krug scored with 1:53 left in overtime to send the Bruins to consecutive wins, taking a 2-1 victory against the Senators to sweep the weekend.

Krug took a pass right along the goal line from David Krejci and had an open near side of the net to score his second goal of the season and second in as many games.

“A highly, highly skilled player making a great pass. That’s his specialty,” Krug said of Krejci. “He sees things that other guys can’t see, even up from the pressbox. He made a great play, and I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of it.”

It was the first time the Bruins have allowed two goals or less since Nov. 23 against Pittsburgh, a 2-1 overtime win. It was their 13th one-goal game out of 30 this season.

Early in the overtime, Sean Kuraly had a chance to ice the game before a diving stop by Senators goalie Mike McKenna, who finished with 42 saves, kept the frame going.

Ottawa struck first, and the Bruins tied it in the second, but even with six power plays between the two teams, there were lulls in the action leading to overtime.

It was a testament to the Bruins defense stepping up against an Ottawa club that has racked up the sixth-most goals in the NHL.

“Tonight was a game we stayed patient and eventually got things to go our way,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I thought we were the better team the last 40, 43 minutes whatever it was, and eventually we got rewarded.”

Mark Stone opened the Senators scoring with 12:51 left in the first. Charlie McAvoy pinched deep in the Bruins offensive zone, leaving Matt Grzelcyk on his own with Ryan Donato trailing, which gave Colin White plenty of room to connect with Stone for the 1-0 Ottawa lead.

A Chris Wagner cross-check and Brad Marchand elbow put the Bruins down two players at the end of the first period and heading into the second. The Bruins killed both penalties and earned a power play of their own early in the second.

Kuraly fought Ben Harpur, and while the Bruins forward needed extra attention and headed down the tunnel, the Senators defenseman was charged with an instigator and 10-minute misconduct. Kuraly returned to the game just before the third period.

Marchand picked up a rebound along the goal line under the right circle and potted his eighth goal of the season to tie it 1-1 with 12:11 to go in the middle frame.

Maxime Lajoie went off for tripping in the third, but David Pastrnak took an interference call 44 seconds into the power play to negate the Bruins advantage. Pastrnak had a breakaway out of the box but lost control of the puck.

After starting the game as a pair, Grzelcyk and McAvoy were separated late in the first. Grzelcyk was matched with Brandon Carlo and McAvoy was with Krug for the remainder of the game.

Marchand finished the game with a season-high nine shots. He had six against Tampa Bay on Thursday before being held to a single shot on Saturday against Toronto. 1120188 Boston Bruins

Maple Leafs’ Hyman suspended for hit on McAvoy

By MARISA INGEMI

December 9, 2018 at 6:53 PM

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman was suspended two games by the NHL for his late hit on Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy on Saturday night.

In the Bruins 6-3 win, Hyman checked McAvoy after the blueliner had passed the puck behind the net. He was assessed a major penalty for interference and game misconduct, and the hit sparked a physical, fight- filled end to the contest, including a Matt Grzelcyk misconduct for his fight defending his teammate.

“I thought it was late,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said after Saturday’s game. “I thought it was unnecessary. If the league takes a look at it – I don’t know if they will or not, usually they do if there’s a major involved. But again, it’s one of those things where you’re at a point in the game, hasn’t been a lot of body checking from the other team and all of a sudden there’s a late unsuspecting one, and it annoys you. Especially when it’s Charlie who just came back, so you’re wondering are they targeting him or not? You don’t know that. I’d like to think it was just a guy playing hard and got there late and didn’t pull up, but our guys responded well.”

McAvoy left the game temporarily but returned, and he was active for, and started, Sunday’s game in Ottawa. He was in his second game since returning from a 20-game absence with a concussion.

“It’s obviously something you don’t like to see especially when you kind of have a lead like that,” said Grzelcyk. “So, just trying to stick up for my teammate there.”

The NHL Department of Player Safety released a video explaining the suspension, calling the hit “late, forceful, and high” and that it came “well after the puck is gone.”

Per the NHL, Hyman will forfeit $24,193.54. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Marisa Ingemi

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120189 Boston Bruins

Bruins pregame notes: B’s look to carry momentum in Ottawa

By MARISA INGEMI

December 9, 2018 at 3:17 PM

OTTAWA — After putting up six goals on the first team the Bruins have seen three times this season — the Maple Leafs — they’ll have a similar task in Ottawa on Sunday afternoon.

The B’s dismantled the Senators in both instances, with 6-3 and 4-1 wins, but their roster is different than both of those October meetings. Without Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara, the Bruins have struggled to produce offense.

That changed on Saturday against Toronto with a six-goal performance that included six different goal scorers. The Bruins have been waiting for the floodgates to open all season, and behind an all-around strong effort on that front, are looking to carry that into Sunday’s early 5:00 p.m. start.

“It’s awesome, I think it gets frustrating when you’re doing the right things and the puck isn’t going in the net,” said Ryan Donato, who scored his first even-strength goal of the season last night. “We had a few frustrating games where that wasn’t happening for us. We knew if we kept that up eventually it would happen for us. Thankfully it did, and hopefully it continues to.”

The Bruins win over the Leafs was also one of their more physical contests of the season, and Toronto’s Zach Hyman has a hearing scheduled for his late hit on Charlie McAvoy. Chris Wagner and Brandon Carlo each had fights in the game as well.

Aside from the heavy-hitting, it was a strong defensive effort to essentially shut down a Toronto team that’s scored all season.

Like the Leafs, Ottawa has players who can score.

“I think just being hard on the body, I think we were hard all night. It was a pretty physical game,” said Carlo. “Just continue to carry that mentality into tonight to be physical.”

The Bruins have plenty of back-to-backs this season, but this is the first time all year they’ve had to travel from a home game and have an early start the next day.

Coming off of a win where the offense finally came through helps ease that a little bit.

“I don’t really mind it, I think everybody is feeling it a little bit,” said Donato. “So you can’t say that you’re the only guy that’s feeling it. If you go out there and give it your all, hopefully you get some more chances.”

About the Senators

Despite being under the .500 mark, the Senators (13-14-3) 104 goals scored are the sixth most in the NHL. But, their 120 goals allowed are the most any team has surrendered, with 95 of them coming at even strength, 10 more than any other team has allowed.

Ottawa’s 11.7 shooting percentage is third in the league when its been able to get pucks on net. Mark Stone and Matt Duchene lead the team with 34 points apiece, but Duchene is on injured reserve with a lower- body injury.

The Sens 72.4 percent on the penalty kill is also a league-worst.

Ottawa is coming off a 2-1 overtime win against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, ending its two-game losing streak.

Marisa Ingemi

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120190 Boston Bruins

Talking Points from the Bruins' 2-1 OT win: A grinding win is what the B's deserved

By Joe Haggerty

December 09, 2018 7:59 PM

Talking points from the Bruins' 2-1 victory over the Senators. . .

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE B'S WIN

GOLD STAR: Torey Krug now has two goals in two games after not having any in the first 17 games of the season. Krug hammered away at a point shot for the goal in Saturday night’s win over the Maple Leafs, and then in overtime camped down at the net and waited for David Krejci to wheel around the back of the Sens net and float a pass across the front of the ice. Krug finished with points on each of Boston’s goals in the overtime victory and had five shots on net, seven shot attempts, three hits and a pair of blocked shots in 22:06 of ice time. The Bruins needed some skilled players still healthy to really get going offensively and Krug has done exactly that.

BLACK EYE: A literal black eye for Sean Kuraly, who dropped the gloves with mammoth Ottawa defenseman Ben Harpur in the second period and caught an uppercut right-handed punch that busted him wide open. It looked like the punch broke Kuraly’s nose and ripped open his lip, but the fourth line center was back on the bench later in the period bloodied and ready to take another shift. It’s a hard-knock life for Kuraly as a fourth line center, but kudos to him for stepping up and fighting after Harpur quickly dropped the gloves to go after him. The glove drop was so fast, in fact, that Harpur ended up getting an instigator penalty as a result after the fracas was over. Also, the Kuraly/Harpur exchange got Boston the PP that supplied Marchand’s power play strike.

TURNING POINT: The Bruins took over the game in the third period when they outshot the Senators 14-4 and watched Tuukka Rask make a couple of dazzling saves on the good chances that Ottawa was able to generate. Then the Bruins completely dominated an overtime session that befuddled them earlier in the season and got a scoring chance with Sean Kuraly, and then finally with the game-winning connection from David Krejci to Sean Kuraly. The B’s got stronger as the game went on and that shouldn’t exactly be the case on the second half of a back-to- back with less than 24 hours of rest. But the Bruins managed it and got the two points. A great weekend for the Black and Gold.

HONORABLE MENTION: Brad Marchand was everywhere for the Bruins. He took an elbowing penalty in the first period while in the offensive zone on the PK, which wasn’t very good. But then he sniped a power play goal in the second period that tied things up and kept the Bruins in a tight back-and-forth game. He leveled Ryan Dzingel in the third period with a big hit as well, and was all over the ice with shots on net, offensive chances and physical play. Marchand led the Bruins with nine shots on net and a couple of registered hits, and stepped up in a way that hasn’t always been easy for him with his partner-in-crime, No. 37, out of the lineup.

BY THE NUMBERS: 2 – the number of games that Zach Hyman was suspended for his late, dirty hit on Charlie McAvoy in the third period of Saturday night’s Bruins win over the Maple Leafs. That was the right decision by the Department of Player Safety.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “David Krejci made a heck of a pass. I didn’t even see the pass, but I was just able to swing away and luckily it went in.” – Torey Krug to NESN, on his game-winner in overtime where he was just blindly hammering away at the puck.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120191 Boston Bruins

Zach Hyman suspended two games for hit on Charlie McAvoy

By NBC Sports Boston Report

December 09, 2018 6:55 PM

After delivering a brutal hit on Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, Toronto's Zach Hyman has been suspended for two games.

Toronto’s Zach Hyman has been suspended for two games for interference on Boston’s Charlie McAvoy. https://t.co/1qvBURr6sM

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 9, 2018

McAvoy was playing in his second game back from a concussion, making the hit a touchy subject for the Bruins.

Bruce Cassidy called it, "late and unnecessary" given the hit happened late in the third period of a 6-3 win by the Bruins.

Fortunately for the Bruins, McAvoy did not miss any time. He was listed as an active participant for the Bruins' matchup with the Senators Monday.

Hyman made a dirty play, and now he will pay the consequences.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120192 Boston Bruins STONE PUTS SENATORS AHEAD 1-0

Stone's 15th goal of the season opens the scoring against Boston. #GoSensGo pic..com/mw6hJ8HBoh Highlights from the Bruins' 2-1 win over the Senators — Ottawa Senators (@Senators) December 9, 2018

KURALY AND HARPUR FIGHT By NBC Sports Boston Staff FIGHT NIGHT#NHLBruins Sean Kuraly drops the gloves with December 09, 2018 5:42 PM #GoSensGo Ben Harpur. Fight ends with Kuraly heading down the tunnel pic.twitter.com/1DVP8u0vYh

FROM JOE HAGGERTY: — Boston Bruins on CLNS (@BruinsCLNS) December 9, 2018

It’s great to see McAvoy in the lineup and with no restrictions after getting MARCHAND TIES IT UP 1-1 clobbered by Zach Hyman on Saturday night. McAvoy isn’t shying away No. 8 for 63.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/zywPenwov3 from anything physically in the second night of a back-to-back game and is clearly playing aggressively as he did on the pinch that ended up — Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 9, 2018 opening things for an Ottawa goal. It may actually end up being the best thing for No. 73 as he took a big, heavy shot up high and was no worse MARCHAND ALL OVER THE PLACE the wear for it after missing a 20-game chunk with a concussion that he HUGE HIT#NHLBruins Brad Marchand WRECKS #GoSensGo just returned from. Ryan Dzingel pic.twitter.com/enzI7TYHa1 It’s a reputation call for Brad Marchand as he threw his elbow up high to make some room on Maxim Lajoie while dangling with both hands on the — Boston Bruins on CLNS (@BruinsCLNS) December 10, 2018 stick toward the end of the first period. At the end of the day it’s an HUGE SAVE BY RASK offensive zone penalty and those are never good especially when the Bruins were already on the penalty kill, but it was also something you SAVE BY RASK#NHLBruins Tuukka Rask with the save of the might not see called against somebody else. That being said, Marchand game, robbing #GoSensGo Mark Stone in a tie game! needs to be better than that on the PK. And of course he made up for it pic.twitter.com/Oiop8DXd5S later in the second period when he sniped home a one-timer for a power play goal to tie the game after the Senators didn’t score on their 5-on-3 — Boston Bruins on CLNS (@BruinsCLNS) December 10, 2018 PP at the end of the first. KRUG FOR THE WIN Credit Sean Kuraly for standing in there against Ben Harpur after FOR THE WIN! catching a high stick from the towering Ottawa defenseman. The two players dropped the gloves with Harpur getting his gloves off rather Torey Krug wins it in OT for the Bruins! quickly (so quickly he got an instigator penalty for it) and Kuraly caught a big right-handed uppercut that looked like it might have broken his nose. Krug — Krejci, Marchand (3:07) #NHLBruins 2#GoSensGo 1 That’s life as a fourth line center for Kuraly and some of the rough and pic.twitter.com/qwsv2U3UbL tumble things that happen on the ice, but at least he didn’t back down to — Boston Bruins on CLNS (@BruinsCLNS) December 10, 2018 a bigger opponent. Things like that can build character and courage with a hockey team, and Kuraly was back and bloody on the bench after BRUINS RECORD: 16-10-4 getting fixed up the B’s medical staff. BOX SCORE Tuukka Rask was solid throughout the game, but was really at his best in the third period of a tied game where one mistake would make the UP NEXT difference. He flashed a big glove save on Mark Stone at the end of a 2- TUESDAY: vs Coyotes 7:30 p.m. (NESN) on-1 odd-man rush after David Pastrnak couldn’t keep a puck in the offensive zone. The Bruins actually dominated play in the final 20 minutes so all Rask saw was a couple of great offensive chances, but he managed to stop those while keeping razor-sharp focus on the game. In Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 all Rask stopped 27-of-28 shots on net in another excellent December game for him, and watched as the Bruins really started to pull away in the third period and OT before finally winning.

Torey Krug now has two goals in two games after not having any in the first 17 games of the season. Krug hammered away at a point shot for the goal in Saturday night’s win over the Maple Leafs, and then in overtime camped down at the net and waited for David Krejci to wheel around the back of the Sens net and float a pass across the front of the ice. Krug finished with points on each of Boston’s goals in the overtime victory and had five shots on net, seven shot attempts, three hits and a pair of blocked shots in 22:06 of ice time. The Bruins needed some skilled players still healthy to really get going offensively and Krug has done exactly that.

HIGHLIGHTS

GREAT DEFENSE BY GRZELYCK

♂️DEFENSE♂️#NHLBruins Matt Grzelcyk with a HUGE defensive play to keep #GoSensGo off the board pic.twitter.com/UFmKNEuDD3

— Boston Bruins on CLNS (@BruinsCLNS) December 9, 2018

OH, SO CLOSE

Brad Marchand ALMOST puts the #NHLBruins on the board first after a nice feed from David Pastrnak pic.twitter.com/kghye63UPF

— Boston Bruins on CLNS (@BruinsCLNS) December 9, 2018 1120193 Boston Bruins

Danton Heinen snaps 12-game slump, Bruins hope 'it'll start clicking with him'

By Joe Haggerty

December 09, 2018 12:37 PM

BOSTON – Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy showed faith in young winger Danton Heinen by keeping with him in the Bruins lineup even when it had been 12 games without even a single point. Heinen finally rewarded the faith of his head coach on Saturday night with a goal and two points in Boston’s 6-3 win over a full strength Maple Leafs team at TD Garden.

“It’s probably a number of things,” said Bruce Cassidy, when asked why he kept going to Heinen when other young players like Anders Bjork and Ryan Donato have been shipped back to the AHL to get their game together. “First of all, he can always help you defensively. In that regard, as a coach, you always feel that if he’s on the ice and you have the lead you can trust him to do the right thing. Where we lost a bit with Danton this year is that when we’re behind in the past he was able to generate more [offense].

“Maybe it’ll start clicking with him. That’s probably the biggest reason, and then sometimes you just look at who’s coming in. How does it affect the rest of the lineup? That’s part of it as well. The fact is that we want to help these younger guys get through these tougher spots. He was a good player for us last year, so we want to make sure we give him every opportunity. Will there come a time [for a change], would there have, or will there be down the road? Yeah, we’ll look at it, but right now we’re trying to stick with it.”

B's are tough, but aren't scaring anyone

For a player in Heinen so good as a rookie with 16 goals and 47 points in 77 games as a good two-way winger, it was fair to expect that the 23- year-old might even make the jump to 20 goals and 50 points as a second-year player. Clearly that hasn’t happened with three goals and seven points in 27 games and no points at all in 12 games prior to last night’s third period outburst on a sweet rush after Ryan Donato caught him in stride with nifty feed at the offensive blue line.

It was clear watching him play that his offensive confidence was on the wane, and that he wasn't really getting to the danger areas where offense can be constructed.

Clearly Heinen is hoping to build on Saturday night’s offensive showing, and maybe build back that confidence a little bit.

Bruins' win over Leafs one to rally behind

I’d be lying if I didn’t think that,” said Heinen of getting down after he hit a post earlier in the game. “As long as you’re getting looks and you’re going to the net, I kind of knew it would eventually come. So it was nice.

“It was nice. You know, Donny [Ryan Donato] made a good play on the wall there and I was lucky enough to get through [the defense]. It was nice to see that.”

It was more luck than skill as Heinen had a head of steam and made a nice move to split a couple of defenders, and it was a reminder of the promise that the winger showed for most of last season. The two-point game probably bought him a bit more time in the Bruins lineup, but they sure could use a hot stretch from a player that they were relying on to bring his ‘A’ game this season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120194 Boston Bruins “You know, Griz [Matt Grzelcyk] stands up for our teammate and rightfully so, and does a heck of a job. Tip your cap to him.

“Hopefully Charlie is okay. There are exceptions like that, in a game Credit Bruins for defending themselves, but they aren't scaring anybody solely in hand, you need to stick up for your guys and I think we made a little bit of a statement after that. But, in the old days, they made you yearn for them a bit at least from my perspective on the bench.” By Joe Haggerty B's get offense from all corners in rowdy win December 09, 2018 11:24 AM There are still players like that around the league, of course. Ryan Reaves in Las Vegas is a classic old-school tough guy that can play the game, and Edmonton has Milan Lucic and Zach Kassian. With Tom BOSTON – Some will say that the Bruins showed their team toughness Wilson in Washington, you don’t see too many teams taking liberties with in their 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. the Capitals despite all the skill on their roster. The Flyers have Wayne They threw the first punch physically in the first period, dropped the Simmonds in Philadelphia, who went toe-to-toe with mammoth Pittsburgh gloves to defend teammates and got the better of Toronto on just about D-man Jamie Oleksiak just a week ago and showed his impressive blend every front in an impressive victory given how many players they were of skill and toughness that the Bruins desperately need. missing from the lineup. So from that standpoint there was a lot of For the Bruins, it’s a matter of prioritizing a little more old-school size and metaphorical Black and Gold chest-thumping going on after the victory. toughness over college players that aren’t really scoring all that much “It just seems like every time one of those hits happen it’s our smallest right now. It would be nice if the Bruins would use a first or second round guy that’s the closest guy in the vicinity, but they always go and show up, pick in one of these drafts for a big, mean power forward that fits in a little so you have to give them credit for that. I think the response from those better with the traditional Bruins style. That way the Bruins could get that hits comes, and we’ve talked to our team about that,” said Bruce player for his best and most effective years as they did with Lucic rather Cassidy, who has unfortunately watched guys like Brad Marchand, Torey than paying for an older player that’s breaking down after logging the Krug, Matt Grzelcyk and Joakim Nordstrom do all the fighting for the B’s hard miles. this season. “You just have to be hard on their skill. Not dirty, but hard, Because right now the Bruins are defending themselves, but they’re not and Chris Wagner I thought had a great response. scaring anybody based on the big hits being leveled at their best players. “You hit a guy in open ice with his shoulder, had his head down. That And that’s not going to change until the Bruins decide to do something usually takes a little bit of wind out of the sails if that’s how you want to about it organizationally. finish a hockey game.”

B's win over Leafs one to rally behind Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 Yes, Matt Grzelcyk, all 5-foot-8, 180-pounds of him, went after Zach Hyman after he threw a late, dirty hit on Charlie McAvoy in the third period of a 6-1 game. And Wagner crushed Morgan Rielly a few minutes later and then dropped the gloves with Ron Hainsey to answer for the big open ice hit against Toronto’s best D-man.

Those are pieces of evidence that show a Bruins team willing to fight for each other, and that’s a good thing.

“Charlie’s a big boy and he’s going to make his plays, and obviously when he has a chance to finish on them he’s going to do that as well,” said Torey Krug. “I thought we did a good job of responding after that, you know, going hard against their skill. Obviously, Wags [Chris Wagner] came through, and hits their top moving defenseman as well, so…it’s a tough part about the game.”

But there’s also continued, irrevocable evidence that teams are taking liberties with the Bruins and consistently targeting their best players. Sure, there was the occasional instance in the past when Marc Savard was head-hunted by Matt Cooke and Aaron Rome concussed Nathan Horton in the Stanley Cup Final, even when the Bruins were at their biggest and baddest in recent memory.

Late, high hit knocks McAvoy out of B's win

But it wasn’t happening on a seemingly nightly basis like it is now. The Bruins lost McAvoy for 20 games with a concussion suffered on a big hit, and it remains to be seen if last night’s late, dirty Hyman hit will put him back on the shelf.

David Krejci was crushed two games in a row in the open ice, and managed to avoid injury aside from losing some teeth in a win over the New York Islanders. Patrice Bergeron was lost after Radek Faksa drove him hard and shoulder-first into the boards, and really didn’t pay any price at all for taking out Boston’s best player. David Pastrnak has been a target in many games as well, but has managed to avoid injury to this point while still scoring his goals.

It wasn’t like this when the Bruins had Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic and Adam McQuaid around to take care of the trash on the ice, or in some cases keep their own teammates in line when the need arose.

“Obviously, we took exception to it. I find that we’re at a state of kind of flux with no instigator, the tough guys kind of being out of the game. I think there was typically a tough guy on each team that kind of kept their own team [in line] even more than other teams because if shenanigans go down now he’s got to face [a fight]…or a tough guy goes after the offender,” said David Backes, who is no stranger to dropping the gloves. 1120195 Boston Bruins One would suspect it’s more the latter than the former, but at least for one night the Bruins were able to score early and often, and remember what that felt like.

Bruins' impressive win over Leafs one 'that can bring the group together'

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 By Joe Haggerty

December 09, 2018 10:21 AM

BOSTON – For the first time in a long time, the Bruins could finally exhale in a game. After losing three regulation games in a row and playing one-goal games just about every other night since Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron went down with injuries, the injury-plagued B’s exploded for six goals in a decisive, impressive 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden.

It was eye-opening to see the Bruins score more than three goals for the first time in nearly a month and since before No. 33 and No. 37 both went down with injuries, and important to see some players scoring that are expected to carry more of the scoring burden. Guys like David Krejci, David Backes, Torey Krug and Danton Heinen haven’t scored enough for the Black and Gold this season, and they showed how good the B’s can be when they do start lighting the lamp.

“Our best players were very good, helped out offensively,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “Our power play chipped in. I thought our D- corps was very efficient with the puck, a little bit, I guess the last 7-8 minutes we got on our heels a little bit too much, but for the most part it was one of our most complete games.”

B's get offense from all corners in rowdy win

It all started with Jaroslav Halak making 11 stops in the first period when the Leafs had a couple of good scoring chance while storming strong out of the gate. He stopped John Tavares cold in the slot and wiped out a Connor Brown breakaway chance, and then rookie center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson got the Bruins an early lead.

From there it was David Backes scoring in the slot on the power play, Torey Krug bombing away from the point, and Heinen scoring on the rush to snap a 12-game pointless drought after a nifty Ryan Donato feed hit him in stride. It was what Bruins management imagined they would see at least on some nights when they put this team together at the beginning of the year, and for one night at least what they did as an undermanned Bruins group against a Maple Leafs group at full strength.

There was plenty of encouraging things with the Bruins being the physical aggressor and sticking up for themselves, but make no mistake: The biggest takeaway for the B’s was so many struggling players getting in on the scoring action.

Highlights from B's win over Leafs

“It’s a game we’re obviously really excited about. It’s a Saturday night in our building against a division rival, a team that we know we can skate with and play well and do a good job against their skill. So I think coming away with a win it’s exciting to see the way the guys responded after three games not playing exactly the way we wanted,” said Krug. “I think we’ve played two decent periods in Tampa and we kind of carried that over and we did a good job. Especially when guys are sticking up for each other you get excited about that, but it’s one of those wins that can bring a group together.

“It’s been the same old story for a long time that, you know, certain guys are carrying the weight offensively and carrying the team. To get it from other guys is nice to see and nice to see [those players] get rewarded. We’ve been battling for a while now and talking about getting on the inside of the opposition and we were able to capitalize [against the Leafs].”

Late, high hit knocks McAvoy out of B's win

The million dollar question for the Black and Gold is whether they can continue this one-game trend and ride a bit of a scoring wave over the next few weeks until they get all their healthy bodies back. Or perhaps there’s just something about the Maple Leafs where the Bruins have their number these days, and that trend continued on Saturday night. 1120196 Boston Bruins

Late, high hit knocks Charlie McAvoy out of Bruins win over Leafs

By Joe Haggerty

December 09, 2018 12:26 AM

BOSTON – In just his second game back from a concussion that cost him 20 games out of the lineup, Charlie McAvoy was once again pulled from play by a concussion spotter after taking a late, dirty hit in the third period of Boston’s 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. McAvoy was putting the finishing touches on a night when he’d racked up a plus-4 rating in over 18 minutes of ice time when he was clobbered up high by Zach Hyman seconds after he’d released a pass behind the Boston net.

McAvoy went down after the blindside hit from Hyman and headed down the runway to the Bruins dressing room, and never returned to the game.

Matt Grzelcyk dropped the gloves and brawled with Hyman while sticking up for his longtime teammate, and both players were ejected from the game with misconducts.

The 20-year-old McAvoy did come back to the Bruins bench at the end of the third period, and was on the ice to congratulate the win with the rest of his Bruins teammates.

So it would appear he’s feeling okay in the immediate aftermath of the hit, but the jury will probably be out on his availability for Sunday’s game in Ottawa until McAvoy wakes up on Sunday morning feeling clear- headed.

“He came back. That was the league-mandated protocol. He went and got through it. I suppose, until [Sunday] comes and he wakes up, we’re all going to be a little bit on pins and needles. But he was cleared to come back,” said Bruce Cassidy. “He’ll wake up and determine how he’s feeling. I think we were going to do that after the Tampa game anyway to make sure everything’s good. Hopefully he wakes up feeling great and knows well ‘Hey, I’m kind of back to myself.’ That would be best case scenario for us.”

What about the hit itself?

The hope would be that the NHL Department of Player Safety looks intently into a late, high hit that came from McAvoy’s blind side, and particularly in the case of a recently concussed player in a game that was a 6-1 score in the third period. As Cassidy said, “it annoyed him.” Was it simply a byproduct of some physical play on the ice, or was this a case of a Leafs player trying to take out one of their rival team’s best players in garbage time.

“I thought it was late. I thought it was unnecessary. If the league takes a look at it – I don’t know if they will or not, usually they do if there’s a major involved. It’s one of those things where you’re at a point in the game, hasn’t been a lot of body checking from the other team and all of a sudden there’s a late unsuspecting one, and it annoys you,” said Cassidy. “Especially when it’s Charlie [McAvoy], who had just came back [from a concussion]. So you’re wondering are they targeting him or not? You don’t know that.

“I’d like to think it was just a guy playing hard and got there late and didn’t pull up, but our guys responded well. I thought [Chris] Wagner delivered a good check to [Morgan] Rielly, open ice. He was clean with his shoulder. They want to play hard to the final whistle then we’ll certainly go right along with them.”

So the good news is that McAvoy appears to be okay despite the violent, unexpected nature of the hit, but the Bruins will be waiting to see how that plays out for his availability against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120197 Buffalo Sabres particular. He expressed fear that he and his teammates were straying away from what made them successful.

The schedule was not forgiving, either. The Sabres played 11 games in Sabres hopeful for turnaround following 'tough conversations' in team 19 days, including six on the road, against some of the NHL's best teams meeting and 11 of their last 19 games have gone to overtime or a shootout. That has left little time to self-evaluate and fix any issues with their play.

Lance Lysowski “I think we just probably should’ve done a better job during that win streak of really taking an honest look and fixing some things as we go," Published Sun, Dec 9, 2018 Okposo said. "Yeah, we’re not going to practice as much because we’ve played so much hockey, but you can still talk about it. You can still fix it.

That’s been addressed. We’re going to get back to work tomorrow in Kyle Okposo wasn't the only one who noticed the troubling trend. Bad practice and just get back to being us.” habits crept into the Buffalo Sabres' play for weeks, even during the 10- Their matchup against the Kings will be only their second game in seven game win streak. Players took note of the issues following those days, a break that's allowed for some much-needed rest and practice remarkable comebacks and dramatic finishes, but they had confidence time. Jake McCabe, Marco Scandella, Casey Nelson and Carter Hutton they could win no matter what. were all unavailable Saturday against the Flyers. That is no longer the case. The Sabres, 17-9-4 with 38 points, have lost It's unclear if any will be ready to rejoin the team at practice Monday five in a row, and hit their low point by allowing six unanswered goals in a morning at HarborCenter. Phil Housley, who did not speak to reporters 6-2 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. Rather than holding an exhaustive Sunday morning, spent Friday's practice tinkering with his struggling practice Sunday morning, they gathered for a team meeting inside power play, but he will likely revisit the basic tenets of the Sabres' play. KeyBank Center for what Okposo called "tough conversations." "We should’ve nipped it earlier but we’re here now and we’re addressing They wanted to reflect on all that went wrong and how it can be corrected it and we’re going to fix it," Okposo said. ahead of their home matchup against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. It began with addressing what Okposo and Jack Eichel described as a lack of effort against the Flyers. Buffalo News LOADED: 12.10.2018 "We’ve been pretty good at home this year and I think that that game might’ve been coming for a little bit," Okposo, an alternate captain, said. "That’s unacceptable. We’ve addressed it and we feel like we have a pretty good plan in place for how to deal with it and how we’re going to come out on Tuesday. We’ve just got to get back to being us and we’ve got to learn from that game for sure.”

The Sabres were outshot by the Flyers, 41-30, and allowed four third- period goals, beginning with Claude Giroux's shorthanded goal when Sam Reinhart committed a turnover in the offensive zone. The three goals that followed were the result of breakdowns in front of the net.

It was the fourth blown lead during the five-game streak. Entering Sunday, the Sabres were nine points behind Tampa Bay for first place in the Atlantic Division. Ten days earlier, Buffalo owned the best record in the NHL.

The Sabres are spending too much time in the defensive zone. Since the five-game skid began Nov. 29 in Tampa Bay, they have allowed the third- most goals and shot attempts in the league. During that span, Buffalo's also allowed the sixth-most 5-on-5 scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, and has a negative-8 goal differential.

Their league-worst 43.3 faceoff percentage during the skid is partly to blame. They're also not forechecking well enough to sustain possession and are failing to beat opponents to loose pucks. While it appeared the defensemen were to blame for poor breakout passes against Philadelphia, the onus was also on the forwards to get into position.

"For us, it can start in the neutral zone," Jeff Skinner, held scoreless in three straight games, explained. "We want to be quicker in there and set ourselves up a little bit better, so we can spend more time in the offensive end. I don’t think we’ve spent enough time in the offensive end. ... It sort of puts you on your heels."

Mike Harrington: An absolute stinker has Sabres suddenly facing stark problems

That was also a problem during the win streak. The Sabres were outshot in seven of those 10 wins but were opportunistic with scoring opportunities. That helped them earn nine one-goal victories, seven in either overtime or a shootout.

They were generating enough chances in the offensive zone to make up for bad habits in their own zone. Seventeen different players scored during the win streak, and their Corsi-for percentage – which measures possession time by using shot-attempt differential – was the fourth- highest in the NHL.

It's been the second-worst over their last five games, and the top line of Skinner, Reinhart and Eichel has accounted for 10 of their 12 goals. The Sabres were critical of their play during the win streak, Okposo in 1120198 Calgary Flames of Backlund’s concussion, but the goal was waved off after referees determined that Peluso had impeded the left foot of Koskinen.

“Yeah, it’s disappointing,” said Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. “It Flames snuffed in shutout to Oilers could go either way. Our argument might be (Peluso) couldn’t really go anywhere because (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) was right there. But we understand how that rule works … I thought we reacted fine for the Kristen Anderson, second period, but chances were hard to come by either night.”

The physicality bubbled over from the Flames’ 4-2 win at Scotiabank Saddledome last month. Oilers Matt Benning laid out Peluso EDMONTON — In a throwback to a rowdier time in these teams’ history along the boards in the neutral zone, which Peluso tried to return shortly — like, a few weeks ago on Nov. 17 — the tone was set Sunday at after in the Oilers zone. centre ice during warm-ups. Then, with 4:39 remaining in the opening frame, after taking exception to Calgary Flames winger and noted tough guy Anthony Peluso, called up Milan Lucic’s hit on Travis Hamonic, Peluso went after Lucic and bear curiously in time for the Battle of Alberta, skated along the line and hugged him, tossing some punches before linesman David Brisebois dangerously into Edmonton Oilers territory. intervened. Zack Kassian, the Oilers’ resident ruffian, skated his warm-up circles and Really though, the Flames were sleepy for much of the opening 30 darted as close as he could to the boundary at centre. minutes or so, although David Rittich kept them in it. The two shared words, likely not involving each other’s Christmas holiday Taking over for Mike Smith, who has backstopped the Calgary club to plans. wins in five consecutive games, the 26-year-old Czech they call ‘Big But when the puck was dropped, skill took over, and there was no Save Dave’ was excellent on back-to-back penalty kills, particularly on a surprise that Connor McDavid led the charge, scoring a highlight reel top- point-blank shot from Nugent-Hopkins while James Neal was off for shelf goal on a cross-ice set-up from Alex Chiasson to get the Oilers on interference. the board midway through the first period. The Flames netminder was tested early in the second period, again, The one-goal lead stood until the buzzer, handing the Flames a 1-0 loss, when he faced a breakaway from Nugent-Hopkins and made an which was only the second time they were shut out this season. The last incredibly athletic glove save on the 25-year-old second-line centreman. time was a 2-0 loss on the road to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 23, Shortly after on a two-on-oh, Leon Draisaitl woke up Rittich with a shot which also happened to be their last regulation loss. that went wide and tried to put in the rebound off the boards, but Rittich, “We had a good weekend,” pointed out Flames head coach Bill Peters. falling backwards, made a perfect stop at his left post. “I’m not happy with the result, obviously, but happy with the effort. I’m Kassian leveled Garnet Hathaway by the Flames bench, but the Calgary happy with the fact that we gave up two (Saturday) night and one here club got its hits in, too. Dalton Prout had six belts in the game while (Sunday). Some positives in the game. Hathaway had four. “It looks like we’re running on fumes, a bit, to me. So a day-off (Monday) In the end, Rittich faced 30 shots, while Koskinen made 24 saves for his will be good for our guys.” third shutout of the season. The decision snapped a five-game winning streak for the Flames, who “That’s why I’m in the net,” Rittich said with a shrug. “I felt great, but it came into the game as the top team in the Western Conference and the didn’t help.” third-best team in the . HUSKA HAPPY TO SEE HIS AHL PUPILS GROWING INTO NHL Sunday was the second half of a back-to-back after a 5-2 win over the visiting Nashville Predators on Hockey Night in Canada. The Flames For the last four seasons, Ryan Huska has overseen the development of were 9-1-1 in their previous 11 outings including a 14-4-2 posting since the Calgary Flames. an embarrassing 9-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on home ice back on Oct. 25. So now on the bench as an assistant with the club’s National Hockey League team, he has a front row seat for its translation at the big-league The entire NHL knows that the Flames are a good third-period team, level. having gone into the game leading the league with 47 third-period goals. On Saturday night, Huska’s stars from his AHL days — But on this night, missing their heart-and-soul captain Mark Giordano Andrew Mangiapane, Oliver Kylington, Mark Jankowski and Rasmus (serving the second and final game of his suspension) and top shut-down Andersson — drew into the team’s lineup against the Edmonton Oilers, centre Mikael Backlund (to a concussion), they just didn’t have any along with Garnet Hathaway who spent a portion of his early years when magic. Huska was head coach of the Heat.

The fact they took three penalties in the third period didn’t help either. “The last couple years in particular down there, you did have a feeling that guys were very close to being ready to given that opportunity,” Sam Bennett with five minutes elapsed in the final frame dangled through explained Huska, who runs the Flames defence and directs the team’s Darnell Nurse for a one-on-one chance on Mikko Koskinen. But the penalty kill. “Heaven forbid someone went down with an injury or Flames winger didn’t slow down and crashed into Koskinen and was something happened that they would be ready and you just had to take handed a goaltender interference infraction. Dalton Prout was dinged for advantage of that opportunity. I think we’ve seen over the last couple an illegal check to the head while Elias Lindholm was caught for slashing years, when there has been situations, guys have been ready. in the final six minutes. “We’ve talked about that push from behind for, really, the last two-and-a- The Oilers were blanked on all five power plays during the game, but the half or three years.” time on the kill disrupted the Flames’ flow. The result has been a fluid succession of prospects filtering through the “I didn’t think it was fatigue, just the momentum they gained from their system which, it should be noted, hasn’t been limited to draft picks (see power play,” Peters said. “We continually put it on the ice, especially in the Flames’ starting netminder against the Oilers, David Rittich). the third when we’re trying to push and come back, and we’re continually killing and taxing guys, and it makes it harder than it needs to be. It’s It’s a system put in place by Flames general manager Brad Treliving and already a tough task … that’s not like us.” his cohorts, including assistant general manager Brad Pascall who does most of the management of the AHL’s Stockton Heat, acting as Despite a handful of scoring chances early in the first period and some in Treliving’s eyes, along with Heat head coach Cail MacLean and his the second, it happened to be Peluso in front of the Oilers net that looked assistant, Domenic Pittis, and goaltending coach Colin Zulianello. The to have tied the game at 12:18 of the middle frame. coaching staff, of course, deploys the same systems as Bill Peters and The veteran of 147 NHL games tipped a shot from Alan Quine, who was his crew at the NHL level. recalled from the ’s Stockton Heat in the wake But results, development and promotion does not occur overnight. “You’d like it to happen overnight,” explained Huska, who was promoted to the Flames from the Heat in the off-season. “But, really, it was the last two years in particular where you started seeing growth in a lot of the players. The players want to get to the NHL — coaches want that as well — because that’s our job when you’re coaching in the American Hockey League.

“But things take time, especially with defencemen. It takes them a little bit longer to get themselves ready to play. But the patience that the group above here with their young prospects has allowed them to feel good about their game when they come here.”

AROUND THE BOARDS

Earlier in the day, the Flames recalled sandpaper winger Anthony Peluso from the Heat and dispatched LW Ryan Lomberg to the Heat. Lomberg served the first of his two-game suspension on Saturday against the Nashville Predators, punishment for his role in Thursday’s late-game instigation of a fight with Minnesota Wild D Matt Dumba. However, before he is eligible to play at either level — NHL or AHL — he must serve the final game of his suspension … Flames scratched D Rinat Valiev and RW Austin Czarnik on Sunday against the Oilers … D Mark Giordano served the final game of his two-game suspension Sunday … Next up for the Flames? The Philadelphia Flyers come to town on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., Sportsnet West/Sportsnet The Fan 960) before a three-game road trip starting next weekend which sees them visit Minnesota, St. Louis and Dallas.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120199 Carolina Hurricanes

Goalie Scott Darling back with Canes, recalled from Checkers

BY CHIP ALEXANDER DECEMBER 09, 2018 03:28 PM

Scott Darling is back. The Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday recalled the goaltender from the of the AHL. Darling was placed on NHL waivers Nov. 29 by the Canes but went unclaimed and then was assigned to the Checkers. An injury to goalie Curtis McElhinney led to Darling’s recall. The Canes recalled goalie Alex Nedeljkovic for Friday’s road game against the Anaheim Ducks, Nedeljkovic making the cross-country flight and serving as a backup to Petr Mrazek and allowing Darling to stay with the Checkers and play against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday. The Checkers scored two goals in the final minute of regulation to tie the score, then won 5-4 in overtime on Trevor Carrick’s score. Darling left the game after the second period and was replaced by Jeremy Helvig, who earned the win. Darling has appeared in five games this season with the Checkers, including a conditioning stint, and has a 3-1-0 record with a 2.35 goals- against average and .911 save percentage. With the Canes, he has a 2-4-1 record with 3.14 GAA and 892 save percentage in seven games.

News Observer LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120200 Carolina Hurricanes “Not to say anything bad about Bill but it is different,” Faulk said. “The atmosphere in the room is different. Rod gave everyone a clean slate and said if you put in the work he’s stick with you. I appreciate that. Is Canes’ Justin Faulk more driven to succeed this season? That’s what you want in a head coach.” After scoring 48 goals in three seasons, with a career-high 17 in 2016-17, Faulk had eight in 76 games last season. His only goal this season came BY CHIP ALEXANDER in the ninth game, Oct. 22 at Detroit, and he feels the need to be more productive at even strength and on the power play. DECEMBER 09, 2018 08:43 AM But Faulk has been solid enough in the Canes’ zone. He has often been outstanding killing penalties. He has done his part. Feeling the need to intercede, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Even dropped the gloves. Faulk joined the fray, soon dropping his gloves.

Sebastian Aho had scored an empty-net goal, giving the Canes a 4-1 lead Friday over the Anaheim Ducks and then getting a shove from the News Observer LOADED: 12.10.2018 Ducks’ Adam Henrique. Others joined in along the boards and before you know it, Faulk and Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf had the gloves off, moved away from the group and were face to face. A few quick punches and it was over. But Faulk got everyone’s attention taking on the 6-foot- 4, 225-pound Getzlaf, the Ducks captain. “It’s the last minute, the game’s over and they tried pushing us around a little,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said after the 4-1 win. “It’s nice to see us stick up for each other.” A few days before, Brind’Amour had few words of praise for anyone after the Canes’ 4-1 loss at San Jose. He did make an exception. “Faulk was our best defenseman. He was the most competitive, for sure,” he said. It has been that kind of season for Faulk. When the Canes were undergoing an offseason makeover ordered up by new owner Tom Dundon, speculation began that Faulk might be one of those traded along with Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. When the Canes obtained defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the June trade with Calgary, the whispers became even louder. Hamilton was a right-hand shot. The Canes had four -- Hamilton, Faulk, Brett Pesce and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Would Faulk be dealt? No, he would not. Instead, the former NHL All-Star has joined Calvin de Haan in giving Brind’Amour his steadiest defensive pair. “We’ve been together since day one, and right away at training camp we said let’s make it work,” Faulk said. They’ve made it work. De Haan has a plus-7 plus/minus rating, the best among the D-men, and Faulk is plus-3 after 28 games. “We’re comfortable with each other,” Faulk said. “We’re not the same player, but we’re comfortable with what each other brings to the table.” De Haan signed a four-year, free-agent deal in July with Carolina, but came in having missed the final 49 games last season with a shoulder injury. “I’m sure he was a little frustrated with me at times at the start of the year when I was trying to get back into the swing of things and get adjusted to the speed,,” de Haan said. “But I think we jelled right away and complement each other pretty well. “He’s good jumping up into the play and I’m fine being the safety. But his defensive game is underrated and you don’t always notice some of the stuff he does. He’s physical. He’s good in the corners and in front of the net. He’s easy to play with.” In a recent interview, Faulk was told that some observers have mentioned that he seems leaner, quicker, more determined, more driven to help the team succeed this year in his eighth NHL season. “Which one?” he said, smiling. Faulk, 26, said his offseason conditioning routine had been the same, that he might be a couple of pounds lighter at 215 pounds. His body-fat percentage, he said, hasn’t changed. Is he more determined and driven? “It has been brutal not to make the playoffs,” he said. “As hockey players you want to see those hard times through and get on the other end of it and reap the rewards of the hard work.” Faulk, an alternate captain, said having Brind’Amour as the head coach, after the previous four years under Bill Peters, has brought about a “bit of a rejuvenation.” 1120201 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks drop 7th straight as Canadiens score winning goal in final 2 minutes

Jimmy Greenfield

The Blackhawks outshot the Canadiens, drew penalty after penalty, and the NHL’s worst power-play unit not only looked good, it even scored a goal. It didn’t matter, for the same old reason. The Hawks once again fell behind in the first period only to tie the score, but Tomas Tatar’s deflection of a Jeff Petry slap shot with 1 minute, 17 seconds remaining in the third period lifted the Canadiens to a 3-2 win Sunday night at the United Center. The loss was the Hawks’ seventh straight. They have lost nine of 10 games and 18 of their last 21 while dropping to 9-17-5. “We just couldn’t finish,” Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “Unfortunate to give up the goal at the end. That really, really gives it a negative tinge.” The Canadiens went up 1-0 with 13 minutes, 55 seconds left in the first on Max Domi’s rebound goal. A Shea Weber slap shot 1:31 later made it 2-0, and the Hawks were again playing to type. It marked the 10th straight game they gave up the first goal and the ninth time in the last 10 that they allowed at least two goals in the first period. But just as they’ve been falling behind, they’ve also been keeping games close, and Patrick Kane's power-play goal with 59 seconds left in the first made it 2-1. The second period was pretty quiet until Kane’s second goal of the game and 15th of the season tied it 2-2 with 7:05 remaining. Kane came into the game with two goals in his last 18 games after starting the season with 11 goals in the first 11 games. “It’s been awhile for me here lately,” Kane said. “I could kind of feel it coming the last couple games. It’s nice to get on the score sheet, would’ve been nice to get another one there in the third or get something, especially on the power play. But it didn’t happen.” Artem Anisimov took a hard hit from Weber early in the third and didn’t return. “He’s in concussion protocol,” Colliton said. “So obviously we don’t know how long it’ll be, but that’s where he’s at right now.” The Hawks had 10 minutes of power-play time in the third period, including six straight minutes with a man advantage after Jordie Benn took a four-minute high-sticking penalty just as a previous penalty ended. The Hawks finished 1-for-8 on the power play but put 14 shots on goal. Overall, they outshot the Canadiens 39-28. “I don’t know if we could’ve done much more, to be honest with you,” Kane said. The Canadiens had a 5-on-3 for 55 seconds in the third, when Connor Murphy took a high-sticking penalty while Brandon Saad already was off for interference. Murphy played 16:46 in his season debut after missing the first 30 games with a back injury. “We turned it on as the game went on,” Colliton said. “But we don’t give ourselves a chance in those situations. Until it changes, it’s going to be hard for us to win.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120202 Chicago Blackhawks

Fading Blackhawks in no rush to seek help from top prospects in Rockford

Jimmy Greenfield

Despite the Blackhawks’ long slide to the bottom of the NHL standings, there has been very little movement between Rockford and Chicago so far this season. Forward Alexandre Fortin started with the IceHogs and was called up during the second week of the season. Defenseman Gustav Forsling was sent to Rockford for a few games after his injured wrist healed before rejoining the Hawks. There aren’t any prospects in Rockford who have made it difficult for the Hawks to keep them there. Forward Dylan Sikura had his first two-goal game of the season for Rockford on Friday and is leading the IceHogs with 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 26 games. “Any young player, when they come up you’d like it to be for good,” Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “So it’s important not to be too itchy on the trigger despite our results right now.” Time is on his side: On the Hawks’ recent two-game road trip, defenseman Henri Jokiharju’s ice time dropped to 14 minutes, 29 seconds against the Ducks and 12:37 against the Golden Knights, the least amount of time the 19-year-old rookie has played all season. He came into Sunday averaging 20:27 per game. Colliton agreed when asked whether Jokiharju’s confidence could be taking a hit. “It’s just natural being a rookie there’s going to be ups and downs,” Colliton said, “and his play is going to be really high, and then sometimes it’s going to take a dip. We feel he can be a huge part of our success going forward, and we’re just trying to speed up the development.” One more to go: Forward Brendan Perlini has no points in six games with the Hawks since he was acquired from the Coyotes. He was a healthy scratch against the Canadiens. According to NHL rules, Perlini can be sent to Rockford without having to clear waivers because he has yet to play in 160 career games. After sitting out Sunday’s game, Perlini remained at 159.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120203 Chicago Blackhawks

Free-falling Blackhawks get two from Patrick Kane, lose 3-2 to Canadiens anyway

By Steve Greenberg @SLGreenberg

When you’ve won three times in your last 21 games, as the slow-starting, power-play-challenged, snake-bitten Blackhawks have, it’s hard to believe anyone else could have it worse. But after a 3-2 loss Sunday to the Canadiens — the 10th consecutive opponent to score first against the Hawks — at least there’s a certain basketball-playing United Center co-tenant to be thankful for. The Hawks haven’t won a home game since Nov. 18, but the Bulls have elevated dysfunction to an art form. If it’s a race to the bottom for the teams, the Hawks — who, if nothing else, continue to show the ability to claw back into games — can be reasonably confident they won’t win it. Still, things are plenty bleak. The Hawks have lost seven consecutive games and haven’t won back-to-back games since October. And here’s a doozy of a negative trend: In their last 10 games, they’ve been outscored 24-6 in the first period. The worst power-play team in the NHL managed to produce a first-period goal by Patrick Kane — his first of two scores on the night — but then came one of the oddest third periods in recent memory. The Hawks spent 10 minutes in the third period with the man advantage. That included a six-minute stretch that came as Canadiens defenseman Jordie Benn picked up a four-minute high-sticking penalty immediately after an empty power play for a cross-check by Tomas Tatar expired. Penalties by Artturi Lehkonen and Brendan Gallagher gave the Hawks two more chances. And though they held possession well in the offensive zone and pounded shots at Canadiens goalie Carey Price throughout the period, it resulted in precisely bupkis. When Tatar got his stick on a shot by Jeff Petry to beat Hawks goalie with 1:17 left, it was both shocking and, well, not. ‘‘Kind of the same old story,’’ Kane said. ‘‘Get behind and play ourselves back into the game and find a way to lose it late. So another tough loss.’’ The Hawks have been stuck on 23 points since Nov. 24. Crawford — with more losses than any NHL goalie — dropped his eighth start in a row. The problems don’t roll off the tongue as much as they gush from a fire hose. But coach Jeremy Colliton is keeping hope alive and insisting the Hawks remain in a positive place mentally. ‘‘We have to,’’ he said. ‘‘There’s no choice. Nobody is going to give us an easy way out of this; we have to make our own way. That’s what I’m going to bring, and that’s what I expect them to bring.’’ As silver linings go, Kane’s two-goal game was a nice one. Offensively, this team is up the creek without his scoring. He had scored only twice since blitzing through October with 11 goals. ‘‘It’s always nice to produce,’’ Kane said. ‘‘It’s been awhile for me here lately. I could feel it coming the last couple of games.’’ But the aftertaste was bitter even for him. Under more normal circumstances, this was a hard-hitting, down-to-the-wire matchup of Original Six teams that didn’t go the Hawks’ way. ‘‘Normal’’ left the building a long time ago, though. To lose yet another game — and to do so with overtime a mere 77 seconds away — was especially tough to swallow. ‘‘In that position, it’s a tie game late in the third period, a couple of minutes left?’’ Kane said. ‘‘We’ve got to find a way to get just a point, get it to overtime, see what can happen.’’

