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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/8/2021 Bruins 1215333 While the Bruins and Islanders provide on-ice drama, 1215365 Avalanche vs. Game 5: Three keys and are doing the same off it for Colorado 1215334 Islanders made the most of their chances, and now they 1215366 Avalanche ready to “fight extra hard” to get momentum can finish off the Bruins back from Vegas 1215335 Bruins can’t complete third-period comeback, pushed to 1215367 Kiz vs. Chambers: Will Nathan MacKinnon or Marc-Andre brink with Game 5 loss to Islanders Fleury prevail in Avalanche-Knights series? 1215336 Bruins yanked after two periods, 1215368 Avalanche top being outshined by Vegas’ second line not ‘100 percent’ in Game 5 loss to Islanders 1215369 For Avalanche fans, there’s no reason to panic 1215337 In the name of gamesmanship, Islanders coach Barry 1215370 Quick study: Knights neutralize Avs' speed, series tied at 2 Trotz picked unlikely target in to label a 1215371 : ‘We can get it done’ 1215338 Bruce Cassidy upset after Patrice Bergeron put on the 1215372 Avalanche off-day notebook: Bednar may play Byram in spot with faceoff comments from Islanders coach Barry Tr Game 5 1215339 Line matchups can get you only so far in a series like 1215373 Makar To Get Subban Money? 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SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1215333 Boston Bruins at the end of the year, one of the least penalized teams in the league. I don’t know what he means by that. You’ll have to ask him.”

Barry Trotz responds to Bruins Bruce Cassidy's "New York While the Bruins and Islanders provide on-ice drama, Bruce Cassidy and Saints" comment Barry Trotz are doing the same off it "We were one of the least penalized teams in the whole league, you'll have to ask him" pic.twitter.com/9pDN1gvfhM

By Tara Sullivan Globe Columnist, Updated June 7, 2021, 11:21 p.m. — Islanders Videos (@SNY_Islanders) June 8, 2021

Cassidy was pretty clear in what he meant, and it makes sense. This is Bruce Cassidy voices his displeasure after a slashing penalty was called one of the ways a coach can stand up for his players in public, by saying on Bruins center in Game 5. things players cannot, risk a fine or public backlash in ways that would be more of a distraction were they to originate inside the locker room. But The on-ice battles have been more than postseason-worthy, with all five take this to the bank: There’s no way the Bruins aren’t feeling precisely of these Bruins-Islanders second-round playoff games filled with what Cassidy is saying out loud, and they will appreciate him putting scintillating end-to-end action. But now, in the wake of the Bruins’ voice to their frustration. disappointing 5-4 loss Monday night at TD Garden, a Game 5 clunker that puts them in a 3-2 deficit and facing elimination Wednesday night in David Pastrnak, who broke out after missing an empty net Saturday night New York, the battle has made its way off the ice. in New York by scoring two goals Monday, came the closest to outright agreeing with his coach. Welcome to the war of words, or in this case, the war on officiating. “I think in the first period they’ve been letting it go both ways and then in Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy made it abundantly clear he wasn’t pleased the second period I think there was some calls that were made, which is with how the calls went in Monday night’s game, a game that saw the absolutely fine if it’s going to go both ways,” Pastrnak said. “Obviously it Islanders score on their first three power-play chances, a game that saw didn’t feel like we were getting the same calls, easy hooks and high the Bruins whistled for twice as many penalty minutes as the visitors, a sticks, called our way, they didn’t [call them]. That’s pretty much all I can night that came after a day in which Islanders head coach Barry Trotz say. Don’t want to get much deeper than that. had put his own bug in the officials’ ears. “But obviously if you’re going to call those, call it both ways.” Only hours after Trotz publicly called out Bruins’ captain Patrice Bergeron for “cheating” on his faceoffs by not getting his stick down properly, David Pastrnak goes down after taking a big hit from New York's Casey Cassidy fired back at Trotz, saying he sells ”a narrative over there that Cizikas late in the third period. they’re more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders.” And away we go. Game 6 can’t get here fast enough. Drama off the ice Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t hold back when asked about the and on it too, because as Charlie McAvoy so accurately put it, “The officiating in game 5. pic.twitter.com/M0jsL2J49d fourth one is the hardest one to win. We’re going to New York to win a game, that’s all we’re thinking about. This thing isn’t over.” — Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) June 8, 2021 This conversation isn’t over either. From the passionate postgame In other words, Trotz’s NHL résumé, which includes leading the Capitals defense Cassidy gave of Bergeron, whose predictable expulsion from his to the a few seasons ago, alongside general manager Lou first handful of faceoffs prompted the exasperated coach to say, “Have a Lamoriello’s three Stanley Cups with the Devils, adds up to just enough little respect for Bergy,” to his concluding thoughts about the next game, weight to tip the officiating scales in the Islanders favor. on it goes.

“This is my take,” Cassidy said when asked directly about the officiating “Just be better than that,” he said. “Let’s just play hockey and call the after the loss. infractions as they happen and see where it goes.”

“We’re playing a team that has very respected management and Boston Globe LOADED: 06.08.2021 coaching staff, they’ve won a Stanley Cup. I think they sell a narrative over there that they’re more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders, that they play hard and they play the right way. I feel we’re the same way and the exact calls that get called on us don’t get called on them. And I don’t know why.”

Cassidy was far from finished.

“These are very good officials,” he said. “They’re at this in the season for a reason. You’ve got continuous high sticks every game. Exact same high sticks. Bergy [Patrice Bergeron] with [Brock] Nelson behind the net. One that comes up on [Craig] Smith. [] was called for that in Game 1. I could go on and on.”

And so he did.

Bruce Cassidy wasn't happy with the officiating -- or the Islanders -- in Game 5.

“[Chris] Wagner the other day in front of the net. Maybe we need to sell them more, flop. But that’s not us. You just hope they’d see them. The same calls go against us so it’s not like I’m sitting here going, ‘Every call against us sucks.’ It’s not true. It’s just, at the end of the day, the similar calls, they need to be penalized on those plays. I think they’ve done a great job selling that narrative that they’re clean.”

Trotz, who lobbed the first volley earlier in the day, played innocent in the aftermath of his team’s gutty win, one that saw the Islanders survive being outshot by the Bruins, 44-19, withstand the Bruins’ furious third- period comeback attempt, and benefit from a stellar, stand-on-his head performance by Semyon Varlamov (as well as the flipside injury departure of counterpart Tuukka Rask for the third period.)

“You’ll have to ask him about that,” Trotz said by way of reacting to Cassidy’s ‘Saints’ comment. “I know this, just look at where we wound up 1215334 Boston Bruins Connor Clifton, pressed into PK duty because of the injuries, was in position near the left post on the Palmieri backdoor strike, but did not stop the Josh Bailey pass coming in from the right circle.

Islanders made the most of their chances, and now they can finish off the “Just not able to get it done there,” said Cassidy, later adding, “I don’t put Bruins it all on the personnel tonight, but there are some guys out, no doubt, that do a great job killing penalties. And we miss it.”

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,Updated June 7, 2021, 10:38 p.m. Now with a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series, the Isles can send the Bruins packing with a win Wednesday night at — what would be their third straight triumph for the No. 4 seed in the East. History shows, in series tied at 2-2, the Game 5 winner goes on to clinch Kyle Palmieri scored one of the Islanders' three power-play goals, this 78.8 percent of the time. one in the second period. Bruce Cassidy and the Bruins have been pushed to the brink. How will The Islanders lack in star power, but they play with a touch of swagger, they respond in Game 6? requisite patience, abundant discipline and, most important, ample finish. There is an outside chance Carlo could be back in the lineup, but virtually It was their finish around the net, especially on the power play, that no chance for Miller, still recovering from a high hit by Washington’s paced their 5-4 win over the Bruins Monday night at the Garden, and now Dmitry Orlov in Round 1. the Bruins are at the precipice of having their season finished. It was physical, nasty at times, and the Bruins repeatedly did not get It was an atrocious night for the Bruins penalty killing squad, in part awarded penalties for the same chintzy infractions that put the Isles on because it was forced to operate without injured blueliners Brandon Carlo the power play. Carping about officials is a grand waste of time, and a and Kevan Miller, who undoubtedly would have helped to negate or rub very old story, but there was an alarming disparity in calls. out some of New York’s repeated good looks at the net. The frustrated Cassidy, upset that the Islanders weren’t called on like The Isles went 3 for 4 on the man advantage, picking apart what this infractions, talked openly about a narrative that the Isles play with haloes season was the NHL’s second-best PK team — albeit with Carlo and over their heads. Miller as main contributors. “The New York Saints,” he said. Reminder, in case anyone forgot: teams never, never, never have enough blueliners for the postseason. The decision not to define a The Bruins wanted to get back to volume shooting, and they were meaningful role for Zdeno Chara looks increasingly misguided and successful, firing 76 attempts while the Isles launched only 35. But again, painful. No guarantee that Big Z would have prevented the Isles from the Isles didn’t have to shoot much when each time on the PP their first picking apart the PK unit like a $9.99 buffet, but his looming presence attempts found the back of the net. and reach and wingspan at least might have made the exercise a little harder than a Harlem Globetrotter layup drill. The Islanders are tough in the scoring areas, resilient and disciplined. In other words, a typical team, reminiscent of when he ran a The Islanders were awarded three penalties across the first two periods, tight, efficient, Cup-winning ship in New Jersey. and cashed in on all three, each time torching Boston starter Tuukka Rask with their first . Three power plays. Three shots. Three goals, Those Devils squads were boring (remember: the Trappist Wonks), but all mixed into what was a 4-2 lead after 40:00. they were solid, tough and disciplined. They had better goaltending () and a premier defenseman in the rugged, hard-hitting Rask did not come up with the big stop when needed, and ultimately . That’s not the ’21 Islanders. But they’re one win away surrendered the cage to rookie Jeremy Swayman for the third period. from proving big results don’t always require big names. The veteran Boston goaltender was not sharp, evident from the start of the night when he yielded rebounds on the Isles’ first two shots on net. Kevin Paul Dupont

Rask has hinted since the start of the postseason that he has been Boston Globe LOADED: 06.08.2021 dealing with an injury. Yet, until Monday night, he was impressive, submitting the kind of goaltending capable of pacing a team to a Cup. That’s not where his game was in Game 5.

But the Bruins, who also gave up too many free looks at even strength, were at their worst when forced to play a man down. The Isles each time were left with primo chances. Mathew Barzal scored his only 32 seconds after Sean Kuraly was whistled off, followed by Kyle Palmieri (Matt Grzelcyk off for a borderline cross-check) and then ( in the box for a high-stick).

The Carlo-Miller losses proved too much to handle and their relief was too green.

“We had opportunities to clear on every PK,” said a clearly frustrated coach Bruce Cassidy. “Some of them on the [defensemen] are tough, they are under pressure. [Sean] Kuraly had one he just has to shoot down the ice — he should know better than that. Been on our team a long time. A big part of our PK. You’re not making plays there — get it down the ice.”

Jarred Tinordi, one of the tire patches acquired because Chara walked to the Capitals, broke a stick on one of the kills. handed his to the big defenseman and then was unable to cut down a key shot.

Charlie McAvoy can’t get a stick on a bouncing puck in the first period of Monday's game.

“You can’t help that … that’s the luck of the draw sometimes,” added Cassidy. “And I think Charlie [McAvoy] behind the net, had a tough one. But he’s trying to clear it. You’re not going to get every puck down, but having the mind-set of clearing it … first get it out of the zone and then worry about what you have on your plate next.” 1215335 Boston Bruins dominated the opening period, firing 25 pucks at Varlamov and landing 11 on goal. The Bergeron line had nine shot attempts and allowed one in the first. Marchand even threw a crunching hip check on Adam Pelech.

Bruins can’t complete third-period comeback, pushed to brink with Game Yet for all the Bruins’ hard work, they left for intermission squared up, 1- 5 loss to Islanders 1. On the penalty kill, the Bruins gave Mathew Barzal too much space, the red-hot Islanders star walking in off the right wall and sniping one near-side over Rask’s with 1:11 remaining in the first. By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated June 7, 2021, 9:17 p.m. The Islanders benefited from a bit of a makeup call there, Sean Kuraly whistled off for some light stickwork on Noah Dobson minutes after Scott Mayfield screamed at the men in stripes for a non-called forearm on Nick It was a frustrating Game 5 for Tuukka Rask and the Bruins defense, Ritchie. who couldn't slow down the Islanders in a 5-4 loss at TD Garden. The Islanders pulled ahead with three PPGs, their man advantage using The Bruins began, and ended, Game 5 with the fury of a team on the just four shots on goal. They went up 2-1 after Kyle Palmieri slipped free brink of elimination. from Connor Clifton, who had a pass clank off both of his skates. But after a Monday night full of missed calls, missed assignments and At 7:27 of the second, Marchand tied the game, 2-2, with a spectacular missed opportunities, that’s where they are. effort, dragging the puck around Ryan Pulock, cutting back across the They scored two goals in the third, but not the three they needed, and crease and slipping it around Varlamov’s pad. dropped a 5-4 decision to the Islanders at TD Garden. Their season But the resilient visitors went up 3-2, counterattacking after several could end Wednesday on Long Island. minutes of Bruins pressure. left Josh Bailey alone in front, Coach Bruce Cassidy, who ripped into referees Francis Charron and and he deposited the puck upstairs at 14:30 of the second. Francois St. Laurent for buying the Islanders’ “narrative” that they As the home fans hollered about missed high sticks against the B’s, the deserve more power plays, had more issues than the officiating. Islanders took a two-goal lead at 16:38 when Jarred Tinordi broke his He lifted Tuukka Rask, who has been dealing with a lower back strain, stick on the PK, allowing Barzal to feed Jordan Eberle for a corner- after the starting netminder allowed four goals on 16 shots in the first two picking. periods. The penalty kill, No. 2 in the NHL during the regular season and The game wasn’t finished then. To hear the Bruins tell it, neither is the missing a few key pieces, surrendered three goals on four chances. In a series. series this tight, a few failed clears and flubbed checks typically lead to disaster. “Fourth one is the hardest one to win,” Charlie McAvoy said. “This thing isn’t over.” “The PK let us down,” Cassidy said, later adding, “from the blue line back, it wasn’t our best.” The Islanders' loses his stick in a tangle with the Bruins' Charlie Coyle. Cassidy’s postgame comments about the officiating will create headlines, and may lighten his wallet. After giving the officials props for their Boston Globe LOADED: 06.08.2021 proficiency, and the Islanders for their “respected” coaching staff, he sarcastically called them the New York “Saints,” for the way they embellish and profess their innocence.

“They sell a narrative over there,” Cassidy said. “It’s more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders. . . . The exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them.

“Maybe we need to sell them more, flop, but that’s not us. You just hope they’d see them.

“(The Islanders) have done a great job selling that narrative, that they’re clean . . . they commit as many infractions as we do.”

Charron and St. Laurent, he said, “were off,” Cassidy added. “You could say the same about us.”

Sure could. But not at the start, and not at the end.

After Rask took a seat on the bench, rookie Jeremy Swayman, the 22- year-old first-year pro, got his first taste of playoff action. He allowed a goal on his third shot against. The Bruins circled the wagons. After that 5- 2 goal, by at 1:59 of the third, the Bruins didn’t allow a shot on goal the rest of the way. They wound up outshooting the Islanders, 44-19.

David Pastrnak cut the lead to two with a ripper of a slapshot, at 3:48 of the third. The Bruins gained momentum from their first successful penalty kill of the evening, after Patrice Bergeron dumped the puck over the glass, and pulled within one with 5:17 left in regulation. David Krejci followed a Craig Smith shot, his putback trickling over the line to make it 5-4.

With Swayman off for most of the final two minutes and the home crowd on fire, they weren’t able to break through. They had one shot on goal in the final four minutes, with 3.9 seconds left.

“Wish we’d have five, 10 more minutes to tie it,” said Pastrnak, who also opened the scoring 1:25 into the game, hammering a far-side slapper past Semyon Varlamov (40 saves). “It’s frustrating, but we’ve got to let it go and get ready for Game 6. We’ve been the better team. Just didn’t go our way today. Just let it go and refocus.”

Pastrnak’s initial strike erased the memory of his missed open net in Game 4, and keyed a ferocious, no-passengers start. The Bruins 1215336 Boston Bruins

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask yanked after two periods, not ‘100 percent’ in Game 5 loss to Islanders

By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated June 7, 2021, 8:45 p.m.

Tuukka Rask sits on the bench after being pulled from Monday's game.

Bruce Cassidy has publicly downplayed injury concerns regarding Tuukka Rask. He did so again Monday, even after deciding to lift Rask after 40 minutes in a Game 5 loss at TD Garden.

“There was some maintenance that needed to be done,” Cassidy said following the Bruins’ 5-4 loss to the Islanders. “He wasn’t 100 percent, so we made a decision. That’s the call we had to make between periods. I’ll just say he wasn’t himself, 100 percent. Certainly could have [gone] back in. We made a decision not to put him back in.”

Asked if he was ready for Game 6, Cassidy was blunt.

“I assume he will.”

Rask, who recently acknowledged he was less than healthy, allowed four goals on 16 shots.

Jeremy Swayman, his 22-year-old backup, started the third and took the loss, allowing a goal on his third shot to fall behind, 5-2. He didn’t see another puck the rest of the way, his teammates scoring twice for the 5-4 final.

Tuukka Rask opens the door for Jeremy Swayman Monday night. Rask made 12 saves before being pulled.

“Sway came in and did a nice job,” said David Pastrnak, who scored twice. “Tough luck . . . it would have been nice to get it done for him.”

Rask, 34, did not participate in Monday’s morning skate in Brighton, but that is not unusual for veterans come playoff time. He moved slowly during the pregame warmup, his back appearing stiff.

Rask went the distance in all nine previous playoff games this season, ranking fourth among goalies in save percentage (.935) and third in (1.94).

In an appearance on WEEI before the second round began, Rask said his “game feels good, health is OK . . . I’m not as good as I want it to be, but obviously I’ve been playing and practicing. So I’m out there. That’s all that matters.”

Rask sustained what is believed to be a lower back strain March 7, and played just 20 minutes of action over the next five weeks. Before Game 3, Cassidy said his ace was “fine,” and “ready to go every playoff game.”

Cassidy also referred to Swayman, who had not played a postseason game before Monday, as a “very capable backup.” Swayman, a first-year pro, submitted a sparkling 10 games as Rask’s late-season backup. Swayman finished 7-3-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .945 save percentage, with two shutouts.

If Rask is the starter for Game 6, Pastrnak will have faith.

“There is no doubt with him,” he said. “He’s one of the best goalies in the world. Absolutely zero doubt.”

Boston Globe LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215337 Boston Bruins He was, however, thrown out of his first meeting on the dot Monday, early in the first period. Maybe it worked, but given how this series has gone, maybe that wasn’t even an advantage for Trotz’s crew.

In the name of gamesmanship, Islanders coach Barry Trotz picked The timing of Trotz’s barbs was odd, not only because they were aimed unlikely target in Patrice Bergeron to label as a cheater at a player teammates have dubbed ‘Mr. Perfect,’ one Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy lauds constantly for his near mistake-free game. The timing was odd given that Bergeron’s usual faceoff dominance has By Tara Sullivan Globe Columnist, Updated June 7, 2021, 7:50 p.m. waned this postseason. Going into Monday’s game, Bergeron won 53.4 percent on faceoffs, which ranked him 12th among players with at least

100 faceoffs. The word might as well have four letters. It’s that incendiary, at least The numbers dropped dramatically in this physical, evenly-matched when used in the context of sporting competition. series against the Islanders, at 45.7 percent going into Game 5. Cheat. But Trotz decided to make an issue of it anyway, using one of the worst Cheating. words in sports lexicon. Would you doubt one motivation for Bill Belichick to break the all-time NFL wins record is that it’s currently held by Don Cheater. Shula? The late Shula used the occasion of his 85th birthday party to throw shade at his nearest suitor. In a story about other great coaches by Is there any worse charge to level at an opponent? Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel, Shula, when asked about Belichick, But there was Islanders coach Barry Trotz Monday, throwing a cheating responded, “Beli-cheat?” accusation at, of all people, Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron. It barely That’s not four letters either, but it might as well be. needs to be said, but Bergeron is not your usual target, as respected across the game as he is revered in Boston. He’s a class act in all Boston Globe LOADED: 06.08.2021 corners, from an on-ice reputation that had him just days ago nominated for a record 10th straight year for the Selke Trophy to an off-ice profile showing that eight years ago he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for exemplary leadership and humanitarianism.

But this is playoff hockey, and as much as that means dramatic play on the ice, with no shifts off and every minute mattering, it also means a little gamesmanship off it. And a veteran, championship-winning coach like Trotz certainly knows how to play that game. A veteran, championship- winning center like Bergeron knows how to play it too.

Oh, Trotz opened up with sugar when talking about Bergeron, but with his team heading into a hostile TD Garden environment for the pivotal Game 5 of this second-round playoff series later Monday night, he quickly veered into bulletin-board material, even if it was of the mild variety.

“Bergy’s a really good faceoff guy, one of the best,” Trotz told reporters in a Zoom call. “I think [Islanders centers] all study what he does. The biggest thing with Bergy, and really linesmen can control this, is he doesn’t like to get his stick down. He’s got to come to a stop, and then you have a fair fight.

“He’s a veteran guy who knows how to cheat on the faceoffs. I’m relying on our very capable officiating crew and linesmen to make sure the cheating doesn’t go on, because he’s good at it. All the veteran guys are, he’s not the only one, trust me. But he’s very good, he’s very capable, and he’s been a top centerman and faceoff guy for a long time.”

Indeed he has — his four Selke wins endorse that thought, as does just about everything Bergeron has done across 17 seasons in the NHL. There’s nothing left in this game to surprise him, not when he’s played in All-Star games, not when he’s won a Stanley Cup, not when he’s been tough enough to play through injuries so bad he literally got out of a hospital bed to get to the rink, not when he’s won Olympic golds and World Championship titles, not when he so seamlessly inherited the captain’s ‘C’ from friend and former teammate Zdeno Chara.

In other words, he wasn’t about to be rattled by a few barbs from Trotz. In his own Zoom call early Monday, Bergeron’s face did not crack at all when he was asked about it, though he did allow himself a small chuckle as he gave his response.

“Personally, I’m going to worry about what I’m going to do out there and what I can do,” Bergeron said. “I think [Trotz] said it was a veteran play. I think it’s a veteran play by him as a coach to go into media talk to try to get the linesman and the officiating to think about it.”

Touché.

Bergeron was asked later if he thought the lobbying could have an effect on game officials.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “You’re trying to put the word out there and see what happens. For me, as a player I’m going to play my game and worry about what I can control and what I can do to help my team win. That’s all I can really do.” 1215338 Boston Bruins voters for the award (including this writer) consider faceoff prowess a plus. Though he has had his struggles against the Islanders, Bergeron’s league-best 62.2 percent success rate in the regular season will help his Bruce Cassidy upset after Patrice Bergeron put on the spot with faceoff candidacy. comments from Islanders coach Barry Trotz “I think it’s a compliment to my teammates, to be honest with you,” he said. “Obviously a great honor, not going to lie. That being said, I think it goes with how we’ve performed as a team and how my teammates have By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated June 7, 2021, 4:25 p.m. helped me throughout the year.”

Carlo, Miller skate

Patrice Bergeron's faceoff technique has come under scrutiny by the Defensemen Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller, both suspected to be Islanders. Here his head is clearly encroaching over the red line. recovering from concussions, skated on their own after the morning session. Cassidy left open the possibility that either could return for Missed penalty calls weren’t the only officiating issue that had Bruce Game 6 . . . A day after noting that his third line “didn’t generate Cassidy hot after Monday night’s 5-4 loss to the Islanders in Game 5 at anything,” Cassidy subbed Karson Kuhlman for Jake DeBrusk. Kuhlman, TD Garden. who last played in Game 2, skated with pace and landed three shots and Patrice Bergeron was tossed from the faceoff circle on the first draw he three hits in 10:36 . . . The Islanders are outdrawing the Bruins in took in Game 5, in the offensive zone, and a few more after that. David penalties, 15-11, this series . . . , who collided with Adam Krejci was booted twice in the opening 40 minutes. Pelech along the boards early in the second, did not return (4:35 TOI). He was the only Bruins without a shot on goal . . . Jeremy Lauzon briefly Cassdy saw that as the product of Islanders coach Barry Trotz’s left for repairs after a Cal Clutterbuck shot stung him in the leg. Lauzon gamesmanship. didn’t miss a shift . . . At 5 on 5, the Bruins out-attempted the Isles, 64- 30, outshot them, 35-15, and outscored them, 3-2 . . . Boston lines 1-3 “[Bergeron is] thrown out of the first two, three, four faceoffs he takes, outshot the Isles by a combined 28-8 at 5 on 5, and finished up 3-0 in because someone mentioned — have a little respect for Patrice goals . . . The visitors won 12 of 18 draws in the first, but the Bruins Bergeron,” Cassidy said. “He’s up for the Selke {Trophy], he’s been a flipped that — winning 12 of 16 — in the second. The Bruins finished 27 warrior in this league, a face of the franchise, does everything right for of 53 (51 percent) . . . Islanders Oliver Wahlstrom (lower body), hockey, sells the game. That’s the way you treat him? I mean, come on. who missed two weeks, participated in the morning skate . . . Islanders Because someone speaks out and says something all of a sudden. They captain Anders Lee, who had right ACL surgery in March, hit the ice at just need to be better than that. Call the game that you see.” TD Garden for a light workout. Lee will not play this postseason, but Trotz piped up Sunday, after a Game 4 in which he believed Bergeron looks to be on track for a training camp return . . . The NHL announced was “cheating” on draws. three finalists for the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, given to an individual who uses hockey to help their “community, culture or society.” “I think Bergy’s been a really good faceoff guy, one of the best,” Trotz Renee Hess (founder of the Black Girl Hockey Club), Kevin Hodgson said. “I think [Jean-Sebastian Pageau and his fellow centers] they all (executive director of HEROS) or Howard Smith (co-founder of Pittsburgh study what he does. The biggest thing with Bergy, and really linesmen I.C.E.) will be chosen by a fan vote and weighted votes from O’Ree, the can control this, is he doesn’t like to get his stick down. He has to come NHL and sponsor MassMutual. Fans can vote at NHL.com/OReeAward. to a stop, and then you have a fair fight. Boston Globe LOADED: 06.08.2021 “He’s a veteran guy who knows how to cheat on the faceoffs. I’m relying on our very capable officiating crew and linesmen to make sure that the cheating doesn’t go on, because he’s good at it. All the veteran guys are. He’s not the only one, trust me. But he’s very good, he’s very capable, and he’s been a top centerman and faceoff guy for a long time.”

Before puck drop, Bergeron said he wasn’t worried about Trotz’s comments.

Patrice Bergeron and New York's Brock Nelson compete for the puck during a face-off in the first period of Monday's game.

“He said it was a veteran play,” Bergeron said. “I think it’s a veteran play by him as a coach to go into the media to talk and try to get the linesmen and the officiating to think about it.”

Bergeron has seen this before.

“I’m not sure,” he said, when asked if lobbying had an effect. “You’re trying to put the word out there and see what happens. For me, as a player I’m gonna play my game and worry about what I can control and what I can do to help my team win. That’s all I can really do.”

To begin Game 4, Bergeron slid into position at center ice. He placed the blade of his stick on the ice, as the visiting center is supposed to. His opponent in the faceoff circle, Pageau, looked down and saw the top of Bergeron’s helmet.

Pageau straightened from his half-crouch, extending his palm in protest about Bergeron encroaching over the red line. After referee Chris Lee admonished him, Bergeron retreated slightly. But when Lee dropped the puck, Bergeron leaned so far forward that the Spoked-B crest of his jersey was hovering over the center-ice dot.

Pageau won the draw anyway. By the end of Saturday night, Pageau had beaten Bergeron on 9 of 16 faceoffs (56 percent), and Bergeron was 10 of 24, or 42 percent.

Bergeron rebounded in Game 5, beating Pageau on 6 of 10 draws and finishing 13 of 22 (59 percent).

The Bruins captain Sunday was named a finalist for the Selke Trophy, given to the best defensive forward, for the 10th year in a row. Many 1215339 Boston Bruins Bergeron, said Trotz, prefers not to lower his stick fully on the ice for drops, as required, a way of reminding the linesmen who have the power to toss non-conforming faceoff men out of the circle.

Line matchups can get you only so far in a series like Bruins-Islanders “He said it was a veteran play,” said the ever-stoic Bergeron, asked Monday morning about Trotz’s remarks. “I think it’s a veteran play by him as a coach to go into the media to talk and try to get the linesmen and By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,Updated June 7, 2021, 3:42 p.m. the officiating to think about it.”

New York centers Travis Zajac, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Nelson, said Trotz, all intently studied Bergeron’s faceoff style. Heading into Game 5, Game 5 Monday night marked the 13th time this season that the Bruins it looked as though they’d learned from the master. and Islanders clashed. All pregame planning — be it line matching, favorable faceoff matchups, With a seven-game playoff series knotted after four games, Game 5 net-front strategy, best shutdown defensive pairings — all of it can get typically proves pivotal for the winning team. Throughout Stanley Cup wiped from a coach’s whiteboard as soon as the first puck goes in the play, the team to break the 2-2 deadlock and take the advantage has net. All the analysis and strategy, as the series draws closer to a gone on to clinch the series a whopping 78.8 percent of the time (215 out conclusion, can be subordinate to the sheer desire of one team to move of 273 series). on to the next round. Exhibit A for Boston fans: In the 2019 Cup Final, Bruins vs. Blues, the “Yes, matchups are important,” said Cassidy. “I think [the Islanders] have series stood at 2-2 and the Blues trimmed the Bruins, 2-1, in Game 5. a bit of our mentality — or we have one another’s mentality — in terms of We know the rest of that story, ending in the Black-and-Gold’s heartache the players we put on the ice.” loss (4-1) in Game 7 on Garden ice. In short, do your job, no matter what the pairings are, no matter if you’re The Bruins were back on Causeway Street Monday night for Game 5 of the fourth-line plugger out there against the other squad’s premier attack Round 2 in their seven-gamer vs. the Islanders, New York fresh from line. squaring it, 2-2, with Saturday’s 4-1 win on the island. “You’re out there,” Cassidy said. “Outplay the guy across from you, trust The slight edge on the Bruins’ side was their right to “last change,” in the system, trust in your teammates. And when you have a chance in allowing coach Bruce Cassidy, in theory, to come up with more favorable those one-one-one puck battles, races, you have to be better than that line matchups for faceoffs. guy, whoever it is.” “We’re at home, so I’ll be more aware of them, for sure,” said Cassidy, Technical adjustments are always there, reminded Cassidy, but who during the regular season typically doesn’t overly concern himself calculations and strategy are just part of the mosaic. regarding line matchups. “As long as it doesn’t take us out of the rhythm of our game, how we want to use our top two lines in certain situations.” “The deeper you get now, it’s probably the will of the players to win,” he said, “that probably shines through in the end.” After four games, noted Cassidy, most of the mysteries — if there were any to begin with in the video age — had shaken out of the series. The Boston Globe LOADED: 06.08.2021 clubs went into Game 5 (matchup No. 13 between them since mid- January) with intimate knowledge of one another in terms of line combinations, strengths, weaknesses, and overall tendencies.

“Sometimes that will change game-to-game, too,” said Cassidy. “We saw [Mathew] Barzal more active in Games 3-4 than in 1-2, so that’s something we’re aware of.”

A near-nonfactor in Games 1-2, and throughout much of the Round 1 matchup vs. the Penguins, the speedy, clever Barzal began to strut his stuff in the two recent games on the island. He potted New York’s lone goal in the 2-1 OT loss in Game 3, then followed with 1-1—2 in Game 4, his third-period artful tip of a Scott Mayfield shot proving to be the game- winner.

The right of last change in Game 5 would allow Cassidy, if so desired, to roll out the trio he felt best equipped to put the squeeze on Barzal. The danger there, of course, was that it could lead to easier ice for the Brock Nelson line, which was the Islanders’ most effective combo in squeezing by the Penguins in a series that went six games.

For the record: The Penguins and Islanders were knotted, 2-2, after four games, and the Islanders won Game 5 in double OT en route to closing it two nights later in Game 6.

Asked Monday morning how much of his attention would be on matchups, Cassidy said, “I don’t know if it’s acutely aware, but certainly mindful of what people are doing — especially in the immediate past against us more than, say, maybe what they did against Pittsburgh and us during the regular season.”

Patrice Bergeron, perennially among the league’s dominant faceoff artists, uncharacteristically struggled at the dot in Games 2-4. Islanders coach Barry Trotz used an array of centermen for drops vs. Bergeron, employing a successful “committee” approach that saw his pivots win 39 of 63 faceoffs (62 percent) against the Bruins’ No. 1 pivot.

One of Cassidy’s unstated aims going into Game 5 had to be finding his stalwart faceoff man some easier draws. Not easy to do when the other side takes a committee approach.

A win at the dot leads to puck possession, and ideally, control of play and a greater chance of creating offense. That is why Trotz over the weekend, no doubt in an attempt at gamesmanship, lauded Bergeron as “a veteran guy who knows how to cheat on faceoffs.” 1215340 Boston Bruins The B’s got hit with their first penalty late in the period when Sean Kuraly was called for slashing Noah Dobson. It was not exactly a hatchet job. Mat Barzal, playing like the star he is in the last couple of games, beat Islanders 5, Bruins 4: Cassidy frustrated with officiating as late comeback Rask just under the bar with a deadly wrist shot from low in the right falls short circle to even it at 18:49, wiping out the B’s terrific start.

B’s face elimination in Wednesday’s Game 6; Rask exits early By the end of the second, they found themselves with a two-goal deficit, just as they had in Game 2, and the loss of fourth-line center Curtis Lazar to an apparent lower body injury after Adam Pelech fell on him.

By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: June 7, 2021 at 9:18 p.m. | After Grzelcyk crosschecked Leo Komarov — unlike Kuraly, Grzelcyk got UPDATED: June 7, 2021 at 11:07 p.m. his money’s worth on that one — the Isles scored their second power- play goal in as many tries. The B’s appeared to be doing a good job of

killing it, until Kuraly tried a soft backhand pass high in the zone and Bruins fans may long lament the calls and non-calls that went against everything went awry. Eventually, Josh Bailey sent a pass down low to their team in Monday’s pivotal Game 5 against the New York Islanders, Kyle Palmieri, it bounced off both of Connor Clifton’s skates and went and they may have a point. right to Palmieri for an easy goal at 4:49.

An irate coach Bruce Cassidy feels their pain, and then some. “We had opportunities to clear on every keep-in. … Kuraly had one he just has to shoot down the ice. He knows better than that. He’s been on The B’s penalty kill, so good all year, allowed three power-play goals on the team a long time and a big part of our PK,” said Cassidy. the Islanders’ first three chances, and the TD Garden visitors survived a late comeback attempt to walk away with a 5-4 victory and a 3-2 series Marchand got the B’s back even at 7:27 on a spectacular goal. McAvoy lead going back to Game 6 for Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday. intercepted an Islander pass at his own blue line and made a quick pass up to Pastrnak, who in turn left it for Marchand. He did the rest. Oh, there’s also a real question as to whether they’ll have their No. 1 Marchand turnstiled Ryan Pulock, cut across the top of the crease on his goalie available. forehand and tucked it past Varlamov.

But first let’s go to the officiating. Cassidy conceded the B’s had to be Brock Nelson crosschecked Marchand after the goal, and there was no better on the kill, pointing out they’re still down two key penalty killers in call. Nor were there calls on high-sticks that nicked Bergeron and Craig Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller. Smith.

But Cassidy absolutely unloaded his frustration on referees Francis And while the B’s where wondering when they were going to get theirs, Charron and Francois St. Laurent, while taking aim at the Islanders’ the Islanders regained the lead at 14:30 on an even-strength goal, Jean- hierarchy of GM Lou Lamoriello and coach Barry Trotz as well. Gabriel Pageau feeding Bailey for a slot shot.

“This is my take on it. We’re playing a team that has a very respected After Chris Wagner stood accused of high-sticking Barzal, the Islanders management and coaching staff who won a Stanley Cup. But I think they made it 3-for-3 on the power play. At 16:48, Jordan Eberle made it 4-2 sell a narrative over there that it’s more like the New York Saints and not with a wrister from the left wing. Against one of the best penalty kills in the New York Islanders, that they play hard, they play the right way. But I the league, the Isles made it look all too easy. feel we play the same way and the exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them,” said a slow-burning Cassidy. The B’s finally got their first power play with 1:10 left in the second and the Garden crowd gave it a boisterous mock cheer. They did not convert “And I don’t know why. These are very good officials. They’re at this point on that one and when Nelson put the Isles up 5-2, it felt like that was it. in the season for a reason. They miss high sticks every game, the exact same high sticks. … Maybe we need to sell them more and flop, but To their credit, the B’s pushed back. They got one back at 3:48 on their that’s not us. But they don’t see them. And it’s not like the same calls second power play. With Pelech in the box for hooking, Pastrnak ripped aren’t going against us. It’s not like I’m sitting there and going ‘every call another one-timer past Varlamov to make it 5-3. against us sucks.’ It’s just at the end of the day, the similar plays, they Then the B’s crept to within a goal with 5:17 left in the third when David can be penalized on those plays. But like I said, they’ve done a great job Krejci tapped home a loose rebound and the Garden was rocking. selling that narrative that they’re clean. They play hard, it’s a hard brand of hockey. I love the way they play, but they commit as many infractions But that’s as close as they could get. Swayman was pulled with just as we do, trust me. It’s just a matter of calling them.” under two minutes but they could not get the equalizer. And now they B’s are down to their last out on Wednesday. Whether that diatribe helps or hurts Cassidy and the B’s is anyone’s guess. But the unsettled goaltending situation is certainly not what they “The fourth one is the hardest one to win. We’re going to New York to win need right now. a game,” said McAvoy. “That’s all that’s on our mind. We want to put our best foot forward and win a hockey game. That’s all we’re thinking about. Tuukka Rask, dealing with some sort of injury throughout the playoffs, This isn’t over.” came out early on Monday morning to take some shots and then departed before the team portion of the morning skate. He was deemed Boston Herald LOADED: 06.08.2021 OK to play — and through four games had been the B’s best player — but he allowed four goals on 16 shots and was pulled for Jeremy Swayman to start the third. Swayman faced only three shots, but he could not stop a Brock Nelson wrister from the slot at 1:59 that stood up as the game-winner.

“There was some maintenance and he wasn’t 100% so we made a decision. That’s a call we had to make between periods, just said he wasn’t himself, 100%. He certainly could have gone back in but we made a decision not to put him back in,” said Cassidy on Rask.

Asked if Rask will be ready for the do-or-die Game 6, Cassidy replied: “I assume he will.”

The B’s held a 44-19 shot advantage and were all over the Islanders in the early going but could not build on David Pastrnak’s goal just 1:25 into the game.

Some spectacular chances to extend the lead did not pan out. Brad Marchand got the puck on his blade behind Semyon Varlamov but pushed it wide. Then later Matt Grzelcyk made a beautiful pass to a rushing Patrice Bergeron at the side of the net but Bergeron heeled it wide. 1215341 Boston Bruins

Bruins coach Cassidy rips Game 5 officiating, takes jab at Islanders

BY NICK GOSS

BOSTON -- Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy did not hold back when voicing his displeasure with the officiating in Game 5 of his team's second-round playoff series against the New York Islanders.

The Islanders had four power plays and scored on three of them. It was the biggest factor in the Isles' 5-4 victory Monday night at TD Garden, which gave them a 3-2 series lead. The Bruins dominated during 5-on-5 action with a 35-15 edge in shots, but a poor penalty kill proved fatal for Boston.

Cassidy was clearly upset in his postgame Zoom call and provided some candid comments on both the referees and the Islanders.

"We're playing a team that has very respected management and coaching staff, they've won a Stanley Cup. But I think they sell a narrative over there that it's more like the New York Saints and not the New York Islanders," Cassidy said. They play hard and they play the right way, but I feel we're the same way.

"The exact calls that get called on us do not get called on them, and I don't know why. These are very good officials, they're at this point in the season for a reason. You've got continuous high sticks every game, the exact same high sticks -- Bergeron behind the net with Nelson, the one that comes up on Smith (tonight), Marchand got called for that in Game 1. I could go on and on. Wagner the other day in front of the net. Maybe we need to sell them more and flop, but that's not us. You just hope they'd see them. The same calls go against us. It's not like I'm going, 'every call against us sucks.' That's not true.

"It's just that at the end of the day, similar plays, they need to be penalized on those plays. But I think they've done a great job selling that narrative that they're clean. They play hard, love the way they play, but they commit as many infractions as we do. Trust me. It's just a matter of calling them. That's the part that gets frustrating, but you play through it."

"I think they sell a narrative over there that's more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders"

Bruce Cassidy had a lot to say after the B's loss tonight pic.twitter.com/vedAMAaSXe— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) June 8, 2021

Here is Islanders head coach Barry Trotz's response to Cassidy's candid remarks.

Trotz on Cassidy's "New York Saints" remark: "I don't know what he means by that. We were one of the least penalized teams in the league all year... You'll have to ask him what he means by that."— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) June 8, 2021

The worst of the calls against the Bruins came late in the first period when Sean Kuraly was penalized for slashing. The replay didn't show a ton of forceful stick contact from Kuraly, and certainly not anything more intense than what was seen on numerous plays before that.

The Islanders scored on the ensuing power play to tie the score at one before eventually opening up a 5-2 lead in the third period that the B's were unable to overcome.

We could debate the quality of the officiating all day, but the undisputable fact is the Bruins' penalty kill has been awful throughout the series. If that doesn't change quickly, the B's will soon be planning their summer vacation.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215342 Boston Bruins Cassidy gives passionate defense of Patrice Bergeron after Game 5

Boston's second-line left winger hasn't been bad by any means in this series, but the B's still need a little more finish from him. It's great that the Game 5 takeaways: Abysmal penalty kill sinks Bruins in 5-4 loss B's second line is possessing the puck and creating scoring chances at a high rate, but at some point those looks need to end up in the back of the net. Krejci has found his groove with goals in each of the last two games. BY NICK GOSS The B's need a similar resurgence from Hall beginning in Game 6.

In the battle between impactful trade deadline acquisitions, Palmieri has given the Islanders an advantage in Round 2. It hasn't been a massive The Boston Bruins are on the edge of elimination from the 2021 Stanley advantage, but it matters in a close series. Cup Playoffs, and to save their season they must win on the road Wednesday night in Game 6.T 3) 5-on-5 domination but little to show for it

It's not going to be easy for the Bruins. Nassau Coliseum has been The dominated play at 5-on-5 against the Islanders, provided the Islanders with a raucous atmosphere all postseason, and generating between 55 and 60 percent of all shot attempts, shots on net especially in this series. The Islanders have played really at home, too, and scoring chances. coming up just short in a Game 3 overtime loss before winning Game 4. New York also won Game 6 over the Penguins to close out their first- Sound familiar? round series, so Wednesday's scene will be a familiar one for the Isles. The Bruins have been by far the better team at 5-on-5 through five Here are three takeaways from the Bruins' 5-4 defeat in Game 5. games, and Monday night's matchup was yet another example. The B's held a 64-30 edge in shot attempts, a 35-15 advantage in shots on net, a 1) Bruins' PK was a disaster 22-18 lead in scoring chances and a 3-2 goal differential during 5-on-5 action. The Bruins and their fans at TD Garden were not happy with the officials throughout Game 5. Boston was all over New York in the first period and should've gone into the intermission with at least a two-goal lead. Instead, the Bruins failed to The B's certainly had a case on Sean Kuraly's slashing penalty late in the capitalize on their dominant play and went into the break tied after an first period. It was a pretty weak call, and the Islanders scored on the Islanders power-play goal late in the period. ensuing power play when Mathew Barzal scored to extend his goal streak to three games. Not producing more goals from all of the offensive zone time the Bruins have enjoyed in this series, particularly early in games, is a real area of The Islanders scored twice more on the power play in the second period. concern for Boston. The Islanders are the classic case of a team you Kyle Palmieri buried a shot after the puck took a bounce off both (!) of can't let hang around. They are the bend-but-don't-break group. Connor Clifton's skates in front of the net, and then Barzal set up Jordan It might be rough at times for the Islanders, but they rarely let the score Eberle with a nice cross-ice feed. get out of hand. They withstand lots of challenging stretches where the The Bruins penalty kill has been abysmal in this series. Sure, they've had ice is heavily tilted against them. some bad puck luck on a couple goals, but their issues in this area of the The Bruins could've made the Islanders' job pretty tough after the first game go way beyond that. period but didn't. The Islanders grew more confident in the second period Injuries are a factor. Not having two reliable penalty killers in defensemen and opened a multi-goal cushion by outscoring the B's 3-1 in that frame. Kevan Miller and Brandon Carlo because of injuries is a tough setback. If the Bruins are going to extend this series to a Game 7, they must put the Islanders away as early as possible Wednesday night. Right now, There have been plenty of breakdowns, too. The B's are letting too many you'd have to favor the Islanders' chances if Game 6 is close in the third seam passes through. They're not winning enough 50-50 puck battles. period. They aren't clearing the puck efficiently -- just look at Sean Kuraly's turnover before Kyle Palmieri's second-period goal. The B's also aren't SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.08.2021 doing a good job disrupting the Islanders' zone entries. And even though Barzal's and Eberle's shots were top quality, you need Rask to make a save on one of those. Rask wasn't at fault on either goal, but when the momentum is going against you, a huge shorthanded stop can really give a team a boost.

Bruins coach Cassidy rips Game 5 officiating, takes jab at Islanders

Boston's penalty kill issues in this series are pretty surprising. This unit had the second-best success rate at 86 percent during the regular season. It also went an impressive 17-for-20 in the first round against a Capitals power play that ranked third-best in the regular season. The Islanders had the 20th-ranked power play at 18.8 percent in the regular season, but they're 6-for-15 (40 percent) in Round 2.

The Bruins must show massive improvement on the penalty kill or this series could easily end Wednesday night.

2) Trade deadline acquisitions

The Bruins reportedly were among the teams interested in veteran winger Kyle Palmieri before the Islanders acquired him from the Devils before a few weeks before the April 12 trade deadline. The Bruins eventually traded for Taylor Hall in a deal with the Sabres.

Through five games of this series, Palmieri has made more of an impact than Hall. Palmieri scored on a second-period power play in Game 5, giving him five points (three goals, two assists) in five games. He has scored in three of the five games and picked up at least one point in four of them.

Hall has one goal (an empty-net tally) in Game 1 and was excellent in Game 3, during which he picked up an assist on Craig Smith's first-period goal. The Bruins actually had a 15-0 edge in shots on net when Hall was on the ice during 5-on-5 action in Game 3. 1215343 Boston Bruins

Latest update on Rask before Bruins' Game 6 vs. Islanders

BY NICK GOSS

BOSTON -- Tuukka Rask didn't finish Game 5 of the Bruins' second- round playoff series against the New York Islanders on Monday night, but Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy assumes the veteran goalie will be ready for Wednesday night's Game 6.B

Rask was pulled after two periods in Game 5 and replaced by rookie Jeremy Swayman. The 34-year-old netminder allowed four goals on just 16 shots. The Islanders won 5-4 at TD Garden to push the Bruins to the brink of elimination.

"There was some maintenance that needed to be done. He wasn't 100 percent, so we made a decision," Cassidy explained. "That's a call we had to make between periods. I'll just say he wasn't himself (or) 100 percent. Certainly could've went back in, but we made a decision not to put him back in."

Bruins coach Cassidy rips Game 5 officiating, takes jab at Islanders

Will Rask be ready to go in Game 6?

"I assume he will," Cassidy said.

Rask has dealt with injuries for a good chunk of the year and played in just 24 of the team's 56 regular season games. He's played in all 10 of Boston's playoff matchups to this point.

The Bruins need whoever is in net Wednesday night to give a better performance than Game 5 or Boston's season likely will come to an end.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215344 Boston Bruins

Cassidy gives passionate defense of Patrice Bergeron after Game 5

BY NICK GOSS

OSTON -- Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy isn't happy with the way his team's captain, Patrice Bergeron, is being treated.B

One day after the Islanders won Game 4, head coach Barry Trotz had some interesting comments about Bergeron in the faceoff dot.

"Bergy’s a really good faceoff guy -- one of the best," Trotz told reporters. "I think (the Islanders' centers) all study what he does. The biggest thing with Bergy, and really linesmen can control this, is he doesn’t like to get his stick down. He’s got to come to a stop, and then you have a fair fight.

"So, he’s a veteran guy who knows how to cheat on the faceoffs. I’m relying on our very capable officiating crew and linesmen to make sure the cheating doesn’t go on, because he’s good at it. All the veteran guys are. He's not the only one, trust me."

Bergeron had a pretty good response Monday morning, but Cassidy took it a step further after the Bruins lost 5-4 to the Islanders in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Monday night at TD Garden.

"He was thrown out of what, the first two, three, four faceoffs he takes because someone mentioned (something). Have a little respect for Patrice Bergeron," Cassidy said. "He's up for the Selke Trophy. He's been a warrior in this league, a face of the franchise, he does everything right for hockey and sells the game. And that's the way you treat him? Come on.

"Just because someone speaks out and says something, like all of a sudden. (The referees) just need to be better than that. Call the game that you see and quit listening to these outside influences and get it done right because I don't think they were great tonight."

Cassidy was critical of the officiating as a whole. The Bruins committed four penalties and the Islanders scored three times on the power play. It proved to be the difference in the game, so it wasn't surprising to see Cassidy so frustrated.

The Bruins need to win Game 6 on Wednesday night in New York or their season will be over.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215345 Boston Bruins to gain any edge they can, but it’s also something Cassidy felt that the linesmen didn’t have to play into like they did on Monday night.

“He’s thrown out, what, the first two, three or four faceoffs that he takes Boston Bruins Cassidy: ‘More Like NY Saints Than The NY Islanders’ because somebody mentioned [he’s cheating]. Have a little respect for Patrice Bergeron. He’s up for the Selke,” said Cassidy. “He’s been a warrior in this league, a face of the franchise, does everything right for By Joe Haggerty hockey and sells the game. That’s the way you treat him?

“I mean, c’mon…because somebody speaks out and says something all of a sudden. They just need to be better than that and just call the game BOSTON – It’s readily apparent at this point that there isn’t much love you see. Quit listening to these outside influences and get it done right. I lost between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders. don’t think [the on-ice officials] were great tonight. I’m not going to lie to The Boston Bruins were the better hockey club by pretty much all you.” measures while outshooting the Islanders by a 44-19 margin, but those Will Cassidy’s comments buy the Boston Bruins a few calls in Game 6 on three power play goals played the big difference-maker in a 5-4 Bruins Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum? It remains to be seen, but the loss at TD Garden. Black and Gold are going to need all the help they can get while down 3- A soft slashing call on Sean Kuraly at the end of the first period wiped out to-2 in the best-of-seven series while heading into a hockey barn that strong opening 20 minutes for the Bruins when the Islanders tied things hasn’t been a friendly one for them this season. up with a late power play goal. Then Chris Wagner was called for a legit Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 high-sticking penalty just minutes after Craig Smith was caught with a high stick to the face that was somehow missed by Francois St. Laurent and Francois Charron.

Predictably, the Islanders capitalized with another PP goal there from Jordan Eberle to take a 4-2 lead in the second period.

After watching the Islanders get awarded a series of power plays in the first two periods that led to three PP goals and hold a 12-9 advantage in infractions leading to power plays over the course of the five-game series, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has had enough of the innocent, sweet Islanders act. The Islanders had four power play opportunities to two for the Bruins in a hugely important Game 5, and it’s par for the course for what the B’s bench boss has seen over the course of the five-game series.

“We’re playing a team that has a very respected management and coaching staff over there…they’ve won [Cups]. But I think they sell a narrative over there that it’s more like the New York Saints than the New York Islanders. They play hard and they play the right way,” said Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “But I feel like we play the same way. The exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them and I don’t know why. These are very good officials. They’re at this point in the season for a season. You’ve got continuous high sticks every game. The exact same high sticks: Bergie with Nelson behind the net, one that comes up on Smith. Marchand got called for that in Game 1.

“I could go on and on. Wagner the other day in front of the net. Maybe we need to sell them more and flop, but that’s not us. You just hope they’d see them. The same calls go against us. It’s not like I’m sitting here saying ‘Every call that goes against us sucks.’ That’s not true. It’s just at the end of the day they need to be penalized on similar plays. But I think they’ve done a great job selling that narrative that they’re clean. They play hard. I love the way they play. But they commit as many infractions as we do. Trust me. It’s just a matter of calling them. That’s the part that gets frustrating. Let’s just play hockey, call all the infractions and then see where it goes.”

“I think they sell a narrative over there that’s more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders”

Bruce Cassidy had a lot to say after the B’s loss tonight pic.twitter.com/vedAMAaSXe

— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) June 8, 2021

Barry Trotz responded and sounded very similar to in 2019 trumpeting the Islanders as one of the least penalized team in the NHL during the regular season.

Trotz on Cassidy’s “New York Saints” remark: “I don’t know what he means by that. We were one of the least penalized teams in the league all year… You’ll have to ask him what he means by that.”

— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) June 8, 2021

Cassidy wasn’t done, however. The Boston Bruins bench boss was also taking issue with the Trotz comments from last weekend about Patrice Bergeron “cheating” on faceoffs, a ploy that resulted in No. 37 getting thrown out of face-offs a handful of times at the start of a pivotal Game 5 at TD Garden. It may be gamesmanship from the head coaches looking 1215346 Boston Bruins McAvoy has registered a point in eight out of the ten playoff games thus far and this was his second game with three assists.

BY THE NUMBERS: 75. The total of hits in another physical Talking Points: Rask Hurt, Bad Officiating, Boston Bruins Lose Game 5 game between the Islanders and the Bruins.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “Maybe Game 6 will be our day where we get the By Jimmy Murphy calls that go our way. Maybe not. I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t look in the future. We’ll be ready to play. We better be ready to play. It’s do or die for us.” – Cassidy trying to stay positive that the calls will finally go the Bruins’ ways. The Boston Bruins out-shot the New York Islanders 44-19, got four goals past Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov, but still lost 5-4 and now face a Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 do-or-die Game 6 on the road Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum. Here are your Talking Points from a game in which the officiating played an unfortunate role but also a game that the Bruins still could’ve won if they didn’t let some questionable calls rattle them.

GOLD STAR: Semyon Varlamov. Yes, Varlamov allowed four goals but he also made 40 saves and staved off a late comeback attempt by the Bruins with some key saves in the final few minutes of regulation. After going winless in the Islanders’ six-game win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the , Varlamov replaced rookie goalie Ilya Sorokin after Sorokin lost Game 1 of the series. Since then, Varlamov has gone 3-1 and is a major reason that the Islanders have a chance to close out another series in six games.

Semyon Varlamov standing on his head in the second #Isles pic.twitter.com/QD9dAEN5fA

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) June 8, 2021

BLACK EYE: Officiating. The Boston Bruins had to kill off four powerplays and one could easily argue that three of those powerplays were the result of, at best questionable calls. This scribe though can’t even call this slashing call on Bruins forward Sean Kuraly 18:17 into the first period questionable. It was just flat-out wrong!

Sean Kuraly was called for a slash on this.

Islanders scored on this power play. pic.twitter.com/pouLqCvL1t

— Evan Marinofsky (@EvanMarinofsky) June 7, 2021

That was the beginning of a night in which – and I hate to blame referees for the outcome of a game – it seemed as if disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy decided to start betting on the NHL and put a call into this Game 5 officiating crew of Francis Charron and Francois St-Laurent and linesmen Devin berg and David Brisebois. The numerous non-calls against the Islanders and as I mentioned above, the three of the four against the Bruins were simply flabbergasting. Following the game, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy gave a fine-worthy ripping the foursome, the Islanders, and the NHL.

I think what happens is we’re playing a team that has a very respected management and coaching staff. They won a Stanley Cup,” Cassidy said. “I think they sell a narrative over there that it’s more like the New York Saints not the New York Islanders. They play hard and they play the right way. But I feel we’re the same way. The exact same calls that get called on us do not get called on them and I don’t know why.”

Cassidy seemed specifically ticked off that Barry Trotz’ claims that Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron cheats at the faceoff dot seemed to have an effect on Game 5.

“It’s like with Bergeron today. He’s thrown out of what, the first two? three? four faceoffs he takes,” Cassidy said. “Have a little respect for Patrice Bergeron. He’s up for the Selke. He’s been a warrior in this league, a face of the franchise. He does everything right for hockey. Sells the game. That’s the way you treat him? C’mon. Cause someone speaks out and says something. Call the game that you see. Quit listening to these outside influences and get it done right. Cause I don’t think they were great tonight.”

TURNING POINT: Kuraly Penalty. While the Boston Bruins need to do a better job of remaining composed when a call doesn’t go their way, this call that led to a Mathew Barzal powerplay goal at 18:49 of the first period, clearly rattled the Bruins. After that, they seemed preoccupied with the refs rather than the game itself.

HONORABLE MENTION: Charlie McAvoy. The Boston Bruins defenseman continued his brilliant 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs campaign with three assists. McAvoy now has ten helpers and a goal in ten games and he continues to be a minutes eater as he logged 26:48 in Game 5. 1215347 Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins Lose Lazar To Injury; Rask Pulled For ‘Maintenance’

By Jimmy Murphy

An already banged-up Boston Bruins squad lost two more players during their 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders in Game 5. Both goalie Tuukka Rask and forward Curtis Lazar exited the game early and did not return.

Rask left the game after the second period and was relieved by rookie Jeremy Swayman who was making his first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Following the game, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed that pulling Rask was not performance but rather health-related.

“There was some maintenance that needed to be done,” Cassidy said. “He wasn’t 100%. He wasn’t himself. He could have been back in. We made the decision not to put him back in.

Rask allowed four goals (three on the powerplay) on 16 shots. Swayman meanwhile, allowed one goal on three shots in the final 20 minutes of play.

Lazar laid a thunderous hit on New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock in the corner and as Pulock and Lazar fell to the ice, their legs appeared to get tangled up. Lazar got up slowly and labored as he skated off the ice and down the tunnel to the Bruins’ dressing room. The Bruins officially ruled Lazar out after the second period and no update was given during Cassidy’s postgame presser.

Curtis Lazar went down the tunnel after this hit on Adam Pelech: pic.twitter.com/GNEyelI4iK

— Evan Marinofsky (@EvanMarinofsky) June 7, 2021

After finishing the regular season with seven goals and six assists in 50 games, Lazar has one assist in ten Stanley Cup Playoff games this postseason. He has been skating on the checking line for the Boston Bruins with Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner. Lazar, along with Taylor Hall, was acquired by the Boston Bruins from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for forward Anders Bjork and a 2022 second-round draft pick the night before the NHL Trade Deadline on April 11.

The Bruins and Islanders play Game 6 of the East Division Final on Thursday at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.

Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 1215348 Boston Bruins Boston Bruins Lines

Forwards:

Game 5: Boston Bruins Vs Islanders Lines, Preview Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak

Taylor Hall – David Krejci – Craig Smith

By Jimmy Murphy Nick Ritchie – Charlie Coyle – Karson Kuhlman

Sean Kuraly – Curtis Lazar – Chris Wagner

The Boston Bruins and New York Islanders will play their second rubber Defense: game of the East Division final as they head into Game 5 tonight (6:30 PM ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVAS) with their series tied at two games Matt Grzelcyk – Charlie McAvoy apiece. Mike Reilly – Jeremy Lauzon

The Boston Bruins know that they could’ve been much better in their 4-1 Jarred Tinordi – Connor Clifton loss in Game 4 at Nassau Coliseum on Saturday. While they poured on 29 shots on net, there wasn’t much second effort and rebound attempts Goalies: and that left Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy pretty frustrated Tuukka Rask with his team. Jeremy Swayman “Our shot mentality wasn’t there enough for whatever reason. With a guy that’s rebound-friendly in there, you’ve got to make him work to control New York Islanders Lines the rebounds. I don’t think we did enough of that,” Cassidy said after Game 4. “I don’t think we were clean enough through the neutral zone. I Forwards don’t know if it’s necessarily an adjustment [as much as] the execution Leo Komarov — Mathew Barzal — Jordan Eberle wasn’t good enough for whatever reason. It happens, so hopefully, it’s better [in Game 5].” Anthony Beauvillier — Brock Nelson — Josh Bailey

“On their two five on five goals, we had major D-zone break downs. One Kyle Palmieri – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Travis Zajac we had a D behind the net. On the other, the winger dives down on Barzal. He has to hold his position until the center arrives. That’s basic D- Matt Martin — — Cal Clutterbuck zone coverage. It’s disappointing that we weren’t able to get those areas Defense done.” Adam Pelech — Ryan Pulock Boston Bruins Notes Nick Leddy — Scott Mayfield -While he did not participate in the morning skate prior to Game 5, Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask is expected to be back between the — Noah Dobson pipes for the B’s after making 30 saves in the Game 4 loss Saturday. Rask and Cassidy have both acknowledged that the 34-year-old Goalies netminder is dealing with some nagging injuries so the team has been Semyon Varlamov exercising as much load management as possible to keep him game ready. Ilya Sorokin

-Brandon Carlo (upper-body) is out for Game 5 after getting clobbered by Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 Cal Clutterbuck with a big hit along the end boards in Game 3 that caused a suspected concussion for the Bruins defenseman. Carlo also missed Game 4. Defenseman Kevan Miller (upper-body) will also miss his sixth straight game and remains day-to-day. Defenseman John Moore (hip) and forward Ondrej Kase (upper-body) are out for the season.

-Forward Karson Kuhlman will draw into the lineup tonight and fellow winger Jake DeBrusk will be a healthy scratch.

–The Bruins’ powerplay is now 9-for-28 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after going 1-for-3 in Game 4 against the Islanders. The Boston Bruins are scoring at a 32.1% clip on the powerplay that has them third in the NHL playoff field behind only the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

-After killing off both Islanders’ powerplays in Game 4, the Bruins penalty kill has now killed off 26 of 32 power-play attempts against in the playoffs for an 81.3 percent success rate.

New York Islanders Notes

-Semyon Varlamov bounced back after letting in the Brad Marchand overtime winner in Game 3 and made 28 saves in Game 4. Varlamov will be back between the Islanders’ pipes tonight. He is 2-3 with a 2.48 GAA and .929 save percentage.

-New York Islanders captain Anders Lee (ACL) skated after his team’s gameday skate at TD Garden Monday morning but as of now, his status as ‘out for the season remains the same.

-The Islanders’ powerplay is 6-for-27 with a 22.2 percent success rate.

-The Islanders’ penalty kill has killed off 14 of 21 power-play attempts against in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

-For more info on the Islanders for this and every game in the series, go check out NYI Hockey Now! 1215349 Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins Karson Kuhlman Draws In For Game 5

By Joe Haggerty

BRIGHTON, Mass – The Boston Bruins will be changing out their third line for Monday night’s Game 5 after an underwhelming performance in last weekend’s Game 4 loss to the Islanders on Long Island. Jake DeBrusk is expected to be a healthy scratch after little offensive presence and a blown defensive assignment on the game-winning goal for Mat Barzal, and speedy youngster Karson Kuhlman will draw into the series for the second time just in time for a pivotal Game 5 at TD Garden.

Kuhlman finished with an assist in Boston’s Game 2 overtime loss to the Islanders at TD Garden while playing in place of the injured Craig Smith. This time, however, it’s performance-related after the third line of Nick Ritchie, Charlie Coyle and left something to be desired in the worst performance of the series for the Black and Gold.

“The third line didn’t generate anything [in Game 4]. Obviously, they’ve had better games,” admitted Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “It’s the goal against that they really need to better on. You’ve got to help us win. Not every line is going to score every night. It’s the playoffs. It’s hard to score. But do whatever you can to help us win.

“What [Kuhlman] typically brings is high energy and getting his feet moving. There was some apprehension about how much time and space he’s going to have in a physical series, but as [Game 2] went on he got better. He can certainly get in on the forecheck, create some secondary offense and disrupt some of their breakouts. He does it more with his footspeed and stick.”

DeBrusk has zero points and just five shots on net in four games against the Islanders where their hard-hitting, physical style has pushed him way to the perimeter most of the time.

Both Kevan Miller (upper body) and Brandon Carlo (upper body) skated after practice with Cassidy not ruling out Carlo from a potential return for Wednesday night’s Game 6 against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

Tuukka Rask took some shots at the beginning of practice before leaving the morning skate goaltending workload to Jaroslav Halak and Jeremy Swayman, something he’s done several times in this second round series as the workload begins to pile up for a No. 1 goaltender playing through some nagging injuries. Here’s the projected Boston Bruins lineup vs. the New York Islanders for Game 5 based on Monday’s morning skate:

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

Hall-Krejci-Smith

Ritchie-Coyle-Kuhlman

Kuraly-Lazar-Wagner

Grzelcyk-McAvoy

Reilly-Lauzon

Tinordi-Clifton

Rask

Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 1215350 Boston Bruins *FOH (Friend of Haggs) Adrian Dater has the details behind a dud of a performance by the Colorado Avalanche against the Vegas Golden Knights. Could this be it for the Avs? (Colorado Hockey Now)

BHN Daily: Trotz Accuses Boston Bruins Bergeron Of ‘Cheating’ *Good to see a local kid from Hopkinton, Sean Farrell, tearing it up for the and the USHL. The downside is that he’s a fourth- round pick of the , so he may end up stinging the By Joe Haggerty Boston Bruins someday. (Chicago Steel)

*For something completely different: Boy, everything sounds great with the Loki series set to debut on Disney Plus this week. (Comicbook.com) BRIGHTON, Mass — Boy, did New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz poke the bear with the Boston Bruins ahead of Monday night’s Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 pivotal Game 5 matching vs. the Isles at TD Garden.

The isles head coach decided to go after Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron and essentially accused him of “cheating” in the face-off circle.

It’s obviously not the first time this kind of things has happened as former head coach used to do something similar where he would continuously get Bergeron yanked out of the face-off circle by complaining to the NHL officials watching the playoff series. But this is the first time it’s really out in the open with Trotz openly using the word “cheating” with a player in Bergeron that’s got a hard- earned sterling reputation around the league.

Patrice will be 100% in the face-off circle in Game 5. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/2U3IwAVzL9

— (@AndrewRaycroft) June 7, 2021

“Bergy is a really good faceoff guy…one of the best. [Pageau], Brock [Nelson] and [Travis] Zajac all study what he does,” said Trotz. “The biggest thing with Bergeron, and really linesman can control this, is that he doesn’t like to get his stick down. So, he’s got to come to a stop, you know, and then you have a fair fight. He’s a veteran guy that knows how to cheat on the faceoffs.

“I’m relying on our very capable officiating crew and linesman to make sure the cheating doesn’t go on. Because he’s good at it. All the veteran guys are, he’s not the only one…trust me. But he’s very good, very capable and he’s been a top centerman [and] faceoff guy for a long time.”

It’s a curious time to say and do this for Trotz as Jean-Gabriel Pageau has actually done a very good job battling Bergeron in the face-off circle and helped hold No. 37 to a 10-for-24 performance on the draw in Game 4. It’s been that way throughout the series for Bergeron and the lack of face-off wins has, at times, hampered their puck possession in key moments.

Bergeron, to his credit, wasn’t going to get drawn in publicly with Trotz and instead correctly said the head coach mentioning it was a similarly crafty veteran move meant to lobby favor with the officials.

“Personally, I’m just going to worry about what I’m going to do out there,” said Bergeron with a laugh. “He said it was a ‘veteran play.’ I think it’s a ‘veteran play’ by him as a coach to need to try to get the officiating, and the linesman, to worry about it.”

The game within the game continues for the Boston Bruins and Islanders, but this may end up backfiring on Trotz. Just think about pretending now to know who the Perfection Line was prior to the first round series against the Washington Capitals and how that worked out for him.

Now on to the rest of the puck links:

*Could David Quinn wind up as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres as they figure out what to do with his former BU player ? My partner-in-crime Jimmy Murphy has that and more in this week’s OTR column. (Boston Hockey Now)

*The Boston Bruins are most definitely at a crossroads with the New York Islanders in this series, and tonight’s Game 5 at TD Garden is going to tell us which way this series is going. (Boston Hockey Now)

*Things are not looking good for a Winnipeg Jets team that is missing Mark Scheifele and has run into a buzzsaw called the Montreal Canadiens. (Winnipeg Sun)

*New York Islanders Anders Lee was spotted skating at TD Garden prior to Game 5 as he comes back from knee surgery. Not sure there’s any chance of him returning for any point in these playoffs, but it’s worth nothing. (NYI Hockey Now) 1215351 Boston Bruins

OTR: Quinn To Sabres? Eichel, Makar, Jones, NHL Trade Market

By Jimmy Murphy

There is yet no word on the scheduled meeting between Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel and Sabres management, or if the meeting has yet taken place. Based on all indicators, the two sides have some serious issues to figure out to keep Eichel, one of the premier centers in the league, off the NHL trade market.

There is rampant speculation the Sabres will select their new coach with Eichel in mind. We have one name to watch on that front, and he’s very familiar to the Metro Division and Boston fans.

However, Off The Record has been reporting for a few months the two sides are headed for divorce, but the coach could be the Hail Mary to keep the former second-overall pick.

The Colorado Avalanche could begin their offseason as early as late Thursday night. The offseason focus in Denver will immediately switch to budding superstar defenseman Cale Makar and his second NHL contract. How much bank can Makar get?

And NHL owners have held power since they instituted the salary cap in 2005, but could the current NHL player empowerment create player- coordinated movement, so the NHL resembles the NBA?

Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 1215352 Boston Bruins

Haggerty: Boston Bruins At A Crossroad In Islanders Series |BHN+

By Joe Haggerty

The deep question now facing the Boston Bruins is whether they are at a crossroads in their playoff series against the New York Islanders.

The Isles have shown they can take a punch and then throw some out after responding with their best game of the series in Game 4 at Nassau Coliseum after a gut punch overtime loss to the B’s 48 hours earlier. The Boston Bruins are in good position with a 2-to-2 series and home ice advantage for two of the three remaining games after the 4-1 loss to the Islanders on Long Island last weekend.

But the play was pretty even, if not tilted toward the Islanders, in Game 4 for the first time in the series, and the Boston Bruins had difficulties moving the puck, generating consistent puck possession and generally playing the way they did in the first three games. The Jean-Gabriel Pageau line kept the Perfection Line off the board even if they did finish with a pretty solid 17 shot attempts and put the clamps on Patrice Bergeron with two shots on net and a 10-for-24 performance from the face-off circle.

It had Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy a bit puzzled as to why it happened in the immediate aftermath of Game 3, though losing Brandon Carlo when they were already down Kevan Miller may have had something to do with it.

Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 1215353 Boston Bruins Rask will start. He’s saying he assumes he’ll start. Remember, this a man who chooses his words carefully. And he knows when and how to be brutally honest, such as when he criticized his remade-on-the-fly The Tuukka Rask conversation is wide open again with Bruins on brink of penalty-killing unit for not doing a better job of clearing the puck. elimination And Cassidy was borderline livid — flat out livid, actually — as he talked about Patrice Bergeron being tossed out of a faceoff early in the game: “Have a little respect for Patrice Bergeron,” he said. “He’s up for the By Steve Buckley Selke. He’s been a warrior of this league, a face of the franchise, does everything right for hockey, he sells the game, and that’s the way you

treat him? I mean, come on.” Nobody wanted another Rask Referendum to suck all the air out of But either because he doesn’t know or because he doesn’t want to say, springtime. Cassidy can only assume Rask will his goaltender for Game 6. Especially this springtime, what with the Boston area opening up again Pastrnak, meanwhile, said he has “zero doubt” about Rask’s abilities, and Bruins fans running a collective finger down the roster and calling him “one of the best goalies in the world.” determining that, yes, absolutely, there’s enough talent there for a deep Stanley Cup playoffs run. But one of the best goalies in the world will be back under a microscope for the next two days. This time, it’s not just the anti-Rask lunatic fringe. And yet here we are. The Bruins are one loss away from being Now Rask has the task of convincing his coach that, at less than 100 eliminated from the Cup tourney after dropping Game 5 to the Islanders percent, he still gives Boston its best shot to win this series. on Monday night at TD Garden. The final was 5-4, but if you’re a Bruins fan, that’s not the score you’ll be talking about during the run-up to Game The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 6 on Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum.

It’s a partial score — as in Islanders 4, Bruins 2 after two periods — that’s going to get all the attention. (Well, that and the officiating, which we’ll get to in a moment.) Tuukka Rask was in the nets for two periods and allowed four goals on 16 shots. And then the Bruins skated out to the ice for the third period, and it was as though a ballot box had been placed in front of their net.

It was actually Jeremy Swayman, of course. The 22-year-old former star, one year removed from the Black Bears, was called in from the bullpen to man the nets, thereby setting up our latest Rask Referendum. Swayman allowed a goal, and then the fired-up Bruins scored two more goals. And then the game ended. David Pastrnak spoke to the Bruins’ late-night surge when he said, “I wish we had a couple of more minutes,” but, alas, the stodgy NHL has decided to stick with the old-fashioned format of three 20-minute periods.

So … Rask. He allowed a power-play goal late in the first period when Mathew Barzal put a shot over his glove from the right faceoff circle. In the second period, also on the power play, the Islanders took a 2-1 lead on a shot that somehow managed to ricochet off both of Connor Clifton’s skates and arrive all perfumed and gift-wrapped in front of Kyle Palmieri, who put an easy shot past Rask.

The Bruins tied it on an awesome goal by Brad Marchand, who deftly maneuvered the puck as he crashed the net as though on third-and-1. But the Islanders retook the lead when Josh Bailey, alone in front, lifted a shot past a falling Rask. The Isles made it 4-2, again on the power play, with Barzal feeding a nice pass to Jordan Eberle, who beat Rask. It didn’t help matters any that Bruins defenseman Jarred Tinordi broke his stick, with Charlie Coyle handing him his.

How much any one goal was Rask’s “fault” is in the eye of the beholder, but on the whole he was hardly stellar — even taking into account pucks going off skates, broken sticks and, to complete the trifecta, an officiating crew that stiffed the Bruins a few times.

Bruce Cassidy managed the neat trick of putting out there how much he likes referees Francois St. Laurent and Francis Charron — really, he made it sound as though he’s had them over to the house for grilling and horseshoes — while also saying he thought they did a lousy job with the whistles. Bonus points to Cassidy for saying that the Islanders “sell a narrative over there that it’s more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders.”

But what about pulling Rask?

“Yeah, there was some maintenance that needed to be done,” the Boston coach said. “He wasn’t 100 percent, so I made a decision. That’s a call we had to make between periods. I’ll just say he wasn’t himself … certainly could have went back in. We made a decision not to put him back in.”

Cassidy was asked if Rask will be ready for Game 6.

“I assume he will,” Cassidy said.

With those four words — “I assume he will” — Cassidy has unwittingly done his part to help create this latest Rask Referendum. He’s not saying 1215354 Boston Bruins The starter was not 100 percent, according to Cassidy. He did not participate in the morning skate. He took shots before the session from Trent Frederic and Karson Kuhlman.

Bruins’ Bruce Cassidy carves officiating after 5-4 Game 5 loss: ‘More like So after the second period, Cassidy replaced Rask with Jeremy the New York Saints’ Swayman. Rask was well enough to finish the game on the bench. Rask should be ready for Game 6, the coach said.

By Fluto Shinzawa Semyon Varlamov, meanwhile, denied the Bruins early and late. He stopped 10 of their 11 first-period shots. He followed up with 16 third- period saves. Varlamov was under assault in those two segments.

Bruce Cassidy acknowledges that he does not coach choir boys. The The Bruins failed to finish their opportunities. Their inability to stretch out Bruins went on the penalty kill 178 times during the regular season, a 1-0 first-period lead when they were blitzing the bending Islanders cost fourth most in the league. them later.

The thing the Bruins coach does not understand is why the heat-seeking “I thought five-on-five, we were dominant,” Cassidy said. “But the PK let Islanders elude the whistles. The Islanders were the second-most- us down. We’ve got to get better at it.” disciplined team in the league during the regular season, when they went on the kill 135 times. The Bruins will not practice Tuesday. They will save all their energy for a do-or-die Game 6 on Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum. That delta between the two clubs, Cassidy believes, has appeared once again in the playoffs. “Fourth one is the hardest one to win,” McAvoy said. “We’re going to New York to win a game. That’s all that’s on our minds. We want to put our “We’re playing a team that has very respected management and best foot forward and win a hockey game. That’s it. That’s all we’re coaching staff. They won a Stanley Cup,” Cassidy said after the Bruins’ thinking about right now. This thing isn’t over.” 5-4 Game 5 loss, which put the Islanders up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. “But I think they sell a narrative over there that it’s more like the The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 New York Saints, not the New York Islanders, that they play hard and they play the right way. I feel we’re the same way. The calls, the exact calls that are getting called on us, do not get called on them. And I don’t know why. These are very good officials. They’re at this point of the season for a reason.”

Cassidy noted a high stick Craig Smith took that went uncalled. Earlier in the series, Brad Marchand was penalized for a similar high stick.

“It’s not like I’m sitting there going, ‘Well, every call against us sucks.’ It’s not true,” Cassidy said. “At the end of the day, the similar plays, they need to be penalized on those plays. But like I said, they’ve done a great job selling that narrative that they’re clean. They play hard. A hard brand of hockey. Love the way they play. But they commit as many infractions as we do. Trust me.”

The Bruins could have blunted some of the disparity Cassidy perceived. During the regular season, they killed 86 percent of opposing power plays, the second-best rate in the league.

They did no such thing in Game 5. The Bruins went 1-for-4 on the penalty kill. The reason they ran out of third-period runway was the ease with which they allowed the Islanders to pump three power-play pucks past Tuukka Rask.

In the first period, after winning a left-side faceoff, the Islanders rapidly shuttled the puck to Mathew Barzal on the opposite flank. Barzal whistled a wrister over Rask before Charlie McAvoy challenged his shot, which tied the score at 1-1.

In the second, Josh Bailey sent a seam pass that clattered off Connor Clifton. The deflected puck bounced to Kyle Palmieri, who dunked the puck through Rask. Palmieri’s goal put the Islanders up 2-1.

Later in the second, with Chris Wagner off for high-sticking Barzal, Jarred Tinordi broke his stick. Charlie Coyle, a righty, gave his stick to the left- shot Tinordi. Barzal patiently held the puck at the right circle until he saw an opening courtesy of Sean Kuraly, the weak-side forward. When Kuraly placed his stick to deny the pass to Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the bumper, Barzal slid a cross-ice puck to Jordan Eberle. Rask got over in time but could not stop Eberle’s shot, which made it 4-2.

McAvoy was on for all three power-play goals. He is usually a secondary killer behind Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller. Instead of playing, both defensemen spent the day skating at as they recover from their head injuries.

“Carlo and Miller are great on the PK,” Cassidy said. “Now you’ve got Cliffy in there, who’s not as long on the backdoor one. He’s just not able to get it done there. Charlie on the first goal, on his off side because of the way the faceoff’s set up. We don’t get it out. Yeah, he could challenge more on Barzal. He needs to. He knows that.”

Rask can clean up spills on the kill. But not in Game 5. 1215355 Boston Bruins “That guy, he doesn’t take a day off,” Carlo said. “There are situations behind the scenes, little things he’s always doing to make sure he’s ready. I’ve seen and learned a lot from the way he takes care of his body. How Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron remains a Selke Trophy contender: ‘It’s Also, the way he eats. I have the opportunity to sit down with him for amazing how he can stay so fresh and young’ dinner quite often. He does it in the way that works for him. That’s fantastic.”

The Bruins ask a lot of Bergeron during games. As a center, he’s By Fluto Shinzawa Jun 7, 2021 required to skate deep into the defensive zone. During the playoffs, he’s averaged 2:07 per game on the penalty kill, which is taxing duty.

Bergeron’s awareness, however, is so keen that he minimizes his If being a Selke Trophy finalist for the 10th straight season is a measure mileage by always being in the right spot. of consistent high-end performance, Patrice Bergeron is purring along quite smoothly. Ahead of the curve

Bergeron, named a finalist with Aleksander Barkov and on In Game 2 of the second round, Marchand took a return pass from Sunday, is the only player in NHL history to be considered for the two- Pastrnak at the right circle in the offensive zone. Bergeron was in the way award for 10 years running. Bergeron’s most recent dossier of slot. defensive excellence includes a league-topping 62.3 percent faceoff winning percentage, 1:49 of average shorthanded ice time per game and Some centers might have attacked the net and engaged a defenseman. a 64.47 percent shots-for share at five-on-five. That last stat, per Natural This is not easy on the body, especially in the playoffs. Stat Trick, was the highest in the league among forwards with 600-plus Bergeron stayed out of harm’s way. As Marchand looked to pass, minutes. Bergeron rapidly cut backward and opened up for a shot. This gave him “I obviously am biased, but I feel he should be the winner,” said coach separation from Jordan Eberle, his closest opponent. It expanded the Bruce Cassidy. “I’m sure the coaches of their players probably feel the seam for Marchand. It prevented Mathew Barzal from filling the shooting same way. Good for Patrice. I’m proud of him for bringing it every year. lane. It’s another year under his belt. To keep playing that way on both sides of With that slight pop-out, Bergeron maximized his chances of scoring. He the puck is kind of a testament not only to his physical ability, but his finished the sequence by one-timing the puck past Semyon Varlamov’s mental toughness to do it every night.” blocker.

Shutdown stiffness aligns with Bergeron’s late-stage offensive “It’s going to make you faster if you know where the puck’s going before renaissance. The center, once better known as a matchup forward, is it gets there. All the truly elite 200-foot players are able to do that,” said now primed for top-line scoring between Brad Marchand and David Cassidy. “So Bergy’s no different in that case, both offensively and Pastrnak. Bergeron averaged 2.93 points per 60 minutes of all-situations defensively. He reads well off Marsh. With the puck, he finds that soft play, placing him 22nd among forwards with 900 or more minutes. You area in the slot. He knows when Marsh is going to separate and try to get could make the case that nobody runs the bumper on the power play to his forehand. Because Marsh, on his forehand, has two righties better than Bergeron. between Pasta and Bergy to choose from. He’s good at shaking guys. What makes Bergeron’s performance even more remarkable is the age Then Bergy just slides into that opening. That’s hockey IQ.” at which he’s delivering his magnificence. Eleven of the 44 players Bergeron, in other words, applies his processing power to optimize his drafted ahead of Bergeron in 2003 (Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Staal, Ryan routes — and often reduce them. He is not the fastest skater in the Suter, , Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, , Ryan league. Bergeron does not own overwhelming strength on the puck. He Getzlaf, , , Loui Eriksson) played in the NHL in does not close on opponents as rapidly or extend his coverage area like 2020-21. Bergeron had a higher points per 60 rate than all of them. Sean Kuraly.

“It can’t be easy,” said Brandon Carlo, a fifth-year NHLer. “I’m 24. He’s in But because he knows where to go, Bergeron doesn’t burn unnecessary his 30s. I feel old during these playoff series sometimes. It’s amazing calories. The most harmless enemy entanglements are the ones he how he can stay so fresh and young.” eliminates by getting to pucks first. made a living at that.

Forever young “He wasn’t the fastest guy on the ice or the strongest. But he was smart If there is any salt in Bergeron’s playoff , television cameras have and ahead of the game,” Cassidy said. “A lot of the times he was there yet to spot it. Same with his hair, which Bergeron takes care to comb just before the plays developed on the defensive side of it, and making them right before fulfilling pregame and postgame media obligations. Mother on the offensive side of it. That’s just a gift those players have. They use Sylvie Bergeron and father Gerard Cleary, it appears, gave their son the it to their advantage.” gift of good genes. Bergeron spent Sunday off the ice. It was a day to rebound from a 4-1 Bergeron has learned not to take his athleticism for granted. He stretches Game 4 loss. Bergeron was the last Bruins player to skate off the Nassau at every opportunity. The plates he stacked high as an NHL rookie are Coliseum ice, sweeping aside an orange Islanders rally towel as he did not as ample now. so.

“I definitely don’t eat as much as I used to in my early years when I was Bergeron did not score Saturday. He had two shots in 18:11 of play. 18, 19, 20,” said Bergeron, whose former meals, while generous, were Bergeron usually bounces back from quiet performances. Recovering, in always healthy. “It’s a lot different now.” all senses of the word, is one of the things Bergeron does best.

By now, Bergeron has perfected recovery. He dunks himself into the cold The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 bath after games and practices. He is a regular wearer of Normatec recovery boots.

Technology, however, is no match for the sleep he prioritizes, even as a father of three.

“Sleeping habits are really important to me and my teammates,” Bergeron said. “It’s really important this time of year. It’s the best way to recover.”

The result is a player in mid-career form, not its twilight. Bergeron averaged 0.89 points per game in 2020-21, sixth highest of his 17 seasons. Other metrics align too: power-play time per game (3:18, fifth highest), ice time per game (18:13, 11th highest), points per 60 five-on- five minutes (2.48, second highest). Little about Bergeron’s game signals anything resembling an imminent cliff. 1215356 Buffalo Sabres agent this summer after he appeared in 44 games with the Sabres this season, totaling five goals and two assists for seven points.

Colin Miller, defenseman, Canada: An upper-body injury cut Miller’s Sabres' Tage Thompson, Arttu Ruotsalainen medal at IIHF World tournament short at only four games, so he was not on the ice when Championship Canada won gold with a 3-2 overtime victory over on Sunday. Miller, 28, was an alternate captain and had one assist. He’s under contract with the Sabres for one more season with a $3.875 million Lance Lysowski Jun 7, 2021 salary-cap hit.

Buffalo News LOADED: 06.08.2021 An NHL record-tying 10-year playoff drought has prevented the Buffalo Sabres from playing meaningful games in May and June.

The franchise’s annual rite of spring is to send at least one player to the IIHF World Championship, a high-stakes international tournament. The event was canceled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but seven players with Sabres ties were able to travel to Latvia when Buffalo concluded its season last month.

This provided a development opportunity to a few young Sabres, while General Manager and his staff were able to evaluate two candidates for the No. 1 draft pick. Though one Buffalo player had his tournament cut short because of injury, the franchise had a few impressive performances overseas.

Tage Thompson, winger, United States: Thompson, 23, missed two games because of an upper-body injury, but he finished his tournament strong with three assists in the United States’ bronze medal win over Germany on Sunday.

The Sabres likely would have preferred to see more production from Thompson. He finished with one goal and four assists for five points in eight games. Thompson, though, had 26 shots and his goal was a game- winner.

The trip to Latvia provided Thompson with valuable experience playing meaningful games against talented competition. Remember, the Sabres wanted this for Thompson in 2019 when he was sent to Rochester, but the Amerks were swept in their first-round series against Toronto.

Arttu Ruotsalainen, forward, Finland: Another tournament standout for the Sabres, Ruotsalainen had four goals with an assist and 27 shots on goal in 10 games to help Finland capture a silver medal. The tournament illustrated how much Ruotsalainen has developed over the past four years, and he has become a legitimate candidate to represent his home country in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Ruotsalainen totaled 30 goals in 69 games this season between the world championship, the NHL, the and Finland’s . He had five goals in 17 games for the Sabres.

Lawrence Pilut, defenseman, : Pilut, 25, is no longer a Sabre after he signed a two-year contract last June with Traktor of the Kontinental Hockey League, but Buffalo owns the restricted free agent’s NHL rights until he turns 27 years old.

Pilut was a reliable fixture on Sweden’s blue line at this tournament, finishing with two assists and a plus-4 rating in seven games. He also had a strong debut season in the KHL, totaling seven goals and 28 points in 57 games.

Victor Olofsson, winger, Sweden: Olofsson was unable to lead Sweden to the medal round, but he had three goals and four points in seven games. This represented a promising finish to what Olofsson would describe as an underwhelming season.

Olofsson totaled 13 goals and 32 points in 56 games with the Sabres. Although only Sam Reinhart had more points (40), Olofsson was disappointed with the impact he made in 5-on-5 situations. His focus this offseason will be creating more chances closer to the net.

JJ Peterka, winger, Germany: A second-round draft choice of the Sabres in October 2020, Peterka wasn’t in Germany’s lineup to start the tournament. The 19-year-old earned playing time, though, and had one goal in six games.

This was an eventful season for Peterka. He played in Austria and Germany, as well as stints at the IIHF World Junior Championship and IIHF World Championship. Peterka is expected to play next season with EHC Red Bull Munchen of Germany’s top professional league.

Tobias Rieder, winger, Germany: Rieder had one goal and four points in 10 games for Germany. The 28-year-old will become an unrestricted free 1215357 Buffalo Sabres

Six Buffalo Jr. Sabres alumni selected in draft

Lance Lysowski Jun 7, 2021

Quentin Musty’s selection first overall to the in the Ontario Hockey League’s draft was another banner day for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres.

On Friday night, Musty, an ultra-skilled 15-year-old forward from Hamburg, officially became the first U.S.-born player to go No. 1 at the annual event since Coyotes defenseman Jakub Chychrun in 2014. Other NHL players previously drafted first into the world’s top junior league: Connor McDavid, , and Ryan O’Reilly.

The Jr. Sabres weren’t done there.

The LECOM Harborcenter-based program had five other players drafted: center Dylan McFadden (Ontario) went in the fifth round to the ; forward Ryan Smith (North Tonawanda) to the Ottawa 67’s in Round 7; Gavin McCarthy (Clarence), a right-shot defenseman, was selected by the in the eighth round; goalie Cooper Rautenstrauch (West Seneca) had his name called by the Flint Firebirds in the 10th round; and right-shot defenseman Charlie Kinsman (West Seneca) is also going to Flint after he was selected in Round 13.

Their latest accomplishment arrived during a week in which Buffalo Jr. Sabres alumni Luke Pavicich (Clarence Center), Chase Clark (Williamsville) and Jacob Napier (Lancaster) were included in NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final prospect rankings ahead of the 2021 draft.

The Jr. Sabres had five former players selected in the 2020 NHL draft in October: forward Luke Tuch (Montreal Canadiens, second round), forward Trevor Kuntar (Boston Bruins, third round), forward Colby Ambrosio (Colorado Avalanche, fourth round), Matteo Costantini (Buffalo Sabres, fifth round) and Declan McDonnell (Tampa Bay Lightning, seventh round).

Defenseman Case McCarthy, a Clarence native now at Boston University, went in the fourth round to the in 2019.

Buffalo News LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215358 BuffaloSabres The Kraken will also get an exclusive negotiating window with unrestricted free agents. If they sign one, that counts as their expansion selection from that team. Buffalo has 12 UFAs: forwards Tobias Rieder, Buffalo Sabres protected list: Who’s staying and who could be picked in Drake Caggiula, Riley Sheahan, Steven Fogarty, J-S Dea and C.J. the Seattle Kraken expansion draft? Smith; defensemen Jake McCabe, Matt Irwin and Brandon Davidson; and goalies Linus Ullmark, Carter Hutton and Michael Houser.

All teams will have two protection options. They can either keep seven By John Vogl Jun 7, 2021 forwards, three defensemen and one goalie, or eight skaters and one goalie. Like 25 of the 30 teams in the Vegas expansion draft in 2017, the

Sabres should opt to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one We’ve done this before. We’ll do it again. goalie.

So will the Sabres. We’ll start with the seven forwards.

General manager Kevyn Adams made it clear that today’s expansion list 1. Jeff Skinner will not be the one Buffalo submits to Seattle and the NHL in July. Why? The Sabres have to protect Skinner because of his no-movement clause. Sabres trades are coming before the Kraken draft their roster. It prohibits Buffalo from trading, waiving or loaning him without his permission. “There’s going to be a lot of, let’s call them different iterations, of what the expansion protected list could look like because if we made a move Adams and Kraken GM are good friends. They’ve already before the draft, then it could change that list,” Adams said. “There’s talked about the expansion draft and will again. If Francis were to tell going to be a lot of that type of conversation going on.” Adams he has no intention of selecting Skinner and the remaining six years and $54 million of his contract, would Adams approach Skinner Just two months ago, Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart were locks to lead about waiving his no-move clause so Buffalo could protect someone the Sabres’ protected list. Eichel and Reinhart could be on other teams else? when Seattle assembles its players July 21. The same goes for Rasmus Ristolainen. “Those are conversations we’ll definitely have internally and then we’ll go from there,” Adams said. All three are legitimate trade candidates as Adams reshapes his roster following a season of losses and discontent. Until further notice, Skinner leads the protected list.

“To me, this is about putting a group of people together that really care 2. Jack Eichel about each other, that really, truly love this organization, that love that If he’s in Buffalo when Seattle arrives, he’s on the list. jersey, that love the city,” Adams said after winning the draft lottery. “How we put it together over the coming weeks, I think there’s a lot to be 3. Sam Reinhart determined in that. But that is a key ingredient for me: people that want to be here, that believe in this organization, believe in what we’re doing, If he’s in Buffalo when Seattle arrives, he’s on the list, part two. believe in the city, because I think that matters.” 4. Casey Mittelstadt

Still, Adams knows he’s about to lose a player who may believe in the Long forecast to be the Sabres’ No. 2 center, the 22-year-old may have Sabres. Seattle is plucking someone from every organization except arrived. Mittelstadt put up nine goals and 17 points during the final 22 Vegas. games. The goals ranked 28th in the NHL during that span, matching “We don’t want to lose a player, but it’s part of it,” Adams said. “I was part John Tavares, Mark Stone and , and the points tied for of the expansion draft when Columbus came in (in 2000). I remember 50th with , Mathew Barzal and . getting the phone call from the general manager in Toronto, telling me I “When he did get the opportunity, he kicked the door open,” Adams said. was exposed. I was disappointed, yet all of a sudden I was drafted and I was part of a really cool experience. 5. Victor Olofsson

“There’s a lot of excitement around that, and there should be. It’s great The winger finished second on the team in goals and points and led in for the league.” assists. A manageable cap hit of $3.05 million contributes to his keeper status. There are a few rules to the expansion draft, but this one trumps them all: First- and second-year players are exempt. It doesn’t matter if they’ve Those five picks were easy. It gets tougher after that. Only two spots played 100 NHL games or none. Anyone in the first or second year of his remain, with three forwards making a solid case. Thompson, Asplund opening contract won’t be available to Seattle and doesn’t count toward and Bjork were decent contributors during the final 22 games, which is the protection list. when Buffalo played better under interim coach .

The Sabres’ exempt list features forwards Dylan Cozens, Arttu Tage Thompson Ruotsalainen, Jack Quinn, Brett Murray, Matej Pekar, Brandon Biro, Dawson DiPietro, Lukas Rousek and Linus Weissbach; defensemen 22 Mattias Samuelsson, Jacob Bryson, Oskari Laaksonen and Casey 7 Fitzgerald; and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Stefanos Lekkas. 11

Each team has minimum exposure requirements in terms of games 14:40 played and contract terms to ensure veterans for the Kraken, but this Rasmus Asplund bears repeating: Every player past the second year of his career is part of the expansion draft. It doesn’t matter if he has played 100 games or 21 none. 5 Here’s who is left to be protected by Buffalo or exposed to Seattle. 9 Forwards (12): Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, Kyle Okposo, Sam Reinhart, Victor Olofsson, Cody Eakin, Anders Bjork, Tage Thompson, Casey 13:49 Mittelstadt, Rasmus Asplund, Zemgus Girgensons and Andrew Oglevie. Anders Bjork Defensemen (5): Rasmus Dahlin, Rasmus Ristolainen, Colin Miller, Henri 15 Jokiharju and Will Borgen. 3 Goalies (1): Dustin Tokarski. 6 17:02 Dustin Tokarski

Contract status will play a role in our decision and the Sabres’ list. Jack Eichel

6. Tage Thompson

The 23-year-old is signed for two more seasons at $1.4 million per year. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen That’s a nice price for a third-line winger who has the potential to move up. Sam Reinhart

“Any time a player scores or you win as an organization, it validates the Rasmus Ristolainen work you’ve put in,” Granato said. “I believe that’s what we’re seeing in Stefanos Lekkas Tage. He’s put a lot of work in. He hasn’t gotten a lot of reward the last couple of years. Now seeing goals come more frequently, you see the Casey Mittelstadt light at the end of the tunnel. You feel better about yourself, and it does Will Borgen help to elevate your self-expectation, your demand for more, your appetite for more.” Victor Olofsson

7. Anders Bjork Colin Miller

The Sabres acquired the winger for Taylor Hall, so it’d be tough to just Tage Thompson lose him for nothing. The 24-year-old was among the team leaders in even-strength and penalty-kill time. He’s signed for two more seasons at Mattias Samuelsson $1.6 million per year, which is also a nice price that provides cost Anders Bjork certainty through 2023. Jacob Bryson That puts Asplund, Okposo, Eakin, Girgensons and Oglevie on the exposure list. Okposo has a no-trade clause, but only no-movement Rasmus Asplund clauses require protection. Oskari Laaksonen Heading to the blue line, two-thirds of the choices are easy. Kyle Okposo 1. Rasmus Dahlin Casey Fitzgerald He’s the defensive cornerstone. Adams has begun contract talks with the 21-year-old restricted free agent. Cody Eakin

2. Henri Jokiharju Zemgus Girgensons

After a forgettable first half under coach Ralph Krueger, Jokiharju was Andrew Oglevie among those to improve with Granato. The defenseman skated nearly 20 Dylan Cozens minutes a night as Dahlin’s partner. Arttu Ruotsalainen The final spot comes down to Ristolainen and Borgen. Ideally, Adams will have resolved whether to keep or trade Ristolainen by the expansion Jack Quinn draft. But for now … Brett Murray 3. Rasmus Ristolainen Matej Pekar Borgen made the list over Ristolainen during our last mock, but not this time. Borgen looked like a budding NHLer during his first four games, but Brandon Biro the 24-year-old struggled in his final six after returning from a broken Dawson DiPietro forearm. Available Simply put, Ristolainen has more value as an asset. If Adams is unable to move the defenseman this offseason, the GM can ship him out as a Lukas Rousek rental at the deadline. Ristolainen is entering the final season of his six- year, $32.4 million contract and will be a UFA next summer. Protected

There is no decision to be made in net. The Sabres don’t have anyone to Linus Weissbach protect, and by rule, Tokarski must be exposed as the only goalie under Exempt contract for 2021-22. The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 During the last expansion draft in 2017, the Sabres sent Vegas a sixth- round pick to select William Carrier instead of Ullmark. Adams is willing to supply the Kraken with a similar incentive if the GM decides one of his exposed players, such as Asplund or Borgen, needs to be off-limits.

“It’s absolutely something you have to be open to,” Adams said. “Will we do that? I don’t know. You certainly want to use your draft picks, but if it was the right thing for our organization, then we would potentially be interested in that.”

One thing’s for sure: That won’t be the only trade on Adams’ mind. Some of the players on this list will be gone before the expansion draft and others will arrive.

“It’ll go right toward the end of when we have to put the actual list together,” Adams said, “because a lot could change between now and then.”

Buffalo Sabres' protected list

Jeff Skinner

Rasmus Dahlin 1215359 Salvian: After missing the playoffs this season, the Flames are assumed to be open for business, with potentially several moving parts. So I wouldn’t rule anything out, including trading Monahan.

Are the Senators and Flames potential trade partners for Sean A few weeks ago, I did a “Who stays, who goes” piece for the Flames Monahan? roster, and in that story, I said I was 50-50 on whether Monahan would be moved.

By and Hailey Salvian Jun 7, 2021 Several sources — plus fans and other analysts — have said the Flames need to make changes to their core this offseason. Now, this is not a new idea in this market. But after another season ending far too early for the Flames, it’s not going to be enough to work around the edges. As the 2016 NHL Draft concluded in Buffalo, and Brad Treliving had an extended conversation on the floor at First Niagara Monahan is one of those core pieces. He has value and is a realistic Center. trade option for Calgary. Players like Tkachuk or Gaudreau are so central to the Flames’ offence — Tkachuk led the team in scoring last year and The general managers were laying the groundwork for what turned out to Gaudreau is Calgary’s most offensively gifted player — that it is hard to be Dorion’s first trade at the helm of the Senators. Forty-eight hours after make your team better by moving one of those two. that conversation, the clubs struck a minor deal that saw shipped to Calgary for . Monahan has been valuable to the Flames for a long time, and when he’s healthy and scoring, he’s also a central piece. But if they’re looking In the following five years, the two Canadian counterparts have made two at moving one of the big three forwards, he’s probably the most likely to other trades — both struck around the trade deadline. In March 2017, the go. Senators shipped Curtis Lazar to Calgary for a second-round pick. The following year, the Senators sent to the Flames at the Does Monahan fit the Senators’ rebuild? deadline for a seventh-round pick. Mendes: The Senators are trending upward, but they’re probably still a But Dorion and Treliving may get reacquainted this summer, as the two playoff-bubble team at best next season. And a healthy and productive teams could be perfect partners in a far more significant deal. Monahan would greatly enhance their chances of qualifying for the postseason next year. In some ways, if you trade for Monahan, I think The Flames could be looking to change the composition of their core you’re moving into the win-now mode for Ottawa. while the Senators might be on the hunt for a proven . But the real question for me involves the 2022-23 season and the two And Sean Monahan might be the perfect candidate to solve an issue for years that follow. At that point, the Senators believe they will have both teams. matured into a Stanley Cup contender and Monahan will be pushing 30. In this column, we’ll explore the possibility of Monahan heading to Ottawa We’ve seen some other centres still be effective at that stage of their this summer and how this deal could make sense. career. Ryan O’Reilly is a great example of a player who was moved in How good is Monahan? his mid-20s and really found his stride as he approached his 30th birthday. But O’Reilly brings a different element to the game than Salvian: Monahan, 26, is pretty, pretty good. Monahan.

He is predominantly known for his goal-scoring ability and through the Let’s say the Senators bring in Monahan and he’s effective next season. first seven years of his career he has been the Flames’ most dangerous That means they’ll likely want to extend his contract and now they’re sniper as a consistent 20-goal guarantee. getting into a dicey area. They already have to extend and this summer. Next summer, they can open up He hit the 200-goal career mark this season — the first to do so among extension talks with Tim Stützle and they’ll need to get done. players drafted in 2013 — and is second in goals scored among that draft Can they also squeeze a new Monahan contract into the picture? And I class with 204, behind only Nathan MacKinnon (210). know people don’t want to think about these things, but Being the first to hit 200 in a class that included MacKinnon, Aleksander will likely be coming out of his ELC in the summer of 2024. If he projects Barkov and Elias Lindholm as top-five picks is a nice accomplishment for the way people think, I just want to know if there is financial room for Monahan. And hitting 20 goals every year of his career — except for Monahan to stick around long term. 2020-21 — is a testament to his consistency, skill set and the playmaking Where would Monahan fit into the Senators? of , who has assisted on more than half of Monahan’s goals. Mendes: I think he would automatically become the No. 1 centre. Whether or not that means he plays with Tkachuk or Stützle would be a Monahan has surpassed 60 points four times in his eight-year career, question for Smith. My guess would be to try him with Stützle, since the including a career-high 82 points in 2018-19. Playing with Gaudreau, one young forward possesses a lot of the same attributes as Gaudreau and of the league’s premier passers, Monahan has also scored 30 goals could end up being a similar setup man for Monahan. three times (his career-best is 34 goals). Josh Norris did a terrific job in the No. 1 centre role last season, but Monahan had been the Flames’ No. 1 centre on a line with Gaudreau for imagine how much more effective he could be if he had some protection. many years. This season, he was deployed as a second-line centre — As I project out to next season, I’m going to make two assumptions about more of a 1B — with Lindholm taking on more ice time in a 1C role along the Senators down the middle: with . And toward the end of the year, Gaudreau was moved to Tkachuk and Lindholm’s line while Monahan played with Chris Tierney won’t be part of the picture. I’m assuming he might be Andrew Mangiapane on the second line. claimed by Seattle or moved in a trade.

This was a down year for Monahan, with 10 goals and 28 points in 50 won’t be part of the equation either. I think he needs a games before hip surgery shut him down near the end of the season. fresh start and this summer might be the perfect time to execute a trade.

At this stage of his career, on a contending team Monahan is probably a So if the Sens bring Monahan into the fold, their centre position could 2C, as he does have some defensive shortcomings. Being deployed conceivably look like this on opening night: behind a top line could play to his strengths. However, Flames coach was very complimentary of Monahan’s work ethic and the No. 1 C: Sean Monahan defensive strides he made under Sutter’s system, to the point where No. 2 C: Josh Norris Monahan was consistently tapped to play on the PK. No. 3 C: Colin White On the Senators, Monahan could certainly be a top-line centre, and a defensive-minded coach like D.J. Smith, who gets the best out of his No. 4 C: players, could get a similar type of strong play out of Monahan. I think Pinto is a major wild card in all of this. He showed so much What are the odds Monahan is traded this summer? maturity in his brief stint with the Senators that there is an argument to be made that the young man is NHL-ready for the fall. But given his age and lack of pro experience, it might be wise to send him down for a season 31-26-57 with Belleville. Could easing him into the league in a fourth-line role be a good fit for next season? 34-48-82

Why has Monahan’s production dipped in the last two years? And should 25 that be a concern for the Senators? 11-19-40

Salvian: There is no question that this season was a down year for 22-26-48 Monahan. 26 As mentioned, he only scored 10 goals in 50 games, and even paced out to an 82-game season that would still only be 16 goals. Even 2019-20 23-25-48 would be considered a down year. Monahan scored a modest 22 goals 10-18-28 and 48 points in 70 games, but compared to back-to-back 30-plus goal, 60-plus point seasons, it was quite the drop. Ryan vs Monahan

One consideration with this year’s dip in production could be his deployment as a second-line centre, with several moving pieces on his line. While Gaudreau played with him most of the season, the other Ages 23/24 winger was a rotating cast of fourth-line tryouts. Compared to his career 164 year in 2018-19, when he played with Gaudreau and Lindholm, he had nowhere close to that kind of skill next to him this season. 65

Monahan has shot 7.14 percent and 8.87 percent at five-on-five in his 13.7 last two seasons with the Flames, the worst marks of his career. (He is typically between 13 and 15 percent shooting at five-on-five.) 0.40

Another consideration would likely be Monahan’s injury history. Ages 25/26

Monahan played through a hip injury this year while the team was still in 116 contention — which could also be a reason for the down season — and 34 he was shut down for the final four games. This is not the first time Monahan has had hip issues or wrist issues, though. 11.7

In 2016-17, Monahan had a summer wrist surgery and missed the world 0.29 championships. Then, at the end of the 2017-18 season, Monahan had four separate operations to fix his left wrist, left and right sports hernias Sean Monahan and right groin. Ages 23/24

That season, while playing through injury, Monahan scored 31 goals and 152 64 points, so there isn’t always a correlation between his injuries and performance. 65

Monahan’s body of work shows he is a consistent and reliable goal 15.7 scorer. He should bounce back if healthy. And, again, Sutter was very complimentary of Monahan’s ability to play a two-way game this year — 0.46 and remember, this is a coach who doesn’t dish out a ton of praise in his Agest 25/26 media availabilities. 120 “I think his practice habits have been outstanding, which allows him to be a better player during the games,” Sutter said. “I think to show confidence 32 in him by using him on penalty killing a little bit has helped him understand that he can be a really good all-around player and still make 12.1 a good contribution to the team. It’s not necessarily that it always has to 0.26 be based on goals and assists for somebody like that.” Ryan was hampered by injuries and could never regain his 30-goal form Mendes: I’m getting some Bobby Ryan vibes from Monahan’s production. after the age of 24. He managed to crack the 20-goal plateau just once Numerous 30-goal seasons before the age of 24 — and then hitting a after the age of 26, so if that’s where Monahan is headed, it could be statistical wall. When you look at the beginning of their careers, they worrisome. appear to be on a similar trajectory from the ages of 23 to 26: Ryan showed flashes of brilliance — especially in that 2017 playoff run Bobby Ryan vs Sean Monahan — but he could never shake the injury issues in the back half of his NHL 20 career. If that’s something that plagues Monahan, it would certainly be a cause for concern as it pertains to his level of production. 5-5-10 Salvian: Put side by side, there are some pretty obvious similarities. But I 31-31-62 think we need to consider that Monahan is a centre, which always has a little extra value over a winger. And that he only missed the 20-goal mark 21 once in his seven-year career, and that happened to be a year where he 31-26-57 was injured, playing in a shortened 56-game season due to the pandemic, with a midseason coaching change to Sutter who overhauled 27-36-63 the way the team played.

22 It’s such a unique year — with a small sample size at 50 games — that it’s hard to put too much weight into it. Monahan has passed the 60-point 35-29-64 mark three times in his career and hit 80 points once. Ryan did the 27-31-58 former twice and never accomplished the latter.

23 If Monahan had several down years below 20 goals in a row, then I would agree more wholeheartedly with the comparison. It may just be too 34-37-71 early for that. And even if Monahan regressed in a way Ryan did, he only has two years left on his deal while Ryan was locked into a seven-year 31-33-64 deal with a $7.25 million cap hit. 24 What would it cost to land Monahan in Ottawa? more open-minded to the prospect of waiving his NTC to come here. He’s got a familiarity with the city and I think that can help. Salvian: I think the Flames would be looking for a player who could help the team now rather than looking for future assets. Conservatively, I’d After going through this exercise, do we really think there is a fit here say the return could be a top-six forward or a top-four , plus between Ottawa and Calgary for Monahan? a pick or a prospect. Mendes: I think these teams could be excellent trading partners. When I look at the Flames’ depth chart, I see holes at right wing, and Ottawa’s pool of prospects could be enticing for Calgary, but where I see certainly at centre if Monahan is being moved out. On the Senators, my a significant hurdle is if the Flames are looking for immediate NHL help in wish list would be right wingers Drake Batherson and Connor Brown. return for Monahan. Batherson would be a tough sell to Dorion, but Brown could be interesting. He works well with the Senators and is coming off a career The only expendable players I see from Ottawa’s forward group might be year, but I can’t deny how good he would fit under Sutter in Calgary, players such as , Chris Tierney and maybe Colin White. especially after seeing him on a line with Mangiapane at the worlds. If you’re Treliving, those players likely wouldn’t be considered core pieces to a trade — they would likely be viewed as offsetting salary At centre, Norris or Stützle would be off-limits, so if I’m the Flames, I’m components. looking at Pinto (No Sens fan should be surprised I’m saying this). He’s young with a ton of upside and coming out of the University of North Again, for me, this comes down to the Senators’ desire to win next Dakota, he already plays a pro game. He’s an all-situations centre, smart season. If their intention is to push for a playoff spot by acquiring a defensively, great at faceoffs, and again, would probably fit in a Sutter proven centre, they probably won’t land someone with a better resume system. than Monahan. Find me another three-time 30-goal scorer in his mid-20s who is available on the market. You can’t. Some will likely suggest Erik Brannstrom as an option, but I don’t see the fit there. The Flames already have Juuso Valimaki — who was drafted But if they are truly thinking about their window to compete opening in one place after Brannstrom — , and Connor two or three years, aggressively pursuing a centre with some significant Mackey on the left side. Although someone like Jake Sanderson could be injury concerns is probably too risky. In this scenario, I think you stay the a fit as he’d push some people down the depth chart. But last year’s fifth course, see what kind of upside Norris and Pinto have this season and pick is probably staying put. make a corresponding move next summer.

That’s my wishlist from the Senators, as I do think Treliving would try to Salvian: I agree, Ian, that these two teams could be interesting trade get an impactful player back for someone like Monahan, who despite the partners. I think there is absolutely a fit where the Flames are concerned tough season, still has some value. because, again, there are so many assets in Ottawa that could make this trade happen. Naturally, wish lists are not always going to be realistic. But I think what makes the Senators such a good trade fit is that they have a stocked However, if the Senators’ list is limited to Dadonov (13 goals, 20 points), cupboard of assets who could be those impactful players the Flames Tierney (six goals, 13 points), and White (10 goals, 18 points), the need. Flames may as well stick with Monahan, who had similar numbers as the trio in his career-worst season. Not to mention, the Flames are probably Mendes: OK, let’s preemptively tackle the trade offer that is likely going looking to save some cap space and White ($4.75 million) and Dadonov to come from some Senators fans: Logan Brown, Brannstrom and a ($5 million) only offer $1.6 million and $1.4 million in cap relief, second-round pick for Monahan. respectively.

I just don’t see that happening because as Hailey points out, the Flames So, I don’t really see them getting this deal done. Calgary is probably don’t really have a need for a mobile, puck-moving defenceman, so looking for an impact player. Brannstrom doesn’t fit. And at the moment, Logan Brown is more of an “add-in” than an “anchor” piece to any trade. So I simply don’t see this as We also need to consider how many teams are probably looking for a a starting point for negotiations. centre this summer, and how few UFA centres are about to hit the market. At the top of the list are , David Krejci, Derek And after reading Hailey’s assessment, Senators fans have to ask Stepan, , Mikael Granlund and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. themselves, would they be willing to lose one of the following players in order to get Monahan: Norris, Pinto, Batherson or Connor Brown. If the There is some skill there in Granlund and Nugent-Hopkins, but both may answer is no, I think they need to focus on other trade targets. But I think re-sign with their current teams. And if the centre market is weak, the those players would be the realistic starting points for a discussion Flames aren’t likely to be in a spot where they need to settle for one of around Monahan — plus the Senators would likely have to sweeten the the Senators’ expendable players. pot with a pick or prospect. The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 Keep in mind, when the Senators acquired Ryan from Anaheim, they gave up a first-round pick, and . I don’t think the price will be as steep for Monahan, but it’s a good reminder that if you want to land a player with a 30-goal pedigree, you’re probably going to have to pay for it.

We should also consider these two teams are drafting near each other in the first round. Ottawa is selecting 10th while Calgary is at No. 12. If the Flames are set on a certain player — say Chaz Lucius, for example — would Ottawa be willing to flip picks as a small part of this deal? It could be a possibility, but all of the other pieces would have to be lined up before draft day.

What’s Monahan’s no-trade status? And could that be a hurdle in getting him to Ottawa?

Salvian: This season was the first in which Monahan’s modified no-trade clause kicked in for the final three years of his deal. It is a standard 10- team no-trade list. So that could be a hurdle for the Senators if they are on his list. And according to Craig Custance’s agent poll last year, Ottawa is one of the teams most frequently on these lists.

Mendes: It’s always a safe bet to assume that Ottawa is on virtually every player’s limited no-trade clause. I think Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg are locks on most player’s lists right now, but maybe Monahan’s experience of living in Ottawa as a member of the 67’s would make him 1215360 Carolina Hurricanes Brind’Amour ended practice Monday by telling the players they would “lay it all on the line” in Game 5, whacking his stick on the ice for emphasis.

Win or go home. Time for the Canes to ‘lay it all on the line’ against the “There is no tomorrow,” Brind’Amour said later. “Everybody says it but Lightning. this is it. You’ve got to lay it all on the line.”

LIGHTNING AT HURRICANES: PLAYOFF SERIES GAME 5

BY CHIP ALEXANDER When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday

Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh

The Carolina Hurricanes aren’t in the mood for handshakes. WATCH: NBCSN

The Canes aren’t ready to have their Stanley Cup playoffs come to an News Observer LOADED: 06.08.2021 end in Game 5 of their series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, not ready to line up, congratulate the winners and skate into the offseason. Nor are they naive or unrealistic about their situation.

The Canes trail 3-1 in the series. Game 5, which will have a 6:30 p.m. start Tuesday at PNC Arena, is an elimination game -- “elimination” always being a cruel but apt term. They’re facing the 2020 Stanley Cup champions.

This isn’t the Montreal Canadiens being in a 3-1 hole against the Toronto Maple Leafs but winning the series. Most would agree the Canes are facing a steeper climb, tougher task.

“All the games were really tight,” forward Martin Necas said Monday. “The first two (in Raleigh) were really tight, then we won one in OT and (Game 4) wasn’t smart by us. We were up 4-2 in the second (period) and we gave them some goals on the power play, which we know they are really good.

“We’ve got to win the next one, then focus on the next one. It’s a tight series. We still believe.”

It appears the Canes could have forward Nino Niederreiter in the lineup in Game 5 for the first time in the series. The forward, who gives the Canes more jam in the lineup, was injured in a practice session before the Tampa Bay series began but returned for practice Monday and appeared to be good to go.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said injured forwards Vincent Trocheck and would “try” to play Tuesday -- neither was at practice Monday at PNC Arena.

Brind’Amour said no decision had been made on a starting goaltender, although could get the nod.

HURRICANES NEED TO KEEP PENALTIES TO A MINIMUM

The Canes will want to keep it a 5-on-5 game as much as possible. The Lightning had six power plays in Game 4 and scored on the final three to fuel a 6-4 comeback win at Amalie Arena.

The Canes went into Game 4 emphasizing the need to stay out of the penalty box, then had seven penalties called -- the first on Foegele on the opening faceoff as he and Tampa Bay’s Blake Coleman jostled and drew matching penalties.

In the first four games, Tampa Bay generated 21 scoring chances on the power play -- nine in Game 4 -- to the Canes’ 13, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, a hockey analytics site. At even strength, the two teams are tied in overall scoring chances, although Tampa Bay has an edge in 5-on-5 chances.

“There are obviously things we need to do better but we’re getting our opportunities,” Brind’Amour said Monday of the 5-on-5 play. “That’s clearly not been the issue in our losses.”

GIVING AWAY THE LEAD IN GAME 4 AGAINST THE BOLTS

Necas said the Canes were a “little upset” by giving up the lead and the way they lost Game 4, but that having Sunday as an off-day helped to rest and cleanse their minds. The Canes responded with a spirited practice Monday. The mood was anything but grim.

“It’s a little different because we’ve been playing every other day so far in the playoffs,” defenseman Dougie Hamilton said Monday of the off-day. “It’s a good chance for us to re-set, though, get away from hockey a little bit yesterday and get back into it today and have a little freshness and get excited for tomorrow and the opportunity ahead of us.

“As I’ve said before, we don’t quit. Our group doesn’t quit.” 1215361 Carolina Hurricanes Svechnikov is far from alone — there’s a long list of Hurricanes making mental errors and/or failing to finish chances — but none of them have Svechnikov’s superlative ability. If the Hurricanes are going to turn this Facing elimination, the Hurricanes need Andrei Svechnikov to grow up — season around, they need Svechnikov to take a step closer to the player and fast he can be, and they need him to do it now.

He’s capable of so much more than this. There’s still time for him to show it before it’s too late. BY LUKE DECOCK LIGHTNING AT HURRICANES

Game 5 (TB leads 3-1) RALEIGH-Under different circumstances, Rod Brind’Amour probably should have benched Andrei Svechnikov in Saturday’s third period. ▪ When: 6:30 p.m. Svechnikov’s two selfish penalties — he also took one earlier to deny a ▪ Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh potential goal — helped open the floodgates as the Carolina Hurricanes saw a two-goal lead disappear in a blink. ▪ WATCH: NBC Sports

But it’s a measure of Svechnikov’s irreplaceable value to the team as a News Observer LOADED: 06.08.2021 goal-scorer that Brind’Amour felt he had no choice but to keep throwing the young winger out there, waiting for him to conjure the inevitable moment of brilliance.

Still waiting.

There’s no time left to wait. It’s time for Svechnikov to grow up — now — with the Hurricanes facing elimination on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Svechnikov’s first two years in the league were full of wide-eyed precocity, smiling charm and dazzling skill, but school is out and it’s time for him to get out of a season-long funk and graduate being the kind of player who can rise above the postseason fray and turn the tide of a series, or even a season.

It’s easy, on paper, to look at his six assists and his team-best analytics and say, what more do you want from him?

Goals. And no more dumb penalties. But especially goals.

He struggled to score through most of the regular season and has continued that into the postseason, where he has two goals, one into an empty net, the other with Alex Nedeljkovic pulled for an extra attacker.

Where it really matters, where Svechnikov has the potential to match Lightning snipers Nikita Kucherov or Steven Stamkos — and is really the only player on the Hurricanes who can — there’s still an empty space.

Svechnikov has yet to score at five-on-five in 10 playoff games. He has yet to score on the power play. He has yet, in the entire postseason, to unleash the exceptional talent and scoring ability that has so often mesmerized both fans and opposing goalies in his three-year NHL career. He has scored his two goals on 17 high-danger chances; has five goals on as many chances, while Martin Necas’ two goals have come on only eight chances.

Throughout his career and still now, Svechnikov has been given every opportunity to succeed. He has played with multiple centers, and continues to occupy prime real estate on a line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. He remains on the second power-play unit having not scored a power-play goal in six weeks. He had six shifts with Aho and Teravainen after the Lightning made it 6-4, getting nowhere.

Svechnikov’s predictability with the puck is probably the product of a lack of confidence; the perpetual parade to the penalty box simply immaturity. Those are both things Svechnikov can, and almost certainly will, grow out of with time, but 21 isn’t as young as it used to be in today’s NHL.

This season probably hasn’t cost Svechnikov, a restricted free agent, any money; his numbers still aren’t that different from Mat Barzal’s. It’s always been a question of how long more than how much for the restricted free agent. Young stars like Svechnikov get paid these days regardless of their leverage. And for good reason: Their skill and talent is irreplaceable.

There’s a reason he was the first forward picked in his draft year, a reason his move was added to NHL 21, enshrining him in gaming history. He can score goals others cannot. There are a lot of players in the NHL who can drive possession. There are fewer who can finish the chances generated.

But Svechnikov continues to take selfish and immature penalties against a team that the Hurricanes cannot expect to stop on the power play. He’s playing without confidence, an unpredictable talent turned utterly predictable, and without any threat. 1215362 Carolina Hurricanes

A Nino Niederreiter sighting. Here’s when the injured Canes forward might return

BY LUKE DECOCK

RALEIGH-Nino Niederreiter was back on the ice Monday, perhaps getting the Carolina Hurricanes one player closer to full strength.

The forward was injured in practice last Saturday and missed the first four games of the second-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but could be back in the lineup as the Hurricanes face elimination in Tuesday’s Game 5, down 3-1 in the series.

Vincent Trocheck (leg) and Warren Foegele (shoulder) both skated before Monday’s practice, the team said. Trocheck was injured in Game 2 and did not play in either game in Tampa; Foegele was injured in Game 3 and played but was ineffective in Game 4. Brind’Amour said both of them remained game-time decisions but he was more optimistic about Niederreiter.

“That was his first practice with us in a long time,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “But he looked good. We need him.”

Niederreiter had just one goal in six first-round games but scored 20 in 56 regular-season games.

“Obviously, we miss him,” Hurricanes forward Martin Necas said. “He’s a big part of our team. We’re missing a few guys right now, but if he’s going to come back, it’s a big help for us.”

POWER-PLAY PRACTICE

While most attention has been focused on the Hurricanes’ inability to stop the Lightning’s electric power play — rolling along at 14-for-34 in the postseason — the Hurricanes haven’t been able to muster a response of their own on the man advantage, and not necessarily because of fewer opportunities. The Hurricanes have two goals on 11 chances compared to Tampa’s six on 14.

That was a focus in Monday’s practice, especially adjusting to Tampa’s more aggressive short-handed approach.

“We had just two chances but we need to be sharper on those two,” Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. “They came with a lot more pressure and we have to be ready for it. It’s a long series. We’re going to change things and they’re going to adapt. They’re going to change things and we have to adapt.”

The first power-play unit remained the same in practice Monday — Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen, Necas and Hamilton — but Morgan Geekie and Niederreiter both worked with the second unit, replacing Foegele and Brett Pesce.

RESTING UP

With a 6:30 p.m. start Tuesday after two days off, the Hurricanes have elected to skip their usual morning skate. They took Sunday as a travel/off day and stayed away from the rink entirely, then practiced at PNC Arena on Monday.

“The way that game went, the ebbs and flows, the way it ended up, it was nice to have a day to get away from it,” Brind’Amour said.

The two-day gap between games was the first the Hurricanes have had in the middle of a series these playoffs. They had two days off between Game 6 of the Nashville series and Game 1 of the Tampa series.

“It’s a little different because we’ve kind of been playing every other day in the playoffs,” Hamilton said. “It’s a good chance for us to reset, though — get away from hockey a little bit yesterday, get back into it today, have a little freshness.”

GAME 6 SET

If necessary, Game 6 in Tampa on Thursday will be a 6:30 p.m. start on NBCSN, the NHL announced Monday.

News Observer LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215363 Carolina Hurricanes It’s too late — and utterly futile — to change too much on the penalty kill to stop the Lightning. The simplest way to do this is also the most efficient: stop taking so many penalties. The Canes have taken 44 minors Where’s the ‘power kill’ now? Hurricanes on the brink vs. Lightning after through 10 playoff games — second only to Tampa Bay’s 45 (also untimely special teams struggles through 10 games). The nature of the penalties is pretty telling, too. Take it with a grain of salt for various reasons (games played, different referees, etc.) but the Canes lead all playoff teams in hooking calls (eight), tripping calls (eight) and cross-checking (seven). They’re in the By Sara Civian Jun 7, 2021 middle of the pack with seven roughing calls, which is what the brunt of Vegas’, Boston’s, Tampa Bay’s and New York’s minors have been.

More often than not, it’s prudent to look at five-on-five splits when “Nobody is trying to take penalties,” Hamilton said. “You don’t go out evaluating hockey data. Those stats provides a less-fickle, more-well- there and say, ‘I’m going to take a penalty this shift.’ It happens. We rounded representation of what to expect from a team and its individual definitely have to try not to take them, but the game happens pretty fast players over time — and a good indicator of whether a team or player sometimes. It’s hockey. We have to do our best to stay out of the box could break through offensively without extra bounces. and limit their power-play chances. That will give us a better chance at winning.” So far, that data tells one story of Lightning-Hurricanes, Round 2: what could’ve been. It’s supposed to reflect the process and game flow, so it’s Other notes heading into Tuesday’s Game 5: a perfect representation of why this matchup has been so frustrating for • If any one person’s return could help the Hurricanes score goals, it’s the Canes, who are down 3-1. net-front specialist Nino Niederreiter. He’s still a “game-time decision,” as According to Natural Stat Trick, the Canes have owned a 52.25 percent are Warren Foegele and Vincent Trocheck, but he practiced with the Corsi-for, a 52.92 percent edge in faceoffs and a 94-86 shot advantage team Monday next to Jordan Martinook (C) and Necas (RW). at five-on-five through these four games against the Lightning. They’ve • Brind’Amour didn’t reveal the Game 5 goaltender, and that’ll be scored six goals to cancel out the six they’ve allowed. Save for Tampa’s interesting. None of these games have really come down to goaltending edge in shot selection via a 38-27 edge in high-danger chances, the — except maybe Game 1, with Alex Nedeljkovic’s blunder. The Canes’ Canes have given themselves every opportunity to win when you one win came with Petr Mrazek in net, but he looked a bit lost in the discount special teams. chaos of Game 4 — granted, the Canes lost that game on the penalty “There’s obviously things we need to do better, but that’s clearly not been kill. I asked Brind’Amour if he considered pulling Mrazek when the the issue in our losses,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said of the Canes’ five- Lightning started to pull away. “We consider it all the time. He’s a battler, on-five play after Monday’s practice. “We’ve got to go back to the and we know he doesn’t want to come out of a game like that.” It won’t drawing board and play another game like (Game 4). Obviously, we need matter who they choose if the Canes can’t stay out of the box. to be better in areas, but I’ve liked our effort five-on-five through this • Surprising no one familiar with the coach and his competitiveness, whole series.” Brind’Amour actually likes elimination games. “I actually think they are Even strength hasn’t been the problem for the Canes, but not being able easier games to play,” he said Monday. “You know there is no tomorrow. to capitalize on it has allowed the Lightning to survive it and capitalize on Everyone says it, but this is it. You’ve got to lay it all on the line. I think their strength: the power play. This data tells the other story of Lightning- they are sometimes easier to play, for some reason. Obviously that’s the Hurricanes, Round 2: the Lightning are good enough on the power play case, and I’m sure we’ll give everything we have. I have no doubt in this that if the Hurricanes leave it up to chance, they’re straight up going to group.” lose. The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 For the six goals they’ve scored at five-on-five, the Lightning have scored another six on the man advantage — three of which were a vessel for the heartbreak of Game 4. They’re 6-for-14 with 2.29 expected goals on the power play, while the Canes are 2-for-11 with 1.96 on theirs. You don’t want to get too caught up in such a small sample size of data, but rewatching the three latest power-play goals, you see how the Lightning are able to create so much chaos that a reliable metric like expected goals is almost irrelevant.

“I think if you just give that caliber of power play that many chances, they’re bound to get some bounces,” Jaccob Slavin said. “There were a couple of bad bounces out there. I think the first power-play goal off the crossbar was just a funky bounce. But you give them that many chances … you just can’t give them that many chances.”

They’re so fast and so accurate, it’s like they’re in their own expected goals bracket. The bounces were funky, especially on Steven Stamkos’ goal — but sometimes that makes it even more impressive.

Maybe the part that’s bleakest of all is the Lightning have only seemed to increase in effectiveness and further solve the Canes’ “power kill” as the series has gone on. Meanwhile, the only games featuring Hurricanes’ power-play goals were the extremely close Games 1 and 3, the latter being their sole win of the series.

“I think execution (needs to improve) for sure,” Dougie Hamilton said of the Canes’ power play. “They changed up their PK last game. We had just two. We needed to be sharper on those two, but they came with a lot more pressure. We’ve got to be ready for it. It’s a long series. They’re going to change things, and we’ve got to adapt and change things and make them adapt. Hopefully, we can be ready tomorrow and execute and hopefully win that special teams battle.”

“We just have to be better with the puck a little bit and move the puck quicker,” Martin Necas added. “We play basically the same style we’ve played all year, and (we need to) try to keep doing that.” 1215364 Chicago Blackhawks

Canucks

Marián Hossa had already moved on from hockey, and now his contract $3.04 million has too. What does his future hold? 2022

Cap recapture By Scott Powers Jun 7, 2021 Rick DiPietro

Islanders Marián Hossa was recently at the HOSS Sport Center in Trenčín, Slovakia, when a friend asked if he would mind showing some kids how $1.5 million to shoot a puck. 2029

Hossa was initially reluctant. It had been some time since he picked up a Compliance buyout hockey stick. There was a good chance his shot might not resemble the one that led to his Hall of Fame career.

“I started laughing and said I haven’t held a stick, and I’m not lying to Lightning you, for four years,” Hossa recently said by phone. “So I grabbed the $1.8 million stick because he had a longer stick there and showed them how they’re supposed to put the weight on it and how to release it and then I slowly 2027 got into it. I’m like, ‘I miss shooting pucks.’ After I started shooting 20-30 pucks just by myself, I’m like, ‘Hold on a second.’ I started hitting the net Compliance buyout really good. I felt like a little kid again. I haven’t done it in so long and Phil Kessel someone gave me a stick, so that was a good reminder.” Maple Leafs Hossa still has those moments when he’s reminded of how long it’s been since he stepped away from playing hockey due to a skin condition, like $1.2 million recently, when he was signing hockey memorabilia and was asked to include the date of his last NHL regular-season game on an item. 2022

“It was 4/8/17,” Hossa said. “I’m like, four years ago I played my last Retained salary game? No way. You don’t think about it, but that’s four years, man. Like, Karl Alzner it’s going super-fast, right?” Canadiens Hossa has never wavered on his decision to leave behind hockey. He just couldn’t swallow another pill in an attempt to treat his condition. He $2 million had too much life ahead of him to risk his health. He hasn’t worn a piece of hockey equipment since April 17, 2017, when his Chicago Blackhawks 2024 were eliminated by the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Buyout

If Hossa hadn’t won three Stanley Cups or had the long career he had, leaving hockey may have been harder, but he departed the game content. Predators

“Like, I’m surprised I’m not missing it,” Hossa said. “Because I’m away $2 million already four years, I kind of got used to life after hockey. And I’ve been pretty fortunate to be busy with things I like to do in my firm (a food 2028 company) and sport center and different types of things. Buyout

“But definitely, when the hockey wasn’t on TV, I missed watching it. I missed following the Blackhawks. But I am surprised I thought maybe the first year would be like, OK, you’ve got a break after a long time and then Flyers you’re going to be off hockey and then you’re going to start missing it. But I think playing so many seasons, I just felt like, OK, I don’t miss it. $1.6 million You know I don’t miss putting the equipment on and don’t miss going to 2027 practice every day. It’s kind of surprised me in one way. But, you know, honestly, this is how I feel.” Compliance buyout

This particular season is different than the last three he sat out. This year marked the final season of his contract, and because a medical condition Sabres ended his career, his contract carried on with a long-term injured reserve designation. When he stopped playing, he had four years remaining on $790K his 12-year deal with the Blackhawks, who carried the contract for the first of the last four years before trading it in 2018 to the , 2023 who have had it for the last three seasons. Hossa had to visit Arizona to Buyout be examined after the trade, but there’s been minimal interaction with them since. It’s not as if he’s wearing a Coyotes sweatshirt around Slovakia. He recently received his final NHL paycheck. Sabres Notable NHL contracts still on the books $860K Andrej Sekera 2028 Oilers Compliance buyout $1.5 million Roberto Luongo 2023 Panthers Buyout $1.1 million 2022 human being. Our team has gone downhill as far as the success we’ve had here. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I was lucky to sit next to him Cap recapture in the room for a long time — had a lot of fun, lot of laughs, definitely miss a guy like that, especially having him around, his presence for younger players, a guy for younger players to watch, how he handles Rangers himself, plays the game. We definitely miss him as a teammate, we miss him as a person probably more.” $1.1 million Could Hossa rejoin the Blackhawks in some capacity down the line? 2026 Former Blackhawks president John McDonough said in 2019, “He will Compliance buyout work for the Blackhawks. Rocky (Wirtz) and I feel very strongly about that.” Hossa seems open to that idea as well, but his contract only recently Senators officially expired. There will be time for those discussions.

$1.1 million Hossa is also waiting to be officially inducted into the . He was part of the 2020 class, but the pandemic has postponed 2023 the official ceremony. The plan is for it to happen in 2022. Like everything Buyout else, Hossa is in no rush.

Mike Richards “I know it’s going to happen,” Hossa said. “It’s just a year later, which is fine. At least, I can enjoy it longer.” Kings He might even then be asked to pick up a hockey stick again. $900K The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 2032

Terminated contract

Ilya Kovalchuk

Devils

$250K

2025

Cap recapture penalty

Hossa has had a few more of those “reminder” moments this season because it was the end.

“When the season finally started this year, I think my wife told me, this is your last year, you know?” Hossa said. “I told her, yeah, you remember your last year. (laughing) We had a little talk, but obviously, it’s just the last year of the contract. This is my fourth year not playing, but I definitely know this is my last year.”

Hossa fills up his time with plenty else. He’s taken on a large role with his food company. He’s involved with his sports center, which includes a golf course. His two daughters keep him quite busy.

Plus, he’s picked up boxing as a recreational activity.

“I do individual training with my coach, and Fridays we do sparring with my brother (Marcel) and some other guys,” Hossa said. “So we like to get into it a little bit, but there’s limits. It’s not like real hard. It’s controlling. It’s cool to kind of experience it, and you get a respect for fights. You realize how it is to be in an individual sport and those fighters have to be in unbelievable shape. I don’t care how talented you are, you are alone and if you get one punch wrong, you have to deal with it for the next two or three minutes in a ring. You have to be in top shape to handle it.”

Yes, Hossa is still in top shape. He turned 42 in January, but he hasn’t slowed down.

“I feel pretty good,” Hossa said. “Like my wife told me, it feels like you’re going to train for when the season was starting and the guys were in camp. She’s like, ‘Are you going to the training camp or what?’ I’m like, ‘What, are you crazy?’ Because I like to train, I just enjoy it. It’s something I like to do. I think for a longer time I’m going to be doing it. That’s my lifestyle and you just enjoy those things.”

Hossa has continued to keep tabs on the Blackhawks, too. Throughout this season, he’d get up and look at the box scores and dig into who scored and the ice times. He knows less and less of the Blackhawks players personally, but he still keeps in touch with some of them. He still shoots Patrick Kane texts after watching a Kane highlight goal.

Asked about Hossa earlier this season, Kane made it clear he still misses having Hossa around on and off the ice.

“Yeah, talk to him every now and then,” Kane said. “Nice to see him last year when we went overseas, just an amazing teammate, amazing 1215365 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 5: Three keys for Colorado

By MIKE CHAMBERS | June 7, 2021 at 5:42 p.m.

The Avalanche hosts the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 5 of their second-round series on Tuesday night at Ball Arena (7 p.m., NBCSN).

Three keys for Colorado, with the series tied 2-2:

1. MacKinnon and company. Let’s tell it like it is: Since Game 2, Vegas has done a remarkable job of defending star center Nathan MacKinnon and wingers Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen — perhaps the NHL’s best line. The trio has done nothing at even strength in the last three games, and Rantanen’s two power-play goals are all the scoring they have mustered since producing five goals in the series opener. If the Knights continue to smother Colorado’s big line, the Avs are probably doomed for Game 5 and there probably won’t be a Game 7.

2. Play to its identity. Broken record, right? But it’s what the Avalanche must do to regain the momentum in this series. Goalie Philipp Grubauer can only do so much. The Avs won’t win without playing their game — a fast-and-furious north-south style that puts pressure on the opponent in all areas of the ice. They must have quick and clean zone exits, take speed through the neutral zone and maintain possession in the offensive zone. Their forecheck must pressure Vegas’ defensemen to prevent clean exits. Colorado must get back to what does it great — and playing with its identity is bound to lead to power-play opportunities.

3. Grubi grounds. Grubauer needs to again be outstanding between the pipes and his defenders must prevent some of the bonehead plays they made in Game 4 — particularly Patrik Nemeth’s direct blind pass to Vegas forward Reilly Smith that led to the Knights tying it 1-1 in the first period Sunday. Vegas has proved it has as much speed or more than the Avs, and the Knights’ forecheck on Colorado defensemen trying to move the puck up ice has been a significant advantage. Avalanche defensemen must be as sharp as their goalie.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215366 Colorado Avalanche three is fitting although the route to this point is semi-unexpected with a 7-1 Avs win in Game 1 and a 5-1 Vegas win in Game 4 sandwiching one- goal wins for each team.

Avalanche ready to “fight extra hard” to get momentum back from Vegas “Right now, they’re making it harder on us than we are on them,” Bednar The Knights have outshot the Avalanche 119-63 in the last three games said. “It’s not unique to our series that a team catches momentum and and the series is tied 2-2 starts to go. It’s up to us to take it from them.”

Footnotes. Bednar said rookie defenseman Bo Byram is a consideration to make his NHL playoff debut in Game 5. “The concern with Bo is he By RYAN O’HALLORAN | PUBLISHED: June 7, 2021 at 1:34 p.m. | hasn’t played a lot of hockey in the last year-and-a-half and hasn’t played UPDATED: June 7, 2021 at 3:59 p.m. (since March 25),” Bednar said. “To go into (a series) against a team like Vegas is a tall task for a young player.” … Last year the Avs trailed

Dallas 3-1, but won Games 6-7. “You have to rehash that a little bit at this Its top unit is slumping, its defensemen are under siege from a relentless point because we learned some valuable lessons in those playoffs and opponent and its entire roster is struggling to win battles. What can the we’ve talked briefly even during this series about last year’s Dallas Avalanche hang its collective hat on entering Tuesday’s critical Game 5 series,” Bednar said. “We’re sitting in better spot now than we were playoff game against Vegas? then.”

Its arena. Its ice. Its last change. And its fans. Denver Post: LOADED: 06.08.2021

“The part of what gives me confidence is the way our team has played at home and the energy we’ve been able to come out with and our legs, our skating, our tenacity on pucks,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said Monday. “I know our guys will be excited.”

The Avalanche are 20-0-1 in its last 21 home games and excitement is great. And then the game starts, and it must solve the Vegas riddle so the Knights can’t take the teams’ second-round series home with a 3-2 lead.

The trends are alarming.

The Knights are getting too many shots — 119 in the past three games.

The Avalanche aren’t getting enough chances — 63 shots in the past three games.

And the Knights are getting consistent production — six points from their top line and 14 points from their second line in the series.

A team used to having positive vibes, the Avalanche must now scheme a way to seize the momentum back.

“Once a team kind of gets going, you have to fight extra hard to steal that momentum one piece at a time,” Bednar said. “You have to face the adversity head on and you have to be confident in what you’re doing and there has to be trust within your group that each of those guys on the ice is going to do their job.”

Playing more in the Knights zone will help, too. Power plays come with offensive end puck possession and the Avalanche has struggled to stress the Knights.

“Our defense as a whole has been under duress,” Bednar said. “Right now, we’re spending too much time in our half of the rink and when it’s time to go play offense, we’re ready to make (line) changes. That’s not an easy game to play.”

Hard to play against has been the Knights’ second line of Reilly Smith, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault, who have taken over the series — six goals and six assists in the last three games.

“They’ve gotten hot at the right time,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said. “They look unstoppable right now.”

The Avalanche’s top line of Nathan MacKinnon centering Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen was unstoppable against St. Louis and Game 1 of the Vegas series — 14 goals and 18 assists in the first five playoff games. But they have only two goals and two assists in the last three games.

Kiszla: Avalanche reeling against Vegas. If Jared Bednar can’t find answer, maybe he’s the wrong coach.

Vegas rides giant wave to defeat Avalanche in Game 4 and tie series 2-2

“We’re trying to make them go 200 feet for a scoring chance,” Knights captain Mark Stone said. “In Game 1, we didn’t do a great job at that. We were a little sloppy and we let them free-wheel. … I think we gave them a little too much respect in Game 1. After the first period of Game 2, we realized we could play with these guys.”