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120204 Chicago Blackhawks

Hawks coach Colliton scratches Perlini for not enough 'RPMs' away from puck

By Steve Greenberg @SLGreenberg

So how is that Nick Schmaltz trade holding up? It wasn’t looking so hot Sunday for the Blackhawks, who lost to the Canadiens 3-2 at the United Center with one of the two players they acquired from the Coyotes in the Schmaltz deal — winger Brendan Perlini — dressed in his civvies as a healthy scratch. It was the first scratch for Perlini or center Dylan Strome in seven games since joining the Hawks, but it wasn’t much of a surprise. Perlini’s utterly disappointing game log with the Hawks features zero points and ice time in sharp decline. ‘‘We know he’s got a lot to offer,’’ coach Jeremy Colliton said. ‘‘For me, I’m looking for one thing: his RPMs to go up away from the puck. He’s a great skater. I just want him to [show], when he doesn’t have the puck, he can still make things happen and give us something and create things for himself and his linemates.’’ Perlini, 22, played only 5 minutes, 26 seconds Thursday against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas. Strome, on the other hand, was on the ice for a career-high 19:14 in that game. No doubt, Strome — who has three goals for the Hawks — is for now the more important puzzle piece. But even Strome hasn’t had as much of an impact with the Hawks as Schmaltz has had with the Coyotes. Schmaltz has three goals and six points in his first six games with the Coyotes, generating buzz about potentially stepping into the role of No. 1 center. Strome consistently has skated on the Hawks’ third line. If Perlini — a 17-goal scorer last season — goes into the tank and stays there, the trade might be rued and ripped here for a long while. ‘‘Just because he comes out [of the lineup] tonight doesn’t change how we feel about him,’’ Colliton said before the game. ‘‘I think he can really contribute for us, not just in the future but right now. We’re just trying to get him there as quick as we can.’’ Veteran winger Chris Kunitz and struggling defenseman Jan Rutta also were scratched. Defenseman Connor Murphy, his back injury behind him at last, played for the first time this season and nearly scored on his first shift. He ventured deep into the offensive zone to take a pass from Brandon Saad, but his shot from inside the crease was turned away by Canadiens goalie Carey Price. Shooting the puck isn’t what Murphy missed most, though. Banging into bad guys is. ‘‘That’s the best part, I think,’’ he said. ‘‘You wind up against your own teammates in practice. It’s fun to battle, but it’s not the same. You get a little bit of extra edge when you’re going against someone that you’re trying to beat.’’ Center Jonathan Toews remained two points short of 700 with the team. The only Hawks to beat him there were Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Steve Larmer, Patrick Kane and Doug Wilson. Mikita’s 1,467 points will be hard to reach.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120205 Chicago Blackhawks Montreal then failed to connect on two power plays, including a 55- second 5-on-3 advantage, midway through the third.

NOTES: Blackhawks C Artem Anisimov left the game in the third period. Tatar's late goal lifts Canadiens over Blackhawks Colliton said he's being watched under concussion protocol. . Chicago D Connor Murphy played his first game this season after recovering from a back injury. ... Blackhawks D Gustav Forsling, who was placed on IR Staff Report (shoulder) retroactive to Dec. 5, missed his second game. ... Scrappy Canadiens and former Chicago F Andrew Shaw picked up an assist and has seven goals and eight assists in his last 15 games. Asked before the game the reason for Shaw's hot streak, Canadiens coach Claude Julien

joked, "Just his linemates. It has nothing to do with him. Yeah, he just CHICAGO -- The Montreal Canadiens weren't pleased with how they goes to the front of the net and they feed him." ... Chicago's scratches played Sunday. They were just happy to get a win. were D Jan Rutta, LW Brendan Perlini and LW Chris Kunitz. Montreal sat LW Charles Hudon and C Matthew Peca. Tomas Tatar scored the tiebreaking goal on a deflection with 1:17 left in the third period and the Canadiens beat the Blackhawks 3-2 for their third straight win. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.10.2018 Max Domi and Shea Weber scored in the first period to give Montreal an early lead, but Patrick Kane connected twice to tie the score for Chicago, which has lost seven straight and nine of its last 10. "It's a big two points for us, no matter how you look at it," Canadiens coach Claude Julien said "We found a way to win, but we're not going to stand here and say we had a great game." The Blackhawks went 1 for 8 on the power play, and failed to muster much pressure during a key six-minute advantage early in the third. "We didn't play our best game, but a good team is going to find a way to win," Tatar said. "I think that's what we did." Carey Price, starting for the seventh straight game and 11th in the last 12, stopped 37 shots. He was sharp when needed. "Our PK just did a tremendous job, and Carey was outstanding," Tatar said. "He held us through all of (Chicago's power plays) and the guys did a tremendous job." On the go-ahead goal, after a failed clearing attempt by the Blackhawks, Jeff Petry shot from the left point into traffic in front of the net. The puck went off the tip of Tatar's stick and past a screened Corey Crawford, who finished with 25 saves. The reeling Blackhawks fell to 3-11-2 under coach Jeremy Colliton, who replaced on Nov. 6. "We were moving (the puck) pretty good on the power play, getting a lot of shots," Kane said. "They did a good job of blocking shots and we couldn't capitalize. ... Kind of the same old story though. We get behind and find ourselves back into the game and find a way to lose it late. Another tough loss." For the third straight time, Chicago fell behind by two goals, then came back to tie the game and ended up losing. Domi and Weber scored 1:31 apart early in the first period to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead about 7 1/2 minutes in. It marked the 10th straight game an opponent scored first against the Blackhawks. "Tonight I thought we were a little soft at the start," Colliton said, "but I thought we really turned it on as the game went on." Domi converted a rebound of Mike Reilly's shot from the point 6:05 in after Reilly's drive struck Andrew Shaw in front of the net and dropped to the ice. It was Domi's team-leading 14th. Weber, playing his sixth game after knee surgery, ripped in a rising screened shot from the top of the right circle for his third after taking a feed from Kenny Agostino. Kane connected on the Blackhawks' third power play of the first and cut it to 2-1 as he beat Price from the right circle with a screened shot on the short side with 59 seconds left in the period. Chicago has been outscored 22-5 in the first period in the last 10 games and has had a lead only in two contests - one time was when the Blackhawks came from behind for a 5-4 overtime win at Florida on Nov. 24. Kane's second of the game and team-leading 15th tied it 2-all with 7:05 left in the second. Following a faceoff in the Montreal zone, Kane drifted into the right circle, took a pinpoint cross-ice pass from Dominik Kahun and one-timed a rising shot over Price's shoulder. Chicago wasted three power plays covering six consecutive minutes early in the third when Tatar was sent off for cross-checking at 1:58, then Jordie Benn got a double-minor for high-sticking Dylan Strome in the face at 3:58. 1120206 Chicago Blackhawks Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.10.2018

Hawks fall again, 3-2 to Canadiens

John Dietz

It's not very often a team receives 8 power-play opportunities in one game. Or 5 in one period. And loses. But that's exactly what happened to the reeling Blackhawks against Montreal on Sunday. "The key to our 2 points tonight was Carey Price," said former Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw after the Canadiens' 3-2 victory at the United Center. "He was absolutely outstanding. … Hats off to our 'D', our killers and obviously our goalie." Price made 37 saves -- 14 of which came while the Hawks enjoyed 14 minutes, 58 seconds of power-play time -- and Montreal won for the fourth time in five games when Tomas Tatar tipped in Jeff Petry's shot with just 1:17 remaining. The Hawks, who allowed their opponent to score the first goal for a 10th straight time, dropped their seventh straight and are now 9-17-5 overall and 3-11-2 under coach Jeremy Colliton. "We just couldn't finish," Colliton said. "Unfortunate to give up the goal at the end. That really, really gives it a negative tinge." Patrick Kane scored both of the Hawks' goals -- the first coming on the power play with 59 seconds left in the first period. "They did a good job of blocking shots and we couldn't find a way to capitalize," Kane said. "Kind of the same old story: get behind and play ourselves back into the game; and find a way to lose it late. So, another tough loss." Montreal took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Max Domi at 6:05 and Shea Weber at 7:36. Kane's tallies evened the game and the Hawks were then handed 5 power-play opportunities in the third period. Three of those chances came consecutively as Tatar was whistled for cross-checking at 1:58, and Jordie Benn got called for a double minor after high-sticking Dylan Strome at 3:58. Yet, they all went for naught. Montreal blocked 20 shots -- 9 of them off the stick of Brent Seabrook. The five players on the first PP unit -- Kane, Seabrook, John Hayden, Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat -- all saw about 10 minutes each of man-advantage time. "I don't know if we could've done much more, to be honest with you," said Kane, who now has 15 goals on the season. "We moved it around well, we had good motion, we had good shots. … Could've been a bounce either way." The bounce that went Montreal's way came just after Petry let a laser fly from just inside the blue line. After the puck sailed past Strome, Tatar -- who had inside position on Connor Murphy -- redirected it past Corey Crawford for his 12th goal of the season. "We've got to bear down and either block a shot or make a right read or make a hard play with the puck," said Murphy, who played his first game of the season and had 4 shots on goal in 16:46. "(Otherwise) you'll end up getting scored on most of the time." Colliton was asked why forwards like Andreas Martinsen and Alexandre Fortin were on the ice when the game-winner occurred. "You need to put someone out there," he said. "There was so much special teams (time) that some guys didn't play that much in the third. And you gotta find a way to get it done anyway." Now it's back to work Monday before a game at Winnipeg (18-9-2) against a Jets team that defeated Philadelphia 7-1 on Sunday. "Nobody's going to give us an easy way out of this," Colliton said, repeating a familiar theme. "We have to make our own way. That's what I'm going to bring and that's what I expect them to bring."

1120207 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Perlini scratched vs. Montreal as struggles continue

John Dietz

When Brendan Perlini was acquired from Arizona as part of the Nick Schmaltz trade, the Blackhawks raved about his speed and heavy shot. After six games in Chicago, though, the young forward had a minus-6 rating and just 3 shots on goal. This after coach Jeremy Colliton gave Perlini the opportunity to start on Jonathan Toews' line four times. Perlini, who watched the final 32½ minutes after playing just five shifts in Vegas on Thursday, was scratched against Montreal on Sunday. "We know he's got a lot to offer," Colliton said. "I'm (just) looking for one thing -- his RPM(s) to go up away from the puck. … When he doesn't have the puck he can still make things happen and give us something and create things for himself and his linemates." If Perlini plays one more game, he would have to clear waivers for the Hawks to send him to Rockford. He scored 17 goals in 74 games for the Coyotes last season, but has just 2 in 28 games this season. Chris Kunitz and Jan Rutta were the Hawks' other healthy scratches vs. the Canadiens. What can vets do? After practice Saturday, Corey Crawford told reporters he believes the veterans must step up to help the Hawks turn things around. Jeremy Colliton agreed, and added that keeping a positive attitude around the young players is a must. "What they can do is be like a rock for our team," Colliton said. "Whatever happens -- we've been through some tough times here -- don't let it affect them. "Keep playing hard. Play for the team. Never give up. Relentless mentality. That's what we're trying to build here and they can be the driving force for that." Anisimov hurt: Artem Anisimov was in concussion protocol after being injured during the third period of the Hawks' 3-2 loss to Montreal on Sunday. "We don't know how long it'll be, but that's where he's at right now," said coach Jeremy Colliton. Anisimov has 4 goals in the last nine games. The Hawks should provide an update after practice Monday. He said it: "It's a business. We're all hired to be fired. If you look back at what Joel Quenneville's done for the Chicago Blackhawks -- three Stanley Cups -- he's got nothing but to leave with his head up high. Joel is a tremendous coach and if he wants to, he'll be back in the NHL on his own terms."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120208 Chicago Blackhawks well tonight and didn't have too much time defending, which is always nice to play a little more offense. So that part of it was good."

Four takeaways: Blackhawks power play can't crack Carey Price in third period Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018

By Charlie Roumeliotis December 09, 2018 8:35 PM

Here are four takeaways from the Blackhawks' 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at United Center on Sunday: 1. The second goal is more important than the first For the 10th straight game, the Blackhawks have given up the first goal. What's become a more concerning trend, however, is how quickly they're allowing the second. Of those 10 games, the Blackhawks have allowed at least two first-period goals in nine of them. That's way too many. On Sunday, the Canadiens scored two goals in 1:31 to put themselves ahead 2-0 and the Blackhawks again found themselves chasing the game. "For whatever reason the last few games, teams probably sense that we're a little vulnerable and they come out really hard," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "We need to match and exceed that intensity. If it means playing 25-30 seconds like it's the last minute of the game, that's what we got to do." 2. Eight power plays The Blackhawks had a season-high eight power play opportunities against the Canadiens, who came in ranked 20th with a 78.3 percent kill rate. The Blackhawks capitalized on one of them, when Patrick Kane scored in the final minute of the first period to make it 2-1. But they had exactly 10 minutes of 5-on-4 time in the third period and came up empty on each of them, despite recording a combined 12 shots on goal during those five man advantages. The game was there for the taking, but Carey Price came up large and the Blackhawks couldn't make him crack. The Canadiens eventually scored with 1:17 left in regulation to hand the Blackhawks their seventh consecutive defeat, and it's not hard to look at those missed five power-play opportunities as a reason why they couldn't come up with at least a point. "I don’t know if we could’ve done much more, to be honest with you," Kane said. "We moved it around well, we had good motion, we had good shots. They did a good job of blocking them, could’ve been a bounce either way. I thought the power play was pretty good tonight even if you look at the numbers and we’ve only got one goal on so many opportunities." 3. Patrick Kane breaks out In the first 11 games of the season, Kane had just as many goals. He was among the league leaders in that category at the end of October. Since then, he's been on a dry spell as he entered with only two goals in his previous 18 games. Kane broke out of that by scoring twice, including a power-play goal to put him at a team-leading 15 for the season. The Blackhawks are 7-3-1 when he scores a goal, so it's important for Kane to build on that production. "It’s always nice to produce," Kane said. "It’s been a while for me here lately. I could kind of feel it coming the last couple games. It’s nice to get on the score sheet. Would’ve been nice to get another one there in the third or get something, especially on the power play. But it didn’t happen." 4. Connor Murphy's return The Blackhawks could use all the help they could get on the back end. And with Gustav Forsling out because of a shoulder injury, Murphy's return came at a good time. In his season debut, he had five shot attempts (four on goal), three hits and a takeaway in 16:46 of ice time. He committed a high-sticking penalty in the third period, but also drew one that led to a power play opportunity. "Physically, I felt good," Murphy said. "It was nice to get into a normal rhythm at the start of the game. Just getting into the flow of it was good. It was nice to have a home game. I felt like the guys were skating pretty 1120209 Chicago Blackhawks Kahun, David Kampf and Brendan Perlini are other possible players for the list.

Forward #7: Future free-agent signing How the 2021 Seattle expansion draft could affect the Blackhawks The Blackhawks will have the money to make a splash next offseason. It’d be shocking if they didn’t. Whether that signing is Artemi Panarin, By Scott Powers Matt Duchene, Mark Stone or someone else, the Blackhawks would certainly want to protect that player in 2021. Dec 9, 2018 Defenseman #1: Brent Seabrook

Seabrook has a no-movement clause and is signed through the 2023-24 The Blackhawks fared pretty well last time through an NHL expansion season. draft. Defenseman #2: Duncan Keith Their main players were either protected or exempt, and they worked a backroom deal that provided Trevor van Riemsdyk to the Vegas Golden Keith has a no-movement clause and is signed through the 2022-23 Knights in the draft and Marcus Kruger via a trade at a later date. Kruger season. and van Riemsdyk were later traded elsewhere by the Golden Knights. Defenseman #3: Henri Jokiharju The Blackhawks didn’t have the 2017-18 season they were hoping for, but it wasn’t due to those losses. Jokiharju is expected to be a key piece in the Blackhawks’ future. He will be three seasons into his NHL career and is due another contract after When Seattle’s expansion team gets to select a player from each team in the 2020-21 season. 2021, the Blackhawks might again be in decent shape. That could largely depend on how some of their younger players develop and how they Goalie: Collin Delia alter their roster in the coming years. So, let’s try to predict the future. This is another position where we have to try to predict the future. Corey The Blackhawks’ exemptions Crawford’s current contract is up after the 2019-20 season. He could get a new deal from the Blackhawks then. If he’s playing well and the The Blackhawks are optimistic their upcoming defenseman prospects will Blackhawks don’t have a future No. 1 in the mix, then Crawford, who will put the organization back on track. Those prospects include 2018 first- turn 34 this month, could get protected in 2021. Right now, though, it round picks Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin and 2017 second-round seems like Delia, who is 24, could emerge as the Blackhawks’ future No. pick Ian Mitchell. Fortunately for the Blackhawks, none of those players 1. He’s taken some massive steps early in his pro career, and the next will be exposed in the expansion draft. First- and second-year pros are logical step is being the team’s No. 2 NHL goalie next year. By 2021, he exempt from the draft, and all three will likely either be finishing their first could be Crawford’s successor. Anton Forsberg, who is 26, probably or second seasons. If they end up with another lottery pick in 2019, that shouldn’t be written off either. He’ll be a restricted free agent after this player would also fall under those parameters, so the Blackhawks don’t season. have to worry much with that. The Blackhawks also wouldn’t have to protect Max Shalunov, Evan Barratt, Artur Kayumov or any of their other Blackhawks’ exposed players prospects who could sign in the next few seasons. Teams will have to expose one defenseman who’s under contract for the The Blackhawks’ protected list 2021-22 season and played in 40 or more games the prior season or 70 or more games the prior two seasons, two forwards who are under There will be two options for teams in the expansion draft. They can contract for the 2021-22 season with those game requirements, and one either protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or eight goalie who will be under contract for the 2021-22 season or will be a skaters and one goalie. Players who have no-movement clauses, unless restricted free agent prior to that season. they’re waived, have to be protected. Corey Crawford, goalie: As explained above, this will all depend on the Based on those rules, it’s likely the Blackhawks will protect seven Blackhawks’ goalie situation. forwards, three defensemen and one goalie. Let’s break it down. Gustav Forsling, defenseman: Forsling could still be with the organization Forward #1: Jonathan Toews in 2021. He’ll be 25 years old at the time of the draft. He’s due a second Toews has a no-movement clause and is signed through the 2022-23 contract after this season. season. Erik Gustafsson, defenseman: Gustafsson will be an unrestricted free Forward #2: Patrick Kane agent after the 2020-21 season. He could re-sign depending on how things end up with other defensemen. He’ll be 29 at the time of the draft. Kane has a no-movement clause and is signed through the 2022-23 season. John Hayden, forward: Hayden has pushed for more ice time this season and has been used up and down the lineup. He’ll be 26 at the time of the Forward #3: Alex DeBrincat draft. He’s due another contract after next season. There are no guarantees the Blackhawks will hold on to DeBrincat Alexandre Fortin, forward: Fortin is another player who could develop into considering the young talent they’ve traded away in recent years, but he a consistent NHL player. He is just 21 right now and will be 24 at the time does appear to be a part of their future as of now. He’ll be 23 at the time of the draft. He’s due another contract after next season. of the draft, and he’ll be on his second contract at that point. Dominik Kahun, forward: Kahun could replace someone on the protected Forward #4: Brandon Saad list. He’ll be 26 at the time of the draft. He’s due a second contract after the 2019-20 season. Saad is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 season. He’ll be 28 years old then. If he’s still playing well, it wouldn’t be David Kampf, forward: The Blackhawks believe Kampf has a bright NHL surprising if he and the Blackhawks decided to work out a new deal. future. If he continues to develop, he could be someone the Blackhawks decide to protect. He’ll be 26 at the time of the draft. He’s due another Forward #5: Dylan Strome contract after this season. The last three forwards on this list could evolve over time. The Connor Murphy, defenseman: Murphy will have one year left on his deal Blackhawks are obviously hopeful Strome is able to recreate his success when the expansion draft arrives. He’ll be 28 then. If the Blackhawks from other levels. We’ll know more over the next few years, but we’ll need to open a defenseman spot for one of their younger players, this assume for now he’s part of the Blackhawks’ plan. He’ll be 24 at the time might be a situation where the Blackhawks can work another backroom of the draft. He’s due a second contract after the 2019-20 season. deal. It’s how the Blackhawks were able to trade off Kruger’s contract. Murphy has a $3.85 million cap hit. He’s a right-handed shot, and so are Forward #6: Dylan Sikura Jokiharju, Boqvist and Mitchell. Sikura was the Blackhawks’ top forward prospect last season and has Brendan Perlini, forward: The Blackhawks are hopeful Perlini and Strome been their top player in Rockford this season. He’s not a sure thing, but end up panning out and becoming part of the team’s future. Perlini will be he’ll get a chance to prove himself in the NHL with the Blackhawks again. 25 at the time of the draft. He is due a second contract this season. If he can transfer what he did in college to the pros, he’ll also be someone the Blackhawks will want to hold on to. He’s due a second Other possible exposed players: Lucas Carlsson, Carl Dahlstrom, Victor contract after this season. If Sikura and Strome don’t pan out, Dominik Ejdsell, Dennis Gilbert, Matthew Highmore, Blake Hillman, Graham Knott, Luke Johnson, Kevin Lankinen, Anthony Louis, Nathan Noel, Darren Raddysh and Joni Tuulola. Who does that leave Seattle with? The Blackhawks could have some attractive players exposed for Seattle to select. It all depends on how the Blackhawks’ current younger players develop. If Strome, Perlini, Sikura, Fortin, Kahun, Kampf and others evolve into quality, consistent NHL players, then the Blackhawks will have some tough decisions to make and might have to expose a few players they would rather not lose. The Blackhawks could also always trade players before having to expose them. Conclusion There are so many unknowns about the Blackhawks’ future right now, and that makes 2021 seem far off. With this team struggling the last couple seasons, it’s tough to say who will be part of the future. It’s also difficult to pinpoint which of the Blackhawks’ young players will be desirable in a few years.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120210 Colorado Avalanche

Inside the Avs’ Locker Room: Fumbling questions after a blowout lossAdrian Dater

By Adrian Dater Posted on December 9, 2018

TAMPA, Fla. - I freely admit one of the things I'm not that great at is the postgame interview. There is a trend in the sports writing business now to do away with the "game story" and replace them all with "How this happened" or "Why that happened" analytical-style pieces that are mostly all just the same boilerplate stuff as the tried and true newspaper game story of yore. As much as sportswriters like to think they are reinventing the wheel with "Why/how this/that happened" pieces instead of the tried and true game story, they aren't. They still are left standing there in the dressing room, trying to get words from athletes as to why or how something just happened in a game, when it's either a) obvious to anyone who saw the game or b) nobody has any real idea. I want to include the two postgame audio clips I did in the Avs locker room from last night's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay as to why/how most of them are awful and nobody learns anything new and they are just a form or drudgery for all involved. A team loses a 7-1 game, and your job is to go up to the players on that team and - about five minutes after the final horn has sounded - ask the players why it happened. Most of the interviews are as awful as the two I have for you here, with Semyon Varlamov and Nikita Zadorov. To their credit, they answered my awful questions the best they could. In my own defense, what was I supposed to ask? A team loses by six goals. There are no salient questions. The only one I should have asked is: what happened out there that went wrong? Instead, I tried to hem and haw and sound like I was concerned and sympathetic, and while I was trying to sound concerned and sympathetic, that's not really what my job is - so the whole thing is kind of a charade. I analyzed what I know went wrong in my "takeaways" piece from last night. The quotes from the players are usually just redundancy on to what everybody already knew. So, yes, the game story should rightfully be excised from the world. That said, the "why/how this happened" pieces about a game are also redundant. I do want to hear from players after a game, and I do believe the vast majority of fans of their teams do too. That's why we still go to the games and bring those things to you. Feel free to offer suggestions of new ways to ask questions to players after a game. I'm dead serious. Win or lose, how should we ask different questions? The floor is yours. I doubt there will be any groundbreaking new solutions, but you never know. In the meantime, here is the audio from my two brief interludes with Varly and Zads from last night:

BSN DENVER LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120211 Columbus Blue Jackets

Failure at home leaves John Tortorella at loss for words

By Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch @BrianHedger Posted Dec 9, 2018 at 8:12 PM Updated Dec 9, 2018 at 8:12 PM

What kind of night was it for the Blue Jackets on Saturday at Nationwide Arena? Let’s consult a trusty, airtight “analytic” to break it down. During his postgame news conference, which lasted 1 minute, 36 seconds, coach John Tortorella said exactly 57 words. He was asked six questions. That’s an average of 9.5 words per question, which indicates how things went during the Jackets’ 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals. Tortorella is still fighting a virus that’s plagued him for a while, so that should be noted, but there’s a good chance he would’ve been just as economical with his words in good health. He just wasn’t in the mood for discussing what he’d seen — and you can’t really blame him. It was one of their worst performances this season in one of their most well-attended home games — against the defending Stanley Cup champions who knocked the Jackets out of the playoffs last season after trailing 2-0 in the series. Was Tortorella surprised how the game unfolded? “Yes,” he said, adding: “Think you know the answer to that question.” Ever see something like that from this group before? What happened? “I have no idea.” How about the fact it happened on home ice again, dropping the Blue Jackets’ record at home to 7-6-1? How can the same team that brings intensity and grit to road games, with a 9-5-1 record away from Nationwide Arena, stumble as much as this group has at home? Why is their fiery disposition not there as much in Columbus? “It wasn’t,” Tortorella said, using two small words to say as much as he could’ve with 500. The Blue Jackets must improve on home ice if they have any aspiration of doing big things this season — such as qualifying for the playoffs a third straight time, getting out of the first round and making a lengthy postseason run. Winning on the road is impressive, even in the regular season, but that alone won’t win a Stanley Cup. Championship teams hold serve on home ice and steal a game on the road — not the other way around. It’s something the Blue Jackets must correct, sooner than later, and they don’t have to wait long to work on it. The loss to the Capitals was the start of a season-high, six-game homestand — so they have five more left before the next roadie. “Our home record needs to be way better,” captain Nick Foligno said, shaking his head in equal parts disgust and confusion. “It’s crazy, because the way we can play on the road, to come home in front of our fans — packed house on a Saturday — and lay an egg like that? It’s just ridiculous.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120212 Columbus Blue Jackets

Coaches emphasizing defensive play with Zach Werenski

By Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch @BrianHedger Posted Dec 9, 2018 at 8:12 AM Updated Dec 9, 2018 at 8:12 AM

The learning curve that hones all NHL defensemen has taken another turn for Zach Werenski. After working his way back to the top defensive pairing to play with Seth Jones almost two weeks ago, recent defensive mistakes prompted coach John Tortorella to move him back to the third unit for the Blue Jackets’ game Saturday night against the Washington Capitals. “We’re still trying to work with him,” Tortorella said at the morning skate. “Tonight, (Werenski’s) going to move away from Jonesy, just because we want to do that again now and try to get him to play better defensively.” Werenski, 21, was on the ice for all three Flyers goals in the Jackets’ 4-3 overtime win Thursday in Philadelphia, including back-to-back scores in the third period by defenseman Travis Sanheim. Already at the 100-point milestone in just his third NHL season, Werenski is trying to raise his defensive game to a similar standard. It’s often the most difficult thing for a young defenseman grasp at this level, but especially for Werenski — whose offensive abilities have made coaches drool at every level. “Now, I’m putting more emphasis on defense and trying to learn that part of the game,” said Werenski, who played his 184th NHL game Saturday. “I’m 21 years old and I’ve played almost 200 games. I’ve done some good things in this league and I’ve done some bad things in this league. It’s just learning right now.” Virtually all NHL defensemen go through it, including Jones, who is only 24 himself. Jones’ best advice for Werenski is to keep his focus clear. Tortorella used the term “rover” to describe Werenski last year, and still does occasionally, but finding the balance between pushing for offense and playing strong defense has proven to be tricky. “I think the most important thing to really realize is just your title,” Jones said. “It’s a ‘defenseman.’ As defensemen, our job is to play (defense). Without that fundamental vision of your position, it’s hard. Our job is to play defense. From there, your offensive instincts are there. Nobody has to teach you that.” It has been 12 games since Brandon Dubinsky moved from center to left wing on the third line, playing with center Alexander Wennberg and the right wing du jour, either Oliver Bjorkstrand or Anthony Duclair. Dubinsky still takes plenty of face-offs, winning an impressive 55.4 percent before to facing the Capitals, and he has shown an eagerness to play around the net. That’s where he scored from on Thursday against the Flyers, putting Columbus up 2-1 in the first period by tipping in a shot from the point. “It’s nice to see Dubi score a goal, because he’s done a really good job bringing pucks to the net,” Tortorella said. ”(He’s) been a little snakebitten, has had some opportunities where he’s shot wide. Guys, even if they get an empty-net goal, it helps their confidence offensively.” Tortorella made a switch up front along with reconfiguring the defense pairings. Aside from Werenski sliding to the third pairing to play with Scott Harrington, he re-paired Ryan Murray with Jones on the first unit and reunited Markus Nutivaara and David Savard. Up front, Oliver Bjorkstrand stayed in the lineup and moved to the fourth line and Duclair played for the first time since Nov. 26 in Detroit. Lukas Sedlak, who had played in 10 straight games, was a healthy scratch.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120213 Columbus Blue Jackets Atkinson’s run was impressive, though. He had 13 goals, seven assists and 20 points, including his sixth career hat trick to move past Rick Nash for the most in franchise history. Capitals 4, Blue Jackets 0: Five takeaways Atkinson also had a seven-game goal streak, also a career-high, to start the point streak and has 19 goals in 29 games – one shy of reaching the 20-goal mark for the sixth straight season. Brian Hedger Atkinson, who’d had the longest active point streak in the NHL, has 10 more games to beat his personal record for reaching 20 goals. It took him 40 games to score 20 in 2016-17, on the way to a career-high 35 goals. There was another turnover and the Washington Capitals were off, screaming back into the Blue Jackets’ zone with an odd-man rush. Nash holds the Jackets’ franchise record, scoring 20 goals in 31 games in 2003-04 – on his way to a 41-goal season. It was a 3-on-1, one of several for them Saturday night at Nationwide Arena, but the numbers didn’t really matter at that point. The defending 4 ) No mas for ‘Bob’ Stanley Cup champions possessed a 3-0 lead and the puck, which dangled on superstar Alex Ovechkin’s stick. The first one was scored off a 3-on-1 odd-man rush. The second snuck under the crossbar after deflecting off a skate and over Sergei Ovechkin flipped a feed over to Travis Boyd, a fourth-line forward, and he Bobrovsky’s shoulder. The third was an easy tap-in by Ovechkin, who sent it home for his first goal of the season and Washington’s final margin was left alone in front of the net. of victory, 4-0. That was enough for Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who wasn’t As Boyd and Ovechkin rejoiced behind the net, Blue Jackets captain Nick about to subject his starting goalie to another brutal night. The Jackets’ Foligno fished out the puck and angrily fired it down the ice. That’s what star netminder has already had two eight-goal games tagged on him this kind of night it was for the Blue Jackets (16-11-2), who opened a season- season, neither entirely his doing, and that just wasn’t going to happen long, six-game homestand by falling to 7-6-1 on home ice. again. “That’s what good teams do and we have to learn that,” Foligno said of Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 13 shots, playing one period before a the Capitals. “We have to become that team. And it’s there. We just don’t merciful decision to go with backup Joonas Korpisalo starting the second. want to do it consistently. We had a great opportunity against a good team tonight to really show that we’ve grown there and we did not stand “I was not going to have Bob eat more goals, the way we were playing in up to the test – and it’s disappointing, especially at home. Our home front of him,” Tortorella said. record needs to be way better.” 5 ) Split decision As it stands, it’s barely .500 with five more games left before the next There was good news and bad for Columbus when it came to the two road trip. special teams. The Blue Jackets went 3-for-3 killing penalties against one Here are five takeaways from the Blue Jackets’ loss to Washington: of the NHL’s top power-play teams, but finished 0-for-4 with the man- advantage. 1 ) Another slumbering start Defensively, the Jackets have rebounded with back-to-back games going Unlike some other games this season, there was no tangible excuse for 3-for-3 killing penalties. That’s following up a brutal 1-for-4 in the loss to the Jackets’ low-energy start on home ice. Calgary. Including a 3-2 loss at the Islanders on Dec. 1, Columbus has gone 3-for-3 killing penalties in three of its past four games. The arena was filled with Blue Jackets and Capitals fans, which meant the potential was there for an electric night. Instead, the Capitals pulled On the flip side, a recent surge is fading quickly from the power play. The the plug by dominating the first 20 minutes. Blue Jackets are a combined 0-for-9 in their past two games and 1-for-14 (7.1 percent) in the past four. Columbus trailed 1-0 just 1:42 into the game, then 2-0 midway through the first period and then 3-0 with 18.8 seconds left. The energy was They put nine shots on net during power plays against the Capitals, gone, except for the howls of happy Capitals fans, and the Jackets which was good, but none got past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby. He couldn’t find the reset button. made arguably his best stop with 1:40 left in the second period on a Jackets power play, just getting his blocker on a snap shot by Pierre-Luc “Obviously, we were flat in the first,” forward Brandon Dubinsky said. Dubois. ”(There were) some tough plays. Tough plays on myself, uncharacteristic plays by myself too. It’s disappointing. Saturday night at home here, we The Jackets’ power play had made good progress the past couple want to have a good effort and we just didn’t have the energy we needed weeks, but is again having issues that need to be addressed. to – especially in the first period.”

2 ) Turnover troubles Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.10.2018 Until the past two home games, the Blue Jackets had done a good job of making better decisions with the puck – cutting down on turnovers that led to odd-man rushes and a lot of goals in the season’s first month. Those turnovers returned Saturday night and have become a recent issue again, including a 9-6 loss Tuesday to the Calgary Flames, a 4-3 overtime win Thursday at the Philadelphia Flyers and against the Capitals – whose first and fourth goals were scored off turnovers. Washington’s second and third goals were scored after mistakes in the defensive zone led to big coverage breakdowns. “We got what we deserved tonight,” Foligno said. “Teams are opportunistic right now against us, and that happens during a season, but it’s also the chances that we do give up ... they’re high-end chances. They’re not the ones that are Grade Bs. They’re Grade As every time and we’ve got to find a way to limit those.” 3 ) The streak ends This was the first time Columbus was shutout this season and first time they’ve been shutout since losing 5-0 here last season to the Tampa Bay Lightning on New Year’s Eve. The lack of goals meant the end of Cam Atkinson’s career-high point streak, which came to a halt at 12 straight games. He finished one shy of tying Ryan Johansen’s 13-game run in 2014-15, which is the franchise’s longest streak. 1120214 Dallas Stars Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.10.2018

Late too many men on the ice penalty sinks Stars' comeback attempt: 'It's one of those things that shouldn't happen'

Matthew DeFranks Contact Matthew DeFranks on Twitter: @MDeFranks

LAS VEGAS -- The Stars still had a chance late in an eventual 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights, trailing by one goal and the opportunity to pull goaltender Ben Bishop for an extra attacker. But then it got squashed. The Stars made a sloppy change in which Martin Hanzal jumped on the ice while Bishop was still in his net, resulting in a too many men on the ice penalty and eliminating any chance of a Dallas comeback. Vegas forward Reilly Smith scored an empty-net goal to seal the victory. The Stars chipped the puck deep into the Golden Knights zone when Hanzal came on the ice, zooming into the offensive zone. "We thought Bish was coming to the bench," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. "I don't know yet, I haven't spoken to Bish. Maybe he thought there was going to be an icing, so just stay in his crease. Marty Hanzal jumped. That's my responsibility to make sure that everybody knows what we're doing. That one's on me." Bishop said: "You got to talk to people on the bench. I don't know. Six guys went out there and I was still out there. I don't know what happened. We'll have to watch it. Got to wait until I get there before you go out there. It's a tough break to have that happen. It's one of those things that shouldn't happen, and we'll have to see what happens." It was the Stars' fifth too many men on the ice penalty this season through the first 30 games. Hanzal's uneven night: After his season debut on Friday night against San Jose, Hanzal said it was the hardest game of his life because it was his first one in 10 months following his third back surgery. On Sunday in Vegas, Hanzal scored a power-play goal in the first period, tipping a Miro Heiskanen shot past Marc-Andre Fleury. Hanzal won a loose puck battle off the faceoff before going to the front of the net. It was the first goal by the second power play unit since Oct. 30 in Montreal. "I still feel tired," Hanzal said. "I need to work on my conditioning and hopefully, it gets better." Hanzal finished with 13:44 of ice time, and only one Stars forward had more shifts than Hanzal's 24. Tyler Seguin had 26 shifts. "Real good shifts," Montgomery said, "and some shifts where he wasn't up to game speed yet." Hanzal also was called for two interference penalties. The Golden Knights scored immediately after his second one on William Karlsson's shot between Bishop's legs. "I don't know about the first one," Hanzal said. "Honestly, I just went to the net and I think the guy fell or maybe I hit him with my hand. I don't know. I didn't see it. I think I need to be a little bit more disciplined there. I can't take two penalties in a game like this." Lines blended: Though the same 18 skaters took the ice for the Stars on Sunday night, Montgomery switched up the line combinations in the bottom-nine. Devin Shore and Brett Ritchie flanked Jason Spezza. Radek Faksa centered Mattias Janmark and Tyler Pitlick, while Martin Hanzal was between Jason Dickinson and Blake Comeau. For Spezza, it was a return to center after four games on the wing, with Montgomery even saying Spezza was the Stars' most creative winger with his ability to create space up the ice. Spezza has just one goal in his last 12 games, and has been dropped to the second power-play unit as well. "Him and I talk quite a bit," Montgomery said. "Yesterday, we met and talked about where his game's at lately compared to maybe a couple weeks ago ... I told him I like him at wing, but I also like him at center. I told him today 'You're a center today, so you got to dig in the d-zone because they go hard to the net." In the second period, Montgomery toyed around with the lines a bit more, promoting Hanzal to the top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, but kept shuffling his forward groupings.

1120215 Dallas Stars Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.10.2018 Jim Montgomery concerned about energy and effort as Stars' four-game win streak snapped in Vegas

Matthew DeFranks

LAS VEGAS -- When Jim Montgomery accepted the head coaching position with the Stars, he said his team would be relentless. That would be the team identity, one who pressured pucks all over the ice and wore teams down with their puck possession. Hours before the Stars' 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights, Montgomery bestowed that label upon his hosts. "I think they're a relentless team," Montgomery said before the game. "Second and third effort is great, so I think a lot of times they make their own breaks." The Golden Knights were the darling of last season, the little expansion franchise who could, with their feisty Twitter account and goofy pregame performance, their raucous home crowd in the "Fortress" and their run to the Stanley Cup finals. But on that ride, the Golden Knights were a team rooted in speed and hard work, one whose play last year impressed Montgomery. On Sunday night, the Golden Knights scored twice on second efforts, helping to negate two power-play goals from the second unit -- Martin Hanzal and Esa Lindell each scored.) The loss snapped the Stars' seasonlong four-game win streak and began their four-game road trip with a loss. It was also Dallas' first regulation loss to a team from the Pacific Division. "They played a back-to-back, and it kind of looked like we were the ones on a back-to-back tonight," Stars goalie Ben Bishop said. "They had a lot of jump. We just played waiting and seeing there." In the first period, Ryan Carpenter camped out at the side of the net and buried a rebound while five Stars occupied open ice in the slot. In the second period, Alex Tuch found a loose puck in front of the crease, beating Miro Heiskanen to it and swiping it between Bishop's legs. The two goals weren't pretty, and they weren't going to crack any highlight reels. But they were relentless. For the Stars, it was a trait they'd recently found during the four-game win streak. After a streak in which Montgomery was repeatedly puzzled by a lack of consistent work ethic from his team, they found it. After a last-minute loss in Colorado, Montgomery remarked about how the team was playing for each other. He felt the team had become more selfless. They'd found their work ethic, and a sudden lack of energy has Montgomery worried. "Just a little concerned right now because our energy and our emotion hasn't been what it was," Montgomery said. "We were consistently playing with energy, emotion and a lot of competitiveness, which comes with those two qualities. Last two games, we haven't had it. Hand in hand, it goes with a little bit of a lackluster effort." At even strength on Sunday night, the Stars generated little offense. Aside from Tyler Seguin, that is. Seguin looked to open the scoring in the game's first minute, rifling a won faceoff on net from the hashmarks. It appeared to be Seguin's ninth goal of the season after a seemingly snake-bitten campaign. Instead, it rang the crossbar. That's been a familiar sight for Seguin this season, who entered the game having hit nine posts, the most in the NHL. In the second period, Seguin had a chance to puncture the scoreboard on a breakaway, but was denied by Vegas' Marc-Andre Fleury. On the other side, Bishop didn't make the same saves Fleury did. William Karlsson's shot went between his legs from above the left dot. Tuch's slipped between his legs from the slot. In past games this season, Bishop made those saves. It's why he's been one of the best goalies in the NHL this season and had the second-best save percentage and goals against average in the Western Conference. The saves were there, and when they weren't, some puck luck existed. Not on Sunday night, though. "It's not the end of the world, and the score might look worse than it is," Bishop said. "But we had some chance, we could have easily won that game and just forget about it." 1120216 Dallas Stars Montgomery discussed the man advantage a bit more Sunday after the morning skate.

“I haven’t seen consistent momentum building, and that’s what you want Stars 20/20: Lackluster effort dooms win streak in Vegas from your power play,” Montgomery said. “Results, they matter, but they aren’t significant as building momentum. Like what game was it? Two games ago, our power play got us going. Last game, we’re hoping it By Sean Shapiro would get us going, it didn’t.” Dec 9, 2018 On Sunday, it wasn’t the prettiest power play, but the Stars did go 2-for-4 and the second unit also scored in the third period when Spezza effectively banked a pass off Lindell to make it a 3-2 game. LAS VEGAS — The Dallas Stars’ four-game win streak came to an end But when the Stars had a key opportunity with a four-minute power play with a 4-2 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights. later in the third period, they failed to generate much of anything in what turned into a momentum-shifting stretch for Vegas. Martin Hanzal and Esa Lindell scored goals for the Stars, while Ben Bishop stopped 24-of-27 shots in the loss. Marc-Andre Fleury made 22 So the question is, was this a good night or bad night for the power play? saves for Vegas for his league-leading 17th win of the season. “I thought it was a great night for the Spezza unit. I thought every time 1. “Little concerned right now because our energy and emotion hasn’t they were out there they created something,” Montgomery said. “The top been what it was there when we were consistently playing with emotion unit, I don’t know if they had a scoring chance.” and a lot of competitiveness,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said after the game. “Last two games we haven’t had it. Hand-in-hand it goes with a 7. On the negative side for Hanzal, he spent time in the box Sunday after little bit of a lackluster effort.” getting called for interference in the offensive zone, twice. That’s a pretty good summary of how things went for the Stars on Hanzal was asked about the penalties after the game. Sunday. “I don’t know about the first one, honestly I just went to the net and I think 2. Putting an exclamation point on the loss, the Stars were called for a the guy fell or I maybe hit him with my hand, I don’t know, I didn’t see it,” head-scratching too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty with 67 seconds Hanzal said. “I think I need to be more disciplined there, I can’t take two remaining. penalties.” Goaltender Ben Bishop never went to the bench, the Stars bench thought 8. Hanzal’s second infraction hurt the Stars directly on the scoreboard he was going, someone told Martin Hanzal to go, and the Stars’ when William Karlsson scored on a wrist shot. The goal was technically comeback bid effectively ended when they had six skaters in the scored at even strength, but it was like a power play tally since Hanzal offensive zone and Bishop was still standing by his own net. was just leaving the box and hadn’t entered the play yet. “You’ll have to talk to the people on the bench, because I don’t know,” 9. Vegas’ third goal came in a similar situation where Tuch made it 3-1 Bishop said. “There were six guys out there and I was still out there. I soon after Brett Ritchie exited the box. don’t know what happened. I’ll have to watch it. But you have to wait, I have to get there (to the bench) before you get out there.” It was a bad goal for Bishop, who got beat five-hole on a situation where his stick and pads should have been sealing the ice. “We thought Bish was coming to the bench and I don’t know yet, I haven’t spoken to Bish,” Montgomery said. “Maybe he thought there was 10. Both goals felt like a gut punch for the Stars. There is a natural lift going to be an icing so he just stayed in his crease. Marty Hanzal that comes from killing off a penalty for a team, and when that jumped, so that’s my responsibility to make sure everybody knows what momentum is zapped away that quickly, that almost hurts even more for we’re doing. That one is on me.” the Stars’ psyche. Because of that situation, Vegas added the rare empty-net power play 11. The Stars started with this lineup: with 28 seconds remaining that made it 4-2. Jamie Benn — Tyler Seguin — Alexander Radulov 3. For Bishop it was a night he felt that luck wasn’t on the Stars’ side. Devin Shore — Jason Spezza — Brett Ritchie When asked about the Stars goals against after the game, he mentioned Mattias Janmark — Radek Faksa — Tyler Pitlick how pucks took bad bounces off Alexander Radulov and Miro Heiskanen before Ryan Carpenter and Alex Tuch scored their goals. Jason Dickinson — Martin Hanzal — Blake Comeau “It wasn’t that bad of a game, they got a couple bounces, they got a few Esa Lindell — Miro Heiskanen breaks,” Bishop said. Gavin Bayreuther — Roman Polak 4. While there may have been a slight bit of puck luck against them, the Stars didn’t do nearly enough to create their own. Joel Hanley — Taylor Fedun There are two areas that stood out abundantly in my mind — in front of By the start of the second period the Stars lines were officially in the the net and on the forecheck. mixer. Vegas was relentless on the forecheck, while the Stars had little to no Hanzal started the middle stanza on a line with Benn and Seguin, while impact on the forecheck. In front of the net, Vegas was able to get to Radulov was with Dickinson and Comeau, leaving Spezza with Shore prime scoring areas, while the Stars didn’t generate much of anything at and Ritchie. From there things were juggled consistently in an attempt to even strength. create some type of spark that never really came. 5. For the first time since Oct. 30, the Stars scored a goal with the full 12. Montgomery had considered changing the lineup and putting Valeri second power play unit on the ice. Nichushkin back in after he was a healthy scratch on Friday back in Dallas. The Stars had scored a power play goal on Nov. 10 against the Nashville Predators with part of the second unit on the ice, but it was during the But with Hanzal feeling good to go after his first game back in 10 months, midst of a change and Jason Spezza scored in transition. Montgomery opted to roll with the same group that delivered a 3-2 win against the . Hanzal’s goal Sunday came off sustained pressure by the second unit and it was evidence for why the big Czech should be included in the It’s probably a good guess that Nichushkin will play later on this trip with power play corps. a back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday in California, but we won’t know for sure until we get there. The Stars officially lost the draw by NHL stats, but Hanzal essentially got in the way and outmuscled Deryk Engelland as Dallas regained Ritchie taking a pair of penalties Sunday might be the opening possession. Hanzal then went to the net and Miro Heiskanen did the rest Nichushkin needs to play both games of the back-to-back. when he shot the puck off the back of the forward’s leg and past Fleury. 13. Spezza is very much a creature of habit. 6. The Stars power play has, deservedly so, been a talking point for He arrives at the rink three hours before the puck drops and goes much of the season. through a lengthy routine, one that he doesn’t like to share the exact specifics about. Part of that routine includes mentally preparing for the The Athletic LOADED: 12.10.2018 game and the role he’s going to play. In many ways this has led to some of Spezza’s struggles in the past. Under Lindy Ruff, he would have practices where he would practice as a center, but play wing the following night. With Ken Hitchcock there were situations when he would end up learning his role right before the game, and oftentimes it would change. Montgomery has done a better job of keeping the forward in the loop on his role. Spezza knew he was going to play wing heading into Friday, and while he’d rather play center, the player has appreciated the open line of communication on what the plan is. On Sunday, Spezza was back at center, it’s something he knew was coming thanks to his dialogue with the coaches. “Him and I talk quite a bit and yesterday we met and we talked about where his game is at lately, compared to maybe a couple weeks ago,” Montgomery said. “I told him I like him at wing, but I also like him at center and today and I said, ‘You’re a center today, so you’ve got to dig in D-zone, because they go hard to the net.'” 14. The Stars nearly took a 1-0 lead 53 seconds into the game on a designed faceoff play in which Seguin beat Fleury over the left shoulder immediately off the draw by Benn. The goal light went on, play was stopped, and a one was added to the scoreboard at T-Mobile Arena for the Stars. But it was reviewed and properly ruled that the puck clanged off the crossbar, went straight down, but didn’t bounce into the net. It was the fourth crossbar that Seguin has hit this season and his 10th combined chance that has hit a post or crossbar, according to official NHL statistics. No other NHL player has hit double-digit posts and crossbars, the closest being Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau with eight. 15. The Stars iced the puck 11 times Sunday. The Stars frequently icing the puck is nothing new and they are currently battling the Toronto Maple Leafs for the league lead in such infractions. Thanks to a conversation on Twitter during the game, I think we should come up with a name for games that have an inordinate amount of icings. If a team ices the puck 20 times, we’ll call it a cake. Fifteen times? A cupcake. We missed out on a cupcake Sunday. Maybe we’ll call this one a cookie. 16. One of the things that’s impressed me about Vegas is their attention to detail and how it comes through in big moments. There was a moment Sunday when Fleury over-committed to one side, opening up a potential wrap-around into an empty net for Dickinson. Collin Miller read the play perfectly and was at the far post to deny the chance. 17. Speaking of Fleury, he was good when he needed to be against Dallas. He didn’t have to make many difficult saves, but he made big ones like a breakaway save on Seguin in the second period. 18. As a reminder, this was Hanzal’s second game back after missing 10 months. He gave an update on his status after the game. “I felt a little better in the first period,” Hanzal said. “As the game, I just still feel tired. I need to work on my conditioning.” 19. Props to Vegas. The Golden Knights got kicked around by the Los Angeles Kings, 5-1, on Saturday night and rebounded well in the second game of a back-to-back. “They played a back-to-back, and it kind of looked like we were the ones on a back-to-back tonight,” Bishop said. 20. Here is how the Stars did in the various elements of Montgomery’s process: Win 56 percent of faceoffs: Failed. It was a 50-50 game in faceoffs. Zero undisciplined penalties: Failed. Multiple times. Three or fewer odd-man rushes: Passed. Win net-front battle: Failed. Win special teams: Passed. This one feels weird calling it a pass, but it was the only way the Stars scored Sunday.

1120217 Detroit Red Wings Kronwall hits. We’ve talked about having a physical impact on games — he’s taken that to heart and done a great job.”

Detroit Red Wings stand up for one another but fall to Islanders Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.10.2018

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 8:11 a.m. ET Dec. 9, 2018 | Updated 9:45 a.m. ET Dec. 9, 2018

In the twilight of his career, Niklas Kronwall is still serving up big hits.

The Detroit Red Wings' senior resident drew recognition from inside his own locker room and that of the visitors after Saturday’s game at Little Caesars Arena. The Wings lost, 3-2, to the New York Islanders, but provided another example of standing up for one another, in this case, a young leader for his oldest teammate.

The game came to a halt for nearly four minutes late in the first period after Kronwall led with his left shoulder as he stepped into a hit on Anders Lee along the boards. Lee, who at 6-foot-3 and 231 pounds, has three inches and nearly 40 pounds on Kronwall, fell in a heap.

In his prime, Kronwall was so renown for his big hits it spawned the word, “Kronwall-ed.”

Lee, who finished the game, had no issue with the hit.

“I just got caught with my head down, the puck at my feet, and he just put a nice shoulder into me,” Lee said. “That’s hockey.”

That’s what the Wings thought, too, yet it took officials several minutes to decide not to call a penalty.

“I just thought it was too much talk,” Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “It was a clean hit and let’s move on. I got told why it was a clean hit.”

The hit, which came a minute after Kronwall had scored to make it 2-0, fired up the Islanders. Josh Bailey swung his stick at Kronwall and knocked him down, prompting Dylan Larkin to fight Bailey. It’d be devastating for the Wings to lose Larkin to a hand injury from a fight — especially in the same week they lost Anthony Mantha for four-to-six weeks because of a hand injury sustained while fighting — but Larkin’s response plays into the identity the Wings are forging.

“We suffered a consequence with Mantha being out, but if you have a team that doesn’t want to stick up for each other, you have a bad team,” Blashill said. “They don’t care about each other. We have a team that cares about each other and wants to stick up for each other and certainly they care tons about Kronwall and they saw kind of a cheap shot on him, and Dylan stood up. Do I want Dylan Larkin fighting all the time? No. But he has to make those decisions on the ice and I want us to be a group that stands up for each other for sure.”

Kronwall said the Wings need Larkin on the ice, not serving time in the penalty box, but appreciated the message.

“You love seeing stuff like that, guys sticking up for each other,” Kronwall said. “Larks is our best player and we need him on the ice as much as possible, but awesome to see him show his emotions out there.”

Of his hit, Kronwall said he was just stepping into the guy.

“The hard part when you’re coming north-south is to not touch the head at all, I think,” Kronwall said. “When you’re skating you’re in a position where you’re head is the point of your body that is the most forward. You try to go through the chest or shoulder, but sometimes you end up catching them near the head.”

Kronwall turns 38 on Jan. 12. He is in the last year of his contract, and has been playing with a permanently bad knee for the past couple seasons. He just logged career NHL Game No. 900 the other night in Toronto. He isn’t the player he used to be, but his resolve never hasn’t faded. This is as good as he has looked since Blashill took over as head coach in 2015.

“I thought the first half of my first year he was real good, until he hurt his knee," Blashill said. “But this is as good since that point. He’s been excellent most of the year. This is certainly as physical as he’s been, more back to when I was an assistant here and he would lay those 1120218 Detroit Red Wings “We certainly have said this before, and we suffered the consequences with Mantha being out,” Blashill said. “But if you have a team that doesn’t want to stick up for each other you have a bad team.

Kronwall turns back the clock with his play, devastating hit “We have a team that cares about each other and wants to stick up for each other. Certainly they care tons about Kronwall and saw kind of cheap shot on him. Dylan stood up. Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News “Do I want Dylan Larkin fighting all the time? No. But he’s got to make Published 3:44 p.m. ET Dec. 9, 2018 those decisions on the ice. I want us to be a group that stands up for each other for sure.”

Larkin needs to be on the ice, said Kronwall, but the emotion Larkin Detroit – It was a turn-back-the-clock moment for Niklas Kronwall. shows in such situations is needed, too. The Red Wings’ veteran defenseman has long been known for some “You love seeing stuff like that,” Kronwall said. “Guys sticking up for each devastating open-ice hits. other. Again, Larks is our best player and we need him on the ice as But now 37 – Kronwall will 38 on January 12 – those explosive hits have much as possible. been fewer and farther between. “But it’s awesome to see him show his emotions out there, too.” Until Saturday, when Kronwall leveled New York Islanders forward Ice chips Anders Lee with a clean hit to Lee’s upper body, as Lee was transporting the puck near the Wings’ blue line – but with his head down. With two fighting majors Saturday, the Wings now lead the NHL with 10.

That term “Kronwalled” came out of the mothballs. ... Kronwall’s goal Saturday was the 81st of his career and passed Marcel Pronovost for fourth all-time among Wings’ defensemen. “The hard part when you’re coming north-south is to not touch the head at all,” said Kronwall, of his mindset in such situations. “When you’re … Larkin’s two assists in the game pushed him past the 100 milestone skating, you’re in a position where your head is basically the point of your (Larkin has 101). Larkin has 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in his last body that is the most forward. 20 games.

“You try to go through the chest or shoulder. Sometimes you end up catching the head.” Detroit News LOADED: 12.10.2018 The hit on Lee, along with a first-period goal, were highlights in one of Kronwall’s best games this season. The Wings, however, squandered a two-goal lead and lost, 3-2.

There have been more than just a few highlights this season for Kronwall, who has been one of the Wings’ most consistent defensemen since October.

Since missing the first three games of the season – Kronwall has been hindered by a damaged knee for several years – he’s played every game and often, with fine defense.

“The first half of my first year, he was real good until he got hurt,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “This is probably as good, certainly from that point. He’s been excellent most of the year. This is certainly as physical as he’s been, more back to when I was an assistant here (2011), and he would have those Kronwall hits.

“We’ve talked about having a physical impact on game and he’s taken that to heart. He’s done a great job. We’ll continue to do that and he’ll be a big piece of that.”

Lee didn’t return until a late in the second period, needing stitches on his forehead and nose.

But Lee told reporters after the game Kronwall’s hit was clean; he admitted he was skating with his head down and looking for the puck.

Kronwall wasn’t penalized on the play, but officials huddled for a lengthy discussion on the hit.

Blashill wasn’t pleased.

“It was just too much talk, I don’t understand it,” Blashill said. “It was a clean hit, let’s move on. But that’s not for me to decide, and ultimately it didn’t have an effect on the game.”

Larkin steps in

After Kronwall’s hit on Lee, Kronwall became a marked man by the Islanders.

Islanders forward Josh Bailey leveled Kronwall late in the first period, close to being a slew-foot.

Dylan Larkin took exception to Bailey’s hit, and the two had a spirited fight, exciting the Little Caesars Arena crowd.

Blashill understood, and was fine with Larkin’s leadership – but was a bit wary. The Wings recently lost Anthony Mantha to a hand injury because of similar circumstances. Mantha reacted to a dangerous hit on Larkin and injured his hand in the ensuing fight. 1120219 Detroit Red Wings Forwards

Dylan Larkin – The future captain isn’t going anywhere.

Projecting who the Red Wings will protect in the 2021 Seattle expansion Anthony Mantha – This should be a year after Mantha signs his next draft (Version 1.0) deal. He’ll be safe.

Andreas Athanasiou – Athanasiou is up for his next contract in 2020. And with the way he’s started this season, he’s an easy bet to be protected. By Max Bultman Tyler Bertuzzi – The Red Wings love Bertuzzi. Count on him sticking Dec 9, 2018 around, with his next contract due in 2020.

Michael Rasmussen – The rookie should just be signing his next deal in With Seattle’s newly awarded NHL expansion franchise set to begin play 2021, and an as-expected progression will more than ensure his place on in 2021, the potential impact of another expansion draft will arrive even this list by then. sooner. Filip Zadina – One interesting wrinkle is that the Red Wings would not Last time around, when the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league, actually need to protect Zadina if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games this expansion meant all kinds of trades, with teams maneuvering to best year, because of his age. That would free up this spot for someone else. protect their most valuable assets. In 2021, they’ll do it all again — only Keeping Zadina from crossing that threshold this year would have far- this time with a lot of hard-learned lessons under their belts. reaching implications (if it comes to fruition), though. It would slide his three-year entry-level contract to begin next season, delaying his next One of the clear takeaways from the last round of expansion, when the contract but risking it becoming even larger if he performs well. Detroit Golden Knights assembled a Western Conference Champion in their has some big decisions to make on Zadina’s NHL usage this season, the inaugural season, was that trading picks or prospects to the expansion impacts of which could end up being felt for years to come. team was not a painless solution. Evgeny Svechnikov – Svechnikov has had a tough go of it the last couple Florida ended up losing an eventual 75-point center in Jonathan seasons, first spending the bulk of last year in Grand Rapids and then Marchessault while trading Reilly Smith’s contract to the Golden Knights, having ACL surgery at the beginning of this season. It doesn’t look like only to watch Smith have a 60-point season. Columbus cost itself a he’ll blossom into the top power forward that many had hoped. But if he massive year from William Karlsson in an effort to protect to Joonas can be a solid NHL regular by this point, his youth (he’ll be 25 during the Korpisalo and Josh Anderson. And Minnesota was able to keep Matt ’21-22 season) should be enough for Detroit to protect him. However, if Dumba … but cost itself Erik Haula and Alex Tuch. This is not to say the Red Wings make a splash in free agency in the next two years — those trades were all fundamentally bad ideas — good, young players when they should have a significant amount of cap space coming off the like Dumba are certainly worth some maneuvering — but rather that all of books — this spot might end up going to that big fish instead. those teams still ended up losing very good players in the process. *Note: Frans Nielsen isn’t in this spot because his widely-discussed no- And, frankly, it’s hard not to be in a situation like this. If you have a lot of movement clause — which necessitated him being protected in the good players, you’re going to take a hit. Vegas expansion draft, although he likely would have been, anyway — became a limited no-trade clause after the first two seasons of the deal, The Red Wings lost defensive center Tomas Nosek in 2017 — not as according to a 2016 Free Press article laying out Nielsen’s contract flashy a pick as some of the Golden Knights’ other choices, but a loss up details. That’s a significant difference for these purposes. Nielsen will be the middle nonetheless. And this time, Detroit might be going into the 37 at this point, and even if Detroit would still prefer to have him around, draft in a very different position, with a deeper young core all coming of his $5.25 million deal (with one year remaining) wouldn’t seem like a big age. risk to be snatched up. That makes it a good time to start looking down the road, even with many Defensemen situations still fluid between now and 2021. (We did this in March, too, when it looked like the expansion draft might be in 2020.) Dennis Cholowski – A restricted free agent in the summer of 2021, Cholowski should be fresh off inking a new deal by this point and If you need a refresher, here are the rules for the expansion draft, the appears in no danger of going anywhere. same ones that Vegas used: Filip Hronek – Also on track to sign his second contract right around the Teams have the option of protecting seven forwards, three defensemen time of the expansion draft, Hronek could be as high as the Red Wings’ and one goalie, or eight skaters and one goalie. second pairing by this time if he can continue to build on a strong recent Any player with a no-movement clause has to be protected. stretch in Grand Rapids.

First- and second-year pros along with unsigned draft picks are exempt Vili Saarijarvi – This is shaping up to be the toughest call on the from the process. protection list. Saarijarvi gets the nod for now because of his age, inexpensiveness and offensive upside, but I’m not fully sold he will ever Teams must make at least one defenseman and two forwards available be logging the kind of minutes that Danny DeKeyser has been playing who played 40 games the previous season (or 70 combined in the this year. If the Red Wings are in a serious position to contend by 2021, previous two). DeKeyser might be the smarter move. Lindstrom, too, could be a candidate depending on his progression. This becomes a non-issue if the One goalie must be made available. Red Wings can make a big signing or trade acquisition on the blueline It’s too far out to say, with any certainty, what the Red Wings will look like between now and 2021, though. in two-and-a-half years. We don’t know the exact roster or how specific Goalie players will develop. But even from an early modeling, you can already see where some of their biggest decisions will arise. Jonathan Bernier – His deal actually expires just prior to this expansion draft. But as of now, he’s the only Red Wings goalie under contract even Let’s dive in: close to that time. Consider him the placeholder for whoever is starting in Exemptions the crease by then.

Any first- or second-year pros are exempt, which means anyone in Mandatory availability players juniors or college is safe. Joe Veleno, Jared McIsaac, Jonatan Berggren This shouldn’t be too hard up front. Justin Abdelkader will, in fact, still be and everyone the Red Wings draft from here on out will be in the clear. under contract at $4.25 million annually. So as long as he and Nielsen We’ll get to one other notable potential exemption in a moment. (Update: have each played 40 games the previous year, they make the most To my understanding, notably not exempt under this rule would be sense from the forward crop. DeKeyser will be the tougher case — he already-signed players aged 20 and over who are playing professionally should easily satisfy the requirement but might still be one of Detroit’s top in Europe right now, such as Swedish defense prospect Gustav four defensemen by this point, going into the final season of his contract Lindstrom, a former second-round pick. Those players would need to be at $5 million. For that reason, the Red Wings might be tempted to protect protected.) him if they’re legit contenders by then. That’s especially true if his contract number ends up looking friendlier when the salary cap rises. But with DeKeyser entering his age-31 season on an expiring deal, let’s say for now that the Red Wings instead use him to satisfy the games played requirement here rather than trying to sign him into his mid-30s. They’ll need another goalie to expose, too.

Who that leaves

It seems unlikely the Red Wings will go two whole offseasons without adding a single free agent worth protecting, and Svechnikov could end up being the odd man out if that happens. That might not be the worst scenario for him, as a potential change of scenery candidate. But as of now, he’s shaping up to be off the table — in fact, the Red Wings should be able to shelter most of their prized young assets. Seattle might be choosing from Nielsen, Abdelkader, DeKeyser, Christoffer Ehn, Jacob De la Rose, Martin Frk, Gustav Lindstrom Joe Hicketts and Libor Sulak. Those are all names that Red Wings fans will have some affinity for, and one of the centers could still be playing a significant penalty kill role for Detroit in 2021. But someone will be on his way out. Under these circumstances, DeKeyser, Lindstrom or De la Rose might be the most appealing picks.

Conclusion

What’s most interesting to consider is how the Red Wings’ level of competitiveness could affect whom they ultimately protect. If Detroit is in position to play a serious playoff series by this point, then leaving their most veteran defenseman exposed might not be a gamble worth taking. Zadina’s situation will be interesting to watch, too — if Detroit decides to keep him in Grand Rapids long enough to make him exempt, it could afford the additional flexibility needed to make a big addition up front or utilize their extra space as a trade partner for someone else.

Still, nobody comes out of these things unscathed — except Vegas, of course, which is exempt entirely. By the time the expansion draft arrives, Detroit will have to be ready to take some type of hit.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120220 Edmonton Oilers

WATCH: Oilers take a game from the Flames

Greg Southam, Edmonton Journal

December 9, 2018 10:53 PM MST

“This was like a playoff game,” said head coach Ken Hitchcock. “We did a really good job in the first and third periods and it got away from us in the second because of their stretch (offence) game.

“This was the first time we’ve got challenged like this off the rush. But I liked how we stayed with it. I liked how we protected the lead in the third and we’re learning how to play as a unit of five. That’s a good sign.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120221 Edmonton Oilers getting his left pad across to stop the tip of Oliver Kylington’s point shot in the middle period and, after a video look, they wiped out the goal. Ten days ago, the Oilers coach also challenged a Tyler Toffoli goal on Oilers make a statement with shutout victory over Flames Koskinen, claiming offside well before the score. Won that, too, so he’s 2- 0.

LET’S NOT DANCE, SHALL WE? Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal Flames’ farm call-up Peluso, summoned to ride the range, didn’t like December 9, 2018 11:15 PM MST Milan Lucic’s wallop on Travis Hamonic along the wall 15 minutes into the game even though it was loud and pretty clean (the puck might not

have been in the photo frame so maybe interference), and exchanged in Edmonton Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock says his team has “a ways to go some fistic fury. No real harm with the linesmen stepping in when to catch the NHL’s top dogs but playing against us right now should Peluso’s helmet came off. Decision to Lucic, he lost his second of the make teams nervous.” night. “I’m old school,” said Lucic, who had no problem with Peluso engaging him. It was the first fight of the season (69th career) for Lucic, Hitchcock said that Sunday after the morning skate and, about 11 hours who was very effective in a banging role and nobody wanted to go later, his words echoed loud and clear after his club beat the Calgary anywhere near him — stare or not. Flames, the Western Conference’s best and hottest team on ice, 1-0. FLASHING THE LEATHER True, the Flames had beaten the Nashville Predators 5-2 at the Saddledome Saturday night, the Oilers hadn’t played since Friday’s 7-2 Rittich made a fantastic left glove stop on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins deke win over the visiting Minnesota Wild, and fatigue could have been a backhand on a breakaway in the second, then 30 seconds later he dove factor for the Flames, the NHL’s highest-scoring team (47-23) in the third to get his mitt on Leon Draisaitl’s in alone slapper that had ripped off the period. Also they didn’t have Norris Trophy candidate and captain Mark back boards and right into the crease. Rittich has had Draisaitl’s number. Giordano on defence because of a suspension. He had two breaks in Calgary (one deke, one 20-footer and pad stop). At the other end, Koskinen did a snow-angel with his six-foot-seven frame to But this was still a statement game because the Oilers could have fallen block Derek Ryan’s chance with 75 seconds left in the middle frame. So 10 points south of Calgary in the Pacific Division and now they’re just six he’s 6-0 at Rogers. “I don’t follow stats, every game is different and you back with 34 points and a 7-2-1 record with Hitchcock behind the bench. have to prove it and it doesn’t matter if it’s at home or on the road,” said They wrapped the Flames in a 200′ x 85′ strait-jacket for most of the third Koskinen. “I don’t think we gave them many chances.” period, limiting them to four shots and now they’ve won 11 of 14 one-goal games this season, six of seven under Hitchcock, since replacing Todd ABOUT THE OLD BATTLE OF ALBERTA DAYS McLellan about three weeks ago. “I loved watching it, it was must-see television. This series isn’t anything “I think we’re playing a little tighter, and it’s easier to close the games,” close to that. Two big teams going at it. They went to the edge and said Oilers defenceman Adam Larsson, who played 21 minutes. “Even beyond, into the streets and into the rivers,” said Hitchcock, offering up a when we were up two goals in the beginning of the season, we would bit of fun hyperbole. The game was played like it was in the alley with tend to give up chances still, even when we tried to close games out. I anything goes. don’t feel like we’re doing that now. We’re playing a system where you SOMETIMES THE MITTS ARE COLD really need to work hard, and all the guys are buying into it and doing the right things out there. It pays off.” Elias Lindholm, who came into the game with nine points in his previous five games to get him to 15th in NHL scoring, missed a sitter in the first What’s tighter about their games? minute of the third when a deflection popped right onto his stick five feet “We were really sad to see a coach go. There’s no disrespect to Todd. from Koskinen with an open net. Now I just feel like we’re a bit closer, playing a more supportive system. If This ’n that: Bob Cole, who called the 1984 Cup clincher against New you screw up, you feel like you have that back-tracker or whatever it York Islanders here, did the play-by-play in his 50th year of Hockey Night might be … so the mistakes don’t cost us as much,” said Larsson. in Canada broadcasts. He got a rousing salute from the fans at Rogers Connor McDavid had the game’s only goal, whipping one past David Place … The Oilers are 0-for-17 on the power play in their last five Rittich 12 minutes into the game in a ’ duel between games but they’re finding ways to win … Zack Kassian was straddling Calgary’s David Rittich and Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen, who now has the centre line during pre-game warm-ups for some gamesmanship and three on the season. was chirping back and forth with Flames’ call-up Anthony Peluso … Alex Chiasson, one of hockey’s Cy Young candidates with way more goals “This was like a playoff game,” said Hitchcock. “We did a really good job than assists (12-2) coming in, made a sweet feed to McDavid. He put it in the first and third periods and it got away from us in the second right on a tee for McDavid … Draisaitl got an assist on McDavid’s goal, because of their stretch (offence) game. This was the first time we’ve got giving him points in seven straight home games… challenged like this off the rush. But I liked how we stayed with it. I liked how we protected the lead in the third and we’re learning how to play as a unit of five. That’s a good sign.” Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.10.2018 Koskinen, who has won all six of his starts at Rogers Place, has blanked Chicago, Dallas and now Calgary here, the Stars also 1-zip with Oscar Klefbom scoring in OT. He stopped 24 shots and one Calgary winger Sam Bennett, who bowled him over after a rush like he was at a 10-pin facility.

He’s the first Oiler goalie since Bill Ranford in 1988 to win his first six at home in his initial time with Edmonton.

CLOSING IN ON SCORING LEADERS

McDavid, making a December charge to try to reel in Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen in the scoring race, moved within seven points of the Finnish right-winger when he beat Rittich from 30 feet out for his 11th goal in 14 games against the Flames. He had one-third (five) of Oilers 16 shots in the opening frame. McDavid has 41 points on the season.

COACHING IS A CHALLENGE, RIGHT?

Yeah, it’s getting the right players on the ice but for Ken Hitchcock it’s also knowing when to debate a goal. He challenged slugger Anthony Peluso for having his left foot in the blue paint, blocking Koskinen from 1120222 Edmonton Oilers allow yourself to be distracted against good teams like Calgary they’re going to beat you every time.

“If you want to go the distance you have to take it right to the edge and Old time hockey a thing of the past as players walk the edge in today's you have to know when to pull back.” NHL Asked specifically about dealing with Flames antagonist Matthew Tkachuk, who was described by Nurse as “an elite shit disturber,” Robert Tychkowski Hitchcock said it becomes more about mental toughness than physical strength. December 9, 2018 11:16 PM MST “He’s a good player who plays on the edge, when you play against him you just have to have a bigger edge,” he said. “He’s no different than any other good, aggressive player. You just have to stay with it and not get Like it or not, and a lot of people don’t, the NHL is changing the way it frustrated or feel like you have to react and respond all the time because plays the game. it doesn’t do you any good. You have to play through it. Old Time Hockey, that beautiful blend of skill and aggression that served “You want to play them hard, but you are not going to win if you are the fans well for so many generations, is being replaced by the speed distracted. Distraction leads to frustration and lost energy.” game. It’s a fine line they walk, but as Khaira says, every once in a while you With much more of a premium being placed on skill and quickness rather have to say ‘screw it, I’m crossing.’ than size and strength, teams are loaded now with younger, smaller players who can do things with the puck that only a handful of their NHL “There is always going to be a little bit of that in the game because there ancestors ever could. are stars in this game and once they get cheap shotted there are guys in the dressing room who are going to do something,” said Khaira. “That’s It’s an entertaining product when it all comes together on a team like the just how I look at the game and I think most people do.” Toronto Maple Leafs, but it’s not quite the same as those mid ‘80s Oilers and Flames games, is it?

Whether that’s good or bad is a debate that will never be won because Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.10.2018 neither side will ever change its mind, but one thing is for certain — that captivating blend of artistry and savagery will never be seen again.

“What’s going on in this series isn’t even close,” said Edmonton coach Ken Hitchcock said of a sanitized and decaffeinated Battle of Alberta that bears little resemblance to its legendary predecessor.

“It was must watch television. It was fun. Two big teams going at it. They went to the edge and beyond. It went into the streets. It went into the rivers. It went everywhere. It was fun to watch.”

And it’s gone.

There is a still a lot to love about the game today, including elements of it we didn’t get a chance to love before, but the passion and intensity generated by these Edmonton-Calgary games — then, and on rare occasions, now — reminds us that we shouldn’t be so quick to bury hockey’s proud history and replace it with basketball on ice.

“I think it’s better when there’s a mix,” Oilers winger Jujhar Khaira said of skill and rough stuff. “Fans like to see the fights and the aggressive play, guys in this locker room like to do it, too.

“And when there isn’t a lot of fighting and you don’t have to fight, there is a lot (of dirty stuff) that gets overlooked.”

This is what the league is wrestling with now. While policemen are all but weaned from the game, predators, antagonists and players who hit to hurt are still making a very good living at their craft now that they don’t have to be accountable on the ice.

The NHL is doing what it can to keep players honest, to the point that every time somebody gets laid out with a punishing body check there seems to be a 12-hour waiting period to see if anyone is getting suspended, but there is a lot that falls into the grey area of not quite suspension-worthy, but still dangerous enough to hurt somebody.

“When you look around the league lately there have still been a lot of fiery games,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse, adding things have still been heating up lately in places like Toronto and Calgary, where good teams employ a speed game.

“You still see the fire and physicality.”

And frustration. Players realize they have to stick up for a fallen teammate at their own peril these days because they could be facing a suspension of their own if the opponent who made the initial cheap shot doesn’t want to engage.

Hitchcock says today’s player has to learn how to curb the anger that arises when he’s mad as hell but his hands are tied.

“When you play in games where the stakes are high, you have to play through stuff,” he said. “Some of it is nasty, some of it is hard, but you have to play through it individually and as a team and as a coach. If you 1120223 Edmonton Oilers Sean Monahan and Johnny Guadreau. There is nothing better in the NHL than elite level talent facing off on a big stage.

The animosity will get everyone’s blood boiling, but as is usually the case Oilers Flames Game Day: Oilers running hot, Flames facing adversity in a hockey game, the best players on each team will decide who walks out of that building with a win.

Robert Tychkowski

December 9, 2018 4:00 AM MST Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.10.2018

SPECIAL TEAMS

Edmonton: power play: 15th (19.8%) penalty kill: 26th (76.7%)

Calgary: power play: 11th (23.3%)

Penalty kill: 22nd (77.2%)

FIVE THINGS

NET RETURNS

Mikko Koskinen took the Oilers net by storm, going 8-3-1 with a .925 save percentage. He’s the main reason Edmonton went 4-2-1 during a seven game stretch despite scoring just 12 goals. But he hasn’t played since Dec. 3. How does he react to sitting for nearly a week? If he picks up exactly where he left off it will be a good indication he’s not simply on a hot streak, but can be this steady all year.

DUCK AND COVER

No matter what anybody wants to say after the fact, about getting in Edmonton’s head or playing it smart, it couldn’t have been pleasant for a six-foot-two, 202-pound winger who plays a tough, aggressive style to curl up in the fetal position on his own logo in a Hockey Night in Canada Battle of Alberta. Matthew Tkachuk plays a feisty game at the best of times and will want to show Edmonton he’s nobody’s turtle. Expect a big response from him at Rogers Place.

HOT, HOT, HOT

With Edmonton 5-1 in its last six and 6-2-1 since the coaching change, much is being made of the Oilers transformation under Ken Hitchcock, and rightfully so. It should be noted, however, that this is their second hottest run of the season. They went 8-2-1 under Todd McLellan earlier this season before a 1-6 drought resulted in the coaching change. Aside from that mid-season hiccup the Oilers are 14-6-1 this year.

SHORTHANDED

The Oilers, who didn’t have to face Minnesota centre Mikko Koivu on Friday, will once again benefit from the aftermath of Thursday’s Flames- Wild game. Calgary will be without suspended captain Mark Giordano, injured second line centre Mikael Backlund and suspended fourth liner Ryan Lomberg, who the Flames were hoping could provide a little push back against the bigger, stronger Oilers. That’s a big hit heading into a big game.

SOFTENED UP

As if losing three players isn’t bad enough, the Flames will also be tired. Just like the Wild on Friday, the Flames will be playing their second game in as many nights when they roll into the Ice District. The Oilers are catching some breaks on this front as it’s the sixth time in 13 home games that the other guys played the night before. It’s not an automatic though; the Oilers are just 3-2 in the previous five.

BIG MATCHUP

There might be some anger and emotion that spill over into this game, or there might not, but after all of the punches have been thrown and the penalties have been handed out, it’s going to come down to which team’s best players rise to the occasion and make a difference on the scoreboard.

Some of the best pure talent in the world is facing off in this game, highlighted by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl facing off against 1120224 Edmonton Oilers Along with Bouchard and the others, Joel Persson has to be considered a possible solution to the power play quarterback issue. He plays in a good league, and his scoring rates are phenomenal. In 2017-18, I have seen the future of Edmonton’s power play, and the quarterback is Persson’s team, Vaxjo HC, boasted phenom Elias Pettersson, who Evan Bouchard. Or Joel Persson. Or both floated all boats in his final season in Sweden. This year, there is no Pettersson. But on the power play, Persson remains impressive:

Persson power play 2017-18: 4-20-24 in 146:21 (9.74 points per 60) By Allan Mitchell Persson power play 2018-19: 3-6-9 in 70:00 (7.69 points per 60) Dec 9, 2018 This is outstanding output, in both seasons, and indicates the Oilers might have caught lightning in a bottle by signing an obscure player in the instant he popped at a high level. It’s a risky bet, but he is delivering During the 2013-14 season, Oscar Klefbom played 48 games for the again this season in an important area — and this time he isn’t being Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL. He posted humble boxcar numbers zoomed by Pettersson. (1-9-10), all but one point coming at even strength. The following season, he posted similar numbers in the minors (1-7-8), but in just nine games The present (the goal being his only point with the man advantage). Through 57 AHL games, Klefbom scored just two power play points. Klefbom is currently the headliner at the position of power play quarterback, with names like Jason Garrison, Darnell Nurse, Matt The Klefbom who couldn’t find his way to the OKC Barons power play Benning and Chris Wideman also in photo. Andrej Sekera, who is a 2013-15 posted 16 points on the man advantage with the Edmonton highly skilled defenceman with a career power play point total of 64, is Oilers in 2016-17. Why? Usage. Klefbom’s shot was a known weapon in expected to return in the coming weeks. Peter Chiarelli was looking for the minors, but the power play time was doled out to experienced men help when he traded for Wideman, so it would be unwise to discount the with years of AHL 5-on-4 experience (Brad Hunt, Taylor Fedun) while possibility of a trade if the team is in contention near the deadline. Klefbom matriculated through the minors on his way to the show. The future What, then, can be gained by observing performance and counting numbers? A lot, as it turns out, but context matters. Let’s take London Evan Bouchard is a lock to get monster power play time as a rookie in Knights defenceman Evan Bouchard as an example. Here are his year- 2019-20, perhaps enough to deliver the Calder Trophy to an organization over-year power-play numbers for the Knights: still in search of a rookie of the year. Persson will be an RFA with Edmonton controlling his rights, and there’s every chance we see him in 2017-18: 67, 10-23-33 .493 North America in 2019-20, possibly starting in Bakersfield.

2018-19: 13, 1-6-7 .538 Credit to the organization, there are signs the scouts (amateur and pro) have identified real talent and are on the way to turning a weakness into Bouchard, who began this year with the Oilers, settled in quickly with the a strength. Knights and assumed his role as the team’s quarterback with the man advantage. Despite the fact London added phenom Adam Boqvist, What does it all mean? himself a stunning offensive talent from the blueline who delivered in the discipline when Bouchard was away, London has been using Edmonton’s power play efficiency is 19.8 percent, ranking No. 14 overall Edmonton’s first-round pick heavily on the power play since his return. in the NHL while the team’s 18 goals with the man advantage rank No. 15 league-wide. Edmonton has improved markedly (scored just 31 all Oilers Quarterbacks 2018-19 year in 2017-18), but there’s room for improvement. Bouchard’s early success in the NHL and Persson’s growing reputation in the SHL are Defensive scoring from Edmonton’s top blueliners this season shows us both compelling, but the short term remains Klefbom and a cast of the team has one main option now that Bouchard is in junior hockey. dozens. Natural Stat Trick provides us with power play points-per-60 and time-on- ice: Fans might have visions of a second Reijo Ruotsalainen dancing in their heads (the fantastic Finn posted 10 power play points in 26 regular- Evan Bouchard: 5.89 per 60 in 10 minutes and 10 seconds. season games with Edmonton, along with a pile in 43 playoff games). But Jason Garrison: 4.41 per 60 in 13 minutes and 36 seconds. that’s a year away, and both are unproven (with impressive résumés).

Oscar Klefbom: 3.31 per 60 in 108 minutes and 43 seconds. Oscar Klefbom needs some help, and it’s on the way. We have the future Oilers power play quarterback surrounded, and his name is Evan Klefbom ranks No. 14 league-wide among defencemen with 75 or more Bouchard. Or Joel Persson. Or both. minutes with the man advantage this season. The team has tried eight defenders in the role, so there’s absolutely room for one more (aside from Klefbom) but there are also strong indicators Bouchard will fill a role The Athletic LOADED: 12.10.2018 in this area beginning in 2019-20.

The Condors

The AHL doesn’t give us time on ice, so the numbers aren’t as concise as what other leagues make available. Here are the main power play quarterbacks for the Condors so far in 2018-19:

Logan Day: 2-3-5 in 19 games (.263 points-per-game)

Caleb Jones: 1-4-5 in 20 games (.250 points-per-game)

Ethan Bear: 0-1-1 in 15 games (.067 points-per-game)

William Lagesson: 0-1-1 in 19 games (.053 points-per-game)

Day is signed to an AHL contract, I think the organization might be vulnerable to a vulture signing by another team. He is technically an NHL free agent, available to any team who offers him a contract. Edmonton might end up doing exactly that if Day continues to play well. Jones, Bear and Lagesson are receiving some 5-on-4 time, but I don’t think any of them should be considered strong options for NHL power play time in the future. Then again, we might have said the same thing about Oscar Klefbom in 2014.

Joel Persson 1120225 Florida Panthers The Panthers are also tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning with the most power-play goals in the league (31). On the negative side, the Panthers allowed their seventh shorthanded goal of the season. Only the ‘I think we gave away some points.’ Panthers’ homestand ends with Pittsburgh Penguins, with eight, have allowed more. disappointing defeat On the shorthanded goal allowed on Saturday, New York’s Kevin Hayes hustled after the puck in the left corner of the Panthers’ zone, shielding off Aleksander Barkov. Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad gambled by BY WALTER VILLA trying to get the puck from Hayes, leaving the front of the net open. Hayes then delivered a pass to Vladislav Namestnikov in the vacated Miami Herald Writer spot, and the result was a rather easy goal and Florida’s biggest blunder December 09, 2018 04:51 PM of the night.

Entertaining, exhilarating, disappointing — the Panthers’ 5-4 shootout Miami Herald LOADED: 12.10.2018 loss to the New York Rangers late Saturday night was all of that and more.

The Panthers earned one point to complete a 3-2-3 homestand. Through 28 games, the Panthers are 14th out of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference standings, just three points out of the cellar.

“I think we gave away some points,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said of the homestand during which his team earned nine of a possible 16 points. “It could’ve easily been 12, 13 or 14 [points].”

The Panthers are 1-3 in shootouts this season, which doesn’t compute given the top-end individual talent on the team.

Here are more takeaways on the Panthers as they prepare to play at the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday and the Minnesota Wild on Thursday:

Secondary scoring needed: After the Rangers game, Boughner called for more balance.

“It’s a good group of guys,” Boughner said. “The only problem I have is that it’s the same four or five guys scoring every night. We need some depth.”

Jonathan Huberdeau, who has seven consecutive multi-point games, leads the Panthers with 34 points. Mike Hoffman leads the team with 14 goals. Evgenii Dadonov and power-play quarterback Keith Yandle (28 points each) and Barkov (27 points) are also among the “four or five guys” Boughner was referring to with his comments.

Second-line center Vincent Trocheck, who scored 54 goals the past two seasons and was an All-Star in 2017, is out with a fractured ankle, putting even more stress on Florida’s secondary scoring.

Nick Bjugstad, who sat out Saturday’s game because of a lower-body injury, has just 10 points in 27 games despite ample opportunities on the top two lines. He is one of those players who needs to provide more, but there are certainly others.

Troy Brouwer, who has six goals and one assist in 27 games, missed off the post in overtime on Saturday, the type of bad break that needs to turn around for the Panthers to make a run.

Start strong, finish strong: The Panthers have scored 42 goals in the second period, tied for third-most in the NHL this season. But they have just 27 goals in the first and 20 in the third.

On Saturday, the Panthers fell behind 2-0 after another dreary start. Boughner let his team have it in between periods, and he also took Hoffman off the top line, replacing him with Dadonov, who joined Barkov and Huberdeau.

Less than five minutes later, the Panthers had tied the score 2-2.

“It was a gut check,” Boughner said of his between-periods speech. “I called on the leaders. I called on everybody. It wasn’t about Xs and Os. We had to match the urgency. We talked about winning the period and getting momentum back on our side.”

The Panthers certainly did that, holding the Rangers to a total of just 10 shots on goal for the final 40 minutes of regulation. In fact, the Rangers went nearly 15 minutes (14:33) without one shot on goal.

Special teams, plus and minus: Florida scored twice on its power play and has at least one goal with a man advantage in 18 of its past 19 games. Yandle had one goal and one assist with the man advantage. He entered the game tied for first in the NHL in power-play points. 1120226 Los Angeles Kings “Obviously you have to get [ticked] off,” Kopitar said. “That’s just the way it is … but at the same time, you have to enjoy it. You can’t just be miserable the whole time.”

Kings' leaders struggle to come up with answers for team's hardships Clifford, Vilardi hurt

Kyle Clifford did not travel because of an upper-body injury suffered By CURTIS ZUPKE Saturday, on a hit to the head from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare of the Vegas Golden Knights. Austin Wagner was recalled. DEC 09, 2018 | 6:15 PM Gabriel Vilardi did not play for the on Saturday because of an injury and will be evaluated Monday, General Manager Rob Blake said. It is not known if it related to his ongoing back injury. Saturday was Kings' leaders struggle to come up with answers for team's hardships supposed to be the final game of Vilardi’s conditioning assignment. The scene has played out time after time in the Kings’ dressing room, a sad tableau of their season. LA Times: LOADED: 12.10.2018 Anze Kopitar sits at his locker, waiting glumly to speak to reporters, as his teammates pack up their equipment around him. As captain, Kopitar is the one player obligated to speak, particularly after losses. And there have been 19 of those through 30 games.

“It’s definitely not easy,” Kopitar said. “I think being a captain is a special honor. It’s very easy to be captain when things are going right. It’s not the greatest job in the world when things are like this.

“But you come and show up. I’ve always been a bit more of a quiet guy. I’m not the loudest guy in the room. I try to lead by example and work hard every day and come with a smile on your face every day, because if you don’t do that, you spiral pretty quick.”

The Kings have already spiraled enough to get coach John Stevens fired, and have sunk into irrelevance amid a rash of injuries and an irate fan base. Kopitar and alternate captain Drew Doughty acknowledged that this much adversity has challenged their leadership in ways they never anticipated.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m just running out of things to say to try to get us going,” Doughty said. “But that’s how you become a better leader. When you go through times like this you learn how to get the most out of your teammates, the most out of yourself and the most out of your team. It’s been a learning process for me my entire career to become a leader, and I think I’m getting better at, but I still think I’ve got a lot more room to improve.”

The ultra-competitive Doughty hasn’t hid from his feelings as the losses pile up. Under interim coach Willie Desjardins, the Kings are 7-10 and tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for last with 23 points. Their 2.20 goals per game rank last.

Doughty can’t tolerate it, nor can he let go of it when he leaves the rink.

“[It’s] much harder, and the reason for that is you get added pressure,” said Doughty, who signed an eight-year, $88-million extension in July. “You get older. You feel more responsibility. I used to be able to go home after games, whether I played well or played bad, or if the team lost or the team won, I kind of had the same mentality. I kind of forgot about it and went on with my next day.

“Nowadays, I’m still thinking about the things I could have done differently in the game last night … you dream about it. You think about it all night. It’s hard. It’s a whole different life in the NHL as you get older.”

Kopitar and Doughty are among the Kings veterans who experienced losing early in their careers, then two Stanley Cup wins, to this steep drop-off. They try to set the example on not getting too down, while knowing when to confront the underachievement.

Alex Iafallo, who has already seen more losses than in any of his four seasons at Minnesota-Duluth, said the veterans have been a rock.

“It’d be nothing in here without the leaders,” Iafallo said. “It starts with them. They’ve been awesome ever since I’ve been here. I’ve learned so much from them. They’re always there. I ask questions. Even if it’s off-ice stuff, they’re always there to help. I look up to those guys.”

That would include alternate captain Jeff Carter, former captain Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick, who has broken a stick or two this season. But Kopitar is aware of maintaining morale.

He pointed to Doughty as the vocal yin to his quieter yang. The dynamic played out again Saturday, with Doughty as his candid self, post-game. Kopitar spoke later in the Kings’ room. But it was after a win. For one day, his job was easier. 1120227 Los Angeles Kings Kings goalie Jonathan Quick had 29 saves in Saturday’s victory. … After Monday, the Kings visit Buffalo on Tuesday. The Kings will finish the four-game trip with games Thursday at Columbus and Dec. 15 at Kings coach Willie Desjardins likes what he sees on special teams Pittsburgh.

By ROBERT MORALES | [email protected] | Press Telegram Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.10.2018

PUBLISHED: December 9, 2018 at 5:01 pm | UPDATED: December 9, 2018 at 5:02 PM

Interim coach Willie Desjardins has had a tough time getting the Kings on track since he took over for the fired John Stevens on Nov. 4. Even with Saturday’s 5-1 victory at Staples Center over a good Vegas team, the Kings are just 7-10-0 under Desjardins, and were tied for the fewest points in the league at 23 with Chicago ahead of Sunday’s games.

Desjardins was pleased about many of the particulars in Saturday’s victory. He was happiest about the play of the special teams, an area that has been one of the bigger reasons why the Kings will take a less-than- stellar record of 11-18-1 into Monday’s game at Detroit.

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The Kings had a power-play goal in their only opportunity Saturday. They also killed all three of their penalties. Even then, the Kings had a power- play success rate of just 14.9 percent, which ranks 28th out of 31 teams. Their penalty-kill improved to 74.2 percent. That, too, was 28th.

Without steady improvement in these areas, the Kings will have a hard time making the post-season. For one game, they made their coach happy.

“What was great was the specialty teams,” Desjardins said. “I thought our leaders did a great job today. They talked the power-play and the penalty killing and we responded with a great effort on the kill today.”

The young guys

The game at Detroit will be the first of a four-game trip that would have been much harder to start on another loss. When Desjardins was asked post-game Saturday if the victory gives the team a brighter outlook as it hits the road, he took that opportunity to praise the play of the youngsters who helped make a difference in the victory over the Golden Knights.

“Well, I think what’s brighter is our young guys played well,” he said. “I think that’s always a good sign. Usually, if we’re going to win, it’s always the (Anze) Kopitar and (Dustin) Brown and guys like that that carry us, or (Jeff) Carter.

“So it’s nice to win with some young guys. That’s something that we need to see more of.”

Forward Nikita Scherbak, 22, scored a goal in his first game with the Kings since being claimed off waivers from Montreal on Dec. 2. Forward Brendan Leipsic, 24, had an assist and now has two points in the three games he’s played with the Kings since being claimed off waivers from Vancouver on Dec. 3.

And rookie forward Matt Luff, 21, scored his fifth goal of the season since being recalled from Ontario of the AHL in early November.

NHL player safety

As of mid-afternoon Sunday, there was no word from NHL Player Safety as to whether Pierre-Edouard Bellemare would be disciplined for what appeared to be his illegal check to the head of Kings forward Kyle Clifford in the second period Saturday. Clifford left and game and did not return.

Afterward, Desjardins said, “Yeah, I thought he got his head for sure. So the league will have to take a look at it.”

A Kings spokesman said Sunday that it appeared there would be no punishment forthcoming for Bellemare. The spokesman also said Clifford did not accompany the Kings on the road trip.

This and that

The Kings on Sunday recalled rookie forward Austin Wagner from Ontario. He has one goal and three assists in 18 games with the Kings. … Detroit is 13-13-4 (30 points). The Red Wings are led offensively by forward Dylan Larkin, who has 28 points on 11 goals and 17 assists. … 1120228 Los Angeles Kings

AUSTIN WAGNER RECALLED BY KINGS

ZACH DOOLEY

DECEMBER 9, 2018

In a just announced roster move, forward Austin Wagner has been recalled by the Kings. As previously reported, forward Kyle Clifford did not travel to Detroit with the team after he suffered an injury, stemming from a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare hit on Sunday against Vegas, thus leaving the team with just 11 healthy forwards.

Wagner returns to the Kings following two games played with Ontario, where he collected a goal on Friday against Tucson, showcasing his trademark speed to beat a defenseman through the neutral zone into the attacking end, before a tight finish at the net for the goal. Wagner returns to the NHL with four points (1-3-4) from 18 games played with Los Angeles and three goals from seven AHL games this season.

Following Wagner’s most recent assignment to the Reign, Willie Desjardins had the following to say –

“Yeah, it wasn’t that he hadn’t played well. He’s been pretty good up here and that’s what we want from our young guys. When they’re not getting a lot of ice time here, it’s better for them to go down and get some ice time. So, it’s not a case that we were disappointed with how he played. I was quite happy with the way he was playing. For a guy that came up, basically, he was playing well, but we have a couple guys. We’ve got to get these other guys and take a look at them, so that’s the only thing that’s happened.”

From the Kings official release –

The 21-year-old Wagner (born June 23, 1997) is a 6-1, 185-pound native of Calgary, Alberta who has played in 18 games with the Kings in this his first NHL season, recording four points (1-3=4) and four penalty minutes. He scored his first NHL goal on November 21 vs. Colorado. Wagner has also appeared in seven games this season with the Reign and has recorded three goals.

Wagner is expected to join the team on the ice for tomorrow’s morning skate in Detroit. This leaves the Kings with 12 forwards and 7 defensemen healthy and on the trip as of this post.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120229 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: DECEMBER 9

JON ROSEN

DECEMBER 9, 2018

After Oscar Lindberg’s scored some four and a half minutes into the game, some may have cracked their lazy blogging knuckles, probably brushing off Cheeto dust before foretelling the inevitable calamity to come while tacking on the note “LAK 1-16-1 when allowing the first goal” as a caboose. But that Lindberg goal came at the end of a hard shift by Adrian Kempe’s line, one in which Marc-Andre Fleury probably deserved a third assist for keeping the puck out during a hard drive towards the net. Two shifts by the Kempe line later, Nikita Scherbak whistled a shot off the rush from distance that snuck between Nate Schmidt’s legs and beat Fleury inside the near post for an important equalizer. The dust settled, a high-energy first period ended tied at one, and the Kings scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second period on a tic-tac- toe power play goal, if I’m reading my notes correctly. That such a crisply executed goal was scored by the second power play unit – their first goal of the season – was also important to note in a game in which Los Angeles scored a power play goal and didn’t allow one for the first time since November 6. From there, they broke the game open and continued to rely on secondary scorers such as a determined Nate Thompson, who scored a late goal and also screened Fleury on a Derek Forbort wristshot from distance that snuck through traffic and a maze of sticks. There wasn’t really a readily available model for this game – the Kings’ second win of the season when allowing the first goal. These teams play three more times through January 1, so it was important to draw first blood against a team that entered Staples Center winners seven of eight.