The Knights and Avalanche tied for the NHL lead with 82 points and have slugged it out for four games. In reality, that this series is now a best-of- 1215367 Colorado Avalanche

Kiz vs. Chambers: Will Nathan MacKinnon or Marc-Andre Fleury prevail in Avalanche-Knights series?

By MIKE CHAMBERS and MARK KISZLA

Kiz: What’s the old hockey cliche? “Our best players have to be our best players.” Well, it’s that time now in this knock-down, drag-out fight between the Avalanche and Golden Knights in the NHL playoffs. Here’s my theory: The difference between winning and going home in this series might well come down to which No. 29 can dominate the final three games. Is your money on Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche or Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury?

Chambers: With two of the last three games in Denver, where the Avs are 20-0-1 in their last 21 games, I’m thinking No. 29 for the burgundy and blue. But then I look back in the last three games of this series, and I no longer see the dominant Avalanche team that became the universal favorite to win the Stanley Cup. I see a team on its heels, a team that has lost its confidence. I see No. 29 in Vegas black and gold celebrating a series victory with his teammates after Game 6 on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena. I don’t envision a Game 7.

Kiszla: Avalanche reeling against Vegas. If Jared Bednar can’t find answer, maybe he’s the wrong coach.

Vegas rides giant wave to defeat Avalanche in Game 4 and tie series 2-2

Kiz: On any given night, MacKinnon is the best skater on earth. The caveat: Even MacKinnon needs open ice to be a blur on skates. And the Golden Knights bottled up MacK, as well as linemates Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog during back-to-back victories that evened the series at two victories apiece. Isn’t it obvious? Coach Jared Bednar needs his top-scoring line to be his best players. If not, the Avs are sunk. What, if anything, can Bednar do strategically to jump-start the production of MacKinnon and the top line?

Chambers: The MacKinnon line did next to nothing in Games 3 and 4. No points at even strength. Landeskog didn’t have a shot in either game. But I think Bednar is going to live or die with these guys. I don’t think he’ll separate them. I think he’ll put it on them to fight their way out of this funk. Bednar has said the Knights are so deep defensively that matchups don’t really matter as it relates to the MacKinnon line. One thing is for sure: If MacKinnon and his wingers don’t regain their magic in Game 5 on Tuesday at home, this series will likely end Thursday.

Kiz: The Golden Knights tied Colorado with 82 points atop the NHL standings. The tie-breaker gave the Avs home-ice advantage in this series. They worked all season long for this very situation. There would be no shame in being eliminated by Vegas, an extremely talented hockey team. But if the Avalanche doesn’t win the Cup, I think it’s fair to call this season a major disappointment to players and fans alike. Do you still believe MacKinnon and the boys will win the championship?

Chambers: Not at this rate. Not after what unfolded in Games 3 and 4. I see a defeated Avalanche team that has lost its confidence and a highly confident team that realizes it has its opponent on the ropes. Momentum can always swing the other way, but Vegas has had the momentum since early in Game 2. The Knights were the better team in Game 2 and have now outshot the Avs 119-63 in the last three games. If Colorado continues to go down in flames, absolutely yes, this season goes down as a major disappointment. The goal was to win the Stanley Cup. If the Avs don’t get out of the second round for the first time since 2002, there is no celebration for anything they accomplished.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215368 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche top line being outshined by Vegas’ second line

Jonathan Marchessault’s hat trick helped Vegas beat the Avalanche 5-1 on Sunday

By RYAN O’HALLORAN June 7, 2021 at 5:45 a.m.

To sum up the offensive struggles of the Avalanche top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen in the past three games: They’re being outshined by the Vegas Golden Knights’ second line.

MacKinnon, Landeskog and Rantanen: Combined two goals and two assists (four points).

Reilly Smith, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault: Six goals and six assists (12 points).

The Avalanche escaped with a Game 2 overtime win, but Vegas’ second line was dominant in its two home-ice wins, including Sunday’s 5-1 victory when Marchessault had a hat trick and Karlsson three assists.

“They always play well and always play hard and are defensively responsible, but the puck wasn’t going in for them at different points (of the regular season),” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said after his team evened the series 2-2. “They’ve gotten hot at the right time.

“They look unstoppable right now.”

Marchessault tied the game at 7:07 of the first period after Smith’s nifty shot hit the goal-post.

Marchessault extended the lead to 3-1 midway through the second on a power play goal and he completed the hat trick at 6:01 of the third period.

“It’s amazing, honestly,” he said of the hats that rained onto the ice. “We’ve waited for the fans to come back and be loud again. It’s been a treat.”

A treat for the Knights’ second line and terror for the Avalanche’s first line. No goals. No assists. And each were a minus-2.

The Knights broke out offensively in Game 4, but have been suffocating defensively since the second period of Game 2.

Kiz vs. Chambers: Will Nathan MacKinnon or Marc-Andre Fleury prevail in Avalanche-Knights series?

Kiszla: Avalanche reeling against Vegas. If Jared Bednar can’t find answer, maybe he’s the wrong coach.

Vegas rides giant wave to defeat Avalanche in Game 4 and tie series 2-2

“We’re playing as a unit of five on the ice all over the place,” said winger Max Pacioretty, who scored Vegas’ second goal. “We’re not cheating for offense, we’re sticking to our structure and as you can see, it’s frustrating for teams to place against. The team that strays away from their structure runs into problems and that’s what we did in the first game.”

Said Knights captain Mark Stone: “We’re trying to make them go 200 feet for a scoring chance. In Game 1, we didn’t do a great job at that. We were a little sloppy and we let them free-wheel.

“We gave them a little too much respect in Game 1. After the first period of Game 2, we realized we could play with these guys.”

Vegas did what it had to do — hold serve on home ice to make this a best-of-three series. Now it has to win one game in Denver.

“We’re on a mission right now and we’re focused on Game 5 and bringing it back to Vegas and being in a good spot,” Marchessault said.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215369 Colorado Avalanche The Avalanche’s most storied team, the 2001 champions, had to go seven games twice to win series — against the Kings in the Western Conference Finals and against the Devils in the Cup Final. There was For Avalanche fans, there’s no reason to panic plenty of panic around here during both those series, especially when the Avs trailed New Jersey 3-2.

I picked the Avalanche to win the Cup this season. By Terry Frei - June 7, 2021 I’m not backing down.

Absolutely, the Avalanche needs to get its act together in the next three EDITOR’S NOTE: Mile High Sports Magazine contributing writer and games, or its season will be over. author Terry Frei has covered the Avalanche since its 1995 arrival in Denver. He will be writing commentaries during Colorado’s 2021 playoff They’ll do it. run for the MHS site. Nathan MacKinnon and the top line — and tinkering with it, as Bednar There’s so much Widespread Panic about the Avalanche’s performance has done at times in this series, should be verboten — and Cale Makar in the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden Knights, it’s have to provide the spark. appropriate the legendary group is coming to Red Rocks later this month The defense, whether it’s with the struggling Patrik Nemeth or otherwise, for a three-night stand. has to be better than it was the past three games.

As I understand it, the Avalanche is in a deep hole in this series, trailing Philipp Grubauer has to hold up. (By the way, the tendency to attach an Vegas by the intimidating margin of two games to two after the home asterisk to the Game 2 win because the Avs were outplayed and team won the first four. After two stinkers in Las Vegas, the Avs have Grubauer was larcenous is curious. That’s a major part of the Stanley Game 5 at home Tuesday night — where they haven’t lost since March Cup formula, winning a few that way. See Roy, Patrick.) 8. Denver is not alone in this tendency to overreact, of course. Since March 8. Scribes especially are prone to being on the bandwagon on a Tuesday, Three months ago. then writing off the boys as inept choke artists on, say, Friday.

The Avs were 16-0-1 at home down the stretch of the regular season and Bednar Monday acknowledged that even the home ice holding up at the are 4-0 at home in the playoffs. The full five-on-five, until-somebody- outset of a series can involve momentum shifts. The trick is to not let the scores playoff overtime dynamic throws an apple in with the oranges, but Knights’ momentum carry over. those records still are pertinent. “I’m confident the guys know, especially after the (team) meeting the This calls for panic? other night, on what we need to do more of and what we need to No. eliminate out of our game to have success,” Bednar said. “Now keep in mind we’re playing a team that we tied with in points over 56 games and The NHL playoffs are the most grueling physical and mental test of all now are tied with in a four-game series. They’re going to make it hard on pro sports postseasons. you.

Success requires resilience. Winning the Cup is about a body of work “Right now, they’re making it harder on us than we are on them. But we and not single games. In many cases, it’s about earning home-ice — and know that we have that ability. You can see it in other series. It’s not taking advantage of it, even if home losses are sprinkled in along the unique to our series where a team catches momentum and starts to go. way, requiring a few wins on the road. Now it’s up to us to go take it from them. Once a team gets going, you have to fight extra hard in order to try and steal that momentum one In 1996, the Avalanche lost six playoff games on the way to winning the piece at a time. . . It’s always important in a playoff series to move on the Stanley Cup. right way after wins and after losses. Certainly that’s really important for In 2001, the Avalanche lost seven playoff games on the way to winning us coming into Game 5.” the Stanley Cup. If the Avalanche loses that Game 5 Tuesday night at home? I’ve also covered many other NHL series not involving the Avalanche Listen to “The Pressure Is on” on Spreaker. over the years. That’s the time for panic. Push the button. Scream it through the The common denominator tends to be overreaction to single losses from hallways. fans, media and even players and coaches. Not until then. At least with the coaches, as when they deliver stinging messages about effort, they’re doing what coaches do. (Do you really believe effort is a milehighsports.com LOADED: 06.08.2021 problem in playoff games? Really?)

That overreaction happened here after most Avs losses, both in those championship runs and in the years they came up short. Granted, when the attitude is Cup or Bust, some of the criticized deficiencies turned out to be fatal flaws in the non-championship years. But I don’t believe that’s going to be the case in 2021.

I’m not making excuses for them. They stunk in the two games in Las Vegas and haven’t played well since Game 1.

But, really, the cliches are true.

The series hasn’t started.

It’s now a best-of-three with the Avalanche still having the home-ice advantage.

“The part that gives me confidence is the way our team has played at home and the energy we’ve been able to come up with in the legs and our skating, and our tenacity on pucks at home,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Monday. “That’s been a positive and we have two of the next three at home. I know our guys will be excited.”

It very well could come down to a Game 7 at Ball Arena Saturday. 1215370 Colorado Avalanche The usually lowkey Bednar called out his team after a Game 3 loss in which they couldn't get anything going.

It didn't work on the scoreboard but Bednar did see some good. Quick study: Knights neutralize Avs' speed, series tied at 2 “I’m confident our guys know, especially after the meeting the other night, what we need to do more of and what we need to eliminate in order to By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer Jun 7, 2021 have success,” Bednar said. “It's a mental grind. You have to face adversity head on."

NOTES: As it stands, Avalanche F is slated to miss the DENVER (AP) — The speedy Colorado Avalanche are suddenly the seventh game of an eight-game suspension he received in the first ones doing all the chasing. round. Bednar was hoping to hear a decision on Kadri's appeal soon. ... Colorado D Bowen Byram could make his playoff debut. He hasn't played Vegas had Colorado in defense mode as the Golden Knights tied their since getting injured March 25 against Vegas. “Going into a game playoff series at two games apiece by taking both games at home. Game against a team like Vegas is a tall task for a young player,” Bednar said. 5 is Tuesday in Denver. “We’ll balance all that stuff." “They make a play in the ‘D’ zone, they’re throwing it out into the neutral LOADED: 06.08.2021 zone and coming at us 100 mph,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said.

That's usually a method of operation reserved for Nathan MacKinnon and his Colorado teammates. But lately they just can’t get up to top speed on the physical and control-the-pace Golden Knights, who’ve made life difficult in the neutral zone to seize momentum in this best-of-seven second-round series.

“We’re confident in our game. We’re confident on the road,” Vegas coach Pete DeBoer said. “Our guys are excited about the challenge.”

A close series — expect anything different?

Not much separated the Avs and the Golden Knights in the regular season as they split eight head-to-head games. They also finished tied for the most points in the league, with Colorado claiming the Presidents’ Trophy based on more regulation wins.

The outlier was Game 1, when the Avalanche routed Vegas 7-1. But the Golden Knights had a very understandable reason — they didn’t play goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in that contest to give him some rest after a grinding seven-game series with Minnesota.

Since then, Vegas — outside of Mikko Rantanen's OT winner in Game 2 — has been on the rush and Colorado on its heels.

“Right now, they’re making it harder on us than we are on them,” said Bednar, whose team has been bounced from the playoffs in the second round the past two seasons. “It’s not unique to our series where a team catches momentum. ... Now it’s up to us to take it from them.”

Colorado is banking on this turning the tide: A return home where the team has gone 4-0 so far in this postseason and won 13 straight dating to the regular season. The Avalanche were 22-4-2 at Ball Arena in the regular season. But two of the losses were to the Golden Knights.

“These guys rise to the occasion every time," DeBoer said.

There's a chance to make some history, too. The Golden Knights can become only the fourth NHL team all-time to win a best-of-seven series against the league’s top-seeded club after dropping the first two games. They would join Chicago, which accomplished the feat twice (1962 against Montreal, ’65 against Detroit) and Boston (2011 versus Vancouver), according to NHL Stats.

“Our guys aren’t a group that’s easily intimidated,” DeBoer said.

Especially against Colorado's speed, which they’re finding a way to neutralize.

Colorado’s top line of MacKinnon, captain and Rantanen have a combined seven goals and five assists so far through four games against the Golden Knights.

In comparison, the trio had nine goals and 15 assists in a four-game sweep of St. Louis in the first round.

“I think they're frustrated for sure,” Bednar said after a 5-1 loss in Game 4.

Meanwhile, Vegas' second line of Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith has seven goals and seven assists, including a hat trick from Marchessault on Sunday.

“Right now we’re spending too much time in our half of the rink,” Bednar said. 1215371 Colorado Avalanche

Jared Bednar: ‘We can get it done’

By Scott MacDonald

On Monday afternoon, a day after the Avalanche saw an early 1-0 lead sink into 5-1 oblivion, Avs head coach Jared Bednar met with the media and said he was still in the process of dissecting the film from Game 4. After all, right now, there is a lot to break down as the head coach of the Avalanche.

How, all of the sudden, does the team look like their two tiers below the Vegas Golden Knights?

Why do the Avalanche seem to shrink away from the moment on the NHL’s biggest stage each season?

What is going wrong?

Thing is, I’m not sure anyone has the answers to any of these questions. That’s obviously frustrating to you, the fan. But I can tell you it’s certainly even more frustrating for the guy coaching the team.

There is, no doubt, a lot on the mind of Jared Bednar. A second-round exit—for the third straight year—with the most successful, complete roster Colorado’s seen in two decades would be a magnificent failure. There’s no other way to put it.

Is the Avs’ fifth-year coach starting to feel his seat warm? No, that’s probably the last thing he’s thinking about—sorry Avs Twitter. There are more pressing matters to handle in the immediate future. Even if the worst were to happen, and the Avalanche bow out in Round 2 again, it likely wouldn’t result in job loss for Jared Bednar, who has one season remaining on his two-year extension he signed in July of ‘19.

But, at the same time, there’s no doubt he’s in his head a little bit. Same goes for everyone else in the Avalanche locker room.

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“It’s a mental grind. You have to face the adversity head-on; you have to be confident in what you do and there has to be trust in your group,” Jared Bednar said Monday afternoon.

“Right now we’re just a little bit out of sync.”

The Golden Knights continue jousting the Avalanche off the high-horse that they came trotting into the series on, and Colorado simply doesn’t have an answer for Vegas right now.

It seems the Golden Knights have that extra gear that is a requisite of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Avalanche seem to be stuck in second gear, in the second round, for the third straight year.

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215372 Colorado Avalanche Claude Lemieux gave a touching tribute to the man he called “Uncle Pete.” He told a funny story of how Lacroix convinced him and his new wife to live just across the street from Pierre, after his trade from the Avalanche off-day notebook: Bednar may play Byram in Game 5 Devils in 1995. Lemieux also was talked into riding with Pierre to the airport and back for most road trips, and he told funny stories of what that was like – including the time Lemieux said he was mad at Lacroix over something and was giving him the silent treatment the whole ride home By Adrian Dater and how Pierre nearly kicked him out of the car.

Roy told a funny story of how, in 1993 after winning the Cup with OK, so I know many of you are depressed and feeling hopeless right now Montreal, he was given a free trip to Disneyland for friends and family. about the Avalanche. Let’s just take a step back for a moment, though, Lacroix, his agent at the time, came along as well. Roy talked Lacroix and take a look at the situation: into getting on the ride at Space Mountain, and Lacroix apparently thought it was such a terrifying experience that he didn’t have room for It’s a tie series, a best out-of-three series and the Avs have two of the dessert that night. three at home. No, the Avs haven’t looked competitive against Vegas for most of the last eight periods now, but ALSO: as truly terrible as they Those who knew Pierre well knew how much he loved a good dessert. were, they were five minutes away from winning Game 3. If the Avs can He had a definite sweet tooth. just find a way to get normal production from a couple guys like Nathan I still remember how excited Pierre was in telling me where to eat in MacKinnon and Cale Makar, this series can swing back the other way in Montreal, on my first road trip there in 1995. He knew all the best a hurry. restaurants in town, and the place he told me to go was “Gibby’s” in the Frankly, I’ve always thought this core of Avs players does better when old-town part of the city. He said the “chocolate souchard” cake was the they’re the underdogs, when everyone is writing them off – which is what thing to order for dessert – and it was. is happening now among most of the media punditry and oddsmakers, Max Lacroix, by the way, played prep-school hockey in Massachusetts including those at sa gaming. The top players on this team – and the this year. The billet family he stayed with? The Bourque family. others in the next tier who have been around a while just have not exhibited a great killer instinct. But they usually respond well when Erik Johnson was there too, by the way, and I spoke with him briefly. I everybody is counting them out. don’t think I’m telling tales out of school when I relay that Johnson said he is feeling much better and “getting closer” to a possible return. So, Jared Bednar met the media on Zoom this morning, and sounded many of the things he’s said the last two days,, which can be summed up Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.08.2021 as: “We gotta make things harder on them, we gotta battle harder, we gotta be better with the puck in our own end”, etc. etc.

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Bednar said he is “thinking about” playing Bo Byram in Game 5. Reading between the lines, I think the most likely candidate to come out is Conor Timmins. Why do I think Timmins and not Patrik Nemeth, who is the target of Avs’ fans’ ire right now?

Because Bednar thinks Nemeth is still a good asset on the penalty kill, which has been good for the most part. Bednar said, though, that he’s mindful of how long Byram has been out (March 25) and how little hockey he’s played in the last year and a half. Yeah, that is a worry. But one of the things Bednar said is lacking right now is puck transition out of the D-zone. Byram can be a one-man breakout when things are normal for him.

Then again, Bednar also said Vegas’ big, heavy forecheck is creating problems for the D, that they’ve been “under duress” and Byram is not a big, heavy guy. It’s a calculated risk, putting a Byram in, but I think it’s going to happen. It’s not like the lineup the past two games has given Bednar much to feel good about.

The Avs did not practice today. I think that’s a good thing. Time to spend a day away from hockey and relax the mind a bit.

I’m expecting the Nazem Kadri second appeal decision to come down any time now. No, I don’t have any indication of what the ruling will be. I think, based on Shyam Das’ history, though, that a reduction in Kadri’s eight-game suspension is likely.

Well, maybe “possible” is a better word than likely.

So, I was at a memorial service for former Avs GM Pierre Lacroix yesterday. It was held at the Inverness Hotel, and it was a Who’s Who of Avs history. Joe Sakic, Rob Blake, Adam Foote, , Claude Lemieux, Stephane Yelle – those were just some of the former players there. Stan and were there, along with the Avs’ first principal owner, Charlie Lyons.

Sakic was there until about 3 p.m., then he left for a nearby private airport and an awaiting jet to get to Vegas in time for the 5:30 local puck drop.

It was a very touching service, full of song and private pictures and video of Pierre. His sons, Eric and Martin, spoke eloquently of their father, as did Eric’s son, Max.

Patrick Roy and Celine Dion also gave remembrances of Pierre, via video. 1215373 Colorado Avalanche

Makar To Get Subban Money? Quinn And Sabres; NHL Trade Market

By Jimmy Murphy

There is yet no word on the scheduled meeting between Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel and Sabres management, or if the meeting has yet taken place. Based on all indicators, the two sides have some serious issues to figure out to keep Eichel, one of the premier centers in the league, off the NHL trade market.

There is rampant speculation the Sabres will select their new coach with Eichel in mind. We have one name to watch on that front, and he’s very familiar to the Metro Division and Boston fans.

However, Off The Record has been reporting for a few months the two sides are headed for divorce, but the coach could be the Hail Mary to keep the former second-overall pick.

The Colorado Avalanche could begin their offseason as early as late Thursday night. The offseason focus in Denver will immediately switch to budding superstar defenseman Cale Makar and his second NHL contract. How much bank can Makar get?

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And NHL owners have held power since they instituted the salary cap in 2005, but could the current NHL player empowerment create player- coordinated movement, so the NHL resembles the NBA?

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215374 Dallas Stars

What’s next for Ty Dellandrea after up-and-down season with the Stars?

The Stars would have liked to play Dellandrea more in the AHL, but circumstances prevented it.

By Matthew DeFranks

Ty Dellandrea had a bit of a topsy-turvy season, beginning it in the opening night lineup in the NHL with the Dallas Stars, being demoted to the taxi squad and ultimately finishing the AHL.

The Stars would have liked to play Dellandrea more in the AHL this season, but kept him in the NHL because of the rash of injuries to Dallas forwards this season. The result was a sometimes overmatched Dellandrea in the NHL instead of building his game in the AHL.

“He was trending upward, and I think it gives him some confidence into the offseason and so that’s very positive,” Stars assistant GM and Texas GM Scott White said. “Ideally, would have liked to get him more games down there and to start the year there, but our year was just how it was.”

With Blake Comeau and entering the summer as unrestricted free agents with Jason Dickinson possibly being selected by Seattle in the expansion draft, the Stars will be looking for bottom-six talent to round out the lineup. Dellandrea, or Rhett Gardner all filled that role at times this season, but the Stars could also look to players like Blake Coleman or Alex Wennberg in free agency to fill the void.

Or perhaps Riley Tufte gets a look?

Tufte has become somewhat of an afterthought because of his lack of offensive production in the AHL (just six goals in 89 games), but the 2016 first-round pick still has a chance to contribute in the NHL in a penalty- killing, bottom-six role.

Texas coach Neil Graham said Tufte has to add consistency to his wall play and improvement in feeling out “when he has to do things quickly and when he has time to make a play.”

“[Penalty-killing] was a role his rookie year he started to grab a little bit more in those final 30 games, we’ll call it,” Graham said. “He came in and really excelled in that area. The PK, you’re going to have ups and downs in those percentages, but overall, it was a strength of our group most of the year. I thought Tufte did a great job.”

Because of his 6-6, 230-pound frame, Tufte can cover a lot of ice in a few strides, and he’s shown effectiveness pressuring the puck up ice to create turnovers and scoring chances while shorthanded.

Felhaber’s struggles: Forward Tye Felhaber has failed to translate his prolific scoring from the OHL to the AHL thus far, and finished this season with four goals and four assists in 31 games. He ended the season on a 20-game goalless streak, and Graham said Felhaber needed to improve his strength and conditioning.

“You have to learn even in a year like this where there’s only 38 games, how do you maintain that strength, how do you maintain that speed?” Graham said. “You’re always going to have weight fluctuations throughout the year, but it’s more about making yourself feel good every night. It’s something that he’s working towards and learning.”

Felhaber signed with the Stars as a free agent in 2019 after his 109 points ranked third in the OHL as a 20-year-old. The signing was low-risk for the Stars and Felhaber has one more year left on his entry-level contract.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215375 Dallas Stars

Stars’ top pick Mavrik Bourque has flashed his potential, and he’s ‘ready to have a big summer’

In a strange calendar year of hockey, Bourque’s season was somehow oddly familiar.

By Matthew DeFranks

In a year in which many hockey players had the strangest season of their career, Mavrik Bourque’s was oddly familiar.

He began play in the Major Junior Hockey League in early October, his first year as Shawinigan’s captain. He was invited to Canada’s camp prior to the World Juniors. He signed his entry-level contract with the Stars. And he finished it by completing a six-game stint with AHL affiliate Texas.

Sure, there was the lengthy COVID-induced pause during the QMJHL schedule, but Bourque’s season was somewhat normal for 2021 standards.

“I think I progressed a lot this year, and I’m ready to have a big summer,” Bourque said during Texas exit interviews last month.

Bourque, 19, is the team’s 2020 first-round pick that flashed his potential during the final two games of the AHL season, posting a goal and four assists in Iowa. The display was a window into what Bourque could become for the Stars, a right-handed, play-making center with above average vision and hockey IQ.

“He got better every game. As soon as he got his first assist [May 14] in Iowa, his confidence and his impact on the game just rose,” Stars assistant GM and Texas GM Scott White said. “He was solid. You could see, he just felt like he belonged. Credit him, it’s not easy to do what he did.”

Bourque still has one more season of eligibility in the QMJHL and cannot play in the AHL next season. He will be invited to his first NHL training camp in September, but is a longshot to make the NHL roster in the fall. Bourque was not invited to training camp in January because Canada’s coronavirus quarantine would force him to miss two weeks of games when he returned to Quebec from Texas.

In Shawinigan, Bourque had 43 points in 28 games, and only went pointless in five games. After scoring four goals in a five-game playoff series loss in April, Bourque joined Texas and made his AHL debut on May 6.

Stars prospect Mavrik Bourque still has work to do away from the puck, but his vision and passing ability are undeniable. He wears No. 22. pic.twitter.com/Bcv8tRm8lb

— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) February 24, 2021

Bourque did not register a point in his first four games before exploding for five in his final two.

“I’m a guy that likes to find my confidence during practice,” Bourque said. “The day before the last two games, I had my first practice, so it helped me a lot to gain confidence and know that I can play with those guys.

“I was watching my first four games and I find that with the puck, I can do more plays and I have more time and space. During games, it goes so fast so sometimes I don’t think I have enough space, but in reality, I have more space than I thought. It helped me a lot.”

Should Bourque develop into an offensive force, he would be the second right-handed, play-making center to have a prominent role in the prospect pipeline, behind AHL rookie of the year Riley Damiani.

“At the end of the day, it’s a game of hockey,” Bourque said. “Hockey doesn’t change too much, but the thing I found changes the most is when I was going in the corner, if I’m not heavy enough on the puck, I will just lose it. I find that the boys are way stronger, so I need to find a way to be more smart than those guys to go back from the corner with the puck.”

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215376 Dallas Stars conference finals, so it’s not unreasonable to believe Bishop could remain effective. But what happens when you add in the career toll of injuries? With his 6-foot-7 frame, a significant knee injury like the one The Stars’ goalie situation remains complicated, and only some of it is Bishop is returning from might make it harder to bounce back. within their control . (Sergei Belski / USA Today)

But let’s say Bishop does return to the level he’s previously shown. How By Saad Yousuf Jun 7, 2021 long can he go? That’s not a question about his career longevity but about his workload in a season. Even if he’s completely healthy, is he able to manage the workload of a true No. 1 and play more than 50 percent of the games, or does maximizing his talent at this stage of his As the Stars enter an important offseason leading into a crucial 2021-22 career mean playing 30 to 40 percent of the games so that the team gets season, there are plenty of areas to address. Whether it’s contract peak Bishop in those games? extensions, free agency targets or the draft, the Dallas front office has a lot of things in its control. Big decisions are coming for the defensemen. The Stars have no control over any of this. It’s all on Bishop and how his The forwards group needs to be bolstered. body progresses. The first step is him getting back on the ice and the initial stages of clarity on that are still a month away. Even if things go When it comes to goaltenders, well, that’s going to be more reactive than well, training camp and preseason will be important next steps. If all of proactive. Unless things really go south, the Stars will be in a satisfactory that checks out, then comes evaluating his play after he returns to NHL position in net come October, but they also have no concrete idea of how action for the first time in over a year. And if that checks out, then comes that could look. Entering the offseason — and really, even going back to monitoring the cadence of his starts. last offseason — the expectation was for to be under the brightest spotlight when it came to uncertainty. However, when general There’s likely going to be a strong demand for answers about Bishop as manager recently was asked how he planned to approach the the offseason progresses. Be prepared for patience. goaltending logjam, Khudobin’s name never even came up. Anton Khudobin “Well, what we’ll do, we’ll wait and see how Ben (Bishop) is,” Nill started. “A lot depends on Ben Bishop’s health. … We’re in a good position. If There are two aspects to Khudobin’s future with the Stars. The one the Ben’s healthy, we’ve got three healthy goalies. We have different options Stars control has a simpler framework. They need to figure out who they that we can use with those goalies, if need be. We’re just going to have believe Khudobin is. That has a couple of layers. Is Khudobin the to walk along here, see where everybody’s at, but we’re in a good backup-caliber goaltender he was for most of his career before signing position because we have depth at that position.” with Dallas in 2018? Is he the 1B-caliber goaltender he was for two full seasons? Is he a backup with flashes of starting potential, as he was in Along with Bishop and Khudobin, Jake Oettinger fills out the three-man 2021? cluster for a two-man job. The only question surrounding Oettinger is whether he ends up in the NHL or AHL, but even that really isn’t about On the last question, it is important and fair to add that Khudobin had an Oettinger. The 22-year-old emphatically proved in 2021 that he’s an NHL ugly fight with COVID-19 last winter and said that the effects lingered goalie, and he hasn’t been shy about saying he believes he belongs with until the end of the season. That doesn’t even account for the chaos that the Stars next season. This comes down to Bishop and Khudobin and the season itself had, including a disciplinary benching and a false- the question marks surrounding them. Because Nill led off with Bishop, positive COVID-19 test. our examination will follow suit. Figuring out all of that is the Stars’ first task. Then comes the situations Ben Bishop out of their control, including what Seattle might think of Khudobin. And even if the Kraken believe Khudobin is a quality goaltender, how much Less than a month ago, Nill said he hadn’t considered asking Bishop to does the fact that he’s 35 years old and has two years left on his waive his no-movement clause so he could be exposed in the expansion contract, at $3.33 million per season, deter them from selecting him? The draft instead of Khudobin. So, the $4.9 million-dollar question is, will Kraken will have more financially appealing options, so it may come Bishop return to full health in the fall? Nobody can answer that question down to how they view the correlation of money to talent. If they opt for a right now. Upon the conclusion of the season, Nill said that Bishop would younger goaltender to be their No. 1, Khudobin could be even more resume skating in June and July, and then the team would have a better appealing given his veteran savvy and the fact that he’s known to be a feel for things. great teammate and a helpful mentor.

The broad question also has sub-questions, though. If Bishop recovers The Kraken might not select Khudobin, though, which is not only realistic from his knee injury, which required offseason surgery and sidelined him but probably likely at this point. The Stars will be monitoring Bishop’s for the entire 2021 season, how effective will he be? Nill met with Bishop health the entire time, but assuming that he progresses well and the on May 14 and the conversation was described as upbeat. Bishop felt Stars want Oettinger in the NHL, they could try to trade Khudobin. It’s “very good” and was “excited to get back.” reasonable to believe that there should be a market for Khudobin, given his recent success and how much goaltending is at a premium, but it’s “I think when Ben is healthy, he’s one of the top three to five goalies in still not a guarantee, nor is the possible return. the league and he’s shown that,” Nill said. “He’s a guy that can be the difference-maker for you being in the playoffs and winning the Stanley How this could play out Cup. I think it’s important for him to get back. He’s a big part of our team, our leadership group, and he’s a guy that puts us over the top.” There are a lot of moving parts to all of this, so let’s take a look at how things could pan out and what gives the Stars the best chance to Bishop has proven to be everything Nill said, but he’s also had trouble succeed in 2021-22. staying on the ice. If Khudobin had played like a typical No. 2 instead of a 1A over the two seasons prior to this one, it’s fair to wonder if the Stars Bishop and Oettinger tandem would have made the postseason both years, and it’s justifiable to doubt • Ben Bishop returns to full strength and to his elite level of play. Even if whether they would have made the Stanley Cup Final last season. he’s not shouldering the vast majority of the starts, he’s able to play an Bishop still led the way in both regular seasons, but Khudobin’s ability to even split or just slightly less than that. Khudobin gets selected by adequately fill in the gaps, and to take control during the 2020 Seattle, freeing up more money for the Stars to spend in free agency postseason, neutralized the impact of Bishop’s absence. That impact while also preserving a forward who they ran out of protection slots for. was evident in 2021, when Khudobin did play like a No. 2 goalie. This also clears the way for Oettinger to stay in the NHL, and he and Bishop’s return became highly anticipated before he was shut down for Bishop create a stellar 1A/1B tandem. the season. • Bishop returns strong but Khudobin doesn’t get selected by Seattle. The The injuries Bishop has dealt with and his age also are considerations. Stars find a trade partner for Khudobin. Back and knee injuries are nothing to be scoffed at, and Bishop has had • Bishop returns strong but Khudobin doesn’t get selected by Seattle. The multiple bouts with each, to varying severities. He’s 34 years old, not Stars are unable to find a trade partner for Khudobin. If they believe young but also not over the hill. Montreal’s Carey Price is two months Oettinger is a better goaltender than Khudobin, they can waive the from his 34th birthday and has the Canadiens one win away from the Russian veteran. The 2021 season does give cause for pause because, again, Khudobin did have lingering COVID-19 effects and the Stars can keep Oettinger in the AHL net next season.

Oettinger and Khudobin tandem

• Bishop doesn’t return to full health and is unable to play and Seattle does not select Khudobin, prompting the Stars to run back their 2021 season duo, possibly with the No. 1 and No. 2 roles reversed.

Bishop and Khudobin NHL tandem, Oettinger in the AHL

• Bishop returns to adequate health, Seattle doesn’t select Khudobin and the Stars either can’t find a trade partner or they determine that Khudobin gives them the best chance for success. This would be surprising because it’s hard to see the AHL providing Oettinger the proper development he needs after he’s proven he can be an NHL goaltender.

Worst-case scenario: Oettinger and a question mark

• Bishop doesn’t return to full health and Seattle selects Khudobin in the expansion draft. Oettinger starts in the net and the Stars are in the market for a second goaltender.

Conclusion

The Stars’ goaltending logjam is a good problem to have but it still qualifies as a “problem” because of how much uncertainty is involved and how much is out of the team’s control. It’s hard to see the worst-case scenario coming to fruition so there’s no need to panic but patience will be required. Some clarity will be gained on July 21 with the expansion draft but it won’t provide a definite answer. In all likelihood, that won’t come until weeks into next season.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021

1215377 Detroit Red Wings “The biggest difference in this series is we got goals from all four lines. It allows players to just do their jobs, and goals will come.”

On goalie Mike Vernon, who won the : “He was Steve Yzerman on Detroit Red Wings' 1997 triumph: 'I didn’t want the consistently great throughout the playoffs. I don’t know if he let in a bad game to end' goal. It boosts your confidence so much. He and Nicklas Lidstrom were our most valuable guys. I’m glad Vernie won.”

On his perspective: “I’m glad we endured, the organization didn’t quit and Owen Davis I didn’t quit or move on. I really think I appreciate it more after playing a number of years.

“There were some tough losses and disappointments and injuries — and Twenty-four years ago today, the decades-long wait ended for the Detroit I don’t know if I’m a better skater or scorer — but I think I’m a better Red Wings and their fans. On June 7, 1997, at , the player by going through it all.” Wings completed their four-game sweep of the Flyers, 2-1, and kicked off the Hockeytown dynasty of four championships in 11 seasons. The Free [ CARLOS MONARREZ: Wings’ 12 picks in 2021 draft need to give Press’ new book — “Stanleytown: 25 Years Later” — tells the behind- Yzerman quantity and quality ] the-scenes stories of the Stanley Cup’s return to Detroit, including The Captain’s dream finally coming true on a wild Saturday night in the Motor On coming close before but not winning the Cup: “The last five years City. An excerpt from the book: there have been a couple of times you don’t want to go out, you don’t want to be recognized. You put a hat on or put sunglasses on. It was What Steve Yzerman said the night the Red Wings won the 1997 Stanley embarrassing. Cup: “I was glad when the game was over, but then I didn’t want the game to end. “I was in Las Vegas and a couple of guys from Windsor came by. They said, ‘Hey, Steve Yzerman. I’m going to stay away from this table. “I’ve been watching hockey since I was five years old. I always dreamed There’s no luck here.’” of the day I would get the Stanley Cup. Sometimes I wondered if I would ever get there. As the game went on, it almost was if I wanted to sit back On what he plans to do when he gets to keep the Cup for a few days this and watch it.” summer: “I ain’t going to sleep with it. I want to have a party. I might have to have two — one here and one in Ottawa. I want to do it up right.” On winning the Cup: “It was the one thing in my career I didn’t have. I wanted dearly to have my name on the Stanley Cup before I retired. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.08.2021

“It’s been a wonderful final. It’s been incredibly exhilarating. …

“There’s the Stanley Cup champion and everybody else. When you have a good team for two or three years and don’t win, you’re not considered a great team but an underachiever.”

On skating with the Cup after the game: “I would have preferred to go with everybody in the beginning. I wanted to go as one big group.

“As I went about halfway around, I thought, ‘This thing is getting heavy.’ My arm about fell off. I was looking for my parents and my wife and a friend in the corner. I wanted to make sure I saw them as I was carrying it around the rink. I just tried to take it all in. … I wasn’t aware of any noise.

“It was the greatest moment in my career, the most gratifying and the most rewarding. … Obviously, at the end when we piled behind the net was the greatest moment. Being on the ice when the game ends is awesome.”

On passing the Cup to Slava Fetisov, who held it with Igor Larionov: “The last couple of days I thought who I wanted to give the Cup to. I thought about Slava. He and Igor, what they stand for, are good examples for younger players.

“He has been through a lot in his career. If he’s not coming back, this is the ultimate. … All five Russian players were significant players and great guys.”

On seeing in skates on the ice: “That was great. I’ve seen it all. He doesn’t show emotion. He doesn’t let us get too close to him. For a few minutes there, he was one of us.”

On waiting for Game 4: “The most relaxing time is getting on the ice and playing. Before the game, I was more nervous than for any other game. So much stuff goes through your mind. You want to win. The last day- and-a-half I’ve become so uptight.

“Today was unbelievable. I didn’t want to talk to anybody, and I didn’t want anybody to talk to me. I just wanted to play the game.

“Coming to the game tonight, I said, ‘Just relax, we’re going to win. If it’s Game 4, 5 or 6, we’re going to win.’ But it was nerve-racking.”

On the fans: “I know for the city, it’s pride. You can walk around, and Detroit is the Stanley Cup champion. The fans are the Stanley Cup champions. You can hold your head up high. We broke some hearts, but they kept coming back.”

On the Wings’ playoff performance: “When we got in the playoffs and played teams in a series, I think we wore teams down. Each team we played we were better than. We weren’t the best team in the regular season. 1215378 Detroit Red Wings "There are lot of nuances that are in there that get overlooked a lot." As usual, Glendening was also among the Wings’ leaders in hits (68) and

blocked shots (57) and centered one of the team's most consistent lines Luke Glendening becoming a valuable player Red Wings can't afford to with Adam Erne and Darren Helm. lose Erne supplied, surprisingly, the offense with a team-high 11 goals, while Glendening and Helm (another prospective UFA) did much of the dirty work. TED KULFAN All three complemented each other extremely well from a grinding and checking standpoint.

Detroit — Some athletes you just cannot picture in another uniform but “We tried to bring a work ethic and compete every single night,” the one they’ve worn their entire career. Glendening said. “We figured if we could play in the other team’s zone and play a physical game, grind the other team’s top line down, it would Luke Glendening, if not at that point yet, is pretty close. Really, can any give us a chance to win. Red Wings fan truly envision Glendening wearing another hockey sweater? “We relished that opportunity and did the best we could with it.”

Glendening has spent eight seasons with the Wings after signing out of There has been a lot of losing in recent seasons for the Wings, but as an undrafted free agent and spending time with the Grand Glendening feels the organization is about to change that. Rapids Griffins, Detroit's minor league affiliate. The development of many young players this season gave a veteran like The East Grand Rapids native has been affiliated with the state, or the Glendening plenty of reason for optimism. Wings, his entire hockey career. "Losing is never fun or easy, and we still have a ways to go," Glendening “Growing up a Red Wings fan and then being able to be here my whole said. "I'm not saying we're out of the woods yet, but we're moving in the career so far is a dream come true,” Glendening said. right direction and all these seasons losing will hopefully teach us lessons as we move forward. Glendening, 32, is undisputedly is one of the leaders on this younger- leaning team, an alternate captain who commands a lot of respect. "We’re a lot closer than we were. We took steps in the right direction. We had a few stinkers, but for the most part on a night-to-night basis we "He’s a great culture guy because of where his work ethic is at,” coach were competitive and in games. It was important for all of us to play in said. “We talk all the time about outworking, outcompeting those one-goal games. The year before we were down by a lot so often the other team, and he embodies that. you didn’t have the opportunity to feel what it was like to play in those "And then he’s an effective player on the ice, certainly with his faceoffs, close games, and this year we did more of that. his defensive play and his ability to win battles, and also grinding teams “With these young guys coming up, it’s exciting for the organization. We in the offensive zone. They (the Glendening line) don't create offense or got a glimpse of Joe (Veleno), he looked real good. The development of doesn't result in offense as much as any of us would like, but they Ras (Michael Rasmussen), (Filip) Zadina, (Dennis) Cholowski, Givani (Glendening’s line) create momentum shifts by playing in the offensive Smith, (Gustav) Lindstrom, there’s a lot of reason for optimism. zone. “I’d love to be part of this moving forward.” "I would also say the better your team is, the more valuable he becomes." Detroit News LOADED: 06.08.2021 Glendening can be an unrestricted free agent this summer, as his four- year, $7.2 million contract ($1.8 million cap hit) ended.

Is it likely the Wings re-sign Glendening? Very much so. In fact, it would be mildly shocking if an agreement isn’t reached.

But during a Zoom chat with the media after the Wings’ season ended, Glendening was bracing for anything this summer.

“Wearing the winged wheel has been a dream since I first started playing hockey, and maybe even before,” Glendening said. “I never knew if it was going to be a reality, but it was something I always dreamed of.

“Every day I come to the rink to and get to put that sweater on, it’s a special day for me.”

It appears the Wings and Glendening have had general talks, if nothing specific. No contract agreement is expected to be announced or done before the July 21 expansion draft, stocking Seattle's roster, because the Wings would have to use a protection slot on Glendening otherwise.

Glendening didn't hide his desire to remain a Red Wing.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but obviously I love being a Red Wing and we’ll see what happens," Glendening said. "There’s some mutual interest in coming back to Detroit, but I don’t know how it’ll play out.”

Through sheer will and a lot of hard work, Glendening has become one of the best faceoff men in the NHL.

Glendening ranked second in the NHL in faceoff percentage behind Boston’s Patrice Bergeron (62.2% to 60.9%), after leading the league for the majority of the season.

"Repetition and confidence in what you're doing," Glendening said of what has spurred his success in the faceoff circle. "We had a lot of guys on this team who were willing after practice to take 50 faceoffs...and there's video you can watch of guys and what their tendencies are. 1215379 Detroit Red Wings role Namestnikov has, but he brings a different dimension, and his was one of the more memorable moments of Detroit’s season.

Red Wings protected list: Who’s staying and who could be picked in the Most crucially, Smith is 23 and an RFA, while Namestnikov will turn 29 Seattle Kraken expansion draft? early next season and can become a UFA in 2022. So do the Red Wings go with the more prominent contributor who is older and a soon-to-be free agent? Or the younger, less proven player with more runway ahead? Smith’s ceiling still appears to be in the bottom six, but given By Max Bultman Jun 7, 2021 Namestnikov’s age, he may not have much ceiling left to chase.

Practically speaking, the stakes won’t be sky high given that context, but The NHL’s Seattle expansion draft is just weeks away. The Kraken have Detroit still has every interest in getting it right. Namestnikov is the sure already added their first player, after signing forward Luke Henman out of thing of the two, and even though he may be the shorter-term option, I’d the QMJHL, and come July 21, the league’s long-anticipated 32nd have given him the slight nod right up until a comment Yzerman made franchise will finally have a full roster. during his year-end press conference.

In Detroit, much of the expansion draft talk of late has surrounded Asked about Rasmussen, Smith, Dennis Cholowski and Gustav whether the event could trigger any pre-expansion player movement from Lindstrom’s progress this season, the GM said, “I’m hopeful that they’re teams poised to lose a valued contributor. With a mountain of cap space on our team next year. I’m hopeful that they’re in the lineup. And the this offseason, the Red Wings would be well-situated to take advantage message to all of them was, again, ‘Guys, you’re going to have to earn it. in such a scenario. But first, general manager Steve Yzerman has to get I can put you on the roster …’ Our first decision, all of those players you his own house in order, which means picking the players he’ll protect mentioned, all need waivers if they’re going to the American Hockey from the Kraken. League next year. So our decision at the end of training camp is are they on the roster, or are we willing to risk putting any of them on waivers? Detroit can either protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one They’re going to have to be pretty bad to be put on waivers, at this point, goalie or it can opt to shield eight skaters of any position and one goalie. and I don’t anticipate that. But I can’t guarantee that they’re going to be in With more established NHL forwards than defensemen, expect the Red the lineup, and that’s up to them.” Wings to opt for the 7-3-1 model. Among those who played for the 2020- 21 Red Wings, young forwards Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno are exempt I may be reading too much into that comment, but if the Red Wings are from the expansion draft. talking about being hesitant to waive those players four months before training camp, exposing them in the expansion draft feels rather similar. Here’s our latest projection of who Detroit will protect and who the Red Wings could lose. The situations are different because teams have to lose someone in this process, which is not the case with end-of-camp waivers. And that The locks Smith’s not guaranteed a lineup spot matters, too — can they really justify protecting someone they’re not sure will be in the lineup next (F) season? But it was a close enough call between these two to begin with Jakub Vrana (F) that I made the switch and protected Smith in this projection, with the idea the future is still Detroit’s focus. Tyler Bertuzzi (F) Defense Michael Rasmussen (F) On defense, Detroit can protect two of Danny DeKeyser, , (F) Cholowski and Lindstrom, making it a more dynamic decision than with Adam Erne (F) the forwards. But one of DeKeyser and Stecher must be exposed in order to satisfy the league’s minimum requirements. Filip Hronek (D) Even coming off back surgery, DeKeyser finished with the highest Thomas Greiss (G) workload of any of these four last season and has been one of the Red Wings’ most trusted defensemen for years. But at 31, one year from Nothing too complicated here: Larkin is the Red Wings’ captain and top- unrestricted free agency and with a $5 million cap hit, he seems the line center for the foreseeable future. Bertuzzi and Vrana are RFAs this likeliest to be exposed and satisfy that requirement. That leaves three for summer, but as prime-aged top-six (and likely top line) wingers for Detroit the final two spots. next season, count on them being signed and protected. Greiss is the only NHL goalie currently at risk of being taken, so he’s a no-brainer. Stecher is not a flashy player, but he was a good defender in his first Hronek led the team in minutes last season as a 23-year-old. season with the Red Wings and embodies the kind of competitiveness Rasmussen is a recent top-10 pick who grabbed his spot in the NHL they seek. He’s also the best player of the three right now and only 27. lineup last season. And Fabbri is a year from unrestricted free agency, Just as with Namestnikov, though, that he has one year left on his but he’s also one of Detroit’s few reliable goal scorers, and at 25, could contract complicates the decision. easily fit in beyond this coming season if he’s willing to re-sign. If Detroit thinks Stecher is likely to leave next summer, then the right Erne, meanwhile, is the new addition to this group, but it’s hard to see a move would be to protect Cholowski and Lindstrom. But if Stecher is scenario in which Detroit doesn’t protect him after he finished as the amenable to another contract in Detroit after this one, then the present team leader in goals (11) and third in scoring (20 points) while on a value he brings (while still being young enough to play that role in 2-3 career-best pace for the year. He just turned 26, so the breakout year is years) could be enough to give the Red Wings pause. Protecting Stecher enough to make him another lock to be re-signed and protected. should be a serious consideration and would certainly give them their best team for 2021-22. That leaves one forward and two defensemen left to protect. Under Yzerman, though, Detroit has yet to deviate from a future-first Forwards approach. And his year-end comments indicated he’d rather not lose the Once Erne jumped into the “lock” tier, the final of Detroit’s seven young players if he can avoid it. Given that, it’s hard not to protect the protected forward spots became a head-to-head decision between Givani two young defensemen at this time. Smith and . And that decision is a decidedly Whether to protect or expose Troy Stecher is one of the Red Wings’ top philosophical one. expansion draft questions. (Roy K. Miller / Icon Sportswire)

Namestnikov is a versatile forward who can play wing or center, kills Meeting the exposure requirements penalties and also saw time on Detroit’s power play this year. Five of his eight goals were empty-netters, but that does speak to the fact he was The Red Wings are required to expose at least two forwards and one trusted to protect leads in high-leverage situations for the Red Wings. defenseman who are both under contract for the 2021-22 season and Meanwhile, Smith is a big-bodied winger who blends physicality with played either 27 games this past season or 54 games between the last good hands. He may never carve out the kind of 16-minute-per-game two seasons. They also must make available to Seattle at least one goaltender under contract for next season.

DeKeyser, Frans Nielsen, Richard Panik and goaltender Kaden Fulcher meet those requirements, in addition to Stecher and Namestnikov, so the Red Wings should be set in any scenario.

Who they’ll lose

In this scenario, Seattle would likely be choosing between three players: Namestnikov, Stecher and forward .

Svechnikov was not mentioned in the forward section because after waiving him twice this season, the Red Wings seem unlikely to protect him over either Namestnikov or Smith. The Kraken could take him hoping the 2015 first-round pick will break through in a new environment. But after 30 NHL teams passed twice this season, it may be unlikely Seattle would use its pick on Svechnikov.

Instead, it could come down to Namestnikov and Stecher, two players with one year left on their deals. That likely would leave Seattle to decide if they more need help at forward or on defense. And the bet here would be for the Kraken to opt for Stecher.

That could sting in Detroit, especially after Stecher became a fan favorite in 2021. But the Kraken are going to take a player the Red Wings like no matter what, so angst appears unavoidable.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215380 McDavid’s final five-on-five line for the series was one goal and three points in 102 minutes (1.76 points per 60), a 4-4 goal share and a 56.6 shot share. Any team would take that line against 97.

Lowetide: The Oilers must decide now what to do about the Connor When McDavid and Draisaitl were on the ice together five-on-five, the McDavid-Leon Draisaitl dilemma captain scored one goal and three points in 83 minutes, and the on-ice goal totals were 3-3. Edmonton not having an advantage with its two best players on the ice leads to major problems.

By Allan Mitchell Jun 7, 2021 The regular season

McDavid and Draisaitl were effective together and apart this past season. The question Holland has to ask and answer now (with help from Tippett) It has been a living, breathing problem ever since Taylor Hall was dealt in pertains to how much time the two players should play together. Here are the summer of 2016, something Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken the regular-season five-on-five splits: Holland has known he had to solve since he arrived to guide the team. G / 60 P / 60 GOAL DIFF. GOAL DIFF. % The problem? Finding two scoring lines that outscore the opposition and a third trio that can battle good competition to a standstill. All of this has McDavid solo to be done while dealing with major cap issues and miles of traded draft picks from previous regimes. 1.21

This year is different in at least one way: Holland authored multiple short- 2.72 term contracts after arriving in 2019, working toward a day when he had 31-31 enough money to add one (or more) strong options to all-world talents Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl via trade or free agency. 50

We are here. Draisaitl solo

Before deciding on the right approach for adding this offseason, though, 0.42 Holland and coach must make a decision on the cost and benefit of using McDavid and Draisaitl together on the top line. Is splitting 1.69 up the duo the best path forward? Should the coach game plan around 22-16 running them together while management adds a centre and wing who can get the job done on a second line? 58

Let’s look at McDavid-Draisaitl and Tippett’s deployment for clues. McDavid with Draisaitl

Shock and awe 1.22

Late in the 2020-21 season, Tippett experimented with his skill lines in 5.07 search of two sets that could push the river. 33-17 He didn’t use them much during the regular season, but in games May 8 (against the Canucks) and May 12 (against the Canadiens) a new line 66 clicked. McDavid at centre, Jesse Puljujarvi at right wing and Dominik Draisaitl with McDavid Kahun at left wing ran hot enough to own the shot share 19-3 in those two late-season games. The totals against the Canucks (15-1 shots) 1.57 were especially impressive, albeit coming against a team that had been 4.20 run hard down the stretch. 33-17 Tippett took enough away from those performances to start the team’s first-round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets with Kahun, McDavid 66 and Puljujarvi together, with Darnell Nurse and on defence. There are some shocking numbers here. Tippett was trying to split McDavid and Draisaitl, to find two lines that could outscore opponents five-on-five by enough goals to overcome the McDavid is a fantastic solo player offensively, posting an all-world inevitable deficit the bottom two lines would deliver. number at goals per 60 minutes and a points-per-60 total (2.72) that would have placed him No. 12 among forwards this season (McDavid led The new McDavid line played just 10:45 during the Winnipeg series (1-0 the league at 3.58) without Draisaitl. The goal differential is criminal goals, 4-6 shots, 11-9 Corsi events), as Tippett hit shuffle and landed though. It should be much higher. It shows the size of the roster falloff (predictably) on Draisaitl-McDavid-Puljujarvi. past McDavid and Draisaitl.

At five-on-five, the power trio played 47 minutes, winning the shot share McDavid with Draisaitl blossoms to 5.07 points per 60, a number so 36-23 and the high-danger-chance share 23-12 but losing the goal mind-blowing it’s difficult to properly place in perspective. differential 2-1 (courtesy Natural Stat Trick). When the top line was off the ice (119 minutes at five-on-five), Edmonton won the shot share 57-53 Draisaitl’s totals have corresponding shock and awe. His 1.69 points per and high-danger-chance share 20-17 but lost the goal differential 5-2. 60 solo would be good for No. 129 among forwards (that’s second-line offence) while his goal differential without the captain is truly impressive. When a team has more five-on-five shots and high-danger chances than its opponent but loses on goals 7-3, chances are the story of the series is With McDavid? His 1.57 goals per 60 would have ranked No. 3 overall goaltending and bad luck. Such was the case for the Oilers this past and points per 60 would have trailed only his linemate. season. The five-on-five goal differential with the two together during the regular Tippett’s shuffle season gave Tippett a major advantage, and he needed it due to the quality of the bottom three lines. Should he have used it more often? The first time Draisaitl joined McDavid and Puljujarvi was on the fourth shift of the first game against Winnipeg. It was a short six-second shift for The second line without Draisaitl the trio, with McDavid staying out and veterans and Zack If the Oilers deployed the McDavid-Draisaitl line with one of Puljujarvi or Kassian joining him for 50 more seconds. , what would summer shopping look like? It would Tippett was trying to find clean air for McDavid, but the Jets clogged up change markedly in one way, as Edmonton would need a substantial the middle, took liberties (despite not taking penalties, I will swear under centre to play on the second line. There are very few unrestricted free- oath that the Winnipeg team coloured outside the lines of the rulebook agent candidates, but each represents a strong solution. with enthusiasm) and shut down the best player on the planet. PLAYER G / 60 P / 60 GOAL DIFF. GOAL DIFF. % Christian Dvorak FO % 0.42 Philip Danault 1.19 0.34 25-32 1.78 44 32-22 52 59 That’s a wide range of cap hits and asset costs in terms of ask, but 56 Holland will need to be flexible when the business of summer begins. The Seattle Kraken’s enormous cap advantage (they have more money Mikael Granlund than anyone) means losing a bidding war in the early days of free agency 0.70 is likely. It would behoove the general manager to make an offer that eases expansion-draft issues for an established team. The added wrinkle 1.59 provided by expansion will benefit some teams. Edmonton could be one of them. 29-23 The second line with Draisaitl 56 The logical play is to run McDavid on the No. 1 line with Puljujarvi and a 54 new left winger and for Draisaitl to play with Yamamoto on a second line Alex Wennberg with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or an offseason acquisition.

0.84 It sets up summer in a way that makes sense. For instance, Ryan Getzlaf is an older centre who could work in a third-line role and win faceoffs 1.50 from the right-hand side.

40-33 Free-agent wingers this summer are already famous in Edmonton, fans are familiar with , Brandon Saad, Blake Coleman and 55 countless others. 49 The list of wingers who might be available due to roster issues is even If Tippett and Holland decide to run the supergroup Draisaitl-McDavid on richer. Here’s a partial list of wingers who might be available in trade on a the No. 1 line, any of these three free agents would be a gigantic head one-time-only basis due to the expansion draft: start for the second line. There are also a few signed centres who might PLAYER G / 60 P / 60 GOAL DIFF. GOAL DIFF. % be available because teams are having cap trouble, though most (such as Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nolan Patrick of the Anthony Beauvillier Philadelphia Flyers) come with cap or health issues. 0.94 The expansion draft might be a more inviting time for Edmonton to acquire a No. 2 centre. Several teams are facing difficult decisions before 2.08 sending in final lists. It’s a good bet there will be little interest in making 34-19 trades with the Seattle Kraken in light of the monster created (Vegas Golden Knights) last expansion. There were multiple shockingly bad 64 trades made by established general managers with the Golden Knights. Dillon Dube Here are some centres who could shake loose via pre-expansion trades: 0.88 PLAYER G / 60 P / 60 GOAL DIFF. GOAL DIFF. % FO % 1.96

Adam Henrique 28-25

1.05 53

1.79 Jason Zucker

26-27 0.92

49 1.49

54 19-26

Nazem Kadri 42

0.67 Nick Ritchie

1.77 0.87

29-31 1.48

48 25-25

53 50

Andrew Copp Tyson Jost

0.49 0.67

1.73 1.44

30-28 29-17

52 63

50 0.43

1.43

14-11

56

A wide range of talents, cap hits and asset costs, but it improves the talent pool for Holland. The key would be making a move in front of expansion, a transaction Edmonton can afford based on its own projected expansion list.

If Oscar Klefbom doesn’t need to be protected, Edmonton can list Nurse, Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones as protected and focus on seven forwards. Without putting too fine a point on it, the Oilers don’t have seven forwards worthy of protection. Adding (say) Anthony Beauvillier would improve the list.

Holland’s summer

Prevailing wisdom has Holland planning to split up the McDavid-Draisaitl combination at five-on-five. It makes sense. The goal is two scoring lines that can outscore elite competition and a third unit that can play opponents even par.

All of that said, you can see the temptation for any coach. Down a goal late, Tippett correctly loads up a line and chases goals. That’s just good form. The idea of starting a game in supersonic mode is worth contemplating.

If there was a way to import an entire second line that was proven, Holland might be able to reset the roster in one summer. Look at the Montreal Canadiens: Both Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault are unrestricted this summer, but the key to the line (Brendan Gallagher) is signed through 2027.

Most of the talk this spring has involved Edmonton signing two left wingers, often Nugent-Hopkins and a combination of Hyman, Coleman or Saad.

Holland might contemplate signing Mikael Granlund or trading for a centre.

Before he decides who to pursue, he needs to make his call on McDavid- Draisaitl. Running them together five-on-five for 82 games could be breathtaking, provided the second line has enough torque to be dangerous. Unlikely, but fans can dream.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215381 Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers agree to terms with top prospect who was ‘tearing up the world championships’

By MALLORY SCHNELL

JUN 07, 2021 AT 3:04 PM

The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with top prospect Anton Lundell on a three-year, entry-level contract.

Lundell, 19, was selected 12th overall in the first round by the Panthers in the 2020 NHL Draft.

“Anton is a cerebral, skilled and dynamic young player who continuously established himself in Finland’s top league and played a pivotal role on Finland’s national teams at all levels,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said in a news release. “Anton’s maturity, compete level and sound two- way ability are exciting qualities to add to our organization.”

The forward recorded 16 goals and nine assists in 26 games with HIFK of Finland’s Liiga in the 2020-21 season.

This past weekend, Lundell won a silver medal with Finland at the IIHF World Championship, registering four goals in 10 games. In January, Lundell earned a bronze medal with Finland at the IIHF World Junior Championship, recording six goals in seven games.

Last week, Zito said the Panthers would be doing everything they could to sign Lundell.

“He’ll be here. There’s a plan. I’m going to go get him myself,” Zito said of Lundell “He’s tearing up the world championships. He’s a pretty good prospect.”

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215382 Florida Panthers

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov named finalist for Selke Trophy

By MALLORY SCHNELL

JUN 07, 2021 AT 1:37 PM

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov has been named a finalist for the 2020-21 Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is awarded “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”

Barkov, 25, recorded 26 goals and 32 assists in the 2020-21 season. He led the team in time on ice per game with 20:56. Barkov registered a career-high 54.9 faceoff win percentage, taking 1,026 total faceoffs.

Defensively, Barkov had 39 takeaways, 37 blocked shots and averaged 1:26 of shorthanded ice time per game.

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron and Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone are the other finalists for the Selke trophy. The winner will be announced at the NHL Awards during either the Stanley Cup semifinals or finals.

Bergeron, 35, is a four-time winner of the Selke Trophy. He recorded 23 goals, 25 assists, 36 blocked shots and 35 takeaways in the 2020-21 season. Bergeron ranked first in face-off percentage, winning 62% of his face-offs.

Stone, 29, was a runner-up for the Selke Trophy back in the 2018-19 season. He recorded 21 goals, 41 assists, 58 takeaways and 33 blocked shots. Stone would be the first Golden Knight to win the trophy.

This is the first time that the Panthers captain has been nominated for this award, previously winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2019 for being “the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”

A player from the Florida Panthers has never won the Selke Trophy. Brian Skrudland is the only other Panther to ever be nominated, being a runner-up in 1993-94.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215383 Florida Panthers Avalanche General Manager Joe Sakic will do what he has to do to back the Brink’s Truck up for the immediate and long-term future of the franchise. If that means putting another skilled player on the NHL Trade market or letting someone walk into free agency, Sakic appears to be OTR: Quinn To Sabres? Eichel, Makar, Jones, NHL Trade Market ready to do so.

Off the record:

Published 17 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Jimmy Murphy “I think we’re talking something like PK Subban’s contract,” the NHL agent told OTR referencing the nine-year, $72 million contract Subban

signed with the Montreal Canadiens back in 2014. “Now PK did a bridge, There is yet no word on the scheduled meeting between Buffalo Sabres but this situation is much different, and from what I keep hearing, it’s captain Jack Eichel and Sabres management, or if the meeting has yet going to be in that range. This kid–and no offense to PK–is already better taken place. Based on all indicators, the two sides have some serious than PK was, and unless he gets a serious injury, the sky is the limit. I issues to figure out to keep Eichel, one of the premier centers in the seriously think it’s fair to compare him to .” league, off the NHL trade market. 3. Jones Shows Player Empowerment Movement Real There is rampant speculation the Sabres will select their new coach with In an interview with Emily Kaplan of ESPN two weeks ago, Boston Bruins Eichel in mind. We have one name to watch on that front, and he’s very winger Taylor Hall said he doesn’t see the NHL becoming the NBA in familiar to the Metro Division and Boston fans. terms of the player empowerment movement we have seen amongst However, Off The Record has been reporting for a few months the two NBA players. In the NBA, it’s become commonplace for players under sides are headed for divorce, but the coach could be the Hail Mary to contract to force their way off a team when they become unhappy or keep the former second-overall pick. want a change of scenery. Hall admitted to Kaplan despite his no- movement clause and defenseman Seth Jones The Colorado Avalanche could begin their offseason as early as late telling the Jackets that he will not sign an extension? He instantly Thursday night. The offseason focus in Denver will immediately switch to became the hottest name on the NHL trade market. budding superstar defenseman Cale Makar and his second NHL contract. How much bank can Makar get? Off the record:

And NHL owners have held power since they instituted the salary cap in “Maybe Taylor can’t see it objectively because he literally was just part of 2005, but could the current NHL player empowerment create player- it, but this player empowerment is real in the NHL, and it’s only going to coordinated movement, so the NHL resembles the NBA? get bigger,” a former NHL exec told OTR recently. “I can see [Zach] Werenski doing it with Columbus too. The owners got their salary cap 1. Will Sabres Hire Quinn To Keep Eichel? and have basically won every CBA since then, but the players are now figuring out that they actually do have power too.” Since being fired by the New York Rangers on May 12, David Quinn hasn’t really been mentioned as a candidate for the vacant jobs with the Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, or Seattle Kraken. According to an NHL source close to Quinn, the former Boston University head coach, and Cranston, Rhode Island native, has been focused on resetting and spending time with his family since the Rangers showed him the door.

However, according to another NHL source with knowledge of the Sabres’ situation, general manager Kevyn Adams was interested in Quinn when he became a free agent. Adams planned to check in with the coach, Eichel’s coach for the center’s only college hockey season (2014- 15), at Boston University.

Eichel won the Hobey Baker Award that season. He and Quinn led the Terriers to Championship game before losing to Providence College. Could Eichel be a major factor in Adams’ interest in Quinn, and could hiring Quinn to take Eichel off the NHL Trade Market?

Off the record:

“That’s what I’m hearing, and it makes sense,” a second NHL source told Off The Record late last week. “Jack has a ton of respect and fond memories with ‘Quinny.’ He loved playing for him, and they keep in touch. He’s one of the reasons you heard so many Eichel to the Rangers rumors for the last year or so. That connection is where that came from, and now maybe Kevyn is thinking–along with some other major moves– he can lure Jack to stay.”

2. What Will Makar’s New Contract Be?

After dropping Game 4 of the West Division Final 5-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night, the Colorado Avalanche have more pressing matters to worry about than the offseason; though if they don’t find their game again soon, that offseason could start as soon as late Thursday night after Game 6 in Las Vegas.

Whenever the offseason begins for the Avalanche, Cale Makar and his second contract are the most pressing matter.

Over the last decade, we’ve seen some budding star defensemen take bridge contracts for their second contracts and some sign mega- extensions. Our Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins fans can look at Mike Matheson as one who got a whopper of a deal (eight years).

However, none of them were the once-in-a-generation talent and franchise defenseman like Makar. According to one NHL agent, the word on the street is, despite having unrestricted free agents like captain Gabriel Landeskog and finalist Philipp Grubauer to sign, 1215384 Florida Panthers

Markus Nutivaara Florida Panthers protected list: Who’s staying and who could be picked in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft Juho Lammikko

Brandon Montour

By Scott Burnside Jun 7, 2021 Carter Verhaeghe

Anthony Duclair

For a team that was once again bounced from the first round of the Noel Acciari playoffs and hasn’t won a playoff series since 1996, there’s a surprising amount of optimism surrounding the Florida Panthers. And there should Ryan Lomberg be. Mason Marchment

The Panthers finished second in the Central Division and then lost an Nikita Gusev entertaining six-game series to the Tampa Bay Lightning. But they showed real signs that under first-year GM Bill Zito and veteran head Protected coach there has been a palpable change in culture. Sam Bennett They are fast, skilled and much harder to play against than previous incarnations. The trick will be in keeping the team on that track and so Available this offseason looms large for Zito and it starts with the Seattle expansion Exempt draft. There were some surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant, during their brief playoff run and it’s possible those surprises directly impact how Forwards the team approaches the expansion draft. Jonathan Huberdeau: Has a no-move clause. A cornerstone piece of the We also know that Zito will be entertaining any and all possibilities with franchise. Not going anywhere. his roster construct starting with the expansion draft. He has salary cap Aleksander Barkov: See above. The captain is one of the top two-way space and doesn’t have too many outstanding issues vis a vis free agents although captain Aleksander Barkov is entering a contract season centers in the game and we’re guessing he gets locked up long-term and will get a healthy raise on his current $5.9 million cap hit. But in the sooner than later with a cap hit that will be near the top of the league. interim, Zito will be open to making trades either with Seattle or other Patric Hornqvist: The veteran winger has been a key part of the identity teams looking to fortify themselves against the expansion draft. One evolution in South Florida. He’s got two years left at $5.3 million and is a thing that’s unlikely to happen, at least as it relates to the expansion two-time Stanley Cup winner. If the 34-year-old is exposed, our guess is draft, is the team approaching veteran defenseman Keith Yandle about he’s a Kraken. waiving his no-move clause. Clearly Yandle’s future – two more years at a $6.35 million cap hit although the real money paid out is less at $5.2 Carter Verhaeghe: A revelation after being signed by the Panthers from million – is uncertain as he was a healthy scratch for the last half of the the Cup-winning Lightning, he had 36 points in 43 regular-season games. Tampa series. Sam Bennett: The deadline-day acquisition fit right in with the Panthers, Same with veteran netminder Sergei Bobrovsky who has five more years recording 15 points in 10 games and adding five more in the playoffs left on a contract with a whopper $10 million cap hit and has a full no- although he was suspended for a game. Bennett is a restricted free move clause. Bobrovsky was supplanted by both and agent but expect the Panthers to move quickly to keep him in the fold. Spencer Knight during the playoffs but he won’t be going anywhere, at Frank Vatrano: Didn’t have a great playoff with one goal and one assist least as it relates to the expansion draft. Another thing we can say with but had 18 goals in the regular season and is a proven 20-goal guy. relative certainty is that the Panthers will go the 7-3-1 route when it comes to coming up with a protected list. Noel Acciari: The versatile forward struggled this season scoring just four times in the regular season, down from 20 a year ago, and went pointless Here’s how the protected list could shakedown for the Panthers. in six playoff games to go with the zero points in four play-in round (Roster sorted by games played in 2020-21, minimum 10 games played.) games last summer. That’s not good. But he’s got one year left on his deal at a manageable $1.66 million cap hit. That’s good. Florida Panthers protected list This list doesn’t include Alexander Wennberg, who is among a number of FORWARDS DEFENSE GOALTENDERS Columbus ex-pats that Zito knows well. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent who had 17 regular-season goals but managed just one goal and Alex Wennberg an assist in six games against Tampa. Still, part of the Panther identity Keith Yandle mix and we’ll expect him to remain a Panther.

Sergei Bobrovsky is another player who impressed during the regular season but was off in the playoffs. Duclair is a restricted free agent and it Frank Vatrano was a nice fit in Florida but he’s also someone who might have some MacKenzie Weegar interest in Seattle.

Chris Driedger One player with whom we were particularly impressed during the playoffs was Ryan Lomberg, who has one year left on his current deal at Jonathan Huberdeau $725,000. The 26-year-old plays a feisty style that fits nicely with what the Panthers are doing and we’re guessing he’s someone Seattle might have some interest in as they plot their own identity. Lots of moving parts Spencer Knight up front but we’re guessing Seattle focuses on the Florida blue line.