The lineup’s bottom-six-types recorded points on Saturday, though, as noted, the Kempe line, a “third line” with interesting speed and skill was (and has been over the last two weeks) quite good. By virtue of the goals from Scherbak and Thompson, or Brendan Leipsic’s touch-pass assist to Matt Luff or the two points from Michael Amadio, or friggin’ Derek Forbort scoring his first in 11 months, this was the team’s most diverse 60-minute performance of the season. Credit should also go to Jeff Carter, who is battling to regain some of his speed and lower-body strength lost after last season’s ankle surgery, but relied on his acclaimed all-around awareness to score an important insurance goal when he issued a puck towards the crease with Schmidt entering the play and Fleury out of position. The deft pass worked as intended, deflecting off Fleury, then Schmidt’s skate, and then Fleury’s blocker before falling end-over-end into the back of the net for Carter’s second five-on-five goal of the season.

Juan Ocampo/NHLI

Because this is the 2018-19 season, even a win over a divisional rival and the escape from 31st place couldn’t provide a temporary respite from the constant string of casualty. Kyle Clifford has been dialed in in his role while providing one the few positive individual performances of the season, and he was lost for the game and will undergo further tests after taking an elbow to the head in a clear Rule 48 violation on a reckless neutral zone hit by Pierre Edouard-Bellemare. At night, Gabe Vilardi was scratched from Ontario’s game at Tucson and will return to Los Angeles for a Monday examination by team doctors. Both of these developments are very concerning. For Clifford, the concern isn’t over when and where he’ll return and join the team, but rather to what degree another potential brain injury may affect his overall wellbeing, on and off the ice, during and after hockey. As always, this is a nebulous process that isn’t often navigable; it’s frightening that there aren’t always available answers. Here’s to hoping and wishing for the best for a renowned force in the Kings’ family. As for Vilardi, obviously there should be significant concern that there appears to be another barrier in his path towards an NHL career. Hold off on issuing any verdicts until the severity of what he’s dealing with is learned, but because his projected five-game AHL stint did not come off without incident, familiar alarms are sounding.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120230 Los Angeles Kings

GOOD MORNING, DETROIT

ZACH DOOLEY

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Good morning Detroit and Good Morning, Insiders!

Your first Good Morning blog of this four-game road trip and an introduction that I will be taking you on this ride for the first time. Excited to share my voice a little bit more to the NHL readers and what better way to start doing so than with the Good Morning series!

This is the first ever Detroit trip for myself, although I did visit Grand Rapids last month for the AHL-edition of the Kings-Red Wings, as the Reign defeated the , 4-3. That trip was the first time seeing snow since leaving New York and a re-introduction to the cold weather that we don’t get much of in Southern California.

Riding in on the bus last night, we drove past the old home of the Red Wings, Joe Louis Arena. What I would have given to have watched a game in that barn……the history in that building is unmatched. Growing up as a child in the 90’s and 00’s, the Red Wings were a dominant force in the NHL and I can remember watching so many playoff games held at the Joe, including the 2002 Red Wings, which were one of the most memorable teams of my youth.

The Joe was also home to one of the more famous moments in my home area’s history, the 1985 NCAA Hockey championships, won by Rensselaer. Led by current Kings consultant Adam Oates (who collected a ridiculous 91 points from 38 games that season), the Engineers won their second ever national championship with a 2-1 win over Providence. Hope you’ll enjoy some lower quality video of that title.

The Kings are off the ice today and will skate next tomorrow at morning skate, prior to a 7:30 PM Local / 4:30 PM Pacific Time showdown with the Red Wings. Hopefully you’re all doing a bit better than Carrlyn’s wheel! Talk soon.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120231 Minnesota Wild The bad news: The NCAA is using NET rankings to help determine the tourney field, and the Gophers are only No. 65. To feel good about making the tournament, a team probably wants to finish at least in the Assessing (and perhaps obsessing over) playoff chances for Vikings, mid-40s. The Big Ten is deep, so the conference season is going to be a Wild, Wolves and Gophers gantlet. A tourney berth could come down to a handful of tossup games.

By Michael Rand Star Tribune LOADED: 12.10.2018 DECEMBER 9, 2018 — 6:31PM

I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed with playoff probabilities, but I wouldn’t say I’m NOT obsessed. Let’s just say I’m interested in the future, but mostly in a way that factors in our confidence in the present. As this relates to local sports, I see four high-profile teams right now that are on the postseason fringes at various stages of their seasons: the Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves and Gophers men’s basketball. This is a self-limiting and by no means exhaustive list of prominent local teams in the midst of their seasons. I could have included Gophers men’s hockey (eh, not so good right now) or Gophers women’s basketball (plotting a very strong course for the NCAA tourney right now), but I wanted to zero in on four teams that I feel — and the data shows — are toss-ups right now. A Twitter poll question asking which of these four teams is most likely to make the playoffs (or NCAA tournament) is indicative of the volatility. No team got more than 30 percent of the votes. Let’s take a look at all four: VIKINGS Playoff probability entering Sunday’s games: 58.5 percent (Football Outsiders); 60 percent (FiveThirtyEight). The good news: Despite a mediocre and largely disappointing 6-5-1 record (at least in the context of preseason expectations), Minnesota controls its own postseason destiny. Win four games in a row, and the Vikings are assured of no worse than a wild-card berth. There are a lot of teams in the mix, and if Minnesota loses at Seattle on Monday — a strong possibility given the Vikings’ struggles against top teams this year, particularly on the road — the probability of making the playoffs dips to 43 percent, per FiveThirtyEight. WILD Current playoff probability: 57 percent (Playoffstatus.com); 56.2 percent (Hockey Reference). The good news: Even after five losses in its past six games, the Wild (15- 12-2) is right on the fringe of the early playoff picture about one-third of the way into the season. A lot of peripheral numbers suggest the Wild should be getting better results. This has been the most consistent of the teams mentioned in this list, with six consecutive postseason berths. The bad news: The Western Conference — and particularly the Central Division — is tough again. The team’s recent slide could be indicative of larger problems, and it’s hard to say how long new GM Paul Fenton will be patient. TIMBERWOLVES Current playoff probability: 55 percent (FiveThirtyEight); 31.8 percent (Basketball Reference). The good news: It would have been hard to imagine the Wolves even being in this discussion a few weeks ago when they were 4-9 and trying to remake themselves on the fly following the trade of Jimmy Butler to the 76ers. But they have played themselves back into this conversation. The bad news: The schedule gets considerably tougher now, and on some level the Wolves could be chasing that 4-9 start all season. The most daunting part, though, is the brutal Western Conference. Even if the Wolves rally to have a decent season, as they seem poised to do, they could miss the playoffs. U MEN’S BASKETBALL Current playoff probability: Last four in (ESPN); No. 65 and out (NCAA Net Rankings). The good news: The Gophers are 8-2 with some good wins and predictable losses. Talentwise, the Gophers have the pieces to get there. And getting a healthy Eric Curry back as soon as next week would make the Gophers even more formidable. 1120232 Minnesota Wild

With Koivu hurt, Wild call up Kunin

Associated Press DECEMBER 9, 2018 — 6:05PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have recalled forward Luke Kunin from the AHL. The Wild made the move Sunday, giving them a fill-in for captain Mikko Koivu, who has a lower-body injury. The team announced his status as day to day. Koivu took a knee-on-knee hit Thursday at Calgary and was held out Friday at Edmonton. The Wild, who host Montreal on Tuesday night, have lost five of their last six games. Kunin has eight goals and seven assists in 21 games for Iowa this season. The 15th overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Wild, Kunin tore the ACL in his left knee in a game for the Wild on March 4 and had surgery April 3. The 21-year-old has yet to play for the Wild this season.

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120233 Minnesota Wild

With Mikko Koivu injured, Wild recalls Luke Kunin from Iowa

By Sarah McLellan DECEMBER 9, 2018 — 6:33PM

The Wild recalled Luke Kunin from Iowa on Sunday to replace center Mikko Koivu in the team's lineup. Koivu suffered a lower body injury when he was in a knee-on-knee collision with Calgary's Marc Giordano in Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Flames. Giordano drew a two-game suspension. Koivu's status is listed as day-to-day by the Wild, which had Saturday and Sunday off and will practice Monday. Kunin suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in March and had surgery in April. He has eight goals in 21 games for Iowa this season; he was an American Hockey League All-Star last season. Kunin, 21, was the Wild's first round pick (15th overall) in 2016 out of Wisconsin. He was captain of the U.S. junior national team that won gold in 2017. IN 19 NHL games he has two goals and two assists. After a 7-2 loss in Edmonton on Friday, the Wild canceled Saturday's practice and had Sunday off. It begins a four-game homestand by playing Montreal on Tuesday night.

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120234 Minnesota Wild KUNIN CALLED UP The Wild recalled forward Luke Kunin from the AHL on Sunday. He has eight goals and seven assists in 21 games for Iowa this season. With Boudreau concerned, Wild look to pick up pieces of their shattered game The 15th overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Wild, Kunin tore the ACL in his left knee in a game for the Wild on March 4 and had surgery April 3. The 21-year-old has yet to play for the Wild this season. By BRIAN MURPHY December 9, 2018 at 6:31 PM Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.10.2018

The Wild woke up Nov. 24 riding a galvanizing high after rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Winnipeg at the Xcel Energy Center, a victory punctuated by the brawl in which Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno rescued Nick Seeler from getting pummeled on the Jets bench. They were 14-7-2 with 30 points and perched in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference. That cushion and confidence have swirled down the drain of an awful two weeks in which Minnesota has lost five of six and tumbled out of the final wild-card position. Such is the fickle nature of an airtight playoff chase and the first third of the 2018-19 season, which still has plenty of meat on the bone. The Wild are not panicking. Not yet, anyway. But they are sinking like a boulder because they have been unable to forge leads, score goals and prevent opponents from opening a shooting gallery. Plenty of blame falls on goaltender , who has not been the same since being pulled Nov. 21 with seven minutes remaining in a 4-4 tie against Ottawa after yielding three quick goals in a game the Wild eventually won. Over his past seven starts, Dubnyk is 1-4 with a 4.36 goals-against average and .837 save percentage — statistics warped when he allowed three goals on seven shots in Friday night’s 7-2 blowout loss to Edmonton. But the Wild have turned the puck over too much, yielded too many odd- man rushes and failed to jump on teams in the first period. They are scrambling from behind too often. And there is plenty of blame to pin on forwards who aren’t producing and are careless with the puck, defensemen who are allowing way too much open space and coaches who are not motivating the Wild to start and finish strong. “I’m concerned about every aspect of our game,” head coach Bruce Boudreau said. “It’s up to us, as a coaching staff and as a team, to right this ship, get them back to learning how to play great defense again. That’s what’s going to win you the games. Not trying to score five goals a night.” Minnesota has been forced to abandon its disciplined style because it constantly is playing catch-up. The Wild are 10-9-1 when their opponent scores first. They were 6-2-1 at one point, revealing a knack for coming back and seizing games in the third period. “We’ve got to find a way to score goals and score them earlier so the games don’t get like this,” said defenseman Ryan Suter. Friday was an ugly night for most of the lineup. Mikael Granlund was minus-5 and has one goal in his past 12 games. Nino Niederreiter has three goals this season. Charlie Coyle is scoreless in his past five and was minus-3 along with Zach Parise, Eric Staal, Jason Zucker and defenseman Jonas Brodin. “I think our two — supposedly two — big lines were on for every goal,” said Boudreau. “You know? That’s not a good situation.” Adding to the anxiety is the uncertainty surrounding captain and top center Mikko Koivu, who appeared to injure his left leg Thursday night in Calgary after Flames defenseman Giordano kneed him along the boards. Giordano was suspended two games for the hit. Before the Oilers game, Koivu was sent back to Minnesota to be evaluated by team doctors. “Mikko’s obviously a huge part of our team,” said Dubnyk. “He’s irreplaceable, but that’s a good opportunity for people to fill some different roles and get some more ice time. When we’re winning, we’re winning because we’re deep and everyone’s chipping in. That doesn’t change when somebody goes down.” The good news is that Wild are off the road and will open a four-game homestand Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens followed by the Florida Panthers, a rematch with the Flames and the San Jose Sharks. The reckoning has begun. “We gotta be sure that we’re coming out with a better effort and redeem ourselves on the homestand,” said winger Marcus Foligno. 1120235 Minnesota Wild The Wild will again have hard, hard decisions on the back end because Suter, who has a no-move clause, and Dumba will almost surely be two of their three protected defensemen. Projecting who the Wild will protect and expose in the Seattle expansion So, do the Wild re-sign Jared Spurgeon before his contract expires after draft (version 1.0) next season? How about Jonas Brodin and Nick Seeler, who can become unrestricted free agents after the 2020-21 season or coincidentally right after the expansion draft? By Michael Russo Remember, if he wants to keep them all, he won’t be able to protect them Dec 9, 2018 all. This is why I had some fun with him Tuesday and asked kiddingly: “So, can I get your protected and unprotected lists?” When Gary Bettman announced last week that the Seattle Baristas or Coffee Beans or Space Needles or Nirvanas or Amazons or Boeing Jets So, here we go with my first of many forecasts toward the eventual Wild or whatever the heck they’ll eventually be called will enter the NHL in contribution to the Seattle Baristas, who have unveiled their mascot 2021-22 as opposed to 2020-21, my eyes rolled so high, they nearly already: popped out of my head. The Wild’s way-too-early protected list But if any market has a right to be freaking out again about expansion, it’s the Wild fan base after watching Erik Haula score 29 goals last Teams can protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or season and once-upon-a-time Wild first-round pick Alex Tuch break out eight skaters and one goalie. When Fenton was the assistant GM in in Las Vegas all because of some shrewd expansion draft manipulation Nashville, the Predators opted for the latter option. For the purposes of by Golden Knights general manager George McPhee. this, I’m going to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie. The Wild were in a bind two summers ago. If you want to refresh yourself on which Wild players could still be under They felt their blueline was the strength of their team. contract in June 2021, here ya go. In a quick albeit painful history lesson, under the rules, the Wild could F Zach Parise — He’ll be 36 going on 37 by then with four years left on only protect three defensemen but had five top-six defensemen they his 13-year contract. With good health, he might be the Wild’s all-time didn’t want to lose for two reasons. Basically, if they got through leader in goals by then. At that age, you may say, “Expose him!!!” But expansion with their five defensemen intact, they would then be able to remember, he’s got a full no-move, so unless he’s willing to waive that for trade one (Marco Scandella) and still possess a quality top-four of Ryan the purpose of expansion, the Wild will have to protect him. If he knows Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. for a fact that Seattle wouldn’t take him, maybe he’d help out the Wild and waive his no-move for the singular purpose of expansion. So, McPhee agreed to take Haula in exchange for the Wild trading him Tuch, and the Wild were able to get through expansion with the above F Mikael Granlund — He can become an unrestricted free agent after his five defensemen still on their roster plus exposed veteran center Eric contract expires next season, so the Wild will likely begin extension talks Staal, who would go on to score 42 goals last season. this offseason on a new long-term deal. Granlund is the Wild’s best playmaker and already has a $5.75 million cap hit, so it’ll require big At the time, it made pretty decent sense: Maintain their strong back end bucks and term to extend him. If they do, one can assume they plan to in exchange for losing Haula, a soon-to-be-at-the-time unrestricted free protect him. agent who was made expendable by Joel Eriksson Ek. F Jason Zucker — While he has had a very so-so start to his five-year, In hindsight, what a freaking disaster: The Wild, short of bona fide $27.5 million contract, he still brings the speed and scoring that the Wild prospects, just threw away Tuch — the type of right-shot, scoring right so need. It’s hard to see that disappearing by the time he’s 29, so one winger they now so covet. Eriksson Ek hasn’t yet developed into what the has to assume the Wild would protect him with two years left on his speedy Haula could have brought and protected forwards Charlie Coyle contract. and Nino Niederreiter have completely fallen off the map. F Jordan Greenway — We’ve already seen flashes of how big and strong So, to be fair, I forgive emotionally-exhausted Wild fans, who feel last this guy is in the offensive zone and one has to presume that more year’s expansion punched them in the gut, for already demonstrating offense will develop once he’s moved into a consistent top-six role and angst over the 2021 expansion draft, particularly now that we all know matures into a consistent net-front power play guy. once and for all that Seattle’s expansion draft will be under the same rules as Vegas had. F Joel Eriksson Ek — Don’t @ me!!!! Everybody chill out!!! I know, I know, his development hasn’t exactly knocked our socks off yet and it Sooooooooooooooo, since I’m a jerk, I’m going to throw fuel onto the does say something that even with Koivu injured, he has done nothing fans’ fire by providing waaaaaaayyyyyy-too-early protected and yet to warrant being elevated into Koivu’s spot. That’s a huge indictment unprotected lists for the 2021 expansion draft. since many of us thought this was the year Eriksson Ek would develop to a point Koivu would be downgraded to third-line center. But at 21, Remember, this is complete conjecture. This will change a gazillion times Eriksson Ek is still young enough to turn into a player. I cannot see this by June 2021. being the next James Sheppard. As of now, I’m giving him the benefit of We have no clue what players will be added to the team over the next the doubt and predicting that he becomes the type of straight-line center two-and-a-half years. I’m going to have to assume a lot of stuff here. that makes us all eat our words. Also, the Wild don’t have too many long- term solutions at center in the prospect pipeline, so he could be For instance, for the purpose of this fun exercise, I’m just going to guess invaluable. that when captain Mikko Koivu’s two-year deal ends next season that GM Paul Fenton, in an effort to get younger and faster, isn’t going to give F Luke Kunin — Potential goal scorer, captain material. RIGHT-SHOT. Koivu a new contract, let alone one with a no-move clause that forces the He’s everything the Wild need. Wild to protect him like the 2017 expansion draft. F Mason Shaw — After losing an entire season of development last year I’m going to assume that the Wild re-sign Eric Staal at some point before after tearing his ACL in Traverse City, Shaw is playing in Iowa and is tied the trade deadline or before he can become a free agent July 1. I’m for second in scoring with 16 points. The coaches love him down there. going to assume Mikael Granlund gets a new deal from Minnesota. He apparently has character off the charts for a little guy and can obviously play. I’m going to assume that the Wild won’t be re-signing Coyle if he’s somehow not traded this season or next. I’m going to do the same with D Ryan Suter — Like Parise, he’ll be 36 with four years left on his 13- some of the other players who have expiring contracts by 2021 — Devan year contract. He, too, has a full no-move clause, so unless he’s willing to Dubnyk, Marcus Foligno, Greg Pateryn, as examples. waive it for the purpose of expansion, the Wild will have to protect him. It would be a giant help if he would waive because Fenton will have some As you’ll see, some of the decisions Fenton will have to make the next tough decisions on the back end. few years will be pretty torturous when one adds the wrinkle of expansion to all his decision-making. D Matt Dumba — He has already posted his fourth consecutive double- digit goal season and will have two years left on a five-year deal. He’ll be Expansion decisions will affect which players he chooses to re-sign and protected. not sign. It may alter when he decides to turn a player pro because first- and second-year professionals and unsigned draft picks are exempt. D Nick Seeler — This was a tough call. If Spurgeon is re-signed before his contract ends at the end of the 2019-20 season, this changes everything. But I’ll be honest: It would not shock me if Spurgeon moves on after next season. He may want to see if the grass is greener elsewhere and the Wild, with Spurgeon going to be 30 years old, may not want to invest the significant term and money (he already has a cap hit of $5.187 million) that he’ll command. It’ll be interesting what happens with Brodin. With Suter’s game heading south, what will Suter look like by 2021 and does that make Brodin irreplaceable to the point they have to re-sign him? It’s really hard to speculate now. That brings me to Seeler, who is just getting better and better and by 2021 could be a top-four defenseman, especially if he starts to add a little offense to his game. He certainly has the shot to make that happen. G Kaapo Kahkonen — He’s my process of elimination pick because there’s nobody else in the organization the Wild would protect right now. He has had a great start to his rookie year in Iowa and the Wild hope they have the first so-called “Goalie of the Future” since the days of Josh Harding and Darcy Kuemper. No sh*t, Giles. Soooo, let’s continue: The Wild’s way-too-early exposed list F Eric Staal — I think the only way Staal re-signs in Minnesota is if the Wild give him at least a three-year deal, so that means the Wild would have to make an expansion decision on him for 2021. There’s no chance Fenton re-signs him with a no-move, so at 36 in June 2021, the Wild would almost surely expose him. F Nino Niederreiter — Assuming Niederreiter is not traded by 2021, I could see the Wild exposing him with one-year left on his $5.25 million a year contract unless he returns to form and becomes the goal scorer we all expect him to be. D Jonas Brodin/Jared Spurgeon/Nick Seeler/Greg Pateryn — As I mentioned up top, if Suter and Dumba are protected, the Wild will only be able to protect one of these four if any, or all of these players earn new contracts before they are free agents in advance of the 2021 expansion draft. F Dmitry Sokolov — If he develops into the goal scorer the Wild hope (he was a scoring machine in junior and is tied for third on Iowa with seven goals), this would obviously alter plans and the Wild would find a way to protect. D Louis Belpedio — If he develops into the Spurgeon replacement that the Wild hope, this obviously changes things. Minor leaguers who could still be under contract by 2021: D Carson Soucy, F Will Bitten, F Justin Kloos, D Gustav Bouramman, D Brennan Menell, F Chase Lang, D Stepan Falkovsky, D Hunter Warner The Wild’s way-too-early exempted list *First- or second-year pros and unsigned draft picks F Kirill Kaprizov — DON’T WORRY!!!!!!!!!! (unless Fenton trades his rights to Seattle to protect a defenseman, #hehe) F Ivan Lodnia, D Filip Johansson, G Dereck Baribeau, F Jack McBain, F Alex Khovanov, F Connor Dewar, D Simon Johansson and any other unsigned draft picks. Now, please, I beg of you, no more questions on expansion for a while!!!

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Tomas Tatar’s late goal lifts Montreal Canadiens over Chicago Blackhawks

MATT CARLSON PUBLISHED DECEMBER 9, 2018

Tomas Tatar scored the tiebreaking goal on a deflection with 1:17 left in the third period and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 Sunday for their third straight win. Max Domi and Shea Weber scored in the first period to give Montreal an early lead. Carey Price, starting for the seventh straight game and 11th in the last 12, stopped 37 shots. Patrick Kane scored twice to tie the score for Chicago, which has lost seven straight and nine of its last 10. Corey Crawford finished with 25 saves. The reeling Blackhawks fell to 3-11-2 under coach Jeremy Colliton, who replaced Joel Quenneville on Nov. 6. On the go-ahead goal, after a failed clearing attempt by the Blackhawks, Jeff Petry shot from the left point into traffic in front of the net. The puck went off the tip of Tatar’s stick and past a screened Crawford. Chicago went 1 for 8 on the power play, failing to muster much pressure during a six-minute advantage early in the third. Domi and Weber scored 1:31 apart early in the first period to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead about 7 1/2 minutes in. It marked the 10th straight game an opponent scored first against the Blackhawks. Domi converted a rebound of Mike Reilly’s shot from the point 6:05 in after Reilly’s drive struck Andrew Shaw in front of the net and dropped to the ice. It was Domi’s team-leading 14th. Weber, playing his sixth game after knee surgery, ripped in a rising screened shot from the top of the right circle for his third after taking a feed from Kenny Agostino. Kane connected on the Blackhawks’ third power play of the first and cut it to 2-1 as he beat Price from the right circle with a screened shot on the short side with 59 seconds left in the period. Chicago has been outscored 22-5 in the first period in the last 10 games and has had a lead only in two contests – one time was when the Blackhawks came from behind for a 5-4 overtime win at Florida on Nov. 24. Kane’s second of the game and team-leading 15th tied it 2-all with 7:05 left in the second. Following a faceoff in the Montreal zone, Kane drifted into the right circle, took a pinpoint cross-ice pass from Dominik Kahun and one-timed a rising shot over Price’s shoulder. Chicago wasted three power plays covering six consecutive minutes early in the third when Tomas Tatar was sent off for cross-checking at 1:58, then Jordie Benn got a double-minor for high-sticking Dylan Strome in the face at 3:58. The Blackhawks managed just six shots – and no rebounds – during long man advantage and Price turned them all away. Montreal then failed to connect on two power plays, including a 55- second 5-on-3 advantage, midway through the third. Crawford was sharp during the span, thwarting several close-in attempts. NOTES: Chicago D Connor Murphy played his first game this season after recovering from a back injury. … Blackhawks D Gustav Forsling, who was placed on IR (shoulder) retroactive to Dec. 5, missed his second game. … Scrappy Canadiens and former Chicago F Andrew Shaw picked up an assist and has seven goals and eight assists in his last 15 games. Asked before the game the reason for Shaw’s hot streak, Canadiens coach Claude Julien joked, “Just his linemates. It has nothing to do with him. Yeah, he just goes to the front of the net and they feed him.” … Chicago’s scratches were D Jan Rutta, LW Brendan Perlini and LW Chris Kunitz. Montreal sat LW Charles Hudon and C Matthew Peca.

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In the Habs' Room: 'We weren't at our best' in win over Blackhawks, Julien says

PAT HICKEY, Updated: December 9, 2018

CHICAGO — Carey Pice said there’s always room for improvement, but it’s difficult to believe the Canadiens goaltender could play much better than he did in the Canadiens’ dramatic 3-2 over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Price made 37 saves, including 13 when the Canadiens were shorthanded for nearly 15 minutes. “The best penalty killer is always your goaltender, and tonight he was outstanding in my book,” said coach Claude Julien. “Our penalty-killers did a good job, especially in the third period when we were out there for six minutes in a row. I don’t know if we wore out their best players, but we had some fresh legs out there at the end and we were able to get the winning goal.” The winning goal was provided by Tomas Tatar, who atoned for some undisciplined play earlier in the game. Tatar took three penalties, but he was credited with his 12th goal of the season when he tipped Jeff Petry’s shot from the point with 1:17 to play. “We weren’t sharp, we weren’t at our best, but finding a way to win is important,” Julien said. “We can look at some games we should have won and didn’t. They say they even out and this one tonight was one of those that help to even things. This was an important point in the standings.” It was third consecutive win for the Canadiens, who hold the second wild- card position in the Eastern Conference with 35 points, one back of the Boston Bruins. More importantly, Montreal opened a four-point edge over the ninth-place New York Rangers. Shea Weber has shown no signs of rust after missing nearly a year following foot and knee surgeries. He was on the ice for a season-high 29:32 and had 8:31 of PK time. He scored a goal, had three hits and blocked three shots. “It definitely was not our best by any means, but sometimes good teams find a way to win,” Weber said. “I think we grinded this one out and got a timely goal. “I don’t think you want to take eight penalties every night because it’s going to bite you, but obviously at the end, Carey was great for us. It was big night for the PK. I don’t know how many shots we blocked, how many sticks were shattered but guys were sacrificing their bodies.” The loss left the Blackhawks with the worst record in the NHL, but Weber said they aren’t a team to be taken lightly. “They’re struggling, but they have a lot of top-end guys over there, who have done a lot of good things,” Weber said. “You see things can turn around in this league with win streaks and losing streaks.” One of those talented players is Patrick Kane, who provided the Blackhawks’ scoring with his 14th and 15th goals of the season. Kane’s first goal was the only power-play goal of the night and Price gave credit to the Blackhawks for having a good net presence. Price admitted he misread the play on Kane’s second goal. “I didn’t pick up the pass and I pushed off late,” Price said. “I tried to reach for the puck but, maybe it was bad ice, but he didn’t get everything he wanted on the shot and my timing was off.” When asked about Chicago’s 39-28 edge in shots, Price found the bright side and noted: “It keeps you in the game.” The Canadiens will enjoy a day off in St. Paul on Monday before they wrap up their three-game road trip with a game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday at the Xcel Energy Center (TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio).

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About last night ... Canadiens win 3-2 in Chicago

MIKE BOONE Updated: December 9, 2018

They didn’t deserve the win. The Canadiens were outshot in every period of their 3-2 win in Chicago. They took seven penalties — including a late double-minor. The power play was poor … again. With the exception of the increasingly exceptional fourth line, the Canadiens’ forwards struggled to put two consecutive good shifts together. (Of course, the string of penalties didn’t help continuity.) If they’d played that way against Tampa, Washington, Nashville, Calgary … If the Canadiens had played that way against almost any NHL team not called the Chicago Blackhawks, they’d have been smoked. But a win is a win. This W left the Canadiens comfortably ensconced in a wildcard playoff spot. And it left the hapless Hawks dead last in the NHL. Let’s take a moment here to think about that. A hockey team that includes Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook is on the bottom of the league looking up. And the Canadiens nearly handed a win to the hapless Hawks. Those penalties … “I don’t think you want to take eight penalties every night. It kinda bites you,” Shea Weber said in a dressing room clip telecast on L’Antichambre. The Canadiens’ captain credited Carey Price with another sterling performance. And, Weber said, “the guys were sacrificing the body.” Indeed, they were. Other than the 37 saves Price made, the Canadiens blocked 20 shots — including NINE of Brent Seabrook’s point drive. South Shore homeboy Corey Crawford , who came into the game with an 8-1-2 record, a .953 save percentage and a 1>54 GAA against the Canadiens, had a quieter evening. The Canadiens’ popgun power play went 0-for-4 and did not trouble Crawford unduly. “We didn’t play that well tonight by any means, but we stuck with it,” Max Domi said. “But when you grind through like that, you get rewarded. And we got rewarded with that huge goal.” Domi also heaped praise on his goaltender. “It’s insane how good he is. He is most nights, but tonight he got us our win.” The Canadiens have won three in a row for the first time since mid- October. They face a tough stretch of the sked: Road games (against teams better than Chicago), back-to-backs. But to the surprise of many — myself included — they’re playing winning hockey in December. For Canadiens fans, Christmas has come early.

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Tomas Tatar scores last-minute winner as Canadiens beat Blackhawks

PAT HICKEY, Updated: December 9, 2018

CHICAGO — Tomas Tatar tipped in a Jeff Petry shot from the point with 1:17 to play as the Canadiens emerged from one of their worst performances of the season to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 Sunday at the United Center. The Canadiens took an early lead as they scored twice on the first five shots against Châteauguay native Corey Crawford. Crawford did make a save on Jonathan Drouin when he went in alone on an odd-man rush with Max Domi. But Domi did everything possible to give the Canadiens a 1-0 lead at 6:05 of the first period. He won a faceoff against Marcus Kruger and then went to the net, where he was in perfect position to bury the rebound after Crawford stopped Mike Reilly’s slapshot from the point. It was Domi’s 14th goal of the season. Shea Weber made it 2-0 at 7:36 when he blasted a slapshot from the top of the faceoff circle for his third goal. The Canadiens were shorthanded three times in the first period and it was the third penalty that hurt the most because Weber went off for delay of game, and that took one of Montreal’s best penalty killers out of the mix. The Blackhawks have the worst power-play record in the league and that was obvious when they managed only one shot on their first two advantages, but the Blackhawks do have top-end talent and Patrick Kane beat Carey Price at 19:01 to cut the Montreal lead to 2-1. It was Kane’s 14th goal of the season. The Canadiens have shown an ability to come out strong in the second period, but that wasn’t the case in this game. Montreal had a couple of breakaways, but Crawford stopped Paul Byron and he had luck on his side when Tatar hit a post on his effort. Chicago carried most of the play and Kane’s second goal of the game tied the score at 12:55. Kane had far too much time and room as he scored from the faceoff circle to the left of Price. The Canadiens’ chances of mounting a comeback in the third period took a nosedive when they spent six minutes shorthanded. Tatar took his third penalty of the night when he was called for cross-checking. As he stepped back on the ice, Jordie Benn was handed a double minor for high-sticking. Montreal managed to kill the three penalties, but they were hemmed in their zone for most of the six minutes and were unable to mount an offence. Price was outstanding as he made six saves, including one stop when he extended his upper arm to deflect a shot from Alex DeBrincat. Chicago finished the night with one goal on seven opportunities. Montreal’s power play is almost as bad as Chicago’s, ranking 29th, and the Canadiens continued to struggle with their entries. Montreal went 0- for-4 and came up empty in the third period when they had a 5-on-3 edge for 35 seconds. The Canadiens haven’t scored a 5-on-3 goal this season.

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Canadiens at Chicago Blackhawks: Five things you should know

PAT HICKEY Updated: December 9, 2018

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Blackhawks game at Chicago’s United Centre on Sunday (6 p.m., SN, SN1, RDS, TSN 690 Radio): The matchup: The Canadiens are on a modest two-game win streak after sweeping a home-and-away series against the Ottawa Senators. Montreal has won three of its last four games and went into the weekend with the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The current edition of the Blackhawks doesn’t bear any resemblance to the team that has won the Stanley Cup three times in this decade. The Blackhawks are on a six-game losing streak after dropping a 4-3 decision in Las Vegas Thursday. Chicago has a 9-16-5 record and is 10 points out of a wild- card spot. Spreading the wealth: Max Domi failed to get a point in Thursday’s 5-2 win in Ottawa and Jonathan Drouin was limited to one assist, but it didn’t matter because other players stepped up. The Canadiens were able to play at a fast pace because head coach Claude Julien rolled four lines and each of the lines contributed a goal. Paul Byron had a pair of goals and appears to be at full speed after missing 14 games with a leg injury. He has two goals and two assists in the four games since his return. Is Juulsen ready? That’s the question facing the Canadiens as they head west for games in Chicago and Minnesota. Juulsen has missed eight games with a facial fracture, but he has been cleared for contract and is on the trip. The Canadiens made room for him on the 23-man roster Friday when they placed defenceman Xavier Ouellet on waivers. That was a no-brainer because Ouellet has been a healthy scratch for the past seven games. The more difficult decision will be deciding which defenceman sits to make room for Juulsen and the likely candidate is Mike Reilly. Nothing special here: The Canadiens went 0-for-3 on the power play in Ottawa Thursday and rank 29th in the NHL with a success rate of 14.1 per cent. The return of Shea Weber should have been good news for the power play and he did have a power-play goal in his second game. But the Canadiens are 1-for-12 in the five games since Weber’s return and they have had trouble finding him for open shots. As bad as the Canadiens are, the Blackhawks are even worse. Chicago’s power play is last in the NHL at 11.5 per cent. The other guys: Chicago suffers from a lack of depth and the worst defence in the Western Conference, but they have high-end talent in Patrick Kane (13 goals and 19 assists), Jonathan Toews (13 goals, 11 assists) and Alex DeBrincat (11 goals, 11 assists). Châteauguay native Corey Crawford was limited to 28 games last season because of a concussion and the two-time Stanley Cup champion has struggled this season. Crawford has lost his last seven starts and has allowed 30 goals in that stretch. He has a 5-13-1 record with a 3.22 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120241 Montreal Canadiens Final word In a battle of inept power plays, the Canadiens came out on top. But make no mistake, that was a game that would usually end up in the loss Cracking the win: The Canadiens play with fire but avoid getting burned column if it were against any team other than the lowly Blackhawks. Carey Price and the penalty killers did a great job of keeping the sloppy By Marc Dumont Canadiens in the game when the team started displaying discipline that would embarrass sailors on shore leave; however, they cannot afford to Dec 9, 2018 play that way in the future if they hope to beat teams that aren’t among the worst in the NHL.

With that in mind, the positive outlook is that Canadiens have won four of The matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks had all the makings of a their five games in December and are quickly repositioning themselves trap game. The Canadiens had just won two games in a row, rather for a playoff push. easily, whereas the Blackhawks couldn’t identify a lead in a police lineup if they had 10 opportunities and a mug shot to help them. Though the Canadiens did their best to lose the game, a late goal by The Athletic LOADED: 12.10.2018 Tomas Tatar clinched two undeserved points. More on that later. Standout — Hard work What does Max Domi say to the god of regression? Not today. The opening goal was a direct result of Domi outworking Marcus Kruger and creating enough space to give himself open ice, which he used to capitalize on a rebound. I keep wondering when the other shoe will drop in regards to Domi’s shooting percentage, which is at 20.3 percent, but if he keeps up this type of effort he should be able to keep regression at bay, or at least minimize the impact when his shooting luck runs out. Standout — Captain Chaos I should be used to Shea Weber’s shot by now, but it’s hard not to be impressed by how much velocity he manages to build. He doesn’t do it by winding up halfway to the rafters, either. It’s a compact release that combines power with accuracy. We should also note how effective the fourth line was on this play. Kenny Agostino, who has been fantastic in recent weeks, created the turnover with an aggressive forecheck, something he’s done with great efficiency since his call-up. The fourth line went from running around in their own zone on a nightly basis to spending a lot of time in the offensive zone. Plays like this from Agostino are a big reason why: Standout — Jesperi Kotkaniemi He got an assist on the winning goal, but beyond that, Kotakaniemi was a force at both ends of the ice. He drove the play by creating several controlled zone entries and stopped a few scoring chances with smart defensive work. He also happened to lead the Canadiens when it came to controlling the shots against the Blackhawks, with a 68.8 percent share of the shot attempts. With a point in three games in a row, Kotkaniemi is on pace for a 41-point season, an impressive number given his age and usage. Underperformer — indiscipline The Blackhawks are absolutely terrible on the power play, by far the worst in the league. But any time you take eleventy billion penalties, you’re tempting fate. It also ruins any sort of momentum, given that special teams players are forced to play more minutes. It’s hard, almost impossible to find your rhythm in those types of situations, as evidenced by the grand total of 37 minutes and 8 seconds of 5-on-5 play on Sunday night. Underperformer — power play For a team that generally controls the play at even strength, the Canadiens sure do struggle to create meaningful offence while on the power play. What makes it even more frustrating is that they seem to forget how to gain the zone with speed, something they do extremely well when they don’t have a man advantage. There’s also the issue of using Weber as a crutch. Yes, he has a shot that would dent Captain America’s shield and send medium-sized moons out of orbit, but opposing teams are aware of it, and usually commit to taking away the Canadiens captain. That creates a lot of space for the rest of the team. And they have no idea what to do with it. Weber is the only scoring threat, and as good as he is, he’s being misused by Kirk Muller. 1120242 Nashville Predators

Predators goalie Juuse Saros says he has a lot to prove, improve

Paul Skrbina, Published 9:16 a.m. CT Dec. 9, 2018

CALGARY, Alberta -- Juuse Saros sat in shorts and a sweatshirt on the end of the Predators bench Saturday morning. To his left, in a full sweat and full pads, was . Most of the rest of the Predators had long since ditched their practice gear and returned to the team hotel after their morning skate at the Saddledome. But Saros and Rinne remained long after the skate and long before their 5-2 loss against the Flames. They talked in Finnish while watching Matt Irwin and Eeli Tolvanen scrimmage against a few coaches in the mostly empty arena. They fiddled with their goalie sticks and equipment and offered occasional words of encouragement to teammates. "We are nerds about that," Saros said of equipment discussions. "We have all this gear." Back in the Saddledome By the time the Saddledome filled up Saturday night, Rinne had reclaimed his spot on the bench, briefly back to being a backup and a doorman as Predators came and left the bench. Saros was breaking a sweat while stopping 20 of the 24 shots he faced. The goalies' roles were reversed for the first time in quite some time. Saros made his first start since Nov. 23, when he was pulled after allowing five goals against the Blues. Ten days before that, Saros allowed five goals in a loss to the Sharks. Rinne had played in 11 games in a row, 10 of which were starts, before Saturday night. Saros' recent struggles weren't a topic of discussion on the bench Saturday morning, though. Sometimes some things don't need to be discussed to be understood. "We both know as goalies sometimes there’s easier times and sometimes there's tougher times," Saros said. "That’s part of the sport." Room for improvement And these have been tough times on the ice for Saros. The soft-spoken 23-year-old relieved Rinne for the third period of a 5-3 loss Thursday against the Canucks and allowed one goal. Three more went by him Saturday, making it 18 in his last four starts. Saros' promising 7-2 start to the season came with a .909 save percentage and a shutout attached. "You can practice however much you want, but it’s always different when you get the feeling of playing," Saros said. Predators coach Peter Laviolette has reiterated his trust in Saros and said he played pretty well Saturday. Defenseman Ryan Ellis agreed. "He played great," Ellis said. "A lot of those goals there’s nothing you can do – tips, deflections, screens, whatever it may be. "We have to do a better job in front of both our goalies." To be fair, Rinne's ridiculous numbers -- he is 9-4-1 with a .931 save percentage since missing five games earlier this season -- and the ridiculous number of injuries to key players -- Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg, P.K. Subban and Kyle Turris -- also have been reasons to sit Saros. "Of course you want to make a couple of those extra saves to keep your team in the game," Saros said after Saturday's loss. "I still have room to improve."

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New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Ducks: LIVE score updates and chat (12/9/18)

Updated December 9, 2018 at 7:52 PM; Posted December 9, 2018 at 7:50 PM By Chris Ryan

Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, Sami Vatanen, and the New Jersey Devils will open a three-game California swing when they visit Adam Henrique and the Anaheim Ducks at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sunday at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Devils' lines vs. Ducks Join NJ.com's live chat in the comment section, and follow along with live updates in the box below. Here is everything you need to know about the home game: What: New Jersey Devils (10-12-5) vs. Anaheim Ducks (15-11-5) When: 8 p.m. EST, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018 Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California TV: MSG+ Live stream: MSG Go Chris Ryan

Star Ledger LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120244 New Jersey Devils

Why NJ Devils' Cory Schneider is confident his luck will turn

Abbey Mastracco, Published 12:33 a.m. ET Dec. 10, 2018

ANAHEIM -- Cory Schneider is having a tough year. The Devils have scored on Schneider, their own goalie, in each of his last two starts. There was a start before that where he shut out a team for 59:30 but couldn’t get any offensive support. It’s no secret the 32-year-old goalie is struggling to re-establish his game after a few years of hip injuries. The injuries are now past him after an offseason surgery but numbers show that he hasn’t quite found his game yet: 0-5-1 with a 4.29 GAA and a 0.863 save percentage. So a trio of own-goals was the last thing he needed but it’s exactly what he got in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night at Honda Center. New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider, left, blocks a shot by Anaheim Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano during the second period of an NHL “Bad bounces going into the net,” Schneider said. “I’m not sure how you view that in the prism of defending a league or playing in the third. But we didn’t quit.” New Jersey didn’t quit, with Marcus Johansson working his 6-on-5 magic yet again and tying the game at 5-5 with 58 seconds left in regulation. The Devils are still searching for their first overtime win but getting the game into a shootout was a step in the right direction. However, they don’t think they should have been in that position in the first place because Schneider gave New Jersey enough of a chance to win. It was the three goals put past Schneider by Stefan Noesen, Ben Lovejoy and Andy Greene that made the difference. “You can’t do much about bad bounces and pucks getting deflected and not being able to see pucks,” Devils’ forward Kyle Palmieri said. “But for us, he’s battling in there and we’re trying to battle in front of him but pucks seem to just find their way off different things and end up in the back of the net.” Devils’ coach John Hynes has never seen three own-goals like that at the NHL level. Maybe it speaks to just how bad Schneider’s luck has been or maybe it was just a strange night. Regardless, he doesn't think Schneider’s performance was as bad as it the scoresheet would indicate. “The fact that we put three in our net was a little bit of a different situation for sure,” Hynes said. “He got the start tonight and he made some strong saves. That’s what you’re looking for. I think you can see his game coming.” Luck is a funny thing. Sometimes you have it and sometimes it’s out of your control. When things are going well, it might seem like a team gets a few more lucky bounces here and there. But when things are a struggle, as they have been for the Devils, those bad bounces seem to happen a little more often. “My teammates step in front of a lot of pucks and block a lot of shots for me so obviously they’re not trying to do it on purpose,” Schneider said. “That’s hockey. When you’re going great and winning games everything seems to stay out but when you’re in a stretch like I am they all seem to go in. "But it will turn, it won’t happen forever.” Schneider is still taking ownership of the loss, as he has after every one of them and he's had quite a few this year. He hasn’t won a regular season game since December 27, 2017. Call it snakebitten or call it unlucky, he’s still not letting it get him down. “He’s a true pro,” Hynes said. “He continues to work at it and maintain the right attitude and you can see his game is coming around. It was just unfortunate tonight that there were some odd bounces that didn’t help him.”

Bergen Record LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120245 New Jersey Devils each of Schneider’s last two starts with Sami Vatanen, another former Duck, scoring one in a loss in Tampa Bay on Nov. 25. … Noesen didn’t take a shift in the second period and logged just 5:17 on the ice. … The NJ Devils score 3 times on own net in 6-5 shootout loss to Ducks Devils scratched Drew Stafford, Mirco Mueller and Steven Santini. … Keith Kinkaid will get the start in net for the Devils on Monday night in San Jose. Abbey Mastracco, Published 11:02 p.m. ET Dec. 9, 2018 Bergen Record LOADED: 12.10.2018 Updated 12:14 a.m. ET Dec. 10, 2018

ANAHEIM -- Both goalies on the ice on Sunday night at Honda Center were chasing milestones of sorts. Anaheim Ducks’ backup goalie Ryan Miller was one win shy of surpassing John Vanbiesbrouck’s mark of 374 wins, the most for an American-born goalie. The other American-born goalie in the game was chasing a more dubious honor: His first regular-season win in a calendar year. Neither goalie would reach those milestones. Miller was injured in the third period and John Gibson became the goalie of record. The Devils, somewhat unbelievably, scored three times on their own goalie, Cory Schneider. Perhaps more unbelievably, Marcus Johansson tied it up with 58 seconds left and the Devils made it to a shootout for the first time this season. But Ryan Getzlaf and Daniel Sprong scored for the Ducks in a shootout to give Anaheim (16-11-5) a 6-5 win. The Devils (10-12-6) lost their seventh game in eight tries. “That’s the first time in my experiences where we had three that got in,” coach John Hynes said. “Sometimes something gets deflected in or hits someone else and goes in but those were a little bit odd tonight.” Schneider made 35 saves and one in the shootout. Gibson denied the Devils' two shooters, Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall. Two of the three own-goal offenders, Stefan Noesen and Ben Lovejoy used to play for the Ducks. Andy Greene, the Devils’ captain, had the third offensive transgression. "It was just a couple of bad bounces for us once again," Schneider said. "That's kind of been a recurring theme." Brett Seney put the Devils ahead 4-3 at the 9-minute mark of the second period when he cleaned up a rebound by Jesper Bratt. But at at 8:35 in the third, a Pontus Aberg shot took an errant bounce off the glove of Lovejoy and the game was knotted once again. A wild scramble in front of the net resulted in a power play goal for the Ducks at 13:58. Greene batted in a shot by Ondrej Kase from midair. An eventful first period resulted in six combined goals and a 3-3 score at the end of it. Both teams looked equal parts awesome and awful. Palmieri, who came to the Devils in a draft-day trade from Anaheim in 2015, scored twice for his fifth two-goal game of the season and his second straight. Palmieri opened the scoring 1:38 into the game but it didn’t take long for Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg to net the equalizer. Noesen, one of four former Ducks now playing for New Jersey, then pinged a pass by Kiefer Sherwood into his own net to give the Ducks a lead at 2:47. The momentum continued to swing wildly in each direction. Damon Severson finished off a tic-tac-toe passing sequence on the power play to put the Devils up 3-2 at 13:08 but the offender who gave the visitors a power play, Brandon Montour, scored 31 seconds later to tie the game at 3-3. "The first was tough for both goalies but my guys kept coming back and putting them in," Schneider said. "You try to shake that off and treat it like a 0-0 game and I thought I did a pretty good job of trying to shut it down and hold the fort there." It’s almost unbelievable the luck that Schneider has had -- or maybe hasn’t had -- over the last year. Schneider remains searching for his first win since December 27, 2017. “Cory did a great job battling for us,” Palmieri said. “He’s a warrior and he’s going to keep battling and giving us a chance to win hockey games.” Notes Miller left the game with 12:47 left to play after a collision in the net and his win total remains at 374. … The Devils have scored an own-goal in 1120246 New Jersey Devils

What NJ Devils' Kyle Palmieri learned from former teammate Ryan Getzlaf

Abbey Mastracco, Published 7:22 p.m. ET Dec. 9, 2018

ANAHEIM -- Devils’ forward Kyle Palmieri is off to the best start of his NHL career so it’s only fitting that reflect upon the start of his NHL career in the place where it all began: Orange County, California. Palmieri, the Devils’ leading scorer and the only New Jersey player with a double-digit goal total through the first two months of the season, was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2009 draft and made his debut a little more than a year later. Coming up through the Ducks’ system with Syracuse of the American Hockey League, Palmieri was a speedy sniper but that didn’t necessarily translate to the NHL level immediately. It was tough for Palmieri to get playing time when playing behind a loaded roster. Anaheim was a regular Stanley Cup contender from about 2013 to, well, maybe now. Palmieri was a young winger trying to get playing time, which sometimes means playing all up-and-down the lineup, which can be tough for players trying to establish consistency. But Palmieri was able to benefit greatly from some top-line time with the Ducks’ “Twins,” Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Playing alongside Getzlaf, the Ducks’ longtime captain and one of the best playmaking centermen in the game, in his prime, greatly benefitted Palmieri’s game. “I had the opportunity to be around a lot of great players when I played here,” Palmieri said Sunday at Honda Center in Anaheim. “He was one of those guys who knew what it took to win and whether it took him taking over a game personally or doing whatever a captain needed to do get his team going, it’s something I noticed the first day I got here.” Palmieri was only scratching the surface of his offensive potential in Anaheim. He scored 14 goals in each of his last two seasons in Southern California, helping the Ducks reach the 2015 Western Conference Final against the Chicago Blackhawks, the eventual Stanley Cup champions. He was traded to New Jersey in the 2015 draft and has developed into much more than just a sniper. The 27-year-old is now a top-line winger who plays a two-way game and boasts arguably the best shot on the team. At times this season, Palmieri has taken over games for the Devils, much like he watched Getzlaf do during his tenure in Anaheim. “He’s a pretty incredible player,” Palmieri said. “As a young guy coming in here and seeing all that he accomplished in the first part of his career, you see and admire his ability to take over a game. It’s special to watch and special to be his teammate." California Dreamin’ The Devils are dreaming about goaltender Cory Schneider returning to his old form. The former No. 1 netminder has been successful in California in the past and coach John Hynes said his numbers in the area factored into his Sunday start. “We do that lots of times when we look at goalie rotations,” Hynes said. “If you have back-to-backs or a lot of games we’ll look at which goaltenders have performed well historically over who the opponents are. Sometimes you have to take that into consideration.” Keith Kinkaid will start Monday night in San Jose against the Sharks. Team bonding November was a busy month for the Devils and the start of the schedule in December did them little favors. So two off-days in California served as a mental refresh of sorts. After defeating the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night at the start of the trip, the Devils had a day off in Orange County and a moderate practice on Saturday. “The guys are fresh and recovered,” Hynes said. “They also get a chance to spend some time together outside the rink and the game.”

Bergen Record LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120247 New Jersey Devils New York Daily News LOADED: 12.10.2018

Devils doomed by three own goals and lose to Ducks in shootout

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DEC 09, 2018 | 11:35 PM

Three Anaheim goals in regulation deflected in off opposing players. When the game went to a shootout and New Jersey's Taylor Hall had a chance to tie it, his shot ricocheted off the crossbar. That left an opening for Ryan Getzlaf, who followed Daniel Sprong's earlier goal in the shootout with a nifty wrist shot to give the Ducks a wild 6-5 victory Sunday over the Devils. "It was a bizarre game," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "It was one of those games that seemed like the last shot would win it." The Ducks have won six of their last seven, though none quite equaled Sunday's bizarre victory. Jakob Silfverberg, Kiefer Sherwood, Brandon Montour, Pontus Aberg and Ondrej Kase scored in regulation for the Ducks. The goals by Sherwood, Aberg and Kase all went off New Jersey players. Kase's goal was actually knocked in by Andy Greene when he swung his stick attempting to bat it away from the net. "It was the first time in my experience where you had three that went in," Devils coach John Hynes said. "Something gets deflected in, and hits someone and goes in. Those were a little bit odd tonight." Kyle Palmieri had two goals for the Devils, and Damon Severson, Brent Seney and Marcus Johansson also scored. Cory Schneider stopped 33 shots. The Devils snapped a six-game losing streak in their last outing, but have now lost seven of eight. The Ducks started the shootout, but Aberg's shot was blocked by Schneider. John Gibson then blocked Palmieri, before Sprong — in his first career shootout attempt — sliced a backhand past Schneider. When Palmieri's shot went off the crossbar, Getzlaf's goal provided the game-winner. "Our guys did a good job of sticking with things," Getzlaf said. "When you get a few bounces, it's big. We didn't get any of those the first two months of the season." Anaheim's Ryan Miller, looking to become the all-time leader in U.S.-born goaltender wins, left the game with 12:47 left in the third period after a pair of players crashed into him at the net. He appeared to have injured his left leg. Gibson was in goal the rest of the night. The night began with a wild opening period as both teams scored three times. Three of the goals were scored within 59 seconds. Palmieri opened the scoring, snapping in a rebound past Miller just 1:38 into the game. The Ducks answered quickly, a screened Silfverberg firing from long distance to tie it. Sherwood gave Anaheim a brief lead when he completed a breakaway, his shot deflecting off the leg of Stefan Noesen in front of the crease and into the net. New Jersey tied it at 2-2 on Palmieri's second goal of the period, wristing in a quick shot on a feed from Hall behind the net. The Devils went back up on Severson's power-play goal, but the Ducks tied it again on Montour's goal to end the high-scoring period. "That first period was a little helter-skelter," Schneider said. "Both sides (played) a littler looser. You come out of it 3-3, it's basically a 0-0 hockey game. ... You have that mentality of starting over. I thought we did a good job in the second and took control of the game. The Ducks made a push in the third." New Jersey led 4-3 in the third when Aberg fired a long, blind, backhanded shot that went off the hand of New Jersey's Ben Lovejoy and hopped in the net. Kase's goal gave Anaheim a 5-4 lead, but the Devils emptied their net and scored after a wild scramble in front of the net with 57.8 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

1120248 New York Islanders

Islanders recall Josh Ho-Sang from Bridgeport

By Brian Heyman Updated December 10, 2018 2:17 AM

Finally, there was a Josh Ho-Sang sighting again on Islanders ice, or at least their slice of practice ice. They called up the tantalizing 22-year-old forward and 2014 first-round pick — who has hit some bumps on and off the ice in the past — from Bridgeport on Sunday. Coach Barry Trotz said Ho-Sang has “made strides” in his game. General manager Lou Lamoriello said he has been “playing extremely well.” But Lamoriello said he’s here now only “as a depth player” because of minor injuries. So Ho-Sang’s stay may be short. Tom Kuhnhackl suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s morning skate at Detroit. He sat out the 3-2 win and Sunday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center, but Lamoriello said he could have skated and is day-to-day. Anders Lee suffered facial cuts in the game and also didn’t practice. Lamoriello called it “maintenance.” Trotz will evaluate the personnel situation before Monday night’s game against Pittsburgh at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum and determine whether Ho-Sang is needed. “For me, I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be here,” Ho-Sang said. Ho-Sang overslept the first day of his first training camp in 2015, ending that stay. He split time between Bridgeport and the Islanders the following two seasons, but last season, he was critical of how he was being handled by the Garth Snow/Doug Weight regime. The new Lamoriello/Trotz regime sent him down during the preseason. It’s an important season for Ho-Sang, the final one in his three-year, $3.41-million deal. “I just want to play,” he said. “I’m going to play hard. I want to make sure that they can trust me, and in return, I’ll be able to create offensively for them.” Asked if he worried about what the organization thought of him while he was with Bridgeport, Ho-Sang said, “No, I don’t worry too much about what anyone thinks about me, to be honest.” So what does the organization think of him? “If we didn’t think something of him, he wouldn’t be here today,” Lamoriello said. He said Ho-Sang “created whatever transpired” previously. Lamoriello said there have been no attitude issues this season and that Ho-Sang has tried to become “a complete player” and “a little more defensive- minded.” Trotz said he also has worked on “the intensity shift to shift.” But Ho-Sang scored only twice to go with 20 assists in 26 games. Lamoriello said he needs to shoot more. “I love passing the puck so much, sometimes it gets in my way,” Ho-Sang said. “To me, I’m always looking for other guys. Sometimes I’m not looking at the net … It’s something I work on every day.” Notes & quotes: Goalie Robin Lehner is healthy again, so Christopher Gibson was sent to Bridgeport . . . Defenseman Luca Sbisa suffered a “tweak” in Saturday’s morning skate and is day-to-day . . . Mathew Barzal said it’s “nice to get another crack” at the Penguins after Thursday’s 6-2 loss. He said, “Obviously, we kind of embarrassed ourselves in Pittsburgh that night.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120249 New York Rangers The future lays ahead of Andersson. So does the present, uncertain though it may be, and at least partially because of circumstances out of his control. Young forward facing uncertain future as Rangers get healthy “I leave the decisions to the organization,” Andersson said. “But if I can get fourth-line minutes here, I’ll take that anytime.” By Larry Brooks December 10, 2018 | 1:41am New York Post LOADED: 12.10.2018

TAMPA, Fla. — The Rangers haven’t had their full complement of forwards since Nov. 14 against the Sabres, 15 games ago. And while Cody McLeod (broken hand) will still be sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Blueshirts will be as healthy up-front as they have been for a month when Mats Zuccarello (groin) and Pavel Buchnevich (broken thumb) rejoin the lineup, probably as soon as Friday against the Coyotes at the Garden. That will trigger management discussions and personnel decisions, with the most noteworthy concerning the status of Lias Andersson, who seems to be destined for a fourth-line role and corresponding limited minutes if he remains with the varsity. As it has been since training camp, the question general manager Jeff Gorton and his staff will confront is whether it is more beneficial for the 20-year-old to get fewer minutes in the NHL or major minutes down below in Hartford. “We’re assessing that all of the time, and not just with Lias, but all of our young guys,” Gorton told The Post as the Rangers practiced here on Sunday in advance of Monday’s match against the powerhouse Lightning. “But when we are healthy, we will have conversations about where we’re at, and what’s best for him and the team. “I think overall he’s been effective for us and has helped us. I’m sure he’d like to figure more in the offense, but he’s progressing and he’s playing the right way. I think he’s been pretty good.” Andersson has recorded a goal and two assists through 15 games while averaging 10:53 of ice time, including seven in which he’s gotten less than 10:00. He has played two games as a top-six winger, three games as a third-line winger, one game as a third-line center, one game as a fourth-line winger and eight as the Blueshirts’ fourth-line center. “The games where I’ve gotten a lot of ice, I feel I’ve played well,” Andersson said. “I’ve been moving from wing to center and from line to line, so that has been an adjustment, but I feel that I’m learning and developing as a player. “I’ve seen guys sit and be buried on the fourth line, but that’s not how I feel about my experience here. I want to keep improving my offensive game. I want to be an offensive player in this league on a top-two line.” So much of Andersson’s game has been as advertised. He competes like crazy and never takes a shift off. He is fundamentally strong, displays excellent hockey IQ and is tough to play against. In limited opportunities, however, he has not yet displayed above-average skills with the puck. Plus, there is no vacancy in the middle on the club’s top two lines. Whether and how this will factor into the equation regarding extending or trading Kevin Hayes — which is only shaping up as the most significant decision of Gorton’s three-plus year tenure as GM — is yet unknown. But if the Rangers maintain their one-two rotation down the middle featuring Hayes and Mika Zibanejad, Andersson’s route to a top-six role at his natural position — much like Filip Chytil — becomes far more challenging. “I’m just trying to do what I can every day, working at practice on my shot and puck movement and keeping up my offense,” said Andersson, who is likely to again skate between Matt Beleskey and Steven Fogarty against the Lightning. “The coach [David Quinn] wants us to play fast and hard and move the puck quickly and work hard to retrieve it, so that’s what I’m doing. I feel like I’m learning a lot.” Andersson is No. 50 on your lineup card, but the number most attached to him is 7. The Rangers selected him at that slot in 2017, a pick they acquired from Arizona with Tony DeAngelo in exchange for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, but Gorton insisted the organization does not view him through that prism. “We can’t think that way, and we don’t,” Gorton said. “We’re treating Lias like a very good prospect with a very bright future. We’re working to develop him as a 200-foot player who’s going to be a New York Ranger for a long time. “His draft position isn’t part of it. Where he was picked is somewhat irrelevant.” 1120250 New York Rangers

Rangers are already giving up on their latest experiment

By Larry Brooks December 10, 2018 | 1:04am

TAMPA, Fla. — David Quinn did not say as much, but the Rangers are abandoning their power-line experiment in which the coach shifted Kevin Hayes to right wing on the unit with center Mika Zibanejad and left wing Chris Kreider because such a move depletes the team’s depth and ability to match up against the opposition. Quinn said he would “keep some of the reasons to myself” for terminating the trial after getting mixed results in Saturday’s 5-4 shootout victory over the Panthers, but imagine the Blueshirts trying to keep up with Tampa Bay’s -Brayden Point one-two punch down the middle under that configuration? Impossible. It will be difficult enough under any circumstance, the Lightning coming into the match with six straight victories in which they have outscored their opponents by an aggregate 30-17 — not including an awarded shootout victory goal. First-overall in the NHL at 23-7-1, the Lightning have scored five goals or more in seven of their past 10 games while going 9-1. “It’s going to be a challenge,” said Henrik Lundqvist, mastering the understatement as well as he has mastered his position. “Their forwards all shoot the puck and move the puck from side to side. You can’t be locked in on one or two guys. “They’re probably the best team in the league. We’re going to have to play our best game to have a chance.” Vladislav Namestnikov celebrates his goal in the Rangers' shootout victory over the Panthers on Saturday. Vladislav Namestnikov, who played a powerful game against the Panthers, upon his return from a three-game, concussion-related absence, will make his second appearance here as a Ranger after coming to New York as part of the deadline exchange in which Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller went south in February. “This will be a little easier,” said Namestnikov, who made his return on March 8, just 11 days after the trade. “That was a little difficult. I’m looking forward to this.” Namestnikov scored the first shorthanded goal of his career on Saturday, using a nifty move to convert Kevin Hayes’ centering feed. He also drove hard to the net from the right side with seconds remaining in overtime to create a scoring chance for himself that came to naught once he used his left glove to punch the puck past Roberto Luongo with 8.7 seconds remaining. “I thought maybe no one would see,” Namestnikov said with a sly grin. “The first couple of shifts [after missing that time] were tough, but then I got hit with a couple of crosschecks and that made me mad.” Mats Zuccarello, who has missed 12 of the past 14 games tending to a groin issue, was a full participant in Sunday’s practice but Quinn said he “would be stunned” if No. 36 suits up for this one. … Rangers are 4-8-2 on the road, with all four victories coming via the shootout. Rangers shooters have gone a combined 12-for-18 in the competition.

New York Post LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120251 New York Rangers

Rangers' experiment with Kevin Hayes at wing is over for now

By Colin Stephenson Updated December 10, 2018 2:15 AM

TAMPA, Fla. — Well, that didn’t last long. The day after he collected a pair of assists — and scored the game- winning shootout goal — while playing right wing in the Rangers’ 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers, Kevin Hayes was back at center Sunday as the Blueshirts practiced at Amalie Arena in preparation for Monday’s game against the NHL’s top team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. “I’m not a winger anymore,’’ Hayes announced with a smile. Coach David Quinn had moved Hayes, his No. 2 center, to right wing on the No. 1 line, with center Mika Zibanejad and left wing Chris Kreider, putting his three top scorers together for Saturday’s game against the Panthers. But after a great first period, Quinn said he wasn’t impressed by the trio the last two periods, so he moved Hayes back to his natural position. “As I’ve said many times, there’s a lot that goes into these decisions,’’ Quinn said. “After long discussions, we felt that for our best interests and for his, he’s better off being in the middle.’’ Vladislav Namestnikov — whom the Rangers acquired at the trade deadline last season from Tampa Bay in the blockbuster deal that sent Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to the Lightning and brought back Brett Howden, prospect Libor Hajek and a first-round pick — took Hayes’ spot on the right of Kreider and Zibanejad. , who centered the second line against the Panthers, shifts to right wing, with Hayes stepping between him and left wing Jimmy Vesey. Even if the Hayes-on-the-wing experiment didn’t last long this time, Quinn said he saw enough that he would be OK trying it again. “For sure,’’ he said. “I would feel very comfortable putting [Hayes] on the wing. [If] five, six minutes into a game, you want to go to nine forwards — you shorten your bench and you make that type of move — that’s something I would have no problem doing again in a certain situation.’’ Zibanejad, who scored the first goal against Florida on the rebound of a Hayes shot, would love to see it again. “Obviously, [there are] things to work on. It would be weird if it was perfect the first game we played together,’’ Zibanejad said. “But it’s definitely something I’m really curious about how good it can be.’’ Notes & quotes: Quinn said he will be “stunned’’ if Mats Zuccarello, who has missed 12 of 14 games with a groin strain, plays Monday . . . Henrik Lundqvist, asked if he will wear the new goalie pads he was so uncomfortable in against the Panthers, said he hadn’t decided. “Game- time decision,’’ he said with a laugh.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120252 Ottawa Senators “There are so many things that happen and stuff that you hear, stuff that you guys don’t want to hear,” Boucher said Saturday, when asked about the chippiness of the Saturday game between the Senators and Zack Smith embracing the role of being a shutdown agitator Penguins. “It’s a very competitive environment, an emotional environment and the testosterone is building. In the end, you want to win the game and keep Ken Warren your focus. We talked about it. Against Montreal, we lost our cool at moments. They got to us a little bit. We kind of fell into that a little bit.” Published:December 9, 2018 Smith acknowledges that he, at times, crossed the fine line that exists Updated:December 9, 2018 10:22 PM EST from what’s fair and foul. His stick strayed into some tender areas of the Canadiens players’ anatomy.

“Personally with me, and a couple of other guys, sometimes the The mentally and physically gruelling week for Zack Smith ultimately emotions get the best of you, and I think we were guilty of that in the ended with an overtime loss, but the Ottawa Senators centre walked out Montreal series. of Canadian Tire Centre with some sense of satisfaction late Sunday night. “A lot of us didn’t like the way we handled it or reacted to some of the negativity or to things not going our way. We learned from it.” Ending the weekend with three out of a possible four points following Ottawa’s 2-1 overtime defeat to the Boston Bruins on Sunday, especially The Senators have not quietly slipped away after losing the pair of given the club’s depleted lineup, is a positive. games to Montreal. They remain outsiders looking in at a playoff spot, but they remain in the pack lurking only a few points back. It took different players in different roles to get there. Along the way, they appear to have made some strides defensively. For Smith, the challenge for four of the past six nights was as difficult as Smith also appears to have established his identity. they come: Going head-to-head against the best and brightest lines on the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. “Other teams might describe me as an agitator type, so it’s fun to play against other players like that,” he said. “To know I have a role, especially when I was placed on waivers only a few months ago, I enjoy it,” Smith said. “I’ve played the shutdown, match- “It’s about being the better agitator, I guess, not letting guys get under up role for a lot of years now and I’m enjoying it right now. The guys in your skin. I enjoy that part of the game. Personally, it helps me get the dressing room appreciate it, the coaches appreciate it. Maybe it’s not involved.” the most glamourous role, but it’s what you need to do.” Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.10.2018 Smith appreciates the extra minutes – he played 18:39 Sunday against Boston, 22 hours after playing 18:07 against Pittsburgh – but they are hard minutes. Smith and his current linemates Magnus Paajarvi and Ryan Dzingel were in the middle of nasty battles with the pest Brad Marchand from start to finish Sunday. When his Sunday night ended, Smith was credited with three shots on goal, five hits, four takeaways to go along with only one giveaway, while also delivering a 9-5 record in faceoffs. Against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on Saturday, he had six hits and also came out with a 6-5 record on faceoffs. “It was tough,” said Smith. “I think we did a pretty good job for the most part. But good players like that are just going to find their way on the scoresheet. You think you kind of have them at bay and then, at the end of the game, you look up and Marchand has got one (goal) and one (assist). That’s a little frustrating.” Marchand’s goal came on the power play. His assist came on Torey Krug’s overtime goal, spoiling Mike McKenna’s brilliant performance in the Senators net. Give Krug credit. He took his share of licks from Smith and company and kept on ticking, delivering the winning blow. Considering everything that happened over the weekend, and given the need for the Senators to tighten up without major offensive threats Matt Duchene and Bobby Ryan in the lineup, Senators coach Guy Boucher was full of praise for the hard work of the shutdown crew. “We needed our guys to step up,” Boucher said. “On the defensive side, we needed to tighten it up, because we weren’t going to win a wide-open game against (either) of those teams.” Boucher also singled out Dzingel for his work in a new defensive capacity against the Penguins and Bruins. Dzingel and Marchand had a running battle from start to finish Sunday. What’s also intriguing about the week that was is that the Senators in general, were able to settle themselves down to close out the week after losing their disciplined edge in the consecutive 5-2 losses to Montreal Tuesday and Thursday. Jonathan Drouin and Max Domi did the job offensively and verbally. Domi muttered the words “waivers” to Smith during the opener of the home-and-home series. It was nasty. Hockey players have long memories and Domi will pay for it at some point as the rivalry between the Canadiens and Senators has become increasingly feisty. But for this week, at least, the Canadiens got the better of the Senators. 1120253 Ottawa Senators of great scoring chances. The first period ended with a 5-on-3 power play for Ottawa, but the club couldn’t complete it in the second.

Stone opened the scoring by taking a perfect feed from White, beating Sens backup McKenna stands tall in OT loss to Bruins Rask on the stick side at 12:51 of the first. White showed a burst of speed to help set up the odd-man rush with the Bruins caught up ice and Stone easily scored his 15th of the season. Bruce Garrioch “We’re still making strides to get where we want to be defensively,” Published:December 9, 2018 Senators forward Zack Smith said. “We have to figure that our pretty quick here, but it’s nice to have McKenna come in here and he stood on Updated:December 9, 2018 9:42 PM EST his head for a lot of the saves so it’s good to know that when we make mistakes they have your back.”

A TOUGH STRETCH Bruins 2, Senators 1 (OT) The Senators’ depth is being put to the test. Mike McKenna stole the show for the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. While blueliner Christian Jaros is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body He also helped the Senators make their point. injury, the club was also without veteran defenceman Dylan DeMelo, who Led by McKenna’s brilliant 42-save performance, the Senators may have may not make the three-game road trip that begins Tuesday night never gotten a point in the first place as the club dropped a 2-1 overtime against the Nashville Predators. decision to the Boston Bruins in front of 13,148 at Canadian Tire Centre. DeMelo is out with an upper-body injury that may have taken place in the Torey Krug scored the overtime winner at 3:07 to give the Bruins the first period on a hit from Pittsburgh’s Riley Sheahan. DeMelo finished the victory on a shot McKenna never had a chance on. While McKenna only game but the club was forced to recall Erik Burgdoerfer Sunday morning surrendered a goal to Brad Marchand in regulation, Mark Stone and he suited up against the Bruins. responded for the Senators against Tuukka Rask. “I’d like to tell you he’s day-to-day, but we don’t know if he’s coming on “It was great. We see it in practice all the time and we couldn’t have the trip. We’ll see,” Boucher said before the game. “He played through it, asked for more from him,” said centre Colin White, who set up Stone’s which is a statement to his character because we needed it and he knew only goal. it, but now it’s getting a little worse. Making only his sixth appearance in the net since being called up from “We have to make sure we take care of it.” Belleville of the American Hockey League, McKenna was strong. He The Senators leave Monday to open a three-game road trip in Nashville gave the club a chance to win and that’s all the Senators want from their and after the game Boucher indicated DeMelo wouldn’t be on the road. backup when they decided to give No. 1 netminder Craig Anderson a The Senators will recall a forward and a blueliner from the club’s AHL rare rest. affiiate in Belleville before they leave. The shots were 14-4 for Boston in the third period and that was when Losing DeMelo is a big hit. Acquired in the deal that sent Erik Karlsson to McKenna was at his best in his first home start. the San Jose Sharks in September, DeMelo has been a strong addition. “I felt like myself and I felt like I did a lot of good work leading up to this to He has been a solid defensive partner for and averages be ready for it,” said McKenna, who made a two-pad stack on Sean 18:53 minutes per game. Kuraly in OT. “That’s a credit to our goalie coach (Pierre Groulx) and my “He’s done a very good job. He’s a great person, he’s great to have teammates. around the room and he’s very smart,” Boucher said. “He’s one of those “It might have been the most (saves) in the NHL, but I’ve had games like guys that makes the environment better so losing him, hopefully it won’t that in other places to. I’ve felt that before. We battled so hard tonight. It be for too many games. was a little bit of a battle of attrition with both teams being banged up but “It’s another loss. We’ve had quite a few big losses here.” it was a pretty entertaining game I thought.” The club is already without forwards Matt Duchene, Bobby Ryan and Coming off a 2-1 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jean-Gabriel Pageau along with blueliner Mark Borowiecki. He missed Saturday, both of these National Hockey League teams were in back-to- his ninth straight game Sunday night and there’s no timetable for his back situations. The Bruins didn’t arrive until early Sunday morning after return either. a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at home. When it rains, it pours on the injury front especially after losing Duchene The challenge was difficult for the Senators. The club is playing without and Ryan on Thursday against the Habs. six regulars because of injuries and head coach Guy Boucher warned that Boston has dominated Ottawa the last 18 months. “That’s the NHL,” Boucher said, “especially on defence. You think you have a lot of (defencemen) and, all of a sudden, they fall like flies. Once Boucher was happy the Senators walked away with three of four points in you lose top-end guys, it makes a big difference. the two games. “We’re lucky Harpur is there and it was a great signing by (GM) Pierre “I thought our players in general, if you look at the whole weekend, and (Dorion) to bring in (Justin) Falk. He falls in at the perfect time and he put it in perspective, not a lot of people thought we’d get a single point played really well (Saturday). Harpur is getting better and better every this weekend with big teams coming in,” Boucher said. day and helping us. We’ve got enough guys to do the job.” “Giving up only one goal in regulation in each game? I’m really proud of As for Jaros, he may not be out long and could make the trip but play our guys. They gave everything they had. They’re done now. There’s later in the week. nothing left in the tank. It was a great team effort in both games and it was a really close one.” “It’s not something big but he can’t play,” Boucher said. Through 40 minutes, this was a tough battle with the shots 27-23 in THIS ’N’ THAT favour of Boston and the score tied 1-1. McKenna was equal to the task and did a good job while Rask came up with some stops as the Senators McKenna didn’t face a shot until 4:21 of the first, but he made a pretty pushed hard to make sure this game was even. good glove save off Matt Grzelcyk. It was only McKenna’s sixth appearance in the club’s net since being called up Oct. 31 … There were The Senators were forced to play most of the second period with only nine scouts from nine different teams on hand. Representatives from five defencemen after Ben Harpur was given 17 minutes in penalties for Anaheim, Minnesota, Chicago, Vancouver, San Jose, Detroit, Los dropping the gloves with Boston’s Sean Kuraly. Angeles, Toronto and Philadelphia were in the building. The holiday roster freeze is set for Dec. 19 and trade talk has been heating up lately The Bruins tied it up on the power play when Marchand fired home his … The instigator penalty to Harpur for dropping the gloves with Kuraly in eighth of the season at 7:49 of the second. Standing in the circle, he beat the second was a mystery. “The instigator call I really don’t understand McKenna on the glove side and that was the first goal with the man how you can get an instigator call by skating backwards when the guy is advantage the club had allowed in four games. coming after you,” said Boucher. Boston tied it up 1-1 on the power when The Senators held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Outshot 12-11 by the Marchand fired it home … Pretty sure the Ottawa bench didn’t appreciate Bruins, McKenna was equal to the task the Senators didn’t give up a lot Marchand doing a fly-by after he tied it up … Ryan Dzingel slid a perfect pass to Cody Ceci in alone and he missed the net with just over a minute left in the second. That could have made a difference. THE LAST WORDS With so many players sidelined, there’s no question that many are being used in different roles. Boucher said the players given the chance have to embrace the new roles. “I don’t think anybody is happy when you get injuries but, of course, some players benefit from it,” said Boucher. “Having different roles that are more amplified. A guy like (Chris) Tierney has to go on the power play now. He was doing great on it before, but we need him so badly on the penalty kill and (Tierney) gets some ice time there. A guy like (Max) McCormick gets in the lineup and he’s been waiting a long time.” … Defenceman Thomas Chabot played 29:21 because of the shortage on the blueline with DeMelo and Jaros out. Tierney, who has been elevated into Duchene’s spot, led all forwards in ice time with 22:39. FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED Physical game This turned into a chippy affair and Zack Smith is never afraid to get his nose dirty in these kinds of games. He caught Boston blueliner Torey Krug with a big hit behind the Bruins’ net midway through the second. This is the kind of game it was. Even the officials take some Referee Chris Schlenker needed some attention from Ottawa athletic therapist Dom Nicoletta late in the third. After Ryan Dzingel hit Brad Marchand, he took Schlenker out at the knees. He continued in the game after the television timeout. Tough customer Ben Harpur dropped the gloves seven minutes into the second and Sean Kuraly bit off more than he can chew. Harpur caught Kuraly a couple of times and there was blood on the ice that had to be cleaned up during the television timeout. Tough call The Senators had a 5-on-3 for a minute that started late in the first when Brad Marchand was given an elbowing penalty. He got Max Lajoie in the head while trying to kill off the initial call on Chris Wagner for cross- checking. The Senators weren’t able to capitalize. New partner With Dylan DeMelo and Christian Jaros sidelined with injuries, that meant changes on the defensive pairings. Top blueliner Thomas Chabot skated with Harpur until he was given 17 minutes in penalties for dropping the gloves with Kuraly. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120254 Ottawa Senators

67's finish off Petes, finishing weekend with a pair of victories

Ken Warren Published:December 9, 2018 Updated:December 9, 2018 6:45 PM EST

The Ottawa 67’s continue to roll atop the OHL standings. The 67’s defeated the Peterborough Petes 4-2 Sunday at The Arena at TD Place, capping a busy weekend with consecutive victories. The 67’s defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 5-1 on Saturday, winning the cross- Ottawa River rivalry. Forward Tye Felhaber scored three goals Saturday, giving him 33 in the 67’s first 31 games of the season. Valerie Wutti / OSEG Tye Felhaber led the way offensively, scoring a pair of goals. Felhaber scored a total of six goals in three games during the weekend. Sasha Chmelevski scored a goal and an assist. Merrick Rippon scored the other 67’s goal. Goaltender Cedrick Andree registered his 20th victory of the season, stopping 28 of 30 shots. The Ottawa 67’s Sasha Chmelevski steals the puck from Sarnia’s Alexandre Hogue during an 8-4 win at the TD Place arena on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. Chmelevski had a goal and three assists in the win. Valerie Wutti Valerie Wutti / . “I felt like in the first period, we weren’t physical enough, which can happen when you’re tired, but from the second period on, we played our own game,” 67’s coach Andre Tourigny said in a statement. “We were physical. We were grinding their defencemen in their own zone and that’s where we got our confidence and momentum.” Chmelevski said it was a solid team effort. “We played a a full 60 minutes just like we talked about before the game. We didn’t give them any time or space to work with.” Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120255 Ottawa Senators

DeMelo and Jaros join Ottawa Senators' injury list

Bruce Garrioch Published:December 9, 2018 Updated:December 9, 2018 2:53 PM EST

The Ottawa Senators’ depth is being put to the test. The Senators will be without defencemen Dylan DeMelo and Christian Jaros when they take on the Boston Bruins Sunday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. Coach Guy Boucher told reporters DeMelo finished Saturday’s 2-1 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at home with an upper body injury and his status for the three-game road trip that gets under way Tuesday in Nashville isn’t known. The club is also without centre Matt Duchene, and winger Bobby Ryan. Mark Borowiecki will miss his ninth straight game. Jaros, who didn’t suit up Saturday against the Penguins, is also listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury. Defenceman Erik Burgdoerfer has been recalled from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville and will play. “I’d like to tell you day-to-day (on DeMelo) but we don’t know if he’s coming on the trip,” said Boucher Sunday afternoon. The injury took place in the first period of the win over the Penguins. “He played through it which is a statement to his character,” Boucher said. “We needed him and he knew all that. Now, it’s getting a little worse and we’ve got to make sure we take care of it. Goaltender Mike McKenna will start and the puck drop is at 5 p.m. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120256 Philadelphia Flyers

Jets ground Flyers to start Canadian swing

Posted Dec 9, 2018 at 6:32 PM Updated Dec 9, 2018 at 6:32 PM STAFF

WINNIPEG, — Jakub Voracek scored the lone goal for the Flyers, and the Jets got goals from seven players while routing Philadelphia 7-1 on Sunday. Josh Morrissey scored one of Winnipeg’s three power-play goals. Kyle Connor, Brandon Tanev, Dustin Byfuglien, Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little and Tyler Myers also scored for Winnipeg (18-9-2). Mark Scheifele assisted on all three of Winnipeg’s second-period goals, and Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine each had two assists. Voracek’s first period goal was his eighth this season for the Flyers (12- 13-3). The Jets’ power play was 3 for 6, while the Flyers went 0 for 2. Connor Hellebuyck made 36 saves for Winnipeg. Philadelphia’s Michal Neuvirth, in just his second appearance of the season, allowed three goals on 10 shots before being replaced by Anthony Stolarz in the second period. Stolarz stopped 21 shots. Connor’s shot from the high slot found its way through traffic for his 11th of the season to open scoring for Winnipeg midway through the first. It was Connor’s first goal in 10 games. Morrissey struck less than three minutes later with Radko Gudas off for roughing Scheifele. Morrissey — who returned to the Jets lineup Sunday after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury — beat a screened Neuvirth with a slap shot for his third goal of the season. Winnipeg scored three times in the second period, with the first chasing Neuvirth as Tanev jumped on a rebound for his fifth goal of the season. Five seconds into their second power play of the game, Byfuglien’s point shot made its way through for his third of the season, making it 4-1 for the Jets. Wheeler’s short-handed breakaway goal late in the second period was the Winnipeg captain’s 15th-career short-handed point, setting a franchise record. The Flyers continue a five-game trip at Calgary on Wednesday night. Burlington County Times LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120257 Philadelphia Flyers Enter Dubnyk, who pretty much solved Minnesota’s problems. The Flyers have been trying to solve their goalie situation for the past 30 years. They think they have their savior in Carter Hart, but he’s probably Fish: Repeating Minnesota goaltending miracle would be good start for a couple years down the road. In the meantime, Fletcher would be wise Chuck Fletcher to try to find another Dubnyk. “We looked at some numbers,″ Fletcher said of the decision to acquire By Wayne Fish / Posted Dec 9, 2018 at 2:01 AM Dubnyk. “We felt if he played behind our defense in Minnesota, his numbers would have been dramatically better than where he played before. Minnesota’s a little better structured team, a little more established than where he had been in the past. New GM Chuck Fletcher has already been portrayed as more on the same page with Flyers’ upper management than Ron Hextall was, but it’s “We felt that there would be better numbers there. Our goalie coach had important that he comes off as more than just a “yes man.″ a good feeling, liked some of the attributes in his game. He had been playing real well in Arizona at that time. At that time in January, he was Fletcher made some bold moves when he was in Minnesota, especially available, frankly. You had to do your work. You had to get lucky in the when he invested nearly $200 million to outbid a number of NHL teams sense that he was available. (including the Flyers) to secure two free-agent headliners: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. “Honestly, sometimes you feel like you’ve got a blindfold on here and you’re throwing a dart. It’s hard to know exactly how that player will be in How much Minnesota ownership was involved in initiating that deal (and your system with the pressures of the market and that sort of thing. With authorizing it) remains to be seen, but it was a somewhat radical Devan, there was a lot of different factors that went into that from people transaction. liking him to some favorable numbers to having him be available.″ Yet, it’s some of the acquisitions that came in under the radar which With the health of Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth likely to be somewhat might have really stamped Fletcher as a bit of a maverick. of an issue the rest of the season, it might behoove Fletcher to tie on that blindfold and hope for a bull’s-eye. Take for instance the trade he made to acquire goalie Devan Dubnyk on Jan. 15, 2015. Chances are team president Paul Holmgren and Comcast Spectacor CEO Dave Scott will become the willing “yes men″ in any move Fletcher Dubnyk, a journeyman netminder who had played for (or been property proposes. of) four different NHL teams in exactly one year, was bouncing around like a pinball when the Wild came calling on Jan. 15, 2015. What have they got to lose? Fletcher decided to send a third-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes in Burlington County Times LOADED: 12.10.2018 exchange for Dubnyk. At the time, Minnesota was eight points out of a playoff berth. All Dubnyk did was start an incredible 38 straight games, going 27-9-2 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .936 save percentage. Dubnyk helped Minnesota tie an NHL record with 12 consecutive road wins (he started 11 of them) and the Wild breezed into the playoffs. For his efforts, Dubnyk received the Bill Masterton Trophy (for dedication and perseverance), plus he finished third in the Vezina Trophy (best goalie) voting and fourth in the voting for the Hart Trophy for NHL MVP. In other words, Fletcher has an eye for this sort of talent and saw something in Dubnyk that maybe others didn’t. For his five-year career in Minnesota, Dubnyk is 144-78-22, with a 2.30 GAA, .921 SP and 20 shutouts. The Flyers are hoping Fletcher can pull off some of these kinds of sleeper pickups with their team as well. Philadelphia’s current situation with goalies and their constant injury problems (they’ve already used five this season) sounds a bit like the one in Minnesota back in 2014-15. “We had lots of drama in Minnesota for a few years,″ Fletcher said Wednesday at the press conference to formally introduce him to the media. “We had some really unfortunate situations with Josh Harding with an illness. We had a goaltender, Nick Backstrom, that had some injury problems. One year, Josh Harding tore his ACL. “We had three different times we had to go out after we started training camp to find goalies to come in and stabilize the position. Sometimes it’s a tough position to figure out because there’s only one number one goalie in most places. There’s only one net. Inevitably, there’s somebody who’s a back-up that’s probably not playing as much as they want to. It’s often hard to figure out how good that goalie would be if we gave him more starts.″ Fletcher did some good research before he made the decision to trade for Dubnyk. “There is a little bit of hit and miss with projecting on goaltending,″ Fletcher said. “Analytics is actually an area I think that’s starting to shed a little more light on to try to cut through some of the noise and maybe make some better projections on goaltenders. It’s critical to find a solution. With the salary cap going, how much of the cap do you want to allocate to goaltenders? “It might be a position that you can lock down maybe for eight years. It may be a position you have to, maybe every two to three years, reinvent depending on cap and resources. It’s a great challenge. Again, we went through it in Minnesota a lot. I don’t think there’s any easy answers.″ 1120258 Philadelphia Flyers Flyers >> Conclude back-to-back at Winnipeg Sunday. Sabres >> Host Los Angeles Tuesday. Claude Giroux front and center as Flyers down Sabres Delaware County Times LOADED: 12.10.2018

By Jonah Bronstein Associated Press Dec 9, 2018

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Claude Giroux was nervous about centering the Philadelphia Flyers' top line for the first time in two seasons. Once he settled in, Giroux guided the Flyers to their most goals in a game in nearly two months. Philadelphia's captain had a goal and three assists Saturday in a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. "I'd like to tell you it's like riding a bike, but it's not," Giroux said. "But it turned out great tonight." With Sean Couturier out because of a lower-body injury, Giroux moved from right wing to center in Philadelphia's lead group of forwards. He had four points in a game for the first time since an Oct. 14, 2017 win over Washington. "It's not easy but he's a natural centerman," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "He's our captain and stepped up in a lot of different fashions tonight." James van Riemsdyk also moved up to the top line and had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who opened a five-game road trip with their third win in 10 games. Ivan Provorov, Wayne Simmonds, Dale Weise and Travis Konecny scored. Michael Raffl had two assists and Anthony Stolarz made 28 saves. After scoring twice in the third period to force overtime and earn a point in a 4-3 loss to Columbus Thursday, the Flyers scored six straight after the Sabres took a 2-0 lead. Giroux's shorthanded goal gave the Flyers a 3-2 lead early in the third period. Simmonds, Weise and Konecny each scored from close range in a span of less than three minutes to put the game out of reach. Provorov scored the tying goal midway through the second period. Scott Laughton dug the puck out of the corner to set up the scoring chance. The six regulation goals were the most the Flyers have scored since a 7- 5 win at Ottawa on Oct. 10. Entering the game 15th out of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference with 25 points, this was Philadelphia's first win since hiring general manager Chuck Fletcher on Monday to replace Ron Hextall, who was fired one week earlier. "There have been a lot of off-ice things that have been happening," Giroux said. "And I think because we have such a tight group in here that we're able to keep playing hockey and keep doing the things we're doing," Jack Eichel scored twice for the Sabres, who have lost five straight following a 10-game winning streak. Linus Ullmark stopped 35 shots. "The streak we were on, that's over. It means nothing now," Eichel said. "Now I think we are losing sight of what made us successful." After scoring once in his previous 16 games, Eichel had two goals in the third period of Buffalo's 4-3 overtime loss to Toronto on Tuesday. He followed that with two first-period goals against the Flyers. The Sabres captain banked a rising shot off the far post for the first goal 4:04 into the game. Eichel then deflected Lawrence Pilut's shot from the point to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead with a little under eight minutes remaining in the period. Sam Rinehart had an assist on Eichel's first goal, extending his career- best point streak to six games. Pilut's assist was the first NHL point in four games for the rookie defenseman. The Flyers got on the board 50 seconds later when Giroux won a faceoff and set up van Riemdsdyk's quick wrist shot from the high slot. NOTES >> Sabres G Carter Hutton is day to day with an upper-body injury. Buffalo called up Scott Wedgewood from the minors to back up Ullmark. ... Sabres D Matt Tennyson made his season debut after being called up on Friday. ... Sabres RW Jason Pominville returned after missing two games with an upper-body injury. ... Sabres RW Kyle Okposo played in his 700th NHL game. UP NEXT 1120259 Philadelphia Flyers

Jets 7, Flyers 1: Michal Neuvirth pulled in disastrous first game back

By John Boruk December 09, 2018 5:47 PM

The Flyers left Winnipeg on Sunday breathing Jet fumes after an embarrassing 7-1 loss at Bell MTS Place. The Jets blew the game open with five unanswered goals and the Flyers now haven't won in Winnipeg since 2015. With Chuck Fletcher in attendance, which line impressed the GM and how did Michal Neuvirth perform in his first action since Oct. 27? • The Flyers came out strong with a refusal to be outworked in the first 25 minutes. They had good puck pursuit, outracing the Jets to loose pucks and outworking Winnipeg along the boards. At one stretch early in the second period, the Flyers outshot the Jets 24-8, although they still trailed 2-1. • The best line at even strength was the Michael Raffl-Scott Laughton- Dale Weise combination. Through two periods, that trio was generating chances and simply outworking the Jets' third line. Once the Flyers were forced to kill Robert Hagg’s major for checking from behind, Raffl and Laughton were forced to kill some major PP time and the entire team had the wind ripped out of its sails. • Neuvirth looked like a goaltender that hadn’t played since Oct. 27 as all three goals he allowed were stoppable shots. Kyle Connor’s shot from the slot wasn’t deflected and Neuvirth couldn’t corral it. Josh Morrisey’s power-play goal from just inside the blue line was a shot in which Neuvirth may have been slightly screened but not enough to where he couldn’t have tracked it. Finally, on Brandon Tanev’s rebound goal, Neuvirth couldn’t squeeze his glove as the puck trickled to the ice. • Perhaps the outcome could have been a little different had the Flyers opened the scoring with a power-play goal. They had the Jets' PK chasing the puck and had some tremendous grade-A opportunities with Wayne Simmonds denied on the doorstep by Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who was tremendous in the first period. Those were the types of saves the Flyers needed out of Neuvirth. The Flyers' power play generated eight shots on their two opportunities. • I agree with Hagg’s checking from behind penalty, but I’m not sure it deserved to be a major. Connor appeared to turn his shoulder and his back at the last minute. • With that said, the Jets have one of the deadliest power-play units in the league and they had not gone two straight games this season without a power-play goal. Overall, with the aid of a five-minute power play, the Jets finished 3 for 5 even with Patrik Laine failing to score. • Phil Varone made his Flyers debut, but playing alongside Jori Lehtera, it’s hard for that fourth line to generate any scoring chances or even maintain a territorial edge. Varone played over eight minutes, mostly in third-period mop-up duty. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120260 Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers have learned firsthand not to go term on a goalie. But dishing out big bucks on, say, a five-year contract? It solves the problem now and doesn't block Hart either. Flyers reportedly may take a run at Sergei Bobrovsky this summer Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018