Aleksander Barkov Defense

Gustav Forsling Keith Yandle: He has a no-move clause so isn’t going anywhere he doesn’t want to. Is there a buyout in Yandle’s future? Possibly. But for now the 34-year-old is one of three defensemen the Panthers will be protecting. Anton Stralman

Patric Hornqvist Aaron Ekblad: Ekblad was having a Norris Trophy type season until a knee injury put him on the sidelines. Assuming he comes back to the same arc, he’s one of the big reasons to believe this team is on the rise.

MacKenzie Weegar: A revelation, especially after the loss of Ekblad. We had Weegar fifth on our Norris Trophy ballot — that’s how impressive he was recording 36 points and a plus-29 rating tied for tops in the NHL.

Veterans Anton Stralman, Radko Gudas and Markus Nutivaara will likely be exposed and it’s possible Seattle will follow the pattern established by Vegas in 2017 stockpiling as many defensemen as possible and then turning some of those defenders into other assets leading up to the start of the regular season. If that’s the Seattle plan then one of these three players could be Seattle-bound

Goaltender

Sergei Bobrovsky: Has a no-move clause and while he ended as arguably the third-best goaltender on the roster, with rookie Spencer Knight taking over for the last two games against Tampa, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where he’s not back in Florida. In fact, there is already optimism in South Florida about what a Knight/Bobrovsky tandem will look like.

That leaves Chris Driedger as the odd man out of the goaltending carousel in Florida. He was terrific during the regular season going 14-6- 3 with a .927 save percentage but couldn’t seize the moment when he got a chance in the playoffs. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent and with Seattle able to speak to pending free agents before the expansion draft, perhaps the 27-year-old will get a shot at becoming the number one guy with the Kraken.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215385 Los Angeles Kings Boko Imama Protected

Brendan Lemieux Postseason Kings expansion draft projection: Who will be available to the Seattle Kraken? Exempt

Blake Lizotte

By Lisa Dillman Jun 8, 2021 Available

Matt Luff

Let’s get the suspense out of the way. There is not very much drama Drake Rymsha when it comes to which players the Kings should protect for the Seattle expansion draft, which will take place on July 21.

In six weeks, there will be new areas of debate after Seattle selects its The final decisions team. Will Kraken general manager Ron Francis emerge as crafty as You may have noticed one change from the last time we conducted this then-Vegas GM George McPhee in 2017? Or did teams and their general exercise, shortly after the trade deadline in April. The slight tweak was managers learn from their mistakes four years ago? putting Lias Andersson on the protected list and taking Dustin Brown off.

The countdown is on. Here is our projection of which players the Kings Rather than list only why certain players were left unprotected, this time will protect and who will be available to Seattle. For the sake of brevity, we are going to list the case for and the case against protecting some of the list of exempt players is limited to those with at least six games in the the players on the bubble. The Kings may not have as many tough calls NHL and thus does not include players such as Alex Turcotte and Arthur as other teams, but it doesn’t mean all their decisions are absolutely cut Kaliyev. and dried.

Los Angeles Kings expansion list Lias Andersson

FORWARDS DEFENSEMEN GOALIES 2020-21: 23 games, 3 goals, 3 assists, minus-4, 12:04 time on ice.

Lias Andersson Case for protection: If the Kings were facing serious protection problems, Drew Doughty I might consider leaving him unprotected. But they aren’t. While he is only 22, a year younger than Austin Wagner, the Kings could use more Cal Petersen time to see what they have in Andersson. To be sure, his time in the organization has been brief and they gave up a second-round draft Andreas Athanasiou choice to acquire him in a trade with the New York Rangers in October. Matt Roy He was left unprotected the last time we did this exercise but there were enough positive signs down the stretch to merit an extended audition. Troy Grosenick Andersson is elusive down low and has a bit of an edge, a quality the Kings need more of, not less. Carl Grundstrom Case against protection: Can’t see one right now. Sean Walker Dustin Brown Jonathan Quick 2020-21: 49 games, 17 goals, 14 assists, 9 power-play goals, minus-3, Alex Iafallo 17:37 TOI. Mikey Anderson Case for protection: Brown is a former captain with two Stanley Cup Adrian Kempe championships on his resume and carries himself with a high level of professionalism. The Kraken are going to want two or three experienced Tobias Bjornfot players with those types of credentials to establish a culture in Seattle. He was the Kings’ second-best forward this season. Do they want to play Anze Kopitar that game of expansion poker with the Kraken? Mark Alt Case against protection: There isn’t much risk in losing Brown, not only Trevor Moore because of his age but because of his $5.875 million cap hit next season. It would be a lot of money to commit to a player who will turn 37 in Daniel Brickley November. Plus, Brown was shut down near the end of the season Jaret Anderson-Dolan because of an unspecified upper-body injury, which isn’t thought to be a long-term issue. That, by itself, wouldn’t take him out of the running for Kale Clague the Kraken but it could be one extra factor tipping the scales, prompting Seattle to pick someone else. Quinton Byfield Kale Clague Kurtis MacDermid 2020-21: 18 games, 0 goals, 6 assists, minus-6, 17:12 TOI. Rasmus Kupari Case for protection: Does anyone remember defenseman Brayden Olli Maatta McNabb? Clague and McNabb aren’t the same types of defensemen but Gabriel Vilardi it’s important to remember that a lot of players at that position have become late-bloomers. McNabb was taken by the Golden Knights in the Jacob Moverare expansion draft and has gone on to do much more for Vegas than anyone could have imagined. Dustin Brown Case against protection: This past season was viewed as a crucial Austin Strand campaign for Clague and he had several opportunities to make an Mikey Eyssimont impression, including a stretch when defensemen Tobias Bjornfot and Matt Roy were out of the lineup in April. But his last game with the Kings was on April 14 and he finished the season with AHL Ontario. Essentially, it makes far more sense for the Kings to go with the 7-3-1 Martin Frk (seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie) format than 8-1 (eight skaters, one goalie), and that leaves Clague out. Carl Grundstrom

2020-21: 47 games, 6 goals, 5 assists, minus-10, 12:28 TOI.

Case for protection: Grundstrom, at his best, can be hard to play against and hard to knock off the puck. He led the Kings with 104 hits this season. There was some improvement and it appears as though he made strides in terms of understanding coach Todd McLellan’s system. And considering he was thought of as one of the meaningful pieces in the Jake Muzzin trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it would be difficult to imagine the Kings moving on from him at this point in his career.

Case against protection: Again, the Kings don’t have a serious protection problem and there doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming case to leave him unprotected.

Blake Lizotte

2020-21: 41 games, 3 goals, 7 assists, plus-2, 12:42 TOI.

Case for protection: The Kings have invested time in Lizotte’s development and while he may not be nearly as far along as, say, Alex Iafallo, the coaching staff has shown trust in Lizotte in certain situations. He is a steady, low-maintenance player who coaches love, and he has good first-step acceleration and is already a serviceable bottom-of-the- lineup forward. His season was interrupted by a stint in COVID-19 protocol, so it can be argued that the Kings didn’t get a long enough look this past season to decide what he is and how he fits into the bigger picture.

Case against protection: It is far more about the surplus of centers in the organization than anything else. Youngsters Rasmus Kupari and Quinton Byfield are on the cusp and are likely to be given far more responsibility and bigger roles in 2021-22. The other development unfolded in Riga, Latvia, at the World Championships, when Team USA may have given the Kings’ coaching staff an unexpected assist by putting Trevor Moore at center. Not only was Moore effective in the middle but he revealed more of an offensive component to his game in the tournament with the bronze-medal-winning USA team.

Austin Wagner

2020-21: 44 games, 4 goals, 4 assists, minus-14, 10:30 TOI.

Case for protection: The concern is that Wagner goes to a new team and the opportunities he created with his speed – which weren’t being finished with the Kings — suddenly start going in the net.

Case against protection: The Kings have had a reasonable look at him over the span of a few years. If they are keeping Athanasiou, they don’t necessarily want two players like that in their lineup. Plus, Athanasiou once scored 30 goals in a season (2018-19) and Wagner’s best was 12 goals in his rookie season of 2018-19.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215386 Los Angeles Kings 2021-22 Status – Athanasiou is a restricted free agent this summer and would need to agree on a new contract with the organization. He is one of those cases that doesn’t really make sense, as a non-tendered player last summer made him an unrestricted free agent, who is somehow now Kings Seasons in Review – Restricted Free Agents restricted again.

By Zach Dooley10 hours ago495 Comments The forward said, in early-May, that talks had begun, something that was confirmed by General Manager Rob Blake. That’s not to say a deal is SHARE THIS ARTICLE close, or even going to happen, but there have been conversations about Insiders, we’ve reached the final of the group evaluations, with today’s extending Athanasiou’s stay with the organization. recap of the players who spent last season, or at least the majority of, “There’s always talks throughout the year,” Athanasiou said. “Obviously with the Kings, and are now restricted free agents this summer. I’m on a one-year [contract], so I’ve got to re-sign this year, it’s pretty This group consists of four forwards – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake straight forward. There’s talks and they seem to be going pretty good. I’m Lizotte, Matt Luff and Trevor Moore – all of whom will need new contracts looking forward to being an LA King hopefully next year and hopefully for this summer to continue with the organization, and all of whom are under a long time. It’s been all pretty positive and it’s just a part of the business team control. the way it goes. If you play your hockey, the off-ice stuff will take care of itself.” Included here are audio evaluations of players featuring Jesse Cohen and Daryl Evans. Blake Lizotte

Following today’s reviews, we’ll take a look, individually, at the 17 NHL Statline – 41 games played, 3 goals, 7 assists, +2 rating, 16 penalty remaining players who spent the majority of the season in the NHL with minutes the Kings and are also under contract for next season. Possession Metrics (Relative To Kings) – CF% – 50.9% (+1.4%), SCF – Andreas Athanasiou 46.3% (-0.5%), HDCF – 47.3% (-0.8%)

NHL Statline – 47 games played, 10 goals, 13 assists, -6 rating, 27 Outside of the Kings top line, which for the bulk of the season consisted penalty minutes of Anze Kopitar between Alex Iafallo and Dustin Brown, just one regular forward was on the plus side of the 50% Corsi mark this season. That Possession Metrics (Relative To Kings) – CF% – 47.2% (-1.4%), SCF – player was Blake Lizotte, who came in just shy of that trio at 50.9%. 44.9% (-1.2%), HDCF – 44.8% (-1.9%) While a step down from last season’s total of more than 55 percent, For better or for worse this season, things happened when Andreas Lizotte has been among the team leaders in that area in both of his two Athanasiou was on the ice. full NHL seasons. Last season, Lizotte was a bit of a surprise in making the team out of training camp, as he provided a positive storyline on a Among regular Kings forwards, Athanasiou ranked in the Top 3 in terms team that struggled as a unit. As he settled in during his sophomore of scoring chances for and high-danger chances for per 60 minutes he season, we saw many of the same traits as a season ago – effort, was on the ice for. That’s a good thing. Athanasou also, however, ranked energy, responsible play – though the raw production did not quite match inside the Top 3 in terms of most scoring chances and high-danger his numbers from the season prior. chances against per 60 minutes. And that’s not as good. Lizotte began the season on a line with Jeff Carter and Andreas Those numbers seem to fall right in line with what we saw from Athanasiou, with his wingers combining to produce 11 points over the Athanasiou this season. His combination of speed and skill was a nice first seven games of the season, prior to both Lizotte and Athanasiou add for General Manager Rob Blake on the eve of training camp, with entering the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol, which kept both forwards out for Athanasiou bringing some of the things that the Kings lacked. Adding in a an extended stretch. guy who skates the way Athanasiou does, with the skill level and slippery play he brings, was a player the Kings were missing. Athanasiou helped Once back in the lineup, Lizotte rovered between the three center there. positions in the bottom nine, behind top-line stalwart Anze Kopitar. On most nights, the Kings did not designate a defined second line, Lizotte “We don’t talk a lot about that, but his ability to escape out of crowds, or seemed to draw the ire of fans when listed as the 2C on a particular dart to open ice and buy him or his teammates some time is significant,” night. When listed lower in the lineup, what he brings to the team seemed Todd McLellan said of Athanasiou. “He used it the other day, and it just to be more appreciated. adds a different ingredient into the mix and we’re fortunate to have him right now.” After a long scoreless drought, that saw Lizotte go without a goal for nearly three months, he posted six points from his final ten games At the same time, we’re not talking about a player who was known for his played, before an AC sprain cost him the month of May, and an defensive play when he signed with the Kings, though McLellan did talk opportunity to represent Team USA at the recently completed World about the growth in that area from Athanasiou throughout the season. Championships. Production-wise, Athansaiou was one of seven Kings with double-digit “You kind of go through stretches in this league, it’s the toughest league goals this season, as he tied for fifth in terms of both goals and points in the world, there’s good players and your confidence, your amongst forwards. At just shy of a half-point-per-game, Athanasiou’s comfortability level definitely varies throughout a season, the ups and production level this season fell almost identically in line with where he downs of playing in this league. It’s something that every player goes was at least season, which he split between Detroit and Edmonton. through and I think it’s a part of maturing in this league. I’m just happy to Though around that 0.5 points-per-game pace, it wasn’t broken down by be on this side of it where I’m playing confidently right now.” a point every other game for Athanasiou. The 26-year-old winger It’s rarely a mystery what you’re going to get from Lizotte on a night-to- collected a point in each of his first four games with the Kings and had night basis. He’s a 110% type of player, who maximizes his effort and five (3-2-5) from his first seven, before he was added to the NHL’s provides value on the penalty kill. How you value Lizotte likely comes COVID-19 Protocol list in late January. down to your expectations of the player. Expecting second-line Once activated nearly a month later, Athanasiou had six points (3-3-6) production will leave you disappointed. Expecting a hard-working bottom from his first ten games back, before he finished the season with a few six center, likely less so. multi-point games, but also a few scoreless droughts. Athanasiou had 2021-22 Status – Lizotte recently completed the third year of his entry- multiple points three times in a span of ten games between March 31 and level contract, making him a restricted free agent for the first time as a April 20, including a season-high three on 4/20 versus Anaheim. He also professional. Due to just two years of professional experience, Lizotte finished the season without a goal in his final 12 games and had just four does not have arbitration rights this summer and next steps regarding his over his final 30 games. future will likely come with the tendering of qualifying offers in July, if the In many ways, an up-and-down campaign for Athanasiou, but on a one- two sides do not strike a deal before then. year deal with a cap hit of $1.3 million, a good signing and addition for If Lizotte does re-sign with the Kings, expect him to compete for a spot in the Kings. the bottom six with the Kings this coming season. Matt Luff excellent example for a younger player coming up, in finding other ways to be successful. NHL Statline – 13 games played, 1 goal, 0 assists, -4 rating, 5 penalty minutes “For some of our midrange younger players coming up and into the organization, maybe not being Top 6 players, there may be some in AHL Statline – 4 games played, 3 goal, 1 assist, even rating, 2 penalty Ontario that are going to be middle six, or bottom six, this guy’s path to minutes where he is right now is one that they should take a look at,” McLellan Possession Metrics (Relative To Kings) – CF% – 44.6% (-2.4%), SCF – said. “Little later in development, finding a role. He was an offensive guy 43.0% (-0.1%), HDCF – 32.6% (-17.1%) in college, he still has that in his game, but he’s been able to add to it and take on defensive responsibility. He’s worked his way into a permanent For the first time in his professional career, Matt Luff broke camp on the position in the NHL in my opinion.” NHL roster. For the first time, he was in an opening night lineup with the Kings, as he skated on the team’s fourth line in both games of the Permanent position, indeed. opening series against Minnesota. Unfortunately for Luff, he exited the What exactly Moore’s ceiling is, at this point, remains to be seen. Can he lineup with an injury following the game on January 16, and was never take that next step offensively, and provide more offensive production to able to consistently re-take his place, appearing in 11 additional games match his energy and responsible play? Based on raw production, he throughout the remainder of the season. matched Athanaisiou to a T this season at 10 goals and 23 points apiece. On a team that had so many players vying for ice time in the bottom six, Can he be a consistent and effective middle-six forward? Is he more of Luff found himself a victim of a numbers game at times. Coming off his an energy guy who can play in multiple places throughout the lineup, kill injury, Luff worked his way back into the lineup for three straight games penalties and provide the Kings a spark? in February and six in March over a span of seven games, but his status At this stage, it’ll be Moore’s progression into next season which will was never permanent. He scored his only goal of the season, an answer that question, but if this season’s progress is to be believed, it’ll important one, on March 6 in a comeback victory over St. Louis. be an exciting progression to watch heading into next season.

As the season progressed, however, Luff was assigned to the AHL’s 2021-22 Status – Moore indicated during his final interview of the season in early-April, after clearing waivers, where he scored that there had been some discussions surrounding a new contract and three times in four games, eventually returning to the Kings where he that he wants to remain with the Kings moving forward. finished the season with a pair of additional games played. “A little bit,” Moore said of potential discussions. “From my end, I want to It was a challenging season in a lot of ways for Luff, who is a well-liked be here. Big Kings fan, I love this organization, I think that everything is teammate throughout the locker room, with many supporters outside of it. trending in the right direction and I would love to be a part of it.” At now 24-year-old, he’d likely have wanted a bit larger of an opportunity to prove his place at the NHL level, though he was in a situation with Moore’s commitment to the area was recognized through his nomination several other players, in a similar age range, with similar expectations. for the Kings Clancy Award, awarded to the player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy 2021-22 Status – As is the theme of this list, Luff is a restricted free agent humanitarian contribution in his community.” this summer. In originally signing Luff, the Kings got their money worth and then some, with an undrafted free agent skating in 64 NHL games Moore’s progression this season certainly earned him a pay increase, over his age 21, 22 and 23 seasons. Pretty impressive, honestly. and his hope is that it will come here in Southern . Whether with the Kings or elsewhere remains to be seen, but Luff will continue on his quest to lock down a full-time NHL role this summer. Trevor Moore's second of the night pic.twitter.com/9m7Z7kB4au

Trevor Moore — LA Kings (@LAKings) April 15, 2021

NHL Statline – 56 games played, 10 goals, 13 assists, -5 rating, 18 We’ll take a look at the goaltenders later this week, with reviews for penalty minutes Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen coming next.

Possession Metrics (Relative To Kings) – CF% – 46.8% (-1.6%), SCF – LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.08.2021 45.2% (+0.4%), HDCF – 48.1% (+3.4%)

If you were looking for a player to say “this guy exceeded expectations more than anyone else”, Trevor Moore would likely be your guy.

Sure, there were a few other cases to be made, but it’d be hard to argue with answering who is Trevor Moore to that Jeopardy clue.

Moore began the 2020-21 season on the Kings fourth line, where he was solid enough through the opening slate of games. Enter a lineup change in early-February, which slotted Moore alongside Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Carl Grundstrom and Moore’s role began to increase.

That trio provided energetic and effective play in their short time together, moving their way from being slotted as the fourth line up all the way to the second line. That unit controlled more than 55 percent of high-danger chances when on the ice, and proved to be a line where all three members had one goal in mind. Hunt the puck. They did so effectively, combining for ten points over their first five games as a unit.

When Anderson-Dolan was injured in mid-February in Arizona, the line went their separate ways, though Moore’s progression continued. Moore was a sparkplug throughout the lineup, playing with a variety of different linemates and seemingly finding some form of success with more of them. Looking specifically at high-danger chances, Moore had the best percentage in his favor beyond the Iafallo – Kopitar – Brown trio.

When you look at the players coming up the pipeline, although many have Top 6 potential, it’s not rational to project each of them as Top 6 players with the Kings or anywhere in the league. Some might fulfill that potential, but others might need to make an NHL living as a third or fourth line player, while others might not reach their NHL potential at all. Such is life with projecting prospects. As McLellan put it, Moore path is an 1215387 Los Angeles Kings

9 Kings win medals at 2021 World Championships + Petersen named as best goaltender

By Zach Dooley16 hours ago

The LA Kings walked away with nine player medals, two staff medals and an individual award from the 2021 IIHF World Championships, which were concluded yesterday in Riga, Latvia.

Gold (Canada) – Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Gabe Vilardi, Sean Walker

Silver (Finland) – Olli Maatta, Kim Nousiainen

Bronze (United States) – Trevor Moore, Cal Petersen, Matt Roy, Christian Wolanin + Dana Bryson (equipment) & Jon Gomez (communications)

Additionally, goaltender Cal Petersen was named as the tournament’s best goaltender, as he posted a .953 save percentage and a 1.29 goals against average as he allowed just nine goals across seven starts.

Recapping the knockout stages, all nine Kings players that advanced from pool play put themselves in a position to play for a medal, with Canada, Finland and the United States all winning in their quarterfinal matchups. For the USA, Trevor Moore and Christian Wolanin each tallied two assists in a 6-1 win over Slovakia, while Petersen made 27 saves on 28 shots to earn the victory. Matt Roy suffered an upper-body injury in this game that kept him out of the lineup for the remainder of the tournament.

In the semifinals, Canada and the United States squared off, in a matchup featuring seven total Kings players. Sean Walker collected an assist for Team Canada, while Wolanin had one for the Americans, with the Canadians earning a 4-2 victory and a place in the gold-medal game. On the other side of the bracket, defensemen Olli Maatta and Kim Nousiainen were a part of a Finland defense that allowed just one goal across two knockout stage games, as they downed the Czech Republic (1-0) and Germany (2-1) to advance to face Canada with a gold medal on the line.

In the medal round, Team USA claimed bronze as Wolanin tallied a goal and two assists, Moore found the back of the net and Petersen made 33 saves in a convincing 6-1 win over Germany. In the gold-medal game, Walker tallied an assist for the second straight game, while Nousiainen had an assist for Finland, as Canada eventually skated to a 3-2 overtime victory to earn their first gold at the Men’s World Championships since 2016.

With five goals and nine points, Moore ranked tied for sixth in the overall tournament in both categories, while Wolanin ranked tied for fifth with five assists. The Kings blueliner was tied for the overall tournament lead in assists amongst defensemen, as he ranked tied for second amongst defensemen in overall scoring.

On the goaltending front, Petersen’s marks led all goaltenders at the tournament in both save percentage (.953) and goals-against average (1.29), as he was one of two goaltenders to post multiple shutouts during the event. Among goaltenders with at least 400 minutes played, Petersen’s nine goals allowed were the fewest in the tournament.

Looking ahead to what you might expect would be a more normal 2022 tournament, the groups for next season will be as follows:

Group A – Canada, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia, Denmark, Kazahkstan, Italy

Group B – Finland, United States, Czech Republic, Sweden, Latvia, Norway, Belarus, Great Britain

With the Division 1 tournament, scheduled to be hosted by Anze Kopitar’s Slovenia, cancelled due to COVID-19, no teams were relegated from, or promoted to, the top division for next season. Here’s to looking forward to getting back to a more normal format in 2022.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215388 Montreal Canadiens Price did show a touch of Roy luck when Winnipeg’s star defenceman Josh Morrissey took a shot through a screen that seemed a certain goal – right up until it ticked off the top of Price’s goal stick.

Playing for their lives, the Jets forced overtime. Then, in a wink, it was With less than a minute remaining in the opening period, the Canadiens over went up 2-0 when forward Artturi Lehkonen tipped a Kulak point shot into the top far corner of Hellebuyck’s net.

Jets head coach proved prescient as he had said earlier in Roy MacGregor the day that “this series is blue paint.” The Jets had previously swept the Edmonton Oilers in four games that featured scoring off the rush, but PUBLISHED JUNE 7, 2021 these games were all about tips and screens and ensuring the UPDATED JUNE 7, 2021 goaltenders did not have clear views. Both Montreal goals were scored exactly this way.

“They’ve gotten to ours,” said Maurice, “and we haven’t gotten to theirs.” What would it be – blink or wink? The second period, however, would belong to a most unlikely Winnipeg Monday night in Montreal being the 28th anniversary of the most famous hero, 6-foot-7 lumbering defenceman Logan Stanley. The 23-year-old wink in NHL history, there was talk everywhere of the Stanley Cup- from Waterloo, Ont., unheralded until June 7, 2021, scored twice in the winning 1993 Canadiens and the team’s unlikely parallels to the period to tie the game at two goals apiece. surprising 2021 Canadiens. Stanley’s first goal came less than two minutes in, his long shot from the Perhaps a bit early for such talk, but what else is there to do in this left point happy that, finally, the Jets were converging on the “blue paint” pandemic? of Price’s crease. Less than four minutes later, he scored again, this time from the other side after hurdling the boards and entering the play just in The 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens were not expected to win the time to rifle a second point shot past Price. championship. They struggled in their opening round against the but slowly found themselves in a spring of overtime shockers. In a third period that was as frenetic as much of the previous games had They won a remarkable 10 games in overtime as they moved through the been static, both sides threatened but could not succeed. Both Price and Nordiques, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and then met Wayne Hellebuyck were up to the high standards they had set earlier in their Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup final. respective series.

Game 4 of that series was held on June 7, 1993, the Kings pressing In the overtime, however, it was all Montreal, the final score seemingly desperately in the final minutes to force overtime. With one minute and inevitable. one second left, Canadiens’ goaltender Patrick Roy stole what seemed a certain goal from the Kings’ Tomas Sandstrom. “I never would have thought this would go four games,” said Jets captain . “I’m just stunned.” As Sandstrom skated away, he looked back in astonishment – and Roy smiled and winked at him. The moment perfectly caught on camera. “Kind of feels like nobody believes in us,” said Toffoli, the overtime hero. “The only people we have are ourselves and our fans.” It was the last time a Canadian team won the Cup. Are they the 1993 Montreal Canadiens reborn? Not yet. This surprising spring playoffs, the 2021 Montreal team came back from being down 3-1 in games to defeat the highly ranked Toronto Maple As head coach Ducharme put it, “We have a long way to go.” Leafs. There have been overtime victories and – most important of all – “Nothing yet,” said Canadiens captain . “It’s a step in the the stellar play of Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has reminded fans right direction, another step towards our ultimate goal. of Roy at the top of his game. “But we can’t be satisfied.” “I was 20 years old, so I remember well ’93,” said Montreal head coach Dominique Ducharme on Monday. “They faced some adversity against Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.08.2021 Quebec but they came back and got on a roll.”

Montreal forward , who was only four years old that spring, knows of this “legendary team” through old VHS tapes he once watched.

“Pretty cool to have our own,” he said.

They may one day have it, as it would be the Winnipeg Jets blinking first early in overtime as Montreal’s Tyler Toffoli buried a perfect pass from Cole Caufield to win the game 3-2 and the series, sending the Canadiens on to the semi-final round.

No doubt the Jets missed their best player and scoring leader, Mark Scheifele, suspended four games by the league for an ill-advised and brutal attack on Montreal’s Jake Evans at the end of Game 1. Evans ended up with a concussion following the hit moments after he had scored into the empty Winnipeg net.

The coaches and players paid the expected lip service to getting off to a fast start, but only Montreal lived up to its words. Barely seven minutes in the Canadiens went on the power play courtesy of a high-sticking penalty to Jets forward Andrew Copp. The Canadiens took advantage of a miserable clearing attempt from the Winnipeg zone when Montreal defenceman Erik Gustafsson scored on a point shot that somehow made it through a Swiss-cheese screen of players that meant Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had no chance.

Less than three minutes later, the Jets got their own power-play chance when Montreal defenceman Brett Kulak was called for interference. Their puck control, however, was unimpressive, and but for a nice Price save on Nikolaj Ehlers, they rarely threatened. 1215389 Montreal Canadiens

In the Habs' Room: 'Our goal is not to stop here,' coach Ducharme says

Pat Hickey • Publishing date:Jun 08, 2021 • 4 hours ago

After Tyler Toffoli sent the Canadiens into the Stanley Cup semifinals with the winning goal in overtime, he went in search of rookie Cole Caufield, whose cross-ice pass made the score possible.

“He’s just a little guy, I couldn’t find him out there,” Toffoli said after the Canadiens edged the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 at the to complete a sweep of the best-of-seven North Division final.

Caufield is 5-foot-7, but he has been standing out in the crowd after watching the first two playoff games from the press gallery.

“He’s a lot better than what I was when I came into the league,” Toffoli said. “He’s just a great player. Every time the puck’s on his stick, something good happens.”

Caufield earned a reputation as a goal-scorer at the U.S. junior and college levels, but while he’s waiting for his first NHL playoff goal, he has shown an ability as a playmaker. He threaded a pass through the crease to set up Nick Suzuki for a power-play goal Sunday night, and he showed no hesitation on his pass to Toffoli.

It took a perfect pass and a perfect shot to beat Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who made 39 saves in a valiant effort to stave off elimination.

Carey Price wasn’t as busy. He faced only 16 shots, but he made a game-saving stop on Paul Stastny late in the third period. After Monday’s win, he leads the NHL with a .935 save percentage in the playoffs.

The Canadiens were playing their 11th game in 19 nights, but the sweep means they will have an opportunity for some rest and quality practice time. Montreal will face the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights-Colorado Avalanche series. The teams are currently tied 2-2 and the earliest it can finish is Thursday.

Coach Dominique Ducharme, who deserves to have the interim tag dropped from his title, said the players will get a well-deserved day off Tuesday and he and his staff will work on a plan for the next series.

No matter which team the Canadiens face, they will be the underdogs in the next round, but Ducharme said he welcomed the challenge after a season of games against Canadian rivals.

“It will give us more work,” Ducharme said. “Obviously, we knew a lot about the teams we faced. It’s good to measure yourself against the best. (Colorado and Vegas) finished among the best teams in the league. Our goal is not to stop here. If we want to achieve our goal, we have to beat the best teams. ”

The Canadiens were the last team to qualify for the playoffs, but Ducharme said the puzzle began to come together before a rocky finish to the regular season. He noted that the Canadiens had a 14-game stretch in which they twice went through a six-game run without a regulation loss. A failure to win overtime games coloured the perception of the team which emerged from a COVID outbreak to face more adversity in what Ducharme described as a storm.

With Monday’s win, the Canadiens are 3-0 in overtime games and they haven’t trailed since Game 4 of the Toronto series.

The Canadiens are in the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014, but captain Shea Weber put the success in perspective.

“To be honest, we haven’t proven anything yet,” Weber said. “It doesn’t mean much. It is a step in the right direction and we are moving forward. This is one more step toward our final goal, but we certainly cannot be satisfied.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215390 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens' ride overtime magic to series sweep of Jets

Pat Hickey • Publishing date:Jun 07, 2021 • 6 hours ago

The Canadiens have become the first team to qualify for the Stanley Cup semifinals, but Connor Hellebuyck didn’t make it easy for them.

Hellebuyck made 38 saves before Tyler Toffoli scored at 1:39 of overtime to give the Canadiens a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets Monday night at the Bell Centre. The win completed a sweep of the Jets in the best-of- seven North Division final. Rookie Cole Caufield assisted on the winning goal.

It was the third overtime win for the Canadiens in the playoffs and they haven’t trailed since Game 4 of their first-round series against Toronto.

Erik Gustafsson showed why he’s in the lineup when he scored a power- play goal midway through the first period as the Canadiens scored the first goal for the seventh consecutive game.

Gustafsson can be a defensive liability, but he moves the puck well and he displayed his offensive savvy on the goal. He moved a stride to his left to find a shooting lane and took advantage of the net presence of Cole Caufield and Tyler Toffoli to score his first goal as a Canadien. Montreal was able to apply pressure after former Canadien failed to clear the puck.

The Canadiens took advantage of another Winnipeg mistake to go up 2-0 with 51 seconds remaining in the period, Nikolaj Ehlers tried to clear the puck through the middle, but it was picked off by Brendan Gallagher who set up Brett Kulak for a shot from the point. Kulak’s shot was deflected by Artturi Lehkonen, who showed great composure to tip the knuckleball while being checked by Derek Forbort.

It was the second goal in two games for Lehkonen and he has points in all three games since he replaced the injured Jake Evans.

The Jets were outshot 13-4 in the second period, but got back into the game when defenceman Logan Stanley beat Price on two high shots to the short side, first on the blocker side and then finding a spot over the goaltender’s glove. Stanley, a 6-foot-7 rookie, had only one goal in 37 regular-season games.

Stanley’s second goal came seconds after he jumped on the ice and joined the rush after Hellebuyck made a save on Gallagher.

Winnipeg had a chance to take its first lead in the series late in the second period when Kyle Connor set up Mason Appleton. His shot was deflected by Ben Chiarot and hit the crossbar as it bounced over Price.

The Canadiens were without top-four defenceman Jeff Petry and that provided an opportunity for rookie Alexander Romanov to make his NHL playoff debut.

Petry was injured in Game 3 Sunday when his fingers were caught in a hole in the glass which is designed for photographers. The hole should have been plugged because there was nobody taking pictures from that location.

Ben Chiarot, Shea Weber and became the top three in Petry’s absence with Ducharme spotting Gustafsson, Romanov and Kulak alongside one of the veterans.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215391 Montreal Canadiens videos back on the VHS tapes. It would be pretty cool to have our own history like that.”

The Canadiens now move on to face the West Division champions — Stu Cowan: For Canadiens fans, it's starting to feel a bit like 1993 either the Vegas Golden Knights or Colorado Avalanche — in the Stanley Cup semifinals. That series is tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 Tuesday in Colorado (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports) and either of those teams would present a huge challenge for the Canadiens. Stu Cowan Publishing date:Jun 07, 2021 • 5 hours ago A few days ago, Slayd released an updated version of his song Rock the

Sweater, which he first released during the Canadiens’ 2014 playoff run. We’re only midway through the playoffs, but Canadiens fans can be “I hadn’t initially thought about Feels like ’93, but the similarities have forgiven for thinking it feels like 1993. kind of arisen,” Slayd said Monday afternoon. “I’m getting a lot of The Canadiens beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 Monday night at the Bell requests now for a Feels like ’93 update. Someone at the game last night Centre on an overtime goal by Tyler Toffoli in Game 4 of the North had a sign that said ‘Feels Like ’93.’ So there’s a lot of — I don’t want to Division final to sweep the series. The Canadiens now advance to the say pressure — but not-so-subtle hints from my fans and from Habs fans, Stanley Cup semifinals for the first time since 2014 when they lost to the generally, to rehash it. New York Rangers. “I’ll definitely put some thought into it in the next few days,” the musician The Canadiens also made it to the Eastern Conference final in 2010 and added. “But right now I love the new version of Rock the Sweater and I’m that was the year Montreal musician Annakin Slayd released a song and planning a release of a video for that. I’m going to roll with Rock the video titled Feels Like ’93 — the last year the Canadiens won the Stanley Sweater. Maybe if we make the final then I’ll start thinking about Feels Cup. Like ’93. But that seems really far away right now.”

“A lot of similarities this year not only to ’93 but also to 2010, which is It got a little closer with Monday night’s OT win. interesting,” Slayd said Monday afternoon, recalling the Canadiens’ 2010 Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.08.2021 playoff run when they upset the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins before losing to the Philadelphia Flyers. “Riding a hot goalie, coming back from down 3-1 against a team that nobody gave the Canadiens a chance against (the Toronto Maple Leafs). If we sweep tonight, I remember thinking last night: When was the last time we swept in the second round? And, of course, it’s ’93 against the Sabres.”

That was also in overtime in Game 4 with scoring the winner against Buffalo.

The Canadiens have now won seven straight playoff games, including back-to-back overtime victories over the Maple Leafs while facing elimination in Games 5 and 6 of the first round after falling behind 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. In 1993, the Canadiens had a team-record 11- game winning streak in the playoffs and also won 10 consecutive OT games en route to hoisting their 24th Stanley Cup.

Heading into this year’s playoffs, the Canadiens hadn’t won a first-round series since 2015 and had completely missed the playoffs three times since then. So it’s understandable fans are getting excited, especially since there now seems to be a light at the end of COVID-19 tunnel, fans are returning to the Bell Centre, and summer temperatures have arrived in Montreal just as restaurants and terrasses are opening again.

We’re even starting to see Canadiens car flags that fans probably dug up in their basements.

Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said he has good memories of that 1993 Stanley Cup season.

“I was 20 years old, so I remember well ’93,” said Ducharme, who was playing for the back then. “It was a great time. The team really jelled together and went through adversity against Quebec (losing the first two games in the first round) and then came back and got on a roll.”

Ducharme added that the current Canadiens team isn’t thinking about 1993.

“We’re so focused on the moment,” he said Monday morning. “I know from the outside maybe you can see some things that are looking the same. But we have a long way to go. We’re only thinking about tonight. It’s a big game for us.”

The Canadiens’ Paul Byron was only 4 when the Canadiens won the Cup in 1993.

“Getting compared to that team is … I don’t know what to think,” he said Monday when asked about the similarities so far in this year’s playoff run. “That was a pretty legendary team. We’re trying to write our own path, our own run. Honestly, our focus every day is kind of just on tonight, not thinking too far ahead of things.

“Looking back as a kid I used to watch all the Rock’em Sock’em (videos),” Byron added. “I don’t know if it was Rock’em Sock’em 5, maybe, where it was Montreal’s run, the 10 straight overtimes. I didn’t really remember watching it live, but I definitely remember watching the 1215392 Montreal Canadiens night’s 5-1 shellacking of the Jets. Staal had 13 points in 53 games this season with Buffalo and Montreal. In nine playoff games, he has seven points.

What the Puck: There's something magical happening with the Everyone was talking about how even if Montreal made it out of the Canadiens North, the prize would getting destroyed by the Colorado Avalanche in the next round. Now the Vegas Golden Knights are taking it to the Avs, the series is tied, and many are salivating at the possibility of a duel pitting Price against Québécois goalie extraordinaire Marc-André Fleury. Brendan Kelly • Publishing date:Jun 07, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 4 How cool would that be?

Is it too soon to start dreaming about the first meeting of the Boston Who are these Habs and what did you do with the Hab-nots I was Bruins and the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final since 1978? Wouldn’t grumbling about all season? that just kind of make sense in a year in which Montreal faced Toronto in a playoff series for the first time since ’79? I’m confused, but super happy. Bring it on! Just don’t ask me to try to explain how a team so mediocre One faithful reader, one of many who reads this column simply to for most of the regular season became so magical in the post-season. violently disagree with my opinions, sent me an email on the weekend with the subject line “Crow”. The entire message was: “How tasty is the Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.08.2021 crow?”

This has been a fairly typical reaction in recent days. People seem to think that the Canadiens’ recent run of success is the worst-case scenario for What the Puck headquarters. But as I’ve been writing for five years, those who think I’m a Habs hater simply aren’t reading closely enough. I love the Canadiens and that’s why I’ve so often not been happy with the team over the last 28 years — because the team I love keeps breaking our hearts.

I’m totally digging this. There’s something magical going on here and all of a sudden, to quote a most unusual general manager, anything can happen. Until two weeks ago, “Ça sent la Coupe” was only pulled out as a joke. Now some are saying it smells positively Cup-like and they’re not laughing. Now you can say “It feels like ’93” and no one makes fun of you.

The Canadiens have won six playoff games in a row and that’s the first time they’ve done that since … 1993. That’s also six games that they scored the first goal and six games where the good guys have never trailed the bad guys. It’s also a six-game winning streak in which Carey Price has been in full Saint Carey mode, with a goals-against average of 1.59 and a save percentage of .949. Lights out!

All of which brings me back to the question on everyone’s lips Monday — Who are these guys? Even the most dyed-in-the-wool Habs fan has to admit this team sucked eggs for most of the season.

So what happened? Is Marc Bergevin actually a genius? Or did the man in the red suit just get incredibly lucky? I’d say it’s some good Berg moves and some luck, with a classic bit of Habs karma thrown in for good measure.

This is a team that lives for nutty playoff lucky-charm moments. It just happens to be the 50th anniversary of that 1971 Cup run that started with a young law student named Ken Dryden stopping the seemingly unstoppable Boston Bruins in their tracks. The storyline in 1986 was another kid between the pipes, Patrick Roy, and another set of unreal heroics.

In 1993, it was all about the matchups, with the coulda-been-a-dynasty Pittsburgh Penguins getting knocked out in overtime in Game 7 and so instead of facing and Jaromir Jagr in the semifinals, Montreal met a much less talented New York Islanders squad. Same in the final. It would have been much tougher versus that year’s Toronto Maple Leafs than the Los Angeles Kings, but a simple twist of Game 7 fate allowed the CH to meet the Kings.

The lucky part of 2021 is the fact Montreal is in the weak North Division. Let’s call it like it is. Those Leafs weren’t that good. They are still not built for the playoffs. The Jets? Surprisingly weak.

But let’s give credit where credit is due. Ever since Game 5 of the Leafs series, Montreal has been perfect. Yes it’s Price’s greatest playoff performance, but it’s not just about the netminder. Shea Weber, Ben Chiarot, Joel Edmundson and Jeff Petry have shut down everything that moves for the past six games and the team has found scoring from all kinds of sources.

When maybe the best line is Corey Perry, Eric Staal and Joel Armia, you know something special is happening. The Old Men and the Finnish Enigma are just killing it. Who predicted that? Armia had seven goals all season. In the playoffs, he already has four, including two in Sunday 1215393 Montreal Canadiens A sense of pride The Canadiens’ Phillip Danault was born on Feb. 24, 1993, in

Victoriaville. Less than four months later, the Canadiens won the Stanley Canadiens Game Day: Tyler Toffoli happy he listened to his agent Cup.

“A lot of pride,” Danault said when asked how he was feeling after Monday night’s win. “I was born the last Cup (year) and dreaming about Stu Cowan • Publishing date:Jun 08, 2021 • 3 hours ago bringing it back to Montreal one day. I think this is our chance this year. We’ve been playing well. We just got to go one step at a time and not

look too far. Just enjoy the process and have fun.” Tyler Toffoli is happy he listened to his agent. Captain Shea Weber spoke about how the Canadiens have never told Toffoli he would love playing and living in Montreal, doubted themselves this season, despite their struggles during the which is a big reason why he agreed to sign a four-year, US$17-million regular season. contract with the Canadiens last October as a free agent. Brisson is also “Things were hard and teams go through difficult times,” he said. “This a good friend of Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin. was an especially tough year on a lot of teams. The schedule wasn’t “I think Pat definitely helped,” Toffoli said after signing the contract. easy. It was condensed even more so after that extra week off there “Obviously, everybody knows Pat and he’s well connected with the (after Joel Armia tested positive for COVID-19). Things were tough, but I (Canadiens) organization and he has friends throughout. But I think just think we battled through and that’s the things that can help you in these the little things … he said I would love the city, obviously talked to my situations.” wife about it, (said) she would love the city as well. Within that it also Despite dominating most of the game and outshooting the Jets 14-5 in comes to the team and how well the players are and how good the team the third period, the Canadiens still found themselves going into overtime is and the future that it involves. That was definitely something that with the possibility of having to travel back to Winnipeg for Game 5 on helped my decision. Wednesday night. “Talking to Pat, growing up in Montreal he kind of gave me the rundown “I think we were just talking about we’re in a good spot,” Weber said on how well he thought that I would fit in in the city and how much we when asked what the feeling was in the locker room after the third period. would enjoy it,” Toffoli added. “So that definitely helped. And the way the “We were doing a lot of good things. Just didn’t want guys to dwell or team is going, the direction and the commitment from everybody, it looks panic or feel pressured. I think it was coming. We had a lot of good shifts like it’s going in the right direction here.” there that we did good things. For most of the game I thought we On Monday night at the Bell Centre, Toffoli’s overtime goal sent the controlled most of the play and in those situations you don’t want to Canadiens in the direction of the Stanley Cup semifinals after sweeping stress, you don’t want to panic. You want to stick to your system and the Winnipeg Jets with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 of the North Division final. your game and I think we did.”

“I’m sure I got a text from him … so I’ll go take a peak,” Toffoli said after Romanov gets in lineup scoring at 1:39 of overtime on a gorgeous pass from Cole Caufield. “You Defenceman Jeff Petry, who was injured during the second period of know what, it’s one of those things where you listen to the people around Game 3, didn’t play in Game 4 and was replaced by Alexander you. This season has been a blessing. I’ve loved it, my wife’s loved it. Romanov. We’re very fortunate for every single thing this season so far. Just got to keep this magic going and keep going. It was Romanov’s first career NHL playoff game after being a healthy scratch since the start of the postseason. He only had 9:27 of ice time. “It’s fun right now,” Toffoli added. “We’re doing a good job and it just feels like we’re all kind of playing as one. So I think if we keep kind of “He was good,” Weber said about Romanov. “It’s obviously very tough. continuing on this hopefully we keep having success and we keep You could see the excitement … I talked to him this morning. He was so winning games here.” excited … more than usual, which says a lot because he’s always very chipper. I thought he did a great job. It’s hard. You don’t get a lot of ice The Canadiens will play either the Vegas Golden Knights or the Colorado time in between shifts. You’re kind of sitting around and for him to stay in Avalanche in the Stanley Cup semifinals. The West Division final it and get a couple of bodies on guys out there and get his feet moving between those two teams is tied 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday and make some good plays, I thought he did a good job.” (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports). Petry was injured when he got his right hand stuck in the hole in the Erik Gustafsson (power play) and Artturi Lehkonen scored in regulation glass that is cut out for the camera of photographers shooting the game time for the Canadiens, who outshot the Winnipeg 42-16. The Jets got while being checked by the Jets’ Paul Stastny. Tony Marinaro of TSN both their goals from defenceman Logan Stanley, who had one goal in 37 690 Radio, who has a history of being correct when reporting on regular-season games. Canadiens injuries, tweeted Monday that Petry’s last two fingers on his Toffoli now leads the Canadiens in playoff scoring with 4-6-10 totals in 11 right hand were dislocated and that a doctor was able to put them back in games. place without surgery. Marinaro added that Petry would require surgery after the season to repair the damage. More overtime magic Ducharme said he is very confident Petry will be able to play in the next The Canadiens have now won three overtime games in the playoffs this round, but wasn’t certain he’d be ready for Game 1, since the schedule year, including back-to-back OT victories over the Toronto Maple Leafs in has yet to be set. Games 5 and 6 of their first-round series while facing elimination after falling behind 3-1 in that series. Little big men

When the Canadiens last won the Stanley Cup in 1993, they won 10 There was a play in Game 3 when Caufield looked like he was going to consecutive OT games. get hammered by a check from a Jets player just inside the offensive zone. But at the last second the 5-foot-7, 162-pound right-winger spotted “There’s something special (happening) and if we can have seven more the Jets player and managed to avoid the hit. (OT wins) we would be in pretty good position,” head coach Dominique Ducharme said. “Every year is different. For sure you look back at those It was like Caufield had eyes in the back of his head and that ability to guys (in 1993) it’s special … but yeah, there’s something special in our avoid a check is one reason he was able to make it to the NHL at his group and we said it was a good group. Now, can we write our own size. story? That’s what we want to do.” Paul Byron is also a small player at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds and he The Canadiens have now won seven consecutive playoff games and spoke Monday afternoon about how he learned by watching other small haven’t trailed in any of them. The last time the Canadiens won seven players when he was with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him in the straight in the playoffs was 1989, when they lost to the Calgary Flames in sixth round (179th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft. the Stanley Cup final. The longest playoff winning streak in Canadiens history is 11 games, set in 1993. “When I was in Buffalo I saw Nathan Gerbe, , , guys who weren’t that big and just found a way to have success,” Byron said. “Great hockey players. I watched closely what they did to create space for themselves. How they went into corners, how they won puck battles. And it’s not always talking to a young player. It’s not like they sat down with me at a table and it was like: ‘This is how I do it.’ It’s sometimes just watching and that’s the best way to learn is watching intently how Gally goes in the corner, how a guy his size can go in there and win a stick battle against a guy who’s way bigger than him. It’s pretty cool to see live and it’s the best way to learn is just watching him.

Perry earning his money

With the way he’s playing now, it’s hard to believe Corey Perry started this season on the Canadiens’ taxi squad after signing a one-year contract worth only US$750,000 as a free agent.

The 36-year-old grew up as a Canadiens fan and said he signed with the team because he believed there was a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Perry is a member of the Triple Gold Club, winning gold medals with Team Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, at the 2016 IIHF World Championship and the Stanley Cup with the in 2007. Perry and Hall of Famer are the only two members of the Triple Gold Club who have also won at the world junior championship, the and the World Cup of Hockey. Last season, Perry helped the Dallas Stars advance to the Stanley Cup final.

“You see how much he loves the game, how much he loves coming to the rink,” Byron said about Perry. “If he didn’t he probably wouldn’t have taken the contract he did. I think it’s a pretty cool experience to be his teammate. A guy that has accomplished as much as him, his junior career, Team Canada, what he did in Anaheim, the individual trophies and also the team success he had there.

“For the young guys to come in and see a player of his calibre, see what he does, see what makes him tick, I think it’s a great learning experience for them,” Byron added. “I think the guy just wants to do whatever it takes to win a hockey game. It doesn’t matter where he’s playing, who he’s playing with, it’s always the same every day. He’s been a great fit to our hockey club.”

Weber noted that Bergevin called him before signing Perry as a free agent.

“I was excited,” Weber recalled. “I was super-happy that he had that in mind and we were going to do it.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215394 Montreal Canadiens The Jets didn’t succeed in getting the Habs off their game. Armia scored his second, this time in an empty net, and the game ended without incident. The Bell Centre was even filled with the Olé, Olé, Olé chants once again. The Canadiens are now a game away from their first About Last Night: Habs one away following 5-1 win in Game 3 conference final visit since 2014. They’ll go for the clincher in Game 4 Monday night at 8 p.m. (note the late start time) at the Bell Centre.

Someone who might be motivated? The captain, who happened to play Erik Leijon • Publishing date:Jun 07, 2021 • 20 hours ago nearly 26 minutes and was +3 in Game 4.

The Liveblog commenters likely had trouble sleeping last night. Tonight can’t come soon enough. In less than two weeks, the Montreal Canadiens have gone from being on the brink against the Toronto Maple Leafs to a victory away from the 3. “Nothing like having a bunch of proving great veterans with up and third round following a resounding 5-1 victory at home against the coming youngsters smelling the cup and going for it ! ” -Hunter Winnipeg Jets in Game 3 Sunday. Former Jet Joel Armia led the Muskoka offensive outburst with two goals and an assist. 2. “If the last 25 years was the curse of Patrick Roy, then he and Mario The Canadiens have won six games in a row. They have not trailed for Tremblay reconciling ended the curse.” -Ryan Katz over 376 minutes. 1. “It has been quite the ride so far with the Boys playing so well as a The Winnipeg Jets are on the ropes, decked by a disastrous second team. It was a rough year with injuries, COVID and through it all the Boys period. Paul Stastny made his debut in the series, but clearly wasn’t 100 prevailed. The tough season and playing like playoff hockey for the last per cent, first lining up at wing and later taking two minor penalties. Dylan month has prepared them well for this moment. We are not a one or two DeMelo remained out and Mark Scheifele, two games into his trick pony. Everyone is playing a part and this team is going to be tough suspension for hitting Jake Evans, is in danger of watching his season to beat. Tomorrow night can’t come quick enough. Go Habs Go!!!!” - end from the rafters. Charles Patrick

Montreal’s formidable checking line opened scoring less than five Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.08.2021 minutes into the contest. Corey Perry came from around the net and put a shot on goal that deflected off a stick and past Connor Hellebuyck to make it 1-0. It was Perry’s third of the postseason.

At the other end, Carey Price made a casual glove save on a Logan Stanley point shot, flashing a smile afterwards. He then made a sliding stop on a one-timer from Andrew Copp, who was the recipient of a slick cross-ice pass from Nikolaj Ehlers. Blake Wheeler got a chance off a Shea Weber turnover in the dying seconds of the first, but Price again came up large.

Momentum swung in the Habs’ favour in the second. Cole Caufield, the team’s most eager shooter since Game 2, got two scoring chances on Hellebuyck that left him pondering what might’ve been on the bench afterwards. On a seemingly innocuous play, Jeff Petry caught his hand in the camera hole in the glass. It was enough to send him to the bench and out of the game altogether. After Wheeler ripped one off the cross bar and out, the Canadiens took the lead off a greasy goal from the Phillip Danault line. Danault centered to Brendan Gallagher in front, but after a couple of whacks, it was Artturi Lehkonen who finished the play to make it 2-0. Guy Lafleur, in attendance with Yvon Cournoyer and Rejean Houle, was impressed.

With Perry in the box for a too many men penalty, Armia potted a shorthanded goal. He intercepted the puck in his own zone and skated it down himself before toe dragging it past a sliding Josh Morrissey and over Hellebuyck for the 3-0 marker. In these playoffs, the Habs have more shorthanded goals (four) than power play goals allowed (three). Stastny rubbed more salt in Winnipeg’s wound by taking a roughing penalty, shoving Armia into the net after the goal.

The Jets got one back before the second period was out when Adam Lowry was left all alone on Price’s doorstep, quickly shooting the one- timer beyond the goalie’s reach. Paul Byron lost his helmet and had a bloody forehead after a hit from Ehlers with a high-stick on the follow through. The Habs ended the second up 3-1, and outshot the Jets 15-6 in the period.

At the start of the third, it was announced Petry wouldn’t return due to an upper body injury. With Stastny in the box for a high-stick on Weber, the Canadiens scored on the power play to make it 4-1. It was a quick tic-tac- toe passing play from Tyler Toffoli behind the net to Caufield on the half- wall and finally Nick Suzuki in front of the net.

With the game nearly out of reach, the Jets became undisciplined, with Pierre-Luc Dubois getting a cross-checking penalty against Brett Kulak. When Dubois exited the box, he was greeted with a chorus of boos from the 2,500 in attendance at the Bell Centre. Copp then went to the box following a multi-player skirmish, although that penalty was quickly erased by a Josh Anderson minor following another kerfuffle. Tucker Poolman also went in the opposite direction of the puck to deliver a late hit attempt on Suzuki. Alouettes Vernon Adams Jr. is no stranger to rough play, and he offered advice to the Habs: 1215395 Montreal Canadiens They never really did. The Canadiens have scored first in seven straight games, they have

locked it down in seven straight games, they have not trailed in seven Basu: It’s been two years since Carey Price said he didn’t want to wait straight games, and while Price has a lot to do with all those things, he is anymore, and he might not have to not the only reason. The team in front of him is playing at a level it hasn’t really done before, at least not in Price’s time.

Don’t believe me? Just ask Jets captain Blake Wheeler. By Arpon Basu Jun 8, 2021 “They’re playing at a really high level right now. You just have to give them all the credit,” Wheeler said. “They’re playing a really good game. With the goaltending they have, any breakdowns, he’s putting out those It was early on a Saturday morning after a late Friday night, almost fires. And we just couldn’t get the first goal. We just couldn’t do it all exactly two years ago. series. That plays right into their hands. Especially their top four Carey Price and Shea Weber were playing softball in a tournament defensemen, they’re big and heavy and they do a good job of just organized by Josh Gorges and Blake Comeau in their offseason clearing pucks and throwing them out of the zone and we just, like I said, hometown of Kelowna, B.C. I came to the Okanagan Valley after the I really felt like in any of these games probably outside the first one, that 2019 NHL draft to see Price and Weber and get a sense of how they felt Games 2 through 4, if we could have just found a way to get that first about the state of the Canadiens, a team that had just missed the goal, it could be a different series, but we didn’t. playoffs for the second year in a row. “You just have to give them so much credit. They’re playing unbelievable But I also came to watch them play softball. right now.”

The night before, I watched Weber take part in a home run derby and The last time Price was in this situation did not end well. That came in sock pitch after pitch over the right-field wall. That morning, just as I 2014, when the Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference finals, but arrived (a bit late), I watched as Price took his first at-bat of the day. He they did it largely on Price’s back. They were not scoring as consistently launched a moonshot over the centre-field wall. as this group is. They were not as cohesive as this group is. They were not supporting Price the way this group is. The real motivation for the trip, however, was based on what Price said once the season ended, how if any free agents want to know whether Price was knocked out of the series in Game 1 when Rangers forward Montreal is a place they might want to sign, he realizes his window to win crashed into his crease. The Canadiens turned to Dustin is starting to close, and he is as motivated as ever to make that happen. Tokarski and still made a series of it, but Price conceded last offseason Implied in that statement was that he wasn’t necessarily in the mood to that he still thinks about that opportunity. How he felt the Canadiens live through a rebuild, or what general manager Marc Bergevin had could have done something special. How he could have made the termed a reset. difference in that series, and perhaps against the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final. Whatever vocabulary you wanted to use, any word beginning with “re-” suggests that a team is a long way from winning. Price was two months It still ate at him. shy of his 32nd birthday at the time; Weber was two months shy of 34. “No question about it,” Price said during the pause last spring. “It was a They were in the same boat, a boat being driven by Bergevin, who great opportunity. I actually just finished watching that (second-round) committed a lot to each of them and who believed they would be the two Boston series. It’s for sure, absolutely something that feels like it slipped pillars to lead the Canadiens to the promised land. away. But you never know what the future holds. And at the time, you But the promised land was going to be reached through the draft, through feel like you have plenty of opportunities on hand. So I’ve heard lots of youth and development. And for Price and Weber at the time, it was players, lots of veteran players in meetings leading up to playoffs talking difficult to see just how Bergevin was going to get there in time for them about how opportunities are sometimes few and far between. to be useful parts of a team with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations that “So I will take every opportunity I get.” was being driven by youth. Here he is with an opportunity, about to step onto the exact same stage Price’s implication at the end of the regular season hadn’t changed. He and playing as well as he was playing at that time, if not better. But he didn’t want to wait. He wanted to win. has a team in front of him that is playing much better than the team he “We’ve got a great future with our prospects,” Price said that day. “But had in front of him back then, a team that doesn’t need him to steal game when I think of it, I kind of think back over the course of my career and after game after game, just the odd one here and there. A team that seeing so many players come and go. So it’s good to have depth in your allowed him to basically sit back and watch as it completed a sweep of system, but for me personally, being on the ice, it’s kind of irrelevant until the Jets by playing essentially all of Game 4 in the offensive zone, far I see somebody in the lineup, you know?” away from Price.

Cole Caufield had been drafted eight days earlier. Nick Suzuki had just “These guys,” Price said, “are playing as well as any team has ever finished winning the OHL championship with the Storm. Jesperi played.” Kotkaniemi had just finished his rookie season, but was about to turn 19 In the aftermath of scoring the overtime, series-winning goal, Tyler Toffoli a few days later. went looking for the guy who set up the goal, the guy whom Toffoli It was June 29, 2019. gushed over in the Player’s Tribune.

The wait, at the time, felt like it would be eternally long. “He’s just a little guy,” Toffoli said, “I couldn’t find him out there.”

What the Canadiens are doing now feels different from anything Price The little guy, obviously, was Caufield. It was his play that won the game, has known over his career. that sent the Canadiens back on the stage Price last played on in 2014, and it was Suzuki who allowed Caufield to make that play to Toffoli. During Montreal’s current seven-game winning streak, the one that propelled them to a comeback from 3-1 down against the Toronto Maple The goal was like a microcosm of Bergevin’s reset, the one Price felt Leafs and then a second-round series sweep of the Winnipeg Jets, Price would require too much waiting for his own liking. It was the result of a has been outstanding, with a .943 save percentage and a 1.64 goals- shrewd first-round draft pick in Caufield, a shrewd trade in Suzuki and a against average. But the Canadiens have also scored an average of 3.29 shrewd free-agent signing in Toffoli. goals per 60 minutes during that same span. Bergevin knew how important this season was. For years, the Canadiens In the Game 4 clincher against the Jets on Monday, Price faced 16 shots, have been preparing for this summer, knowing the contracts of Phillip the fewest he has ever faced in a playoff start. Long stretches of play Danault and Tomas Tatar and Joel Armia and even Kotkaniemi were were taking place 190 feet away. He did a lot more watching than expiring and it was very possible the team would need to shed some anything else, trying to stay ready, knowing he needed to be sharp in pieces as a result. This, in part, is why Bergevin was so aggressive last case the Jets ever managed to mount much of an attack. offseason to add players like Toffoli, like Joel Edmundson, like Josh Anderson and others to surround the young additions he was getting through the draft.

But the other part is Bergevin wanted to give Price and Weber a chance to do something they have never done. Weber has never even been this far in the playoffs. Everything Bergevin has wanted for the Canadiens has been tied inextricably to these two players, Price and Weber, carrying them wherever they want to go.

The urgency to make it happen while they were still relevant and also when the kids could contribute was very real, and when you watch Bergevin’s reaction after the win or how enthusiastically he was greeting his players as they came off the ice Monday at the Bell Centre, with 2,500 fans screaming their heads off, you understand why.

IT'S GENUINELY AWESOME TO SEE HOW PASSIONATE MARC BERGEVIN IS ABOUT HIS SQUAD PIC.TWITTER.COM/AGEIRA8Q4L

— PETE BLACKBURN (@PETEBLACKBURN) JUNE 8, 2021

But when you listen to Weber after reaching a stage of the playoffs he has never reached before, getting closer to his ultimate goal than he ever has, you realize he is actually only halfway to his goal.

“To be honest, we haven’t proven anything yet,” Weber said. “It doesn’t mean much. It is a step in the right direction, and we are moving forward. This is one more step toward our final goal, but we certainly cannot be satisfied.”

No, the Canadiens cannot be satisfied. They have proved doubters wrong twice now and seem to be thriving on that doubt. But they are still a team that relies on Weber and Price to drive the bus, and it is fortunate that those two have been put in this position while they remain so important to the team.

The reason that has happened, however, is that those kids who seemed so abstract to Price two years ago are in the lineup now. And they are extremely relevant.

And they could make it so Price and Weber don’t have to wait anymore.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215396 Montreal Canadiens “That team means a lot to me. And to be able to be here and to be going to the third round, it makes me really happy and proud to be with my team. It’s special for me,” Ducharme said.

Canadiens playoff plus/minus: Montreal is in the semis thanks to Tyler It’s about that time. It’s time for the mostly good. Not much bad. Toffoli, Cole Caufield and crashing the net The pluses

Erik Gustafsson: Here are some neat facts about Erik Gustafsson. The By Julian McKenzie Jun 8, 2021 Canadiens haven’t lost a playoff game since he’s entered the lineup. And he’s the first defenceman to score this postseason for the Canadiens.

The shot fake on his goal even had the cameraman guessing. Tyler Toffoli had a headset on, trying to hear the questions from Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas (friend of the column) and his eyes kept He was a steady presence on the man advantage, helping to move the darting toward the video screen where his face adorned every panel. Bell puck around alongside Caufield, Nick Suzuki and others. The Canadiens Centre announcer Michel Lacroix had already announced his name as got three shots on net during their second power play of the game, which the first star, and the 2,500 in attendance were waving towels and featured some near misses. Even if they hadn’t scored, the fans cheered cheering. Outside the Bell Centre, Canadiens fans celebrated by hugging once the power play expired because they were so pleased with the and jumping up and down in the streets. movement.

“It’s cool,” Toffoli said of the moment, not long after his team eliminated Artturi Lehkonen: His work in front of the net, tipping a Brett Kulak shot the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in overtime to sweep them in four games in the past Hellebuyck, is the exact thing the Canadiens wanted more and second-round series. “Very grateful that fans and family is allowed back more. to watch us. They definitely have been missed. I missed them for sure. I Phillip Danault: He had himself a good game Monday night. He had a know the guys miss them. So, we’re very fortunate to have this decent night in the faceoff circle, but it was his play in the offensive zone opportunity. They were incredible. The small amount that we’re allowed that drew the most attention. He led all skaters with seven shots on net, sounds a lot more than it is.” including a few he garnered while standing in front of Hellebuyck. He It was a much warmer setting compared with last postseason, where the contributed to the traffic in front of Hellebuyck and he damn sure earned Canadiens played in a cold, empty arena in Toronto. The Canadiens, his postgame pizza. much like this year, weren’t given much of a chance to go on a run. After Cole Caufield: Caufield’s most impressive attribute since arriving to the upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins in the play-in round, their season came NHL has been his shot. His second most impressive attribute might be to an end at the hands of the big, bruising Philadelphia Flyers. In that his quickness. He’s used it on offensive rushes and won’t break stride series, the Flyers had no problems getting to the net to deflect chances, while trying to complete passes to a trailing teammate. He’s also shown or score on rebounds, past Carey Price. to be quite elusive, giving defencemen some headaches. He showed Fast forward to this season, when the Canadiens managed to reverse great energy Monday night and would’ve been a plus before his overtime those fortunes just in time to complete the improbable: become the first heroics. team to reach the Stanley Cup semifinals by sweeping the Winnipeg But we have to focus on his play in overtime. Suzuki is fighting for the Jets. And they did so by being at the net and capitalizing on their puck in the corner. Caufield digs the puck out of the corner and carries it chances in those areas. toward the goal before feeding Toffoli. So many people were calling on “Not perfect, but it was a solid game. Offensively, we were dangerous, him to score the overtime winner with all the shots he got in regulation, we were dynamic, we were moving well,” Canadiens interim coach but his playmaking ability shined here. Dominique Ducharme said. “We had some heavy shifts. We were hard to “He’s just a great player,” Toffoli said of Caufield. “Every time the puck’s play against when we had the puck. Defensively, I thought we did a really on his stick, something good happens. Hopefully, he just keeps doing good job.” what he’s doing. I’m definitely not going to be telling him what to do with The Canadiens established a successful net-front presence, leading to the puck. He’s going to be making the decisions and clearly he’s making goals and rebounds of their own. It worked for them all series long, and some good ones right now.” even if they had to withstand a two-goal performance from Logan Stanley Speaking of Toffoli … and Connor Hellebuyck standing on his head. Those two Jets were the only players Winnipeg could count on in the elimination game. Players Tyler Toffoli: Talk about being at the right place at the right time. He’s such as Pierre-Luc Dubois had forgettable nights at the worst possible scored goals in the playoffs before. He’s won a Stanley Cup. He led the time, even if they were without Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo. Canadiens in goals in the regular season, and he hasn’t trailed off. He’s also tied for the team lead in goals and leads the team in game-winning The Canadiens were clearly the more dangerous team, especially when goals (two). it came to chances in high danger areas, and they played like it in overtime leading to Tyler Toffoli’s series-clinching goal courtesy of a Cole Man, I wonder how Jim Benning feels right now? Caufield assist. The minuses “That’s definitely one of the bigger ones,” Toffoli said. The defence on Logan Stanley’s second goal of the night: Stanley’s shot Even wilder reality: Price wasn’t even the biggest difference-maker for was quite remarkable, but the lack of defence in his face gave him a lot the Canadiens against the Jets. When was the last time that happened? more time than he needed to shoot high on Price. Keep an eye out for Corey Perry, who unintentionally runs a screen on Ben Chiarot, keeping And now, the Canadiens can rest up over the next few days while the him from getting to the other side of the zone. Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche battle it out in their series. It also gives some Canadiens players, and staff, time to consider The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 the fact they are inching closer and closer to playoff immortality.

It means so much to Phillip Danault, who was born in 1993, the last time the Canadiens won a Cup.

“I’ve been dreaming about bringing (the Stanley Cup) back to Montreal one day. I think this is our chance this year,” Danault said.

It means so much to a coach like Ducharme, who was given the keys to the Canadiens in the middle of a season after Claude Julien was dismissed. He clearly recognizes something special in his players that has propelled them to where they are now. 1215397 Nashville Predators for, five against) and high-danger chances (14 for, two against). Plus they had an offensive-zone faceoff percentage of 88.6.

In 54 minutes in the playoffs, the trio accounted for 37 shots, four goals Can the Predators make it work with Matt Duchene? They just might (all high-danger), 27 scoring chances for, 13 high-danger chances for, and an offensive-zone faceoff percentage of 75.

“I think in the playoffs Joey, Fil and I were ... very good,” Duchene said. MICHAEL GALLAGHER JUN 7, 2021 “Obviously, I thought we controlled the game when we were out there, and it was fun to play with those two guys and the chemistry we had was

great. Obviously, we didn't get the result we wanted at the end of the day, Nashville Predators General Manager has a lot to check off so there was still room for improvement. But no there's so much talent on his offseason to-do list. And deciding where maligned center Matt this hockey team it's fun to play with those guys for sure.” Duchene fits into Nashville’s future plans surely ranks near the top of that Regardless of which direction Poile goes, Duchene’s mega-contract has list. backed the Predators into a corner. It’s not a forgone conclusion that The $40 million that the Predators owe Duchene over the next five Nashville will move the 30-year-old center in the offseason, and Poile seasons ostensibly hamstrings Poile in terms of the number of options he may just have to live with Duchene’s $8 million-per-season cap hit. has, which basically leaves him with two questions. Nashville Post LOADED: 06.08.2021 First, could he entice the Seattle Kraken to take Duchene off his hands — either by exposing him in the expansion draft or with a side deal. Second, he could determine if there another team that both wants Duchene and can take on his inflated salary with the flat cap?

The latter option should be the preferred route as it allows the Predators to get out from under a bad contract that probably shouldn’t have been given in the first place. And if the team has to swallow losing a young, talented defenseman to do so, then at least they’re dealing from a position of strength with Jeremy Davies, David Farrance, Frederic Allard and in the pipeline.

“This is where I wanted to be for a long time,” Duchene said after stating he hadn’t given the expansion draft two seconds of thought. “Just because of two kind-of-shortened, weird seasons that didn’t go the way we wanted, that doesn’t change for me. The future’s bright here. I believe even more now in our core group than I even did when I signed here. To commit to seven years to an organization, that’s a big decision to make.”

Secondly, if the Predators are stuck with Duchene and his $8 million cap hit, where does he play next season?

Unrestricted free agent Mikael Granlund was at times Nashville’s best player last season and surely has beat out Duchene (if he returns) for the team’s No. 2 center job next season.

Over the last two seasons, Granlund has more goals (30-19), points (57- 55) and power play goals (9-6) with a higher shooting percentage (15.4 to 8.9) and a better plus/minus rating (-5 to -16). In his two years with the Predators, Duchene’s production — 19 goals and 55 points in 100 games — hasn’t justified the $56 million contract he signed in 2019.

Over that span, Granlund, Filip Forsberg, , , Calle Jarnkrok, Viktor Arvidsson and Rocco Grimaldi have scored more goals, while Josi, Forsberg, Jarnkrok, Johansen, Granlund, Mattias Ekholm and all have more points.

“At the end of the day, I want to produce more, of course. I expect that of myself, and I think the process in creating scoring chances ... is there. It's just the point production in this league can come and go at times … My production side hasn't been where I expect it to be.

“…It's frustrating if you don't get the results and it’s a results-based business," Duchene added. "But for me to start searching and going in a different direction right now would be probably the worst thing I could do.”

Poile will presumably want to bring back Granlund, who was been Nashville’s best player under head coach over the last two years. Granlund’s emergence this season could force Duchene to move to the wing, a spot at which he has experience, as well, but to which he has been reluctant to moving full-time.

“I'm a natural center man, I always have been,” Duchene said. “But I can play effectively at wing also, especially right wing — I feel comfortable there.”

In the playoffs, Duchene spent time on the right side of Nashville’s top line with Forsberg and Johansen. The trio had success together in both the regular season and the playoffs and could be a viable option to begin next season.