By Tom Dougherty December 09, 2018 2:40 PM

From eating delicious postgame meals in Buffalo to rumors circulating in the hockey world, the old-school Flyers are back … well, kind of. Gritty is still of the new school. With the team's goaltending situation a hot mess, it didn't take long for the Flyers to enter the rumor business again post-Ron Hextall. In fact, Chuck Fletcher was named GM just six days ago. This one is juicy for several reasons. It makes sense, would elevate the Flyers into the next tier and would right a wrong. From Sportsnet's Chris Johnston, who we recall broke the Braydon Coburn trade in 2015 at 1:48 a.m.: The answer to the longest-running riddle in hockey may come from an unexpected place: As the Philadelphia Flyers ruminate on how to shore up their goaltending — at least until prospect Carter Hart is ready to take the wheel — there are whispers they will take a run at Sergei Bobrovsky on July 1. Whoa. Let's dissect this one. We all know about Bobrovsky, the one that got away, or better worded, the prime example of what was wrong with the old-school Flyers — a lack of patience and knowledge of how to develop goaltending. Many say the Flyers never should have traded Bob, which is wrong. They had to trade Bobrovsky because they had already closed that door when they panicked and signed Ilya Bryzgalov in the summer of 2011. They never should have signed Bryzgalov. They should have signed a veteran stopgap and been patient with Bobrovsky. Sound familiar? Of course it does, because Flyers goaltending is a vicious cycle of mediocrity. It's a similar situation now as the Flyers have a legitimate goalie prospect in Carter Hart receiving AHL seasoning. To Hextall's credit, he understood how to handle developing goaltending; he just completely bungled the bridge to Hart. The Flyers' goaltending situation this season is a disaster and one of the major downfalls of the Hextall era. The Flyers have used five goalies this season, and it's just Dec. 9. It wasn't like this wasn't totally predictable. Brian Elliott was coming off major core muscle surgery and Michal Neuvirth had an injury record longer than a high school U.S. history textbook. It was a bad bet that Elliott and Neuvirth could get you to Hart. An injury to Alex Lyon during the preseason was the real curveball. But betting on Lyon being the backup would have been a high-risk bet. Hextall should have addressed the goaltending situation in some way. He didn't, and now Fletcher is the GM. Neither Elliott and Neuvirth have contracts after this season, and it's almost a sure bet that neither will be back next season. Elliott hasn't necessarily been bad here, but health issues are catching up. The Flyers need a better option until Hart is ready to take over. Which brings us to Bobrovsky, who has the second-best save percentage (.921) among NHL goaltenders since the Flyers traded him to Columbus in 2012 and has won the Vezina Trophy twice. Bobrovsky's time in Columbus appears to be coming to an end. He's a free agent on July 1 and all signs point to him testing free agency. According to The Athletic's Aaron Porzline in a story published Aug. 22, Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets had not "actively negotiated for some time now." As Portzline pointed out, it's assumed Bobrovsky wants to be the highest-paid goalie in the NHL. This is where it gets a little murky for the Flyers. Carey Price is the league's highest-paid goalie after signing an eight-year, $84 million contract on July 2, 2017. Bobrovsky's résumé warrants him to be in that conversation. Postseason struggles aside, Bob has been one of the best goalies in the league since 2012. But the playoff performances are part of Bob's story, and they're not pretty. Bobrovsky has struggled in the first third of this season, but his track record is strong enough to overlook it. Bobrovsky is going to be paid big this summer, and the Flyers have cap space and the drive to spend. Bringing Bobrovsky back would instantly solve this problem; it's just about the term. 1120261 Philadelphia Flyers Neuvirth is "healthy," but the Flyers know what they have in him. It would have been nice to watch the Flyers ride Stolarz and see what they have in him. He kept the Flyers in the game against Buffalo. Flyers at Jets: Live stream, storylines, game time and more Projected lineup Forwards By Tom Dougherty December 09, 2018 9:00 AM James van Riemsdyk-Claude Giroux-Travis Konecny Jakub Voracek-Nolan Patrick-Wayne Simmonds The Flyers (12-12-3) kicked off their five-game road trip Saturday with an Michael Raffl-Scott Laughton-Dale Weise impressive 6-2 onslaught of the Sabres without a major piece of their lineup. Oskar Lindblom-Jori Lehtera-Phil Varone They'll likely be without Sean Couturier again today as they begin the Defensemen Western Canada portion of this trip against a dangerous 17-9-2 Winnipeg team. Shayne Gostisbehere-Ivan Provorov • When: 3 p.m. ET with Flyers Pregame Live at 2:30 p.m. Andrew MacDonald-Robert Hagg • Where: Bell MTS Place Travis Sanheim-Radko Gudas • Broadcast: NBCSP+ Goalies • Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the NBC Sports Michal Neuvirth MyTeams app Anthony Stolarz • Without Couturier out Saturday, Dave Hakstol opted to move Claude Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 Giroux back to center over elevating Nolan Patrick in the lineup. Saturday was Giroux's first game back in the middle since 2016-17. He didn't miss a beat. He posted his 10th career four-point game with a shorthanded goal and three assists. He now has 25 points in his last 16 games and is on pace to become the sixth player in NHL history to register back-to-back 100-point seasons at 30 years old or older. Given the circumstances, I would not be opposed to seeing Giroux move back to center, or at least until new GM Chuck Fletcher is able to upgrade the center position in the middle six. Giroux and James van Riemsdyk have excellent chemistry together, and that was evident against Buffalo. JVR had a goal and an assist against the Sabres, and he needs to be higher in the lineup with a playmaker in the middle. Center is a position this team needs to upgrade because Patrick hasn't developed as expected. They need more from the position. Until then, Giroux in the middle makes sense. • How about this? The Flyers' penalty kill may have finally turned things around. Since allowing three power-play goals to Tampa on Nov. 17, the Flyers have killed off 16 of their last 17 penalties and have two shorthanded goals in the last two games. The Flyers' power play remains poor with no goals in their last seven games, but the biggest takeaway is that this penalty kill somehow has figured things out. • The Flyers really struggled with defending Jack Eichel on Saturday and it doesn't get any easier today against Patrik Laine. Laine is a lethal goal scorer and second in the NHL with 21 goals. Interestingly, Laine has just three assists in 28 games, so his stat line is strange. Slowing down Laine will be a major challenge for this Flyers team that's struggled with team defense all season long. • Ivan Provorov has looked lost way too often in his third season, and that was the case briefly Saturday when Tage Thompson undressed the defenseman. Lo que ha hecho Tage Thompson con la cintura de Ivan Provorov #NHL pic.twitter.com/zDSIRikNOT — JoseMau Martin (@jmaumartin) December 8, 2018 Provorov, though, rebounded nicely and scored his third goal of the season with an absolute snipe job. Provy showed extra emotion after his goal as if an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Provorov finished strong and was a plus-5 on Saturday. If the Flyers want to turn this season around, they're going to need Provorov to get back to form. There's no reason to have long-term concerns about him. Hopefully, Saturday was a turning point. • It's a roll of the dice with Flyers goaltending, but Anthony Stolarz is on a roll right now and it's wise for the new regime to see what they have in the 24-year-old. Stolarz deserves to start again Sunday despite it being a back-to-back and a long flight. However, Michal Neuvirth will get the net. 1120262 Philadelphia Flyers That game would have been a real good one for Provorov’s agent, Mark Gandler, to point to in contract negotiations. Only problem is that those talks stalled over the summer and haven't started up yet with new Ivan Provorov’s growing pains a hurdle Flyers never planned for general manager Chuck Fletcher. Former Flyers GM Ron Hextall couldn’t get anywhere with Gandler in the offseason across 10 meetings and they agreed to stop talking before the season began. Dave Isaac, NHL writer Published 11:27 a.m. ET Dec. 9, 2018 | Updated Provorov said he wasn’t involved in those talks at all, that “I was focusing 11:37 a.m. ET Dec. 9, 2018 on preparing for the season, all day, every day. That was it.” He also said those negotiations — one would figure that an eight-year contract is something both the player and the team would want — He had become robotic in the most flattering way possible. When things haven’t affected his on-ice performance. were going haywire in the Flyers’ zone, something that’s happened often over the past few seasons, one of the youngest defensemen on the team “Doesn’t affect me,” Provorov said. “I love the game for what it is. It’s not was the calming force that nearly never made a mistake and often turned all about the money. It’s about the love for the game.” the team’s fortunes around. Hextall said last Friday Provorov was the last player on the roster he’d In his third season, 21-year-old Ivan Provorov has looked…well…human. expect to have a mental block because of contract talks, but not everyone feels that way. “I have no doubt that he’ll bounce back,” Flyers president Paul Holmgren said this week. “None.” “Think…it’s probably got some effect, right? You’d have to be Superman for it not to have some effect,” Holmgren said. “You get into stuff like that While Provorov insists he’s playing well, both the eye test and the and all of a sudden you stop (when the season begins). I don’t know statistics say that hasn’t been consistently true. what happened. I know they decided to table it for a while, which is sort of modus operandi. Gotta have a little bit of effect.” Before Sunday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, only Robert Hägg had a worse shot-attempt percentage than Provorov among the seven Whether that’s the crux of Provorov’s instability or not, his play going defensemen the Flyers have dressed this season. That makes sense forward needs to be more consistent for the Flyers to have a chance at from the standpoint that those two have comprised the Flyers’ top pair for reaching the playoffs. To Provorov's point, the whole team needs to be the majority of the season and would therefore play against the opposing more consistent, too. top lines, but Provorov has done that since becoming the team’s top defenseman 20 games into his rookie season. His shot-attempt His ice time has continued to rise, up 32 seconds per game on average percentage itself, 48.35, isn’t drastically different from last season’s 49.33 from last season. He sees that as more time to make himself and the percent. His unforced errors with the puck are certainly up, but he has team better. always led the defense corps in giveaways because he’s always led them in ice time. “I can play more,” he said. “I’m two years older than I was my rookie year. I’m stronger. I’m in better shape, better conditioned. I can play 30 The big difference this season is that he hasn’t made up for them with minutes and not be tired.” strong defensive play. His first two seasons he has led the defense in takeaways and before Sunday’s game ranked fourth out of the Flyers’ Dave Isaac; seven defensemen with only two. He has uncharacteristically lost battles Courier-Post LOADED: 12.10.2018 along the boards and in front of his own net at times as well. “I think I’ve been playing well,” Provorov said this week. “I think overall as a team we need to be better and we need to be more consistent because when the team doesn’t play well, no one looks as good as they can. I think once we put a few games together, when we go on a little winning streak and start playing well, I think all of a sudden everyone’s gonna think we made this drastic (change). They’ll think, ‘Oh, these guys look so much better.’ You saw on that L.A. trip, everyone looked great because we were winning. When you’re losing, no matter how hard you try or how hard you play, it still feels like it’s not enough. “Ever since I started playing hockey and I stepped onto the ice I’ve tried to do everything to help the team win in any way possible — power play, PK, even strength, blocking a shot, scoring a goal, whatever it may be. Do I make mistakes? Yeah, I do. Everyone makes mistakes. We’re human. There’s no such thing as perfect. But when I go on the ice, I try to do whatever I can to help the team win.” Provorov is very much like captain Claude Giroux in that way. When things aren’t going well, he tries to put the team on his back and do it all himself. When it doesn’t work, those risks look misguided because it tends to end with the puck behind a Flyers goaltender. “I have no question that Ivan’s gonna, at some point, get back to the way he was going which is a real upward trend of being one of the better defensemen in the game,” Holmgren said. “That’s kind of how we view him. It happens. It’s not out of the ordinary. You don’t like to see it happen, but sometimes you’ve got to dig deep and find out what the reasons are. That’s kind of what we’re going through right now.” Both the team and the player say he’s healthy, that he isn’t feeling the effects of the Grade 3 AC separation in his left shoulder he suffered in Game 5 of a playoff series against Pittsburgh last season. So far this season Provorov has played mostly with Hägg and Shayne Gostisbehere. A look at Provorov’s career shot-attempt numbers say that he plays best with another puck mover so for the Flyers to stick with a Provorov-Gostisbehere defense pair makes the most sense on paper. At times they have both struggled simultaneously and head coach Dave Hakstol has split them up. Recently he put them back together and it paid off Saturday in Buffalo when Provorov had his first goal in more than a month and was a career-high plus-5 in the Flyers’ 6-2 win over the Sabres. 1120263 Pittsburgh Penguins the game. I think everyone knows how to handle it. You just try to make sure everyone’s on the same page.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 12.10.2018 Penguins' Sidney Crosby refuses to criticize teammates

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, 6:24 p.m. Updated 11 hours ago

By captaining his team to three Stanley Cup championships and putting in 13-plus seasons as the face of the league, Sidney Crosby has earned certain rights and privileges. One of them, perhaps, is the right to publicly criticize teammates for poor performance should he desire. But if Penguins fans are expecting to see Crosby to exercise that right, they’d better be prepared to wait a long time. Like, forever. No matter the length of the losing streak or the egregiousness of the errors he saw a teammate committing, Crosby said he can’t imagine a circumstance where he would stand in front of a swarm of cameras and microphones and rip him. “No. None,” Crosby said. If he has a message he wants to get across to a teammate, he’ll do so in private. “I don’t think there’s ever really a purpose to that,” Crosby said. “If you have an issue, you deal with it directly with that person. It doesn’t need to go past that. It has happened. Sometimes it’s when guys are heated right after the game when we do interviews. It could happen easily sometimes. But for the most part, if there’s an issue or you want to talk about a play or if you want to be critical of someone, I think it’s better to do it face to face.” Crosby’s belief stands in contrast to the leadership style employed by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who last month publicly criticized receivers Antonio Brown and James Washington for route- running mishaps in a loss to the Denver Broncos. Crosby said he wasn’t aware of the specifics of Roethlisberger’s comments, and even if he was, he wouldn’t throw shade at the Steelers captain’s motivational tactics. Every team is different. Every locker room is different. Heck, every sport is different. In hockey, being outspoken is frowned upon. In football, it’s more accepted. Crosby just knows that isn’t his style. “Maybe some teams, that’s how they push each other,” Crosby said. “I just haven’t seen that really happen with our team, and things have gone pretty well. I want to keep it that way.” If there ever was a season when Crosby would be justified in criticizing teammates, this would probably be it. As the team has limped to a 12-10-6 start, Crosby is on pace to score 47 goals. Leaving power-play production out of the equation, he’s averaging nearly a point per game at even strength alone: 12 goals and 12 assists in 25 games. At points in the season when the Penguins have been struggling, Crosby has been their brightest shining light. Since Nov. 5, the Penguins have lost seven games with Crosby in the lineup. They’ve managed 11 goals in those losses. Crosby scored five, assisted on two others and was on the ice but didn’t hit the scoresheet for two more. That includes the remarkable Dec. 4 game — also in Denver — when Crosby scored a natural hat trick to pull his team back into a 3-3 tie with the powerful Avalanche only to see it disintegrate into a 6-3 loss by the final buzzer. If Crosby didn’t publicly criticize teammates after that game, he probably never will. “There are certain times you discuss something and things can get heated, especially on the bench where it’s more intense,” Crosby said. “Things do happen, and that happens whether you’ve won eight in a row or you’ve lost. Probably more when you’ve lost. But I think that’s part of 1120264 Pittsburgh Penguins As bad as the atmosphere at Barclays Center might be, those who remember playing at Nassau remember something completely different.

“I like it,” Olli Maatta said. “That building, it just feels like everything is Penguins excited for return trip to 'nostalgic' Nassau even louder. The people are right on top of you, right next to you. “You can kind of get nostalgic there, too. You walk in, you definitely JASON MACKEY notice there’s some years played in that building.” DEC 9, 2018 11:06 AM There’s been some for the Penguins, who have met the Islanders four times in the playoffs (1975, 1982, 1993 and 2013).

While the obvious Islanders/playoff connection is probably David Volek’s UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The path to his NHL debut is one Mike Sullivan will gut-wrenching overtime game-winner in 1993, that occurred in never forget. Pittsburgh. The most memorable Penguins moment at Nassau arguably came via Brooks Orpik’s overtime goal in 2013, which clinched a six- No, not playing at Boston University for legendary coach Jack Parker, game series victory in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. getting drafted by the New York Rangers or working his way up through the (now-defunct) International Hockey League to skate for the Sidney Crosby has been thinking about that lately with a trip back to expansion San Jose Sharks. Nassau on the horizon. While he said he never expected to go back after the Penguins’ last visit here — a 6-3 Islanders win on Jan. 16, 2015 — Literally walking across the parking lot from the Long Island Marriott to Crosby isn’t about to complain, either. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum the night of Oct. 29, 1991, a couple hours before an 8-4 loss to the New York Islanders. “I’m interested to see what it looks like and how it’s changed,” Crosby said. “We had the playoff series there, and we had some really close That’s when Sullivan was stopped by a drunk tailgater and asked for his games there especially early on. I felt like every time we played the autograph, a moment that shocked the Penguins coach — who back Islanders, it always went to a shootout or overtime. It was always a good then was a no-name minor-leaguer trying to make it — and had a few atmosphere. Everyone got into the game. family members in stitches. “I’m sure people will be excited, too, to be back in that rink. It’ll just be a Jean-Sébastien Dea is back with the Pittsburgh Penguins. cool environment.” “That’s something I always think about and laugh,” Sullivan was saying While that walk across the parking lot — most players and coaches make last week. “My uncles were at the game. My dad drove them from it, although the Penguins do offer a bus service for those who’d rather not Boston. They happened to be outside. They witnessed it. Every time we be bothered — produced a funny moment for Sullivan and his family, a had a team function, they always laugh about that.” trip to Nassau does have its limitations. That memory will likely be on Sullivan’s mind Sunday or Monday, as the Built on 63 acres that started out as an Army airfield and later became an Penguins prepare for one of their most unique games of the 2018-19 Air Force base, amenities around the arena are, well, non-existent. It’s season: a visit to Nassau Coliseum, brought back to life recently by $165 the Marriott, the parking lot and Nassau. million worth of renovations. “I don’t like Nassau at all,” Kris Letang said. “In Brooklyn, at least you’re As they await the 2021 opening of Belmont Park Arena, a $1 billion in New York City. You can have a nice meal with your teammates and multipurpose facility about 15 minutes west of Nassau, the Islanders are walk around. I definitely like Brooklyn better.” playing 21 games this season at their home from 1972-2015. Fair enough. But Letang doesn’t hold the same opinion as Islanders fans, In the age of cookie-cutter buildings, where everything is usually who are universally thrilled to finally have their team “home” again. spacious and sponsored, the Coliseum is a bit of a throwback. It’s small. It’s loud. It’s personal. And it should be plenty of fun. And while things might be a little different this time — the Islanders dress in the old visitors’ room, and they added crazy-looking, metal “fins” to the Although they’ve gutted much of Nassau to ensure functional seats and outside that make it look like a spaceship — the Penguins are expecting passable concourses — they’ve also reportedly started to sell edible food the same sort of raucous environment. — an unmistakable authenticity remains. “They have a very strong fan base there, on the Island, and that building Close your eyes, and you can almost picture the Islanders winning four tends to bring out the best in them,” Sullivan said with a smile. “It’s a consecutive Stanley Cups or any number of memorable concerts that’ve unique building. It’s one of the older buildings in the league. It kinda has taken place here. that old-school feel to it. The fans are right on top of the ice. It should be a lot of fun.” The Islanders bolting Brooklyn and returning to Long Island also restores some semblance of order to the world. Post Gazette LOADED: 12.10.2018 Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and Ottawa Senators left wing Ryan Dzingel vie for control of the puck during the second period Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, in Ottawa, Ontario. Senators' OT power-play goal shuts down dominant Penguins, 2-1 “There’s a lot of history in that building,” Sullivan said. “The Islanders of the 80s were one of the great dynasties of the league. I’ve had lots of experiences [at Nassau] both as a player and coach. When I was coaching with the Rangers, that was a big rivalry. There were a lot of emotional games that took place in that building.” For Nassau’s re-release eight days ago on Dec. 1, a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, 13,917 fans filled the building, which is now officially known as NYCB Live. Monday will be the second of 21 dates for the Islanders in 2018-19, and the next two seasons are supposed to include 48 total, although there’s an expectation that number could rise. One reason for that is just how bad it’s been in Brooklyn. The Islanders finished last in attendance in 2017-18 and were in the same place through 11 games this season, averaging just 10,447 per game in the basketball-style building. But Nassau, actually on Long Island, is much different. First off, the team practices only a couple minutes away, in Eisenhower Park. Many of the players live close, too. And going to Brooklyn, for Islanders fans, makes zero logistical sense. 1120265 Pittsburgh Penguins

Jean-Sébastien Dea is 'excited to be a Pittsburgh Penguin again'

MATTHEW VENSEL DEC 9, 2018 10:54 AM

OTTAWA – When the Penguins made Jean-Sébastien Dea one of their final cuts at the end of the preseason, they figured he would be back up in Pittsburgh at some point, perhaps contributing the occasional goal. They probably didn’t figure he’d play against them twice before then. But after a “crazy couple of months” for Dea – who just days before the season was claimed off waivers by New Jersey and appeared in 20 games for the Devils before they waived him – there he was Saturday in Ottawa, the lone Penguin to beat Senators goalie Craig Anderson in a 2- 1 loss. “It’s crazy,” Dea said. “I never thought I’d be back two months later.” Coach Mike Sullivan said Saturday that the Penguins felt Dea, whom they originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013, had a strong training camp. But he didn’t do quite enough to separate himself from the pack. So the Penguins tried to stash Dea down in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but the Devils, run by ex-Penguins general manager Ray Shero, nabbed him. Dea had three goals and two assists in 20 games with New Jersey. The two assists came against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in a 5-1 win for the Devils on Nov. 5. But after scoring three goals in his first four games with the Devils, those assists were his only points in his next 16 games. Two weeks ago, the struggling Devils, who have dropped to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings, tried to send Dea down to the minors. The Penguins reclaimed him and, since they were the team that initially lost him, were able to send him straight to their AHL affiliate. “I knew if I was going to go back on waivers, they had a chance to pick me up again and go to Wilkes right away,” Dea said. “But obviously, you never know. It could have been another team that was going to pick me up before Pittsburgh. So I’m happy I ended up coming back here.” After playing two games in Wilkes-Barre Scranton, Dea was recalled to Pittsburgh on Friday after Patric Hornqvist suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday’s win and Dominik Simon was placed on injured reserve. Sullivan played the 24-year-old for 11 shifts in his official return Saturday and counted on him to kill penalties in the third period of a tie game. “He’s real excited to be a Pittsburgh Penguin again, and we’re excited to have him,” he said. “We didn’t want to lose him in the first place.” Dea previously played six games with the Penguins, contributing one goal. “What J.S. brings, first and foremost, he can skate,” Sullivan said before the game. “He’s going to bring speed to the line he plays on. J.S. has really worked on his game over the last couple of years to turn himself into a reliable, responsible player. He’s a guy that can really shoot the puck.” Dea showed off that speed and his shot in the second period Saturday. After the Senators coughed up the puck outside their blue line, it was seized by Dea, who cruised past defenseman Ben Harpur then roofed a shot over the left shoulder of Anderson, who stopped 35 other shots. “It feels really good obviously to get that first goal in the first game,” the speedy forward said. “It gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.” He knows he may have to keep it going to stick around in Pittsburgh with Hornqvist and Matt Cullen poised to return soon, perhaps on this trip. “Obviously, you don’t wish for injuries, but you’ve got to take advantage of those,” he said. “I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to have another shot.” Post Gazette LOADED: 12.10.2018

1120266 St Louis Blues

Blues call up goalie Jordan Binnington from San Antonio

Jim Thomas

Interim coach Craig Berube wasn’t happy with the Blues’ goaltending in Sunday’s 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks at Enterprise Center. Jake Allen was yanked after allowing three goals in the game’s opening 5 minutes 54 seconds. His replacement, Chad Johnson, gave up the afternoon’s final three goals — two in the second period and one in the third. “It’s got to be better,” Berube said. “Just like our other players have to be better, too. We get a four-minute power play and nothing happens, especially early in the game like that. We gotta make something happen there and that’s our best players on the ice.” Apparently, Berube wasn’t kidding in expressing his displeasure with the team’s goaltending because about a half-hour after making those remarks the Blues announced they were calling up goalie Jordan Binnington from San Antonio. To make room for Binnington, the Blues returned forward Sammy Blais to American Hockey League affiliate San Antonio. Blais was a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game on Sunday. In two separate stints with the Blues this season, Blais has appeared in 16 games with no goals and one assist. He is minus-5. So for now, at least, the Blues are carrying three goalies. Although he may have had an off-night Sunday, Allen has been one of the team’s best players over the last month, allowing two goals or fewer in eight of his previous 10 games. He had a 26-save shutout Friday in a 1-0 road victory over Winnipeg. But Johnson, who had a 33-save shutout Nov. 9 against San Jose, has struggled lately. In five games since that shutout, Johnson’s goals- against average is 5.05 with a save percentage of .832. In his first five appearances of the season, a span ending with that San Jose shutout, Johnson has a 1.83 goals-against and a .941 save percentage. In San Antonio, Binnington has outplayed Ville Husso — who was widely perceived as the Blues’ goalie of the future. Binnington has an 8-4 record with a 2.34 goals-against average and a save percentage of .914 with the Rampage. Binnington’s goals-against average is fourth-best in the AHL. Husso, meanwhile, is 2-11-1 for the Rampage with a goals-against average of 3.45 and a save percentage of .881. PERRON SITS Winger David Perron was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks at Enterprise Center. “Just his play recently, some penalties, some stuff like that,” Berube said, in explaining the benching. Perron was replaced in the lineup by Jordan Kyrou, who played only 9 minutes 58 seconds Wednesday against Edmonton and then was a healthy scratch Friday in Winnipeg. Perron is third in Blues goal-scoring this season with eight, and tied for third with 16 points. So it wasn’t an easy decision to sit the veteran, who returned to St. Louis in July, signing a free-agent deal to return to the Blues. “It’s tough,” Berube said. “We need more, we need better, he knows that. It’s tough, but it’s part of the game. We need guys to play better. ... We can’t take penalties like we are, and he’s taken quite a few of them.” Perron has five penalties in his last eight games and is tied for third on the team with 22 penalty minutes. The Blues’ other healthy scratch besides Perron and Blais was defenseman Jordan Schmaltz. Kyrou, who scored his first NHL goal Sunday, was on the Blues’ top line with Ryan O’Reilly at center and Zach Sanford on left wing. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120267 St Louis Blues “I apologize to the fans that we can’t play (well) at home,” Vladimir Tarasenko said. “It’s unacceptable. I don’t know how to fix it. We work on it, but it doesn’t work now. We (play) a really hard game and then next Once again, Blues find a way to flop after big win day it just blows up like this.” Sunday’s game marked the sixth time in just 16 home games that the Blues have yielded five goals or more. It happened only four times in 41 Jim Thomas home games all of last season. The crowd of 16,841 at Enterprise barely had time to finish that first beer or polish off a hot dog before things started to implode. At long last, the Blues have found some consistency. Namely, they have consistently found a way to follow a quality win over a quality opponent The first goal was a fluke. After a giveaway by Jay Bouwmeester deep in with a brutal outing the next time out. the St. Louis zone, Boeser was left all alone in the slot. With the puck. Here’s the roll call: His shot went high, bounced off the glass above the end boards, ricocheted back behind Jake Allen and off the Blues goaltender into the On Nov. 16, the Blues won 4-1 in Las Vegas. The next day they lost net: 1-0 Canucks just 2 ½ minutes into the contest. Before you knew it, it 4-0 to San Jose. was 3-0 Vancouver after one period and 5-0 after two. On Nov. 23, the Blues thrashed Nashville 6-2. The next day they lost “They get one lucky goal and we just shut it down,” Schenn said. “We’re 8-4 to Winnipeg. a fragile group.” On Nov. 30, the Blues won 3-2 in Colorado in overtime. The next day The Blues had an excellent opportunity to either tie or take the lead later they lost 6-1 to Arizona. in the period when Vancouver’s got four minutes for a high stick to the face of Steen that drew blood. But the Blues’ ninth- And now, Friday’s 1-0 win in Winnipeg was followed by a 6-1 ranked power play unit did absolutely nothing with that four minutes — abomination Sunday at home against Vancouver. Yes, the same producing only two shots. Vancouver team (13-16-3) that had won just two of its previous 14 games. “We need to use chances like that, especially at the start of the game,” Tarasenko said. “It’s supposed to give our team an emotional bump. We Why does this keep happening? need to get on the scoreboard if we have four minutes of power play.” “Right now we’re not committed enough to what we want to accomplish,” Or as Schenn put it: “We were awful. Two shots on goal I think we had, Alexander Steen said. “You know, tonight it was a couple of unlucky and they had six breakouts.” bounces and it completely changed the competitiveness of the game.” Thirty-one seconds after that power play ended, Canucks rookie Elias So how do you get more committed? Pettersson scored his 15th goal on a shot that deflected off “That’s a question for (Steen), I don’t know,” Schenn said. “I don’t know. Bouwmeester’s stick. Maybe he can have the answer to that.” Next, after Tarasenko had the Blues’ best scoring chance of the period, Actually, Steen was asked exactly that. the Canucks countered quickly with an odd-man rush that resulted in Boeser’s second goal of the afternoon and a 3-0 Vancouver lead with 5 “We’ve got to work at it,” Steen said. “Every day. Every day is a new minutes 54 seconds left in the period. opportunity and we’re not taking those opportunities right now.” That was pretty much it for the game. And definitely it for Allen, who had For his part, interim head coach Craig Berube agreed with Steen’s a 1.92 goal against average and .934 save percentage in his previous 10 thoughts on the lack of day-to-day commitment from the players. games — dating back to Nov. 14. He was replaced by Chad Johnson, who gave up the final three Canucks goals of the game. “That’s certainly why we’re where we’re at, and why we show inconsistency like we do,” Berube said. “He’s dead right.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.10.2018 Berube was then asked if such a commitment should be a given for professional athletes. “It should be a given, but right now it’s not,” he said, adding that he was “very disappointed” in the team’s veterans. So there is no joy in the Heartland of Hockey. Any good feelings emanating from Jordan Kyrou’s first NHL goal evaporated 40 seconds later in the third period by Brock Boeser’s third goal of the day for Vancouver. So what’s the way out? The head coach already has been fired. What’s next? Fire the interim head coach? Fire the assistant coaches? Trade the entire team? Offer refunds to season-ticket holders? It’s obvious that something’s missing here, and it goes beyond strategy or skill level. Maybe it has more to do with team chemistry, mental toughness, heart. Or lack thereof. It’s still early in the season for the Blues (10-14-4), but ... “It’s not that early in the season,” Berube corrected. “The way out is the same thing we preach day in and day out. You have to go into every game, no matter who you play, and you gotta be committed to giving 100 percent effort and compete as hard as you can, every game. “If you don’t, it doesn’t matter who you play, that’s what can happen to you — what happened today. “We’re going to keep drilling it in their heads. So you (reporters) can keep asking me and asking me and asking me, and I’m going to tell you the same thing. “We’re going to keep at it, we’re going to keep pounding it in their heads until they get it. That’s it.” The increasing number of empty seats at Enterprise Center, and the increasing frequency of boos by those still in the stands, provide a telling view of what the fan base thinks. 1120268 St Louis Blues

Blues call up goalie Binnington from San Antonio

Tom Timmermann

In a move that reflects frustration with the team's goaltending situation, the Blues called up Jordan Binnington from San Antonio shortly after Sunday's 6-1 loss to Vancouver. The Blues did not label the move an emergency recall, which indicates that the move is not because of an injury to either Jake Allen or Chad Johnson. Asked about the goaltending after the game, interim coach Craig Berube said, "It's got to be better. Just like our other players have to be better too." "We gave up eight scoring chances in the game and six goals against," Berube said. "There are a lot of areas that have to be better tonight, for sure." Allen was pulled just 10:06 into the game after giving up a third goal on just six shots. Johnson replaced him and gave up three goals on 15 shots. It was the second time this season Allen has been pulled; Johnson has been pulled once. Allen has been playing very well of late, and the Blues wouldn't have beaten Winnipeg on Friday if it hadn't been for Allen's saves in goal. Going into Sunday's game, since the Blues' 1-0 loss in Chicago on Nov. 14, Allen had a 1.92 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. Johnson, meanwhile, has had some rough outings, being in goal for some of the recent Blues' big losses. He has a 2-6 record, a 3.51 GAA and a .889 save percentage. He allowed six goals in each of his past two starts and has a 5.06 GAA and a .832 save percentage in his five appearances. The Blues don't have any back-to-back games until early January, so it's possible Johnson wouldn't be seeing much playing time in the next four weeks anyway. Binnington has played well in San Antonio, passing Ville Husso as the team's top goalie there. He has played in 13 games this season, with an 8-4-0 record, a 2.34 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and two shutouts. He's made one NHL appearance, in the 2015-16 season, coming off the bench and playing 13 minutes for the Blues. The Blues sent Sammy Blais, who has been a healthy scratch the past three games, down to San Antonio. The Blues are back in action on Tuesday against Florida, and it would seem that if Binnington was called up, there's a good chance they will use him in a game. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120269 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Ondrej Palat scores his first goal of the season … and the second

By Diana Nearhos Published Yesterday Updated Yesterday

TAMPA – After the Lightning's 7-1 win against the Avalanche on Saturday night, Tyler Johnson quietly joined the group of reporters talking to Ondrej Palat, patiently waiting for his chance to get a question in. "Hey, how's it feel to get a goal as a dad?" he asked Palat, whose first child, a girl, was born Nov. 7. "It's pretty good," said Palat, who scored his first two goals of the season Saturday. "I put a little 'A' on the stick for my baby girl's name (Adelka)." "Oh, you're so cute." "Yeah, I know." Last question of the night for @Opalat18? Belonged to @tjohnny09. ��#COLvsTBL | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/35NSe7LUzR — Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 9, 2018 It was an amusing moment after a moment for which Palat had waited 15 games: his first goal of the year. He missed 16 games after injuring a foot on a blocked shot against the Golden Knights on Oct. 26. He has played six games since returning. Palat and the Lightning are back at it Monday night against the Rangers at Amalie Arena. Palat's first goal was a nice wrist shot on a feed from Stamkos. The second was a one-timer on a pass from Johnson through the crease. "(Palat is) a big part of this team," Johnson said. "We definitely missed him when he wasn't playing. It's good for him to get the monkey off the back to be able to get those in the net. It helps your confidence a lot. I think we've all been there at some point." Palat missed 16 games after injuring his foot on a blocked shot back on Oct. 26. He has played six games since returning 10 days ago. Palat says he's 100 percent health-wise and is just working on the timing. He also said he was just "trying to stick with it and work hard," not focusing on the lack of goals. Palat celebrated pretty big, throwing himself into the glass after the first goal. Palat said he's 100 percent health-wise and is working on his timing. He said he was just "trying to stick with it and work hard," not focusing on his lack of goals. Palat celebrated the first one in a pretty big way, throwing himself into the glass. "Everybody was yelling to grab the puck," Cooper said of the reaction on the bench. "It's funny, he goes the whole year without one and then it takes him eight minutes to get two. Guys were pretty excited." Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120270 Tampa Bay Lightning Additionally, Darth Vader made an appearance on the intermission report with JP Peterson. He followed up Peterson's comments on the game with an observation that the power to destroy a planet means nothing to the Lightning-Avalanche: How did Tampa Bay shut down the NHL’s top line power of the dark side. It's unclear which team he meant as the dark side.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.10.2018 By Diana Nearhos Published Yesterday Updated Yesterday

TAMPA – Another couple of superstars left Amalie Arena having been stifled by Brayden Point and the Lightning on Saturday. This time, it was Colorado's Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon – the league's leading scorers. A month ago, Yanni Gourde, Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson kept Edmondon's Connor McDavid (commonly believed to be the best player in the NHL) off the scoresheet. On Saturday, Nikita Kucherov, Point and Johnson held Rantanen and MacKinnon to one combined goal? How did the Lightning largely shut down what Johnson referred to as the best line in the league? "We set the tone right from the first shift," Steven Stamkos said. "Kuch went out and had a big hit right behind the net and the bench responded. We knew how good of a hockey team that is over there. We knew how intense the last one was in Colorado. They were one of the hottest teams in the league coming in. Special teams propelled us early and we never looked back." That line did get the Avalanche's only goal of the night. Rantanen flipped the puck to Gabriel Landeskog, who quickly sent it to MacKinnon. He then found a five-hole opening from the bottom of the left circle to beat goaltender Louis Domingue. It was a nice goal, indicative of why they've been so successful. "(MacKinnon) gets a nice one there, and I thought the big part for us was when we scored two minutes later," coach Jon Cooper said. "It was against that line and that really helped us. We just kind of went off from there." That line had its looks. The 12 combined shots were nearly half of the Avalanche's 30 total (MacKinnon had five and Rantanen six). But the Lightning limited the quality of the shots. "They're dominating the league right now," Johnson said. "We had to be really good defensively. We had to stay above them, make sure whatever chance they did get, they had to earn and go through us." The Lightning did exactly that. In the two-game season series, the best line in the NHL scored one goal. Here are some odds and ends from the Lightning's 7-1 win: The Lightning learned from its first game against the Avs. Cooper said the 1-0 game Tampa Bay played in Colorado "got our attention." That was a fast, intense game. This one was all Lightning all the time. Domingue had another good night, making 29 saves and allowing just one goal. He was tested and came up with a few big saves, with an assist from Girardi on one. After Domingue stretched out to make a toe- save and his momentum carried him out of the crease, Girardi was there to bat away the puck with his hand. Domingue is now 13-4-0 on the season and has five straight wins. He is third in the league in wins (behind Toronto's Frederik Anderson and Vegas' Marc-Andre Fluery tied with 16). Domingue has given up four goals over his last three starts. Colorado's goalies did not. Semyon Varlamov allowed five goals on 23 shots (a save percentage of .783) and was pulled eight minutes into the second period. Philipp Grubauer had better stats with two goals on 15 shots, but that was also once the Lightning had let up and were protecting the lead. The Lightning can score. Tampa Bay now has three or more goals in its last 10 home games. What's more, the Lightning have scored five or more in eight of its last 12 games over all (and five of the last six). The Lightning's 124 goals is 13 more than the next team in the NHL (Toronto at 109). Star Wars night was fun. The light side and dark side tied on Saturday. The intermission youth hockey game for Star Wars night pitted the jedis (wearing brown robes) against stormtroopers (with the white mask on the back of their hockey helmets). 1120271 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs’ Zach Hyman suspended two games for hit on Bruins’ McAvoy | The Star

By Kevin McGran

The Maple Leafs will be without forward Zach Hyman for two games while he serves a suspension for his hit on the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy in Boston on Saturday night. McAvoy who had already passed the puck when Hyman hit him late in a game that was already well out of reach for the Leafs. The incident occurred at 9:53 of the third period. Hyman was assessed a major penalty for the hit as well as a game misconduct. McAvoy was playing his second game after missing about a month with a concussion. The league cited the predatory nature of the hit in announcing the suspension, Hyman’s first. Saturday’s game descended into scrums and fights after the Hyman hit, with the Bruins seeking retribution on Morgan Rielly for the hit on McAvoy. Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Hyman will forfeit $24,193.54. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. Toronto Star LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120272 Toronto Maple Leafs for him. We’re giving up 3-on-1s and 2-on-1s. They’re getting around our net and getting free whacks at him. That’s on us, too.”

Andersen said it’s in the team’s DNA not to dwell on losses. Leafs need to add some ‘bite’ to their game, John Tavares says | The Star “All I can do now is look ahead,” he said. “You don’t get a chance to play it again. Everyone looks in the mirror (to) see what we can do better. That’s how we grow as a team.” By Kevin McGran Toronto Star LOADED: 12.10.2018

John Tavares knows there’s something wrong with the Maple Leafs these days. They haven’t been themselves. They’ve been the second-best team on the ice in each of their last three games, and are fortunate to have a 1-1- 1 record to show for it. “Sometimes the game doesn’t come as easy, or some little details have to be sharper,” said Tavares. “It’s just understanding, and doing the right things, and being in the right spots, and making the game easy for each other so we’re playing as a five-man unit. Good puck support, get pucks to the net, draw penalties, get playing in their zone so we’re generating penalties that way. “At times I think we have to execute better, and be patient. (We) can’t force plays and try to win the game early. It’s a 60-minute game and we’re playing a lot of good hockey teams. They’re going to find a way to make some plays. We have to defend well and get our game going again.” That’s a lot to fix, but there’s no time like the present. The Leafs’ five- game road trip, which started with a loss in Boston on Saturday, continues Tuesday in Carolina. “It’s crucial,” Tavares said. “It’s a long season. There’s a lot of hockey left. (The games) are as just as valuable no matter when they come in the season. We just have to find a way to get back on track, get back to work and get a lot better.” The Leafs will be without winger Zach Hyman for the next two games, after he was suspended for a late hit on Bruins defenceman Charlie McAvoy in the third period Saturday night. The league cited the predatory natured of the hit as a reason for two games. Hyman will forfeit $24,193.54. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. The Leafs were blown out by the Bruins, 6-3, in a game that featured a couple of fights and a lot of heavy hits against an opponent the Leafs have learnt to hate. “It’s got to piss you off, definitely not a fun one to be a part of,” said Tavares. “We didn’t get the result we needed in a big divisional game. We’ve to learn from it. We’ve got to add a bit more bite to our game, a bit more execution. It should piss us off and get ready for next week.” This is a different kind of trip for the Leafs. It will include two stops back in Toronto for practice, including Monday. And for the first time, the Leafs’ moms will have a trip with their sons, not the dads. The moms will be aboard for the two Florida stops. But the focus will be on hockey, and on the Maple Leafs getting their feet under them. “You’d like to win every game on the schedule,” Leafs coach said. “You and I both know, we’ve been around long enough, you don’t do that. You want your ups to be longer than your downs and sometimes when you don’t play as good it’s a good message to you, you’ve got to be a lot better. “I think we’ve got to be a lot more competitive than we were the last two nights. It’s great that we had a good little run there, now we’ve got to regroup and have another one.” While the Leafs have been able mostly to outscore their mistakes, another troubling aspect of their game has developed. They’ve allowed 11 goals in their last two games, five with Garret Sparks as the starter on Thursday, six with Frederik Andersen as the starter on Saturday. “You just move on,” Andersen said. “Obviously, you’ve got to keep your confidence high. You’ve got to move on.” While Andersen could be blamed for one or two goals, there were defensive miscues all around him — by forwards and defenceman alike — bad pinches, bad passes, poor puck control, wrong decisions. “We can’t count on (Andersen) every game,” Leafs centre said. “He’s been the MVP of this team all year, so you’re going to have your off night every once in a while. We’ve got to do a better job 1120273 Toronto Maple Leafs That aside, the Bruins have stoked the fire with two playoff series wins that went seven games and have 11 goals against Toronto in their two home victories this season. Babcock has to be concerned that his full Maple Leafs’ Hyman suspended two games by NHL for ‘predatory’ hit lineup came up small when it counted against the undermanned Bruins on Saturday. Not to mention Andersen has a record of 1-4-0 with an .857 save percentage in his past six Boston starts, including playoffs, as compiled by Sportsnet. Lance Hornby “It’s disappointing,” the coach said of the whole team’s start on Saturday. “I thought we were going to come in here and play real well, especially after (losing to Detroit at home). We’re just going to have to get ourselves A weekend of discussing the toughness factor of the Maple Leafs ended re-grouped. with Zach Hyman suspended two games for his hit on Boston’s Charlie McAvoy on Saturday. “You want your ups to be longer than your downs and sometimes when you don’t play as good it’s a good message, you’ve got to be a lot better. Toronto certainly will miss its valued puck pursuit winger on his line with I think we’ve got to be a lot more competitive than we were the last two John Tavares and Mitch Marner after the NHL’s department of player nights.” safety held a hearing Sunday afternoon. The incident came late in Toronto’s 6-3 loss after McAvoy had cross-checked Marner against the Out-hit, out scored and out hustled, the Leafs fell behind 6-1 before boards on the first shift to get a minor and led to Chris Wagner of the Andersen was mercifully airlifted from the carnage and his mates were Bruins taking an open-ice run at Morgan Rielly, who had the puck at the aroused to fire back. There were three fights, two major penalties, four time. misconducts, two game misconducts. But McAvoy had passed from behind Boston’s net with his back to ON THE ROAD AGAIN Hyman well before the Leaf put his left shoulder into the Bruin’s upper chest. McAvoy had just come back from seven weeks away with a The Leafs rested Sunday at home and following a practice on Monday concussion, but was able to get back in the lineup Sunday against will resume five straight road games. Frederik Gauthier could be a short- Ottawa. Hyman received a major for interference and a game misconduct term replacement for Hyman, as a winger or a centre, if Par Lindholm on the play. shifts to the side. The Leafs will have to add a Marlie for the road trip for insurance, having summoned Trevor Moore last month on the West The league noted “a dangerous, forceful, high hit” into the boards, adding Coast, but not using him. the “predatory nature” of the check warranted supplemental discipline. The league took Hyman’s clean record in 210 NHL games into account, They will try to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the year, but he still loses $24,193.54 US in salary and miss Toronto’s game in having given up 11 goals the past two games. They frittered away an Carolina on Tuesday and the battle for first in the conference with Tampa early power play chance on Saturday that might have changed the Bay on Thursday. tempo. The Leafs had hoped Wagner’s hit on Rielly would warrant a look. He “Better starts,” agreed Kadri of what they must re-establish Tuesday in received two for charging, a major for fighting Ron Hainsey, who had Raleigh, N.C. “Coming from behind the eight ball is always hard, come to Rielly’s defence and a 10-minute misconduct. especially on the road. We have to take advantage and hopefully get that first goal. We’ve been prepared to start games, but for some reason THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET haven’t been able to capitalize.” Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock had spent part of Saturday Now that William Nylander has had two starts to get back to speed and morning outlining once more how he would prefer team toughness to be was up to 16 minutes of ice time Saturday, there will be much more manifested through protecting the puck down low, being hungry on the scrutiny on him this week. forecheck and positionally sound, all designed to break the opponent’s will or draw costly penalties. Positioned with Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, Matthews didn’t seem to be missing Nylander too much when lines were changed That plan went south on Saturday, and the Leafs know they must do a in Boston, getting a goal and an assist. In doing so, he became the sixth better job the next time there’s a fierce turf war with a big foe bent on different player in franchise history to score 16 or more through his first shutting down the faster Leafs with physicality. 16 games in a season, the first since Busher Jackson in 1934-35. “That’s hockey, so that’s our job to respond to that,” said Auston BACK ON THE HORSE Matthews. “Boston made a push and we didn’t respond. You go into the second period 1-0 on the road, it’s not the worst position to be in. Then Andersen was already looking ahead after giving up six goals on 27 we just started taking penalties (four in all). They started out-working us shots versus Boston. His hiccups started on a soft rebound goal to Jakob big time and we weren’t able to climb out of the hole that we dug Forsbacka Karlsson. ourselves. “I was anticipating him trying to deflect it, I didn’t seal the post and he “I thought the way we did battle back a little bit in the third (though) at that jammed it in,” Andersen said. “Even though on the other goals I felt like I point it’s too late. I thought it was a good fight by (Nazem Kadri, battling was moving well, I didn’t get enough of it. It was one of those days where the bigger Brandon Carlo) to give us a wake-up call.” everything they did ended up in behind, bouncing the wrong way.” Kadri said he was getting stir crazy in the middle period, forced to sit Matthews was quick to defend his ‘keeper. much of the time in favour of penalty killers, while Boston ran up the score. When put back out, he took exception to some cross checks and “He’s been the MVP of this team all year. We have to do a better job for then got into it with Carlo, despite the risks. him. I’m sure there’s a couple he wants back, but at the same time, we’re giving up 3-on-1’s and 2-on-1’s. They’re getting to our net and getting “I’d just had enough,” Kadri said. “I obviously tried to generate a spark to free whacks at him. That’s on us, too.” get the guys going. All in all, I think it was a good fight.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.10.2018 Watching from the bench after he was yanked, goalie Frederik Andersen observed: “I liked the way we responded and were sticking up for each other. Hopefully, it’ll be something that can tighten the group even more in the future.” MORE B’S, PLEASE If Babcock could manipulate the NHL schedule matrix, he surely would have pushed the four games against Boston to the second half, not the first. While his Leafs have obvious physical and mental blocks to overcome at TD Garden and a war of words escalated after Saturday, a wistful feeling lingered that more games against the Bruins towards spring would likely be a good playoff primer for the Leafs. Babcock was so taken by the vibe of these rivalry games — “the fun” — that he spoke of seeing Boston twice more this season, though the series ends Jan. 12 in Toronto. 1120274 Vegas Golden Knights Dallas, which saw its four-game win streak come to an end, went 2-for-4 on the power play.