Over the course of 20 regular season games, the line played together for 33:36. They dominated in shots (40 for, 10 against), scoring chances (38 1215398 New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum hosted the semifinals. The Islanders will leave the arena for a new home at Belmont Park next season.

“We’ve never been out of a series,” Barzal said. “It’s just about winning Mathew Barzal Finds Scoring Touch for Islanders hockey games. I’m hard on myself, about getting wins and trying to help the team.”

New York Times LOADED: 06.08.2021 By Allan Kreda

June 7, 2021

Islanders fans had become used to seeing Mathew Barzal score. But through the first eight playoff games this spring, Barzal, the team’s points leader for each of the past four seasons, did not have a goal.

The Islanders’ speedy top center has started to break out in the team’s second-round series against Boston.

He broke a three-game pointless streak in Game 2 and finally scored in last Thursday’s overtime loss to the Bruins in Game 3.

Then in Saturday’s Game 4 — a swing game with the Islanders trailing the series two games to one — Barzal, 24, had a night the fans at Nassau Coliseum will long remember.

He outworked and outmaneuvered Boston’s Curtis Lazar before passing the puck to Kyle Palmieri for the tying goal in the second period, then notched the go-ahead tally in the third — knocking the puck past Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask style. The Islanders won 4-1 to even the series ahead of Game 5 on Monday in Boston.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now, he’s not backing down,” said Islanders forward Casey Cizikas, who scored an empty-net goal on Saturday. “He’s getting rewarded for that and it’s nice to see. He’s an elite player with superstar skills.”

This offensive flourish came after Barzal took a retaliatory slash below the belt from Boston’s David Krejci — whom he had cross-checked and who received a $5,000 fine Sunday — midway through the second period and needed time to recompose himself.

Asked if his frustration levels were rising without having scored until the past two games, Barzal said he had focused on how he could contribute in other ways.

Barzal’s line, with Jordan Eberle and Leo Komarov on the wings, has worked feverishly at both ends of the ice throughout the playoffs as the Islanders eliminated the East Division-winning Pittsburgh Penguins in six games to set up the Bruins matchup.

“As much as I’d love to produce every night, it’s so tight out there and sometimes it just doesn’t come that easy,” Barzal said. “When it’s not coming offensively that night, just making sure I’m not on the ice for any goals against or making that block or just trying to get the puck out. Just playing sound hockey.”

He now has five assists in 10 games this postseason. With the team captain Anders Lee absent from these playoffs because of a season- ending knee injury in March, Barzal has perhaps had to take on added responsibility, a role he has embraced.

Barzal’s heroics are not unexpected. A first-round pick by the Islanders in 2015, he quickly established himself as a playmaker and scorer in the N.H.L., winning the rookie of the year award in 2018.

Barzal initially shared the spotlight with former Islanders captain John Tavares. He has since worked to adapt to playing without Tavares after he signed with Toronto in 2018, and to Coach Barry Trotz’s style after he took over that season.

Clark Gillies, the Hall of Famer who won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, praised Barzal’s skating ability but would like to see him shoot more often.

“He loves to get assists,” Gillies said. “Last time I checked, a rebound is an assist.”

With a Game 5 win, the Islanders have an opportunity to bring the series back to the Coliseum on Wednesday for a Game 6 clinching chance.

They have come from behind to snare each of their past four playoff wins, their longest such postseason run since 1993, the last time the 1215399 New York Islanders

Islanders win second straight over Bruins to take 3-2 series lead

By JIMMY GOLEN

ASSOCIATED PRESS |

JUN 07, 2021 AT 9:48 PM

BOSTON — Mathew Barzal scored one power-play goal and assisted on another, and Semyon Varlamov stopped 40 shots Monday night to give the New York Islanders a 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins and a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

The Islanders, who have won two in a row to take their first lead in the series, can advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals in Game 6 at home on Wednesday.

Kyle Palmieri, Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle all scored in the second period, when the Islanders opened a 4-2 lead. Brock Nelson made it 5-2 just two minutes into the third, after Jeremy Swayman replaced Tuukka Rask in Boston’s goal.

But David Pastrnak scored his second of the game two minutes later, and David Krejci brought Boston within one goal with five minutes left in the third period. The Bruins pulled Swayman in the final two minutes for an extra skater, but managed just one more shot to add to their 44-19 advantage in shots on goal.

Boston fans pelted the ice with cups and giveaway towels after what could be the final horn of the season.

Rask stopped 12 of 16 shots before Swayman made his playoff debut to start the third period. The rookie made two saves on three shots — the first on a short-handed breakaway by Eberle.

The Bruins scored first for the fourth straight game, but New York has come from behind to win in three of them.

Pastrnak made up for his open-net miss in Game 4 just 85 seconds into the game on a slap shot into the corner of a well-tended net. Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist for Boston.

Returning home after following a pair of overtime games with a 4-1 loss, the Bruins thrilled a full house that was still arriving when Marchand won a battle behind the net and passed it to Charlie McAvoy at the point before he set Pastrnak up for the one-timer.

New York Daily News LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215400 New York Islanders

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy unleashes on refs, Islanders

By Mollie WalkerJune 7, 2021 | 11:05pm | Updated

BOSTON — While the second-round series between the Islanders and Bruins has gotten nastier and nastier on the ice each game, the jabs have carried over to the postgame press conferences.

Following the Islanders’ 5-4 victory over the Bruins at TD Garden on Monday night, a game in which the Isles capitalized on three of their four power plays, Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy had some pointed words for the visiting team.

“It’s a very well-respected management and coach staff over there,” Cassidy said. “But they sell a narrative over there that they’re the New York Saints rather than the New York Islanders.”

While NHL referees continue to struggle with setting a precedent for penalties at the start of games, the Bruins evidently felt spurned by the black-and-white stripes in Game 5. Boston only received two man- advantage opportunities, with David Pastrnak scoring his second of the night on one to make it a two-goal game in the third period.

There have been an abundance of cross-checks throughout the series that the referees haven’t called, in addition to lots of post-whistle activity that have been let go. As a result, the series has gotten increasingly more physical.

“You’ll have to ask him about that,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said of Cassidy’s comments. “Just look where we wound up during the year, we were one of the least penalized teams in the whole league. So, I don’t know what he means by that, you’ll have to ask him.”

Islanders captain Anders Lee, who is roughly three months removed from season-ending ACL surgery on his right knee, skated by himself Monday morning at TD Garden.

Trotz reiterated that Lee would not be ready to compete in the playoffs, but it’s a good sign that the top-line winger apparently will be ready for training camp ahead of next season.

Lee did some light drills at center ice, presumably testing how his knee will hold up while skating sharp edges. He also took some redirection reps in front of the net, the spot he usually occupies during five-on-five and on the power play.

“It means a lot,” Trotz said of Lee’s presence. “Lee is a real good leader. He’s back skating and he will not return in the playoffs unless we play into September. You see how he’s putting in the work, how he’s supporting guys and he’s around and a really good influence on the whole group.”

After scoring 12 goals with seven assists in 27 regular-season games, Lee was ruled out for the remainder of the season in March.

Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov earned his fourth straight starting nod in Game 5. He turned aside 40 of the 44 shots he faced.

Since his rocky performances in Games 2 and 3 of the first-round series against the Penguins, Varlamov has been steady for the most part. Even though the early goal he allowed Monday night was due to a defensive breakdown, the Russian netminder has allowed a goal on one of the first three shots he’s faced in five of the six games he’s played this postseason.

New York Post LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215401 New York Islanders

Josh Bailey stepping up for Islanders again

By David LazarJune 7, 2021 | 10:53pm | Updated

Islanders fans love him or they hate him.

But all can surely agree Josh Bailey has stepped up his game this postseason. His smart shots and precise passes helped the Islanders secure a 5-4 Game 5 victory Monday night in Boston, giving the Isles an opportunity to advance to the conference finals with a victory Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum.

First, it was a pretty assist. At the conclusion of a floundering second- period power play, Bailey darted a pass that deflected off Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton twice, landed right on Kyle Palmieri’s stick and ended up in the back of the net.

Next, it was a timely snipe. With the game tied 2-2, Bailey chipped the puck in deep, worked his way to the empty slot and beat Tuukka Rask.

“Well it happened quick,” Bailey said. “[Anthony Beauvillier] made a great play, good poise. I just tried to get lost. [Jean-Gabriel Pageau] made a heck of a play, too. I found myself alone and I just missed one the shift before, so that one felt good.”

It was déjà vu — another convincing Game 5 effort from Bailey. In the first round against the Penguins, his scoring line was similar, featuring a goal — the game-winner in overtime — and an assist.

Bailey recorded his 14th career postseason multi-point game Monday, good for ninth in franchise history. Seven of the eight players ahead of him have their numbers in the Coliseum rafters.

Like the legends before him, the 31-year-old forward steps up when it matters most. For years, Bailey has embodied what it means to be an Islander: staying calm, and sticking to the task at hand.

“We didn’t panic. There was a calmness about our group,” head coach Barry Trotz said. “To me, experience is, instead of worrying about all the things, it does not matter if it is hockey or life, experience just lets you focus on four or five things that are the most important. Everything else will fall into place.”

Now, Bailey has done it again, stepping up when it matters most and helping the Islanders earn another hard-fought, team victory.

“We found a way to win. Good teams do that,” forward Jordan Eberle said. “We have a lot of character in this locker room and a lot of guys who have battled with each other for the last three years throughout the playoffs. You go through that many rounds and that’s how you gain character. You really want to play hard for one another.

“So, you see the hits, you see the blocked shots, you see the bearing down at the end of the game with the last five minutes when we are protecting a lead. All character things and we have a lot of it in this locker room.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215402 New York Islanders

Islanders survive Bruins’ rally attempt for Game 5 win

By Mollie WalkerJune 7, 2021 | 9:15pm | Updated

BOSTON — The notion that the Islanders are always in every game, no matter how outplayed they are, was truly put to the test.

As the Bruins commanded every area of the ice for 60 minutes, the Islanders still found a way to pull out a 5-4 win in a swing Game 5 on Monday night at TD Garden. Persisting through spurts of relentless play from the Bruins before pouncing on mistakes has just been the Islanders’ M.O. this series, and it’s earned them a chance to clinch heading back to Nassau Coliseum for Game 6 on Wednesday night.

The Islanders were walloped every which way — along the boards, in the neutral zone and were hammered into their own end for a good portion of the game. Though, as they have many times before, the Isles bent but didn’t break and made it work.

“You know they’re gonna have a push,” said Josh Bailey, who potted the go-ahead goal at 14:30 of the second period to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead. “They’re a resilient group over there, they’re not going to quit. We just tried to stick to our game plan, it maybe got away from us at times, but guys just kept fighting. Guys are paying the price, blocking shots, doing everything they can to get the win.

“We’ve earned ourselves an opportunity here at home.”

Boston nearly got the Islanders to crack, when the Bruins turned a three- goal deficit into one with 5:17 left in regulation after pulling goalie Tuukka Rask in favor of rookie Jeremy Swayman to start the third. The Islanders struck first in the final frame, with Adam Pelech jumping to keep the puck in at the blue line, which led to Brock Nelson’s 5-2 score.

But Bruins top-line winger David Pastrnak buried his second goal of the night, which came on the power play, before David Krejci stuffed another one in to set the Bruins up to cause havoc in the final minutes.

Islanders head coach Barry Trotz called a timeout and sent his players back out on the ice to buckle down and fend off the Bruins’ inevitable late push.

“We were backing up, and I don’t like that, that’s not our style, you want to go forward.” Trotz said of his message in the timeout. “I said, ‘Let’s get back to our game, let’s get back to our game of pushing forward.’ I thought we stabilized.”

The power play has been a problem all season, but the Islanders made it their strong suit when they needed it most, going 3-for-4. Their three man-advantage tallies marked the first time since the team scored four in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Maple Leafs on April 23, 2002.

After Mathew Barzal’s power-play goal at the end of the first period evened the score 1-1, the Islanders earned another man-advantage opportunity less than three minutes into the middle frame. Bailey sent a saucer pass through Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton’s skates, to Kyle Palmieri at the far left post for the easy tap-in and the Isles’ first lead of the night.

Later in the second, Bruins fourth-line winger Chris Wagner was called for high-sticking and the Islanders went back to work. Taking a cross-ice pass from Barzal, Jordan Eberle picked the far corner to take a 4-2 lead at 16:38.

“We made some adjustments,” Trotz said of the power play. “Guys executed on those adjustments. That’s what playoff hockey is all about.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215403 New York Islanders

Islanders’ Anders Lee back skating on his own after ACL surgery

By Mollie WalkerJune 7, 2021 | 8:29pm | Updated

BOSTON — Islanders captain Anders Lee, who is roughly three months removed from season-ending ACL surgery on his right knee, skated by himself Monday morning at TD Garden.

Head coach Barry Trotz made it clear that Lee would not be ready to compete in the playoffs, but it’s a good sign that the top-line winger will be ready for training camp ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Lee did some light drills at center ice, presumably testing how his knee holds up while skating sharp edges. He also took some redirection reps in front of the net, the spot he usually occupies during five-on-five and on the power play.

After scoring 12 goals and seven assists in 27 regular-season games, Lee was ruled out for the remainder of the season in March.

“Can you imagine Anders Lee in this series and [Oliver] Wahlstrom (lower-body injury) in this series?” Trotz said ahead of Game 4 Saturday. “That would be beneficial, but they’re not, so we just play with who we have and we like who we have so they’ll get the job done.”

Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov earned his fourth straight starting nod in Game 5 Monday night.

Since his rocky performances in Games 2 and 3 of the first-round series against the Penguins, Varlamov has been steady for the most part. Until the Islanders’ series-tying 4-1 win over the Bruins on Saturday, the Russian netminder had allowed a goal on one of the first three shots he faced in his first four playoff starts.

“If you know anything about Varly, there’s probably not a guy that’s more low maintenance,” Trotz said. “There’s probably not a guy that understands himself, and the game, the process of being a goalie in the NHL [better]. His demeanor gives you that confidence that he gets that it’s a hard thing. Goaltending is one of the those positions where, if you don’t have that trigger where you can just sort of understand why maybe you didn’t have the night that you did or your goal goes in that you don’t expect, how to shake those off, then you find goaltenders really go into those long slumps or never even get a career going because they can’t let it go.”

Heading into Game 5, Varlamov had a 2-3 record this postseason with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.

The NHL announced Game 6 of the Islanders-Bruins series at Nassau Coliseum is set for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

New York Post LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215404 New York Islanders

Travis Zajac is loving his Islanders playoff run

By Mollie WalkerJune 7, 2021 | 5:05pm | Updated

BOSTON – The last playoff game that Travis Zajac played in, before getting traded to the Islanders this season, was back on April 21, 2018.

So when the opportunity presented itself, at this season’s trade deadline, to go to a team that had legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations, Zajac waived his no-trade clause with the Devils – the organization he was in the midst of his 15th NHL season with — to make it happen.

“At [this] point in my career and where I’m at, I want a chance to win,” Zajac said in April.

Acquiring the 36-year-old forward, as well as Kyle Palmieri, from the Devils was a strategic depth move by Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello. While Palmieri slotted right into the lineup after the trade, Zajac played a few games but was also a healthy scratch some nights.

Zajac didn’t see any postseason action until after rookie Oliver Wahlstrom went down with a lower-body injury in Game 5 of the first- round series against the Penguins. Now, he’s playing substantial minutes in the thick of the Islanders’ playoff run.

Travis Zajac went from a healthy scratch to big playoff minutes.

“I’m definitely not taking it for granted,” Zajac said of competing in the playoffs after Monday’s morning skate, a few hours before Game 5 against the Bruins at TD Garden. “It’s been a great experience so far and you want to keep it going. It’s great group of guys. It’s a team that they all enjoy each other’s company, being around together and they do things the right way, so it’s been fun to be a part of.”

Skating on the Islanders’ third line next to Palmieri and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Zajac has brought a hard-nosed style of play to the trio. Head coach Barry Trotz said after the Islanders’ 4-1 win in Game 4 Saturday that he didn’t think Zajac lost a single puck battle all night.

Zajac, in the final season of the eight-year, $46 million deal he signed with the Devils in 2013, had an assist on the go-ahead goal in his Isles playoff debut in the series-finale against the Penguins last month. But he’s done so much more for the team away from the score sheet.

“When Lou was talking about acquiring Travis, that there was a possibility of that, we talked about what he would bring,” Trotz said. “He would bring leadership, he would bring detail, he would bring an ability to play multiple positions and he has a competitive spirit. He’s played against top players. He’s been in a lot of different situations and that would come to the forefront when the games mattered most.

“Now, the games are mattering most and he’s in the lineup and you see his contributions.”

Trotz lauded Zajac for his attitude toward being in street clothes most games, particularly at the start of the postseason. The coach said telling Zajac the first time that he wouldn’t be dressing was difficult, but the veteran’s outlook on his new role made it easier on Trotz going forward.

“I came from a team where if you weren’t under 25, you didn’t fit in,” Zajac said. “Here, it’s a little different, it’s a veteran team. They play with structure, they play with commitments and it’s an easy group to come in and insert yourself because they’re all smart hockey players, they’ve been around and they have experience.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215405 New York Islanders

Islanders a value play as Game 5 underdogs in Boston

By Andy MacNeil, VSiNJune 7, 2021 | 3:30pm | Updated

Want even more betting news? Sign up for VSiN’s free daily newsletter. Listen Live to VSiN’s sports betting shows.

After getting past the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1 despite not playing their best hockey, the New York Islanders have found their game and so has Mathew Barzal. That spells trouble for the Boston Bruins, who after a dominant win in the series opener have allowed the Islanders to tie the series twice.

Boston must win Monday night to avoid facing elimination on Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum. The pressure is on the home team, but the Bruins should be optimistic about their chances BetMGM lists them as -185 favorites on the moneyline in Game 5. However, is there value in laying $1.85 to win $1 here? I would have said yes a week ago, but now I’m not as confident in my prior assessment of the series for a number of reasons.

By my eye, the Islanders have improved their play in the neutral zone and have been advancing into the offensive zone more effectively than they had been at the start of the series. This, along with their ability to force the Bruins’ best shooters to the perimeter, is a big reason why the series is tied.

The Islanders were awful in the series opener, and they still haven’t dominated a game the way the Bruins did that game, but the three subsequent tilts have been very evenly matched. Sure, the Bruins have had a pretty significant edge in shot attempts during five-on-five play, but outside of the first game, in which they held the Islanders to just 13 scoring chances while generating 38 themselves, the Islanders have kept it close. They’ve owned 47 percent of the five-on-five scoring chances since then, according to hockey stats website Natural Stat Trick.

Viewing the games through the lens of Evolving Hockey’s expected goals tells a similar story. Expected-goals models judge each unblocked shot attempt based on a number of variables to determine the likelihood of a shot finding the back of the net. Shot location is a big one, but shot type and angle are also taken into account. Some models even factor in things such as rebounds and whether a shot was off a rush.

At five-on-five, the Bruins have controlled more than 53 percent of expected goals in the series, but that number is skewed heavily because of just how bad the Islanders were in the first game. In Games 2-4, the Islanders have generated approximately 53 percent of expected goals. Of course, this has a lot to do with the way head coach Barry Trotz matches his lines on home ice. Bruce Cassidy will be dictating the matchups on Monday.

Bettors should expect the Bruins to play some of their best hockey of the series, but it’s likely they’ve already played their best game. The Islanders will likely never be as bad as they were in the series opener, and they’ve been pretty good since. From a numbers standpoint, I believe the game odds are fair, because the Bruins have been the better team over a larger sample of games dating back to the trade deadline.

However, if we’re restricting ourselves to using data from this series and this series alone, we shouldn’t expect either team to have a huge edge over the other in any one category. If you’re picking a side, don’t overthink it and take the ’dog at +165. As of right now, the Bruins are without two key defenders in Kevan Miller and Brandon Carlo, and it’s well known that goaltender Tuukka Rask is dealing with a nagging injury. It’s impossible to justify laying a big price with the home team here.

New York Post LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215406 New York Islanders "They made us uncomfortable," Trotz said. But somehow, the Islanders survived.

"Whenever guys are out there competing like dogs, the whole group gets Islanders' Game 5 win may be sign of something special fired up," Barzal said.

Said Bailey, "Guys just kept fighting. Guys were paying the price, Updated June 8, 2021 1:13 AM STAFF blocking shots, to do whatever they can to get the win."

It was a victory that made no sense, and it was the second time in these playoffs the Islanders escaped with a win in a game in which they were The Islanders still need nine more victories to get to the finish line, but outplayed in a key spot. sometimes it is impossible to ignore the hockey gods when they are trying to tell us something. The same thing happened in Game 5 against the Penguins in Pittsburgh in the first round. The Islanders then closed it out in Game 6 at the Maybe it’s your year when you get dominated by the Bruins both early Coliseum. and late in a playoff road game, yet somehow find a way to win, 5-4, and get within one victory of a return to the NHL’s final four. See you Wednesday night!

Maybe it’s your year when you achieve said victory by going 3-for-4 on Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.08.2021 the power play when in the regular season you ranked 20th in that category (18.8%) and faced a Boston team that ranked second in killing penalties (86.%).

Maybe it’s your year when a couple of those power-play goals follow questionable penalty calls and another is helped by a defenseman breaking his stick.

Or when the best hockey line in the world — David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand — is at the top of its game.

Or when your goaltender, Semyon Varlamov, outperforms his more decorated counterpart, Tuukka Rask, who gets pulled after two periods in favor of a rookie named Jeremy Swayman.

"At the end of the day, there’s only one stat you can count," coach Barry Trotz said. "It’s not the shots on goal. It’s the score clock."

Oh, forgot to mention: The Bruins outshot the Islanders, 44-19.

Said Josh Bailey, "Found a way to get it done. That’s what matters most."

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Island Ice Ep. 96: Isles vs. Bruins Game 5 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 5-4 win in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Bruins.

To add to the fun of a wildly entertaining series in advance of Game 6 on Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy poured oil on the fire after the game.

Upset with the officiating, he accused the Islanders of "selling a narrative" that they are an aggrieved party that is "more like the New York Saints" than the Islanders.

Presumably, Cassidy was unaware that the Saints were an actual team that used to play at, wait for it . . . Nassau Coliseum!

Delicious.

Asked to comment on the "Saints" accusation, Trotz said: "You’ll have to ask him about that. Just look at where we ended up during the year. We were one of the least-penalized teams in the whole league. I don’t know what he means by that."

The Bruins badly outplayed the Islanders in the first period, yet it ended with the score tied at 1.

"That was key," said Mathew Barzal, whose power-play goal in the first period — his third goal in three games — tied it. "Obviously, we probably didn’t deserve to have the game at 1-1. They came out pressing. They probably could have had three or four in the first period."

The Islanders led 4-2 after two, at which time Cassidy pulled Rask, whom he said is not fully healthy. Then Brock Nelson scored 1:59 into the third to make it 5-2.

The Bruins were not done. Pastrnak scored his second goal of the night at 3:48 of the third, and the Bruins came at Varlamov in waves, finally making it 5-4 with 5:17 left when David Krejci’s shot squirted over the goal line. 1215407 New York Islanders

Islanders-Bruins Game 5 recap: Winning goal, key stat and more

By Andrew Gross

Updated June 7, 2021 10:31 PM

Final score: Islanders 5, Bruins 4

Winning Goal: Brock Nelson’s slot shot at 1:59 of the third period.

Key statistic: The Islanders averaged 2.71 goals per game in the regular season — 21st in the NHL — but have scored at least four goals in seven of their 11 playoff games.

Turning point: Mathew Barzal’s goal at 18:49 of the first period tied it at 1 after the Bruins dominated the period.

Did you notice? Defenseman Scott Mayfield was furious there was no penalty on Nick Ritchie in the first period after the hulking forward hit Mayfield in the head with his elbow while Mayfield was on a knee on the ice.

Injury report: Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo remained out for a second game after Cal Clutterbuck’s hit in Game 3 . . . Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom (lower body) missed his sixth straight game . . . Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller (undisclosed) remained unavailable.

Other news: Wahlstrom took part in the Islanders’ optional morning skate. He remains day to day . . . Bruins center Patrice Bergeron responded to Islanders coach Barry Trotz calling him a "veteran guy who knows how to cheat on the faceoffs," and saying he was "relying" on the linesmen to "make sure that the cheating doesn’t go on." Bergeron said: "He said it was a veteran play. I think it’s a veteran play by him as a coach to talk to try to get the linesmen and the officiating to think about it." Bergeron was tossed from his first faceoff of the game.

Three stars

1. Mathew Barzal (Islanders). Third goal in three games halted the Bruins’ first-period dominance.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Island Ice Ep. 96: Isles vs. Bruins Game 5 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 5-4 win in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Bruins.

2. David Pastrnak (Bruins). Two goals, one got Boston started, the other nearly started a comeback.

3. Scott Mayfield (Islanders). Team-high 24:13, five blocked shots.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215408 New York Islanders The Islanders’ power play also connected as Kyle Palmieri made it 2-1 at 4:49 of a three-goal second period and Eberle upped that to 4-2 at 16:38.

Lee on ice for morning skate. Anders Lee, the injured and out-for-the- Islanders hold off Bruins, take 3-2 lead in series season Islanders captain, was on the ice for the optional morning skate on Monday at TD Garden, less than three months after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament and requiring surgery. He worked in his usual spot in front of the crease trying to deflect pucks, along the walls and By Andrew Gross ended his lengthy workout with side-to-side stopping and starting. But Updated June 7, 2021 11:01 PM Trotz repeated he won’t be ready until training camp. "He will not return in the playoffs unless we play into September," Trotz said. "He has a long road."

BOSTON – It’s probably a good time to use "unflappable" to describe the Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.08.2021 New York Saints – sorry Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, make that the Islanders –and goalie Semyon Varlamov.

The Bruins had more dangerous chances – too many dangerous chances – and often flustered the Islanders into defensive-zone turnovers. But the Islanders, after a rocky start and a nail-biting finish, are on the brink of advancing to the NHL semifinals for the second straight season thanks to Varlamov’s 40 saves and their 3-for-4 power play.

"I think we do stay pretty calm," said coach Barry Trotz after the Islanders won Game 5, 5-4, on just 19 shots Monday night before 17,400 at TD Garden to take a 3-2 lead in the second-round series.

Game 6 is Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 5-4 win in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Bruins.

"There’s times we’re like a duck on the water, the feet are moving like crazy but I think we’re able to stabilize," said Trotz, who called a crucial timeout after David Krejci stuffed in the puck to bring the Bruins within a goal with 5:17 left in regulation, whittling away the Islanders’ three-goal lead early in a third period in which they were outshot, 18-3. "At the end of the day, there’s only one stat that you can count. It’s not the shots on goal. It’s the score clock."

Cassidy and Trotz engaged in a back-and-forth after the game stemming from Trotz’s Sunday complaint that Bruins’ top-line center Patrice Bergeron cheated on faceoffs. Cassidy, angry in general about the Game 5 officiating, said the Islanders push the narrative they’re the "New York Saints." Trotz said he didn’t know what Cassidy was talking about but noted the Islanders were the NHL’s least penalized team.

David Pastrnak’s power-play goal at 3:48 of the third period – like his goal at 1:25 of the first period, a one-timer from the left circle set up by defenseman Charlie McAvoy – brought the Bruins within 5-3 as they were 1-for-2 on the man advantage.

Brock Nelson had made it 5-2 at 1:59 of the third period on the third shot against Jeremy Swayman. Tuukka Rask allowed four goals on 16 shots through two periods and Cassidy acknowledged his starting goalie was not 100% healthy.

The Islanders scored three power-play goals in a playoff game – including Mathew Barzal at 18:49 of the one-sided first period to make it 1-1 – for the first time since April 23, 2002.

"They came at us hard early, I think Varly did a good job," said Josh Bailey, who gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead at 14:30 of the second period after Brad Marchand’s great individual effort to get around defenseman Ryan Pulock and to the crease tied it at 2 at 7:27. "We just had to hang in there but we turned the game around as it went on."

Trotz split up Nelson’s line with Anthony Beauvillier and Bailey – inserting Jean-Gabriel Pageau between the wings – after the trio was on ice for the Bruins’ first two goals.

"Give them credit, they were winning battles and we weren’t," Jordan Eberle said. "We weren’t hard on pucks and we found ourselves behind."

But Barzal’s goal allowed the Islanders to regroup.

"That was key," said Barzal, who beat Rask with a rising shot from the slot. "We probably didn’t deserve to have the game at 1-1. They probably could have had three or four in the first period. The power play was huge tonight." 1215409 New York Islanders "Now the games are mattering most and he’s in the lineup and you see his contributions," Trotz added. "What I’m surprised about as much as anything is Travis’ ability to win puck battles. To win that loose puck. There’s a determination. There’s a skill to it. He’s not afraid to get his Travis Zajac's value showing now in tough Islanders playoff games body involved to leverage a puck."

Lee on ice for morning skate. Anders Lee, the injured and out-for-the- season Islanders captain, was on the ice for the optional morning skate By Andrew Gross on Monday at TD Garden, less than three months after tearing his right Updated June 7, 2021 5:15 PM anterior cruciate ligament and requiring surgery. The stated timetable for Lee’s return, per both president and general manager Lou Lamoriello and coach Barry Trotz, has always been next season’s training camp in September. Trotz repeated during the Islanders’ six-game win over the BOSTON — Anders Lee and Oliver Wahlstrom, the two injured Islanders Penguins in the first round that Lee was not a possibility during this whose absences directly have led to Travis Zajac’s latest playoff postseason. Still, Lee has been a daily presence around his teammates opportunity, were on the ice working during Monday’s optional morning as he rehabs from the most serious injury of his career. skate. The former is said to be out for the season and the latter is still day-to-day. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.08.2021 Meanwhile, Zajac, the 36-year-old former Devil, is appreciating the moment and his chance to contribute to the Islanders’ postseason run. They face the Bruins on Monday night in Game 5 at TD Garden with their second-round series tied at two games apiece.

"Yeah, you never know," said Zajac, acquired along with Kyle Palmieri on April 7 for a package that included a first-round pick after playing 1,024 regular-season games with the Devils. "I’m definitely not taking it for granted. It’s been a great experience so far and we want to keep it going."

Zajac has settled into a role on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s right wing along with Palmieri — Wahlstrom’s spot in the lineup — as well as a penalty killer and another option for coach Barry Trotz on key faceoffs.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 5-4 win in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Bruins.

But Zajac didn’t dress in the playoffs until the deciding Game 6 of the first-round series against the Penguins. Wahlstrom suffered a lower-body injury in the third period of Game 5 in Pittsburgh.

And the Islanders don’t make the trade for Palmieri and Zajac if Lee didn’t suffer a torn right anterior cruciate ligament on March 11, ironically against the Devils.

Playing in the playoffs used to be a normal routine for Zajac, who broke into the NHL with the Devils in 2006. The Devils qualified for the playoffs in five of Zajac’s first six seasons, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 before a six-game loss to the Kings.

But the Devils made the playoffs just once — in 2018 — in Zajac’s final eight full seasons with the team.

This season, the youthful Devils finished seventh in the eight-team East Division, 26 points behind the Islanders for the division’s final playoff spot.

"It’s been a great experience," Zajac said of his time with the Islanders. "I came from a team where if you weren’t under 25, you didn’t fit in. But here it’s a little different. It’s a veteran team and they play with structure, they play with commitments. It’s an easy group to come in and insert yourself because they’re all smart hockey players. They’ve been around and have experience."

Still, it wasn’t a seamless transition for Zajac after spending his entire career with one organization.

Trotz tried Zajac everywhere from Mathew Barzal’s top line to Casey Cizikas’ identity line and in all three forward spots without finding a natural fit. Zajac wound up with a goal and an assist in 13 regular-season games with the Islanders — he entered Monday with one assist in five playoff games — and became a consistent healthy scratch for the first time in his career.

But now Zajac’s value as a depth forward is becoming realized.

"With Travis, what you’re seeing is those years of experience," Trotz said. "We talked about what he would bring: He would bring leadership, he would bring detail, he would bring ability to play multiple positions and he has a competitive spirit which maybe doesn’t translate because he’s a little more of a quiet guy. 1215410 New York Islanders

Anders Lee on the ice at Isles' morning skate

By Andrew Gross

June 7, 2021 12:45 PM

BOSTON – Anders Lee set up in his usual spot right in front of the crease and tried to deflect shots into the net. He used his big body to try and stop pucks being rimmed around the boards. And he concluded his lengthy solo workout with side-to-side stopping and starting.

The injured and out-for-the-season Islanders captain was on the ice for the optional morning skate on Monday at TD Garden, less than three months after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament and requiring surgery. The Islanders face the Bruins in Game 5 of their second-round series on Monday night.

The stated timetable for Lee’s return, per president and general manager Lou Lamoriello and coach Barry Trotz, has always been next season’s training camp in September. Trotz repeated during the Islanders’ six- game win over the Penguins in the first round that Lee was not a possibility during this postseason.

Still, Lee has been a daily presence around his teammates as he rehabs from the most serious injury of his career. He was hurt against the Devils on March 11 when Pavel Zacha fell over his extended right leg.

"Can you imagine Anders Lee in this series?" Trotz said on Saturday. "And an [injured Oliver] Wahlstrom in this series. That would be beneficial. But they’re not. So, we just play with who we have and we like who we have."

Lee, who turns 31 next month, is in the second season of a seven-year, $49 million deal. He had 12 goals and seven assists in 27 games this season before his injury as the top-line left wing and net-front presence on the power play.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215411 New York Islanders "It’s been a great experience," he said. "I came from a team where if you weren’t under 25, you didn’t fit in, but here it’s a little different.

"It’s a veteran team and they play with structure. They play with Veteran leadership also brings win-now pressure for Islanders commitment, and it’s an easy group to come in and insert yourself, because they’re all smart hockey players. They’ve been around."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.08.2021 June 7, 2021 12:36 PM By Neil Best

There he was, none other than Anders Lee, on Monday morning in Boston, skating on his own after Islanders teammates had completed an optional skate, in the early stages of his eventual return from a torn ACL three months ago.

He cannot help on the ice in a second-round playoff series against the Bruins, but seeing the captain in a practice jersey was a reminder that he has been around the team all along – and a reminder of an Islanders strength.

That strength is leadership. All good teams have it to a degree, and unlike in high school or college, these are grown men and professionals, and thus largely self-motivated.

But when done correctly, it can and does provide an edge at a sport’s highest levels, especially in a tense situation such as against the Bruins, in a series that is tied entering Game 5 on Monday night.

The Islanders went through what has been a successful leadership change off the ice three years ago, with the arrivals of Lou Lamoriello as team president and Barry Trotz as coach.

But those additions roughly coincided with a challenge: The departure of the franchise’s resident superstar and longtime captain, John Tavares, via free agency to the Maple Leafs.

"Probably one of the most important decisions we had to make when John Tavares left to go to Toronto is, who was going to be the next captain?" Trotz said on Sunday.

"You had to get that right, and I think we did. We did with Anders Lee and guys like [alternate captain] Josh Bailey. I didn’t really know any of these guys."

Trotz had plenty of respected figures in the dressing room to lean on, and still does.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 5-4 win in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Bruins.

"Everything from the voice in the room, to respect in the room, to how they play, it didn’t matter the role," he said. "We have some leaders, a guy like, for example, Matt Martin. He doesn’t need an ‘A’ [on his jersey], but he’s one of our leaders in our room.

"So it was identifying who’s going to carry the message forward . . . You had to pick the right leaders so that they can get everybody to follow.

"To me, good leaders are an extension of the coaching staff and I think we’ve got some good leaders. That’s where it starts. It’s a gradual thing. You have to work at it. You have to have success and you have to get to the playoffs and you have to have success in the playoffs and we’ve been able to do that."

The extended playoff run last season in the Toronto and Edmonton "bubbles" fostered even more bonding and helped integrate a newcomer such as Jean-Gabriel Pageau, now one of the team’s most important players.

Trotz said his biggest young star, Mathew Barzal, 24, still is growing into a leadership role, something he expects to come as Barzal matures into an elder statesman.

But that notion highlights the only downside of having such a veteran- heavy team: There is pressure on the Islanders to win a Stanley Cup in the near future, before the gang inevitably breaks up.

Travis Zajac, 36, was impressed with the culture and leadership when he arrived in April after having spent his entire career with the Devils. 1215412 New York Islanders The final power-play goal was Jordan Eberle’s, off a Barzal seam pass that got through, in part because Jarred Tinordi’s stick shattered as he attempted a clear a few seconds earlier. That was the second stick break in two games that benefited the Isles, with Palmieri’s tying Game 4 goal The Saints — er, Islanders — go marching home up 3-2 after Game 5 coming just after Charlie Coyle’s blade snapped off as he tried a stick victory check, leaving Palmieri unbothered in the slot.

“Great shot by Barzy, and we got a few lucky bounces,” Bailey said.

By Arthur Staple Jun 8, 2021 Trotz’s small moves pay big dividends

As the Patrice Bergeron line set to doing whatever it wanted in Game 5, Trotz decided to flip Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Brock Nelson. So Pageau As bizarre as Game 5 was, with the Islanders getting badly outplayed at went between Anthony Beauvillier and Bailey; those three got the bulk of even strength for the first 15 minutes and about a 15-minute stretch in the Bergeron line assignments. The Bruins were probably not happy to the third, the postgame news conference from the home side in Boston see Nelson moved off that line after they had dominated that matchup in was equally bizarre. Boston the first two games. The Islanders are up 3-2 against the Bruins in the best-of-seven series, Nelson with Travis Zajac and Palmieri didn’t get quite so many heavy with a chance to close out the division final Wednesday at Nassau minutes, and that seemed to revive Nelson, who took a soft route to Coliseum. Much as they did in the pivotal Game 5 against the Penguins, Marchand on his tying goal in the second. Pageau played his usual when Ilya Sorokin held off Pittsburgh and the Isles managed to get to straight-ahead style, winning the power-play draw that preceded Barzal’s overtime and win it on a horrific play by Pens goalie Tristan Jarry, this goal and setting up Bailey for the go-ahead marker in the second with his Game 5 in TD Garden featured Semyon Varlamov holding the door shut new line. most of the night and the Islanders’ so-so power play producing three times to lift them to an enormous win. Trotz’s other in-game decision was calling time out after David Krejci’s goal made it 5-4 with 5:17 to go. “I just wanted us to be on our toes,” Afterward, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy dubbed the Isles “the New York Trotz said. “We were backing up way too much.” Saints” for their ability to draw penalties and not commit any fouls in the eyes of the refs. We’ll get to that below. Message received. The Bruins had 73 shot attempts through 54:43. They had three in the final 5:17, reminiscent of how the Islanders clamped Time for the takeaways. down in Game 4 with a 2-1 lead late. Varlamov weathers the storm Your New York … Saints We’d pointed out some fishy shot numbers from Games 1 and 2 in You can read Cassidy’s comments in full here. If you hadn’t watched the Boston, but Monday night’s 44-19 disparity in favor of the Bruins (76-35 game or the series and just read those, you’d think the Bruins had guys in shot attempts) seemed legit. The Bruins dominated the five-on-five who were injured by dirty Islanders plays or that the Isles were belly- game, especially in the opening 15 minutes of the first period. Varlamov flopping left and right to draw calls. gave up a goal 1:25 in — the seventh time in 11 playoff games the Islanders allowed the opening goal in the first 8:20 of the game — but he It’s not only ridiculous but also genuinely weird to see Cassidy, a quality, held the Bruins off for about the next 45 minutes. He was sharpest in the respected coach, go full conspiracy with his team needing a win to stay second period, when the score was 2-2, tracking three consecutive long- alive. Even a veteran team like the Bruins can get hung up on officiating range one-timers from the Bruins’ top line as it prowled through the — every team can, especially when the guy behind the bench is ranting. offensive zone. Islanders fans don’t have to think back too many years to remember , first as an assistant and then as a head coach, setting a Varlamov’s lateral movement was extremely sharp in Game 5. David poor tone by often jawing with officials. The Isles developed a bad rep for Pastrnak beat him twice from the off-wing circle, true, but Varlamov those years among NHL officials. That stuff never, ever helps. anticipated a couple of other chances from that side and didn’t leave many rebounds. He’s faced more than 40 shots in three of his four The power-play disparity in the series is four — 15 for the Islanders, 11 games this series and is 2-1, with the loss being the bad overtime goal for the Bruins. That’s not wide enough to be going off on a rant in a from Brad Marchand in a Game 3 that Varlamov kept tied. postgame news conference. In Game 5, there were soft calls and missed calls both ways. Sean Kuraly’s slash in the first was a clear no-call since If the Islanders win the series, it’ll remain Varlamov’s net to start the there was no slashing motion; Eberle’s slash in the second wasn’t much semifinals. more of a slash. Leo Komarov sold Matt Grzelcyk’s cross-check well, but Three power-play goals it was still a cross-check, even though those don’t get called as often as they should. Adam Pelech’s hook on Pastrnak was also pretty weak. We’ll get to Cassidy’s lengthy “New York Saints” rant shortly, but he probably wouldn’t have needed to go there had his penalty kill been even So those cancel out. The other two Bruins penalties were a Bergeron mediocre in Game 5. The Islanders last scored three power-play goals in puck over glass, which is an automatic call, and Chris Wagner drilling his a game in March 2018, three months before Barry Trotz came along. In stick into Barzal’s head 30 feet from the puck, which is just plain dumb. the three regular seasons under Trotz, the power play has finished 29th Cassidy said the officials missed Nelson high-sticking Bergeron in the (14.5 percent) in 2018-19, 25th (17.3 percent) in 2019-20 and 20th (18.8 second, which is true. They also missed Nick Ritchie elbowing Scott percent) this season. Mayfield in the head in the first, which could have easily been a major penalty, as Ritchie stuck his elbow out. The Bruins were second in the league during the regular season on the PK, at 86 percent. How they’ve given up six power-play goals on 15 The Islanders were called for 139 minors this season, tied for second opportunities to the Isles this series is curious — and might end up being fewest in the league. The Bruins were called for 199 minors, the most in the difference in a surprisingly high-scoring series between two tight- the league. checking teams. They were all different goal scorers on the advantage, Trotz said of Cassidy’s “New York Saints” crack, “I don’t know what he too. means by that. We were one of the least penalized teams in the league Mathew Barzal whizzed one off Tuukka Rask’s shoulder and under the this year.” He’s not just playing to the refs, he’s right — the Islanders crossbar to tie it 1-1 late in the first, an aggressive, attacking score from don’t take many penalties. The Bruins do. And even at that, the Barzal, who has goals in three consecutive games and figured into five of difference between the power plays in the series is less than one more the Isles’ past eight goals on Rask over the previous three games. per game to the Isles.

Kyle Palmieri scored his team-leading sixth goal from right in front of (Also, don’t let a mediocre power play go 3-for-4.) Rask, courtesy of a Josh Bailey pass that went through Charlie McAvoy’s Now what? legs and pinballed off both of Connor Clifton’s skates and right to Palmieri’s stick. Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller remained out with The Islanders have a chance to win this series at home Wednesday and concussions, and those absences left the Bruins down a couple of their move on to face Tampa Bay or Carolina; the Lightning, up 3-1, could PK defensemen. It showed. advance Tuesday with a win. Game 6 will be another wild night at the barn, and the Islanders still have few answers for the Bergeron line. But they’ve shown, even when they give up two or three goals to that line, they can still win with enough timely scoring and team defense late.

Rask was pulled because of health concerns, though Cassidy said he’ll be ready for the game Wednesday. The Bruins are preoccupied with officiating. The Islanders have scored 15 goals in five games, something that didn’t seem reachable against such a heavy, veteran team.

It’s right there for the Islanders. Right at the Coliseum on Wednesday night.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215413 New York Islanders Boston coach Bruce Cassidy was not pleased after the game with what he perceived as a lack of calls in his team’s favor.

Cassidy calls out the penalty disparity favoring the Islanders. Takeaways: Power Play Carries Islanders to Game 5 Victory Over Bruins "They set up a narrative over there. It’s more like the New York Saints instead of the NY Islanders."

Published 7 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Andrew Battifarano The officiating has been questionable — to say the least — but he took his frustration out in plain terms afterwards.

Barry Trotz was asked to comment after the game and gave a short It wasn’t easy, especially over the final 10 minutes, but the New York retort back. Islanders took Game 5. “I don’t know what he means by that. We were one of the least penalized After holding a three-goal lead at the start of the third period, New York teams in the league all year,” Trotz said. “You’ll have to ask him what he held on for an eventual 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. means by that.” The Isles can clinch the series with a win at Nassau Coliseum in Game 6. NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 New York erupted on the man advantage, scoring three in total on the power play before the final whistle.

Let’s examine this one a little deeper.

Power play, opportunistic offense

This was not a pretty statistical game for the Islanders, far from it. They were out-shot by a wide 44-19 margin. At 5-on-5, they were out- attempted 64-30.

So if you didn’t watch this game, you might be wondering, “How the heck did the Islanders win this game?”

Well, part of the reason was they took advantage of the chances they did have. They clocked in a 75 percent conversion rate on the power play, getting goals from Mathew Barzal, Kyle Palmieri and Jordan Eberle.

Palmieri on the doorstep! #Isles lead 2-1! pic.twitter.com/Bype4lefR0

— x – New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 7, 2021

At even strength, they cashed in on golden chances in the slot from Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey to score five within the first 45 minutes of the game.

Whether it was to shake things up of the Islanders getting to him, Tuukkaa Rask was pulled before the start of the third period. Shooting percentage can be key when you’re not creating much offensively, and the Islanders scored five times on their 19 shots. If you’re not going to get much on net, that’s how you’re going to win.

The other reason would be…

Semyon Varlamov

He seems to be letting in a goal in the opening minutes of every game he plays in this postseason, but he’s been close to rock solid the rest of most games. This wasn’t an easy one for him, especially in the stretch drive of the third period when Boston seemingly controlled play for the final 15 minutes.

But Varlamov held on when it mattered most and made 40 saves to keep the Islanders in the game. After a shaky first series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Varlamov has rallied to win three times this round. He now has a .923 save percentage this postseason.

Barzal stays hot

Mathew Barzal didn’t score a goal coming into the second round. He’s now scored three times in as many games.

With the Islanders trailing 1-0 early in this one, he answered back at the end of the first period on the power play. Taking the puck from the far side wall, Barzal skated down the right circle and went top shelf over Rask to get the Islanders on the board.

He scored the game-winning goal in Game 4 and added this one to his ledger to get the Islanders back into the game. He added an assist later on and now has nine points over all this postseason, which is tied for second on the team.

He’s come alive in this series as the Islanders are finally getting production from their top line. Speaking of which, Eberle also finished the night with a goal and an assist and now has eight points in the playoffs.

New York Saints 1215414 New York Islanders David Pastrnak scored off a heavy shot from just above the faceoff Circle that beat Varlamov.

The play started after Brad Marchand stripped the Islanders of the puck Varlamov, Special Teams Leads Islanders to 5-4 Game 5 Win Over behind the net and moved it to the blue line to Charlie McAvoy, who set Boston up Pastrnak for the goal.

“They came out hard. Their building, their fans gave them a nice boost. It’s the playoffs,” Anthony Beauvillier said. “They came out flying out of Published 8 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Christian Arnold the gates. They had a good push and their top line is really good. We did a really good job sticking with it and it was a really big win for us.”

Game 6 is on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Nassau Coliseum. It was the middle of April when Barry Trotz was fielding questions about the New York Islanders struggling power and that “it’s got to be an NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 element that doesn’t lose us games.”

Fast forward to Monday night and it was one of the main reasons the Islanders came away with a win in Game 5 of their Second Round series with the Boston Bruins. New York scored three power-play goals in their 5-4 win over Boston to take a 3-2 series lead back to Long Island for Game 6 on Wednesday.

It marked the first time ever since Trotz took over behind the bench that the Islanders had scored three power-play goals in a single game. The last time they had scored at least three goals on the man-advantage was under the Islanders’ previous head coach Doug Weight back on Feb. 9, 2018, when they had four against Detroit.

“I feel like our power play has been pretty consistent through these playoffs. It’s helped us in a lot of games,” Mathew Barzal said. “Just trying to take what’s there… Just a matter of bearing down on your chances and shooting it when you have your lane.”

“I thought we turned our game around as it went on. They’ve got a good team, they pushed hard and the crowd was into it. Ultimately we found a way to get the win and give ourselves an opportunity here back at home.”

New York did have to survive a late third-period rally by Boston after David Pastrnak and David Krejci each scored in the final frame to cut the Islanders’ lead to one. Semyon Varlamov made 40 saves in the nailbiter of a win, which included a late barrage by Boston in the closing moments.

The New York Islanders were outshot 18-3 in the final frame of Monday’s game and were outshot 44-19 in the 60-minute affair. The Islanders also had to use their timeout in the third to slow the game down and regroup.

“I think you have to play to win. We were backing up and I don’t like that,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said. “That’s not our style. You want to go forward. We said let’s get back to our game of pushing forward and I thought we stabilized that pretty well. I thought the last five minutes, our guys did an excellent job.”

Barzal, Kyle Palmieri, Josh Bailey, Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson all scored for New York.

Barzal’s finished the night with a goal and an assist and extended his playoff goal streak to three games. Bailey also had a two-point night, which was his 14th career multi-point game in the postseason.

The New York Islanders drove Tuukka Rask from the net after two periods after scoring four goals on 16 shots against the Boston starter.

It was Barzal’s power-play goal with 1:11 left in the first period that evened the game at one. The 24-year-old fired a wrist shot from the faceoff dot and beat Rask over his left shoulder.

New York took their first lead of the night 4:49 into the second period off their second power-play goal. Palmieri scored on the doorstep off a feed from across the ice from Josh Bailey.

The goal was Palmieri’s sixth in 11 playoff games with the Islanders this year.

The lead didn’t last too long before Brad Marchand scored a highlight- reel goal to even the game at two. Marchand danced around Ryan Pulock and then pushed the puck past the leg of Varlamov.

Bailey put the puck over Rask at the 14:30 mark of the second to put the Islanders back in the lead and Eberle’s power-play goal at 16:38 gave New York a 4-2 lead. Nelson made it a 5-2 game with a goal from the slot 1:59 into the third.

Continuing a trend that the Islanders would surely like to get over, Varlamov allowed the game’s first goal on just the third shot he faced. 1215415 New York Islanders — Michael Zahn (@miczahn) June 6, 2021 “Well, I think Scott has been a real solid defender. He’s got size. He’s

firmness.” Trotz said when asked about Mayfield’s all-around game this Scott Mayfield Playing Critical Role in Postseason for Islanders postseason. “He’s not going to wow you with end-to-end rushes or that, but he is steady, he is reliable, and he’s big. He’s got length, and he’s very committed.”

Published 12 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Stefen Rosner “He’s one of those guys that allows you to win.”

Mayfield has been a rock on the penalty kill, as he is getting his body in front of shots and has not allowed opposing players to control the paint. New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield had his fair share of issues during the regular season. Despite putting up stronger numbers While protecting the front of the net, the 28-year old has had to deal with statistically speaking, the eye test showed an abundance of mental errors some harassment this series. that had tainted those stats and his confidence. In Game 3 against the Boston, Mayfield took a vicious cross-check from In the playoffs, the Islanders would need Mayfield big time, as every Jake DeBrusk. Debrusk ended up being fined by the NHL, and opponent that they could face would have offensive capabilities superior fortunately, Mayfield was okay. to theirs. #NHLBruins F Jake DeBrusk has been fined $5,000 for cross-checking It would be about locking down on the defensive side of the puck, and #Isles D Scott Mayfield. mental errors would hurt even more with every game mattering more. In Game 4, Taylor Hall decided to drop the gloves with Mayfield after a Well, through ten games this postseason, Mayfield has seen the battle in front of the net. Mayfield was up for the challenge and got the confidence rise as he has not just been one of the best Islander sold-out Nassau Coliseum crowd on their feet in a game where defensemen this postseason, but one of the best Islanders each and momentum meant everything trailing in the series two games to one. every game. If Mayfield had not been a vital player for this club this postseason, the One of the problems during the regular season was that Mayfield rushed Islanders may be on the golf course rather than tied 2-2 in their second- to get the puck off of his stick when he caught a pass and retrieved a round matchup with Boston. loose puck. NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 That led to an abundance of turnovers and icings. It did not help that his counterpart, 11-year veteran Nick Leddy, had been struggling too.

Now, Mayfield is slowing the game down in his mind. He is winning puck battles along with the board, and instead of flinging the puck down the ice or trying to make a player that is not there, he is playing more intelligently than ever.

Mayfield is going back behind the net with the puck or feeding a strong pass to his partner rather than forcing something up the middle.

Here is a breakdown of his statistics from the regular season and the postseason.

The most significant correlation that we are seeing is that because of his stellar play thus far, he is gaining more trust from Islanders head coach Barry Trotz.

He is playing, on average, three whole minutes more in the postseason than he played in the regular season. That may not seem like much to some, but in the playoffs, that is only happening if there is belief in a player.

Despite the strong play in his own zone, Mayfield has done a tremendous job at feeding pucks to the front of the net when applicable.

Letting the puck go led to a big goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the series clincher, and Saturday night saw his deflected shot land on Mat Barzal’s stick, who buried the loose puck for the eventual game- winning goal to even up the series with the Bruins.

“He’s a defender first, and he gets shots through from the point,” Trotz said following the Game 4 victory. “Obviously, the shot that even Barzy scored, you know he got it through. They were trying to block shots, he gets it by the first forward and gets it through the second and third pile, and Barzy can get a free puck.”

Like Trotz stated, Mayfield is letting shots go from the point this postseason. He has registered 21 shots on goal, with 2.1 shots per game. During the regular season, he only averaged 1.41 shots per game.

Seeing the offense and defense come together for Mayfield is an encouraging sign. While plus/minus is not a great stat to use to justify a player’s skill in the NHL, his plus-2 during the regular season was tied for the second-worst mark for an Islander starter.

But in the postseason, given his strong all-around game, he currently leads the Islanders in this category.

Plus/minus statistics don’t always tell the full story, but Scott Mayfield leads all #Isles with a +8 rating in the postseason. The Islanders have a +5 goal differential during the playoffs. 1215416 New York Islanders

OTR: Quinn To Sabres? Eichel, Makar, Jones, NHL Trade Market

Published 17 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Jimmy Murphy

There is yet no word on the scheduled meeting between Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel and Sabres management, or if the meeting has yet taken place. Based on all indicators, the two sides have some serious issues to figure out to keep Eichel, one of the premier centers in the league, off the NHL trade market.

There is rampant speculation the Sabres will select their new coach with Eichel in mind. We have one name to watch on that front, and he’s very familiar to the Metro Division and Boston fans.

However, Off The Record has been reporting for a few months the two sides are headed for divorce, but the coach could be the Hail Mary to keep the former second-overall pick.

The Colorado Avalanche could begin their offseason as early as late Thursday night. The offseason focus in Denver will immediately switch to budding superstar defenseman Cale Makar and his second NHL contract. How much bank can Makar get?

And NHL owners have held power since they instituted the salary cap in 2005, but could the current NHL player empowerment create player- coordinated movement, so the NHL resembles the NBA?

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215417 New York Islanders

Anders Lee Seen Skating at TD Garden Ahead of Islanders, Bruins Game 5

Published 13 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Christian Arnold

The New York Islanders had a surprise guest on the ice at TD Garden during the team’s optional morning skate on Monday. As things were wrapping up, Anders Lee was seen skating on his own.

Lee has been sidelined with an ACL injury since March when the Islanders announced their captain would miss the rest of the 2021 season. Monday would mark the first time that Lee has been seen skating by members of the media since the injury.

While the news is encouraging, it does not mean that Anders Lee will be suiting anytime soon. Lee is not expected to be ready to play in games until next season.

Islanders head coach Barry Trotz reiterated that a few weeks ago when he was asked by a reporter if there had been any changes to the timeline for Lee’s return.

Anders Lee suffered the ACL injury on March 11 in a game against the New Jersey Devils. Lee got tangled up with New Jersey’s Pavel Zacha in front of the net and his right leg hit the ice awkwardly as the two fell to the ice.

Less than a week after announcing Lee was out indefinitely, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello revealed that Lee needed ACL surgery and that he would be out for the rest of the year.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215418 New York Islanders Joel Armia scored three points, including two shorthanded goals, for the Montreal Canadiens in a 5-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Second Round at Bell Centre on Sunday. Carey Price made 26 saves for the Canadiens, the No. 4 seed in the Scotia North NYHN Daily: Islanders Barzal Has Matured This Postseason & More Division, who have won six straight games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after not having a winning streak longer than three games during the

regular season. (NHL) Published 21 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Stefen Rosner The NHL will be able to play in Canada, as needed, for the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a decision by Canada’s government Sunday to issue an exemption for cross-border travel. The The New York Islanders look to take the series lead tonight when they decision allows teams to cross the United States-Canada border for face the Boston Bruins for Game 5 at 6:30. It was a slow start to the games under a modified quarantine, starting with the Stanley Cup playoffs for Mat Barzal, but he has become a force this series. Win or Semifinals. The teams will also be subject to enhanced protocols. (NHL) lose, the Islanders look ahead to the next game and never get too high on themselves or too low. That has benefited them in the playoffs. These The Boston Bruins are contemplating making changes to their third line in stories and more in today’s daily links! search of an offensive spark heading into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Second Round against the New York Islanders at TD Garden on Mathew Barzal walked out of the runway to the New York Islanders Monday. Who could come out and who could come in? (NHL) dressing and onto the ice with a smile from ear to ear. The 24-year-old emphatically shouted “Let’s Go” and “Our House” as he skated around Jared Bednar changed his tone after the Colorado Avalanche lost 5-1 to the ice after being named the game’s first star on Saturday. He has been the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Second Round a force this series. (NYI Hockey Now) at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday. “At least we entered the fight tonight and got in it,” the Colorado coach said. “I didn’t like the results. They scored You would have never known that the New York Islanders were down 2-1 some timely goals; we missed on some opportunities.” Bednar called out in their best-of-seven series with the Boston Bruins going into Game 4 on his team’s competitiveness and top players’ production after a 3-2 loss to Saturday night. Win or lose, their demeanor hadn’t changed. That has the Golden Knights in Game 3. (NHL) been the Islanders modus operandi for some time now, but it has become even more noticeable in the playoff spotlight they’ve found Blake Wheeler wants the Winnipeg Jets to keep believing in what they’ve themselves in for the third year in a row. The Islanders do not panic and been doing even though they’re on the brink of elimination after a 5-1 they do not get too high when things are going well. (NYI Hockey Now) loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Second Round on Sunday. (NHL) As the Islanders and Bruins shift their battlefield to Boston for Game 5 on Monday night, the Bruins own home-ice advantage in the teams’ best-of- Aleksander Barkov, Patrice Bergeron and Mark Stone were named seven second-round playoff series. With the series tied 2-2 and two of finalists for the Selke Trophy on Sunday. The award is given annually to the remaining three games — if it goes the full seven — slated to be at the forward voted best to excel in the defensive aspects of the game in TD Garden, for the Islanders to advance to the NHL final four for the the NHL as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. second straight year, they’ll have to win at least one game in Boston. The winner will be announced as part of the 2021 NHL Awards presented (Newsday) by Bridgestone during the Stanley Cup Semifinals or Stanley Cup Final. (NHL) Bruins center David Krejci was fined the maximum $5,000 Sunday for his slashing penalty on Islanders center Mathew Barzal in Game 4. Krejci The Tampa Bay Lightning are once again flying through the Stanley Cup was initially assessed a five-minute major for spearing after he jabbed Playoffs without any passengers. The defending Stanley Cup champions Barzal in the groin with his stick, following a nasty exchange between the are one win from their sixth straight postseason series victory, up 3-1 in players at 11:13 of the second period. But the officials reviewed the play the Stanley Cup Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes, to determine if it did warrant a major penalty, and ultimately decided to because they’re getting contributions up and down the lineup each game. downgrade it to a two-minute minor for slashing. (Newsday) (NHL)

Is Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy trying to pull a Craig Berube was wearing a hat and then, because of Jonathan with the officiating in this tight and physical East Division Final with the Marchessault, he wasn’t. The Vegas Golden Knights goalie continued his New York Islanders? If so, he better hope calling out the officiating tradition of tossing his hat on the ice when a teammate gets a hat trick. following a 4-1 Game 4 loss and a game in which the physicality from the Marchessault scored his third goal in the third period of a 5-1 win against previous three games boiled over, goes the way it went for Berube in the the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Second Round on Sunday. 2019 Stanley Cup Final and not the way it did for his St. Louis Blues in (NHL) the first round sweep they suffered to the Colorado Avalanche. (Boston Tennessee State University president Glenda Glover received an email Hockey Now) recently from a parent whose son wanted to play hockey at one of Lappy is moving on up. The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Sunday America’s Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) but was evening that assistant coach Ian Laperriere is the new head coach of the dismayed to learn that none offered the sport. “She recalled a wide smile . (Philly Hockey Now) on her son’s face when he shared an article about TSU looking to start a program,” Glover said. “We’re already starting to see the hope of the From his first introduction to Florida, Barkov said it felt like home. “I like it prospect of starting a hockey program at TSU.” (NHL) here in Florida,” Barkov said. “It’s nice. It’s a place I’m going to enjoy living in. Everyone is nice, I have a lot of friends already. They’ve helped NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 me very much.” His affection for the place has only grown over the years. And, Florida digs him as well. (Florida Hockey Now)

For the second time in three tournaments, the Detroit Red Wings have themselves a gold medal winner. Wings defenseman Troy Stecher was a prominent presence for Canada as the Canadians edged Finland 3-2 in overtime in the championship game, a rematch of the 2019 gold-medal game. (Detroit Hockey Now)

Jonathan Marchessault scored three goals to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche Sunday night, evening the best-of-seven Honda West Division Final at two games apiece. (Vegas Hockey Now)

The Colorado Avalanche could not hang with the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 as they drop both games in Vegas. Here are the player grades. (Colorado Hockey Now) 1215419 New York Rangers Adam Fox Igor Shesterkin

Mika Zibanejad* New York Rangers protected list: Who’s staying and who could be picked in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft? Ryan Lindgren

Alexandar Georgiev

By Rick Carpiniello Jun 7, 2021 Ryan Strome

K'Andre Miller

Big changes have surrounded the Rangers since May 5, when the top of Keith Kinkaid the organization was stunningly lopped off by owner James Dolan. More changes followed, and that will lead to a continuing summer of transition Pavel Buchnevich for the front office, coaching staff and player roster. Jacob Trouba*

Among the changes, one is actually scheduled: The Rangers, like every Adam Huska other NHL team (other than Vegas), will lose one player, and one player only, to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft the evening of July 21. Kevin Rooney

Teams must submit their protected lists by 5 p.m. on July 17. The Brendan Smith** Rangers are set up well for the standard protection format: seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie — instead of the alternative Chris Kreider* of eight skaters and one goalie. Once again, they won’t lose a significant Libor Hájek piece. Kaapo Kakko Only two players protected from the 2017 Vegas expansion draft remain on the current roster and will be on the Rangers’ protected list in 2021: Anthony Bitetto Chris Kreider and . Both must be protected again Colin Blackwell because they have no-move clauses … not that the Rangers would ever risk losing them. Zachary Jones

In 2017, the Rangers left unprotected, among others: Jesper Fast, Artemi Panarin* Brendan Smith, , , Antti Raanta and Oscar Lindberg. They lost Lindberg — and, believe it or not, there was much Jack Johnson** hand-wringing over that loss at the time. Jeff Gorton, the general Filip Chytil manager at the time and until the early-May chaos, did not twist himself into a pretzel trying to maneuver the Rangers into a different outcome. Tony DeAngelo Many other GMs did and soon regretted it. Brett Howden Expect new president and GM to allow the process to play out again, given that the Rangers have enough exemptions among their Tarmo Reunanen young players to be comfortable with whichever player they lose. Phil Di Giuseppe** Which player that will be depends on which way Drury leans, but it is very Brandon Crawley likely to be among these four forwards: Julien Gauthier, Brett Howden, Kevin Rooney and Colin Blackwell. Drury can protect only one of those. Julien Gauthier

There is a slim possibility that Drury exposes Libor Hájek — if he Nils Lundkvist believes Kraken GM Ron Francis would take Hájek and allow the Rangers to keep all their forwards; and there’s a slim chance Seattle will Vitali Kravtsov instead take goalie Keith Kinkaid, who helped his cause with a fairly Matthew Robertson solid, but limited, 2021 season. Morgan Barron So the biggest decision is: Which of the four aforementioned forwards will be protected? Certainly, it seemed under the previous administration and Braden Schneider coaching staff that Howden was going to be a keeper and Gauthier left unprotected. With a new GM, and by July, you’d believe, a new coach, Jonny Brodzinski that could change completely. Gauthier was drafted by Francis when he Jake Elmer was GM in Carolina and would be on Seattle’s radar, though he remains a project as a potential NHL player, despite his physical tools. That said, Tim Gettinger with all the young wingers the Rangers had on their roster when the season ended (Alexis Lafrenière, Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov, Morgan Yegor Rykov Barron), and with a few more potentially to come, it’s hard to see Justin Richards Gauthier having a top-nine spot on opening night, and he’s hardly constructed to play hard fourth-line minutes. Hunter Skinner

The Kraken, though, might be better served with a veteran type like a Mason Geertsen Rooney, or a Blackwell, who had a breakthrough season as a legit NHL Darren Raddysh** player, even if he was playing over his ceiling on a line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome during the season. In a bottom-six role, Ty Ronning Blackwell would be a valuable piece for the Rangers, and at the moment Rooney is a more legit fourth-liner than the still-young Howden, who has Gabriel Fontaine gotten opportunity but looks as if he will top out in that role. Anthony Greco For now, we’ll assume Howden is the last forward protected, which Patrick Khodorenko leaves us with a full list that looks like this: Austin Rueschhoff (Note: Roster sorted by games played in 2020-21) Patrick Newell New York Rangers protected list Will Cuylle Alexis Lafrenière Available

Lauri Pajuniemi

Protected

Karl Henriksson

Exempt

(* Must be protected because of a no-movement clause. ** Unrestricted free agent.)

The wild card in all of this is Drury’s other moves and changes.

He will be active this summer, before and around the entry draft (July 23- 24) and in free agency (July 28), and willing to deal from the many assets he and Gorton have collected to fill needs: a No. 1A/1B center, a veteran defenseman, some toughness. So on the move, in addition to some of those exempt youngsters, could be Pavel Buchnevich, for example. If Drury completes a package of exempt players or draft picks for an established player, say Jack Eichel, before the Seattle draft, he would have to find a way to add the incoming player to the 7-3-1 protected list.

Thus it’s more likely he’d wait, if possible, until after the expansion draft to make such a blockbuster. The entry draft seems a more probable time for a big deal involving picks.

And of course, it would be beneficial to have a head coach in place before making any decisions around the perimeter of the protected list.

Another wild card would be Tony DeAngelo, who would have had to be protected if he hadn’t punched his ticket off the roster with his behavior. By not tying up a protected spot for DeAngelo, the Rangers can now protect Hajek.

Before DeAngelo passes through the expansion draft, assuming he would, the Rangers can and almost surely will exercise a buyout and make him an unrestricted free agent for whichever team wants to take a chance on a very skilled, tough righty defenseman with baggage. The buyout period begins 24 hours after the Stanley Cup is awarded (the last possible date for the Cup final is July 9).

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215420 Salvian: After missing the playoffs this season, the Flames are assumed to be open for business, with potentially several moving parts. So I wouldn’t rule anything out, including trading Monahan.

Are the Senators and Flames potential trade partners for Sean A few weeks ago, I did a “Who stays, who goes” piece for the Flames Monahan? roster, and in that story, I said I was 50-50 on whether Monahan would be moved.

Several sources — plus fans and other analysts — have said the Flames By Ian Mendes and Hailey Salvian Jun 7, 2021 need to make changes to their core this offseason. Now, this is not a new idea in this market. But after another season ending far too early for the

Flames, it’s not going to be enough to work around the edges. As the 2016 NHL Draft concluded in Buffalo, Pierre Dorion and Brad Monahan is one of those core pieces. He has value and is a realistic Treliving had an extended conversation on the floor at First Niagara trade option for Calgary. Players like Tkachuk or Gaudreau are so central Center. to the Flames’ offence — Tkachuk led the team in scoring last year and The general managers were laying the groundwork for what turned out to Gaudreau is Calgary’s most offensively gifted player — that it is hard to be Dorion’s first trade at the helm of the Senators. Forty-eight hours after make your team better by moving one of those two. that conversation, the clubs struck a minor deal that saw Alex Chiasson Monahan has been valuable to the Flames for a long time, and when shipped to Calgary for Patrick Sieloff. he’s healthy and scoring, he’s also a central piece. But if they’re looking In the following five years, the two Canadian counterparts have made two at moving one of the big three forwards, he’s probably the most likely to other trades — both struck around the trade deadline. In March 2017, the go. Senators shipped Curtis Lazar to Calgary for a second-round pick. The Does Monahan fit the Senators’ rebuild? following year, the Senators sent Nick Shore to the Flames at the deadline for a seventh-round pick. Mendes: The Senators are trending upward, but they’re probably still a playoff-bubble team at best next season. And a healthy and productive But Dorion and Treliving may get reacquainted this summer, as the two Monahan would greatly enhance their chances of qualifying for the teams could be perfect partners in a far more significant deal. postseason next year. In some ways, if you trade for Monahan, I think The Flames could be looking to change the composition of their core you’re moving into the win-now mode for Ottawa. while the Senators might be on the hunt for a proven centre. But the real question for me involves the 2022-23 season and the two And Sean Monahan might be the perfect candidate to solve an issue for years that follow. At that point, the Senators believe they will have both teams. matured into a Stanley Cup contender and Monahan will be pushing 30.