“(Saturday) was not a good game for anybody on the team,” Fleury said. Golden Knights hold off Stars for 5th straight home win “It was good that we got to put it behind us quickly and move on, come home and got a big win against a good team.” By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.10.2018

At some point in their busy schedule, the Golden Knights will have to find a way to rest Marc-Andre Fleury. For now, they’ll keep riding the workhorse goaltender. Fleury made his 10th consecutive start and backstopped the Knights to a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday with 22 saves. “I don’t have a magic number of games that’s perfect,” Fleury said. “The schedule has been a little busy lately. Maybe that’s why it feels like I’m playing a lot. I try to rest. I try to be smart about my body when I can.” William Karlsson had the go-ahead goal in the second period, and Alex Tuch, Ryan Carpenter and Reilly Smith (empty net) also scored. Defenseman Colin Miller finished with two assists, as 10 players recorded a point for the Knights. The Knights improved to 10-3-1 at T-Mobile Arena with their fifth straight home win. They won for the eighth time in 10 games overall to move into a virtual tie for third place with San Jose in the Pacific Division heading into a four-game road trip that starts Wednesday against the New York Islanders. “It’s good to have a win going on the road,” Karlsson said. “You don’t want to have back-to-back losses and feel kind of (bad) going to New York. This was huge and it gives us a lot of energy.” Fleury played the second game of a back-to-back for the second time this season and earned his league-high 17th victory, one more than Toronto’s Frederik Andersen. He tops all NHL goaltenders with 28 starts. Fleury and New Jersey’s Keith Kinkaid are the only goaltenders to have all of their team’s wins. The Knights alternated goaltenders the first three back-to-back scenarios this season, with Malcolm Subban taking the second game each time. But Subban owns an 0-4 record and 4.02 goals-against average in five appearances, and he hasn’t played since a 7-2 loss at Calgary on Nov. 19. Fleury is 8-2 with a 2.30 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in his past 10 games. He won for the second time in three starts with his gold pads and made key stops on Alexander Radulov and Tyler Seguin during the second period. “I think it was just the rest time between games,” Fleury said. “We played (Saturday), but it was in L.A., so quick flight and got home pretty early and got a good night sleep. The other one, too, it was the same thing. It was an afternoon game and I had a lot of time to rest, so it’s not as bad as playing two nights in a row.” The Knights responded after Saturday’s 5-1 loss at Los Angeles, when they had trouble breaking out of their zone and connecting on more than two consecutive passes. Karlsson put the Knights on top 2-1 at 11:48 of the second period when he zipped a low shot past Dallas goaltender Ben Bishop. It was Karlsson’s 10th goal, and he tied Jonathan Marchessault for the team lead in scoring with his 23rd point. “First (period) wasn’t bad, but I think we cranked it up a notch in the second,” Karlsson said. “We got two almost power-play goals and that kind of paved the way for the rest of the game.” Tuch’s 10th goal with 1:43 left in the second proved to be the game- winner. He lifted Dallas defenseman Taylor Fedun’s stick to win a battle in front, and his shot dribbled through Bishop’s legs. “I thought all 20 guys came in and played really hard and worked really hard,” Tuch said, “and it showed on the scoresheet.” Esa Lindell tapped in a pass from Jason Spezza at 8:33 of the third period to cut the Knights’ lead to 3-2. Martin Hanzal opened the scoring in the first period when he redirected Miro Heiskanen’s shot past Fleury at 6:29. 1120275 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Oscar Lindberg takes advantage of playing time

By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Oscar Lindberg has been the odd forward out most games for the Golden Knights. But the winger is producing during his latest turn in the lineup. Lindberg scored the lone goal in the Knights’ 5-1 loss at Los Angeles on Saturday and notched an assist on Ryan Carpenter’s first-period goal while playing his fourth consecutive game Sunday against Dallas. “It’s tough for Oscar. You make decisions as coaches with the lineup and he’s missed a lot of games this year,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “When we talked to him when he wasn’t playing, we asked him to do a few things. He’s competing hard, he’s playing hard, he’s strong on pucks and going around the blue paint. I like what I’m seeing, for sure.” Lindberg was a healthy scratch for 20 of the first 28 games before he was inserted on the second line Tuesday against Washington in place of Max Pacioretty, who sat out with an undisclosed injury. Lindberg registered two assists, his first points of the season, in the 5-3 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions. When Daniel Carr was reassigned to the American Hockey League, Lindberg shifted to the third line with Carpenter and Tomas Nosek, and had a goal disallowed against the Blackhawks on Thursday. Lindberg’s goal Saturday, which came on a first-period rebound, was his first of the season. He finished with four shots on goal and four hits in 12:29 of ice time. “We’ve played a couple games together, and I feel like we’ve been creating offense,” Carpenter said. “It was nice for him to score (Saturday). Hopefully we can just keep generating momentum, even if we’re not scoring, getting (offensive) zone shifts or drawing penalties, whatever it is.” Stastny close Injured center Paul Stastny will travel with the team on its four-game road trip and is on track to return next week, Gallant confirmed. Stastny has been out since Oct. 8 with a lower-body injury suffered late in the third period at Buffalo and was expected to miss at least two months. He returned to practice last week but has not been cleared for contact. “He’s getting real close,” Gallant said. “Don’t be surprised to see him early next week.” The Knights face the Islanders, Devils, Rangers and Blue Jackets on the trip. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120276 Vegas Golden Knights

GAME DAY: Golden Knights host Stars to finish back-to-back

By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Golden Knights look to rebound from a disappointing performance when they host the Dallas Stars on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena. Opening faceoff is at 6 p.m., and the game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain. The Knights are coming off a 5-1 loss at Los Angeles on Saturday. “We’ve got to turn the page and be ready for today,” forward Jonathan Marchessault said. “Just the way we played in the neutral zone, I think we were sloppy everywhere. Our defensive zone was not good. It was just a bad game overall. We’ve been playing some better hockey in the past month, but our last game was not the way we play normally.” Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was saddled with the loss, and coach Gerard Gallant did not announce who will start against the Stars. “You’ll find out tonight in warmups,” Gallant said after the team’s optional skate Sunday morning at City National Arena. Malcolm Subban, who hasn’t played since a 7-2 loss at Calgary on Nov. 19, usually draws the assignment in the second game of a back-to-back. Subban is 0-4 with a 4.02 goals-against average and a .859 save percentage in five appearances. Gallant also declined to say whether forward Reid Duke will make his NHL debut. “I’m not sure,” Gallant said. “We’ve got to find out something else.” The Knights (16-14-1, 33 points) have won four straight at home and are 9-3-1 at T-Mobile Arena. The Stars (16-10-3, 35 points) enter with a four-game win streak after defeating San Jose 3-2 on Friday and own the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Dallas is 9-0-1 against the Pacific Division and second in the league in goals allowed per game (2.55) under first-year coach Jim Montgomery. “Dallas used to be a high-flying team with a lot of offense, and they gave up a lot, too,” Gallant said. “Right now, they’re not giving up a whole lot. They’re playing a good, solid game and they’re working hard.” Goaltender Ben Bishop made 41 saves against the Sharks in his last outing and is expected to start for the Stars. Dallas features a dangerous top line, with center Tyler Seguin (8-18— 26), left wing Jamie Benn (12-12—24) and right wing Alexander Radulov (9-13—22) the team’s top three scorers. “They have high-quality players. They’re a great team,” Marchessault said. “They’re in a playoff spot and I think we’re right behind them. We need to definitely be ready because it’s a big challenge for us and they have a great team. We need to be ready for them.” Golden Knights projected lineup Forwards Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith Max Pacioretty-Cody Eakin-Alex Tuch Oscar Lindberg-Tomas Nosek-Ryan Carpenter William Carrier-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Ryan Reaves Defensemen Brayden McNabb-Nate Schmidt -Deryk Engelland -Colin Miller Goaltender Malcolm Subban LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120277 Vegas Golden Knights "It's a disappointing loss obviously last night, and we gotta turn the page and be ready for today," forward Jonathan Marchessault said. "We need to definitely be ready because it's a big challenge for us and they have a Golden Knights take down Dallas, 4-2 great team." Vegas will see of the NHL's premier forwards in Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. They are the points leaders for Dallas this season after By Justin Emerson (contact) averaging nearly a point per game last season, and Alexander Radulov is right behind. Ben Bishop has been strong in net with a 2.23 goals-against Published Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018 | 3:30 p.m. average and .927 save percentage, and he is expected to start tonight against Vegas. Updated Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018 | 8:39 p.m. Dallas missed the postseason the last two years after winning the Central

Division in 2015-16. There is something about T-Mobile Arena that brings out the best in the "They're obviously a team that's been on the cusp of being really good. Golden Knights. They have a lot of firepower," forward Cody Eakin said. "They're a good Vegas took a 3-1 lead into the third period and bent but never broke, team and you're going to have to bring your A-game if you want to have holding on to capture a 4-2 lead against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. success." It was the Golden Knights' fifth-consecutive home victory. Eakin played five seasons with the Stars from 2012-17 and had three assists in three games against Dallas last season. It was a prevailing The key moment in the game was with 7:44 left in the game and Shea storyline last season about Golden Knights facing their former teams, but Theodore heading to the box for four minutes for a high-sticking double- Eakin said that feeling doesn't really go away. minor. Vegas allowed the Stars only three shots on the power play and killed it off. "I think you always want to do well against your old team. They're a tough team. They're looking to make an impression this year, make a run and it Any hope of a Dallas comeback was squashed when the Stars took a should be a good measuring stick for us." penalty for too many men on the ice with 1:07 to go and down 3-2. Reilly Smith scored an empty-net goal to seal it. Vegas coach Gerard Gallant would not say who the starting goalie is, but after Marc-Andre Fleury allowed five goals yesterday in making his ninth- Marc-Andre Fleury was superb playing his 10th game in row and third in straight start, signs point to Malcolm Subban making his first start of the four nights, making 22 saves. He picked up his NHL-leading 17th win of season, though that is not confirmed. the season. Emerson’s Prediction: Stars 3, Golden Knights 2 The Stars did grab a power-play goal in the third, when Jason Spezza's shot deflected off Esa Lindell's skate and into the net. That cut the Vegas Season record for predictions: Keefer 5-4, Emerson 3-2 lead to 3-2 with 11:27 left in the third. Pick to score the Golden Knights’ first goal: William Karlsson Knights score twice to grab lead after second period Season record for first goal scored: Keefer 1-for-9, Emerson 0-for-5 The Golden Knights' second and third power plays of the game may have TV: AT&T SportsNet (DirecTV 684, Cox 1313, CenturyLink 1760) just expired, but they got a goals out of them anyway. Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM William Karlsson collected a Nate Schmidt pass and hesitated just long enough to create an opening on net. He fired a low frozen rope to beat Betting line: Golden Knights minus-146, Blackhawks plus-136; Ben Bishop for his 10th of the year to give Vegas a 2-1 lead with 8:12 left over/under: 6 (minus-110, plus-100) in the second period. Golden Knights (16-14-1) (9-3-1 home) On the next power play, Colin Miller whipped a shot to the net as Stars' forward Brett Ritchie raced out of the net. The shot was blocked, but Alex Coach: Gerard Gallant (second season) Tuch picked it up and whacked it through Bishop's legs to make it 3-1. Goals leader: Cody Eakin, Jonathan Marchessault (11) Dallas had a few good looks from its top line, including a breakaway opportunity from center Tyler Seguin, which Marc-Andre Fleury batted Assists leader: Reilly Smith (15) away with his blocker. Not long after, Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (2.53 gaa, .908 save percentage) Radulov tic-tac-toed the puck around to get a good luck, but Benn could not the corral the puck long enough to take a shot. Dallas Stars (16-10-3) (6-7-2 road) The Golden Knights led in shots after two periods, 22-16. Coach: Jim Montgomery (first season) Carpenter scores first of the season Goals leader: Jamie Benn (12) The third line is starting to click. Assists leader: Tyler Seguin (18) The trio of Oscar Lindberg, Ryan Carpenter and Tomas Nosek combined Expected goalie: Ben Bishop (2.23 gaa, .927 save percentage) on the Golden Knights' goal on Saturday in Los Angeles, and Carpenter scored his first of the season with 3:48 to play to even Sunday's game Golden Knights expected game day roster against the Dallas Stars at 1-1. Forwards (12): Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, William Carrier, Ryan Dallas hopped out to a 1-0 lead at 6:29 of the first on the power play. Carpenter, Reid Duke, Cody Eakin, William Karlsson, Jonathan Dallas rookie defenseman Miro Heiskkanen fired a shot on net right into Marchessault, Tomas Nosek, Max Pacioretty, Ryan Reaves, Reilly center Martin Hanzal, who deflected it past Marc-Andre Fleury and into Smith, Alex Tuch the net. Defensemen (6): Deryk Engelland, Nick Holden, Brayden McNabb, Colin It looked like the Stars scored earlier in the game. Jamie Benn sent the Miller, Nate Schmidt, Shea Theodore clean faceoff win to Tyler Seguin, who ripped it over Fleury's shoulder 53 Goalies (2): Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban seconds in. Referees reviewed it, and it somehow never crossed the line and the game stayed even. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 12.10.2018 Pre-game The best thing about playing two games in two days is that if the first one doesn't go so well, you don't have a lot of time to dwell on it. The Golden Knights took a 5-1 drubbing yesterday from the Los Angeles Kings, and are back home at 6 p.m. tonight for a date with the Dallas Stars. The Stars (35 points) and Golden Knights (33 points) are the two teams currently in the Western Conference's Wild Card spots. 1120278 Vegas Golden Knights

No fatigue for Marc-Andre Fleury in Knights win over Dallas

By Justin Emerson Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018 | 10:08 p.m.

There was a bit of a buzz tonight when Marc-Andre Fleury led the Golden Knights onto the ice for warmups at T-Mobile Arena. Fleury had started nine in a row, and another start would give him in two in as many days and three in four days. Surely this would be backup Malcolm Subban’s game, right? Instead Fleury was his usual self, making 22 saves and leading the Golden Knights to their fifth-straight home win, a 4-2 victory against the Dallas Stars. “It’s remarkable,” Vegas forward Reilly Smith said. “He’s a calming presence for us back there. He’s been our best player all year and I think that’s what we expect out of him.” Fleury said he doesn’t dictate when he plays. He tells coach Gerard Gallant and goalie coach Dave Prior when he feels like he can play, but in that regard he’s just like every other player: He goes when his number his called. Where he’s not like any other is how often his number has been called. Sunday was his NHL-best 17th win of the season in his NHL-high 28th start of the season. Fleury and New Jersey netminder Keith Kinkaid are the only goalies in the league to have all their team’s wins, and Kinkaid has 10. Fleury is on pace to start 72 games, which would be the most in the NHL by a goalie since started 73 for the Edmonton Oilers in 2016- 17. “The schedule has been pretty busy lately, maybe that’s why it feels like I’ve been playing lots,” Fleury said. “This year I think I’ve taken a few days off, practices off, can go to the gym, little stretches, stuff like that. See the trainer, try to stay loose, so it hasn’t been too bad.” The ability to bounce back the way Fleury did was impressive considering that he not only played Saturday, but did not play particularly well. He matched a season-high in goals allowed by surrendering five to the Los Angeles Kings. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise. The previous two times he allowed five this season, he responded by allowing one and zero goals. Sunday he allowed two, and none at even-strength. “It was not a good game for anybody on the team (Saturday) and it’s good that we got to put it behind us and move on quickly, come home and get a big win against a good team here,” Fleury said. “It was just a good team game. I think everybody contributes to that, our success.” The first three back-to-backs of the season, Fleury started the first game and Subban took the second. The last two, Fleury has gone both, with the justification that in both instances the first game was an afternoon contest and the second one was at night to give him more time to rest. Gallant insists he wants to get Subban into a game. But including Sunday, Fleury has a .920 save percentage and a 2.30 goals-against average in the 10 games since Subban’s last start, and it’s hard to bench that kind of production. “The guy is giving us a chance to win all the time and he’s playing great,” Gallant said. “We’re not in first place like we were last year and we’re trying to catch teams. When a guy plays that good he’s going to play. “When you have the best goalie going every night you feel good about that.” LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120279 Vegas Golden Knights

Zappos Giveaway at Golden Knights’ 4-2 Win Over Dallas: $25 Gift Card

December 9, 2018 By ALAN SNEL

Another sellout crowd packed into T-Mobile Arena, as 18,240 watched the Golden Knights defeat a tough Dallas Stars squad, 4-2, Sunday night before the VGK head to New York City. Each fan in the building received a generous gift from VGK sponsor Zappos — a $25 gift card courtesy of the downtown Las Vegas-based online clothing and shoe retailer. It’s one of the most generous game freebies for VGK fans, who gobble up player game posters when they head to their seats and any other giveaways. The Golden Knights hit the road for metro New York to play the Islanders Wednesday, the Devils Friday and Rangers Sunday before the road trip is wrapped up in Columbus, Ohio Dec. 17. The next home game is Dec. 20 when the Islanders come to Las Vegas. Here’s Alex Tuch, who scored the third goal. And Ryan Carpenter, who scored his first of the season. VGK coach Gerard Gallant said he still gets a kick out of the crowd noise for Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena. “It doesn’t feel common because it’s so loud,” Gallant said in response to a question during the post-game news conference. “This is incredible. It’s a fun place to play.” The Golden Knights averaged 18,299 attendance a game through 13 homes dates entering the Sunday match with the Stars, filling T-Mobile Arena to 105.4 percent of capacity — third highest in the 31-team National Hockey League. Only Chicago and Minnesota had higher percentage capacities. LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120280 Washington Capitals

The Capitals wanted more offense from the fourth line. They’re starting to get it.

By Isabelle Khurshudyan December 9 at 1:19 PM

First there was Dmitrij Jaskin reaching an arm over to his back and yanking the figurative monkey off of it. And then there was Travis Boyd’s triumphant scream as he pumped a fist, Images of another memorable night for the Washington Capitals' fourth line. Boyd had scored the first goal of his NHL career when captain Alex Ovechkin fed him on a two-on- one, and Jaskin had scored his first goal of the season, and his first with the Capitals, when a puck bounced off his foot and past Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. “I’ll take it any day,” Jaskin said. The Capitals will, too. There’s not much to nitpick for a team coming off a Stanley Cup championship, especially with a near-identical roster, but with Washington’s fourth line experiencing the most turnover, the Capitals identified that as a unit they’d like to see assume a different identity. A fourth line’s top priority is to prevent goals, but with the NHL as skilled and as deep as it’s ever been, even a fourth line must chip in offense on occasion. With a faster fourth trio than in years past, the Capitals are starting to get consistent contributions with five goals in the past four games. “For me, I like to make plays, and I like to be an offensive guy,” Boyd said. “At the same time though, I understand that the role I’m in right now, which kind of means you can’t really turn too many pucks over and all that stuff. But when the opportunity is there to make plays, go out there and make them. You can’t be afraid. Overall, I think the last couple games, we’ve been making some plays, and luckily enough, we’ve been burying them. That makes our team a lot more dangerous.” Before Tom Wilson suffered a concussion in the Capitals' game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Boyd had been a healthy scratch for three straight games, pushed out of the lineup when Evgeny Kuznetsov was cleared to play after missing six games with a concussion. With longtime center Jay Beagle departing for Vancouver in free agency, Boyd and offseason acquistion Nic Dowd had vied to replace Beagle on the fourth line. Boyd got hurt in the preseason, so the job initially went to Dowd, but in the month since Boyd made his season debut, the two alternated in and out of the lineup. With both Wilson and T.J. Oshie out, there’s currently room for both on the fourth line. “When you’re out, you kind of look back and think about what you could’ve done differently to stay in,” Boyd said. “Ultimately, when you get the chance to come back in the lineup, you just try to have a positive impact on the game. Luckily, the last two games, my line’s been pretty good.” Boyd has a goal and two assists in the past two games, and as a strong skater, he was initially seen as the more offensively inclined option between he and Dowd. But after Dowd scored just three goals and one assist in 56 games last season, he’s already eclipsed that with four goals and four assists in 25 games. Injuries have depleted the forward corps over the past month, causing the fourth line’s personnel to change frequently, but since Nov. 14, Dowd and Jaskin have been constants. Whenever those two have been on the ice together since, the Capitals have taken roughly 55 percent of the shot attempts, according to Natural Stat Trick. Jaskin was waived by the St. Louis Blues before the season and Washington then claimed him. He’s regarded as a shot-suppressing, defensive specialist, but the Capitals were hopeful to see the offensive upside he flashed four seasons ago, when he scored 13 goals in 54 games. While he’s arguably played better than his production reflects, he has just six points this season, and four of them have come in the past six games, when the fourth line seemed to turn a corner and started scoring more. With Oshie seemingly nearing a return from a concussion that’s caused him to miss the past 11 games, the fourth line could get shaken up once again. But as the Capitals depth has been tested of late, the fourth line has more than passed, proving it can provide an occasional offensive spark. Of the current trio, just Boyd was on the Stanley Cup-winning roster last season, and the additions of Jaskin and Dowd alongside him could have Washington even deeper than it was a year ago. Washington Post LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120281 Washington Capitals

A pair of firsts: Dmitrij Jaskin, Travis Boyd score first goals for the Capitals

By J.J. Regan December 09, 2018 6:00 AM

Saturday’s game between the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets featured a number of high-profile NHL stars. In a battle for first place in the Metropolitan Division, you would expect Alex Ovechkin, Artemi Panarin, Braden Holtby or Sergei Bobrovsky to be the heroes. While Ovechkin did score and Holtby recorded a shutout in a 4-0 win over Columbus, it was Washington’s fourth line that stole the show as Dmitrij Jaskin and Travis Boyd each scored their first goals as Capitals. While playing well this season, Jaskin has struggled finishing offensive chances. This is a player with 25 career NHL goals and who scored 13 goals in a single season in 2014-15. And yet, coming into Saturday’s game, Jaskin had yet to score a goal in 22 appearances with the Caps. The way he finally got into the net was by doing the same things he’s been doing effectively all season. One of Jaskin’s best attributes is that he always goes to the net when he’s in the offensive zone. Boyd had the puck high in the zone and drew both Blue Jacket defensemen to him. Jaskin, as always, was headed to the front of the net and got in behind Columbus’ overly aggressive defense. Boyd looked for him on the pass, but it hit off of Jaskin’s skate and went directly into the top shelf behind a shocked Bobrovsky. “I’ll take it,” Jaskin said. “Even if it was off the skate, I’ll take it any day.” Boyd had an even more memorable night as he scored not only his first goal as a Cap, but the first goal of his NHL career. Alex Ovechkin pounced on a loose puck in the neutral zone launching a two-on-one with Boyd. Ovechkin looked ready to wrist it, but instead passed it to Boyd who had plenty of net to shoot on as Jonas Korpisalo, who came on in relief of Bobrovsky after the first period, of course expected Ovechkin to shoot. It was a nice moment not just for Boyd to get his first goal, but for it to come off the stick of Ovechkin who Boyd gave an assist to last season for his first NHL point. “Pretty cool how it worked out for me having my first assist be on an Ovi goal and he feeds me a beautiful pass,” Boyd said. “Had a wide-open net for my first goal so pretty cool.” It was truly a night of firsts for Washington with Jaskin’s first goal, Boyd’s first goal and the Caps walking away still in first place of the division. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120282 Winnipeg Jets

Sanheim beginning to shine

Mike Sawatzky Posted: 12/9/2018 6:49 PM | Last Modified: 12/9/2018 10:58 PM

The Flyers have already sacked their general manager and head coach Dave Hakstol remains on the hot seat, but tumultuous times on Broad Street haven’t put a damper on the development of one of Philadelphia’s prize young defencemen —Travis Sanheim. The 22-year-old sophomore from Elkhorn, a first-round (17th overall) pick by then-GM Ron Hextall in the 2014 draft, appears to have turned the corner on his development in his first full season as an NHLer. "(Sanheim's) doing a lot of really good things for our team. He's gaining confidence and you see some of the swagger in his game," says Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol. "We’ve had a couple of crazy weeks here," Sanheim said following Philly’s 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place on Sunday afternoon. "We’re trying to figure things out and kind of get over that stretch. Obviously, today wasn’t a good effort but we played well yesterday (in a 6-2 win in Buffalo) and there were things from tonight’s game we can take as positives." On Sunday, with about 40 friends and family in attendance, including parents Shelly and Kent and twin brother Taylor, Sanheim’s 23:13 of ice time trailed only fellow blue-liner Ivan Provorov, who finished with 27:00. What’s more, Sanheim’s accurate point shot was redirected by Jakub Vorachek for Philadelphia’s lone goal, bringing the Flyers to within a goal at 2-1 late in the first period. Sanheim also logged 1:52 of power-play time and 1:53 on the penalty- killing unit Sunday, registered three shots on goal and one blocked shot. "What you saw tonight, you know, is a pretty good snapshot," said Hakstol, whose club is 12-13-3 and seventh in the Metropolitan Division. "He’s doing a lot of really good things for our team. He’s gaining confidence and you see some of the swagger in his game. He’s still working to be a more complete player in terms of the 200-foot defending game. "His last two weeks (have) been a real good step forward for him." Sanheim is starting to flash some of the offensive mojo he developed during a three-year stint with the ’s Calgary Hitmen and parts of three seasons with Lehigh Valley of the AHL. On Dec. 6, he scored twice against the the Columbus Blue Jackets, his first multi-goal game in the NHL. Sunday’s assist gave Sanheim two goals and nine points in 28 games this season, two shy of the total he produced in 49 games with the Flyers in 2017-18. "I thought we got off to a pretty good start," Sanheim said. "I thought we were good for probably the first half of the game and then in the second period, things kind of changed there. They started coming and their transition game, we started turning over pucks, they started eating us up on the transition game and they kind of took over from there. "My confidence is where I’ve improved the most," said Sanheim, a 6-3, 181-pounder who looks like he probably hasn’t filled out yet. "Taking that extra second to make a play, moving my feet, defending well, checking well. The things I’ve gotta get better at (are) playing guys harder and making sure I win those one-on-one battles. "I’m still a young kid. I need to improve and get stronger." Another highly touted young Flyer, 20-year-old centre Nolan Patrick, is working to establish himself as a star in the NHL. Patrick played 15:40 on the club’s No. 2 line with Vorachek and Wayne Simmonds, earning an assist Sunday to bring his season totals to five goals and 10 points in 25 games. "Patty had a little rough patch over the last 10 days, but I really liked his game the last couple of days," Hakstol said. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.10.2018 1120283 Winnipeg Jets The Jets didn't exactly go easy on backup Anthony Stolarz. Dustin Byfuglien on the power play, and Blake Wheeler on a shorthanded breakaway, made it 5-1 before the period was over. Jets embarrass Flyers with 7-1 drubbing Things got heated near the end of the frame as Philadelphia defenceman Robert Hagg drilled Winnipeg forward Kyle Connor from behind, earning a five-minute major and game misconduct. That set off a melee in which By: Mike McIntyre Mark Scheifele and Byfuglien tried to get at Hagg, and others. Byfuglien ended up with a two-minute roughing penalty and 10-minute misconduct. Posted: 12/9/2018 4:54 PM | Last Modified: 12/9/2018 6:43 PM "We stick up for our teammates when bad things happen. We’re a brotherhood. We gotta stand up for each other," said Scheifele. It didn't take the Winnipeg Jets very long to restore their offensive power Connor escaped injury on the play and returned to action at the start of following an unexpected outage. the third period. Bryan Little connected early in the final period on the ensuing power play, and then Myers finished off the scoring a few After getting blanked by the St. Louis Blues on Friday night, the Jets minutes later. responded by lighting up the Philadelphia Flyers 7-1 on Sunday afternoon at Bell MTS Place. The shots ended up 37-35 for Philadelphia, which is quite something considering Philadelphia had a 24-8 advantage near the midway mark of Winnipeg Jets' Brendan Lemieux (48) tries to get open in front of the game. The Flyers had played Saturday afternoon in Buffalo, winning Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michal Neuvirth (30) as Robert Hagg (8) 6-2, and looked like a team that ran out of gas after a spirited start. defends during second period NHL action in Winnipeg on Sunday. For Winnipeg, it was a good bounce-back after losing 1-0 to kick off the "We started to skate and that’s the foundation of our game, so all of the four-game homestand. The Jets suffered from what Maurice had dubbed other pieces come," coach Paul Maurice said of going from famine to a "lethargic" offensive attack that night. feast when it comes to scoring. "You gotta get your legs under you. Obviously that wasn’t the first that we "The gaps get closed, you get the puck moving, you have the puck more wanted. Helly made a lot of big saves to keep us in it. We had a good talk and we made much more decisions about when to put pucks to the net at the intermission and we stepped up our game and it showed," said and the chaos that comes from that. Most of that started from our blue Scheifele, who had three assists in the game. line, getting pucks to the net. And when you’re skating, you’ll draw penalties, you’ll be good on the power play and give yourself a chance to Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine each had a pair of helpers. Morrissey had be good." two assists to go with his goal as he returned to the lineup after missing the past two games with a lower-body injury. Sami Niku was a healthy Perhaps most encouraging is the balanced way in which they did it. The scratch as a result. Jets got goals from seven different skaters, including three at even- strength, three on the power play and one shorthanded. "Over the course of the season nights like (Friday) are going to happen. It was definitely something, for me watching last game, I thought we Winnipeg improves to 18-9-2 and sit just one point back of Nashville and generated a lot of great chances and did a lot of good things. (STL's Jake Colorado for first place in the Central Division, with a game in hand on Allen) made some big saves in that game, and they had some big blocks. both clubs. Philadelphia drops to 12-13-3. It just didn't go our way. I think we stuck to a lot of the same things as last Lost in the one-sided final score is the fact the Jets weren't very good out game, but maybe got a few more pucks to the net and were rewarded. of the gate. Connor Hellebuyck was sensational in the opening period, But it's nice to have contributions throughout the lineup and have a big including an early Philadelphia power play in which he made three terrific win like that," said Morrissey.. saves to keep it scoreless despite his team being outshot 8-1 in the first The Jets return to action Tuesday night when the Chicago Blackhawks five minutes. come to town. "Honestly that was pretty ugly from our group. It goes to show that we’re Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.10.2018 able to put the puck in the net. We got a little bit better after the first period, but certainly didn’t like the first. Bucky made a lot of good saves to weather their storm, and we were able to capitalize on a lot of our chances," said defenceman Tyler Myers, who had a goal and assist. Hellebuyck has now surrendered just one goal in three consecutive games, stopping 89 of 92 shots in the process including 36 of 37 on Sunday. That included robbing Wayne Simmonds of what looked like an easy tap-in goal in that lopsided first period. "It’s always nice to get a lucky save here and there, too. I’d say a little bit of luck. Then the guys kind of channeled it for me so I was easy to read the play well. I think any time you get a big early save like that, I use that as some momentum. And I think the team used it as well," said Hellebuyck, who has repeatedly stated he loves playing matinee contests. "Something about those afternoon games just suits me. I like waking up and having no down time. I feel very energized, not really skating in the morning, not doing much. Just coming to the rink and excited to play," he said. Goaltending was a big story of the day. Because while Hellebuyck was putting up a wall, Michal Neuvirth sprung a leak at the other end of the ice. Kyle Connor's seemingly harmless shot squeezed through him to open the scoring 11:38 into the game, and then Josh Morrissey made it 2-0 three minutes later when his point shot went through a crowd on the power play. Jakub Voracek cut the deficit in half late in the first period, but that was as close as the Flyers would get. Brandon Tanev buried a juicy rebound just over seven minutes into the middle period, chasing Neuvirth from the game after giving up three goals on just 10 shots. That may have been the turning point, as the Flyers began to sag from that point on. "We got fast and pucks to the net cause chaos and you get some rebound opportunities," Maurice said of Tanev's effort and the impact it had. 1120284 Winnipeg Jets Among the seven goals, the Jets had seven different goal scorers and 11 players recorded at least one point, with five of them recording two or more. Hellebuyck looks familiar…Tanev trending towards career-highs…Jets Of the seven goals, three of them came on the power play, one was get contributions throughout the lineup shorthanded and three came at even strength. “Over the course of the season nights like that are going to happen,” said Ken Wiebe Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, who made a major impact in his return to the lineup, producing a goal and an assist. “We stuck to a lot of the same things as last game, but maybe got a few more pucks to the net and were rewarded. But it’s nice to have contributions throughout the A cursory glance at the final score doesn’t tell the tale. lineup and have a big win like that.” Although it ended in a one-sided blowout, were it not for the sharpness of MOMENTUM SHIFTER goalie Connor Hellebuyck in the early stages, it would have been the Winnipeg Jets chasing the game – instead of the Jets chasing goalie With the Jets up 2-1, forward Brandon Tanev used his speed to go hard Michal Neuvirth early in the second period. to the net and pounce on a juicy rebound. The Jets were opportunistic in scoring three times on 10 shots on goal It was a good shot from Morrissey and Tanev did a nice job of kicking the against Neuvirth and cruised to a 7-1 victory on Sunday after shaking off puck from his skate to his stick before depositing in the loose puck for his a sluggish first period. fifth goal of the season. “I don’t know if you can count the five goals they would have got on one The Jets didn’t use their speed to generate enough offensive chances power play, but he was really good. You have a period like that and you against the St. Louis Blues in a 1-0 loss on Friday, especially during the need one or two guys to be a difference for you and he’s the key piece to third period. that and certainly worth talking about,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “And then you need to overcome it and not let it bleed and have That wasn’t the case for the Jets on Sunday, especially during the final it be a game where you’re saying ‘we just didn’t have it.’ We were able to two periods. do that. You get to come out after the first after playing the way that we “We started to skate and that’s the foundation of our game, so all of the did with a 2-1 lead because your goalie was the difference. other pieces come,” said Maurice. “The gaps get closed, you get the “He’s got a block of games now where he feels strong and he looks the puck moving, you have the puck more and we made much more way that we’re used to seeing him.” decisions about when to put pucks to the net and the chaos that comes from that. Most of that started from our blue line, getting pucks to the net. With the win, the Jets improved to 18-9-2 and continue a four-game And when you’re skating, you’ll draw penalties, you’ll be good on the homestand on Tuesday against the reeling Chicago Blackhawks. power play and give yourself a chance to be good.” With five wins during the past six games, the Jets are one point out of Tanev set career-highs with eight goals and 18 points in 61 games last first place and hold a game in hand over both the Nashville Predators season and he’s already up to give goals and 11 points in 29 games in and Colorado Avalanche. 2018-19. The uneven play of Hellebuyck during a stretch in the first quarter of the As a pending unrestricted free agent, Tanev is likely going to be receiving season has been a much-discussed topic of conversation in these parts. a raise on the one-year, $1.15 million deal he signed last summer. Sure, there were times when Hellebuyck was playing well and making big The issue for the Jets is that they have a lot of big-ticket items to sign this saves, but soft goals had crept into his game on a more frequent basis – off-season and there isn’t a lot of money available in the “middle-class.” which created some cause for concern. SHORTIE FOR WHEELER However, Hellebuyck has found his happy place, returning to the customary big and boring, technically sound style that pushed him into Speaking of using his speed, Jets captain Blake Wheeler blew past contention for the Vezina Trophy last season. Shayne Gostisbehere and made a nifty move to the backhand to score his first shorthanded marker of the campaign. By turning aside 89 of the 92 shots on goal he faced (.967 save %), Hellebuyck’s numbers are trending upward. Wheeler is up to five goals and 37 points in 29 games this season. So, what’s been different? Because the Jets were able to build such a sizable cushion, Maurice was able to trim back the ice time for Wheeler and Mark Scheifele during the “I relaxed a bit. I was gripping it a bit tight. I was trying to do a little bit too third period. much with it instead of letting the game come to me. I was trying to do more, trying to go after it when really I just need to relax and read the After both players eclipsed 25 minutes of ice time on Friday, Wheeler play,” said Hellebuyck, who is 13-8-1 with a 2.80 goals-against average was down to 17:31 (his lowest time on ice since the season opener) and and .910 save % in 23 appearances. “I got a lot better at my foundation Scheifele played a season-low 15:59. over the summer. What I’m used to feeling I’m not really feeling anymore. Getting an opportunity to not lean heavily on Scheifele and Wheeler has I can do so much more, so I started to fight a little bit harder for it. Now I been challenging for Maurice, but the fourth line got a considerable bump can relax and let things kind of sink into place. It kind of helped me find in ice time during the third period – allowing Jack Roslovic and Brendan my groove.” Lemieux to play just under 10 minutes and Mason Appleton to take 16 The Jets never lost faith in their No. 1 puckstopper – and for good shifts for 11:03. reason. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider the line “We’re not worried about (Hellebuyck) at all. He’s played well of late. played only two shifts during the first period. He’s made some big-time saves,” said Jets defenceman Tyler Myers, Bryan Little, Kyle Connor and Dustin Byfuglien (on the power play) also who scored a goal and added an assist. “(Hellebuyck) has been good scored for the Jets. and we’ll try to help him out as much as we can.” STICKING TOGETHER While some players have trouble getting up to play an afternoon game, Hellebuyck is not one of them. There was a scary moment for the Jets late in the second period when Flyers defenceman Robert Hagg drilled Kyle Connor into the boards from “Something about those afternoon games just suits me,” said Hellebuyck. behind during a Jets power play. “I like waking up and having no down time. I feel very energized, not really skating in the morning, not doing much. Just coming to the rink and Connor narrowly escaped injury and a melee ensued, with Scheifele and excited to play.” Byfuglien among those players to try and get a piece of Hagg. BEACH BLANKET BINGO “We stick up for our teammates when bad things happen,” said Scheifele, who chipped in three assists. “We’re a brotherhood. We’ve got to stand It was a busy day for the bingo dabbers as the Jets checked off a lot of up for each other.” boxes on the checklist during this matinee affair. Maurice liked the way his team responded to the questionable hit and he isn’t worried about the opposition trying to take liberties when the score gets out of hand. “When you’ve got lots of confidence in your ability to handle yourself in those games, you don’t see that as much,” said Maurice. “(A response) needs to happen every once in a while and be completely spontaneous, but you also don’t want a team coming in and saying we’ve hit two or three of your small guys and we’ll be on the power play for the rest of the net because (the Jets) get stupid. “You have to handle it the right way. We’ve got enough muscle in our lineup that plays. I don’t have to send them off the bench on a five-minute night. We’ve got some big-minute guys that can take care of things and the rest of it should just be spontaneous. You don’t want to chase that stuff around, you don’t want to react to every hit. We can take hits and make plays too. We handled it right.” NO CONCERN FOR PERREAULT Jets winger Mathieu Perreault left the game during the third period after being hit in the offensive zone by Winnpegger Dale Weise. Perreault got caught in the trolley tracks and while the hit from Weise was clean, the force of the blow caused Perreault’s head to catch the shin pad or knee of Flyers centre Scott Laughton as he fell to the ice. Perreault finished the game with 20 shifts for 12:17 of ice time and chipped in an assist and was in good spirits after the game – after he had been checked out by doctors. “He was handing out the sticks for the three star selection, so I think he’s fine,” said Maurice. Five things we learned Solid return Keeping defenceman Josh Morrissey on the sidelines for the past two games to help heal a lingering lower-body issue turned out to be a wise decision. Feeling refreshed and healthy, Morrissey was back on the top pairing and logging big minutes (20:13) and providing a steadying force on the back end. His defensive play was stellar and Morrissey also chipped in a goal and two assists. Hellebuyck shines early Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has given up just three goals during his past three games and he’s found his form while enjoying a busy workload. Hellebuyck had to be sharp early as the Flyers built an 8-1 cushion in shots on goal. Hellebuyck’s 16-save first period included a couple of highlight-real stops on Wayne Simmonds. The hit Jets left-winger Kyle Connor was fortunate to escape injury after he was drilled from behind into the boards by Flyers defenceman Robert Hagg late in the second period. Hagg received a five-minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind and his ejection meant the Jets didn’t spend the third period looking for retribution. Two apples Patrik Laine’s grip on the Cy Young award loosened a bit on Sunday as the Jets sniper chipped in a pair of assists. Laine has 21 goals and five assists, making his number look like a top pitcher. The saucer pass from the slot to Tyler Myers was impressive. “I liked the pass better. (Laine) made a really nice pass, kind of feathered it between two guys. Fortunately I was able to put it in,” said Myers, who was asked about Laine’s playmaking ability. “I don’t know if any of us forgot, you especially take a look at the power play unit that he’s on, he makes some really nice passes to break pressure. He makes them look so easy, they might go a little unnoticed. (Laine) can certainly make plays, and that was a really nice one.” Locals chip in Winnipegger Nolan Patrick and Elkhorn product Travis Sanheim each had an assist on the Flyers lone goal. Patrick is up to five goals and 10 points on the season and is settling into his role as the No. 2 centre for the Flyers. Sanheim played on the second pairing and is on the second power-play unit as he continues to try and carve out more minutes as an offensive defenceman. The only guy on the Flyers to play more than Sanheim on Sunday was former Wheat Kings blue-liner Ivan Provorov (27:00). Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.10.2018 1120285 Vancouver Canucks Hughes, who was unsurprisingly selected for Team USA’s preliminary roster for the World Junior tournament later this month, will be a lot closer to his future NHL home when he and his brother Jack kick off their Canucks prospects tracker, Dec. 9: Dahlen catches fire for the Comets tournament in Victoria on Boxing Day. On the ice with the 13th-ranked Michigan Wolverines, Hughes had his ten game point streak snapped on Saturday in a 4-3 loss to Minnesota. Mike Raptis He had three shots on net and finished a plus-1 in the game. The night before, the Wolverines beat the same team 3-2 in double overtime. Hughes had an assist and four shots on net. It’s the latest edition of the weekly tracker, where we tally up the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks’ highest-profile prospects: Hughes now has three goals and 17 assists in 17 games so far this season. He’s also a minus-5 on the year. Jonathan Dahlen Tyler Madden Dare to dream. The Northeastern Huskies have been mauling opponents as of late, and Three games this past week for the , four goals for the Madden has provided much of the bite. offensively-gifted forward. The Canucks’ 2018 3rd-rounder scored a shorthanded goal and added Dahlen’s dazzling display started on Wednesday, when the Swedish three assists in the Huskies’ lone game this past week, a 7-2 win at winger netted his fourth goal of the season in a 5-2 loss at the Rochester Merrimack. Americans. It came on a long shot from the sideboards, but a goal’s a goal. Madden has been on a tear and, in turn, was selected for the preliminary roster for Team USA at the upcoming World Junior tournament. Dahlen caught fire on Friday, a 5-2 win versus the Springfield Thunderbirds. He netted two goals on the night and had seven shots. He Huskies head coach Jim Madigan told TSN 1040 earlier this past week also was a plus-1. that the Canucks prospect has a good hockey sense and can play in any situation. The first goal came in the first period as Dahlen deked his way from the left corner to the front of the net, where his initial shot was blocked but Team USA head coach Mike Hastings told Sportsnet’s Rick Dwaliwal that stuck with the play and potted home the rebound. Madden “has earned his his way to get a chance to compete for this team. He is a competitor, utility, he can play the middle or play on the The second came in the second period as Dahlen took a pass in the slot wall.” and fired home a shot to the blocker side. Sure sounds a lot like his dad, Selke Award winner John Madden. Then on Saturday, Dahlen scored again in a 7-4 win at the . He took a pass at the side of the net and made no mistake. Tyler now has six goals and nine assists in 14 games for the 13th-ranked Huskies, who have now won six games in a row. Dahlen’s scoring surge leaves the first-year pro now just six points shy of top spot in the AHL rookie scoring race. He has seven goals and 10 Will Lockwood assists in 26 games this season. As a 20-year-old, Lockwood is too old to compete in the upcoming world Better yet, Dahlen’s defensive game appears to have turned a corner, junior tournament. with the winger now a minus-7 on the season. He’s becoming a more complete player as the season wears on, which bodes well for anyone It’s too bad, because the chemistry the hard-nosed winger has with hoping to see Dahlen on a line with stars Brock Boeser and Elias Hughes could have payed dividends for Team USA. Pettersson, his best friend. Lockwood lit the lamp again this past week in Friday’s double overtime The Comets sit in fourth place in the eight-team North Division with a win over Minnesota. record of 12-13-1-1. The goal came on a rush started by — guess who? — Hughes, who fed Jett Woo the puck to standout defenceman Josh Norris, who then dropped a pass to Lockwood in the high slot. Lockwood didn’t miss. Take that, coach. In Saturday’s 4-3 loss, Lockwood added an assist, finding the puck Just days after head coach Tim Hunter turned his nose up at the idea of behind the net and feeding it out front for the goal. He had a team high Woo trying out for Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior six shots in the game. tournament, Woo showed his bench boss what he’ll be missing. Whether it’s putting up points or dropping guys to the ice, Lockwood has a complete game. In a late November contest against rival Michigan Woo was the first star on Wednesday, a 6-5 overtime loss versus State, Lockwood put his physical game on display, levelling an opposing Medicine Hat in which the defenceman had a goal, three assists and two player as he released the puck for a shot. shots on net. It was the first four-point game of his budding career. Safe to say the player was injured on the play (he didn’t move for quite Woo scored his goal by making a pass across the blue line, streaking to some time). the net and depositing a sharp angle shot that eluded the goaltender. Lockwood has five goals and ten assists in 17 games so far this season. After the game, the Canucks’ 2018 2nd-rounder was asked if being left off the Team Canada roster provided him any extra motivation. Mike DiPietro “I guess so,” he told Moose Jaw Warriors TV. “I’m always trying to get The Ottawa 67’s had to give up a king’s ransom to get DiPietro. better, I’m always trying to make my teammates better.” Based on his first game with the team, it looks like it was worth it. “Nothing changes, I’m just going to keep playing hard,” he added. DiPietro backstopped the 67’s to a 5-1 win on Saturday and was named On Friday, a 3-2 win at the Saskatoon Blades, Woo had two more assists the game’s second star for his efforts. He stopped 24 of 25 shots in the and a crushing body check on Kirby Dach that sent the forward spiralling win. back towards his bench. A good time to make a line change, I’d say. “It’s definitely been a crazy week,” DiPietro told the Ottawa Sun after the Woo wasn’t great on Saturday, a 5-3 loss versus the same Blades. He game. “But, when the puck drops, it’s business as usual. I kind of just did had an assist, but also went a minus-4 on the night. my job.” Woo now has five goals and 18 assists in 24 games this season. He’s DiPietro will also get another crack at making Team Canada’s roster for also a plus-2 on the year. the upcoming World Junior tournament after getting the invite to tryouts. He was the final goaltender cut from last year’s team, but is almost a Quinn Hughes surefire bet to make the roster this time around. Some things you have to see in person to believe. One of those things is Thatcher Demko Quinn Hughes. Demko was in the crease for two of the Comets games this past week, winning one and losing the other. Demko allowed three goals on 25 shots in Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Americans. He bounced back on Friday though, stopping 23 of 25 shots in a 5-2 win over the Thunderbirds. The Canucks’ top goalie prospect is 2-2 on the year with a 2.55 goals- against-average and a .904 save percentage. Jack Rathbone Just one game this past week for Rathbone’s Harvard hockey squad, a 2-1 win at Bentley. Rathbone was a plus-1 in the affair. The Canucks’ fourth-rounder from 2017 has turned heads this season, and not just because of his foot speed. Rathbone is an efficient defenceman who doesn’t get caught behind the play very often. He can also contribute to the offence, as was evident on a power play blast he scored earlier this month against 16th-ranked Cornell. Alas, Rathbone was just ranked the 15th-best NHL defensive prospect to start December. Hughes is in the #2 hole, while the injured Olli Juolevi is #21 and Woo is #26. Not a bad up-and-coming defensive core for the Canucks and their fans to look forward to. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120286 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks Post Game: Green’s gang has a red-letter day against Blues

Ben Kuzma

ST. LOUIS —Points to ponder on a magical Sunday afternoon as Elias Pettersson found a 200-foot playground for his second-career five-point outing, Brock Boeser found some luck and a quick release for his second-career hat-trick and Travis Green found out more about his transitioning club in a convincing 6-1 win over the baffling Blues: Green’s gang gets the plaudits Travis Green is part coach, part mentor, part psychologist. And he has to be. The bench boss has walked a fine line this season because losses wear on young players and they can simply slip into the dark because they don’t process setbacks as well as veterans, who learn to swiftly move on from game to game. That’s why Sunday’s effort resonated with the coach on several levels. Here’s what he had to say about key developments for the club’s first two-game win streak in five weeks: On playing with a lead and keeping it: “It was a nice win for our group. A lot of positives. I like how we played with the lead and we’ve been talking when you get a lead, how do you play with it? They did a good job for sure.” On what a two-game win streak does: “Belief, I think. Explaining to a young team you’ll get results and try to make them believe. Results help with how hard they’re working and to a man they’re competing hard. We’ve got to be in it emotionally and physically and be engaged.” On killing four-minute minor: “It set the tone a little bit. Not only did we kill it off (and allow no shots), we did such a good job and got momentum off it and when you’re PK is struggling, you worry about it when you do take a penalty. Slowly you get confidence back with good kills like that.” On Pettersson’s second five-pointer: “He’s got the making of a real special player. It was one of those nights like a lot of good players, where he can almost do it quietly and subtly made good passes and he has a shooter on his line now. He’s a smart player. Even when we had the lead, he wasn’t trying to push or press for more points and when you do that, good things happen.” Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120287 Vancouver Canucks

Ben Kuzma: Josh Leivo has ‘jaw dropping’ day with dynamic duo of Pettersson, Boeser

Ben Kuzma

ST. LOUIS — Josh Leivo had the best view for the magic show Sunday. The Vancouver Canucks winger was on the ice for Brock Boeser’s hat trick performance and four of the five points that Elias Pettersson produced in a 6-1 rout of the St. Louis Blues. “I think my jaw dropped a couple of times,” said Leivo, who had no points, but was credited with a plus-4 afternoon. “It was fun to watch those guys and maybe I can chip in next game. I know to get in front of the net and maybe get the puck back to them and let them play around with it.” Especially if Pettersson has the puck because he’s just as likely to buy time to find an open linemate instead of unleashing a heavy and accurate shot. He has 15 goals in 26 games but his 30 points speak to the rookie’s creativity and versatility. “He’s amazing,” added Leivo. “He’s creative and he gets his time and space by his shiftiness because players are respecting him from what he’s already been able to do. I’m probably just going to go to the net and let him pass to Boeser and hopefully it hits me or I can screen the goalie. “I’m going to keep it simple and let these guys fool around.” Boeser’s second goal gave the Canucks a three-goal cushion and it came because Jacob Markstrom made a tough save off Vladimir Tarasenko and the defensive-diligent Pettersson was back to trigger the transition. “A good defensive play and we got a 2-on-1 and any time Petey gets the puck on his stick, he can make passes that most guys can’t,” said Boeser. “You always have to be ready.” That said, five-point games are rare and Travis Green knew the significance of a second five-pointer by Pettersson. “He’s got the making of a real special player,” said the Canucks coach. “It was one of those nights where like a lot of good players, he can almost do it quietly and subtly and make good passes and he has a shooter on his line now. He’s a smart player. Even when we had the lead, he wasn’t trying to push or press for more points and when you do that, good things happen.” However, playing on the line is no free ride. Green likes Leivo’s size and strength and ability to hang on to the puck down low. But he has to do more than that. “It’s a great opportunity for him and he’s got to make the most of it,” said Green. “We’re looking for a guy to put in an honest effort and he has to work hard to stay on that line and provide what he can.” Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120288 Vancouver Canucks you get in games where you should score that are legit goals and something like that goes in. It’s hard not to laugh.”