In this column, we’ll explore the possibility of Monahan heading to Ottawa We’ve seen some other centres still be effective at that stage of their this summer and how this deal could make sense. career. Ryan O’Reilly is a great example of a player who was moved in his mid-20s and really found his stride as he approached his 30th How good is Monahan? birthday. But O’Reilly brings a different element to the game than Monahan. Salvian: Monahan, 26, is pretty, pretty good. Let’s say the Senators bring in Monahan and he’s effective next season. He is predominantly known for his goal-scoring ability and through the That means they’ll likely want to extend his contract and now they’re first seven years of his career he has been the Flames’ most dangerous getting into a dicey area. They already have to extend Brady Tkachuk sniper as a consistent 20-goal guarantee. and Drake Batherson this summer. Next summer, they can open up He hit the 200-goal career mark this season — the first to do so among extension talks with Tim Stützle and they’ll need to get Josh Norris done. players drafted in 2013 — and is second in goals scored among that draft Can they also squeeze a new Monahan contract into the picture? And I class with 204, behind only Nathan MacKinnon (210). know people don’t want to think about these things, but Jake Sanderson will likely be coming out of his ELC in the summer of 2024. If he projects Being the first to hit 200 in a class that included MacKinnon, Aleksander the way people think, I just want to know if there is financial room for Barkov and Elias Lindholm as top-five picks is a nice accomplishment for Monahan to stick around long term. Monahan. And hitting 20 goals every year of his career — except for 2020-21 — is a testament to his consistency, skill set and the playmaking Where would Monahan fit into the Senators? of Johnny Gaudreau, who has assisted on more than half of Monahan’s Mendes: I think he would automatically become the No. 1 centre. goals. Whether or not that means he plays with Tkachuk or Stützle would be a Monahan has surpassed 60 points four times in his eight-year career, question for Smith. My guess would be to try him with Stützle, since the including a career-high 82 points in 2018-19. Playing with Gaudreau, one young forward possesses a lot of the same attributes as Gaudreau and of the league’s premier passers, Monahan has also scored 30 goals could end up being a similar setup man for Monahan. three times (his career-best is 34 goals). Josh Norris did a terrific job in the No. 1 centre role last season, but Monahan had been the Flames’ No. 1 centre on a line with Gaudreau for imagine how much more effective he could be if he had some protection. many years. This season, he was deployed as a second-line centre — As I project out to next season, I’m going to make two assumptions about more of a 1B — with Lindholm taking on more ice time in a 1C role along the Senators down the middle: with Matthew Tkachuk. And toward the end of the year, Gaudreau was Chris Tierney won’t be part of the picture. I’m assuming he might be moved to Tkachuk and Lindholm’s line while Monahan played with claimed by Seattle or moved in a trade. Andrew Mangiapane on the second line. Logan Brown won’t be part of the equation either. I think he needs a This was a down year for Monahan, with 10 goals and 28 points in 50 fresh start and this summer might be the perfect time to execute a trade. games before hip surgery shut him down near the end of the season. So if the Sens bring Monahan into the fold, their centre position could At this stage of his career, on a contending team Monahan is probably a conceivably look like this on opening night: 2C, as he does have some defensive shortcomings. Being deployed behind a top line could play to his strengths. However, Flames coach No. 1 C: Sean Monahan Darryl Sutter was very complimentary of Monahan’s work ethic and the defensive strides he made under Sutter’s system, to the point where No. 2 C: Josh Norris Monahan was consistently tapped to play on the PK. No. 3 C: Colin White On the Senators, Monahan could certainly be a top-line centre, and a No. 4 C: Shane Pinto defensive-minded coach like D.J. Smith, who gets the best out of his players, could get a similar type of strong play out of Monahan. I think Pinto is a major wild card in all of this. He showed so much maturity in his brief stint with the Senators that there is an argument to be What are the odds Monahan is traded this summer? made that the young man is NHL-ready for the fall. But given his age and lack of pro experience, it might be wise to send him down for a season 31-26-57 with Belleville. Could easing him into the league in a fourth-line role be a good fit for next season? 34-48-82

Why has Monahan’s production dipped in the last two years? And should 25 that be a concern for the Senators? 11-19-40

Salvian: There is no question that this season was a down year for 22-26-48 Monahan. 26 As mentioned, he only scored 10 goals in 50 games, and even paced out to an 82-game season that would still only be 16 goals. Even 2019-20 23-25-48 would be considered a down year. Monahan scored a modest 22 goals 10-18-28 and 48 points in 70 games, but compared to back-to-back 30-plus goal, 60-plus point seasons, it was quite the drop. Ryan vs Monahan

One consideration with this year’s dip in production could be his Bobby Ryan deployment as a second-line centre, with several moving pieces on his line. While Gaudreau played with him most of the season, the other Ages 23/24 winger was a rotating cast of fourth-line tryouts. Compared to his career 164 year in 2018-19, when he played with Gaudreau and Lindholm, he had nowhere close to that kind of skill next to him this season. 65

Monahan has shot 7.14 percent and 8.87 percent at five-on-five in his 13.7 last two seasons with the Flames, the worst marks of his career. (He is typically between 13 and 15 percent shooting at five-on-five.) 0.40

Another consideration would likely be Monahan’s injury history. Ages 25/26

Monahan played through a hip injury this year while the team was still in 116 contention — which could also be a reason for the down season — and 34 he was shut down for the final four games. This is not the first time Monahan has had hip issues or wrist issues, though. 11.7

In 2016-17, Monahan had a summer wrist surgery and missed the world 0.29 championships. Then, at the end of the 2017-18 season, Monahan had four separate operations to fix his left wrist, left and right sports hernias Sean Monahan and right groin. Ages 23/24

That season, while playing through injury, Monahan scored 31 goals and 152 64 points, so there isn’t always a correlation between his injuries and performance. 65

Monahan’s body of work shows he is a consistent and reliable goal 15.7 scorer. He should bounce back if healthy. And, again, Sutter was very complimentary of Monahan’s ability to play a two-way game this year — 0.46 and remember, this is a coach who doesn’t dish out a ton of praise in his Agest 25/26 media availabilities. 120 “I think his practice habits have been outstanding, which allows him to be a better player during the games,” Sutter said. “I think to show confidence 32 in him by using him on penalty killing a little bit has helped him understand that he can be a really good all-around player and still make 12.1 a good contribution to the team. It’s not necessarily that it always has to 0.26 be based on goals and assists for somebody like that.” Ryan was hampered by injuries and could never regain his 30-goal form Mendes: I’m getting some Bobby Ryan vibes from Monahan’s production. after the age of 24. He managed to crack the 20-goal plateau just once Numerous 30-goal seasons before the age of 24 — and then hitting a after the age of 26, so if that’s where Monahan is headed, it could be statistical wall. When you look at the beginning of their careers, they worrisome. appear to be on a similar trajectory from the ages of 23 to 26: Ryan showed flashes of brilliance — especially in that 2017 playoff run Bobby Ryan vs Sean Monahan — but he could never shake the injury issues in the back half of his NHL 20 career. If that’s something that plagues Monahan, it would certainly be a cause for concern as it pertains to his level of production. 5-5-10 Salvian: Put side by side, there are some pretty obvious similarities. But I 31-31-62 think we need to consider that Monahan is a centre, which always has a little extra value over a winger. And that he only missed the 20-goal mark 21 once in his seven-year career, and that happened to be a year where he 31-26-57 was injured, playing in a shortened 56-game season due to the pandemic, with a midseason coaching change to Sutter who overhauled 27-36-63 the way the team played.

22 It’s such a unique year — with a small sample size at 50 games — that it’s hard to put too much weight into it. Monahan has passed the 60-point 35-29-64 mark three times in his career and hit 80 points once. Ryan did the 27-31-58 former twice and never accomplished the latter.

23 If Monahan had several down years below 20 goals in a row, then I would agree more wholeheartedly with the comparison. It may just be too 34-37-71 early for that. And even if Monahan regressed in a way Ryan did, he only has two years left on his deal while Ryan was locked into a seven-year 31-33-64 deal with a $7.25 million cap hit. 24 What would it cost to land Monahan in Ottawa? more open-minded to the prospect of waiving his NTC to come here. He’s got a familiarity with the city and I think that can help. Salvian: I think the Flames would be looking for a player who could help the team now rather than looking for future assets. Conservatively, I’d After going through this exercise, do we really think there is a fit here say the return could be a top-six forward or a top-four defenceman, plus between Ottawa and Calgary for Monahan? a pick or a prospect. Mendes: I think these teams could be excellent trading partners. When I look at the Flames’ depth chart, I see holes at right wing, and Ottawa’s pool of prospects could be enticing for Calgary, but where I see certainly at centre if Monahan is being moved out. On the Senators, my a significant hurdle is if the Flames are looking for immediate NHL help in wish list would be right wingers Drake Batherson and Connor Brown. return for Monahan. Batherson would be a tough sell to Dorion, but Brown could be interesting. He works well with the Senators and is coming off a career The only expendable players I see from Ottawa’s forward group might be year, but I can’t deny how good he would fit under Sutter in Calgary, players such as Evgenii Dadonov, Chris Tierney and maybe Colin White. especially after seeing him on a line with Mangiapane at the worlds. If you’re Treliving, those players likely wouldn’t be considered core pieces to a trade — they would likely be viewed as offsetting salary At centre, Norris or Stützle would be off-limits, so if I’m the Flames, I’m components. looking at Pinto (No Sens fan should be surprised I’m saying this). He’s young with a ton of upside and coming out of the University of North Again, for me, this comes down to the Senators’ desire to win next Dakota, he already plays a pro game. He’s an all-situations centre, smart season. If their intention is to push for a playoff spot by acquiring a defensively, great at faceoffs, and again, would probably fit in a Sutter proven centre, they probably won’t land someone with a better resume system. than Monahan. Find me another three-time 30-goal scorer in his mid-20s who is available on the market. You can’t. Some will likely suggest Erik Brannstrom as an option, but I don’t see the fit there. The Flames already have Juuso Valimaki — who was drafted But if they are truly thinking about their window to compete opening in one place after Brannstrom — Mark Giordano, Noah Hanifin and Connor two or three years, aggressively pursuing a centre with some significant Mackey on the left side. Although someone like Jake Sanderson could be injury concerns is probably too risky. In this scenario, I think you stay the a fit as he’d push some people down the depth chart. But last year’s fifth course, see what kind of upside Norris and Pinto have this season and pick is probably staying put. make a corresponding move next summer.

That’s my wishlist from the Senators, as I do think Treliving would try to Salvian: I agree, Ian, that these two teams could be interesting trade get an impactful player back for someone like Monahan, who despite the partners. I think there is absolutely a fit where the Flames are concerned tough season, still has some value. because, again, there are so many assets in Ottawa that could make this trade happen. Naturally, wish lists are not always going to be realistic. But I think what makes the Senators such a good trade fit is that they have a stocked However, if the Senators’ list is limited to Dadonov (13 goals, 20 points), cupboard of assets who could be those impactful players the Flames Tierney (six goals, 13 points), and White (10 goals, 18 points), the need. Flames may as well stick with Monahan, who had similar numbers as the trio in his career-worst season. Not to mention, the Flames are probably Mendes: OK, let’s preemptively tackle the trade offer that is likely going looking to save some cap space and White ($4.75 million) and Dadonov to come from some Senators fans: Logan Brown, Brannstrom and a ($5 million) only offer $1.6 million and $1.4 million in cap relief, second-round pick for Monahan. respectively.

I just don’t see that happening because as Hailey points out, the Flames So, I don’t really see them getting this deal done. Calgary is probably don’t really have a need for a mobile, puck-moving defenceman, so looking for an impact player. Brannstrom doesn’t fit. And at the moment, Logan Brown is more of an “add-in” than an “anchor” piece to any trade. So I simply don’t see this as We also need to consider how many teams are probably looking for a a starting point for negotiations. centre this summer, and how few UFA centres are about to hit the market. At the top of the list are Ryan Getzlaf, David Krejci, Derek And after reading Hailey’s assessment, Senators fans have to ask Stepan, Tyler Bozak, Mikael Granlund and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. themselves, would they be willing to lose one of the following players in order to get Monahan: Norris, Pinto, Batherson or Connor Brown. If the There is some skill there in Granlund and Nugent-Hopkins, but both may answer is no, I think they need to focus on other trade targets. But I think re-sign with their current teams. And if the centre market is weak, the those players would be the realistic starting points for a discussion Flames aren’t likely to be in a spot where they need to settle for one of around Monahan — plus the Senators would likely have to sweeten the the Senators’ expendable players. pot with a pick or prospect. The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 Keep in mind, when the Senators acquired Ryan from Anaheim, they gave up a first-round pick, Jakob Silfverberg and Stefan Noesen. I don’t think the price will be as steep for Monahan, but it’s a good reminder that if you want to land a player with a 30-goal pedigree, you’re probably going to have to pay for it.

We should also consider these two teams are drafting near each other in the first round. Ottawa is selecting 10th while Calgary is at No. 12. If the Flames are set on a certain player — say Chaz Lucius, for example — would Ottawa be willing to flip picks as a small part of this deal? It could be a possibility, but all of the other pieces would have to be lined up before draft day.

What’s Monahan’s no-trade status? And could that be a hurdle in getting him to Ottawa?

Salvian: This season was the first in which Monahan’s modified no-trade clause kicked in for the final three years of his deal. It is a standard 10- team no-trade list. So that could be a hurdle for the Senators if they are on his list. And according to Craig Custance’s agent poll last year, Ottawa is one of the teams most frequently on these lists.

Mendes: It’s always a safe bet to assume that Ottawa is on virtually every player’s limited no-trade clause. I think Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg are locks on most player’s lists right now, but maybe Monahan’s experience of living in Ottawa as a member of the 67’s would make him 1215421 Philadelphia Flyers “There’s a lot of stuff that won’t be negotiable in the system,” he said. “Players will make mistakes. Coaches will make mistakes. That I can live with. But you have to stick with the system, with the structure that we talk about, and hard work.” New Phantoms coach Ian Laperriere will stress fitness as Flyers GM praises his ‘innate ability to connect with people’ Laperriere was asked if he had aspirations to coach in the NHL some day.

“Right now, my goal is to make those kids better every day,” he said. “I Sam Carchidi don’t have time to think about the NHL. I’m worried about the kids I’m going to have next year, and I do have a lot of work to do.” Published Jun 7, 2021 Breakaways

Nick Schultz, a player development coach with the Flyers, is among the Ian Laperriere was formally introduced Monday as the new coach of the candidates to fill Laperriere’s old spot with Philadelphia. ... Laperriere AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and the man known as Lappy said he seems to be leaning toward hiring young assistants with the Phantoms. will “be myself,” a trait he learned from former Flyers coach Craig ... Goalie Felix Sandstrom, a pending restricted free agent, signed with Berube. TPS in Finland. The Flyers will own his rights, but he would have been A people person with a gregarious personality, Laperriere, 47, will stress the third goalie in the system if Alex Lyon is not re-signed. ... Wins and fitness in the first head-coaching job of his career. He has competed in losses matter, Fletcher said about the Phantoms and the AHL: “I don’t Ironman triathlons, consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, think you can properly develop players unless you have a winning and a 26.2-mile run. environment.”

The Phantoms will be in great shape. Or else. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.08.2021

“I’m a big believer in fitness,” said Laperriere, a hard-nosed player in his 16-season NHL career. “Players that are going to play for me are going to have to be in shape, or I’ll get them in shape. They know that. Guys that know me, guys that I coached for the Flyers that will play for me next year here, they know that. I’m sure the word is going to spread. For me, to be a pro, you’ve got to be a pro 24 hours a day, inside the rink and away from the rink. It goes from nutrition to the way you act around town. You represent the logo. I’m a big believer in that. That’s my job to make sure everybody is on the same page.”

General manager said Laperriere is emotional, passionate and “full of life. He has an innate ability to connect with people.”

Laperriere plans to be “the energy guy who’s going to bring life at the rink every day and going to make sure we’re on the positive side. I think that’s what the young guys need. They need a leader that’s going to direct them toward the right direction. To find a chair for those guys, especially those young guys coming up from juniors that just don’t know what kind of player they should be as a pro. When you get to this level, everybody was pretty good in junior or in college.”

Added Laperriere: “My job and my staff’s job is going to be to find the right chair for those guys to be successful for the Phantoms. And if they are successful with the Phantoms, they can move to the next level.”

After injuries forced him to retire from the Flyers and ended his career as a player, Laperriere worked for the organization as director of player development, and, for the last eight years, as an assistant coach with the NHL team. Those duties, he said, prepared him for his current role.

“I love working with the young guys,” he said. “You know what, it’s what I did as player development [director]. Being an assistant coach, I was always like, not the buffer, but the guy who played and could relate with those young guys. I took that, and I love that. Now I get a chance to do it as a head coach. I won’t change my mentality.”

Laperierre thanked former club president for getting him on a coaching path.

“Without him, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “He’s the guy who signed me, and he asked me what I wanted to do after [playing], and I told him what I wanted to do. He helped me from Day One. And you know, you meet so many people in hockey, some you forget. But Paul Holmgren, that’s the guy I’ll never forget.”

Ian Laperriere (left) and then-general manager Paul Holmgren when the winger was introduced at a news conference after he signed as a free agent in 2009.

Ian Laperriere (left) and then-general manager Paul Holmgren when the winger was introduced at a news conference after he signed as a free agent in 2009.

Laperriere said he will bring the structure that he frequently discusses with Flyers coach . 1215422 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins’ Sidney Crosby passes Jaromir Jagr as NHL's estimated career earnings leader

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Monday, June 7, 2021 3:15 p.m.

Sidney Crosby has positioned himself to his career subjectively judged against the top 10 or so players in NHL history.

According to one respected outlet, there is one measure by which the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar is already at the top of the list for any player the NHL has ever seen.

Crosby has become the league’s all-time career earnings leader, according to NHL salary-cap tracker capfriendly.com. Crosby has earned more than $129 million over the course of his 16-year career, per the site, with this past season’s salary nudging him past another former Penguins superstar, Jaromir Jagr, as the best-paid player in the 100-plus year history of the NHL.

Jagr, whose career spanned 26-plus years (11 seasons with the Penguins), earned $128.1 million, according to capfriendly.com. Longtime Crosby rival Alex Ovechkin ranks third at $123.2 million, with Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber ($120.01 million) fourth and former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier fifth at $112.2 million.

Sidney Crosby now has the highest career earnings in NHL history with $129M in earnings*

Crosby, 33, just finished the eighth season of a 12-year, $104.4 million contract that averages $8.7 million in compensation annually (actual cash earnings vary by season). He’d previously played under a five-year deal at that same average annual value (it matches the uniform number — 87 — and birthdate — 8/7/87 — for the superstitious Canadian) after playing the first three seasons of his NHL career under the terms of a standard entry-level deal.

Crosby’s teammate since his second NHL season — Evgeni Malkin — ranks eighth in all-time earnings, per capfriendly, at $109.2 million. Current Penguins center Jeff Carter is 59th all-time at $71.2 million, and defenseman Kris Letang is 71st at $65.3 million.

Other recent former Penguins of varying tenures who are among the top 50 in all-time earnings:

Patrick Marleau, 19th, $96.2 million

Marian Hossa, 20th, $94.1 million

Jarome Iginla, 23rd, $91.4 million

Phil Kessel, 30th, $85.4 million

Marc-Andre Fleury, 47th, $74.7 million

CapFriendly qualifies its listing by limiting it to its own database, which presumably doesn’t veer too deep into the NHL’s past. However, rapidly- escalating salaries would indicate few who played prior to recent decades would be among the best-paid in NHL history.

The website also says its estimates do not account for performance bonuses and can lack precision for players prior to 2016 because of those who were sent to the minors or juniors in-season and the difficulty in estimating the exact number of days of service time.

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215423 Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh-area native Howard Smith nominated for NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award

TRIBUNE-REVIEW | Monday, June 7, 2021 12:40 p.m.

Pittsburgh-area native Howard Smith has been nominated for the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award.

Per a release from the league, the honor is given “to an individual who — through the sport of hockey — has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society.”

Smith co-founded Pittsburgh I.C.E. (Inclusion Creates Equity), a program touted as being “committed to offering children of all socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to learn and play hockey.”

Additionally, Smith worked with the Steel City Icebergs, an adaptive program for children and adults with developmental disabilities and the Pittsburgh Warriors, a non-profit organization of veterans with a service- connective disability. Smith is a a veteran himself of the U.S. Navy.

The Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award is named in honor of former NHL forward Willie O’Ree. In 1958, O’Ree became the first Black player to play in the league. He currently serves as the NHL’s diversity ambassador and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 as a builder.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215424 Pittsburgh Penguins Are we 100% sure of what Malkin wants? His wife and child prefer Florida, often living at Malkin’s residence there while he plays in Pittsburgh.

Mark Madden: Penguins should see how Evgeni Malkin recovers before First things first: How will Malkin recover from knee surgery? Let’s see considering contract extension him play. All other decisions should be a result of that.

Here’s how it ends: Malkin gets to free agency in 2021 and goes to the highest bidder. MARK MADDEN | Monday, June 7, 2021 10:06 a.m. Tribune Review LOADED: 06.08.2021

Evgeni Malkin participated in the Penguins’ playoff series vs. the New York Islanders despite a severe injury to his right knee. It required major surgery. Malkin’s availability for the start of training camp (and perhaps the start of the season) is in doubt.

Malkin deserves credit for gutting it out. He gave 100% and played reasonably well.

But the Penguins have paid Malkin $118 million to this point, so he should be expected to persevere on their behalf. The decision to play was his. No undue pressure was applied.

Moving forward, what the Penguins do with Malkin should be based 100% on what he can still do, not what he’s already done.

Malkin’s contract expires at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Some think owner Mario Lemieux is dead-set against any of the Penguins’ stars leaving. That’s probably true — as long as they’re still stars. It definitely applies to Sidney Crosby.

Some think Malkin is committed to finishing his career in Pittsburgh. That commitment may be tested when Malkin reaches free agency. Would Malkin take a hometown discount to remain a Penguin, or would he sign elsewhere for a higher offer?

The Penguins could extend Malkin sooner out of loyalty, as some suggest, but that would be pure folly: They need to see how Malkin recovers from surgery, and how he can still perform. Having your knee cut at 34 isn’t the same as having it cut at, say, 24.

Malkin is no monument to conditioning: He came to training camp out of shape, and it was reflected in his poor start. Lack of access to workout facilities due to covid was blamed. But $118 million can certainly pay for installment of a home gym.

Malkin lacks the same dedication to training as Kris Letang, also 34 but a better bet to sustain excellence as he nears 40.

The Penguins can do OK without Malkin: They went 16-5-2 this past season in games he missed. Jeff Carter can be an adequate No. 2 center in his absence.

This screed isn’t designed to “run Malkin out of town,” the favored accusation of Geno Nation whenever their hero is questioned in any way.

But the Penguins need to tread carefully, unless their intent is to keep their core three intact ‘til each retires regardless of their cost and quality. That’s the path chosen by previous mini-dynasties Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles.

If you want to know how that’s worked out, look where the Red Wings, Blackhawks and Kings finished in this past season’s standings. (Perhaps the Penguins are already inexorably on that path.)

Malkin’s status as one of the Penguins’ top four players ever and a three- time Stanley Cup winner should be considered, but not to the exclusion of what’s best for the team.

The alleged “three amigos” dynamic between Crosby, Letang and Malkin shouldn’t be considered one iota. How often do they socialize away from the rink? Each wants the others to stay because they’re good players. That’s the biggest part of that narrative.

The Penguins have always tried to present Crosby and Malkin as equals, and that has trickled down to some fans as legit belief.

But Crosby and Malkin are not equals. Crosby is one of the top five players in NHL history. Malkin is, maybe, top 50 — and maybe not. Crosby has meant immeasurably more to the franchise. 1215425 Pittsburgh Penguins Regardless, he needs to stay healthy and maximize whatever opportunity he is afforded next season as he enters the final year of his entry-level contract to prove he has a future with the Penguins and in the NHL.

Penguins A to Z: Niclas Almari needs to move past an injury-filled 2020- Tribune Review LOADED: 06.08.2021 21 season

SETH RORABAUGH | Monday, June 7, 2021 8:01 a.m.

With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 50 players currently under NHL contracts to the organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.

Niclas Almari

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Age: 23

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 179 pounds

2020-21 Liiga statistics: 28 games, seven points (one goal, six assists)

Contract: Entering the final year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $809,167. Pending restricted free agent in 2022.

Acquired: Fifth-round draft pick (No. 151 overall), June 25, 2016

2020-21 season: Like a lot of NHL teams, the Penguins tried to loan as many of their prospects as possible to European squads during the late summer/early fall in the pursuit of furthering their development. While most leagues in North America were on hiatus because of the pandemic, leagues in Europe forged ahead with their seasons.

For Almari, that meant him being loaned to the Lahden Pelicans of the Liiga, the top-tier league in his native Finland. Given the logistical challenges of bringing in a player from overseas during a pandemic, the Penguins opted to keep Almari in Finland, even when the American Hockey League (AHL) opened play in February.

After playing a solid 51 AHL games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during 2019-20 campaign, his first full season in North America, Almari was limited to 28 regular season Liiga games during 2020-21 primarily due to various injuries.

Appearing in three games in October, Almari suffered an undisclosed ailment Oct. 6 and was sidelined until Dec. 30.

Almari’s lone goal of the season was a game-winning score during a 5-0 home win against Vaasan on Jan. 14:

After missing another five weeks from mid-January to late February due to another undisclosed injury, Almari’s high point of the season was a two-assist performance in a 3-0 home win against on March 25. Finishing the season on the left side of the Pelicans’ top defensive pairing, Almari averaged 18:36 of ice time per contest.

In the playoffs, Almari appeared in five games and had no points as the Pelicans fell in the quarterfinal round.

The future: Not that anything was ideal for anybody in 2020-21, but Almari’s season was far from perfect given how many games he missed due to injury.

Assuming the 2021-22 AHL season opens without any hitches, Almari will likely return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the fall and once against be one of that team’s top-four defensemen.

If Penguins management jettisons some of the surplus left-handed defensemen on the NHL roster and gives a promotion to high-end defensive prospect P.O Joseph, that would create plenty of chances to claim ample ice time in all areas of the rink for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s remaining defensemen, including Almari.

A safe, reliable defensive presence, Almari makes his bones preventing goals and is rarely involved in creating them. That said, Almari is more than competent with the puck, specifically in finding ways to get it out of the defensive zone. 1215426 Pittsburgh Penguins

Madden Monday on Penguins: ‘There will be one token big trade. I still think it will be Jake Guentzel.’

TIM BENZ | Monday, June 7, 2021 6:05 a.m.

In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden takes a deeper look at some of the comments Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke made on his 105.9 The X radio show.

The statements from Burke included a ton of faith in head coach Mike Sullivan, goaltender Tristan Jarry and even the aging “core three” of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

So, is anything going to change with the team despite three straight playoff exits in the first round?

“I think things will remain, maybe not 100% the same. But I bet pretty darn close. I think there will be one token big trade. I still think it will be Jake Guentzel (in exchange) for somebody. And I think they will just go from there,” Madden said.

As a result, Madden expects the end of the 2022 season to be similar to what we just saw in 2021.

“I think things will be roughly the same. Almost totally the same roster, and they’ll be a borderline playoff team. Or they will miss. Or they’ll lose in the first round. But I don’t think their championship window will be reopened by more or less standing pat,” Madden continued.

As Madden points out, the notion of moving a young, popular player such as Guentzel won’t go over well with the fan base.

“If you could trade Jake Guentzel for Tom Wilson (Washington Capitals), you’d do it,” Madden said. “We think that Guentzel for Wilson would be a bad trade. Or Jake Guentzel for Josh Anderson (Montreal Canadiens) or a Tkachuk brother (Matthew with the Ottawa Senators, Brady with the Calgary Flames). Those would all be great trades for the Penguins the way the league is trending. The problem is the teams with Josh Anderson, a Tkachuk brother, or Washington with Wilson, wouldn’t make that trade. Because they get it. The Penguins get it. Local hockey fans don’t get it.”

Not only would players such as those candidates add size, skill and toughness, Madden suggests that Guentzel wouldn’t be missed in Pittsburgh as much as we may fear at first.

“If Jake Guentzel were to go to a middling team like Montreal — they are having a decent playoff, but they aren’t a great team with any superstars to play with — Guentzel would be hard-pressed to hit 20 goals in Montreal,” Madden said. “He is not 100% a Crosby creation but a big part of him is.”

If it’s not Guentzel who is traded, maybe it is .

“Bryan Rust is a third liner who got lucky with who he got to play with,” Madden said. “We badly overrate these guys. If you look at the role Bryan Rust had back in the Cup years, that is closer to the real Bryan Rust. Guentzel is a really skilled player. He just got lucky he got drafted by Pittsburgh.”

On other topics in the podcast, Mark and I dive into the Mark Scheifele suspension, the Julio Jones trade, changes in the Steelers radio booth and why the Motley Crue concert at PNC Park really got postponed.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215427 Pittsburgh Penguins Then, there is the six-stitch rule that former Penguins winger and current broadcaster Bob Errey explained to me. Apparently, if a player was cut during a game and needed six or fewer stitches, he was sewed up without a pain-killer so he could return to the game as quickly as Ron Cook: Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel leave no doubt about their possible. Think of a fish hook going through your face six times. A pain- toughness killer was OK if the cut required more than six stitches, even if that meant a longer delay before a return to the ice.

Hockey players, you gotta love ’em. RON COOK I repeat: JUN 8, 2021 5:10 AM Malkin and Guentzel are hockey players.

Both Brian Burke and have said there are no plans to break It’s fair to criticize Jake Guentzel for his lack of production in the playoff up the Penguins’ “core,” which means Malkin and Kris Letang are series against the New York Islanders. He had 25 shots on net but expected back next season. Burke said there has been no order from produced just one goal for the Penguins in the six-game flameout. “I let a Mario Lemieux that the two players have to finish their career with the lot of people down,” Guentzel said in his getaway Zoom interview. team. “Mario is leaving us alone,” he said. “Whatever we do, we’ll take It’s even fair to criticize Evgeni Malkin’s lack of goal-scoring against the the blame or we’ll take the praise.” Islanders. He had five points in the final four games but just one goal. Guentzel’s future seems a little more cloudy. There has been speculation You expect more from the Penguins’ highest-paid player at $9.5 million. the Penguins might move him this offseason to bring in a bigger, tougher But one thing no one can question is Guentzel’s and Malkin’s toughness. player. “We’re not ugly enough,” Burke said.

It was off the charts against the Islanders. It wasn’t just Guentzel who took a beating against the Islanders. Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust also took a licking and combined for just four Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry with broken stick against goals and seven points. At the other end of the ice, the Penguins weren’t the Islanders Saturday May 22, 2021, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial able to punish the Islanders in front of goaltender Tristan Jarry. “That’s Coliseum in Uniondale NY. not what we do well,” Burke acknowledged. “We don’t have a team that’s built on intimidation or aggression.” In Malkin’s case, that became more apparent Friday when the Penguins announced he had surgery on his right knee. This was no routine clean- I’m OK with Malkin coming back even though he turns 35 next month up. The team said Malkin will miss the start of training camp in and, like Letang, has just one year left on his contract. Why not take at September, maybe the start of the season. least one more run with Malkin and Crosby? Burke said management will explore an extension with Malkin and Letang soon. Malkin originally was injured when he banged knees with Boston’s Jarred Tinordi during a game March 16. He missed the next 23 games — the I hope Guentzel is back. I get the need for more ugly and I know you team went 16-5-2 without him — before returning to the lineup for the have to give up quality to get quality back. But I don’t want to give up a final four regular season games. He banged knees again with Buffalo’s 40-goal man, which Guentzel has been. He is one of the top goal-scorers Dylan Cozens in the final game and had to miss the first two games in the NHL. I’ll take my chances with him and Crosby continuing to play against the Islanders. It wasn’t just remarkable that he scored five points together. in that series. It was remarkable that he played at all. I’ll always take my chances with good hockey players. Guentzel didn’t have a serious injury, but the series-long beating he took from the Islanders would have stopped a lesser player. Somehow, he Post Gazette LOADED: 06.08.2021 avoided trouble when he was tripped by goaltender Ilya Sorokin in Game 1 and crashed into the boards, bringing back bad memories of his major shoulder injury that required surgery after he banged into the boards during a game against Ottawa on Dec. 30, 2019. Guentzel then took a clean but vicious shot from defenseman Adam Peleck in Game 2. There was at least one big hit against him in every game, it seemed. Clearly, the Islanders’ strategy was to manhandle Guentzel, a slightly built man. But he took the hits and kept on playing.

My respect for Malkin and Guentzel has never been greater.

They’re hockey players in the truest sense.

I remember a conversation at a Penguins playoff game years ago with then-Pitt football coach Paul Chryst. I suggested that hockey players are the toughest people in sports and waited for Chryst to argue.

“You’re absolutely right,” he said. “They are the toughest.”

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin back in the lineup against the Islanders Thursday, May 20, 2021, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale NY.

The stories are legendary.

Perhaps most famously, Toronto’s Bob Baun fractured his ankle early in Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup final and came back to score the winning goal in overtime. That was back in the day when the Maple Leafs won Cups. Don’t feel bad if you can’t remember. No one else can, either.

My personal favorite is Rick Tocchet breaking his jaw in a Penguins game against Chicago in March 1992 and coming back to score the winning goal in overtime. He fought twice in later games that season, prompting coach Scotty Bowman to tell him he was crazy. “I told him I have to stand up for my guys,” Tocchet said, shrugging.

Any number of players have pulled out loose teeth on the bench. Google Pascal Dupuis and watch him pull out two during a Penguins game in October 2013. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain. 1215428 Pittsburgh Penguins

Polls: Penguins fans have had it with Tristan Jarry

ADAM BITTNER

JUN 7, 2021 11:52 AM

Penguins fans are ready to move on from Tristan Jarry after his playoff struggles.

Polling for the Post-Gazette by CivicScience conducted over the past week found that the goalie is widely unpopular following the Penguins’ first-round exit against the New York Islanders.

A full 59% of readers said they primarily blame Jarry for the Penguins’ demise. The veteran core of stars that includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang was a distant second choice at 25%, followed by coach Mike Sullivan at 10% and other contributors at 7%.

Poll 1

(CivicScience)

Readers aren’t in a forgiving mood, either. A strong 63% majority don’t believe Jarry should be allowed to return to the Penguins’ crease next season.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin, left, and Sidney Crosby, right, celebrate with Jake Guentzel, center, after Guentzel scored during the first period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders, Wednesday, May 26, 2021, in Uniondale, N.Y.

Poll 2

And an overwhelming 81% majority feel goaltending should be the team’s top priority in the offseason. Just 12% think the team needs help on defense, and only 7% want to see more offensively.

Poll 3

Other members of the team, starting with Sullivan, have significantly more support behind them. Readers want the coach to return in 2021-22 by a nearly 3-to-1 margin.

Poll 4

They would also like to see the Crosby/Malkin/Letang trio stay together for at least one more year, with 63% voting for the reunification.

Poll 5

The new front office of general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke received strong support as well. A combined 60% majority gave them “A” or “B” grades for their first few months on the job. “C” was the next most popular choice at 23%, followed by “F” at 10% and “D” at 8%.

Poll 6

Looking forward, readers did not seem too concerned about the Seattle expansion draft this summer, with 64% saying they do not expect the Penguins to lose a significant piece.

Poll 7

They are less optimistic about the long-term future, though.

A 56% majority said they believe the team’s championship window has closed. That’s up from 46% at the end of last season. Of the minority who remain hopeful for the future, 22% think the window will remain open for two more years, 15% chose one year, and 8% expect three or more years of serious contention.

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin back in the lineup against the Islanders Thursday, May 20, 2021, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale NY.

Poll 8

Post Gazette LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215429 Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins don’t own Pittsburgh. But they’ve made up considerable ground on the Steelers during The Crosby Era. And, as you’ve mentioned before, sports might matter more to people in Pittsburgh than it does any city in North America. So, it stands to reason you being with Q&A with Penguins’ Brian Burke on Pride Month, LGBTQ+ inclusivity: the Penguins is a real opportunity to help push Pittsburgh and Western ‘These are mud walls that crumble with time’ Pennsylvania closer to total inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community. Is that part of the job as you see yours with the Penguins?

Absolutely. To us, (Pittsburgh) is certainly in the top two or three if it’s not By Rob Rossi Jun 7, 2021 No. 1 as sports cities. And I know the Penguins are committed to inclusion and diversity. Whenever I’m going to work for an employer, we have this conversation in the interview process. I had it with (Penguins Brian Burke loves Pittsburgh. Has for a while. He calls it “the best sports CEO ). He and the Penguins are committed to diversity town in North America.” and inclusion. That makes my role as an advocate easier. The team’s totally behind it. I think with a more normal season, hopefully, coming out Admittedly, those are assessments Burke made before living in his latest of this pandemic, you’ll see a lot of things being done by the Penguins for hockey home. Though he is several months into a job he never expected LGBTQ+ — things I can’t share right now, but I feel really good about at this stage of his career — president of hockey operations for the what will be happening. Penguins — Burke really hasn’t had a chance to enjoy one of this gig’s expected perks. You mentioned the 10 years since Brendan’s tragic accident. It happened so soon after he came out. He went from being seen as a pioneer to “I haven’t been out anywhere,” Burke said Friday, referring to NHL and almost seeming larger than life in death. But he was your son, a brother Pennsylvania COVID-19 restrictions only eased recently (and the to your children, and by all accounts an amazing friend to many, many Penguins have had some things going on of late). people. Looking back, does his decision to come out strike a different “I haven’t been to a single bar or restaurant. I haven’t gotten a sense of chord with you now that the world has changed a little bit in part because the community. What I’ve seen, certainly my initial impressions are very of initiatives that gained traction after Brendan died? favorable.” It took tremendous courage. And he had the full support of his family. A day later, Burke finally made it out, and the setting could not have been We sat down as a family the day after we buried Brendan and said, “OK, more appropriate: the Revolution March that launched a weekend of we’ve got two choices here: we sit by the side of the road with our Pride celebrations in and around Pittsburgh. headstone or when we make sure that Brendan’s legacy continues.” And Arguably, Burke is as tied to the LGBTQ+ community as any modern we vowed that he would not be forgotten, and his work would continue. hockey figure. His late son, Brendan, came out in November 2009. After And I think it has. Brendan’s tragic death in a car accident in February 2010, Brian Burke I’m not offended at all by the question. I think his role after his death is and his surviving children have tirelessly promoted on behalf of the larger than it was when he was alive. He was a pioneer. But the work LGBTQ+ community, including the creation of the You Can Play Project. that’s been done since his passing … he’s gotten a legacy and he’ll Burke spoke to The Athletic about his late son’s legacy, plans to promote never be forgotten. inclusivity with the Penguins and the importance of Pride Month. How has Brendan’s legacy helped or hurt with the grieving that a parent (Note: This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.) probably carries the rest of their life?

How has what Pride Month means to you personally changed since Well, it’s a sad club of parents that have lost a child. Fortunately, it’s a Brendan’s death? small sad club. You never get over it. There’s a wound in your heart that never heals. Time certainly helps. That’s the best healer of all. And It’s 10 years this year from my son’s accident. In that time, we’ve made having this noble cause to work toward in his memory definitely helps tremendous progress, but we’re nowhere near where we need to be. So me. to me, it’s important to celebrate Pride Month and Pride Days. And I think it’s really important that people focus on the LGBTQ+ community, and Pride Month is in June. It follows Mental Health Awareness Month. I’m figure out ways to help. public about my diagnosed mental disorders and I have family and friends that identify as LGBTQ+, so going from Mental Health Awareness You’ve worked in non-traditional markets (Anaheim), smaller (Calgary) to Pride seems like a very natural transition from one month to the next to and larger (Vancouver) Canadian markets and the acknowledged hockey me. Do you see a natural connection between LGBTQ+ and mental Mecca (Toronto), and are now employed by one of the higher-profile health/illness communities? American NHL teams (Penguins). That’s not the full list of your hockey jobs, but it shows you’ve been around to witness different perspectives. Absolutely. It’s an important point; if you look at mental health issues, What have those experiences taught you about if/when there can be full they affect the LGBTQ+ community disproportionately. And that’s not inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community in our lifetimes? going to change until we get to a level playing field, and we’ve got a long way to go. And that’s why it’s important somebody in our positions are You’re talking about biases and prejudices that have built up over talking about this. I hope it leads to more people having these centuries. So this is not a door you kick in, these are mud walls that conversations. crumble with time. And like I said, we’ve made tremendous progress just in the time that I’ve been involved. But we’re nowhere near where we The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 need to be, which is where the LGBTQ+ community has true inclusion and acceptance and at all levels of society.

I’d say there’s geographical (factors) where there’s inclusivity — and acceptance varies in both countries.

When you have a high-profile job — working for the NHL, running USA Hockey for the 2010 Olympics, presiding over the Maple Leafs, being affiliated now with the likes of Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby — how does that change the opportunity to bring more inclusion and acceptance to the LGBTQ+ community?

When you’re an executive of any team that has profile, you’ve got a platform. And I think you’re obligated to use that platform for important social-justice ends, and the LGBTQ+ community is one of them. So it’s big to me — particularly when I was general manager of a team in Canada, where you have a real high profile and you’ve got a real good platform. And Pittsburgh’s not in that same rank as far as the Penguins visibility and profile. 1215430 Pittsburgh Penguins Andersen’s five-year $25 million contract expires this summer, and he will be a UFA.

Circle Andersen’s name as someone the Pittsburgh Penguins are Source: Penguins Look for Veteran Goalie; Jarry, Malkin Safe from already watching. The team could make a solid pitch pending the goalie Kraken market, which was a heavy buyer’s market last fall and figures to be again with the flat salary cap.

Pittsburgh Hockey NowLOADED: 06.08.2021 Published 15 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Dan Kingerski

LAS VEGAS — The Pittsburgh Penguins trade rumors and free agency whispers are true. The team is indeed looking for an experienced backup goalie to fortify the net should Tristan Jarry struggle in the regular season, or especially the postseason, as he did last month in the Penguins Round One loss to the New York Islanders.

A well-placed source in the Penguins organization confirmed the Penguins trade or free agency plans to PHN on Monday in response to recent public chatter and media speculation about the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft.

Tristan Jarry will be protected in the coming expansion draft. So, too, will Evgeni Malkin.

“There’s only place Evgeni might consider waiving his no-movement clause for,” the source said, indicating Seattle was a no-go and was not under consideration.

PHN has reported multiple times that “one” place is Florida, where Malkin lives, and his family seems to enjoy it. Though GM Ron Hextall also quelled any Malkin-Penguins trade rumors last week by including Malkin in the Penguins’ plans and staying in win-now mode. dd

Malkin has a full no-movement clause. So, it would require his permission to expose him to Seattle. In other words, don’t expect any crazy moves on that front.

Penguins backup goalie Casey DeSmith is currently the goalie the team expects to expose.

DeSmith appears to be a victim of circumstance, again. After signing a three-year NHL deal following the 2018-19 season, he was demoted to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, in part, because he made a few hundred thousand bucks more than Tristan Jarry.

Jarry not only claimed the backup spot but pushed past starter , too.

Despite DeSmith showing himself to be a capable puck stopper and solid NHL backup. He was not available in the playoffs due to a soft-tissue LBI.

The Penguins are looking for a veteran goalie with playoff experience. And the name you first think is the name they’re thinking, too: Frederick Andersen.

A team source specifically mentioned his name as someone the Penguins are looking at as a veteran goalie who has performed well in the NHL postseason. Andersen struggled this season, as did several North Division goalies behind absentee blue liners.

Andersen will turn 32-years-old in October. The 6-foot-4 goalie played in 24 games this season with an unsexy 2.95 GAA, and an anemic .895 save percentage. His goals saved above average (GSAx), according to Puck Pedia, was well below average at -7.31.

However, Andersen has been very good in the playoffs. In the Toronto “bubble” Qualifying Round against Columbus, Andersen posted a .936 save percentage, though lost in the pivotal Game 5.

In Toronto’s heartbreaking seven-game Round One loss to the fearsome Boston Bruins in 2018-19, Andersen posted a .922 save percentage and was a big reason Toronto pushed the series to seven games.

However, after a pair of opening-round losses, Andersen took some of the blame in Toronto and this season lost his net to Jack Campbell, who promptly played well but helped Toronto to another seven-game opening- round loss.

Andersen also backstopped the Anaheim Ducks to the 2015 Western Conference Final, but the three-time Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks squeaked past in Game 7 and won their third Cup. 1215431 Pittsburgh Penguins

OTR: Quinn To Sabres? Eichel, Makar, Jones, NHL Trade Market

Published 16 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Jimmy Murphy

There is yet no word on the scheduled meeting between Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel and Sabres management, or if the meeting has yet taken place. Based on all indicators, the two sides have some serious issues to figure out to keep Eichel, one of the premier centers in the league, off the NHL trade market.

There is rampant speculation the Sabres will select their new coach with Eichel in mind. We have one name to watch on that front, and he’s very familiar to the Metro Division and Boston fans.

However, Off The Record has been reporting for a few months the two sides are headed for divorce, but the coach could be the Hail Mary to keep the former second-overall pick.

The Colorado Avalanche could begin their offseason as early as late Thursday night. The offseason focus in Denver will immediately switch to budding superstar defenseman Cale Makar and his second NHL contract. How much bank can Makar get?

And NHL owners have held power since they instituted the salary cap in 2005, but could the current NHL player empowerment create player- coordinated movement, so the NHL resembles the NBA?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215432 Pittsburgh Penguins A good scoop on the Penguins trade hopes this offseason is coming up later today. Check back.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 Dan’s Daily: Will Crosby/NHL Go to Olympics? Little Verszyla Gets #1 on Sportscenter

Published 19 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Dan Kingerski

LAS VEGAS — It has become absolutely obvious which team will win the Round Two series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, even more so than the Montreal-Winnipeg series, which is 3- 0. Hint, it’s not the President’s Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche. The National Hockey Now network has the playoffs covered. The NHL and IIHF missed the deadline but are still working on getting Sidney Crosby (and a few Pittsburgh Penguins) and NHL players a chance to represent their country in the Olympics.

But first, a nod to our former compatriot, now WTAE weatherman, Jeff Verszyla, and family. Jeff’s son was the No. 1 play on Sportscenter’s Top 10. Watch this wickedness:

I don’t know why, but I cannot view the Top 10 Sportscenter plays. It says not available in my country. I mean, I know Las Vegas is different, but?? Here’s the proud papa’s tweet:

I like the amateur Olympics. I love watching people get their big shot in the Olympics, but nothing in this sports world is amateur anymore, is it?

Now the playoffs. Playoffs?!

Colorado: The Colorado Avalanche are in a bad way. The Vegas Golden Knights have absolutely smoked them over most of the last eight periods. The Avalanche held a team meeting. And Adrian Dater put the boots to them–Avalanche all talk, no action.

The series is now tied 2-2, and the Avalanche are a power-play goal away from being down 3-1.

Vegas: Jonathan Marchessault had the hatty in Game 4. The quick hits from the Vegas side. This has been total domination for most of three games.

I’m in Vegas covering the series. If it looks like a beatdown on TV, it’s worse in person. Colorado looks physically overmatched. Fleury was a bit shaky, but he faced only 38 shots in the last two games combined.

Boston: Is Bruce Cassidy working the officials for Game 4? Are the New York Islanders getting away with a ton of penalties and drawing more by being the instigators? (Yes). The Boston Bruins and fans are now getting a taste of it, too.

Also–Sidney Crosby wasn’t selected, but Patrice Bergeon earned his record-setting 10th straight Selke nomination.

NYI: Mathew Barzal is (finally) finding his stride in the playoffs. Our boys in New York are getting a bit giddy.

Detroit: The Red Wings were well represented at the World Championships. Canada won gold. And one Red Wings prospect shined brightly. Maybe Detroit won’t be in the cellar much longer.

San Jose: So…how tough is it to draft a Hall of Famer with the seventh overall pick?

Philly: Ian Laperriere is the new head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

TSN: Ole! Ole! Ole! 500 fans crashed the Bell Centre in Montreal after the Montreal Canadiens took a 3-0 series lead by soundly beating the Winnipeg Jets.

Yes yes, I enjoy the Montreal chant, the fanbase, and the history of that franchise. Don’t you? All of the charm and nostalgia of the Yankees, without the obnoxious payroll advantage.

The Pittsburgh Penguins fanbase needs to come up with a few more traditions. The day of the superstars will end, but Pittsburgh doesn’t have an anthem tradition, a chant, anything to toss on the ice, nor historical weapons to fire. All we have is a dead emperor Penguin who couldn’t skate. 1215433 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks to become first NHL team to accept cryptocurrency

By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: June 7, 2021 at 12:52 p.m. | UPDATED: June 7, 2021 at 2:07 p.m.

Sharks Sports & Entertainment is set to become the first parent company of an NHL team to accept cryptocurrency for large and recurring payments.

Starting June 15, the Sharks, as an experiment, will accept cryptocurrency for season ticket purchases, luxury box leases, and sponsorship deals, an SSE spokesman confirmed. The Sports Business Journal first reported details of the initiative.

Team president Jonathan Becher said using cryptocurrency for smaller purchases such as single game tickets, food and beverage, and merchandise will be reviewed in the future.

In March, the Oakland A’s announced they were selling six-person private suites at the Coliseum for the 2021 season for one Bitcoin, which, at the time, was worth around $60,000. As of Monday, one Bitcoin was worth just over $35,000.

“The price of a season suite may fluctuate depending on when it’s purchased, which adds to the excitement,” said A’s President Dave Kaval in a statement.

Other professional sports teams to accept Bitcoin include the and of the NBA and Southampton F.C. of the Premier League in England.

The Sharks will be working with Atlanta-based payment processor BitPay, which also has an office in San Francisco. The Sharks are already accepting PayPal, which started to accept cryptocurrency last year.

“We’re accepting PayPal, so then by definition, we’re accepting cryptocurrency,” Becher said. “Why not embrace it and make it more visible as opposed to just doing it through a third party?”

BitPay accepts Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Ethereum among its payment options.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215434 San Jose Sharks

Sharks will accept crypto payments beginning next season

BY BRIAN WITT

The Sharks are stepping into the cryptocurrency space.

The Sports Business Journal's Mark J. Burns reported Monday that San Jose's parent company, Sharks Sports & Entertainment, will begin accepting cryptocurrency payment beginning next season. According to team president Jonathan Becher, the Sharks initially will accept cryptocurrency for "large payments or recurring payments," such as season tickets, suite leases and team partnerships. Other potential use cases will be considered down the line.

Initially we'll accept cryptocurrency for season tickets, suite leases, and partnerships. Other use cases - including single-game tickets, F&B, and merch - will be evaluated over time #SJsharks https://t.co/EobIiv3buo— Jonathan Becher (@jbecher) June 7, 2021

The Sharks currently accept payment via PayPal, which began accepting cryptocurrency last year. That was one major element that factored into the organization's decision.

"We're accepting PayPal, so then by definition, we're accepting cryptocurrency," Becher told the Sports Business Journal. "Why not embrace it and make it more visible as opposed to just doing it through a third party?"

The Sharks are working with Atlanta-based payment processor BitPay, which accepts several cryptocurrency payment options, including Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Ethereum, among others. They are the third professional Bay Area sports team to accept cryptocurrency as payment, joining the and .

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215435 San Jose Sharks

Who Won My Sharks Cards?Published 9 hours ago on June 7, 2021

By Sheng Peng

Thank you, San Jose Hockey Now subscribers!

Earlier this month, I announced a contest to give away some of my San Jose Sharks hockey cards to my subscribers. Special thanks to Upper Deck for providing most of the giveaway goodies!

Here, in order, are the randomly-selected winners:

1) Ryan Oliver (RyanO) (San Jose Sharks Rookie Card Collection)

2) Alex Fleury (snipecity420)

3) Eric Pichette (Eric Pichette)

4) David Barnard (david barnard)

In this order, each of the winners will get to select which of the four prizes that they want. So Ryan gets the first pick and so on.

If you’re a winner, I will be contacting you via your SJHN e-mail soon. Please let me know if you’d like me to reach you by alternative methods, you can e-mail me or DM me on Twitter.

Here are the four prizes:

A collection of autographs from San Jose Sharks legends and alumni like Douglas Murray, Mike Ricci, , , Joe Pavelski, Dan Boyle, and more. Will include every card pictured here and more.

SAN JOSE SHARKS ROOKIE CARD COLLECTION

A collection of rookie cards from the next wave of San Jose Sharks greats, youngsters like Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, Ferraro, , John Leonard, Noah Gregor, Rudolfs Balcers, Alexander Barabanov, Joachim Blichfeld, and more. Will include every card pictured and more.

2020-21 UPPER DECK ARTIFACTS BOX BREAK

All the San Jose Sharks cards from this box of 2020-21 Upper Deck Artifacts. You’ll have a chance to win this Brent Burns autograph or this Leonard rookie card, among other great Sharks cards. You’ll also have a chance for non-San Jose Sharks cards from this box. There are Connor McDavid and Wayne Gretzky cards possible from this box, for example.

Again, choosing this prize means you get every San Jose Sharks card from this box, but doesn’t guarantee you cards from any other team. There’s also a chance that there will be no San Jose Sharks cards from this box.

San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215436 San Jose Sharks

Sheng’s Daily: Ferraro Wins Gold, Barabanov Stands Out

Published 14 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Sheng Peng

Fun facts about the No. 7 pick — that’s where the San Jose Sharks are picking on July 23rd: How many Hall of Famers were drafted out of that spot? Who played the most games? How many goalies came out of there?

What Are Sharks’ Chances to Draft Hall of Famer at No. 7?

Some key San Jose Sharks’ World Championships stats:

Ferraro was one of four Canadian defensemen to play over 20 minutes a night: Troy Stecher (22:09), Sean Walker (20:47), Ferraro (20:43), and Owen Power (20:07)

Labanc notched six points in 10 appearances (13:20 Minutes Per Game), while Donato registered four (14:09) — meanwhile, Chmelevski scored four points in limited ice time (9:39 in eight games)

AROUND THE NHL…

The winner of the all-Canadian North Division will be able to travel back and forth across the border during the third and final rounds of the playoffs. (TSN)

Is there a way to win a Mitch Marner trade? (Sportsnet)

Chris Peters talked to a scout about Taya Currie’s game — the goalie just became the first woman to be selected in the OHL draft. (Hockey Sense)

Aleksander Barkov, Patrice Bergeron, and Mark Stone were named finalists for the Selke Trophy. (NHL)

Auston Matthews, Jaccob Slavin, and were named finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy. (NHL)

San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215437 San Jose Sharks

OTR: Quinn To Sabres? Eichel, Makar, Jones, NHL Trade Market

Published 17 hours ago on June 7, 2021By Jimmy Murphy

There is yet no word on the scheduled meeting between Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel and Sabres management, or if the meeting has yet taken place. Based on all indicators, the two sides have some serious issues to figure out to keep Eichel, one of the premier centers in the league, off the NHL trade market.

There is rampant speculation the Sabres will select their new coach with Eichel in mind. We have one name to watch on that front, and he’s very familiar to the Metro Division and Boston fans.

However, Off The Record has been reporting for a few months the two sides are headed for divorce, but the coach could be the Hail Mary to keep the former second-overall pick.

The Colorado Avalanche could begin their offseason as early as late Thursday night. The offseason focus in Denver will immediately switch to budding superstar defenseman Cale Makar and his second NHL contract. How much bank can Makar get?

And NHL owners have held power since they instituted the salary cap in 2005, but could the current NHL player empowerment create player- coordinated movement, so the NHL resembles the NBA?

San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215438 San Jose Sharks

LOCKED ON SHARKSCould Fabian Lysell Add Spark to Sharks

Published 18 hours ago on June 7, 2021By JD Young

Kyle and Erik are joined by Alexander Appleyard of The Athletic Philadelphia and Smaht Scouting to deep dive Swedish forward Fabian Lysell. Would Lysell be a good fit for the San Jose Sharks? We talk about Lysell’s statistical profile and what makes Lysell special (5:00). Might his details make it hard for him to crack the line-up (11:00)? Alexander talks about his ceiling and what his ideal linemates should look like (17:00) and compares him to some of the other potential players for the San Jose Sharks in the draft (22:30). We finish by looking at game-breakers in the draft (28:00) and our blood questions (31:30).

San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215439 Seattle Kraken It’s another reason the entry draft and expansion draft are critical beyond the task of building a farm team. Those events will offer more clarity as to what approach the Kraken could take toward filling out their farm system.

How the Seattle Kraken are building a farm system from scratch “We draft an 18-year-old kid from juniors this year, we can’t put him in the minor leagues, we have to send him back,” Francis said. “Over time, we will start filling it up with those younger kids. We think that critical development portion of it for these kids is really something we want to By Ryan S. Clark Jun 7, 2021 focus on so we give them every opportunity to be successful.”

Entering into a joint partnership is a dynamic several teams have Luke Henman is more than just the Seattle Kraken’s first player. He is experienced in previous years. Francis has dealt with it before. He was also their first prospect. It’s possible they could add more prospects the Carolina Hurricanes’ director of player development when they through the expansion draft, and the NHL entry draft will definitely entered into a partnership with the Colorado Avalanche to share an AHL supplement whatever the NHL’s newest franchise will already have by affiliate in Albany, N.Y., in 2006. Francis said a joint partnership is the that point. sort of arrangement in which there is an understanding the team they are working with is in charge. But both sides work together to determine Figuring out where all of those prospects will play next season remains things are fair for prospects in either organization when it comes to one of the questions the Kraken are trying to answer. development opportunities and playing time.

The Kraken’s AHL affiliate in Palm Springs, Calif., is slated to debut Finding a partner that is willing to share resources and roster spots is one during the 2022-23 season. For now? It means the Kraken could have of two primary challenges facing an NHL team without an AHL affiliate. nearly a dozen prospects who will need a place to develop until that time. The second is geography. General manager Ron Francis said late last week the Kraken are working toward securing a partnership with another NHL club that will provide Over the years, the NHL has witnessed a shift in more of its clubs their prospects with a place to develop in the organization’s campaign wanting to be closer to their AHL affiliates. Both the San Jose Sharks and without an AHL affiliate. the Winnipeg Jets share their arenas with their AHL teams. Nearly 20 NHL organizations have their AHL affiliate in the same province or state “We’ll put somewhere, most likely, between eight and 12 players there so as their parent clubs. But there are times when the parent club is several in case we have injuries, we have depth players to call up,” Francis said. hours away, such as the case with the Edmonton Oilers and their farm “The following season we will be up and running in Palm Springs for the team in Bakersfield, Calif., or the Tampa Bay Lightning’s AHL affiliate in 2022-23 season and at that point, we’ll field our entire team. You look at Syracuse, N.Y. guys that you think can give you games in the NHL if players get hurt so you don’t miss a beat up top. You look at players that are young that Being closer comes with a few benefits. It makes it easier for front offices maybe need a fresh start or a change and you try to bring them along.” to evaluate their prospects in person with their AHL staffs. Furthermore, the logistics of calling up a player are far simpler if they are closer versus Managing prospects can be something of a numbers game at times. if they are on a different side of the continent. Having their AHL affiliate in There are organizations that could have up to 40 prospects in a given Palm Springs means the Kraken can take a three-hour direct flight from season. Usually, those prospects are spread across different collegiate, Seattle to watch their prospects. And with both teams operating on junior or professional leagues throughout Europe and North America. It is Pacific time, it could prove valuable should an impromptu late-night expected the Kraken will have a fraction compared with most teams in meeting arise to address an injury at the NHL level. their first season. Francis and his front-office staff could draft collegiate or major junior players who stay in their leagues for another season. They Francis said the Kraken were not in a position to be picky when it came could also draft European players who could also remain overseas for to finding a partnership that allowed them to be closer to their prospects. one year as well. Especially when they are aware of the fact they are asking a lot already by requesting their players take up to 12 spots on a roster. But one thing It all depends upon the prospect, where they play and the rules for those that does concern Francis about location is the uncertain nature of the leagues. Collegiate and major junior players drafted by the Kraken could U.S.-Canadian border as it relates to COVID-19. stay in school or with their teams to develop. NCAA rules state collegiate players must stay with their programs to retain amateur eligibility unless Starting next season, the closest AHL affiliate to the Kraken will be the they sign with their parent NHL club. In the event a collegiate player ’ farm club in Abbotsford, B.C., which is a two-hour signs an NHL contract, he would be allowed to play up to nine games drive. Beyond that? The next closest affiliate would be a flight to San before his team keeps him on the NHL roster and then activates the first Jose, which would be a little more than two hours. year of his entry-level contract. Or he could sign an NHL contract and “You look at the border situation too in making sure that I hope it is open then join a major junior team where he would remain until the end of that by the time we start, but it is a possibility too that it might not be,” Francis team’s season. said. “If we paired up with a Canadian market, it might be a tough Prospects who already play for a major junior team must abide by the situation. You look at all those things and try to factor in what is best for CHL-NHL agreement. The — the parent your players. In a perfect world, it’s pretty close. But I don’t think we can league for the OHL, QMHJL and the WHL — has an agreement in place be picky this year.” with the NHL that states a player must either be 20 years old or have Wednesday, there was a groundbreaking ceremony in the Coachella played four seasons in major junior before they are eligible to join an Valley to mark the start of a $250 million project that will give AHL Palm NHL team’s minor-league affiliate. Springs its own arena that is expected to be completed before October European prospects offer teams a bit more flexibility. They can either 2022. In late May, the Kraken hired Toronto Maple Leafs director of pro remain in Europe, they could play major junior or they could play in the scouting Troy Bodie as the director of hockey and business operations AHL. Prospects such as the 21-year-old Henman, who is now too old to for AHL Palm Springs. Bodie, who spent five seasons in the NHL, will play in junior, are going to be the type of player the Kraken will want to scout games for the remainder of the season leading up to the expansion develop in the AHL next season. But the team will also want to have draft. roster spots available for more seasoned players who can go back and Francis said Bodie, who lives in Southern California, will scout AHL and forth between the AHL and NHL when needed. NHL teams that come through the area while also working with the Francis cited how the Kraken must pick 30 players during the expansion Kraken’s AHL players. Francis also said Bodie will also be involved in draft and how only 23 players can be on the NHL roster. Of course, there ensuring things run smoothly in the buildup to AHL Palm Springs making are no guarantees the Kraken would keep the remaining seven players their debut. Having Bodie work with their AHL players could prove even who missed the cut. But if they did? Then the Kraken would more beneficial, with Francis saying they could operate with a lighter hypothetically be in a position to have those remaining players spend the development staff in the Kraken’s first year. season in the AHL with the idea they would be called upon in case of an “If things go as normal, we have seven picks this year, and maybe who injury or if the team wants to have another option in a specific area. we pick at No. 2 can get to the NHL and play and that would only leave us with six players,” Francis said. “I don’t think we need an entire development staff out of the gate in the first year. But certainly, we will have a development staff.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215440 St Louis Blues 2 and 3: Ranks for the Blues in penalty killing time per 60 minutes for Carl Gunnarsson and Oskar Sundqvist, respectively, both of whom missed most of the season because of injuries.

Down for the count: Numbers reinforce troubles for the Blues this season 6: The number of seconds of shorthanded time for Kyrou, the least on the team among players who appeared in more than five games (Austin Poganski and Klim Kostin had no shorthanded time).

Tom Timmermann 9 hrs ago 7: Team-best net penalties for Kyrou, who drew 12 penalties from opponents (the most by a Blue) and was called for five penalties.

4: Shots each by Torey Krug, O’Reilly, Zach Sanford and Vince Dunn There are some pretty obvious numbers that tell the story of the Blues’ that hit the post, to lead the team. hit three posts in season: 63 points (a 92-point pace in an 82-game season), fourth place his 24 games. in the NHL’s West Division. And, to end the season, Avalanche 4, Blues 0. 10: Blues goals with a sixth attacker, the most in the league.

But that tells you where they ended up, the final destination in the GPS. It .696: Blues point percentage when leading after the first period, ranked doesn’t tell you the road the Blues took to get there: Was it Interstate 170 23rd. or 270? Did they use 64, 44 or 70? .800: Blues point percentage when leading after the second period, Actually, it seemed as if the Blues took surface streets more than they ranked 24th. ever took the interstate. They had a four-game winning streak early, a four-game winning streak late that saved their season, and in between 523: Number of missed shots by the Blues, the third fewest. got stuck at a lot of red lights. Or even worse, with a flat tire or a misfiring 39: Number of shots tipped by the Blues, the least in the league. engine. 28.2: The percentage of tipped shots the Blues scored on, the second- To better explain what went wrong along the way, there are plenty of best rate (behind Philadelphia). other numbers, some of which elucidate the situation (275 man-games lost to injury), others don’t. Here are some of those numbers. Unless 6: Tipped shots by O’Reilly, the most by a Blue. otherwise noted, the numbers come from .com. 139th (tied): Where that ranked in the league for tipped shots. 102: Blues goals in five-on-five play, tied for 22nd in the league. 3.0: The percentage of deflected shots the Blues scored on, the worst 18%: Amount below the league average in expected goals at five on five rate in the league. (Tipped shots are off the attacking team’s stick; for the Blues, per hockeyviz.com. deflected shots are off gear or a body part.)

2.72: Goal support for Jordan Binnington, which ranked 36th in the 23: The number of games in which the Blues scored first, the third league among goalies who were in 10 or more games. fewest.

2.94: Goal support for Ville Husso, which ranked 23rd in the league. 12: The number of high-danger scoring chances, per moneypuck.com, by Brayden Schenn and Kyrou. No one else on the team had more than six. 2.65: Binnington’s goals-against average; also, his expected goals- against average at moneypuck.com, meaning he performed pretty much 3.54: Expected goals per 60 minutes of ice time by the line of Jaden exactly as expected. Schwartz, Schenn and Kyrou, the highest rate for any Blues line, per moneypuck.com. 58.1 and 55.4: Percentages of defensive zone faceoffs won by Tyler Bozak and Ryan O’Reilly, respectively. 0.78: Expected goals per 60 minutes by the line of Mike Hoffman, Tyler Bozak and Robert Thomas, the lowest rate for any line playing at least 30 42.6: Overall faceoff percentage for Robert Thomas, which ranked him minutes together, per moneypuck.com. 145th among players taking at least 200 faceoffs. 3.72: Individual high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes by Kyrou, 1,358 minutes, 32 seconds: Ice time for defenseman Justin Faulk, the the most on the Blues, per naturalstattrick.com. eighth-most among skaters. He was fourth in even-strength ice time at 1,159:55. Faulk was second in the number of shifts, at 1,700. That’s a lot 92nd: Kyrou’s rank in the league in that category, among players with at of going over the boards. least 200 minutes.

1,161 minutes, 56 seconds: Ice time for O’Reilly, the seventh-most 43.89%: Blues’ “high-danger chance” percentage, per among forwards. naturalstattrick.com, meaning that out of 100 high-danger chances, about 44 were by the Blues and 56 were by the opponent; only Chicago had a 8: Goals on slapshots by Mike Hoffman, tied with Alex Ovechkin for the lower percentage. most in the NHL. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 06.08.2021 4: Goals on backhand shots by O’Reilly, tied for seventh-most.

25.8: Percentage of shots by Sammy Blais that were goals. That was sixth-best among players in more than 10 games. He scored on eight of his 31 shots.

19: Secondary assists for , tied for eighth in the league.

20: Primary assists for Perron, tied for 21st

12.6: The Blues’ shooting percentage with Thomas on the ice, the best mark on the team and the 15th best mark in the league among players with 10 or more games.

5: The number of Blues who were on the ice for more shot attempts than attempts allowed at even strength. In order, from most above .500 to least above: Robert Bortuzzo, O’Reilly, Perron, Mackenzie MacEachern and Jordan Kyrou.

59.5: Percentage of offensive zone starts for Kyrou, the most on the team.

26.8: Percentage of offensive zone starts for Jacob de la Rose, the fewest on the team. 1215441 Tampa Bay Lightning Forwards typically give up their sticks to defensemen, especially on the penalty kill if they shoot from the same side. Anthony Cirelli, left-handed like Sergachev, offered up his, then clogged shooting lanes higher up in the zone empty-handed. When a hockey stick breaks, everyone has to lend a helping hand “In that situation, we’d rather be having Sergy with a stick, playing down low in front of the net,” Cirelli said. “I think everyone’s kind of aware and we see it and just try to recognize which guys are more important with By Eduardo A. Encina the sticks than without. In that situation there on the PK, Sergy definitely Published 1 minute ago needs a stick and you can just try to take away the shooting lane by staying up top.”

Lightning coach said players are coached up on how to think RALEIGH, N.C. — During the most critical moments of the Lightning’s quickly when they can give their stick to a like-shot teammate who second-round series opener against Carolina, defenseman Ryan suddenly needs one. McDonagh found himself in a tough situation. “There’s a sense in players that they can really identify those situations In the final seconds of Tampa Bay’s 2-1 win at PNC Arena, the when they happen,” Cooper said. “But I’ll tell you, if you’re the coach on Hurricanes were pressuring the Lightning net with an extra attacker and the bench when that stick’s broken, it isn’t a great feeling when you’re McDonagh swung his stick in an attempt to clear the puck from in front of sitting in the D zone. But it’s something that is a skill, it’s coached, it’s the crease. preached as to what happens in these situations and who goes where.

In the middle of traffic, McDonagh’s stick broke, the blade snapping off “But it’s never a comfortable feeling, that’s for sure.” and leaving him holding a useless shaft as the puck spun away. Then forward Barclay Goodrow, who was positioning in front of McDonagh in Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.08.2021 the slot, swung his right arm behind him and gave his teammate his left- shot stick.

Time ticked away as Goodrow could only use his body to screen the Hurricanes from getting an open look. With Carolina having the extra attacker, the game was ending in the Lightning zone, so Goodrow had no chance to sneak back to the bench to get a new stick.

The Lightning locked down the net late to seal the Game 1 win, but not without some nervous moments.

“When it happens to your opposition, you try to take advantage of it,” McDonagh said. “When it happens to you, your opponent’s going to try and take advantage of it, so it’s a part of the game. You play the percentages there as far as passing the stick down to a defenseman or whatnot, or a forward breaks and tries to get off the ice or get a new one. You’ve just got to handle the adversity in the right way.”

If it seems like more broken sticks have littered the ice during the postseason, it’s because they have. Lightning equipment manager Ray Thill, who has been with the team for 22 years, said the postseason brings a lot more intensity.

“It is hacking and whacking,” Thill said. “Guys are desperate, and it always happens in the playoffs. ... Guys are going down, they’re blocking shots. It’s the playoff mode.”

On the bench, sticks are lined up on a rack in numerical order. But Thill and his staff can recognize each player’s stick by the knob or the tape job as well, so when Steven Stamkos is in the faceoff circle, Thill has a spare at the ready.

“Power play, the same thing,” Thill said. “Guys on the power play, we have all their sticks ready in our hands. And penalty kill, the same thing, because the sticks, if they just get the tiniest nick, they’ll end up breaking. … During the game, it’s usually the guys screaming at me sometimes if I can’t see the play like if it’s down in the corner. They’ll scream, ‘Stick for 86,’ and I’m there for that.”

Players are particular about their sticks and their lifespans. Some will switch after a few games. Others, like center Brayden Point, will use the stick until it breaks. When they do snap, Thill will go into the dressing room to get an extra to add to the rack.

And sometimes players will just get a bad batch of sticks. Thill remembers one time several years ago when former coach fumed on the bench after watching defenseman Dan Boyle’s Easton two-piece stick break four times in a game.

“I remember Torts just absolutely yelling at me for the sticks,” Thill said. “I’m like, ‘I don’t know what you want me to do. I’m not making them.’ I think he even called the stick rep after the game.”

But players can’t always get to the bench and will have to rely on teammates.

In Game 2 of the Lightning’s series with Carolina, a contest in which five Tampa Bay sticks broke, defenseman Mikhail Sergachev’s snapped on the penalty kill after a puck battle against the boards behind the net. 1215442 Tampa Bay Lightning Savard’s stat line this postseason doesn’t scream productivity at first glance. In seven games, he is scoreless with only three shots on net. But he has blocked five shots and dished out 25 hits, fourth most on the team (eight behind team leader Anthony Cirelli) and second most among Defenseman David Savard remains a ‘steady presence’ in return to Lightning defensemen behind Erik Cernak (31). Lightning lineup And Cooper expects that as the series continues, Savard’s play will only get better. For now, the defenseman has “been everything as advertised” with the Lightning. By Mari Faiello “In (penalty kills), he finishes plays down low, he blocks shots and we Published Yesterday didn’t necessarily bring him in here to score goals,” Cooper said. “We Updated Yesterday brought him in here to help prevent them, and that’s what he does.”

Looking ahead

TAMPA — The Lightning know exactly what they’re going to get when If the Lightning-Hurricanes series needs a Game 6 on Thursday at they put a guy like David Savard on the ice. Amalie Arena, the time is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on NBCSN. The defenseman, who joined the team after a mid-April trade from Columbus, is a “steady presence” on the blue line, according toe coach Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.08.2021 Jon Cooper, and adds depth to the team’s defense in a third pairing with Mikhail Sergachev.

And after missing the first three games of the second-round playoff series against the Hurricanes with an upper-body injury, it was nice for Tampa Bay to have him back in the lineup Saturday.

Trailing 4-2 in the second period, Savard saw the team’s playoff experience at work as Tampa Bay erased Carolina’s two-goal lead and scored four straight for the 6-4 win.

“I think we lost ourselves for a few minutes there,” Savard said of the team’s mentality when trailing by two. “There was no panic. We kind of just settled down and got back to our game and obviously the power-play was huge there, and they’re just so calm and we get the first one there and we saw the team playing really well at the end of the game. It’s fun to be a part of it and to see how the team reacted in that situation.”

Savard knew the kind of environment he was jumping into this spring when he got wind of the trade from the Blue Jackets to “one of the best teams in the league.” In Columbus, where Savard played for a decade, the team never advanced past the second round in his five years of playoff experience.

Now, with the Lightning taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, Savard has a chance to make it to the league semifinals for the first time with a team that knows how to go the distance, having won the Stanley Cup in some of the most difficult circumstances last season.

“It’s awesome (to be in this situation),” Savard said. “I think as soon as I heard about the trade coming here, I knew how good of a team they were. And I think it’s something special they can accomplish by going back-to-back and it’s fun for me to be a part of it.”

In his Game 4 return, Savard skated for 13:32, logging two penalties and taking one shot on goal (which was the Lightning’s second of the game) along with two hits. It wasn’t a perfect night, but Cooper was pleased with his production after the layoff.

“It’s tough when you play a team like Carolina and the game’s going at warp speed,” Cooper said. “And for him to come in and contribute the way he did (was good).”

Added Savard: “It’s not easy to sit out in the playoffs. It’s never fun, and I just try to keep it simple, trying to be physical, kind of the same thing I was doing the last few games against Florida (in the opening round).”

Veteran defenseman said these kind of games against Carolina make it clear why the Lightning went after Savard before the trade deadline. His physicality and “shot blocking machine” kind of play make him a good addition to Tampa Bay’s blueline.

“He’s not afraid to get up in the play as well,” Hedman added. “Always a good passer. It’s been fun to see since he got into the team… He’s fit in very well and he and (Sergachev) have done a great job together.”

Since joining the team April 10, Savard has played in 21 games, including 14 during the regular season. It’s given him time to adjust to new systems and learn to play off his gut.

“It took me a few games (to settle in),” he said, “but now I’m feeling more comfortable on the ice and I feel good through all of the systems and play.” 1215443 Toronto Maple Leafs offensive zone. Thirteen points in 39 games in a fourth-line role is respectable for a 19-year-old in the KHL.

But the expectation is that he will develop into far more than a The complete Maple Leafs prospect rankings, spring 2021 edition respectable player. His difference-making skill gives him the highest upside of any Leafs prospect.

After signing his ELC in April, he’s going to return to Ufa next season on By Joshua Kloke Jun 7, 2021 loan. My understanding is there will be far more communication between the Leafs development staff and the Ufa coaching staff in terms of

Amirov’s developmental needs. With an injection of 12 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Maple Leafs He’s currently in Toronto and will spend a few weeks working with the prospect pool took on a drastically different look in last year’s rankings. Leafs development staff to improve his 200-foot game and learn more And with the conclusion of the 2021 AHL, European, major junior and about the Leafs’ style of play. college seasons, we now have a better idea of what some of these prospects will be capable of in the future. “His cutbacks, his deception, his east-west game and his mobility is really impressive. In a short time, he’s been really impressive to watch and you The Leafs are going to need results from their prospect pool sooner than can definitely see his skill set and his brain very quickly,” said Moore. later. Not only does their salary cap crunch remain, but the Leafs have just three picks in this year’s draft, which means their prospect pool won’t It wouldn’t surprise me if he gets in a few games for the Leafs to end next look all that different after the summer. season.

In this prospect ranking, players aged 22 or younger (with one exception) 3. , RHD, 21 () who have yet to make a serious impact with the Leafs are included. 6-foot-0 | 198 pounds | Acquired: 1st round, 17th, 2017 It’s for that reason is no longer on this list. Yes, Sandin is 21 and far from a finished product. But considering he logged more 2020 ranking: 5 playoff games than Travis Dermott this season and he’s a lock for the Next season will be Liljegren’s last on his ELC and he will have a chance Leafs blue line next season, I struggled with calling him a prospect to solidify his place with the Leafs, even as the seventh defenceman. No anymore. Leafs prospect continues to have more questions asked about his future But beyond Sandin, what else has changed with the prospects within the than Liljegren. organization? He verged on dominant in almost all facets of the game in the AHL once It was a strange season throughout the hockey world, including with the again, but his inability to quickly process the NHL game doesn’t make Toronto Marlies. The team played just 35 games, generally struggled him a sure thing. throughout and had their season go on a two-week pause due to COVID- So, does Moore think this season was Liljegren’s last in the AHL? 19 cases. This led to some uneven seasons for a number of Marlies players. “I can’t say for certain, to be honest with you,” said Moore. “I do know that he has the ability to play in the NHL and stay in the NHL. When he’s For these rankings, I’m looking at the likelihood a player becomes a full- in the AHL, it comes easy to him and he’s been here for a couple years time NHLer, the likelihood they become an impact player and also what now. There’s a lot of those players in hockey in every position where the sort of recent strides they’ve made in their development. AHL may not be challenging them to a certain point in some areas to These rankings are based on my own assessments, with insight from where they’re ready for the next step. But the next step is there for them. coaches and scouts. I’ve also included insight from Marlies head coach It’s just waiting for that opportunity and that consistency within a couple Greg Moore where applicable. of areas of their game.”

1.Nick Robertson, LW, 19 (Toronto Marlies) 4.Topi Niemela, RHD, 19 (Karpat)

5-foot-9 | 164 pounds | Acquired: 2nd round, 53rd, 2019 5-foot-11 | 165 pounds | Acquired: 3rd round, 64th, 2020

2020 ranking: 2 2020 ranking: 7

Robertson should push for a Leafs roster spot next season and become Few Leafs prospects excite me like Niemela. He has the ability to be an a full-time NHL player. The team will be in need of cheap depth pieces aggressive difference-maker with the puck without sacrificing his who can score and provide energy, and after his rookie AHL season, defensive play. His confidence grew game after game this season and Robertson now has an understanding of how to better bring those helped him skate out of trouble. At the world juniors, he was named the attributes. best defenceman of the tournament. In Liiga, he battled multiple injuries but didn’t show a serious dip in his play and still became a regular on his If he does crack the roster out of training camp, it won’t be smooth sailing team’s power play. right away. He struggled at times in the AHL with the physicality in professional hockey and wasn’t always dominant. Right now, I see him as a lesser version of Sandin but with tons of upside. He re-upped for one more season in Liiga and provided we see He had five goals and 16 points in 21 AHL games but the organization more of the same from him this season, his ELC should come after that. appreciated how, at the end of the season, his own assessment of his play was in line with theirs. 5. Mikko Kokkonen, LHD, 20 (Jukurit/Toronto Marlies)

“It’s not easy for some athletes to evaluate themselves and know exactly 5-foot-11 | 194 pounds | Acquired: 3rd round, 83rd, 2019 where they’re at what they need to do to get better,” said Moore. “And 2020 ranking: 3 he’s one of those people that is always critically thinking about every inch of his game and working through a process to improve or fine-tune.” You could argue Kokkonen didn’t have a standout world juniors, but he did log heavy minutes on a bad Jukurit team and continued to steer the 2.Rodion Amirov, LW, 19 (Ufa Salavat Yulayev) ship with his smart, stable play. There were improvements in his 6-foot-0 | 168 pounds | Acquired: 1st round, 15th, 2020 offensive game, but they didn’t show up on the scoresheet. That said, he rebounded with an impressive 11-game PTO with the Marlies, adding 2020 ranking: 4 seven points in 11 games. That reinforced my optimism about him becoming a full-time NHL bottom-pair defender. Overall, it was a decent first full professional season for Amirov, with a fine showing at the world juniors. He took feedback from his Ufa coaches The organization was pleased with how Kokkonen quickly adapted. He and worked to become more of a physically engaged player, even if was a top-pair defender throughout his AHL games. there’s still improvement needed. There’s no doubting his skating and shot, and he used his deception and hockey IQ to do damage in the “He had a real knack for knowing when was the right time to jump up in a place,” said Moore. “Sometimes defencemen will just go to go without reading the risk versus reward on that scenario at the time. He had a real ability to know when that time was and then how he positioned himself to Hirvonen had a fine season with Assat in Liiga, where he saw his power- know the rank and timing hit those pockets for those passing options play time increase. He’s a threat from the half-wall but he logged just from the forwards. So I thought his offensive side of the game was pretty three power-play points on the season. The shifty centre played middle- strong and there’s still room to grow like anybody else but showed really six minutes on a poor performing team and was due for a change. He’ll well to start.” move to top Finnish side HIFK and with some key players leaving, it doesn’t look like his ice time will take a hit. He’s moving to the Pelicans in Liiga next season but his contract allows him to join the Leafs if he signs an ELC. That will happen before his two- He had an outstanding world juniors, where he scored a monumental year deal is up. game-winner against Sweden. Next season, he’ll have to produce more consistently, all while showcasing a feisty edge. There weren’t massive 6. Mikhail Abramov, C/RW, 20 () leaps in his game this season but a change of scenery could do him well.

6-foot-0 | 185 pounds | Acquired: 4th round, 115th, 2019 10. Mac Hollowell, RHD, 22 (Toronto Marlies)

2020 rank: 6 5-foot-9 | 170 pounds | Acquired: 4th round, 118th, 2018

Abramov won the President’s Cup as QMJHL champion and finishing 2020 rank: 9 second in playoff scoring with 24 points in 19 games. It was a strong end to his season after a middling world juniors led to a dip in form midway The goal for him this season was to better understand how to use a through his season. smallish frame defensively. Without being able to outmuscle forwards, he had to learn to defend differently than his peers, which meant more time But when the games mattered most, his high-end playmaking was on focusing on where to position himself to cut off forwards and how to use display. He signed his ELC in March 2020 and without much left to prove his stick to break up plays. The learning curve was a steep one. His in the QMJHL, he’ll begin his transition to professional hockey next offensive output worsened in his second full AHL season and there were season. There, he’ll have to showcase that there’s more to his game than times midway through the season when Hollowell looked like he was crafty passing, because there are other skilled wingers to battle for struggling with his decision making. places with. But he spent plenty of time with the Leafs taxi squad and eventually the 7. Filip Hallander, C, 20 (Lulea) lessons seemed to click. He ultimately finished the season strong, 6-foot-1 | 196 pounds | Acquired: Trade with Pittsburgh Penguins, August logging five points in his final five AHL games. 2020 “He was getting back to retrieving pucks in our end, and just skating his 2020 rank: 8 way out of pressure, and transporting the puck to the middle of the rink and using his skating at the offensive line to create space for himself to In his third SHL season, Hallander continued to show the skill that made attack offensively,” said Moore. him a second-round pick in 2018 and balanced that skill with the kind of smarts that made him a decent possession player, too (57 percent Corsi He will benefit from another full season in the AHL mastering his new For). Maybe not an exemplary season, but one that continued to solidify defending tools. Hallander as a responsible, versatile forward. 11. Filip Kral, 20, LHD (HC Kometa Brno/Toronto Marlies)

Hallander should join the Marlies next season. had originally 6-foot-1 | 176 pounds | Acquired: 5th round, 149th, 2018 said that he would join the Marlies at the conclusion of his SHL season, but instead, he tried his hand with Sweden at the world championship 2020 rank: 16 and registered one assist in five games. Don’t sleep on Kral. I still believe Hallander will eventually be a modern fourth-line NHL player who can make smart decisions with the puck and chip in a bit of offence. He doesn’t possess high-end skills, but his mastery of the small details But it will take at least a full AHL season to see if he can adapt to the on both sides of the puck in his own zone and his physicality makes you smaller ice and quicker style of player to understand when those NHL understand why the Leafs signed him to an ELC in April 2020. He’s minutes will come. progressed in a short amount of time.

8. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C, 20 (Toronto Marlies) This season alone, he quickly graduated from the Czech second division to then logging heavy minutes with Czech first division side Kometa Brno 5-foot-11 | 170 pounds | Acquired: 3rd round, 76th, 2018 before finishing with 10 games with the Marlies.

2020 rank: 12 The Marlies liked how he could use his smarts to readjust how he positioned himself on the offensive gap, his skating, defending off the Der-Arguchintsev deserves credit not just for how well he adapted to rush and how he could actively communicate with his defence partners. professional hockey during his loan deal with KHL’s Torpedo and the Marlies, but for doing so on two different continents and never really “There’s a lot of players that take a lot longer to implement some of these missing a beat. He had six points in 17 KHL games and four points in six things and he was another person that was able to adjust in a quick AHL games. He never looked timid and didn’t force plays. fashion,” said Moore. “That was fun to watch.”

The goal for Der-Arguchintsev is to add muscle and power but in a smart He’ll be a full-time Marlies player next season and will be leaned on way. heavily.

“You don’t want to get too big and bulky to where you lose some of that 12. Pontus Holmberg, 22, LW (Vaxjo HC) agility that separates you from everybody else,” said Moore. “But he still needs to put on a little bit more muscle and explosive power so that you 5-foot-11 | 179 pounds | Acquired: 6th round, 156th, 2018 can get into one of one-on-one battles a little bit better (and) come out of 2020 rank: 20 the wall or get off the wall and be stronger against some bigger bodies.” What an impressive turnaround season for Holmberg. So is he going to be an NHL player? The oft-forgotten member of the prospect pool was the SHL playoff MVP There’s still a lot of varied opinions, with most skewing negative. But if he with 14 points in 14 games, then signed his ELC and played two games does add the kind of muscle that will help him become more than just a for Sweden at the world championship. perimeter player, his elusive skating and high-end hockey IQ could separate him from the pack. Despite his carefree attitude in media He trusted his offensive instincts more and more this season and his appearances, people close to him with the Marlies rave about his confidence grew. He possesses good all-around offensive skill, but maturity. expectations should still be tempered. Was his playoff performance a flash in the pan or can he sustain that kind of game-breaking skill 9. Roni Hirvonen, C, 18 (Assat) throughout an entire season? He did log more ice time this season than 5-foot-9 | 170 pounds | Acquired: 2nd round, 59th, 2020 he has in his three SHL seasons and put up an impressive 56 percent Corsi For. 2020 rank: 11 He’ll return to Vaxjo next season on loan but should log some time with But given the improvements needed in his stride and that the offence the Marlies at the end of the season. might not come, I’m not bullish on his chances to become a Leafs player during his ELC, which ends at the conclusion of next season. 13. Dmitry Ovchinnikov, 18, F (Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk) 17. Axel Rindell, 21, RHD (Jukurit) 5-foot-11 | 163 pounds | Acquired: 5th round, 137th, 2020 6-foot-0 | 176 pounds | Acquired: 6th round, 177th, 2020 2020 rank: 22 2020 rank: 23 I remain intrigued by Ovchinnikov’s long-term possibilities. His league- leading 1.28 points per game in Russia’s junior league (among players Rindell’s offensive game is buoyed by his mobility, his ability to quickly with at least 40 games played) is impressive, even if he didn’t necessarily create scoring chances with smart breakout passes and his instincts in think so. the offensive zone. His game was a bit one-sided at times in Liiga this season, as he was sometimes caught out of position defensively and “The season was not that great, as our team didn’t make the playoffs,” he needs to improve how he can defend off the rush. said. “I did collect the points, but in general it didn’t help the team.” He turned down a PTO with the Marlies to crack Finland’s world His 16-game stint in the KHL was far less impressive, as he logged just championship roster but was a healthy scratch for the entire tournament. one assist. He was, however, averaging 6:01 minutes through those games and he totalled just five shots on goal. Look for him to push for the top power-play unit quarterback with Jukurit next season and become more dependable. He’s under contract for one He also had a strong showing at the Black Sea Cup, a showcase for more season with Liiga and could try his hand with a PTO once again prospective Russian world junior players. before a decision about an ELC is made.

I like his aggressive, attack-minded mentality, his potent shot and his 18. Artur Akhtyamov, 19, G (Ak Bars Kazan) eagerness to improve. He’s only 18, so his runway is long. He’ll likely get the opportunity to bring that scoring prowess to the VHL or KHL level. 6-foot-1 | 157 pounds | Acquired: 4th round, 106th, 2020

“I believe that I’m better able to decide the moment, to give a good pass 2020 rank: 21 or to score a goal,” he said. “I have the mentality that whatever is there, I can do it.” Given how solid Akhtyamov was in his first professional games this season as a 19-year-old, you could make a case he has the most upside 14. Veeti Miettinen, 19, RW (St. Cloud State University) of any Leafs goalie prospect. He looked like an agile shot-stopper but needed to show a little more resiliency in games as well. 5-foot-9 | 159 pounds | Acquired: 6th round, 168th, 2020 His time in the MHL looks done with time in the VHL and KHL likely 2020 rank: 26 coming next season. He’s under contract with Ak Bars Kazan for two The diminutive, sharp-shooting winger showed little difficulty adapting to more seasons. It would be beneficial for his development to start earning the NCAA. In his freshman season, he finished tied for the scoring lead more KHL starts in the timeframe, but he needs to become far more at St. Cloud State with 24 points in 31 games and was named NCHC dependable and mature. Rookie of the Year. His coaches want him to expand his offensive game 19. Joseph Woll, 22, G (Toronto Marlies) and add more size to his frame next season. 6-foot-4 | 203 pounds | Acquired: 3rd round, 62nd, 2016 There are some very intriguing tools here but a few more seasons of continued production and progression are needed. 2020 rank: 15

15. Nick Abruzzese, 22, C () I’m starting to worry about Woll’s NHL future.

5-foot-9 | 161 pounds | Acquired: 4th round, 124th, 2019 I could be proven wrong, but following up a difficult rookie pro season with one that saw him spend too much time on the taxi squad and play 2020 rank: 11 only 15 AHL games meant, as Dubas accurately summed up, his Abruzzese’s drop in the ranking is not a knock on his game, but rather development was “squeezed” a bit. He posted an .892 save percentage because he lost a full season of development due to Harvard’s season in those 15 games behind a struggling Marlies team. not being played. Still, the Marlies believe his confidence rebounded after last season.

His brain and puck skills remain elite. Now that he’s skating at full “This year, being as challenging as it was for him, he found opportunity to strength after hip surgery, I have no doubt he’ll bounce back next season highlight the things that he’s been working on in his game and finding at Harvard and move higher up the next list. But he was on an upward ways to improve within himself. He started calming his game down, trajectory after his impressive rookie season at Harvard and now, I’d also reading situations of play, whether it’s entries in the offensive zone, the bet he now takes all four seasons in the NCAA to develop. depth in which he’s working in its crease, that allowed him to be more 16.Kristians Rubins, 23, LHD (Frederikshavn White Hawks/Toronto efficient with his movements. He put himself in and safer areas, Marlies) especially for recovery and not losing his net,” said Moore.

6-foot-4 | 220 pounds | Acquired: Free-agent signing, August 2018 Woll’s ELC is up but because he’s a 10.2 (c) designated RFA, he can only re-up with the Leafs and is ineligible for arbitration. I’m sure Dubas 2020 rank: 13 will give him another contract and he’ll have another chance to solidify his game as the Marlies’ starter. But I’m a lot less convinced about his Rubins is a player I want to give a pass to, based on his strange season, NHL future. but the reality is he didn’t take serious steps in his second full season in the AHL. His responsibility and ice time didn’t increase all that much and 20. Alex Steeves, 21, C () offensively, he still struggled with his puck movement at times. He missed five weeks with a hamstring injury, spent time on the Leafs taxi 5-foot-11 | 185 pounds | Acquired: Free agent signing, March 2020 squad and ended up logging important minutes for Latvia at the world 2020 rank: N/A championship. Steeves’ intelligence and puck skills made him a natural fit for the Leafs. He adapted more and more of a physical edge to his game, and my He led Notre Dame in scoring in 2020-21 and while he has playmaking understanding is the steady defenceman has a lot of fans in the and power-play capabilities, his skating and overall game will need to organization. improve. He’ll likely start in a bottom-six role with the Marlies next season “There’s a lot of unique ways in which he impacts our group that fans with some power-play time worked in. His hands and deception may don’t see day to day; how hard he practices, how hard he works in the provide some hope for an NHL future, but there’s a lot more attention to weight room, how he pushes his teammates, but in a really healthy, detail needed from him in the neutral and defensive zones for that to positive way,” said Moore. happen. 21. William Villeneuve, 19, RHD (Saint John Sea Dogs) 6-foot-1 | 181 pounds | Acquired: 4th round, 122nd, 2020

2020 rank: 17

The 2019-20 Sea Dogs leading scorer repurposed his game under the tutelage of director of player development Stéphane Robidas this season. The goal was becoming a well-rounded defenceman who can use his stick to break up opposition plays and rely less on trying to transform a game with high-octane puck moving but instead make smarter, more responsible plays. He logged two games with the Marlies on an ATO to end the season.

There were hiccups along the way, but his ability to put instruction and feedback into practice impressed observers.

“Being able to work on my individual skills took my game to another level,” Villeneuve said in May. “It paid off.”

I think there’s a good base of skills to work from and there’s potential in the player. But there’s still more maturing to be done on and off the ice after working to revamp his game this season.

22. Ian Scott, G, 22 (Toronto Marlies/)

6-foot-4 | 183 pounds | Acquired: 4th round, 110th, 2017

2020 rank: 14

No Leafs prospect needs a full 2021-22 season more than Scott, who has played just six games since the end of the 2018-19 season, five of which were in the ECHL. He struggled in an admittedly small sample. Like Villeneuve, he should be higher in the next list.

23. Kalle Loponen, 20, RHD (Karpat U20)

5-foot-11 | 187 pounds | Acquired: 7th round, 204th, 2019

2020 rank: 24

Loponen will look to become a regular Liiga player after signing a deal with KooKoo. He was depended on heavily on Karpat’s U20 team, but the free-wheeling offensive defenceman needs to play responsibly in Liiga to have a chance of an ELC.

Not ranked: With four goals in 21 games, Justin Brazeau didn’t necessarily see his scoring skills transfer at the AHL level, but his 13.8 shooting percentage suggests he’s capable of more. Mike Koster showed some strides at the University of Minnesota; we’re still a few years away from knowing what the puck-mover will become. Ryan Tverberg bounced around a lot this season, but expect him to log big minutes at the University of Connecticut next season. Joe Miller won the Clark Cup with the Chicago Steel and will likely play more of a prominent role on the team next season after logging depth minutes in his USHL rookie season.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021

1215444 Vegas Golden Knights

Sportsbook loses big on Golden Knights: ‘It’s been a bloodbath’

By Todd Dewey Las Vegas Review-Journal June 7, 2021 - 5:17 PM

William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said the book suffered six-figure losses in each of the Golden Knights’ home wins over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday and Sunday.

“They just pounded them in Games 3 and 4,” he said. “It’s been a bloodbath the last two games.”

The Knights are +120 underdogs to the Avalanche (-140) in Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver.

“They’ll bet the Golden Knights, for sure. The masses,” Bogdanovich said. “Why wouldn’t they? You’re getting a plus price, and they dominated three of the four games.”

The Knights also are +120 to win the series over Colorado (-140).

“They’ve still got to win in Denver, which isn’t an easy chore,” Bogdanovich said. “But they’ve sure got the momentum.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215445 Vegas Golden Knights this series. Our guys understand it’s going to be very difficult, but we can get it done.”

Of course they can. Just ask the Knights. Graney: Avalanche struggle to crack Golden Knights’ structure They will have no trouble telling you about the greatness of Colorado.

Playing that underdog role to perfection. By Ed Graney Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.08.2021

DENVER-I’m not sure Pete DeBoer understands the water shortage facing Las Vegas, because when he said some doubters were jumping off a raft after his Golden Knights team went down 2-0 to Colorado in this best-of-seven series, you had to wonder what surface they were hitting.

Maybe he hasn’t seen those commercials in which the forward destroys some hapless guy before telling him to change a watering clock. Lake Mead, y’all. It’s shrinking.

I am sure about this: DeBoer and his team are flawlessly playing the underdog role.

Perhaps the Avalanche should try such a narrative.

Sportsbooks still favor Colorado to emerge victorious in this West Division final, but anyone who witnessed Games 3 and 4 at T-Mobile Arena might struggle buying such a forecast.

The Knights won 3-2 and 5-1, sending the series back to Denver tied 2-2.

Game 5 is Tuesday night. Colorado has some work to do.

Juggernaut at home

Its confidence will rightly stem from going 16-0-1 in the final 17 regular- season home games and being 4-0 in the playoffs at Ball Arena. Its doubt will stem from how the Knights have controlled play from the second period on of Game 2.

“I don’t know if mental toughness is the right (term),” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “But your mentality coming into the game and your approach from a mental standpoint is really important. We can talk about adjustments and this and that, but it’s pretty clear what they’re doing.”

And what Colorado isn’t.

The Knights are making life difficult on Colorado, and the Avalanche aren’t responding in kind. They’re getting beat up and down the ice time and again. It’s not like pickup at the YMCA and nobody feels a need to get back on defense, but it’s close enough.

In the two losses, Bednar’s team couldn’t crack the structure of the Knights, who have been terrific at making a play in the defensive zone, throwing the puck out and attacking the neutral zone.

“They’re coming at us 100 miles per hour,” Bednar said. “All of their lines are executing really well. We have to start getting back above them. They’re coming every single time. We have to earn our ice and earn our space.”

They also have to discover a competent rush of their own.

Colorado needs a much cleaner transition game. It’s not challenging the Knights to defend as you would expect from such a fast and skilled side as the Avalanche. It’s having all sorts of trouble working through the neutral zone. It’s not causing much duress at all.

And when it does create chances, Colorado often isn’t forcing Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to make a save.

Example: The Avalanche missed the net on three walk-ins and hit the post on another attempt in the third period of Game 4.

Can’t lose focus

Things can change overnight. Colorado on Tuesday will be the beneficiary of a raucous crowd rather than its nemesis. Check out some of the other playoff series. Smart is not the team that becomes comfortable for even a shift or two.

“It’s a seven-game series,” Bednar said. “It’s not a best-of-four. I said it after Game 1 — it’s a race to four. It’s not a race two. We got two of the next three games in our building, where we have played real well. This is going to be a battle, and I fully expect our guys to take another step in 1215446 Vegas Golden Knights LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.08.2021

Golden Knights find formula to beat Avalanche, tie series

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

DENVER — The Golden Knights left Colorado last week staring at the first 2-0 playoff series deficit in franchise history. They’re heading back for Game 5 tied and brimming with confidence.

The Knights didn’t just win twice at T-Mobile Arena. They showed they can outplay one of the NHL’s top teams — and this season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners — when they stick to their game plan.

Now, the Knights must prove they can do the same thing at Ball Arena, where the Avalanche are 20-0-1 in their past 21 games. But the Knights think they can win anywhere with the way they’re playing.

“Colorado, Vegas, wherever you put this next game, for me it doesn’t matter,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “We want to keep building our game, keep working on the formula that’s working. Show up, and they’re obviously going to have something to say about it. Great team. Really tough at home. Our guys aren’t a group that’s easily intimidated.”

The Knights’ blueprint for success hasn’t exactly been rocket science.

It has been simple, smart hockey that has frustrated an Avalanche team that got accustomed to running opponents out of the building with their speed and skill.

The Knights have done an excellent job slowing Colorado around both blue lines. They’re cutting off passing lanes at the offensive end and preventing the Avalanche from getting a lot of clean breakouts. It has led to a lot of turnovers that have kept Colorado pinned back.

The Knights also have been aggressive in the neutral zone and at the defensive blue line to keep the Avalanche from carrying the puck into the offensive zone. It has limited Colorado’s transition opportunities, which has led to forced plays and ill-advised passes from a club used to skating circles around teams.

Even when the Avalanche have dumped the puck in from the neutral zone, the Knights’ breakouts have been fast and sharp to send play back the other way.

“I think we gave them a little bit too much respect (early in the series),” captain Mark Stone said. “Obviously in Game 1, we kind of sat back. Just kind of dipped our toe. I think after the first period in Game 2, we realized we can play with these guys.”

The Knights also are playing simple hockey on offense.

They’re content not to force plays through the neutral zone and rely on their forecheck to recover pucks. They’ve given the Avalanche’s skilled but smaller blue line fits in the corners and behind the net. It has helped the Knights keep the puck trapped in the offensive end and get fresh skaters on the ice.

“I think we’re kind of smart with the puck,” center William Karlsson said of his line, which has a combined 14 points in the series. “When there’s plays through the neutral zone, we take it, but if not, we chip it in, go to work. It’s working.”

The Knights’ play at all areas of the ice is leading to lopsided results.

They have outshot the Avalanche 119-63 in the past three games and out-attempted them 217-159. What makes those numbers even more impressive is that Colorado was second in the NHL in shots per game (34.6) in the regular season and first in shots allowed (25.4). The Avalanche also had a 57.83 percent shot-attempts share before the playoffs, according to the website NaturalStatTrick.

The Knights’ game plan and execution have put the onus on Colorado to adjust by simplifying its game or risk being eliminated in the second round for the third consecutive season.

“We’re confident in our game,” DeBoer said. “We’re confident on the road. Not an easy task obviously going in there with their record, what they’ve done at home. Our guys are excited about the challenge.” 1215447 Vegas Golden Knights

Brayden McNabb was on road when he tested positive for COVID

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

DENVER — Brayden McNabb made his first appearance of the West Division final in the Golden Knights’ Game 4 victory Sunday.

Before that, the defenseman went through a unique set of steps to return from his positive test for COVID-19.

McNabb was in Minnesota before Game 6 against the Wild when he was notified of the result and had to quarantine immediately, according to coach Pete DeBoer. He was placed on the NHL’s list of COVID protocol- related absences May 26.

After the Knights’ loss, DeBoer said, McNabb had to travel to Las Vegas on his own rather than with the team. Once at home, he had to quarantine again until he was cleared to return.

McNabb hadn’t practiced with the team since he tested positive before playing Sunday. He paired with and dished out four hits in 17 minutes of ice time while helping the Knights keep Colorado’s vaunted power play off the board on its two chances.

“He played a great game for us. He helps us in so many ways,” DeBoer said. “We missed him, particularly on the penalty kill, in the time he was out. You forget that there were (five) tough playoff games that he missed.”

With McNabb available, Nick Holden was scratched after he played the past eight games and produced five assists, tied with Alex Pietrangelo for the team lead among defensemen. DeBoer praised Holden’s contribution during the postseason.

“What a teammate, what a pro, what a veteran to come in and fill that spot in the top four and play against (Colorado’s Nathan) MacKinnon and play in Game 7 against Minnesota, an elimination game, with hardly playing all year,” DeBoer said. “But that’s our group. We’re getting contributions from everybody.”

Feeling healthy

Max Pacioretty wasn’t at 100 percent when he made his dramatic return for Game 7 of the first round against Minnesota and “gutted it out,” according to DeBoer.

But the Knights’ leading goal scorer during the regular season is back to full strength and registered two goals (both game winners) and two assists in the first four games against Colorado.

Along with his goal from the slot that gave the Knights the lead over Minnesota, Pacioretty scored on a deflection and off the rush in the past two games against the Avalanche. He has a point in all five playoff games in which he has appeared.

“When I met with (Pacioretty) after the bubble, I asked him to be open to adding some layers to his game to be able to score this time of year,” DeBoer said. “This series is a perfect example of that. He’s got a tip at net front, hanging around the front of the net. He’s got the one-timer. He’s got his shot, which is world class. He’s been great.”

Schedule update

Game 6 of the West Division final will start at 6 p.m. Thursday at T- Mobile Arena, the league announced. The game will be televised on NBCSN.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215448 Vegas Golden Knights The question is whether it can continue. With a team as talented as the Avalanche, there’s a tendency to think it will all eventually come back together. That they can’t possibly get this thoroughly outplayed for this long. Golden Knights have Avalanche rattled like never before, but can it continue? There’s truly no precedent for it. Colorado hadn’t gotten beaten by two expected goals in any game since 2019 before Game 3, according to the Athletic. Vegas has now come .2 expected goals away from doing it two games in a row. By Case Keefer It’s going to take more than a team meeting for Colorado to diagnose its

problems. Joking aside, plenty of team meetings have surely failed in the For the first time in what seems like the history of organized sports, the past but typically media and fans only hear about them in hindsight when team meeting didn’t work. a fable grows out of a special season.

Disappointed with their performance and ensuing loss in Friday night's But the Golden Knights are in the process of denying any mythmaking Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Colorado Avalanche from happening — at least as it pertains to the Avalanche. All of a reportedly got together to hash out their frustrations and clear their hands sudden, Colorado is scrambling to find the answers and perhaps looking before Sunday’s Game 4. If the popular narrative held, that meant they in the wrong places while Vegas is the team that’s keenly aware and were bound to come together for a resounding victory and get back on confident of what it needs to do. track to reach their championship aspirations. “Play fast, play simple….Put in the work for 60 minutes and we should be History didn’t repeat this time. good,” goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said.

If the Avalanche felt like they were playing uncharacteristically before, LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.08.2021 they might be in a full-fledged identity crisis now after the Golden Knights knocked them around even harder in a 5-1 Game 4 victory at T-Mobile.

The series is now tied at 2-2 heading back to Denver for Tuesday night’s Game 5 and the Avalanche advancing no longer appears to be the inevitably many believed when the teams arrived in Las Vegas.

“We proved we can play against the best team in the league and we’re on a mission right now,” forward Jonathan Marchessault said after Game 4 hat trick. “We just have to keep going and focus on Game 5.”

The prohibitive Stanley Cup favorite for the last month may no longer be so, at least not at this specific moment. Colorado is at the very least engaged in a fight while other contenders — namely the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning — are sitting with a prettier final four path.

And this year’s Avalanche aren’t too accustomed to having to fight. No one has done what the Golden Knights have done to them for the last two games. No one has come close.

Colorado never surrendered more scoring chances than they manufactured in two straight games all season, per naturalstattrick.com. Vegas has now done it in eight straight periods.

They also only allowed more high-danger chances than they amassed in back-to-back games once all season, but that was with a skeleton crew when injuries and COVID-19 depleted their roster. Now they’re nearly at full-strength, and yes, Vegas has also tallied more high-danger chances in eight straight periods dating back to a dramatic Game 2 turnaround after losing the opener 7-1.

“We gave them a little too much respect in Game 1,” captain Mark Stone said. “We kind of stepped back after the first period of Game 2, we realized we could play with these guys. But to say it’s easy is a very false statement. They’re a great team, they’re going back home, they’re going to bring their best game. We’re just going to go on the road and try to do a lot of the things we’ve been doing at home and in the last three games combined.”

Stone came under fire for his lack of offense in the first two games, and truthfully, still has played below his expectation on that end of the ice with only a pair of assists during the back-to-back wins. But he’s shown why he’s a Selke finalist by being at the forefront of the defensive aggression that’s changed the series.

The NHL’s most dangerous line all season — Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog — hasn’t scored an even-strength goal since Game 1. That’s extraordinary and it’s all started with Stone’s pressure on the forecheck, which has clearly flustered the Avalanche.

So flustered is coach Jared Bednar that he’s gone as far as to break the group up at times. There’s a lot else going right for the Golden Knights, but their success starts with the way they’ve slowed the Avalanche’s terrific trio.

“Our detail and execution has been really good since Game 1 and I think we feel good about our game,” DeBoer said. 1215449 Vegas Golden Knights

Monday Morning Gambler: Crunch Time For Vegas Golden Knights; Series Now A Best Of Three

By Dan Behringer for LVSportsBiz.com

For the serious fanatic, the casual fan or the diehard gambler with a futures ticket in a pocket, the Vegas Golden Knights series vs. the Colorado Avalanche now comes down to a best-of-three series.

That scenario arose after the VGK, powered by Jonathan Marchessault’s fourth career hat trick, squared the West Division final at two games each with a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche late Sunday.

The Golden Knights paid bettors who had tickets that were generally about -115. Puck line bettors at around +240 fared considerably better. Over 5.5 came in for the second time in the second-round series.

“If we win as a group, it’s the most important thing,” Marchessault told reporters after the game. “And we’ve proven we can play with the best team in the league. We’re on a mission right now. We just have to keep going and focus on Game 5.”

Game 5 will be at Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday. The early line has the VGK at +125 with the total again at 5.5.

Futures gamblers who bet the Golden Knights at about +175 before the series, around +350 after Game 1 and even higher after Game 2 have to be encouraged. So do bettors who bet the Knights to win the Stanley cup at the start of the season at about +750. Current odds are around +400.

“We’ve got work left to do, but we like where we’re at tonight,” coach Peter DeBoer told reporters.

Pete DeBoer, VGK coach

Ditto for bettors.

Elsewhere:

— Riding the Aces? The Las Vegas Aces are an unremarkable 5-4-1 ATS after a 96-93 win on Saturday vs. the Washington Mystics in which they were -7.5 favorites. The over in their 10 games this season is 6-4. “We gutted this one out today. … All we want to do is crank out wins right now,” Aces coach Bill Laimbeer told reporters after the game. The Aces’ next game is a home date vs. the Dallas Wings on June 13.

Aces coach Bill Laimbeer

— Shifting odds: With the making an inglorious first- round exit from the NBA playoffs, futures odds have shifted abruptly. The Brooklyn Nets are currently +160, the Utah Jazz +375 and the +500, according to Vegas Insider. It wasn’t that long ago, as noted in these posts, that the Jazz were as high as +1400.

— Close but no payday: Las Vegas made it interesting at the PGA’s at Dublin, , on Sunday. Morikawa faced Patrick Cantlay in a playoff after both finished at -13 in regulation. Morikawa had a 1-stroke lead after the 15th hole. Cantlay won when Morikawa’s par bid from 6 feet missed on the first hole of the sudden death playoff. Bettors found the 24-year-old Las Vegan as high as +1800 to win the tournament — a good bet considering he won the Workday Charity Open on the same golf course in 2020.

— Laugher of the week: If you played the Phoenix Suns -4.5 vs. the Los Angeles/LeBron Lakers last Tuesday, you enjoyed one of the laughers of the week. The Suns bolted to a 34-26 first-quarter lead, led at halftime, 56-36, and never looked back in routing the Lakers, 115-85. Who says NBA translates to No Betting Allowed?

— Laugher of the week, Part Deux: Also last Tuesday, The Philadelphia Phillies were +101 at the Cincinnati Reds. After falling behind, 2-0, the Phillies took the lead and added six runs in the sixth inning followed by three more in the eighth and four in the top of the ninth. The Phillies finally won it, 17-3. Those easy wins almost (but not quite) compensate for the nail-biters and “bad beats.”

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 06.08.2021 1215450 Washington Capitals John Carlson Brenden Dillon

Justin Schultz Capitals’ prospect tiers 3.0: Who fits where in 2021-22? Michal Kempny

Nick Jensen By Tarik El-Bashir Jun 7, 2021 Martin Fehervary

Trevor van Riemsdyk Three days after the Capitals were eliminated from the playoffs, general manager Brian MacLellan acknowledged that he’ll be looking to add Tier II: Competing for a spot in camp some youth to the league’s oldest roster. Tier II To be clear, the core of the Alex Ovechkin– and Nicklas Backstrom– led club will continue to be veterans. But MacLellan does hope to incorporate PLAYER POSITION AGE NHL GAMES some young blood from the team’s pipeline, which is light on high-end Axel Jonsson-Fjallby prospects but does feature a handful of promising players. Forward “We’ve got some guys coming that we can consider,” MacLellan said late last month. “We’ll look for opportunities. We’ll get younger, but we’re still 23 going to have a veteran team because that’s our core. ” 0 One of those young players, 24-year-old winger , is already working on establishing himself in D.C. Another, 21-year-old Beck Malenstyn defenseman Martin Fehervary, is expected to get the same opportunity in Forward the fall. And the Caps are hopeful that Fehervary won’t be alone. 23 So where do things stand after an abbreviated AHL season? Who might join Fehervary in taking a step forward in 2021-22? The list is not long, 3 but it’s an intriguing one for fans who have been following the progress of Connor McMichael Washington’s prospects through the system.

After examining the organizational depth chart and asking around, I put Forward together a list of players — all 26 years old and under — who are in the 20 mix. I then divided the 17 prospects into four tiers, ranging from “likely to be on the Caps’ roster” to “On the radar but not quite ready.” 1

Tier I: Likely on the Caps’ roster Garrett Pilon

Tier I Forward

PLAYER POSITION AGE NHL GAMES 23

Martin Fehervary 1

Defense Brian Pinho

21 Forward

6 26

Martin Fehervary 4

There was a time last summer when it looked like Fehervary might finally The Caps have 11 forwards signed to one-way contracts next season get his shot. That, however, was before a favorable free-agent market and that number grows to 12 when Ovechkin’s anticipated re-signing is allowed the Caps to add veterans Zdeno Chara and Trevor van factored into the equation. (It should be noted that trade deadline addition Riemsdyk on team-friendly deals. The signings ultimately pushed is also set to become an unrestricted free agent.) So, yeah, Fehervary back down the minors, which, internally at least, was not there’s not much wiggle room for prospects up front, at least as currently viewed as a bad thing. The smooth-skating Slovak amassed three goals constructed. and 14 assists in 24 games in Hershey. He also had stints on OK, let’s get the Evgeny Kuznetsov question out of the way. If he is dealt Washington’s taxi squad, though he did not appear in an NHL game last — another big “if” at this point — it’s believed that the Caps want a top- season. six NHL-proven center coming to D.C. in any swap. Is next year the year for Fehervary? It certainly looks as though it could So, as you can see, barring any seismic shifts, the Caps figure to be be as the depth chart undergoes some likely renovation this summer. looking for 13th and maybe a 14th forward if the salary cap will allow. But Chara, who turned 44 in March, is an unrestricted free agent and is before you dismiss that as insignificant, remember that’s where Sprong contemplating his future. It’s also possible the Caps will lose a veteran started last season. defenseman in the expansion draft. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby However it shakes out, MacLellan has indicated that he anticipates Fehervary making the jump in October, saying that the 2018 second- Jonsson-Fjallby finished third on the Bears in goals with 10 in 31 games, rounder is “ready.” including a team-high two shorthanded tallies. The 2016 fifth-rounder brings speed and puck pursuit and projects as a bottom-six winger that If the Caps don’t lose a defenseman in the expansion draft and there are can kill penalties. no trades — a couple of big “ifs” at this early stage of the offseason — this much is for sure: there’s going to be some good competition on the Remember, coach Peter Laviolette is big on plugging prospects into the blue line. position that suits their skill set. So, a player like Jonsson-Fjallby might get the call if a penalty-kill specialist like were to miss a Potential depth chart on D game or two. LEFT DEFENSE RIGHT DEFENSE Beck Malenstyn Dmitry Orlov Malenstyn missed all of last season due to Achilles tendon injury that he suffered in training at home in Vancouver in early December. Prior to the injury, which required surgery, the big-bodied fourth-line banger was Goalie under consideration for the 13th forward spot. The question is where will the 2016 fifth-round pick be health-wise in September? The initial 26 prognosis was that he’d miss six-to-eight months. 0

Connor McMichael Shane Gersich

The 2019 first-round pick and top prospect in the system did not Forward disappoint as a first-year pro in Hershey. He led the Bears in goals (14), points (27) and was tied for the most power-play goals (six). He was also 24 clutch, as his eight game-winners were tops in the AHL. 5 What does that mean for next season? Good question. Brett Leason The Caps do not want to rush McMichael to the NHL, which probably Forward means he will not suit up as the first or second-line center in Washington, regardless of what happens with Kuznetsov. 22

Could he break in on the wing? Sure. But who’s he beating out? 0 Ovechkin? Anthony Mantha? Tom Wilson? T.J. Oshie? Conor Sheary and Sprong are penciled in as the third-line wingers and Laviolette didn’t Bobby Nardella break up the fourth line a single time last season. Defense And consider this: if McMichael is not playing every night, do you want 25 your No. 1 prospect sitting out as a scratch instead of playing in the AHL? Of course not. 0

That’s a long-winded way of saying that, as currently constructed, there’s Damien Riat no obvious place for McMichael to shoehorn into. Forward His time will come. It just might not be in October. 24 “He’s a young guy that we’re not going to force into the lineup,” MacLellan said. “We’ll see how he does in (training) camp and what he 0 can handle. But he had a really good year. He finished up the year on a Joe Snively high (and) improved in all areas. So we’re going to look for opportunities to play him, but we’re not going to force him into a situation he can’t Forward handle.” 25 Garrett Pilon 0 Pilon made his NHL debut against Philadelphia on May 8 and while he did not record a point in the Caps’ 2-1 win, he left MacLellan wanting to Alex Alexeyev see more. And with a strong camp, he could earn that opportunity. The 2018 first-round pick had a breakout performance while on loan in Pilon was Hershey’s leading scorer early on last season but ended up the KHL and then earned top-pairing minutes upon being recalled to spending significant time on Washington’s taxi squad. He still finished Hershey, where he racked up two goals and seven assists in 12 games. with 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 14 games. MacLellan indicated last month that Alexeyev, who joined the Caps as a The 2016 third-rounder and son of longtime NHLer Rich Pilon can also black ace during the playoffs, should make his NHL debut next season, play center and wing, giving Laviolette the position flexibility he ideally though he likely isn’t ready for a full-time role. wants in a 13th forward. As things stand now, he’s probably fifth on the depth chart among left Brian Pinho defensemen behind Dmitry Orlov, Brenden Dillon, Michal Kempny and Fehervary. Things, however, can change, especially in an expansion Pinho was drafted by the Caps in the sixth round way back in 2013 and year. has been knocking on the door for a couple of years now. This past season, he got into a couple of games for the Caps in January before Kody Clark being sidelined by a concussion. In Hershey, he was one of the Bears’ With a second year of pro experience on his resume, Clark moves up a top penalty killers and most efficient players, amassing eight goals, tier and could now find himself in the conversation for a promotion to the including a league-high five empty-netters, and four assists in just four big club. The Caps’ second-round pick in 2018 and son of longtime games. Bears coach Spencer Carbery raves about his hockey IQ and, NHLer , Kody was slowed by an upper-body injury that like Pilon, he can play center or wing. sidelined him in the second half. Prior to the injury, though, he was Tier III: Potential call-ups getting power-play time and making the most of it. He finished with seven goals in 19 games, still a big step up in production from the three goals Tier III he notched in 31 games in 2019-20.

PLAYER POSTION AGE NHL GAMES Zach Fucale

Alex Alexeyev Fucale appeared in only 11 games for the Bears because he spent a significant portion of the campaign on Washington’s taxi squad. In going Defense 9-2-0, though, he was mostly spectacular. In fact, Fucale led the AHL in 21 goals-against average (1.80) and ranked second in save percentage (.932). A Montreal second-round pick in 2013, he’s got a couple of young 0 goalies in front of him — Ilya Samsonov, 24, and Vitek Vanecek, 25 — but he certainly has grabbed everyone’s attention. Kody Clark Shane Gersich Forward The 2014 fifth-round pick played in three regular-season games and two 21 playoff games in 2017-18 after three years at North Dakota but has not 0 been recalled since. Gersich notched six goals and eight assists in 33 games in Hershey and could get a call-up if a short-term need for an Zach Fucale energetic fourth-liner who can kill penalties comes up. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. Brett Leason The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021

Like Clark, Leason, the Caps’ second-round pick in 2019, has also bumped up a tier following his second pro season. The 6-foot-5, 210- pound winger registered nine goals and 20 points in 33 games, a jump of six goals and six points in 17 fewer games. As a result, he could find himself in the conversation should the Caps need a middle-six winger to fill in for a game or two.

Bobby Nardella

Nardella was one of the prospects the Caps loaned out due to the uncertainty surrounding North America’s development leagues. Unlike the others, though, Nardella’s arrangement did not allow for him to be recalled. So the 5-foot-9, 176-pound blueliner spent the entire season playing for Djurgardens in Sweden’s SHL. In 47 games, he was impressive, registering seven goals and 26 assists for a team-leading 33 points. Although Nardella remains in Tier III, his performance overseas has certainly increased the curiosity factor among Washington’s decision-makers.

Damien Riat

The Caps’ fourth-round pick in 2016 put up modest numbers (three goals and six assists in 33 games) in his first season in North America but the team remains optimistic about his long-term upside. Thus, he’s moved up a tier.

Joe Snively

In 84 games spread over three seasons with the Bears, the Herndon, Va., native has recorded 48 points (20 goals and 28 assists). There’s a lot of competition among the forwards hoping to get the call but the Caps like the progress being made by the hometown winger, who was signed to a one-year, two-way extension last week.

Tier IV: On the radar but not quite ready

Tier IV

PLAYER POSITION AGE NHL GAMES

Tobias Geisser

Defense

22

0

Aliaksei Protas

Forward

20

0

Riley Sutter

Forward

21

0

Tobias Geisser

Loaned out to Switzerland’s EV Zug, Geisser appeared in 50 games, racking up five goals and 17 assists. The 2017 fourth-rounder also suited up for 13 playoff games and six games for Switzerland in the 2021 IIHF World Championship.

Aliaksei Protas

Like Alexeyev, Protas started his season in the KHL before being recalled to Hershey, where he registered two goals and five assists in 16 games. The Caps remain intrigued by Protas’ size — at 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, he’s the biggest player in the prospect pool — and scoring touch. With a full season in the AHL in 2021-22, the hope is he’ll enter the mix for a call-up the following year.

Riley Sutter

A smart, defensively reliable forward who comes from the famed Sutter family, Riley had no goals and nine assists in 25 games for the Bears this season. Another big body at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, the hope is that he’ll continue to fill out and position himself for a call-up in 2022. 1215451 Winnipeg Jets They'd surrender another in the final minute, as Artturi Lehkonen continued to make an impact since entering the series after Jake Evans was concussed by Mark Scheifele's senseless dirty hit in the dying minute of Game 1 which proved to be a pivotal point in this all-too-brief Habs sweep Jets to end Winnipeg's post-season roller-coaster ride series. Lehkonen set-up Toffoli's winner in Game 2, scored the winner in Game 3 and scored the 2-0 goal in Game 4.

Scheifele, by the way, is now going to have to miss the 2021-22 season Mike McIntyre opener for what will be the fourth, and final, game of his suspension. Talk about adding insult to injury.

In the end, they went out with a whimper. And a stunning collapse by the So how did Winnipeg respond by digging themselves yet another huge Winnipeg Jets shows this club was far more pretender than serious hole? By getting outshot by a whopping 27-9 over the final 40 minutes of contender. regulation. Of course, two of those were off the stick of Stanley, who apparently is kryptonite to Price. But that was all the offence the Jets From an unlikely first-round sweep of the Edmonton Oilers to an could muster. improbable second-round sweep at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens, it's hard to comprehend what we just witnessed here in the Remind me: Which team was fighting for its playoff lives, and which one span of a few weeks. A roller-coaster of emotions, to be sure. had the luxury of a three-game cushion? You'd be hard pressed to tell based on how they played. The autopsy of this particular patient is going to be complicated, and perhaps a bit messy. It will also take some time. Consider this the first of Scheifele must take some blame for a foolish play that left his club many deep but necessary cuts. But hard questions must be asked about shorthanded. But the team's other highest-paid players didn't exactly pick how things went south so quickly. From the complete no-shows of up the slack. Wheeler, Dubois, Copp, Nikolaj Ehlers and Paul Stastny several top-end players when the stakes were at their highest to the had a combined zero goals in the series. Winnipeg got a pair from coaching tactics from Paul Maurice and roster construction from Kevin Stanley, a pair from Adam Lowry, one from Derek Forbort and one from Cheveldayoff, no stone should be left unturned. Kyle Connor, who was a defensive disaster for much of the series including critical errors that led to goals against in Game 2 and Game 3. Winnipeg had a golden opportunity to do something really special this spring. And they blew it in rather spectacular fashion. Don't be fooled by When bottom-six forwards and bottom-pairing defencemen are leading Monday's result, a 3-2 overtime loss that might leave you thinking this the offensive charge, you're likely in big trouble. They also got was a close game that could have gone either way. It wasn't. At all. slaughtered on special teams, giving up three power play goals and three shorthanded goals, while not scoring even once with a man-advantage. Save for Connor Hellebuyck's heroics and two unlikely goals from Logan Stanley, the Jets would have been run right out of the Bell Centre. In a Add it all up and you have all the ingredients for a swift and justified exit game with their season on the line, the Jets came out with one of their from the playoffs. worst efforts of the year. Certainly the most uninspired of the series. It's hard to fathom this was the same Winnipeg team that beat Edmonton Yes, uglier than the 5-1 loss in Game 3, the 1-0 defeat in Game 2 and four straight times, even if that series was truly much closer than it the 5-3 setback in Game 1. maybe appeared thanks to Hellebuyck and three overtime victories. Turns out that was likely the mirage, and a Jets team that struggled down Many of the flaws that got covered up by Hellebuyck's first-round play -- a the regular-season stretch re-appeared at the worst possible time, warts .950 save-percentage is a helluva drug -- were exposed by a relentless and all. Montreal club with a balanced forward group, a big, tough blue-line and a future Hall-of-Famer in net. Throw in a major dose of confidence after They really had us fooled for a bit there, didn't they? staving off elimination three straight times to their biggest rivals in Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 06.08.2021 Toronto and the Canadiens were unstoppable.

Not that Winnipeg made it very difficult for them, even though they had a major advantage in the rest department with a nine-day break between series. Trying to move the puck out of their own end should have been accompanied by Yakety Sax, the theme song from the Benny Hill Show, given what an adventure if often was. Completing basic passes, generating any sustained offensive attack or getting anything resembling traffic in front of Carey Price were all nightly struggles.

Maurice couldn't, or wouldn't, make the necessary adjustments. The more he threw his lines into the blender -- the invisible Pierre-Luc Dubois was bounced all over the place Monday night -- only led to more confusion, rather than the spark he was clearly trying to find. After the Game 3 stinker, he went back to the exact same lineup 24 hours later.

Remind me: What's the definition of insanity?

There was play, late in the third period Monday night, that perfectly summed up Winnipeg's play in this series. A promising odd-man rush up the ice ended at the blue-line when Jets captain Blake Wheeler somehow stepped on the puck and wiped out. It quickly turned the other way, with Montreal generating a chance of their own.

Just getting this one beyond regulation was nothing more than smoke and mirrors on Winnipeg's part. Extending the series would have been a case of larceny. But Tyler Toffoli made sure justice was served by putting the Jets out of their misery just 99 seconds into the extra frame.

They got outworked. They got outsmarted. They got outscored. They got outcoached. And, in the end, they got what they deserved.

Winnipeg, which didn't enjoy a lead in this short series for a single second, inexplicably came out flat once again. A high-sticking penalty to Andrew Copp, a failed clear by Nate Thompson and a power play goal by Erik Gustafsson just seconds later had the Jets chasing the game early once again. Rinse, repeat. 1215452 Winnipeg Jets The 6-7 blue-liner had just one tally in 37 games during the regular season.

Just as shocking was goalie Carey Price’s resemblance to a mere mortal Winnipeg's season comes to disappointing conclusion, Montreal during that stretch. The future Hall of Famer couldn’t handle Stanley’s advances dart from the left wall that glanced off Paul Byron at the 1:40 mark and then completely whiffed on his shot from the opposite side at 5:29.

Stanley acknowledged the joy of contributing offensively dissipated the Jason Bell moment Montreal began celebrating.

"Yeah, I think it’s all bitter right now," he said. "In the playoffs, it doesn’t matter who scores. You win as a team and you lose as a team. I’m glad I The sweepers have become the swept. got a couple by him to try and help the team, but at the end of the day we The Winnipeg Jets were brusquely evicted from the NHL playoffs lost to the team, so it stings right now." Monday night after falling 3-2 in overtime in Montreal, their fourth Maurice made the decision to go with the same lineup that was consecutive loss to the unquestionably superior Canadiens. significantly outplayed just 24 hours beforehand. Veteran defenceman Tyler Toffoli’s fourth goal of the postseason just 1:39 into the extra Jordie Benn stayed in, while mobile youngster Ville Heinola watched from session — the result of some diligent work down low by youngsters Nick the press box. Suzuki and Cole Caufield — capped off the Habs’ impressive sweep of The Jets pushed the pace early, however, the Canadiens gained an early the best-of-seven North Division final series. power play after an errant high stick by Andrew Copp caught Jesperi And it came two weeks after Winnipeg did likewise to the Edmonton Kotkaniemi in the face, and blue-liner Erik Gustafsson drilled a point shot Oilers in an opening-round matchup. behind Hellebuyck as Montreal to opening the scoring for the seventh consecutive outing. Montreal, winners of seven straight after falling behind 3-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1, moves into the NHL’s Final Four with the "They’re such a good team when they get the lead that they play a survivors from the West, Central and East divisions. frustrating brand of hockey. They don’t give you a lot. They make it tough to get to the net," said Lowry. Jets captain Blake Wheeler, held pointless during the sweep, said the Canadiens are entirely deserving to represent the nation as the chase for "Obviously, that was a big difference in the series was scoring first. Part the Stanley Cup continues. of our game plan was to come out and get off to a good start but unfortunately we didn’t get that one killed and the puck is in the back of "They’re playing at a really high level right now. You just have to give the net and we’re down one." them all the credit. They’re playing a really good game. With the goaltending (Carey Price) they have, any breakdowns, he’s putting out Late in the period, Artturi Lehkonen freed himself from the coverage by those fires. And we just couldn’t get the first goal. We just couldn’t do it Derek Forbort to deflect in a shot to increase the lead for the hosts. all series," said Wheeler. "That plays right into their hands. Especially It’s officially next-year time for the Jets organization, and myriad their top four defencemen, they’re big and heavy and they do a good job questions about the future of the management and coaching staff, and of just clearing pucks and throwing them out of the zone. the on-ice personnel, will begin in haste. "I really felt like in any of these games probably outside the first one that One thing’s for certain. Top-line centre Mark Scheifele won’t be in the Games 2 through 4, if we could have just found a way to get that first starting lineup on the opening night of the 2021-22 campaign. The 28- goal, it could be a different series but we didn’t. You just have to give year-old product of Kitchener, Ont., must serve out the last of his four- them so much credit. They’re playing unbelievable right now." game suspension. The nature of the series-clinching tally was appropriate, generated off a Scheifele was slapped with the harsh punishment for charging forward dogged forecheck and a series of Jets turnovers. Caufield found Toffoli Jake Evans in the late stages of Game 1 at Bell MTS Place. He chose alone on the doorstep, leaving goalie Connor Hellebuyck with no chance not to appeal the decision to NHL commissioner . to make a stop. Indeed, the Jets floundered badly without their offensive driver. Up front, He made so many before that — 27 stops through the final 40 minutes — Wheeler and Andrew Copp contributed no points, while Nikolaj Ehlers, to provide hope to a squad under siege. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Mason Appleton each had a lone assist. "I’m never going to fault Helly on anything. He’s incredible. What he does The impact of losing Scheifele was immeasurable, said Wheeler. for our team, he’s incredible, he’s an awesome guy. He’s such a competitor, he battles so hard for us," said centre Adam Lowry. "He gives "I mean, he’s a top-10 player in the NHL. I’m not saying we would win the us a chance to win every night and, unfortunately, we weren’t able to series in five games because he was in the lineup but it just changes our score enough for him this series. But he gave us a chance every night to team. He makes me better. He makes Kyle better. As a line, we’re able be in the game and we just weren’t able to buy a couple." to do some things that are pretty dynamic and from there the matchup just works a lot better for us because I think then we can rely on our Montreal caused turnovers all night — all series, in fact — bottled up the depth a lot more," he said. neutral zone, snuffing out any opportunity for the Jets to muster offence. "We can rely on Adam Lowry’s line coming out third and they dominate in Mercifully, the Canadiens didn’t let the Jets linger, pulling the plug on that three hole. It just makes our team look a lot different. So, it’s a damn their temporary division rivals at the earliest opportunity possible. shame." Winnipeg now shares a rare distinction with the Buffalo Sabres (1993) Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 06.08.2021 and New York Islanders (2019). They’re the only teams since 1987 (when the NHL expanded the first round to a best-of-seven series) to blast through an initial series undefeated before being shot down four times in a row in Round 2.

"It was extreme ... the story of the year," said Jets head coach Paul Maurice, commenting on the dichotomy of the two playoff matchups. "You roll through four games against a team with the two best scorers in the league and you like the defensive game, and then you get beat four straight times. (The Canadiens) were good. They were better than we were in this series and they deserved to win."

Logan Stanley played the role of unlikely sniper, scoring twice in a span of three minutes, 49 seconds early in the second period to pull the Jets even. Kyle Connor helped set up both goals. 1215453 Winnipeg Jets Shots were 39-16 through regulation. For the team playing its fourth game in six days after surviving a seven-game series.

The TV types had the Canadiens’ offensive zone time at double Jets a train wreck in Montreal sweep Winnipeg’s.

It was not just inexplainable, but inexcusable.

Paul Friesen Jets forward had nine shots on goal in regulation.

The Jets came out with some spunk in the first period, but

It was soon after a not-so-good moment in Monday night’s Jets game in an Andrew Copp high stick negated that, and the Montreal power play Montreal – and there were plenty of those – that the TV cameras caught hammered the first nail into the pine box in the first period. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and chairman Mark Chipman high up in their box Blame Nate Thompson’s failed clear, if you like. Derek Forbort and above the ice surface. Tucker Poolman’s screening of Connor Hellebuyck didn’t help, either. Cheveldayoff had his hands in the air, as if to say what the heck was The idea was to make life tougher for the goalie at the other end. that, while Chipman looked no more impressed. The Jets quickly got their own power play and a chance to counter- By the end of the night, the train wreck they were watching finally skidded punch. They whiffed. into a heap, leaving a pileup that’ll take a while to sift through. Then, hockey’s cardinal sin: allowing a goal in the final minute of the The fact Game 4 went to overtime was only window dressing on the period. Again, a failure to clear their zone. scene down below. And a lesson in what going to the net can produce, in Artturi Lehkonen’s Facing elimination, the Jets were dominated by the team that was deflection. supposed to be running on fumes. Speaking of Lehkonen. The final was 3-2. But the 4-zip series score was more reflective. An email from a reader before Game 4 suggested the Jets were victims A promising post-season, derailed. of divine intervention, the hockey gods frowning upon the dangerous hit The euphoria of a four-game sweep over Edmonton, squashed like a that got Scheifele suspended. kid’s dime on the tracks against the Habs. Well, Lehkonen was the player who replaced Scheifele’s concussed The Jets couldn’t handle Montreal’s game, not even close. We believed victim, Jake Evans, and he also scored the game-winner in Game 3. rust from their long layoff was to blame for Game 1, but it turns out that Discuss amongst yourselves. was only part of the problem. After dropping three straight games, head coach Paul Maurice didn’t Because the Jets never looked anything like the engine that fought tooth make a single lineup change for Game 4, choosing instead to do a little and nail to stop Connor McDavid and the Oilers. in-house line shuffling. Without two out-of-the-blue goals from defenceman Logan Stanley on The shuffling continued right through the game, Maurice trying to coax Monday, they’d have been shut out. something from his top talent. They were missing something more than just Mark Scheifele. Nothing worked. “I don’t look at it that way, to be honest with you,” captain Blake Wheeler Wheeler and Nik Ehlers were both blanked in the series. Kyle Connor said, asked about his team’s shortcomings, post-game. “It’s such a fine wasn’t much better, although had some jump on Monday. line. It’s hitting a post if it goes in. We had one on the power play tonight, with virtually an empty net, and it hits the top of his knob. These are Cheveldayoff and Chipman will have to begin their evaluation behind the things you don’t understand that completely change the dynamic of a bench, with Maurice. game. And they didn’t go our way.” But did the GM provide the coach with the tools to go deeper? Wheeler wasn’t kidding anyone, though, either. It’s hard to make that claim. He knew the Canadiens were by far the better team. The wreckage is piled high. “I’m not going to sit here and say we played our four best games of the season. I don’t think so. But that’s because of how they played. That’s a High enough to touch the GM, too. reflection of how well Montreal’s playing right now.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.08.2021 Sure, but it reflects just as brightly on the Jets.

The final scene was as fitting as it was cruel: Pierre-Luc Dubois reaching in vain to prevent Tyler Toffoli from firing home the winner, just 1:30 into overtime.

Dubois had as forgettable a series as his 2020 post-season as a Blue Jacket was memorable.

His last 24 games without a goal. Tried out on the top line at one point, dropped to the fourth by the end of Monday’s game.

On one first-period play, the Habs’ Corey Perry outhustled two Jets in front of the net to get a dangerous shot on Hellebuyck.

We just didn’t see that from the Jets very often.

Through 40 minutes, Winnipeg had just 11 shots on Carey Price, only five of them by forwards. Five. In two periods. Of a must-win game.

And it got worse.

At one point in the third, the Jets had managed one meager shot to Montreal’s 13. 1215454 Winnipeg Jets pass from winger Kyle Connor and beating Price on the glove side. They were the first two playoff goals of his career.

“It’s all bitter right now,” Stanley said. “In the playoffs, it doesn’t matter Canadiens sweep Jets out of playoffs with overtime win in Game 4 who scores. You win as a team and you lose as a team. I’m glad I got a couple by ({rice) to try and help the team, but at the end of the day we lost to the team, so it stings right now.”

Ted Wyman Those goals gave the Jets life for the first time in a while. It was the first time they had been tied with Montreal at any score other than 0-0.

In the third period, the Jets simply looked done and the Canadiens could Live by the broom, die by the broom. smell blood. It looked like the Canadiens had a 20-minute power play but The Winnipeg Jets were swept out of the NHL playoffs by the Montreal they were not able to beat Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck to end the Canadiens Monday night, exactly two weeks after they eliminated the game in regulation. Edmonton Oilers in the same fashion. But it took only a couple minutes more of pressure from the Canadiens What was looking like a promising playoff run for the Jets ended with a for Toffoli to end it. Fittingly his goal came off a hard forecheck by the whimper as they lost 3-2 in overtime to the Canadiens at the Bell Centre Canadiens. It was set up by rookie Cole Caufield. Monday in Game 4 of the North Division final. Hellebuyck held the Jets in the game as long as he could, making 39 “They’re just playing at a really high level right now,” Jets captain Blake saves, but he could only do so much. Price faced only 16 shots from a Wheeler said. “You just have to give them all the credit. They’re playing a Jets team that simply could not find a way to generate offence. really good game. With the goaltending that they have, any breakdowns It would be easy to point fingers of blame at particular players on the Jets they have, he’s putting out those fires. And we just couldn’t get the first but this series was a full-team failure. goal, all series. That played right into their hands. They’re playing unbelievable right now.” The Canadiens outplayed the Jets in every aspect of the game.

Tyler Toffoli scored the winning goal just 1:39 into overtime as the Winnipeg managed a measly six goals in the entire series, three of them Canadiens won a game they dominated all night, but one that somehow in Game 1. Three of them were off the sticks of defencemen. Two others got to extra time despite Winnipeg being outshot 42-16. came from checking centre Adam Lowry. One came from a top-six forward, that being Kyle Connor. “I think you saw a team that had spent what it had to spend and was hanging on in this game tonight,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “It wasn’t No one, from captain Blake Wheeler to top defencemen Josh Morrissey from a lack of character or a lack of will, but we were behind it and that and Neal Pionk, to Hellebuyck, to coach Paul Maurice, was better than was obvious in the game.” his Montreal counterpart.

The Canadiens, who were the last team to qualify for the NHL playoffs As terrific and opportunistic as the Jets were in the series against and the last to clinch a spot in the second round, are the first team to Edmonton, they were flat and stone-handed against Montreal. advance to the semifinals. They’ll play the Vegas Golden Knights or the Colorado Avalanche in the next round. They never recovered after leading scorer and alternate captain Mark Scheifele earned himself a four-game suspension with an unnecessary Meanwhile, the Jets will head back to Winnipeg with nothing to show for hit on Montreal’s Jake Evans at the end of Game 1. their second trip to the second round of the playoffs since moving from Atlanta in 2011. “You can’t describe the impact of losing (Scheifele),” Wheeler said. “He’s a top-10 player in the NHL. I’m not saying that we would win the series in “They were good and they were better than we were in this series and five games because he was in the lineup. But it just changes our team. they deserved to win,” Maurice said. He makes me better, he makes (Connor) better. It just makes our team look a lot different, so it’s a damn shame.” The Jets wound up playing just eight playoff games, with the rare sweep- and-get-swept scenario. They didn’t seem to need the added motivation, but that hit fired the Canadiens up even more than they already were and they were “It was extreme, right, which was the case of the year, the story of the determined to make Scheifele pay by not giving him a chance to get back year, just extreme,” Maurice said. “All these things you never faced in the series. before because of the pandemic. We played an NHL season without fans in the building. We played an NHL season without a road game in our Scheifele will now have to miss the Jets’ first game of next season to time zone. There’s a whole lot of things we’ve never dealt with before. finish off his suspension. And you roll through four games against a team with the two best players in the league, and then you get beat four straight times.” If there’s one positive to how this series ended, it’s that next season — perhaps one that is more normal after the pandemic season of 2021 — is The Jets were simply never able to find their game after having a nine- only a few months away. day break between their sweep of the Oilers and the start of the series against Montreal. The Canadiens came into the series having just JETS DISAPPOINTED FOR THE FANS rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs in The 2021 season was anything but normal. seven games and they carried it right over into the second round. The Jets played a 56-game season in a once-in-a-lifetime Canadian “Things didn’t go our way, but that being said, it’s because of how they division, facing only six other teams. They surprised early, challenged for played,” Wheeler said. “I’m not gonna sit here and say that we played our first place three-quarters of the way through the season and faltered four best games of the season. I don’t think so, but that’s a reflection of badly down the stretch before sweeping Edmonton out of the playoffs. how well Montreal is playing right now.” That win over the Oilers — complete with three overtime decisions — will Montreal, riding the greatness off goalie Carey Price and a highly long be remembered by Jets fans, who haven’t had much to be happy structured defensive style, has won seven games in a row and has not about lately. trailed at any point. And that’s not just about hockey. The province has been hard hit by the The Canadiens got first-period goals from Erik Gustafsson, on the power COVID-19 pandemic and there have been multiple lockdowns that have play, and Arturri Lehkonen, both coming after turnovers by Jets players in left people downright miserable. their own zone, a common theme throughout the series. If nothing else, the Jets provided a welcome distraction and even though The Jets got on even terms early in the second period, with both goals they lost to the Canadiens, there was an excitement about the team, coming from an unlikely source. Rookie defenceman Logan Stanley even without fans in the stands at Bell MTS Place. ripped a shot short side and high past Price to make it 2-1. Almost unbelievably, Stanley scored again less than four minutes later, taking a “It’s such a special place, Winnipeg, and unfortunately we weren’t able do that together, to enjoy playoff hockey and enjoy a playoff win at home,” Maurice said. “Players need that feedback for energy. You kind of feel like you missed out on it a little bit.