It shouldn’t have been that surprising. Boeser had two goals in his Canucks 6 Blues 1: Pettersson has his way, Boeser has hat trick, previous five games and despite 20 shots and 38 shot attempts, he hit Markstrom has moxie posts and crossbars and was been robbed on several occasions. Early penalty kill was really a thrill Ben Kuzma When Erik Gudbranson took a four-minute high-sticking minor on Alex Steen with the Canucks only up 1-0, it could have been a game-changer. ST. LOUIS — For more than two years, the baffling Blues had their way The Blues’ home-ice power play was ranked 10th but didn’t muster a with the Canucks. single shot as the pairings of Jay Beagle with Markus Granlund and Antoine Roussel with Loui Eriksson shut the door. And the fact the For one afternoon, Elias Pettersson had his way — and that’s what was Canucks took just one infraction is a testament to helping the 27th- really at play as Vancouver won consecutive games for the first time in ranked penalty kill finds its legs. five weeks Sunday with a resounding 6-1 triumph at the Enterprise Centre. Jacob Markstrom’s big save off a hot Vladimir Tarasenko shot from the slot not only triggered Boeser’s second goal in transition, it chased Allen Pettersson’s second five-point outing of the season, including a three- from the net after allowing three goals on just six shots. point explosion in the opening 14:06 which featured his 15th goal of the season, was instrumental in linemate Brock Boeser striking for two goals Allen made 26 saves in a 1-0 shutout win at Winnipeg on Friday and in the opening 20 minutes and finishing with his second career hat trick. entered Sunday’s test with a 1.92 goals-against average and .937 save percentage. Markstrom looked more stable and square to shooters and The Blues simply didn’t have an answer in their first look at attempting to didn’t over-react to first shots and when he had to, made a sprawling defend against Pettersson, the Calder Trophy front-runner. move on his back for a snow-angel save off a second-period turnover. And for a Blues club that had all the answers in its last nine meetings He also got to the post to take away a high chance for Zach Sanford and with the Canucks — five-straight wins and an 8-0-1 advantage — it was stopped Robert Thomas with a dash off the wing. He lost his shutout bid another wild roller-coaster ride after blanking the Jets in Winnipeg on in the third period on the 20th shot when Robert Bortuzzo’s stick broke Friday. on a shot and Markstrom was prone as Jordan Kyrou jumped on the loose puck. Here’s what we learned as the Canucks chased yet another starter in Jake Allen to get a three-game road trip off on the right note: “He goes for the one-timer and everybody is playing that shot and there are bodies in the lane,” said Markstrom. “I kind of lose track of the puck For everything the slick Swedish centre can do when he decides to and it hits off my arm and goes in. But it’s a great win. If we keep playing dangle or shoot — the puck-on-the-string stuff and the one-knee, one- like this, we’re going to get rewarded with points most nights. This is the timer that is heavy and accurate — it’s the playmaking prowess that consistency we need.” doesn’t get enough of the ongoing accolades. David Perron is the answer to a trivia question of who the Canucks It was evident early and often Sunday. should have drafted 25th overall in 2007 — they took Patrick White — but the Blues winger was scratched Sunday because of his penchant for On the opening goal by Boeser, the Blues simply weren’t aware of how penalties. He had taken five penalties in the last eight games and 10 in well Pettersson can move as he easily set up the winger with a slot feed the last 15. from the corner. The Canucks considered in free agency on July 1, but were On his goal, the Blues should have been aware how calmly Pettersson wary of the price tag for a third-line centre. The Blues coughed up three buys time and space by hanging on to the puck long enough for years at $5 million US annually and while Bozak has been good in the defenders to retreat and provide him with a shooting lane. And when he circle, he has but three goals in 28 games. did, Pettersson’s wrist shot had enough velocity to find the glove side even after the attempt hit the blade of defenceman Jay Bouwmeester. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.10.2018 Pettersson then fed Boeser again for a wrister ripper, put one on a tee for Nikolay Goldobin at the side of the net and started the sequence for the hat trick goal. “Yeah, it was fun out there for sure,” said Pettersson. “I’m trying to create as much space as possible when I get the puck. Sometimes, it goes better and sometimes not as good as I want. The wins feel very good. We talked about continuing that way and being honest with ourselves. The way we played these last two games we’re going to be successful and we have to bring it every night and good things will happen.” Like five points? “Well, I really don’t know what to answer,” he shrugged. “I just try to create chances and the points will come and that’s all I’m thinking of.” The pre-game buzz was how Boeser would benefit from playing the ‘bumper’ position to score his first power play goal of the season. What he benefited from was an improved stride and drive and Pettersson playing keep-away with the Blues. Boeser’s first goal looked more like a field-goal attempt. It was like he didn’t realize he was that wide open or that he cradled the puck before putting it high off the glass. It nearly hit the netting but bounced back down and off the left pad of a startled Allen. Boeser then looked like he did a year ago. He quickly got to open ice, took a sublime saucer pass from Pettersson and didn’t hesitate to go glove for his eighth goal in 19 games. He then finished off the hat trick outing, his first since Nov. 4, 2017 when he scored three against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Rogers Arena, with a shot from the point that deflected in off a Blue. “The first goal, I just wanted to get a shot on net and it hit the guy’s skate and went off the back glass and then I saw it go up and then hit him (Allen),” said Boeser. “You just have to laugh. There are other chances 1120289 Vancouver Canucks Josh Leivo — Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser Antoine Roussel — Markus Granlund — Loui Eriksson Canucks Game Day: Virtanen’s goal plateau, chasing Allen, Boeser’s Tim Schaller — Jay Beagle — Tyler Motte beat, Dekey Pete (Adam Gaudette is ill)

Defence Ben Kuzma Alex Edler — Chris Tanev

Ben Hutton — Erik Gudbranson Jake Virtanen gets a group hug after scoring Thursday against Nashville. Derrick Pouliot — Troy Stecher BEN KUZMA’S CANUCKS GAME DAY Goal Vancouver Canucks at St. Louis Blues Jacob Markstrom — Anders Nilsson Sunday, Noon (PT), Enterprise Center, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet 650 BLUES THE BIG MATCHUP Forwards Virtanen versus Big Back End Zach Sanford — Ryan O’Reilly — Jordan Kyrou Jake Virtanen is one goal shy of matching his career-high of 10 from last season, and beer-can sales in the Lower Mainland have spiked for Alex Steen — Brayden Schenn — Vladimir Tarasenko #shotgunjake salutes. The winger’s best bet will be to take long feeds or Patrick Maroon — Tyler Bozak — Robert Thomas simply out-leg a towering Blues defence in which four of six defenders measure between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-6. Without the injured Alex Jordan Nolan — Ivan Barbashev — Oskar Sundqvist Pietrangelo, the Blues don’t have as much mobility. Virtanen had a goal, assist, three shots, three hits and two blocked shots Thursday in a 5-3 Defence win over Nashville. He set up Bo Horvat with a slick feed on a blazing 2- — Colton Parayko on-1 rush and then got behind the defence to convert a backhand, cross- ice feed from Antoine Roussel. Jay Bouwmeester — Robert Bortuzzo FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Vince Dunn — Chris Butler 1. Can Canucks chase Allen, too? Goal Jake Allen is coming off an impressive 26-save performance Friday in a Jake Allen — Chad Johnson 1-0 win at Winnipeg. The Canucks are coming off an inspirational decision over the Predators in which they got to Pekka Rinne. The red- INJURIES hot stopper (1.81 GAA., .935 save percentage) was yanked for the first time this season after allowing four goals on 25 shots over two periods. Canucks: Brandon Sutter (separated shoulder, IR), Sven Baertschi The Canucks also got to Jaroslav Halak in Boston on Nov. 8 in a wild 8-5 (concussion, IR). win in which the Bruins starter allowed five goals on 19 shots and was Blues: Alex Pietrangelo (hand, IR), Jaden Schwartz (undisclosed, IR), pulled in the second period. Carl Gunnarsson (upper body, IR), Robby Fabbri (shoulder, IR), Erik Foley (concussion, IR). 2. Better Boeser really needs a goal Since Brock Boeser returned Nov. 27 from a groin pull, which morphed SPECIAL TEAMS into an adductor irritation and hernia scare, the winger has two goals in Power play five games and they both came Nov. 29 against Las Vegas. Despite 20 shots and 38 attempts, Boeser has hit posts and crossbars and has been Canucks: 20th (18.0%) robbed on several occasions. The Canucks have moved him into the middle position on PP1 to get different looks and more chances closer to Blues: 9th (23.9%) the net to get quick, no-hesitation shots away. Penalty kill 3. Point-per-game Dekey Pete Canucks: 27th (75.0%) Elias Pettersson’s penalty-shot goal Thursday was the result of the Blues: 6th (83.9%) rookie doing what he did so well in Sweden with a willingness to dangle right down to the goalline. The centre got a big and stable keeper in Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.10.2018 Rinne to move in reaction to his methodical right-left-jam-under-pad move in which it looked like he had run out of room. But he knew exactly what he wanted to do and simply executed and is back to point-a-game pace with 25 (14-11) in 25 games. 4. Can’t kill them, don’t take them One aspect of Thursday’s encouraging win that flew under the radar was better discipline. After 31 games, only Anaheim (130) had taken more penalties than the Canucks (128) and it was a lone first-period slashing minor by Alex Edler that made it an easier night for the struggling penalty kill. Buoyed by the return of Jay Beagle to pair with Markus Granlund and Roussel joining Loui Eriksson, there may finally be some symmetry while also taking pressure off Horvat. 5. More juice from Goldobin? Nikolay Goldobin returned Thursday with more jump in his game after being a healthy scratch Tuesday. The winger’s wandering game without the puck again came into question and the result against the Preds was PP1 time and setting up the first goal, three shots, four attempts, a take- away and no give-aways in 13:54. CANUCKS Forwards Nikolay Goldobin — Bo Horvat — Jake Virtanen 1120290 Vancouver Canucks Call it the chemistry goal, or simply the future, but it’s plays like the ones both Boeser and Pettersson created on the third goal which show you what they’re capable of together. The Athletties: The story of Dekey Pete and The Flow story and radio It’s fast, smart and, as far as counter-attacks go, devastating. wars The Canucks were under fire, Jacob Markstrom made a good save.

Boeser executed a nice defensive poke, willing the puck to the same By Jason Botchford Dec 9, 2018 place on the ice where Pettersson was wheeling into. It ignited a give-and-go that looked just about unstoppable, from EP’s BEST RELATIONSHIP bullet pass on the fly to Boeser’s statement finish. The Canucks were in the midst of an awful run of losing. Both skaters look like they’re flying and if they lack anything on a line together, it’s probably breakneck speed. They had one win in 13 games. But chemistry and awareness and acceleration can make up for lacking The present felt bleak, the future muddy. straight-away burn. This is when playing in a Canadian hockey market is its toughest and Pettersson picks off that puck so smoothly through the centre of the ice. most challenging. “When someone has that level of hockey IQ, it shouldn’t be that hard to People look for someone to blame. People question the program, the gain chemistry with them,” Boeser said. general manager, the coach, the owners, the worst players and even the best. “He’s so smart, and he sees the ice in a way that allows him to always be looking for ways to make things happen. There’s no stopping it. “All I have to do is make that eye contact with him and have him see me Some is warranted, the rest is not. open. But it is in this precise moment, as the days looked darkest this season, “If he does, he can get me the puck and I just have to score.” when Elias Pettersson said the most meaningful sentence of his months- long Canucks career. BEST PREVIEW “I like it here and I want to play here for a long time,” he said. I referenced it earlier, but the foundation of today’s game was laid like brickwork in the 7-6 win against the Avalanche on Nov. 2. There are lots of reasons for it. He’s been here for five minutes and he’s built relationships and connections to teammates and the city. Boeser had a four-point night and then was forced to sit out the next 25 days, recovering from his groin injury. But at the top of his list is what you saw unfold today. It was no easy task for a young player already coping with the reality that It’s two players, and a blossoming friendship, who combined for four two injuries late last season wreaked havoc on his offseason training. goals and eight points. He started this year answering questions about a possible sophomore It’s the chance to do something exceptional in his career and do it playing slump in the preseason while he was realizing that rebounding from his with Brock Boeser, who is a premier finisher and the proton torpedo back injury and wrist surgery was more difficult than he had thought it housed inside the Alien’s X-wing fighter. was going to be. “We do play well together and we’re good friends on and off the ice,” And then throw the groin injury into the fire. Pettersson said. But part of what drove him, calmed him and helped him, during the injury “I feel confident playing with him.” rehab is that he had gone out on top, so to say, with that huge game against the Avs. It’s shown. “I mentioned that game a lot to family and friends (while recovering),” Dekey Pete has now two monster five-point performances; both have Boeser said. “That was a huge game for me personally. been playing on the same line as Boeser. “It was a tough first bit of the season for me. It sucked getting hurt right In the first, five weeks ago against Colorado, Boeser’s groin injury was at away because it impacts your confidence. its most painful and limiting. “But that game gave me confidence again, knowing what we could do The second was today, a tour de force, one oozing potential because together, and how we can contribute to the team. even though Boeser registered a hat trick, he’s still got some room to go yet to play at his very best. “It gave me a boost and gave me something to really look forward to.” “We have such a great friendship off the ice and it’s like that on the ice BEST STAT too,” Boeser said, when the losing could easily have been suffocating for these young, emerging stars. The Canucks are controlling 80 per cent of the goals scored at 5-on-5 when Boeser and Pettersson are on the same line. “We’re roommates on the road. Personally, we’ve grown really close. Good god. “He’s an awesome kid. BEST REMINDER “He comes to the rink every single day to work. Loui Eriksson has no goals this season playing on the same line as Sir “He loves to win just like I do. Dekes. “It’s so easy to get along with him and on the ice he’s so smart he makes BEST NEWS it easy on me. Life is just easier for me when I’m with him. Pettersson seems to be weathering all this playing time just fine. “I think it’s something that’s going to continue to build and I hope we can build something special here.” Sometimes you wonder. He’s in pretty rare air for NHL rookies, and it’s been especially true since the start of November. Games like today, even against broken teams like the St. Louis Blues, and you believe it is exactly what’s going to happen for these two. He’s been among the top 30 in forwards for average ice time, hovering near the 20-minute-per-game range. All of this was summed up in one twinkling instant today, a moment the two shared after the Canucks scored their third goal. Three rookie forwards have averaged at least 20 minutes in the past two decades so it doesn’t happen often. It is subtle, quiet and everything all at the same time. But as EP will tell you, this is what he trains for. BEST GOAL Obviously, there aren’t many games that are going to look like today, but that past two he has looked as good as he’s been at any point this year. “I have been feeling better,” Pettersson explained before leaving for this Goalie was fooled along with everyone else. three-game road trip. It looks like he knew he was going to do this 30 minutes before it “When I first came back after my concussion, I didn’t feel like I had the happened. jump in my legs and my stick handling wasn’t at the best. BEST MEMEING “I think Brock felt the same after his first game back. He’s been feeling better and me too.” BEST BACK PAT BEST CALDER RACE UPDATE Oh look, another first assist for Roussel on a Horvat goal. Brady Tkachuk vs. Elias Pettersson. Tell me Boy Genius is spending the rest of the day sipping tea. Seems close. BEST DECISION Is this close? How about a hell yeah for those who have been saying Stecher should get more penalty killing minutes. BEST EL-OH-EL He was effective and smart, cutting off passing lanes and preventing Q-and-A: scoring chances in front of the Canucks net. BEST EDIT REQUEST The guy is a hound. Stop looking at size and let him do his thing. EP finished 23rd on this list. BEST PHOTO SHAP He was behind players like Matthew Tkachuk. WORST PLAY I don’t know if you’ve heard but I’m a pretty big deal in the prediction Hey look, they can’t all be winners. world. BEST POP QUIZ I promise you, Elias Pettersson will be higher than 23 on any list of the best players in the NHL in three years. Who is the NHL GM who intentionally tanked while within a couple points of a playoff spot and the next season he overhauled his roster with a Much higher. bunch of UFA busts and big trades? THE TOP 50 PLAYERS IN THE NHL – THREE YEARS FROM NOW: He then fired his coach and his team, well, sucks. HTTPS://T.CO/I5KIXJXQ2M PIC.TWITTER.COM/XTDIH73FEO Don’t know? — DOM LUSZCZYSZYN  (@DOMLUSZCZYSZYN) DECEMBER 9, Maybe this will jog your memory 2018 HOW ANNOYED WOULD YOU BE IF YOU WERE ON THE BLUES BEST QUESTION THIS YEAR. YOU MISS PLAYOFFS BY A SINGLE POINT AFTER WAS BO ALWAYS THIS OUTSPOKEN AND OUTGOING? YOUR TEAM TRADED AWAY PAUL STASTNY AT THE DEADLINE. MAYBE YOU GET LEVELLED IN ROUND ONE, BUT AT LEAST THE — RD (@BUCKFOSTON_) DECEMBER 9, 2018 KIDS GET SOME PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE. AT LEAST YOU'VE GOT A *CHANCE*. The answer is, of course, no. — JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) APRIL 9, 2018 HORVAT: “I’m trying to be myself. I am an outgoing guy. Where was the Media on this one? “I like to talk, and have fun and talk with the guys in the room. How did it make no noise? “It’s happening more during games and on the ice. I’ve always done it on the ice. Imagine if a “process” GM did something like this? A “computer boy?” “But I’m doing it to have an extra voice in the room, to remind guys to It was a blatant tank attempt and among the more egregious you’ll see by keep it going. a team that had every chance to be in the playoffs. “I’m trying to get guys going, especially between periods.” You can’t just be mad at people who do things you don’t understand. Horvat is far funnier, more bold and he has a much bigger voice inside But things did get worse for the Blues. the locker room when talking to teammates and media than most people realize. Much, much worse. He’s also been playing like an absolute bull. What did Doug Armstrong go out and do? That work he did in front of the net to score his goal was against He signed David Perron at $4 million per. Bortuzzo who is a 6-foot-4 badass. He signed Bozak at $5 million per. Increasingly, Horvat isn’t just looking like the team’s captain and leader, He signed Patrick Maroon. he’s been playing like a power forward. And, wait for it, Armstrong traded picks for Ryan O’Reilly a move which At least far more than anyone thought he would. cost the Blues a first-round draft pick. It’s been a point Manny Malhotra has driven into him, and the pair have The pick is top-10 protected in 2019 but if the Blues do end up using it, developed quite the chemistry of their own. there’s no protection in 2020. “He’s been huge for me,” Horvat said. So, all this losing could still have a payoff, but what are the chances St. “If he sees me start to cheat or not be detailed in my game, he’ll come Louis is any better next year? and tell me. AND FOR THOSE KEEPING TRACK, BLUES HAVE NOW BEEN “He says ‘When you’re detailed, the team is detailed. You need to play OUTSCORED 23-5 IN PAST FOUR GAMES AFTER A WIN the right way. You do that and the team will follow you. — TOM TIMMERMANN (@TOMTIMM) DECEMBER 9, 2018 “When you hear that from a guy like Manny Malhotra, it pushes you.” In summary, the Blues decided to tank in February and went for broke in BEST PASS a series of questionable trades and bad free agent signings in July. So EP did this and I’ve convinced myself it’s one of the best feeds of the Word is building around the NHL, Armstrong is feeling the heat in St. season. Louis. He does about everything he’d do if he was going to shoot, including No kidding. opening up his hips. But what does St. Louis do? Well, there is someone who would love this job. Radio ratings are all about market share in key demos and for sports radio the demographic that is chased has been males who are aged 25- Someone who is in line to get one of these NHL executive positions 54. sooner than later. It’s this demo which drives ads and rates. His name is Chris Pronger. And it is where 1040 flexes in this rivalry. He is well liked in St. Louis, dare I say an icon. Here is a look at Monday to Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. which is AM Some think he’d create excitement in the city, sell some tickets and play Drive to PM Drive shows. a key role If you want the tip-to-tail story, including weekends, nights and Canucks Sure, he’s been apprenticing under Dale Tallon, but try to forget about games, from Monday-to-Sunday, 2 am-to-2 am, it’s this: that part of it. This is where it was a year ago: BEST NEVER FORGET This kind of spread and obvious challenge seemed to be what A&W was BEST IDEAS getting at when he used his Mr. Nice Guy routine this weekend to justify WHO SHOULD PLAY ME WHEN THEY DO THE MOVIE ABOUT 12.06? why he continues to call his roundtable show Fridays the best two hours in Vancouver sports radio. — JASON BOTCHFORD (@BOTCHFORD) DECEMBER 7, 2018 I tried to explain to him that his show is better without all the guests, BIGGEST DILEMMA which is probably why this roundtable business is limited to just once a week. BEST SHOT/CHASER If his roundtables are so amazing and such a hit, why not do them every SHOT: day? IT'S FASCINATING HOW THE PERCEPTION HAS CHANGED How about twice a week? AROUND THE CANUCKS REBUILD. IT WAS ALMOST RADIOACTIVE 10 MONTHS AGO. SUCH A DIFFERENT STORY NOW. A STRETCH Hell, how about this, don’t bury them on Friday nights? OF LOSING 12 OF 13 BARELY CAUSED A RIPPLE. WHAT'S CHANGED? ELIAS PETTERSSON PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Just a thought. — JAMES CYBULSKI (@JAMESCYBULSKI) DECEMBER 9, 2018 But hey, he never listens to me. But he did say he would consider my mentoring this weekend and he said some nice things so there’s that. CHASER: The comparison is, uhm, interesting. BEST REACTIONS With that said, here is how things shake down in the share of the key TO MEDIA REFERRING TO NYLANDER AS THE FLOW ON HNIC. demographic for all of the shows. SACRILEGE. 1040 — orange — JIM ROULSTON (@JROUL77) DECEMBER 9, 2018 650 — yellow BEST POLL I know for 1040, the numbers which are most impressive are the Boat BEST OF RADIO WARS Capn/Baby Dragon show. It is the most heated rivalry in Vancouver sports media. There were nine times this fall where the Canucks played during their show so those nights, 650 would crush. On one side, an established giant with big names who have been doing their jobs for decades. It means the spread would probably be bigger than it appears in the graph without those Canucks games if you’re just comparing the shows. On the other, a contemporary upstart underdog working tirelessly with a modern take to gain market share, relying on new media members who There were five of those games last fall, so it was nearly double. talk about the game differently and present it to fans in a way we’ve never quite seen before. The other standout from the book is the 650 morning show is still looking for its footing. But enough about Postmedia vs. The Athletic. This section is for the VIPs and it’s all about radio wars. The higher-ups at 650 explained that it’s the first full book with the new morning show (Cybulski, Solkowski and Dhaliwal) and they expect to see This is the much anticipated, and most well-read annual takeout which if the numbers rise in the coming books. you followed The Pre-Athletties a season ago, you know generated controversy with people on one side not feeling well represented. We’ll see. I have returned to fix all of my wrongs. Or at least try again. I wish them luck. Well, two of them anyway. The 650 crowd presented an argument last year I should be upfront But I’ll be on other side trying to make sure it doesn’t happen the way about my allegiances. Fair enough. higher-ups over there want it to happen. Guess what, I’m all in at TSN 1040. It is the station which showed me the The Athletic LOADED: 12.10.2018 love in the offseason when I was free agent-ing and I will do what I can to return the adoration. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t people at 650 who I like and really want to see succeed. If you were around last year, you understand ratings are about spin and who can claim victory and how they do it. Last year, 650 made the case the stations were in a tie in overall for adults aged 25-54 and this was viewed as a solid first fall ratings book, considered good for an emerging station up against an established brand. It was something to build on and many over there said the true test would be where things stood in fall 2018. So, this is how they were a year ago: And this fall, things were still tight overall. 1120291 Websites Sure enough, seconds later, an Alan Quine point shot was deflected in off the knee of Anthony Peluso to tie the game 1-1. Temporarily.

Minutes later, the goal was disallowed following a review that showed Sportsnet.ca / Takeaways: Battle of Alberta rematch a much tamer affair one of Peluso’s feet in the crease, preventing Mikko Koskinen from tracking left to flag down the original shot. Eric Francis December 10, 2018, 12:17 AM Debate all you want about the league’s call on that one, but the call by Cole was sublime.

That iconic voice of his will be missed after this season – his 50th in the CALGARY – Despite moving into third place in the NHL this weekend as broadcast booth – a milestone that was recognized and given a warm, the hottest team in hockey, the Calgary Flames went to bed Sunday night standing ovation from the Edmonton crowd that has listened to him call feeling down. so many great Oilers moments over the years. That’s what a loss in the Battle of Alberta can do to a team – it can FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE temporarily erase all the positives that have marked a run that has seen the Flames snag 19 of a possible 24 points as of late. McDavid has long been fed a steady diet of Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano every time the Oilers meet the Flames. However, once they get back to practice Tuesday, you can bet the Flames will have sufficiently numbed the pain of being Connor McDavid’s With the former dealing with a concussion and the latter serving the latest victim. second of a two-game suspension, the Flames did well to all but shut down the Oilers top trio by committee. In a tight, Ken Hitchcock-type game, the Oilers led 1-0 most of the way, the Flames continued to exhibit their newfound depth, throwing Despite seeing more than seven minutes of power-play time, the Oilers Saturday’s Stockton heroes Oliver Kylington and Alan Quine on the ice in captain only had five shots on goal and the one goal. the final two minutes. Yet, it was all the damage he needed to do. Alas, the comeback Calgarians have seen so many times this year never It was a brilliant passing play that went through Leon Draisaitl and former materialized, giving the Oilers a 1-0 win and upping ol’ Hitch’s record to Flame Alex Chiasson that led to McDavid’s 16th of the year midway 7-2-1 with the new-look Oil. through the first period that stood as the winner. Some takeaways from a battle rematch that left plenty to be desired With the host Oilers having last change they made the interesting compared to Round 1: decision of matching McDavid’s line against Calgary’s top trio of Johnny Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm in the opening period. blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown It made for a great battle of top talent before the Oilers opted to protect Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley the lead by putting other lines on the Flames’ big boys from the second Cup Playoffs and more. period onward. BATTLE READY Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.10.2018 The Flames summoned tough guy Anthony Peluso from Stockton just for their highly anticipated rematch with the Flames. They also dressed rough and tumble blue liner Dalton Prout, which was necessitated by injuries more than anything else. Given the vitriol of their first game Nov. 17 which saw 56 minutes in penalties, both sides were armed and ready for fireworks that never materialized this time around. A hard, late hit by Milan Lucic on an unsuspecting Travis Hamonic in the first period somehow went unpenalized, but drew the attention of Peluso who coaxed Lucic into dropping the mitts. The fight was broken up far too early to declare a winner, but it seemed the tone was set. Other than a Darnell Nurse holding penalty on Matthew Tkachuk, a pair of Tkachuk crosschecks on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and a Sam Bennett drive into the chest of Koskinen, we saw none of the hatred that made the Flames’ earlier win so delicious for fans. The game needs more of it back, no question, but with Hitchcock behind the bench, the Oilers were instructed to ignore the perennial pain in their side, Tkachuk. In interviews before the game, they refused to even utter his name. It worked, as Tkachuk had a rare quiet night. That said, part of the Flames’ undoing was their five minor penalties, including three in the final period when they would otherwise have been pressing for the equalizer. COLE-ING IT LIKE IT IS Viewers were treated to that rare, sixth sense Bob Cole has for knowing when a goal or a great scoring chance is nigh. Having a Cole broadcast on in the background, as so many Canadian households have for decades, allows people to turn to face the TV whenever the temperature of a game or a foray turns up. Cole’s raised voice or other verbal cues have allowed preoccupied viewers to catch an ensuing goal, fight or scoring chance just in time. A perfect example came midway through the second period when the Flames were in the midst of an extended push, prompting Cole to bellow, “Calgary is everywhere. Something is going to happen, you would think.” 1120292 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Pettersson building early case as greatest Canuck in team history

Iain MacIntyre | December 9, 2018, 6:17 PM

VANCOUVER — There is a pretty good debate on the West Coast about who is the greatest player in Vancouver Canucks history. You can argue that Trevor Linden was the greatest Canuck while still acknowledging that the heart-and-soul captain was far from the franchise’s most talented player. Henrik Sedin just retired as the greatest scorer in Canucks’ history, but he and his brother Daniel never generated the sheer excitement that Pavel Bure created for fans who had never seen anything like the Russian Rocket, before or since. But if you ask the guys who played with Bure in the 1990s, many of them will tell you there was no one more talented than Alex Mogilny. He produced a 55-goal, 107-point season in 1995-96 after his trade to Vancouver, then checked out mentally when the team deteriorated and it became clear the Canucks weren’t going to win no matter how many goals Mogilny scored. At least Mogilny, who is one of the most interesting players in franchise history, had four more years on the West Coast to work year-round on his golf game before leaving for New Jersey and then Toronto, where Pat Quinn squeezed the best the winger had left to give in the National Hockey League. 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 and more. We introduce this context, if not necessarily the actual debate, because in St. Louis on Sunday the Canucks’ just-turned-20-year-old rookie, Elias Pettersson, became the first Vancouver player since Mogilny 23 years ago to register multiple five-point games in the same season. Pettersson had a goal and four first assists (and was plus-five) in the Canucks’ 6-1 win against the Blues. Linemate Brock Boeser had a hat trick, also the first Canuck since Mogilny to do that in St. Louis. The victory validated Vancouver’s 5-3 home win Thursday against the Nashville Predators and appears to have definitively ended the team’s month-long slump that hit its nadir at 1-10-2 before last game. The Canucks are on a win streak for the first time since Nov. 2, when Pettersson had five points and Boeser four in a 7-6 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche. They are also brimming with hope through these players. In the first 12 games of Vancouver’s slump, when Boeser was mostly injured and expectations on Pettersson were heightened, the Swede managed just three goals and five points. As coach Travis Green said, the NHL was on to him. But now Boeser is healthy and skating better after missing 11 games with a groin injury, the Canucks are much tighter defensively in the wake of their losing streak, and Pettersson looks dominant again. He has played 26 games in the NHL and has 15 goals and 15 assists. Could Pettersson be the best player in franchise history? It’s a ridiculous question after 26 games. But write it down and ask it again in four or five years. It may not be ridiculous then. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120293 Websites Expect some trade action before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze comes into effect at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 19.

Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, Sportsnet.ca / Beyond Headlines: Expect trade action before NHL’s Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown holiday freeze Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. SIGNING PAPI+PATRIK Chris Johnston December 9, 2018, 12:05 PM Superstars rarely get into their third NHL season before signing their second NHL contract. ‘Beyond Headlines’ is a deeper dive into some of the stories — and Everyone from Connor McDavid to Jack Eichel to Evgeni Malkin to even some that weren’t — discussed each week on Hockey Night in Sidney Crosby was locked up to an extension a year out from the expiry Canada’s ‘Headlines’ segment. of his entry-level deal. The one notable exception is Alex Ovechkin, who waited until Jan. 10, 2008 — midway through his third season with the DUCHENE PICKLE Washington Capitals — before signing the landmark $124-million, 13- year contract he’s still playing on today. The Ottawa Senators have been in a pickle since the day Matt Duchene arrived. Which brings us to Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine, each a pending RFA who is currently challenging Ovechkin for the Through no fault of the player’s making, the three-team trade that title of the league’s most dangerous scorer. brought Duchene to the nation’s capital 13 months ago stands as a sea- change moment for the organization. It was an all-in move for general There is no question about the superstar status of either player. The Nos. manager Pierre Dorion, who ended up shifting course and stripping 1 and 2 picks from the 2016 draft have delivered on their promise and important parts off his roster almost immediately afterwards. then some since being called to the stage in Buffalo. Now Duchene is at the centre of another crucial decision for the Sens. It’s put both Matthews and Laine on the cusp of a massive payday, with the Leafs and Jets arguably having already cost themselves more money The team wants an indication about his future intentions early in the new by not getting an extension done last summer. Matthews has 16 goals in year, as colleague Nick Kypreos reported on “Headlines,” since it will 16 games this season. Laine has 21 in 28. need to contemplate a trade before the Feb. 25 deadline if he’s not going to sign in Ottawa long-term. Their agents will also now be negotiating off a projected salary cap of $83 million for next season, rather than the $79.5 million it is in 2018-19. This is a highly nuanced situation. As I reported on “Headlines,” there’s a strong belief inside the industry Duchene likes the city and team, but has played just eight playoff games that Matthews will be a prime target for an offer sheet should he remain during his NHL career. Approaching age 28 he wants to be part of a unsigned on July 1. I’m led to believe Laine would be as well. winner. He will also be influenced to some extent by the future of Mark Stone, Ottawa’s other pending UFA forward who can’t sign an extension Now, a player has to agree to sign one of those, and there’s no reason to before Jan. 1. believe either Matthews or Laine is eager to leave a contending team. But if someone comes forward with a seven-year offer at, say, $15 million If Stone stays, there’s a better chance he does, too. per, would we expect them to say ‘no’ out of loyalty? Duchene has preferred to keep his focus largely on hockey this season, Not likely. but will have some extra time to think big picture after suffering a groin injury on Thursday night that will sideline him for at least a couple weeks, After our second-intermission segment wrapped up on Saturday, Brian halting a career year. Burke was anxious to discuss the potential of an offer sheet in the green room. Remember that he once challenged Kevin Lowe to a barn fight The Senators, unfortunately, will get a glimpse of life without him. over one of those. Big Burkie agreed with the sentiment that we’re likely to see our first offer sheet this summer since 2012. They are in a win-now mode even while deploying several young players since they don’t own their first-round pick in the upcoming draft. That “There used to be a code,” he said. “I don’t think these guys care went to Colorado in the Duchene deal, furthering complicating the anymore.” decisions to come. The leverage is shifting towards young NHL players in these type of TRADE CHATTER negotiations. Kyper certainly made a big headline, tossing right-shot defenceman Alex Especially the superstars. Pietrangelo’s name into the rumour mill and attaching it to the Toronto Maple Leafs during our “Headlines” segment. PHILLY HOMECOMING? It would take some doozy of a trade for the Leafs and Blues to make that The answer to the longest-running riddle in hockey may come from an one work — although with the teams going in opposite directions there’s unexpected place: As the Philadelphia Flyers ruminate on how to shore at least the motivation to explore a potential fit. up their goaltending — at least until prospect Carter Hart is ready to take the wheel — there are whispers they will take a run at Sergei Bobrovsky Elliotte Friedman keyed in on the larger league-wide trend, which is the on July 1. fact so many of these conversations are being had right now. December is not typically a big trading month in the NHL, but there’s plenty Yes, that’s the same Sergei Bobrovsky the Flyers once signed as an percolating. undrafted free agent out of Russia. The same Sergei Bobrovsky they traded to Columbus for a second-, third- and fourth-round draft pick, only The Anaheim Ducks are actively searching for scoring help, even after to see him win the Vezina Trophy twice. acquiring Daniel Sprong earlier in the week. The Carolina Hurricanes want a top-six forward. Jim Rutherford is hamstrung by cap issues in Bobrovsky has posted the NHL’s second-best save percentage (.921) Pittsburgh, but there’s no way he’s going to sit idly by with his Penguins since being dealt to the Blue Jackets in 2012. It’s a strong track record out of playoff position. that accounts for his struggles in the first third of this season — struggles that will probably be overlooked by the Flyers, Islanders and others Chicago, Los Angeles and St. Louis are at the very bottom of the should he hit the open market this summer, as expected. standings and in need of a refresh. They’ve each got assets to sell. Boston could use some offensive help while weathering a steady stream Philadelphia has cycled through a couple different coaching staffs and of injury issues. Friedge is hearing that Philadelphia, Minnesota and front office setups since the Bobrovsky deal (Paul Holmgren, the GM at Florida are actively exploring the trade market as well. the time, is now team president), all while trying an alphabet-spanning list of goaltenders that ranges from Alex Lyon to Rob Zepp. Basically, if you come across an NHL general manager these days, don’t be surprised if he’s got an ear pressed tightly to his cellphone. With none of their NHL options signed beyond this season, the Flyers will be looking for another answer this summer. It may just be Bobrovsky. “Teams are starting to make deals earlier in the year now,” Ducks GM Bob Murray told reporters on Saturday. “Things were really quiet STUBBORN OWNERS because of the Toronto-Nylander situation. Since that has been put to bed, there has been a lot more chatter since that time.” The playoff believers continue to dream. Undeterred by commissioner Gary Bettman’s strong opposition to an expanded Stanley Cup tournament, there were team owners who made use of the off-hours at this week’s Board of Governors meeting to debate the merits of what that could look like. At minimum they would love to see the creation of two play-in games in each conference, as we’ve discussed previously on “Headlines.” That’s most easily accomplished with No. 7 vs. No. 10 and No. 8 vs. No. 9 in the East and West. However, they’ve also kicked around more radical ideas. One governor is even in favour of cutting the regular season back to 78 games and seeing 24 teams qualify for the playoffs — a pie-in-the-sky notion if ever there was one. “No league has ever regretted adding more teams to its post-season,” he reasoned. The belief among the playoff truthers is that Bettman will eventually be swayed. They point out that he was vehemently against legalized sports gambling until he wasn’t; that he’s always been willing to shift his position when there’s a way for the league to become more profitable. With the NHL set to expand again in 2021, that’s the only belief they have to cling to. The league is growing, but the stubborn owners are going to need to do a lot more lobbying before the playoff pool grows with it. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.10.2018 1120294 Websites “I think I was just gripping it a little too tight and trying to do too much with it instead of letting the game come to me,” he said, of earlier this season. “I was trying to do more and trying to go after it when really I just needed Sportsnet.ca / Hellebuyck's steady play provides Jets' offence chance to to relax and read the play.” wake up Though he called a few of his saves “lucky” on Sunday, Hellebuyck noticed his play helped turn the tide for the Jets. Kristina Rutherford “Any time you get an early big save like that you can kind of use that as momentum,” he said. “I think the team used it well.”

They did indeed, even if the 7-1 win was a little ugly. WINNIPEG — On paper it looks like a real beauty, the type of game a coach would use to point to his team’s incredible depth, with seven Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.10.2018 different players scoring, their goals coming at five-on-five and on the power-play and even short-handed. But the stats sheet sure was deceiving on Sunday afternoon in Winnipeg. As defenceman Tyler Myers put it, just minutes after the Winnipeg Jets earned a 7-1 win over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers: “Honestly, that was pretty ugly from our group.” It was, and Myers was specifically pointing to the first period. That’s why, in a game that saw seven different Jets score, when you’d think it would be the offensive fire that’d be the talk of the dressing room, instead it was Winnipeg’s 25-year-old goalie, Connor Hellebuyck — and rightly so. “You know, it was an afternoon game, you gotta get your legs under you and obviously that wasn’t the first that we wanted,” said Mark Scheifele, who had three assists in the winning effort, following a 2 p.m. puck drop. “But Helly made a lot of big saves to keep us in it.” Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. That was the message over and over from the Jets on Sunday: Helly — (or Bucky, depending which teammate you ask — came up huge early, and he set the table for his team to explode offensively in the second and third. Though it was 2-1 Winnipeg at the end of the first, the Jets had no business leading this game. The Flyers were all over Winnipeg, and had six shots on an early power-play, including three in quick succession that were all Grade A chances. Hellebuyck made a big-time save with his right pad — you could hear the thwack of the puck way up high at Bell MTS Place — and he robbed Wayne Simmonds in close and sprawled across the crease to shut down James van Riemsdyk on the doorstep, too. “When they had their push, Helly made some big saves,” said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, before correcting himself: “Some huge saves actually, and kept us right there.” Added Winnipeg’s head coach, Paul Maurice: “I mean I don’t know if you can count the five goals they would’ve got on one power play … He was really good.” Hellebuyck is a fan of the afternoon games, and says something about the early start “suits me.” Seemingly he was the only Jet that felt that way. But once the rest of them woke up, the Jets couldn’t stop scoring. Winnipeg got goals from Kyle Connor (he turned 22 today), Morrissey (he returned after two games on the shelf), Brandon Tanev (his fifth of the season), Dustin Byfuglien (he got a 10-minute misconduct for engaging in a scrap), Blake Wheeler (the captain scored short-handed), Bryan Little (his sixth of the season) and Myers (on a nice saucer pass from Patrik Laine, who had two helpers on Sunday to nearly double his total assists tally this season; he now has five). Obviously goaltending wasn’t a bright spot for the Flyers. And in Winnipeg, the visitor’s bench is so small that the back-up goalie has to sit in a little box near the TV cameras at the other side of the ice, opposite the players’ bench. So when Flyers starter Michal Neuvirth was pulled after allowing three goals on 10 shots, he had to spend the rest of the game sitting alone in that far away seat while he watched Anthony Stolarz, who didn’t fare much better in the net. That couldn’t have been fun. The Jets, on the other hand, are trending upward between the pipes. Hellebuyck has allowed just one goal in each of his last three starts, and Maurice says he “looks the way that we’re used to seeing.” In other words, more like the Vezina candidate of last year, who got off to a slower start this season, but who now sports a .910 save percentage. Hellebuyck says he’s feeling a lot more comfortable in the crease these days. 1120295 Websites Bergevin talked about how impressed he was with Kotkaniemi, admitting he’s filled an important role down the middle of the ice for his team and saying that he’s often blown away by some of the plays he’s capable of. Sportsnet.ca / Takeaways: Carey Price steals a win for upward-trending On Sunday, Kotkaniemi made the play that landed on birthday boy Jeff Canadiens Petry’s stick and won the Canadiens the game after Tatar tipped Petry’s shot through Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford. He made several others throughout the night that almost assuredly reduced that five per Eric Engels December 9, 2018, 10:18 PM cent chance of him being loaned to Finland down to zilch. With three goals and 12 assists in 30 games, the kid ranks fourth in points among NHL rookies. His hockey sense has given his general We know this was supposed to be a transition year for the Chicago manager—and anyone else watching—ample evidence to justify his Blackhawks, but what’s going on with them right now is hard to believe. selection at third overall this past June at the NHL Draft. The Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup three times from 2010-15, And everyone—including Bergevin—agrees that when Kotkaniemi fills are virtually unrecognizable. Sure, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, out that 6-foot-2 frame and gets stronger as time goes by, he’s going to Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are still running the show, but coach be a force to reckon with. Joel Quenneville was unceremoniously dismissed a few weeks ago and the team has gone into a total death spiral. Fourth-line contribution On Sunday, the game was handed to the Blackhawks on a silver platter The Canadiens got a big one in this game. by the visiting Montreal Canadiens, who took eight penalties and surrendered a 2-0 lead with close to 33 minutes left on the clock. As a line, Kenny Agostino, Nicolas Deslauriers and Michael Chaput made a big play to set up Montreal’s second goal, which was blasted into But the boys in red and white couldn’t find a way to close the deal and the net by Shea Weber on a shot so fast you could only see it on a slow- ended up losing for the 18th time in their last 21 games, surrendering a motion replay. goal to Tomas Tatar with 1:17 remaining. The assist gave Agostino his seventh point in 15 games. Considering the It sure is odd to scroll down the NHL standings to find Chicago sitting in 26-year-old has played mostly fourth-line minutes with Montreal and dead last. After watching them play this game, we’re not exactly shocked never appeared in more than eight NHL games in a given season prior to to see they’re dead last on the power play, too. this one, that’s found money. Anyway, let’s get to some takeaways on how the Canadiens snuck out of With all the special-teams work the Canadiens had to put in Deslauriers United Center with a 3-2 win. played less than eight minutes in the game. But he still had a bit of an impact—making a play on Weber’s goal without getting an assist, helping Carey Price stole the game the fourth line play mostly in the offensive zone, and registering a big hit on Toews. Price may have had a 33-save, 2-0 shutout in Boston earlier this season—it was a very impressive performance against the Bruins to And Chaput, who has pretty much earned a full-time job as Montreal’s vault him past Patrick Roy and into second place on the all-time wins list fourth-line centre, was one of Montreal’s best penalty killers in this one. for a Canadiens goaltender—but he hasn’t played a better game since He played 6:38 shorthanded and also collected an assist on Weber’s the puck dropped in October. goal. In Price’s seventh consecutive start, he made 37 saves. He stopped 13 Max Domi approaching his career high in goals of 14 shots the Blackhawks notched on the power play. Domi opened the scoring at the 6:05 mark of the first period, finding When you think about how much time Price spent chasing around the some dead space in the slot to score his 14th goal of the season. puck with his eyes—Chicago played close to 15 minutes on the power play and had the puck in Montreal’s end for the majority of it—it really He’s got 52 more games to reach his career high of 18 goals, which is hammers home what kind of performance he authored. He was world the total he managed in his rookie year. We’ll place a toonie on him class in this one. getting there before he officially gets selected for this year’s NHL All-Star Game. Because of him—and the players who put up back-to-back 5-2 wins over the Ottawa Senators this week—the Canadiens have won three in a row Domi now has 31 points in 30 games. for the first time since mid-October. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.10.2018 A tale of broken power plays Patrick Kane did manage to score one of his two goals on the night on a Blackhawks power play, but the team that came into the game having scored on just 10 of 87 chances couldn’t buy another goal with the man advantage. Part of that had to do with the Canadiens blocking 20 shots. Heck, they stopped 12 in front of Price in the first period alone. The other part was the incredibly strange shot selection from the Blackhawks. For example, Seabrook kept shooting when he didn’t have a clear lane to the net, which led to nine of his 11 attempts being blocked. But at least Chicago was in Montreal’s zone enough to get shot attempts. The Canadiens couldn’t complete a zone entry on their first three power plays and failed to score on a 55-second five-on-three advantage in the third period. They have converted on only 14 power plays this season despite getting the NHL’s fifth-most opportunities (103). Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s game is rising On Saturday, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin held court with the media in Chicago. When he was asked about the possibility of the NHL’s youngest player being loaned to Team Finland for the upcoming World Junior Championship, he said there was a five per cent chance of that happening. 1120296 Websites adding in a bunch of Battle of Alberta extracurriculars. The Oilers are also rolling along nicely, having won five of their past six and four straight at home — all while playing tame, to-the-point hockey. Sportsnet.ca / Oilers must keep cool in heated Battle of Alberta Remembering how they won all those games will be the key to beating Calgary, said Ken Hitchcock. Mark Spector December 9, 2018, 3:20 PM “You’ve got to play through stuff,” the Oilers head coach said. “Some of it is nasty, some of it is hard. But you’ve got to play through it — as a team, individually, and as a coach. If you allow yourself to be distracted by good teams like Calgary, they’re going to beat you every time. EDMONTON — Darnell Nurse has spent a good part of the last three seasons trying to separate a particular Calgary Flames winger from the “It leads to frustration, which leads to lost energy, and we’re going to herd, to little success. Which has so often the case in the Battle of need every bit of energy if we expect to beat Calgary.” Alberta, as the guy who gets under your skin the most tends seldom, if ever, to engage a player the size of Nurse. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.10.2018 “They have some elite s— disturbers,” Nurse said of tonight’s opponent, the Calgary Flames. But what about Matthew Tkachuk? He’s the guy who aggravated the Oilers so badly in their only other meeting this season, on Nov. 17 in Calgary. We’ve seen Nurse challenge Tkachuk almost nightly since the Flames winger came into the league two seasons ago, to no avail. What about that “elite s— disturber?” “I don’t even know who you’re talking about, to be honest with you,” deadpanned Nurse. “That whole team… It just comes from playing against each other so often.” 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. Rule No. 1: when playing a hated rival with a particular player who really bugs your team, never mention him by name — or he’ll be able to say he’s inside your head nine hours before puck drop. Us journalists were asking about Tkachuk at the morning skate Sunday, but the Oilers weren’t biting. No one would refer to Keith’s boy and Brady’s older brother by name. “I think it just comes naturally in the rivalry that you can get over excited and over emotional at times, and you try not to let him get the best of you,” said Milan Lucic. “If you look at the last time we played them, we probably spent a little too much time in the box, retaliating and stuff like that. But we’re focused on trying to play a good complete game here and earn two points because of where we are in the standings and just keep building on what we’ve been doing.” Last month, Edmonton led 2-1 after 40 minutes in Calgary before losing 4-2 with an empty net goal. Tkachuk plied his very effective trade by leaning on Connor McDavid on a couple of occasions, but then turtling when Zack Kassian came calling. Kassian took 16 minutes in penalties, then added another 10-minute misconduct when the game was out of reach. “I don’t go into a game thinking I’m going to take 26 minutes in penalties and not play the whole game. That’s what I don’t want to do,” Kassian told reporters on Saturday. “I’m a very effective player if I’m playing the right way, playing on the edge but not crossing it. Sometimes you’re going to cross it and that was one of those games, but we can play the right way and still get the message across.” Over the many years this rivalry has had its share of Esa Tikkanens, Theo Fleurys and Neil Sheehys — players adept at revving up emotions, but who tried not to be front and centre when things boiled over and the gloves hit the ice. In November that was Tkachuk and Kassian. The Oilers winger was asked on Saturday what to do about a player who gets everyone going, but prefers not to finish what he starts. “That’s kind of an unsolved puzzle,” Kassian allowed. “He’s doing what he’s doing, and If I’m chasing him around, he’s doing his job, right? And I’m trying to do my job. “Its two rams buttin’ heads. That’s what makes the game of hockey fun. But … I can’t take myself right out of hockey games, obviously.” 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. Calgary comes in as the top team in the Western Conference, meaning it is hard enough to defeat under any circumstances, let alone when you’re 1120297 Websites hockey than St. Louis (27). With today’s game, the Canucks will have played six more road games than the Blues.

St. Louis swept all three games from the Canucks last season outscoring TSN.CA / Canucks visit Blues looking for back-to-back wins Vancouver 11-5 in the process. Overall, the Blues have won five straight against the Canucks and are 8-0-1 in the last nine in this match-up. Jake Allen is 6-0-2 in his past eight starts against the Canucks including five Jeff Paterson straight victories. These teams will meet again on December 20th at Rogers Arena. They will finish their seasons with an April 6th matinee here in St. Louis. ST. LOUIS – The Vancouver Canucks (12-16-3) shoot for back-to-back wins for the first time in more than five weeks when they visit the St. POSSIBLE CANUCKS LINE-UP Louis Blues (10-13-4) at Enterprise Center Sunday afternoon. It’s the opener of a three-game road trip that includes visits to Columbus and Goldobin-Horvat-Virtanen Nashville. Leivo-Pettersson-Boeser The Canucks are coming off an impressive 5-3 victory over Nashville Roussel-Gaudette-Eriksson Predators on Thursday night. Bo Horvat, Elias Pettersson and Jake Virtanen each had a goal and an assist, while Alex Edler and Loui Granlund-Beagle-Motte Eriksson also scored in the win. Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves in goal. Edler-Tanev The triumph snapped a four-game losing skid and was the Canucks Hutton-Gudbranson second win in 14 games (2-10-2). The five-goal outburst marked the first Pouliot-Stecher time since a November 8th, 8-5 win in Boston that the Canucks scored five goals in a game. Markstrom With no morning skate prior to the early start, the Canucks line-up has POSSIBLE BLUES LINE-UP not been confirmed. However, they are expected to go with the same forward lines and defense pairs that produced Thursday’s win over the Sanford-O’Reilly-Kyrou Predators. That is how they practiced here on Saturday afternoon. That Steen-Schenn-Tarasenko means Tim Schaller, Michael Del Zotto and Alex Biega will likely be healthy scratches. Markstrom is expected to make a second straight start Maroon-Bozek-Thomas in goal. Nolan-Barbashev-Sundqvist Despite the lack of team success recently, Bo Horvat has been remarkably productive. His two points on Thursday give him 16 (six goals Edmundson-Parayko and 10 assists) in his last 15 games. Virtanen’s goal snapped a 10-game scoring drought while Eriksson’s goal ended a 12-game stretch without Bouwmeester-Bortuzzo scoring. Pettersson scored on a second period penalty shot and added Dunn-Butler an assist. His last two multi-point efforts have come in the team’s two victories in the past month. On the season, the rookie has six multi-point Allen games and the Canucks have prevailed in five of those contests. TSN.CA LOADED: 12.10.2018 The Canucks have not won consecutive outings since October 31st against Chicago and November 2 versus Colorado. They have not won consecutive road games since October 13th in Florida and October 16th in Pittsburgh. The Canucks beat Los Angeles 4-2 at Staples Center in their last road outing on November 24th.

The Blues return to action after a 1-0 win in Winnipeg on Friday. Colton Parayko scored the game’s lone goal on a second period power play while Jake Allen made 26 saves for his first shutout of the season. The Blues killed off all six Jets power plays in the game limiting Winnipeg to just four shots with the man advantage. Allen has started two straight games, four of the last five and seven of the team’s past nine games and is expected to get the call again this afternoon. With Friday’s victory, the Blues are now 2-1-1 in their past four games, but are 3-6-1 in their last 10. The Blues are 3-4-1 under Craig Berube, who replaced Mike Yeo on November 19th. Ryan O’Reilly leads the team with 12 goals and 28 points. He is the only member of the Blues in double-digits in goal-scoring so far this season. However, O’Reilly has only one assist in his past four games and has gone five games without a goal. Vladimir Tarasenko is second on the team with nine goals, but has not found the back of the net in the past three games. David Perron, the team’s third leading scorer with 16 points, found himself on a fifth line in practice on Saturday suggesting he could be a healthy scratch today. He has just one point in his past four games and his 22 penalty minutes are second on the team. Despite their overall struggles, the Blues boast top-10 special teams with their penalty kill ranked sixth in the NHL while their power play is ninth. The Blues are banged up and will be without captain Alex Pietrangelo (hand) until after Christmas. They are also missing Jaden Schwartz (upper body), Carl Gunnarsson (upper body) and Robby Fabbri (shoulder). Today’s game is a battle of two teams at opposite ends of the scheduling spectrum. No team in the league has played more hockey than Vancouver (31 games) this season while no team has played less