“I think this is the second time in franchise history we got out of the first round and you want to share that with your fans. It’s a fantastic home building and the crowd is different there than anywhere else. So you feel like you missed out on something. I would imagine there’s been a tremendous amount of sacrifice from a lot of people over the last year and a half. It would have been nice to give something back and to have the crowd. It’s not just the Jets and the coaches and the players, it’s the fans too … it’s a painful loss, a painful thing to go through.”

Wheeler said the most disappointing thing about getting swept was that it took away that diversion from the fans a little sooner than anyone would have liked.

“It’s been a really hard year,” the captain said. “It’s been a really hard year for the players and our families, but I think, especially looking at how things are in the United States right now and Winnipeg is code red and everything’s shut down and kids aren’t in school.

“I mean, my family feels that just as much as any other family. So we know that we have a community and a fan base that’s going through a really difficult time right now, especially when they turn on the TV and they watch the other playoff games and see 18,000 fans without masks on and having a great time.

After those Edmonton games, coming out of the rink and seeing our fans honking their horns and lighting up the city was, I mean, that was one of the highlights of this whole season and honestly the whole last 18 months. It kind of gave you a life again to want to do this for Winnipeg and put on a show for them and keep giving them something to watch. I never would have thought this would have gone four games. I think that’s one of the most disappointing things, is that people have nothing to do and we were giving them something to do and so we feel bad about that.”

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.08.2021 1215455 Winnipeg Jets The Jets hoped Stastny’s veteran presence would help them, especially in the absence of top centre Mark Scheifele, who is suspended until at least Game 6, if the series somehow gets that far.

JETS SNAPSHOTS: Jets prospect Perfetti gained wealth of experience Stastny likely isn’t at 100% — who really is in the playoffs? — but he was in unconventional season that ended with world championship gold trying to put his injury in the past. medal “I’m playing, that’s all I care about,” Stastny said. “I feel good out there. Some things are just out of your control sometimes. That can be frustrating, it can be annoying a little bit. But it is what it is. I wound up Ted Wyman playing again so I just can’t really be annoyed about what happened.”

SIGN OF LONGEVITY

What a season it wound up being for Winnipeg Jets top prospect Cole The folks at dug up an old photo of Stastny Perfetti. posing with Canadiens rookie Cole Caufield and his brother Brock, when they were just little kids. The 2020 first-round draft pick had his Ontario Hockey League season cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but still managed to play Stastny was a young player himself at the time, playing for the Colorado 49 games. Avalanche. It seems Cole Caufield’s dad was a big fan of Peter Stastny, Paul’s father, who had a Hall of Fame career after defecting from Had there been an OHL season, the centre/winger would have played Czechoslovakia in the 1980s. with the of the OHL and been one of the league’s top stars, but instead he spent a whole year developing in a different fashion, Stastny, who is now playing against the 20-year-old Caufield in the NHL and the experience he gained is immeasurable. playoffs, did not know about the existence of the photo.

Perfetti played 32 games with the Moose of the American “I’m not on social media, so I wouldn’t see that,” Stastny said. “But I was Hockey League, recording nine goals and 26 points, seven games with like that one time when I came in the league, and I had pictures with the Canadian junior team, and 10 with Canada at the recent world men’s certain guys I played with or played against. hockey championship in Latvia. “I guess it’s nice. It just shows I’ve been around for a while. If that ever He won a silver medal at the world junior championship, and a gold happens that means you’ve been around the league a long time, you’ve medal at the men’s worlds. Canada beat Finland 3-2 in overtime Sunday been a consistent player and you’re doing something right. So in that to win a highly unlikely gold medal. sense it’s pretty cool to see. It’s not the first time you’re going to see it. You’re going to see it more and more, especially how much the game It was a very young Canadian team that featured no real NHL stars. The has changed and how much it’s grown in the last 10, 15, 20, 25 years.” team lost its first three games, including one against Latvia, but came all the way back to win the gold medal. COMEBACKS ARE POSSIBLE

The 19-year-old Perfetti didn’t play a ton in the tournament, but he did Heading into Game 4, the Jets were trying to pull off the Herculean task score two goals and he was on the ice during the gold-medal game and of coming back from three games down to win a series. the wild celebration that ensued. It’s only been done four times in NHL history, with the last time being in “You go back 16 months for that young man, he couldn’t have predicted 2014 (Los Angeles over San Jose). Jets captain Blake Wheeler was a what he ended up doing,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said Monday, ahead member of the Boston Bruins when his team coughed up a 3-0 series of Game 4 of the NHL North Division final against the Montreal lead and lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010. Canadiens. Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers was a part of a big comeback once when he “We liked the way he developed in the American Hockey League. That was playing in the Swiss junior league in 2012-13. The Danish star was was good for him and I think he got stronger as it went on. He gets an playing for Biel, when his team came back from 3-0 down to tie up the opportunity to play with some pretty darn good players at the world series, before losing in Game 7 to Fribourg-Gotteron. championship and win a medal, that’s great for him.” “So, anything’s possible in hockey,” Ehlers said ahead of Monday’s Maurice, who has coached international hockey himself in his lengthy game. career, was impressed with the Canadian team at the worlds. “That’s why we love this sport.” “Especially the way it started,” he said. “You’re not talking about your normal world championships. Maybe the overall quality of player wasn’t Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.08.2021 there but the competition level was certainly there. To have the start that they had and then fight their way through and their way back in and to beat a couple of really good teams when it mattered, it was great.”

RETURN OF STASTNY

Jets veteran centre Paul Stastny finally got into the series against the Canadiens on Sunday night, after missing the first two games with an undisclosed injury.

The 35-year-old was injured somewhere between the end of the Jets four-game sweep of the Edmonton Oilers and the beginning of the North Division final against the Canadiens, which was nine days later.

He wasn’t willing to disclose how the injury happened or what he’s dealing with but said it wasn’t something that occurred in practice. Rather, it just came up.

“Old age, I don’t know,” he said with a laugh. “It was good to be back. The hardest part was there were almost two weeks between games, so what the guys felt a lot of Game 1 is what I felt (Sunday), where it was just getting used to the pace because I hadn’t been skating for a little bit. The hands were a little rusty. Everything was a step slow but as the game went on, I felt comfortable.”

Stastny wound up playing 16:25, was minus-2 on the night and took two minor penalties. The Canadiens scored on one of them and won 5-1, pushing the Jets to the brink of elimination. 1215456 Vancouver Canucks the green light to safely do so,” he said Monday. “So far, the province’s restart plan and vaccine rollout has been extremely encouraging and we hope to have a big crowd on opening night in October.”

Habs hockey hysteria, playoff border opening captures imagination As for the present, there are plenty of plaudits for La Belle Province that was plunged into a 9:30 p.m. curfew as the country’s hottest outbreak 'It will be very important for the Canucks to know exactly who’s there, be spot to get virus numbers down and hopes up. On Sunday, Quebec able to trace them in case anything happens and have a vaccine reported just 179 new infections and no new deaths, a first for both passport.” — Dr. Brian Conway measurements since September.

“It makes sense what they’re doing in Montreal,” added Conway. “What drives the pandemic is community-based transmission and the ability to Ben Kuzma identify cases, interrupt transmission networks and exclude variants from the environment. Quebec, and particularly Montreal, has done a great job and the type of reopening they have is certainly consistent with public Love them or loathe them, it’s easy to recall a fond or forgetful Montreal health science. Canadiens memory. “They have the (tracing) ability to find these people if anything happens.” The storied NHL franchise had a remarkable run of a record 10 overtime triumphs en route to a Stanley Cup championship in 1993 — the last Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.08.2021 Canadian club to capture the league crown — and the current pace of post-season success has even captured the imagination of one of the country’s top coronavirus experts, who doubles as an ardent Habs admirer.

As much as Dr. Brian Conway, president and medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, is buoyed by the escalating number of COVID-19 vaccinations and plunging virus positivity rates in most Canadian provinces — plus the promise of housing fans in the fall in — the Canucks’ season-ticket subscriber has been swept up by Canadiens hockey hysteria.

And for obvious reasons.

“Those of us who grew up in Montreal still remember Steve Shutt, Jacques Lemaire and Guy Lafleur and that era,” Conway said Monday. “I don’t do the previous era when my dad would tell me about The Rocket (Maurice Richard) and Butch (Emile Bouchard), but there’s something about this franchise that conjures up ghosts of the past.

“It warms the heart. My most recent memory is not of 1993, but 1986 when a young Patrick Roy basically carried them because they had no business winning it (Cup) that year, but the stars aligned, teams got knocked off and they wound up with easier matchups.”

The harder passage for Conway from a professional perspective has been helping the medical community and general populace conquer COVID-19 and variants that fuel the virus.

A hopeful sign for epidemiologists and hockey fans was the national immigration ministry deciding last week to open the Canada-U.S. border for the next round of the NHL playoffs. Teams on charter flights to this country are no longer required to quarantine for 14 days and will be housed in a modified bubble concept — daily testing and no interaction with the general populace — and it’s a window on a slowly changing world.

The 2,500 fans allowed in the Bell Centre are a small fraction of the 21,302 capacity, but it’s a big deal. Patrons must socially distance from those outside their pod, including arena corridors, and those five years of age and older must wear masks. And only bottled water is sold at concessions.

The Canucks’ hopeful target of 5,000 fans in Rogers Arena by September is now more logical than wistful with a first-vaccination blitz and a rolling seven-day average of daily positive COVID-19 cases at 177 — the lowest since Oct. 20.

“The things we should be looking at to make that possible is for the (COVID-19) numbers to keep going down, and whenever we have hot spots, we’re able to extinguish them and there are no new variants,” stressed Conway. “Surrey is a good example. A few weeks ago, there were 1,000 cases a day and now it’s below 100.

“If that happens over the next couple of months, and we can cautiously reopen, it will be very important for the Canucks to know exactly who’s there, to be able to trace them in case anything happens and have a vaccine passport. It’s realistic to make these plans and there’s a high chance they will succeed.”

Canucks chief operating officer Trent Carroll is optimistic.

“We are continuing to prepare for all possibilities, including plans for a minimum of 5,000 fans to ultimately a full arena, as soon as we receive 1215457 Vancouver Canucks 2012: In the 2011 offseason, the Colorado Avalanche acquired Semyon Varlamov from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a first-round pick, 11th in 2012 (Filip Forsberg) and a conditional second-round pick in 2012 or 2013, ultimately the 54th pick in 2012, which Washington sent to What’s the potential trade value of the Canucks’ No. 9 pick? Outlining Dallas in a subsequent trade. offseason trade scenarios 2014: In the 2013 offseason, the Ottawa Senators acquired Bobby Ryan from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the 10th pick (Nick Ritchie), Stefan Noesen and Jakub Silfverberg. By Thomas Drance Jun 7, 2021 As we work through our scenarios, we’ll consider some trades that are

admittedly similar to these five, but the leverage of those deals ended up In the wake of last week’s draft lottery, the Vancouver Canucks now own being significantly higher, warranting special consideration. the ninth pick at the 2021 NHL Draft. Trade-down scenario When Vancouver is on the clock on draft day, at least one of the “top In Benning’s tenure as Canucks general manager, Vancouver has never nine” prospects in an uncertain draft class will be on the board. The 2021 traded down from a pick that fell within the top 100 picks, despite draft isn’t thought to be particularly deep, but that prospect is sure to opportunities to do so, most notably in 2019. become the best in Vancouver’s system once Vasili Podkolzin graduates onto the NHL roster. On three occasions, Vancouver has traded back in the later rounds of the draft — down from the fourth round in both 2017 and 2019 and down Vancouver has significant needs across its roster and as the club looks from the sixth round in 2018 — but trading down from a top-10 pick to evolve from the team that underperformed in finishing seventh in the would represent a significant departure from Benning’s modus operandi Canadian division and into a credible Stanley Cup contender, there’s real on draft day. value in standing pat and making the pick. Benning isn’t an outlier here. It’s very rare that any NHL teams trade On the other hand, for a team that is lacking tradable assets with down from a top-15 draft slot. It’s happened only 11 times since 2006. significant market value, putting the ninth pick in play on the trade market and making a classic “hockey deal” might be one of the club’s most It’s even rarer still that teams trade down using a pick that’s in the top 10. realistic methods of upgrading the NHL roster for next season. In the salary-cap era, only three trades have been executed that were examples of a team trading down from a top-10 pick in order to acquire General manager Jim Benning has declared his intent is to be aggressive multiple picks. We haven’t seen a team trade out of the top-10 in this this offseason, and there’s no question that the club will do what it can manner since 2008. despite limited cap flexibility to position itself to be a playoff team in the seemingly wide-open Pacific Division. Could one consideration be Here’s the data set of what NHL teams have netted when trading down dealing the ninth pick, and if so, what could the club realistically expect in the draft order from the first half of the first round: return? 2007: The San Jose Sharks acquired the ninth pick () from With a stick tap to our Detroit-based colleague, The Athletic’s Max the St. Louis Blues in exchange for the 13th () and 44th picks Bultman, let’s analyze 15 years of NHL Draft history — going back to the (Aaron Palushaj). first draft of the salary-cap era in 2006 — to get a handle on teams that have previously traded picks in a similar range. Perhaps history can shed 2008: The New York Islanders traded back from fifth () with some light on the trade scenarios — shedding cap space, classic hockey Toronto in exchange for the seventh pick, a conditional second-round trades, trading down, expansion considerations — that Vancouver’s pick and a conditional third-round pick exercised respectively in 2008-09. hockey operations department will and should be weighing in deciding The second-round pick was used by the Islanders to trade up to select whether to monetize the ninth pick on the trade market in the weeks and Calvin De Haan in the 2009 draft and the third-round pick was 68th, months ahead. which the Islanders traded down for picks No. 72 (Jyri Niemi) and No. 102 (David Ullstrom). A quick note before we begin. We’ve identified 30 trades involving top-15 picks that have occurred in the 2006 draft, and we’ve categorized those 2008: This was an eventful year on the draft floor. The Islanders traded trades into five trade “scenarios.” down again, sending the seventh pick (Colin Wilson) to the Nashville Predators in exchange for the ninth (Josh Bailey) and 40th picks (Aaron The point of the exercise is to get a rough handle on how picks in the Ness). range of ninth have been valued on the trade market in a hard-cap league, in order to draw some key inferences and lessons in regard to 2008: The Anaheim Ducks traded down from 12th, netting a haul: the No. Vancouver’s trade-market positioning ahead of the 2021 draft. 17 (Jake Gardiner) and No. 28 picks. The Ducks then traded down from No. 28, netting No. 35 (Nicolas Deschamps) and No. 39 (Eric O’Dell). In compiling this data set and binning it accordingly, five trades didn’t fit neatly into the scenarios we selected. That’s mostly because these were 2008: Having paid a hefty price, the Kings traded down one spot from deals that were executed well before the offseason in the draft year that 12th () to 13th (Colton Teubert), in exchange for a 2009 third- the traded pick was situated — big offseason trades that included next round pick. L.A. traded down from that third-round pick to pick up a later year’s first-round pick or a buyer loading up at the trade deadline — and fourth-round pick, No. 84 (Nic Deslauriers) and No. 107, which the Kings would seem to have limited application for the Canucks in 2021, as bundled with pick No. 158 in a trade with the Florida Panthers that they’re already into their offseason. returned a third-round pick in 2010. That 2010 third-rounder was later dealt by Los Angeles to the Tampa Bay Lightning with Teddy Purcell for In the interests of a complete data set, here are the five trades in deadline rental Jeff Halpern. question that we’ve mostly excluded from our analysis. 2008: The Predators traded down from No. 15 () for No. 18 Note: The years listed at the start of each relevant trade reflect the year (Chet Pickard) and No. 70 (Taylor Beck). that the traded top-15 pick was utilized: 2009: traded down from No. 12 (Calvin De Haan) with 2007: Ahead of the trade deadline, the Edmonton Oilers acquired the the Islanders, gathering picks No. 16 (Nick Leddy), No. 77 (Matt Hackett) 15th selection (Alex Plante) along with Ryan O’Marra and Kent Nilsson in and No. 182 (Erik Haula) in return. the Ryan Smyth trade. 2010 The Panthers traded down from No. 15 (Derek Forbort), the first- 2010: Ahead of the trade deadline, Calgary acquired Olli Jokinen and a round pick they acquired from the Boston Bruins in the 2009 third-round pick, 67th pick (Josh Birkholz) from the Arizona Coyotes trade, with the L.A. Kings for No. 19 (Nick Bjugstad) and No. 59. The in exchange for the 13th pick (), Matthew Lombardi and Panthers subsequently traded down again from 59th, ultimately getting . Calgary subsequently sent the 67th pick to the Florida No. 69 (Joe Barsarba) and No. 99 (Joonas Donskoi) for that late second- Panthers, with , for . round pick. It looks like the Panthers did well here, but you have to consider that Vladimir Tarasenko was picked 16th, the 59th pick Florida 2011: In February 2011, St. Louis acquired Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris traded down from was used by the Minnesota Wild to select Jason Stewart and a second-round pick, No. 32 (Ty Rattie) for Erik Johnson, Zucker and the Panthers didn’t sign Donskoi, who ultimately signed with Jay McClement and a first-round pick, No. 11 (Duncan Siemens). the San Jose Sharks as a free agent and turned into a second-line- 2017: Vegas acquired No. 15 (Erik Brannstrom) from the Islanders in calibre forward. exchange for selecting goaltender J.F. Berube in the expansion draft, taking on the final year of Mikhail Grabovski’s $5 million per contract, 2013: The Calgary Flames traded down from No. 14 (Zemgus Jake Bishoff and a 2019 second-round pick (which turned into No. 48, Girgensons) to 21st (Mark Jankowski) and receiving the No. 42 pick which Vegas used to trade up to pick Korszack). This deal permitted the (Patrick Sieloff). It must be noted here that between the 14th and 21st Islanders to warn off Vegas from selecting Brock Nelson, Scott Mayfield, picks in the first round of the 2013 draft, the following players were Ryan Strome, Calvin de Haan and Thomas Hickey. selected: Scott Laughton, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tomas Hertl, Tom Wilson and Teuvo Teravainen. We should also consider here, even though it’s not a top-15 pick, that Vegas netted the 24th pick (the one it dealt to Winnipeg) from the Blue 2016: The New Jersey Devils traded pick No. 11 (Logan Brown) to the Jackets, along with a 2019 second-rounder, as the cost of taking on Ottawa Senators, moving down one spot to 12th (Michael McLeod) and David Clarkson’s uninsured contract, which was perpetually on long-term picking up an additional third-round pick, which was 80th (Brandon injured reserve (LTI) by this point. Gignac). With the Seattle Kraken entering the league this year, Vancouver has an 2019: The Philadelphia Flyers traded back from pick No. 11 (Victor opportunity to utilize the expansion process to shed some of its inefficient Soderstrom) with the Arizona Coyotes, netting picks No. 14 (Cam York) cap commitments. The problem is that such a move comes at a price and and No. 45 (Egor Afanaysev). an exorbitant one, based on the fee that Vegas charged the Islanders So what have we learned? and the Blue Jackets for contracts that were stuck on LTI.

If you look over those returns, you’ll spot a couple of basic trends in If we consider that Clarkson and Grabovski were pure LTI contracts, we terms of pick valuation. Intuitively, it makes sense that the trade-down might imagine that Vancouver is looking at an outlay of dealing its ninth value of first-round picks diminishes sharply as the first round rolls along. selection and more just to point the Kraken toward trading for Micheal Ferland’s contract, which the club had on LTI throughout the 2020-21 There are a few outliers, but generally speaking, if you’re moving out of league year. Forget Loui Eriksson’s $6 million salary or ’s the top five, as the Islanders did in 2008, you’re looking at a return of $4.3 million salary (backloaded and including $5.7 million in actual multiple mid-round picks. If you’re moving down 3-4 slots in the top half salary) because presumably, the cost of getting out from under an active of the draft, you’re usually getting a second-round pick. Once you’re cap hit could be even higher. moving down from 15 into the late teens, however, it’s typically a third- round pick. The Jets’ side deal tells us less about Vancouver’s situation since the Canucks wouldn’t have a reason to trade down significantly from the Meanwhile, the return is often also based in large part on how much a ninth spot to protect any additional players. That was a win-now move team is moving down. This too makes intuitive sense. made by a team intent on making a Stanley Cup run, and Vancouver won’t carry similar ambitions or short-term priorities into the expansion Moving down one slot in the top half of the first round tends to net teams process. a third-round pick. The Flames mined a second-round pick when they took an ill-advised seven-pick dip down the first round in 2012. In the event the Canucks wanted to use the expansion draft to shed salary, however, that opportunity might be available in mid-July, The other thing that’s worth noting is that, for the most part, the teams particularly if the Kraken approach the process with the deep-pocketed that traded down from the top half of the first round over the past 15 enthusiasm Vegas had for stockpiling futures. It’s less clear that the years would’ve been better off just making the selection rather than Canucks can actually afford to spend those futures just to clear the trading down. There are really only two or three examples (Islanders and books, considering the age of Vancouver’s best players and the Ducks in 2008, Wild in 2009) in which the team trading down did better hollowed-out state of its farm system. than it would’ve had it just picked the player whom a rival team was willing to spend assets to move up and get. The club probably has to take its medicine in the 2021-22 season in some form, but spending multiple early-round picks to move Ferland, Considering the way that widespread prospect graduation and a series of Eriksson or Holtby seems like a pill too bitter to swallow. win-now trades during 2019-20 have eaten away at the depth of Canucks’ talent pipeline, it’s tempting to imagine that the club might Cap-space-reallocation scenario potentially move a couple of rungs down the draft order in 2021 and add an additional second-round pick in the process. In a similar vein to the expansion scenario, we have seen, on only one occasion in the hard-cap era, a team acquire a top-15 pick in exchange Clearly, Vancouver could use whatever additional draft ammunition it can for taking on an inefficient contract to help a rival club clear the books: find. Patrick Marleau (Stan Szeto / USA Today) Recent NHL history suggests, however, that in the top 15 of the draft, a good rule of thumb is to just keep the pick and take the best player 2020: In the 2019 offseason, the Carolina Hurricanes acquired a available. conditional 2020 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and a 2020 sixth- round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs for taking on (and buying out) Influencing-expansion scenario Patrick Marleau’s contract. The Maple Leafs also received a 2020 seventh-round pick. The first-round pick turned out to be No. 13 (Seth This is an interesting one from a Canucks perspective. Jarvis) at the 2020 draft. In 2017, at the draft in Chicago, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights — Marleau was on a 35-plus contract, so the buyout had no impact on the having ruthlessly leveraged their virtually unlimited cap space and right to cap hold he represented for the Hurricanes. Carolina played the 2019-20 claim a player within certain parameters from each of their new NHL season with Marleau’s $6.25 million on the books. rivals — made three picks in the top 15. Including their own pick in the top six, Vegas was able to make an additional selection at No. 13 and Marleau’s buyout was easier for the Hurricanes to swallow because the No. 15 thanks to a trio of generous side deals that the Winnipeg Jets, deal was frontloaded and Marleau’s $3 million signing bonus in the final Columbus Blue Jackets and Islanders cut with Vegas in the expansion year of his contract had already been paid out. Essentially the Hurricanes process: received a first-round pick for paying $832,000 of salary over two years and permitting Toronto to move a $6.25 million cap hit that would’ve sunk Nick Suzuki alongside then-Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee the Maple Leafs’ efforts to improve. and AGM Kelly McCrimmon (David Banks / USA Today) If you compare what the Hurricanes took on in the Marleau trade in cap 2017: Vegas picked up No. 13 (Nick Suzuki) from the Jets in exchange commitment and salary to what a prospective Canucks trade partner for selecting Chris Thorburn in the expansion draft and permitting would be looking at in taking on Eriksson — even if the two sides were to Winnipeg to protect Tobias Enstrom and Marko Dano while returning No. wait until after Vancouver paid Eriksson’s $1 million signing bonus in mid- 24 from Columbus (Kristian Vesalainen) to Winnipeg. Vegas got an July — you’re still talking about $2 million in salary over two years and a additional third-round pick in 2019, which it used along with a 2019 $5 million cap hold split over two seasons (assuming a Marleau-style second-round pick to move up seven spots in the second round and pick buyout by his acquiring club). Kaedon Korczak at No. 41. That’s not too dissimilar actually. The cap hit is lower on Eriksson even if be moved. In the salary-cap era, these types of deals happen once every the cash outlay is higher. couple of seasons, making them extremely rare. In the flat-cap era, they’re going to be additionally complicated too. The Marleau example effectively suggests that the market price for Vancouver ridding itself of Eriksson’s final season — and it might not be The someone-else’s-mess scenario possible to do it in the flat-cap era — would be Vancouver’s ninth pick. Or at least a conditional 2022 first-round pick, with some protections. We’ve been through 27 trades to this point and only one of those trades has included a top-five selection. Hockey-trade scenario This final category is the highest-leverage one and the toughest to pull In discussing the possibility of moving the ninth pick with The Athletic off. The fact is, no one trades a top-five selection when they know it’s a following the draft lottery, Benning pointedly noted that “it would have to top-five selection. be a really good player to move the pick”. If you want to luck into one of these most prized assets and not endure a He didn’t say anything about trading down with the pick or using it to season of misery of your own accord, the only way to do it is to bet well clear salary. He focused solely on the possibility of using the pick to in advance against a team that’s yet to realize that the bottom is going to potentially improve the team. fall out.

While we can safely infer that this is the most realistic scenario that the 2010: Toronto acquires Phil Kessel from Boston for the second pick in Canucks are considering in weighing whether to trade their 2021 first- 2010 (Tyler Seguin), 32nd in 2010 (Jared Knight) and ninth in 2011 round pick, it’s also a very rare type of deal. In fact, there are zero (Dougie Hamilton). examples of a team acquiring a “really good” skater in a one-for-one with a top-15 pick headed the other way. Typically speaking, if a top-15 pick 2019: The Ottawa Senators acquire Matt Duchene from the Colorado moves in a trade, it’s alongside an assortment of other assets as part of a Avalanche for a conditional 2018 first-round pick that became fourth in larger deal: 2019 (Bowen Byram), Shane Bowers, Andrew Hammond and a 2019 third-round pick, and the 63rd pick (Alex Steinburg). 2011: The Blue Jackets acquired Jeff Carter from the Flyers for Jakub Voracek, No. 8 pick () and a 2011 third-round pick (Nick 2019: San Jose acquires Erik Karlsson and from Ottawa Cousins). for Chris Tierney, Josh Norris, Rudolfs Balcers, Dylan DeMelo, a 2019 or 2020 conditional first-round pick that becomes No. 3 in 2020 (Tim 2012: The Hurricanes acquired Jordan Staal from the Pittsburgh Stützle), a 2019 second-round pick the Senators used to trade up and Penguins for seventh pick (Derrick Pouliot), Brian Dumoulin and Brandon select Mads Sogaard, an additional conditional pick that will result in the Sutter. Senators owning San Jose’s 2021 second-round pick and an additional conditional pick, the conditions of which were ultimately not met. 2013: The New Jersey Devils acquired Cory Schneider from the Canucks for the ninth pick () In analyzing Vancouver’s needs, it’s apparent that improved depth would go a long way to supporting the Canucks’ young core. The Canucks still 2015: The Kings acquired Milan Lucic from the Bruins for the 13th choice need more elite talent though and the only way to get it is at the top of (Jakub Zboril), Martin Jones — shipped off shortly thereafter for a 2016 the draft class. first-round pick (Trent Frederic) and Sean Kuraly — and Colin Miller. On the one hand, that’s an argument to just make the ninth selection 2015: The Flames acquired Dougie Hamilton from the Bruins for No. 15 yourself. (Zach Senyshyn), No. 45 (Jakob Fosbacka-Karlsson) and No. 52 (Jeremy Lauzon). On the other hand, if you’re going to hit a home run in a trade involving a draft pick, history suggests that you have to take the long view and bet 2017: The Coyotes acquired and Antti Raanta from the against a team with a conditional pick that takes some time to commute New York Rangers for No. 7 (Lias Andersson) and Anthony DeAngelo. — as Tampa Bay did with the Canucks, in completing the J.T. Miller 2018: The Flames acquired Travis Hamonic and a conditional 2019 trade. fourth-round pick (Lucas Feuk) from the Islanders for No. 12 in 2018 That one didn’t pan out for the Lightning, but it was a worthwhile swing, (Noah Dobson), No. 43 in 2018 (Ruslan Iskhakov) and No. 57 in 2019 particularly after Vancouver struggled so mightily this season. The (Samuel Bolduc). Duchene deal made the Avalanche the monster they are today, 2018: The St. Louis Blues acquired Brayden Schenn from the Flyers for meanwhile, and Ottawa vastly accelerated its rebuild by dealing Karlsson Jori Lehtera, No. 14 in 2018 (Joel Farabee) and No. 27 in 2017 (Morgan to a team that’s struggled so severely since. Frost). Obviously, this particular trade scenario wouldn’t necessarily help the In terms of major takeaways here, there’s not a ton. The valuation of a Canucks next season, it isn’t easy to find these deals, and it would surely top-15 pick in these trades is scattershot and so dependent on the other cost Vancouver additional assets to pull it off even if it were available. If pieces involved. there’s an opportunity to find something like it involving Vancouver’s ninth selection, that’s the type of home run cut that this Canucks build could If there’s a model trade here for the Canucks to consider, however, it’s really use. probably the 2017 deal that brought Stepan and Raanta to Arizona for the seventh selection and DeAngelo, who wasn’t established as an Otherwise, the Canucks should just keep the pick. everyday NHL player at the time of the trade. An analogous package for The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 the Canucks would be to bundle the ninth selection and a younger roster player such as or Jack Rathbone, in order to net multiple useful pieces for elsewhere in the lineup.

Alternatively, the 2017 deal that sent Brayden Schenn to St. Louis and helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019 is a worthwhile consideration, too. Obviously, the Blues were at a stage in their team- building cycle where they had an additional first-round pick to play with, but they’d also missed the playoffs prior to the offseason that they dealt for Schenn.

And what’s instructive about this example is that the Blues managed to acquire a younger, superior player by bundling a player who played the same position with multiple, valuable future assets to Philadelphia. Would an analogous package, if the Canucks wanted to get into the bidding on a top defender in a trade, be a piece like Nate Schmidt and the ninth pick?

If the Canucks are only willing to move the ninth pick in a trade for a piece that can help their roster next season, it’s unlikely that the pick will 1215458 Websites away impressed with his interview — and Columbus Blue Jackets and so we’ll see what comes next as he returns home.

“Obviously, it’s been 16 months. I’m waiting for the next opportunity and I The Athletic / LeBrun: Gerard Gallant led Canada to an unlikely gold hope it comes soon,” said Gallant. “Not sure what’s it going to be. I’m medal at the World Championship, so how long until he returns to the having conversations with some teams and hopefully something NHL? happens.’’

He thanked for the opportunity to do what he loves. He missed it. By Pierre LeBrun Jun 7, 2021 “It was just great for me personally to get behind the bench again and to be able to win a gold medal with Team Canada makes it that much more special,” said Gallant. “Just a lot of fun.’’ It should probably not surprise anyone that the man who coached an to the Stanley Cup Final could deliver a gold medal with He returns home a world champion. Now he just needs a job. Here’s a less-than-heralded roster at the IIHF World Championship. betting that happens.

After starting 0-3 in the tournament, no less. The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 Gerard Gallant shook off the coaching rust after 16 months away from the game, leading Team Canada to a rather unlikely gold in Riga, Latvia, capped by Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win over defending world champion Finland.

“It was pretty special,’’ Gallant said over the phone from Riga, a few hours after hearing and getting a gold medal around his neck. “We started 0-3, the start was real tough. But the team came together. We took the long and hard way to get there.

“A lot of character and hard work in this group. It was a lot of fun.’’

Here is what my TSN colleague James Duthie tweeted:

MINI-MIRACLE ON ICE.

— JAMES DUTHIE (@TSNJAMESDUTHIE) JUNE 6, 2021

A roster led by the likes of Adam Henrique, Connor Brown, Troy Stecher, Maxime Comtois, tournament MVP Andrew Mangiapane and golden goal hero didn’t put the fear in God into anyone before this event began. A roster that began the tournament with three consecutive losses, prompting Gallant to have a chat with the group.

“We talked one day after practice,’’ Gallant said. “We said, ‘We know we’re better than this.’ We basically had to run the table and a lot of things had to happen and they did.

“We got better every game.’’

Canada won six of its last seven games, got a lot of help from other team results to qualify for the quarterfinals, and then never looked back.

Nothing short of improbable.

“When they posted our roster, I remember the comments,’’ Comtois told Andrew Podnieks of IIHF.com. “People weren’t giving us a chance. People were unhappy with the decision Hockey Canada made with the roster. And we proved everybody wrong. We had some adversity throughout the tournament. We really played good hockey down the stretch when it counted, and at the end of the day we have a gold medal.”

Team Canada became the first team in the history of the IIHF event to win gold after posting four losses, knocking off Russia, the U.S. and Finland in the medal round to win it all.

“It was a special group,’’ said Gallant. “Character guys that came together. A lot of guys didn’t want to come this year with COVID and everything, and we understood this. But the guys that came really came together and made a name for themselves. They really became a team.’’

And they played for their coach.

“One of the best coaches at getting the guys to buy in and play hard for him,’’ Team Canada GM Roberto Luongo said via text message from Latvia on Sunday night.

“Great players’ coach. Very easy going.’’

In the department of “timing is everything,” Gallant’s world championship gold medal comes at a time when he’s an NHL free-agent coach.

As previously reported, he’s already interviewed with the New York Rangers — Gallant met with GM Chris Drury last month before flying overseas for the World Championships and word is the Rangers came 1215459 Websites 2023 Buyout

Roberto Luongo The Athletic / Marián Hossa had already moved on from hockey, and now his contract has too. What does his future hold? Canucks

$3.04 million

By Scott Powers Jun 7, 2021 2022

Cap recapture

Marián Hossa was recently at the HOSS Sport Center in Trenčín, Rick DiPietro Slovakia, when a friend asked if he would mind showing some kids how to shoot a puck. Islanders

Hossa was initially reluctant. It had been some time since he picked up a $1.5 million hockey stick. There was a good chance his shot might not resemble the 2029 one that led to his Hall of Fame career. Compliance buyout “I started laughing and said I haven’t held a stick, and I’m not lying to you, for four years,” Hossa recently said by phone. “So I grabbed the Vincent Lecavalier stick because he had a longer stick there and showed them how they’re supposed to put the weight on it and how to release it and then I slowly Lightning got into it. I’m like, ‘I miss shooting pucks.’ After I started shooting 20-30 $1.8 million pucks just by myself, I’m like, ‘Hold on a second.’ I started hitting the net really good. I felt like a little kid again. I haven’t done it in so long and 2027 someone gave me a stick, so that was a good reminder.” Compliance buyout Hossa still has those moments when he’s reminded of how long it’s been Phil Kessel since he stepped away from playing hockey due to a skin condition, like recently, when he was signing hockey memorabilia and was asked to Maple Leafs include the date of his last NHL regular-season game on an item. $1.2 million “It was 4/8/17,” Hossa said. “I’m like, four years ago I played my last game? No way. You don’t think about it, but that’s four years, man. Like, 2022 it’s going super-fast, right?” Retained salary Hossa has never wavered on his decision to leave behind hockey. He Karl Alzner just couldn’t swallow another pill in an attempt to treat his condition. He had too much life ahead of him to risk his health. He hasn’t worn a piece Canadiens of hockey equipment since April 17, 2017, when his Chicago Blackhawks were eliminated by the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup playoffs. $2 million

If Hossa hadn’t won three Stanley Cups or had the long career he had, 2024 leaving hockey may have been harder, but he departed the game Buyout content. Kyle Turris “Like, I’m surprised I’m not missing it,” Hossa said. “Because I’m away already four years, I kind of got used to life after hockey. And I’ve been Predators pretty fortunate to be busy with things I like to do in my firm (a food company) and sport center and different types of things. $2 million

“But definitely, when the hockey wasn’t on TV, I missed watching it. I 2028 missed following the Blackhawks. But I am surprised I thought maybe the Buyout first year would be like, OK, you’ve got a break after a long time and then you’re going to be off hockey and then you’re going to start missing it. Ilya Bryzgalov But I think playing so many seasons, I just felt like, OK, I don’t miss it. You know I don’t miss putting the equipment on and don’t miss going to Flyers practice every day. It’s kind of surprised me in one way. But, you know, $1.6 million honestly, this is how I feel.” 2027 This particular season is different than the last three he sat out. This year marked the final season of his contract, and because a medical condition Compliance buyout ended his career, his contract carried on with a long-term injured reserve designation. When he stopped playing, he had four years remaining on Cody Hodgson his 12-year deal with the Blackhawks, who carried the contract for the Sabres first of the last four years before trading it in 2018 to the Arizona Coyotes, who have had it for the last three seasons. Hossa had to visit Arizona to $790K be examined after the trade, but there’s been minimal interaction with 2023 them since. It’s not as if he’s wearing a Coyotes sweatshirt around Slovakia. He recently received his final NHL paycheck. Buyout

Notable NHL contracts still on the books Christian Ehrhoff

PLAYER TEAM AMOUNT NEXT SEASON Sabres EXPIRES TYPE $860K Andrej Sekera 2028 Oilers Compliance buyout $1.5 million Roberto Luongo Panthers Asked about Hossa earlier this season, Kane made it clear he still misses having Hossa around on and off the ice. $1.1 million “Yeah, talk to him every now and then,” Kane said. “Nice to see him last 2022 year when we went overseas, just an amazing teammate, amazing Cap recapture human being. Our team has gone downhill as far as the success we’ve had here. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I was lucky to sit next to him Brad Richards in the room for a long time — had a lot of fun, lot of laughs, definitely miss a guy like that, especially having him around, his presence for Rangers younger players, a guy for younger players to watch, how he handles $1.1 million himself, plays the game. We definitely miss him as a teammate, we miss him as a person probably more.” 2026 (Scott Powers / For The Athletic) Compliance buyout Could Hossa rejoin the Blackhawks in some capacity down the line? Dion Phaneuf Former Blackhawks president John McDonough said in 2019, “He will work for the Blackhawks. Rocky (Wirtz) and I feel very strongly about Senators that.” $1.1 million Hossa seems open to that idea as well, but his contract only recently 2023 officially expired. There will be time for those discussions.

Buyout Hossa is also waiting to be officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was part of the 2020 class, but the pandemic has postponed the official ceremony. The plan is for it to happen in 2022. Like everything else, Hossa is in no rush. Kings “I know it’s going to happen,” Hossa said. “It’s just a year later, which is $900K fine. At least, I can enjoy it longer.” 2032 He might even then be asked to pick up a hockey stick again. Terminated contract The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021

Devils

$250K

2025

Cap recapture penalty

(CapFriendly)

Hossa has had a few more of those “reminder” moments this season because it was the end.

“When the season finally started this year, I think my wife told me, this is your last year, you know?” Hossa said. “I told her, yeah, you remember your last year. (laughing) We had a little talk, but obviously, it’s just the last year of the contract. This is my fourth year not playing, but I definitely know this is my last year.”

Hossa fills up his time with plenty else. He’s taken on a large role with his food company. He’s involved with his sports center, which includes a golf course. His two daughters keep him quite busy.

Plus, he’s picked up boxing as a recreational activity.

“I do individual training with my coach, and Fridays we do sparring with my brother (Marcel) and some other guys,” Hossa said. “So we like to get into it a little bit, but there’s limits. It’s not like real hard. It’s controlling. It’s cool to kind of experience it, and you get a respect for fights. You realize how it is to be in an individual sport and those fighters have to be in unbelievable shape. I don’t care how talented you are, you are alone and if you get one punch wrong, you have to deal with it for the next two or three minutes in a ring. You have to be in top shape to handle it.”

Yes, Hossa is still in top shape. He turned 42 in January, but he hasn’t slowed down.

“I feel pretty good,” Hossa said. “Like my wife told me, it feels like you’re going to train for when the season was starting and the guys were in camp. She’s like, ‘Are you going to the training camp or what?’ I’m like, ‘What, are you crazy?’ Because I like to train, I just enjoy it. It’s something I like to do. I think for a longer time I’m going to be doing it. That’s my lifestyle and you just enjoy those things.”

Hossa has continued to keep tabs on the Blackhawks, too. Throughout this season, he’d get up and look at the box scores and dig into who scored and the ice times. He knows less and less of the Blackhawks players personally, but he still keeps in touch with some of them. He still shoots Patrick Kane texts after watching a Kane highlight goal. 1215460 Websites have a single win this season by that exact score. They had three, although only one was in regulation.

Ottawa Senators – I predicted Tim Stützle would break the record for The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Revisiting the good, bad and outright points by a German-trained rookie, which was Jochen Hecht’s 34 in embarrassing from my oddly specific 2021 NHL predictions 1999-2000. Stützle was good but fell five points short.

New Jersey Devils – I had Jack Hughes rebounding with a 14-goal season. He did improve but finished with 11. By Sean McIndoe Jun 7, 2021 Washington Capitals – Alex Ovechkin did not finish second in goals scored for the first time in his career; he was tied for 13th.

Predictions are high on the list of any sportswriter’s favorite things. They Vegas Golden Knights – Alex Pietrangelo did not tie Torey Krug in points. make for relatively easy content, the kind that doesn’t require a ton of (Krug beat him by nine.) research or inside information. You just figure out what you think will happen, toss in a couple of bonus picks that you don’t actually believe San Jose Sharks – I said the Sharks would finish with the same number but will get a reaction, and you’re good to go. If you know what you’re of points as last year — 63, albeit in a shorter schedule. They didn’t, doing, you can even keep everything vague enough that nobody can finishing with 49, which was actually pretty close to the same pace as last really accuse you of being all that wrong. year. But that’s not what I said.

That last bit is the part that always trips me up. As longtime readers Detroit Red Wings – I predicted that new goalie Thomas Greiss would know, I have an annual tradition of making a single prediction for each play well enough for a bad team to get a couple of sympathy Hart Trophy team in the league. But I don’t do vague. I steer hard in the other votes. We haven’t seen the ballots yet, but Greiss wasn’t all that good, so direction and go into way too much detail. Forget about who’ll be the I feel safe saying this one won’t happen. leading scorer — exactly how many points will he get? Don’t tell me a St. Louis Blues – Mike Hoffman did not finish with exactly 21 goals; he team will improve their record — let’s hear exactly how they’ll finish. Oh, had 17. somebody’s going to score a goal? Let’s hear the exact date it’s going to happen. Nashville Predators – I said that Roman Josi would finish third in the Norris voting. The book on this one isn’t officially closed yet, because we It’s the Oddly Specific Prediction. I just think it’s more interesting that won’t know the finalists until Wednesday, but there was virtually no buzz way. But there’s an obvious downside: I’m pretty much always wrong. about Josi as a candidate this year, so I’m going to pre-emptively mark Often embarrassingly so. Call me , because I’m this one wrong. shooting about 3 percent for my career. Florida Panthers – I had Sergei Bobrovsky having a minor rebound, and Does that mean I should make the predictions at the start of the season predicted he’d finish with a .910 save percentage. He ended up at .906, and then never speak of them again? It absolutely does, but that’s no meaning I was four goals off. fun. So today, we’re going to look back at the 32 oddly specific prediction I made on the day the season started in January, and see how I did. Winnipeg Jets – I said the Jets would take three-of-four from the Flames Spoiler alert: Not great! But also … not awful? in their February series, reversing the results of their play-in round from last summer. The Jets won two to go with a shootout loss. Close but no Tier 1: Not just wrong but painfully wrong cigar. It’s one thing to miss the target. It’s another to look back and realize you Carolina Hurricanes – After they had a perfect record in 2019-20 when were aiming in the wrong direction entirely. leading after two periods, I predicted they’d lose their season opener to Buffalo Sabres – After calling back to one of my worst predictions — the Red Wings that way. They teased us a bit, holding a meager 1-0 lead picking Casey Mittelstadt to win the Calder in 2018 — I went back to the after 40 minutes, but held on for a 3-0 win. Sabres rookie well by picking Dylan Cozens as a Calder finalist this year. Los Angeles Kings – Another opening night miss, as I had the Kings He had 13 points. Next year’s oddly specific Sabres prediction will not be giving up a 5-on-4 shorthanded goal to the Wild (after not giving one up about the Calder Trophy. in 2019-20). They did not. They’d end up giving up three on the year, but Dallas Stars – I said they’d beat the Lightning eight times over the regular the first one didn’t come until seven weeks into the season. It’s cool, you season and playoffs combined. They went a rotten 2-5-1 against Tampa guys had my back last year. Bay during the season, and as for the playoffs … oof. Philadelphia Flyers – After pointing out that Carter Hart had never had an New York Rangers – I predicted big things for Alexis Lafrenière, including assist or a penalty minute, I predicted he’d get both this year, and in a 45-point season that would put him in the mix for the most successful close proximity. He didn’t waste much time earning me half-credit by teenaged rookie runs in Rangers history. Instead, Lafrenière had a taking his first-ever penalty just three games in. But the assist never disappointing season, and his 21 points was under half of what I came, leaving me as the only expert in the world who was wrong about promised. how Hart’s season would play out.

Colorado Avalanche – I said the Avs would take part in the longest Vancouver Canucks – Finally, I said the Canucks would have the most shootout of the season. They didn’t give me much to work with, shots in a game by any team that was shut out this year, and they didn’t. appearing in just one all year, and that one ended after five shots. Man, I guess I can’t get anything right when it comes to the Canucks and shutouts. (“Ironic foreshadowing” sign begins to blink in background.) But Columbus Blue Jackets – With rumors of a Pierre Luc-Dubois trade really, what kind of genius even could, you know? swirling, I penciled him in to match last year’s scoring pace. That would have been about 40 points; he was barely half that, finishing with a Tier 3: Wrong, but just a little bit close career-low 21. There’s no partial credit in the oddly specific prediction game, but Edmonton Oilers – I picked Connor McDavid to win the Art Ross, which honestly, I have to find a way to break up the “wrong” category a bit. he did, but that doesn’t even count as a worthwhile prediction. So I went Arizona Coyotes – I took a big swing by predicting that defensive one further and said he’d finish the year with exactly 87 points. That defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin would score the first goal of his career and would indeed have been enough to win the Art Ross, but McDavid blew that it would come in his 100th game. He did score the goal, which by the total by a mile; he was over 87 with weeks left in the season. remains the only one of his three-year career, but it came in Game 114. Tier 2: Not embarrassingly wrong, but still wrong Chicago Blackhawks – I predicted that the Hawks’ no-name goaltending This is usually the largest category, featuring predictions that were wrong wouldn’t be as bad as we all expected, and that they’d have multiple but aren’t completely terrible in hindsight. shutouts by February. They didn’t, but if I’d said “in” February instead I’d have been right, and that Chicago’s goaltending was legitimately better New York Islanders – In the face of criticism that the Islanders were a than we thought early on at least makes this one feel defensible. boring team that tried to win every game 2-1, I predicted they wouldn’t Minnesota Wild – I said the Wild would start hot, with 12 points in their Yes. Did that raise expectations to an unreasonable level? In hindsight, first eight games. They did start well, but had to settle for 10 points to go probably. Did I pretty much go oh-for-three months immediately with a couple of one-goal losses that could have tipped the scales if a afterward? Maybe I did and maybe I didn’t, I don’t see your oddly specific bounce had gone another way. predictions doing much better. Am I saying I got two right instead of three because I’m still ignoring what happened in Tier 6? This post is over, no Anaheim Ducks – Another start prediction, this time from the other side. I further questions. said the Ducks would start slow by winning just two of their first eight. They won three, but two of those were 1-0 wins and I think we can all The Athletic LOADED: 06.08.2021 agree that those should only count as half-wins.

Boston Bruins – I said that Brad Marchand would avenge this disaster by scoring the winning goal in a Bruins shootout win over the Flyers. He did indeed score a shootout winner in the Bruins’ very first game of the season, but that one wasn’t against Philadelphia. Still, a decent start, and some of you got very excited a few nights later when the Bruins and Flyers went to a shootout in their very first meeting of the season. We were all set up here, but Bruce Cassidy had other ideas, and tragically Marchand did not get to shoot this time. Curse you, Bruce.

Pittsburgh Penguins – We’ll end this section with one I went back and forth on. I predicted that the Penguins would be one-half of the deadline’s biggest buyer/seller hookup, although I intentionally didn’t commit to which side they’d be on. Sure enough, they went out and landed Jeff Carter. Was that the deadline’s biggest trade? It wouldn’t be completely crazy to try to say that, but I’m not going to try to make the case. Taylor Hall was the biggest move of the deadline, both at the time and in hindsight, so I’ll chalk my Penguins call up as a near-miss.

Tier 4: Wrong, but with an asterisk

Is there replay review for oddly specific predictions?

Tampa Bay Lightning – My Lightning prediction was that after never losing consecutive games during their Cup-winning playoff run, they lose back-to-back in their third and fourth games of the season, against the Stars and Blue Jackets. They didn’t lose those two games. But that’s because they didn’t happen; the Stars season was delayed, so the Lightning skipped them, instead going to Columbus and then on to Carolina. They lost both of those games, and it was their first two-game losing streak of the season. But it was Games 4 and 5, not 3 and 4, so while I think I deserve partial credit under the circumstances, I can’t claim this one was actually right.

Tier 5: Still to be determined

There’s one prediction still twisting in the wind, and while I didn’t want to delay this whole post for weeks just for that, it needs its own category.

Seattle Kraken – My first ever oddly specific Kraken prediction was that somebody who scored an overtime goal in the 2021 playoffs would end up being picked in the expansion draft. We’ll have to wait on this one, but given all the overtime we’ve had so far, my odds aren’t terrible.

Tier 6: I don’t want to talk about it

Yeah, yeah I know shut up.

Toronto Maple Leafs – I’ll just cut and paste the prediction, word for word: “Let’s see if I can will this one into existence: For the first time in over 40 years, the Leafs face the Canadiens in the playoffs. And it goes seven.”

Yeah, nice work buddy, you sure did will that into existence. Maybe next year you can will a dump truck into running over your bike.

Tier 7: Swish

My goal every year is to get just one single prediction that’s indisputably right. Did I manage it this year? Sadly, no … because I got two.

Montreal Canadiens – The Habs raised a few eyebrows by giving Josh Anderson a big contract on the heels of a one-goal season. I predicted he’d surpass that total in his very first game, scoring twice in his Canadiens debut. Sure enough, that’s exactly what he did against Toronto. Man, I sure am super-duper good at predicting what happens between the Leafs and Habs.

Calgary Flames – I predicted that prized UFA signing Jacob Markstrom would record a shutout in his first start against his former team, the Canucks. Sure enough, in just his second start of the season, he did exactly that. Do not mess with me when it comes to Jacob Markstrom shutouts.

That’s two predictions that were exactly right, which is two more than I typically expect. Did both of them come in the season’s first few days? 1215461 Websites “These guys are playing as well as any team has ever played,” he said. They’re certainly playing better than any he’s been behind since 2014,

when the Canadiens last made it to the semifinals and were undone with Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens earning respect with unified effort during New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider crashing skates up into Price special playoff run and knocking him out of the playoffs.

The 33-year-old, who has a .935 save percentage through 11 games, hasn’t been given a chance to come anywhere near this far since and he Eric Engels June 8, 2021, 1:43 AM has treated this one like he may not get another.

“I said that at the start of the year,” Price said, “every opportunity you get is a golden one.” MONTREAL — All hail the Kings of the North — the Montreal Canadiens, Demoralizers of Maple Leafs, Sweepers and Grounders of Jets. This group so clearly understands that.

No, seriously. If this team hasn’t earned your respect by coming back It’s a team bolstered by the Cup-winning experience of Corey Perry, Eric and beating a Toronto team that finished 18 points ahead of it in the Staal, Joel Edmundson, Jake Allen and Toffoli, and one completely standings and then obliterating a Winnipeg team that dispatched Connor energized by players under the age of 22, like Nick Suzuki, Jesperi McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers in four games, that’s Kotkaniemi and Cole Caufield. your problem. We’ll give them their due. It was 21-year-old Alexander Romanov who jumped into Game 4 cold They’re not the most skilled of the teams remaining in these Stanley Cup after playing 54 of 56 regular-season games and watching the first 10 Playoffs. Not even by a long shot. playoff games in a suit. Without Jeff Petry (who was injured in Game 3), in a back-to-back situation, they benefited from his jump — even if he But they just might be the most unified, and that’s what gets it done at played only 9:27. this time of year. Others, like Ben Chiarot, Brendan Gallagher, Paul Byron and Josh The Canadiens are moving on to the Stanley Cup semifinals for the first Anderson, have led the way for the Canadiens with their tenacity and time in seven years. They’re doing so on a seven-game winning streak, intensity. Bit players, like Gustafsson, Brett Kulak and Joel Armia, have as a team that hasn’t trailed in 4:37:53 of game time. They’re just over 50 delivered much more than expected of them. minutes away from tying an NHL record, set by the 1960 Canadiens, who swept the Maple Leafs to win it all. And then there’s 35-year-old Shea Weber, the captain, who missed the final eight games of the season with a thumb injury. He couldn’t hold a And yet, they will be talked about like lambs awaiting the slaughter stick with his left hand in the lead up to the Toronto series, but he’s since against whoever emerges from the battle between the NHL’s two best played the third-most minutes per game of anyone still left in the playoffs. teams from this regular season. He had a word for why the Canadiens should be respected. Not by us, though. “There’s such a great group of guys in there,” Weber said. “That You may underestimate these Canadiens at your own peril. translates on the ice. Everyone does their job and has a specific job that “It kind of feels like nobody believes in us,” said Tyler Toffoli, who scored they’re supposed to do on the ice. And that’s part of it, too. But I think at 1:39 of overtime to secure the 3-2 win in Game 4 and the sweep over that everyone plays for each other and does the right thing for their the Jets. “The only people we have are ourselves and our fans, which teammates.” clearly with the small amount of fans in the building, it sounded a lot more Isn’t that what this is about? than what it was, are behind us and our friends and family. We’re sticking together. We’re playing as one and we’re winning games and having It has to continue to be when the Canadiens resume play. No matter who fun.” they’re up against.

Phillip Danault, who blanketed Toronto and Winnipeg’s best players in “It’s going to be a helluva job,” said coach Dominique Ducharme, who these playoffs, called it the best time of he and his teammates’ lives as took over from Claude Julien on Feb. 24 and must now prepare his team he chomped on some celebratory pizza. to play an opponent they haven’t faced all year.

Danault was born just months before the Canadiens last were crowned “We played the teams we beat nine or 10 times, but it’s good to measure Stanley Cup champions. The 28-year-old Victoriaville, Que., native ourselves against the best,” Ducharme continued. “(The Avalanche and contemplated what it would be like to end the Cup drought with this Golden Knights) finished first and second in the league, (respectively), edition. but our objective isn’t to finish here. So, if we want to get to where we want to get to, we have to beat the best teams.” Who can blame him for even going there? And this isn’t about matching up with the improbable Cup-winning “I’ve been dreaming about bringing it back to Montreal one day,” Danault Canadiens teams of the past. It’s got nothing to do with 1993 or 1986. said. “I think this is our chance this year. We’ve been playing well. We’ve just got to go one step at a time and not look too far and just enjoy the “Every year is different,” said Ducharme. “You look back at those guys, process and have fun.” it’s special, but yeah, there’s something special in our group, and we said it that it was a good group. Fun is pushing these Jets to the brink, and then out-shooting them 42-16 and coming through with three goals to secure the series. “Now, can we write our own story? That’s what we want to do.”

Erik Gustafsson gave the Canadiens a lead on the power play 8:01 into Two chapters are already in ink, and one crown has already been the first period of Monday’s game. It was the ninth time in 11 games this earned. team had secured the first goal in this post-season. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.08.2021 Artturi Lehkonen, who came back from a concussion to replace Jake Evans, who was concussed in Game 1 on a charge that eliminated Jets top centre Mark Scheifele from this series, scored for a second consecutive game to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead with 51 seconds remaining in the first period.

Carey Price may have blinked for the first time in these playoffs by allowing two goals to Logan Stanley in the second period, but by pushing through and winning in overtime, the Canadiens showed how this team — unlike almost every one that’s played in front of Price since he was drafted by the organization in 2005 — is about so much more than its goaltender. 1215462 Websites By the time the series was over, the Jets had scored only six goals in total — four of which came at even strength.

The biggest issue was that three of those goals came from the defence Sportsnet.ca / Jets’ season ends after offensive contributors go silent corps, including one from Derek Forbort.

Kyle Connor had the other goal for the Jets and it came in Game 1 with the extra attacker. Ken Wiebe June 8, 2021, 1:04 AM Special teams were a massive factor in the series, as the Canadiens finished with a 6-1 edge in that department — with three shorthanded markers (one into an empty net) and three power play markers countered WINNIPEG — Let the off-season speculation begin. by a single shortie for the Jets. On a night when All-World goalie Connor Hellebuyck did everything in his Just like that, all of the hope built by an opening-round sweep of the power to extend the Winnipeg Jets season, the battle for ice outside the Edmonton Oilers vanished into thin air. blue paint continued to be the storyline that simply wouldn’t go away. In a season where a Canadian team was guaranteed a berth into the And when the Jets got hemmed in the defensive zone early in overtime, Final Four by winning the North Division, this series was over before it Cole Caufield found Tyler Toffoli for a one-timer on the doorstep that put even began. an abrupt end to the Jets season, a 3-2 defeat at the end of this long road that will in some ways be remembered as the tale of two seasons — While the Jets advanced to the second round for just the second time in and the tale of two distinctly different playoff series. franchise history, it is also just the third playoff series win in 10 seasons since relocation. The Toffoli goal was the exclamation point on a four-game sweep for the Montreal Canadiens, who have won seven games in a row after falling Winning is incredibly difficult, but so is some of the discussions taking behind 3-1 in the opening round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. place during and after the exit interviews.

The Jets didn’t hold the lead for a single second in the series and were It would be a surprise if either Maurice or general manager Kevin chasing in each of the four games, which played right into the Canadiens’ Cheveldayoff were shown the door, but this roster is going to require an game plan. upgrade in order to move forward — especially as they return to the Central Division in 2021-22. “They’re such a good team when they get the lead that they play a frustrating brand of hockey. They don’t give you a lot,” said Jets centre The loss of defenceman Dylan DeMelo to a soft tissue injury just 29 Adam Lowry, who finished the series with two goals. “They make it tough seconds into Game 1 against the Canadiens underscored the importance to get to the net. Obviously, that was a big difference in the series.” of enhancing the blue line this summer.

While the Jets executed their game play efficiently in the first round, their The Jets have high-end defence prospects in Ville Heinola and Dylan puck management wasn’t good enough and their defensive-zone Samberg ready for full-time duty in the fall and while Stanley’s coverage sprung a leak against the Canadiens. emergence was an important development, they’re also likely to be shopping for an experienced blue-liner in either free agency or via trade. “It was extreme, which was the case of the year, the story of the year, just extreme,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “All these things Speaking of trades, Monday’s loss capped the end of a frustrating you’ve never faced before. We played an NHL season without fans in the season for Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, who started the game on the building. We played an NHL season without a road game in our time second line, but also took some turns on the third and even the fourth. zone. There’s a whole lot of things we’ve never dealt with before. Dubois played all three forward positions for the Jets and never truly “And you roll through four games against a team with the two best found chemistry on a regular line, finishing with eight goals and 23 points players in the league, and you like the defensive game and then you get in 48 games — including the post-season. beat four straight times. They were good and they were better than we were in this series and they deserved to win.” The turbulent campaign took a sideways turn nobody could have seen coming when Dubois was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on For the second consecutive playoff, Jets top centre Mark Scheifele January 23 for and Jack Roslovic. ended the season on the sidelines. Dubois appears to be dealing with a nagging lower-body injury as he’s It was an injury that knocked Scheifele out on his third shift of the series been unable to generate much power in his skating stride and he opener against the Calgary Flames in August and a four-game seemed to lose his confidence when it comes to handling the puck or suspension for charging in the final minute of the opening game against looking for his shot. the Canadiens this time around. The third overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft finished the campaign on a The circumstances were vastly different — other than being highly 24-game goalless drought. unpredictable events — but the end result was nearly identical. Perhaps nobody is looking forward to a reset more than Dubois, who was Trying to replace a first-line pivot and play driver proved to be virtually unable to find the success he’s had previously and is sure to have plenty impossible for the Jets in nearly all facets of the game. of motivation about the fresh start next season is going to bring.

“You can’t. I mean, he’s a top-10 player in the NHL,” said Jets captain The organization still believes in him, but it’s clear Dubois can reach Blake Wheeler, who was held without a point in the four games in the another level — and the Jets will need him to if they want to take the next series and was asked to describe the impact of Scheifele’s absence. “I’m step as an organization. not saying we would win the series in five games because he was in the lineup but it just changes our team. “Part of the growth of this young man, this year will be his most important year to get him to the next level,” Maurice said. “I’ve got lots of “He makes me better. He makes Kyle (Connor) better. As a line, we’re confidence that he’s going to get there.” able to do some things that are pretty dynamic and from there, the matchup just works a lot better for us because then we can rely on our Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.08.2021 depth a lot more. We can rely on Adam Lowry’s line coming out third and they dominate in that three hole. It just makes our team look a lot different. So, it’s a damn shame.”

This isn’t about playing the blame game.

The Jets simply didn’t get enough offensive contributions throughout the lineup, with rookie defenceman Logan Stanley supplying the only offence in Game 4. 1215463 Websites series, swapped lines on Monday and played with Nelson’s wingers to go head-to-head against Bergeron.

Trotz uses his sixth defenceman, Noah Dobson, on New York’s top Sportsnet.ca / Bruins only have themselves to blame in Game 5 loss to power play and has won games this series with both of his goalies, Islanders Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin.

Officiating has very little to do with the Bruins’ 3-2 disadvantage, and it’s not the referees’ fault that Boston couldn’t kill a penalty Monday when it Iain MacIntyre June 7, 2021, 11:58 PM mattered.

One of the moves of the game was Trotz’s decision late in the first period to start using outstanding checking centre Pageau, who is kind of a A decade after bludgeoning the Vancouver Canucks with impunity on Patrice Bergeron Lite, with wingers Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier their way to a fully-deserved Stanley Cup, the Boston Bruins are now head-to-head against The Perfection Line. complaining about officiating. Apparently, they’re victims. Cassidy took advantage of last change in the series’ first two games in Must be drastic times, drastic measures. Boston to put Bergeron out against Nelson, Bailey and Beauvillier, and But don’t expect the sympathy-meter to get above zero outside of New that advantageous matchup resumed in Game 5 until Trotz swapped England. Nelson and Pageau.

Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, whose team is now a game away from The Bruins could either put Bergeron against Pageau, or keep Bergeron another playoff elimination after losing 5-4 Monday to the New York against Nelson and face Pageau’s wingers, the smart and experienced Islanders, tried after Game 5 to work officials by complaining about the Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac. lack of power plays for the Bruins. The impact of Trotz’s move was clear stastically: in 6:07 of five-on-five Maybe Cassidy will have more success than his team, which despite ice time for Bergeron against Nelson, shot attempts with 10-1 in favour of working the Islanders physically, suddenly trails the East Division final 3- the Bruins; in 5:42 of Bergeron vs. Pageau, it was 6-6. 2 after losing the last two games due to the Bruins’ inferior depth. EXPERIENCE MATTERS Power plays in Game 5 were 4-2 for the Islanders, and New York scored The Bruins outshot the Islanders 44-19, and New York did not register a on its first three chances with the man-advantage. shot on target after Nelson made it 5-2 from Craig Smith’s turnover at “We’re playing a team that has, you know, very respected management 1:59 of the final period. Pastrnak and David Krejci scored to bring the and coaching staff; they won a Stanley Cup,” Cassidy said, referring to Bruins within a goal with 5:17 remaining. Islanders coach Barry Trotz’s championship with the Washington But Trotz called a timeout to settle his team and remind his players Capitals in 2018. “But I think they sell a narrative over there that it’s more they’re allowed to go forward, and the Islanders yielded little in the final like the New York Saints, you know, not the New York Islanders. They five minutes while closing out the win. play hard and they play the right way, but I feel we’re the same way. The exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them, and I Including last season’s summer play-in round, the Islanders are in their don’t know why. eighth playoff series and have logged 41 playoff games since Trotz arrived on Long Island three years ago with general manager Lou “Maybe we need to sell them more flop, but that’s not us. You just hope Lamoriello. they’d (referees) see them. I mean, the same calls go against us. It’s not like I’m sitting there going, ‘Well, every call against us sucks.’ It’s not true. “You go through different experiences, and it doesn’t always go the way It’s just at the end of the day, the similar plays, they need to be penalized you map it out or the way you want,” Trotz said. “You just understand that on those plays. Like I said, I think they. . . did a great job selling that you’ve got to break the game down into smaller micro-type pieces. Like narrative that they’re clean. They play hard, a hard brand of hockey. I the end of the game, okay we’re still up, we’ve just got to break that down love the way they play. But they commit as many infractions as we do, to the last five minutes and if we do it right, then we can come up with a trust me.” victory. And that’s sort of what we did. It was uncomfortable, they made us uncomfortable. They played very well. . . but we didn’t panic. There’s Actually, the Islanders were the second-least penalized time in the NHL a calmness about our group. Instead of worrying about all the things, I during the regular season, so their apparent discipline in the playoffs – think what experience does — doesn’t matter if it’s hockey or it’s in life — just 23 times shorthanded in 11 games against Boston and Pittsburgh – experience just lets you focus in on four or five things that are the most doesn’t look especially suspicious. important, and everything else will fall into place.” The Bruins were the fourth-most penalized team in the regular season, Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.08.2021 shorthanded 38 times more over 56 games than the Islanders were.

Trotz refused to take the post-game bait when asked about the Bruins coach’s allegation about the New York Saints.

“Just look at where we ended up during the year,” Trotz said of the Islanders’ ability to avoid penalties. “I don’t know what he means by that. You’ll have to ask him.”

Boston has The Perfection Line: Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, who also happens to have been suspended six times and is regarded as one of the NHL’s dirtiest players. There isn’t a player Marchand couldn’t low-bridge.

But there is a lot of imperfection behind the Bruins’ world-class trio, and the Islanders’ greater depth has swung the series in their favour.

Brock Nelson’s line drove New York offensively in its first-round series comeback against the Penguins, and Islanders star Mathew Barzal, the only player from his team close to Boston’s big three, appears to be taking over this one.

He scored one power-play goal and set up Jordan Eberle on another Monday. Grinder Casey Cizikas scored the overtime winner for the Islanders in Game 2 and centres one of the most physical and most-used fourth lines in the NHL. And New York’s third line is so good that centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is in the conversation of best players in the 1215464 Websites "We couldn’t seem to find a rhythm tonight, but it wasn’t because of lack of work or effort," he said.

Carolina Hurricanes USA TODAY / Troubling signs: Where the Winnipeg Jets, Colorado The series has been tight, and the Hurricanes held two leads in Game 4 Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes stand in NHL playoffs before falling 6-4 on Saturday.

The big difference is the Hurricanes have been short-handed 14 times in Mike Brehm the series and have given up six power-play goals, including three in Game 4.

"Can’t take six penalties," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said after The Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche both lost 5-1 Sunday night, that game. and their respective opponents, the Montreal Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights, are showing all of the momentum in their second-round Monday's playoff games series. N.Y. Islanders at Boston, 6:30, NBCSN. Series tied 2-2 "Once they get one chance, they swarm with two or three other Winnipeg at Montreal, 8, NHL Network. Canadiens lead 3-0 chances," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of the Golden Knights, who have won two in a row to tie the series at two games. USA TODAY LOADED: 06.08.2021

The Central Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes, meanwhile, are facing elimination when they play at home against the third-ranked and defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

Where the three teams stand going into their next games:

Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele said he had faith that he would be able to play another playoff game after he received a four-game suspension for a Game 1 hit on Montreal's Jake Evans.

But the Jets, who beat the high-powered Edmonton Oilers in four games in the first round, are in danger of being swept themselves during Monday night's Game 4 at Montreal.

The Jets (0-3) are victims of a red-hot Canadiens team that has won six in a row since trailing the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 and has never trailed in any of those games. Goalie Carey Price has allowed four goals on 87 shots (.954 save percentage) against the Jets.

But the lack of Scheifele, their regular-season leading scorer, also has hurt. Trade acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois didn't work out on the top line and Paul Stastny was tried there in Game 3 during his return from an injury. The Jets' only goal in the last two games came from the third line.

The Jets don't have a power-play goal in the series and Montreal has scored three short-handed goals.

Only four NHL teams have overcome a 3-0 series deficit.

"You can't reinvent the wheel," Jets captain Blake Wheeler told reporters after Game 3. "You can't start over and try to do something completely different. I think there's some things in our game that we really like, some things we can clean up certainly, and hopefully we get a bounce to go our way."

Colorado Avalanche

The home team has held serve in this series, and the Avalanche (2-2) will be at home on Tuesday night.

But the Golden Knights have outplayed Colorado the last three games and the Avalanche's 7-1 win in Game 1 might have been an outlier because Vezina Trophy finalist Marc-Andre Fleury was being rested.

The Avalanche took a quick lead Sunday night, but gave up the tying goal on a bad turnover.

Colorado is missing suspended second-line center Nazem Kadri, and the Golden Knights are getting production from their top lines, including a Jonathan Marchessault hat trick in Game 4.

Meanwhile, the Nathan MacKinnon line, after a big performance in Game 1, has been slowed down. MacKinnon has one assist in the past three games.

"They’re frustrated, for sure," Bednar said. "It’s tight checking, especially for those guys."

Bednar called out his team's effort after a Game 3 loss, but didn't do that after Game 4. He says the Avalanche have a good chance to prevail with two of the next three at home.